In order to become a world-class manufacturer, Indian companies must focus on leapfrogging with a sharper product quality approach delivered at speed, rather than moving forward incrementally. Highlighting this, Mr. T. K. Balaji, Chairman & Managing Director, Lucas TVS Limited, delivered his Special Address at the NIQR’s 18th Global Quality Convention Award Presentation function in Chennai on 29th August 2025.
Mr. Balaji, recalling his recent visit to China, shared how deeply impressed he was by the pace of progress across the country’s automobile industry–from two-wheelers to electric vehicles–with a multitude of players entering the market. He remarked that one of China’s biggest advantages is its fearless attitude towards failure.
According to him, Chinese companies are now sharply focused on next-generation technologies, backed by large investments. In areas such as electric vehicle production, China is far ahead of the rest of the world. Emerging technologies like self-parking systems and autonomous driving are also gaining strong traction there. He shared personal experiences of travelling in China by road, train, and metro, underlining the scale and efficiency of the country’s infrastructure.
Mr. Balaji urged India’s youth to visit China, learn from its robust infrastructure, and help accelerate India’s own leapfrogging journey. He emphasised that the younger generation must focus on three key factors: Ambition + Ability = Opportunity.
Touching upon Lucas TVS’ quality approach, Mr. Balaji recalled that when the company won the prestigious Deming Prize, it had secured the highest marks from JUSE of Japan. At Lucas TVS, he stressed, quality is a conscious choice, and failure is viewed as the starting point in the journey towards achieving zero defects.
A Mechanical Engineering graduate from the College of Engineering, Guindy, and a gold medalist MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, Mr. Balaji has been at the helm of Lucas TVS for over four decades. He played a key role in acquiring full ownership from Lucas UK in 2000 and has since transformed Lucas TVS into a conglomerate employing over 12,000 directly and supporting more than 30,000 indirectly.
Under his leadership, Lucas TVS has expanded from a single plant to 13 world-class facilities today, with an annual turnover exceeding Rs. 6,000 crore. A memorable milestone came in 2005 when Tata Group Chairman, Sri Ratan Tata, received the company’s one-millionth product from Mr. Balaji.
Continuing this growth trajectory, Mr. Balaji is now spearheading one of India’s first lithium battery cell manufacturing ventures–INDEON–set up to serve the fast-growing electric vehicle sector.