As Vice President of Western Drugs Ltd., Vikram shares valuable advice for newcomers in family businesses to avoid behaving like owners and instead focus on being friendly and receptive to training.

Vikram Ranka is a Vice President of Western Drugs Ltd., Udaipur, of which his father is the chairman.

Vikram’s father came to Udaipur from Mumbai along with one of his five uncles in 1981, as there was an atmosphere prevailing in Mumbai against non-Marathis. They had decided to develop a base in Udaipur and had chosen the city as it was well connected and was not far from their native place. His father experimented with the metal casting business but was not successful with it. He somehow came in contact with the current promoters of Western Drugs, and they together started the drug manufacturing company in 1989.

Vikram’s father never compromised with quality, which paid rich dividends as the company has grown over the years from a turnover of just one crore per annum to more than 300 crores per annum. Also, he always looked after the welfare of his employees.

Vikram joined the company very late, about 16 years ago, when the company had already matured in every respect. So, he hasn't had to face any major setbacks. Only once did they go through a tough time when some people raised questions about their management process. Vikram worked on it, and now his company is compliant with all global standards of processes. Besides, there was a phase when competing with China became very difficult. But they beat the competition with their superior quality, and now they are able to stand firmly on the market despite stiff competition from China.

Vikram’s company is selling its drugs and other products to companies in more than 50 countries. His customers include top names like Pfizer, Merck, Sanofi, Unilever, Nestle, Kellogg, etc. Their main product is active pharmaceutical ingredients, which are used by the pharma companies directly in their products without having to do any further processing.

In Vikram’s opinion, leadership is inborn. He considers himself a team man and not a leader.

His role model is his father, whom he has seen working hard to make the company grow from a small unit to a large drug-producing firm.

Vikram advises those entering family businesses not to act as owners when joining their father's company. Recognizing that your father is your best teacher, he emphasizes earning staff respect through abilities and qualities, even if scolded in front of others.

When asked about his hobbies, Vikram says that he loves cooking and does a lot of it whenever he finds time. He also likes his walks and follows a fitness regime.