YEARS 1965-1980
Om Manchanda, affectionately known as Omi, spent his formative years in Nagina, a village situated in one of Haryana’s most underprivileged districts in India. His father, Daulat Ram, had relocated to Nagina during the Partition of Independent India in 1947.
As time passed, Daulat Ram managed to acquire land and cattle, establishing a modest retail cloth shop in the village. Omi’s initial venture into the world of business occurred when he began assisting his father in the operation of the shop.
Guiding Principles from Father to Son
- Exercise caution when extending credit, as recovering the money often requires considerable effort.
- Refrain from providing freebies such as tea or cold drinks to customers, as they prioritize value for money. Competitive pricing is a more sensible business approach.
- Avoid overwhelming customers with too many choices, as it can lead to confusion.
- Assess the customer’s inclination based on their initial product selection – are they value-conscious or price-conscious?
- Maintain a diverse product portfolio to prevent customers from turning to competitors due to the non-availability or stock-out of any particular item.
Childhood years
Omi’s childhood unfolded in the typical manner of an Indian village boy until the age of 15. A diligent student from the start, he attended the nearby Arya Samaj School in Nagina for his primary education. Later, he transitioned to the sole secondary school in the same village.
Outside of school hours, Omi took on responsibilities like caring for farm animals and fetching water from a nearby well. In the rainy season, he engaged in the harvest of fodder crops.
Among the various games he enjoyed, cricket, pithu, gilli danda, and kho-kho were prominent, but his true passion lay in the art of flying kites. Omi harboured an unwavering desire to elevate his paper crafts as high as the wind would allow.
To gain an edge over others in the thrilling sky battles, Omi often devised his own manja, a sharp thread, by grinding pieces of glass and mixing them with boiled rice.
Omi always embraced challenges with enthusiasm, fuelled by his love for triumph.
In one of the summer breaks, Omi took his first entrepreneurial step by selling chart-paper lucky draws, thereby earning a modest amount of pocket money.
Life beyond Nagina
With limited exposure to the 500-odd families within the village, Omi often found himself pondering about life beyond the boundaries of Nagina. The sight of a bus carrying villagers on a dusty journey to the city stirred a sense of wanderlust within him.
Even at the tender age of four, Omi’s curiosity led him to wander off and get lost during one of his routine walks with his mother, Banno Devi, to the village pond where she washed clothes. Fortunately, a local ice-cream vendor spotted the young boy and safely brought him home.
Omi was captivated by the grandeur surrounding the annual return of a village resident’s son who had settled in the US. He felt uneasy when comparisons were made with a similarly aged relative who occasionally visited on a flashy motorbike.
Determined to stand out and be different, Omi committed himself to hard work and excelled in school, bringing immense pride to his parents.
Setting sights on Hisar
After securing the first position in the secondary examinations, Omi decided to utilize his ‘village domicile certificate’ to gain admission to Hisar Agricultural University’s College of Agriculture through the rural quota.
At the age of 15, he had limited clarity about his future career path or whether agriculture would be a long-term pursuit. However, Omi recognized that joining the college in Hisar was his only means of stepping outside the confines of Nagina.
For him, the village domicile certificate was the ‘big ticket to life.’
BOUNDARIES 1980-1988
Hisar proved to be a transformative experience for the teenager, now known as Manchanda, as he navigated being an ‘outsider in the club’ of assertive boys, mainly from Haryana. Undeterred, Manchanda not only learnt to roller skate but also honed his skills as a professional photographer.
Fuelling his passion for nature, he joined the mountaineering club and, at the age of 17, embarked on his inaugural trek to the Milam Glacier in the Himalayas.
Despite the change in environment, his academic excellence persisted. After two years at the agriculture college, supported once again by his ‘village domicile certificate’ and rural background, Manchanda secured a spot at the veterinary college within the same university, ranking among the top ten students.
The world became his oyster as Manchanda found himself in a class with mostly MBBS-aspirants, including individuals from diverse backgrounds such as the army and boarding schools. This association reshaped Manchanda’s perspective on his future, leaving a lasting impact on his career.
Initially low on confidence and with limited knowledge of Biology, Manchanda sought solace in the college library, immersing himself in books that broadened his horizons. Impressed by pharmaceutical sales representatives who frequented the campus in gleaming Maruti cars and ties, he approached one of them to inquire about a similar career path. The advice he received – work in a big company – ignited his ambition for success.
Manchanda gradually realized the significance of his career. While his classmates aimed for government jobs or postgraduate courses, he yearned for diverse exposure in both the world and his career.
Considering various options such as the Indian Forest Service, Civil Services, probationary officers’ jobs in banks, and MBA, Manchanda leaned towards pursuing an MBA. For him, an MBA not only promised broader exposure but also the opportunity to live his corporate dream.
RIGHT CAREER 1988-1990
The Common Aptitude Test (CAT) for admission to the esteemed Indian Institute of Management (IIM) comprised two parts. In his initial attempt, Manchanda successfully cleared the written part but faced disappointment in the interviews.
Conversely, at the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA), he triumphed in both sections and secured a seat. Despite this offer, the village boy with aspirations of urban life declined the IRMA opportunity. Simultaneously, and to his family’s dismay, he turned down a job offer as a veterinary doctor with the Haryana government.
In reflecting on these decisions, Manchanda shares, “Sometimes in life, it is more important to say ‘no’ than ‘yes.”
His alternate plan was clear-cut. He opted to pursue a Master’s degree in veterinary sciences with the ICAR scholarship he had earned and planned to attempt the IIM entrance again.
The risks proved worthwhile. In his second attempt, Manchanda successfully entered the prestigious portals of IIM-A.
Manchanda embarked on his journey at IIM with a mix of hope and uncertainty. Surrounded by high achievers from institutions like the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and other renowned colleges, the former secondary school topper and leading student from the Hisar colleges suddenly felt a sense of inadequacy.
In this new environment, Manchanda acquired various nicknames, including OPM, POM, and even Manchu. Deep-rooted inhibitions, limited communication skills, and a struggle with English fluency posed initial challenges. Additionally, the introduction of subjects like accounting, mathematics, economics, and strategy, with little connection to agriculture or veterinary sciences, added to his difficulties.
Despite these hurdles, Manchanda, known for his determination, focused mindset, and resilience, managed to overcome many shortcomings by the second year of his IIM journey.
Just as he began to feel comfortable, an intensely competitive placement season unfolded. Friends turned into rivals, and the spotlight was fixed on one company: Hindustan Lever (HLL). At that time, HLL was responsible for recruiting for various Unilever group companies, including Hindustan Lever Ltd, Brooke Bond India Ltd, Lipton India Ltd, and Ponds India Ltd.
That year marked a significant milestone as it was the first time that management trainees were recruited for the entire group of companies associated with Hindustan Lever (HLL).
Manchanda made the cut. This was unexpected, as HLL traditionally selected only the top performers. Manchanda stood among the 26 management graduates from different institutes chosen as management trainees that year.
