New Delhi. Anything can be achieved with hard work. From identity to money. If you have passion. If you are honest towards your work then success definitely kisses your feet. There will be obstacles in the way of success, but if you still keep going then you can rule the world. Many of us keep complaining about ourselves. But do not do any work to make yourself successful. If you are also one of them, then you must read the story of an Indian businessman, who is ruling the country of kangaroos today.
This is the success story of a boy who started a business with his mother and then settled in Australia and became the richest Indian in Australia. This child is none other than Vivek Chand Sehgal, the founder of Samvardhan Motherson Group.
Started business with mother
The story of Vivek Chand Sehgal is very interesting. Sehgal started Motherson, initially named Motherson Trading Company, in 1975 with his mother Swarn Lata Sehgal. Earlier, at the age of 18, he had earned a little money by transporting silver on commission.
Father gave the name of the company
Sehgal explains, "It was my father who suggested the name Motherson. I liked the name immediately. It reflects trust, which is the main driving force behind our company even after so many years. Today, it constantly reminds us of where we came from and why we are here."
The silver market soon collapsed, and his business faced financial difficulties, largely due to the bankruptcy of a competitor that threatened the industry. He did not stop after this failure.
Sehgal's story changed with the formation of Maruti in 1983
After studying the silver business, Motherson started making electrical wiring. Motherson's 1977 first cable factory began a new direction for the family firm. Maruti Udyog Limited, in collaboration with Suzuki Motor Corporation, began assembling its first cars in India in December 1983. The first model to roll off the assembly line was the iconic Maruti 800.
The first affordable car to be assembled in India, the Suzuki Maruti 800 revolutionized Indian transportation.
Vivek Chand Sehgal recalls, "When I learned that the wiring was designed by a Japanese company, I took a visa and within ten days I was in Tokyo! I pitched for the business, but they refused to show me the factory. I came back to India with samples, and worked day and night to make them."
Motherson then partnered with Sumitomo Wiring Systems of Japan. The collaboration between Sumitomo Wiring Systems (SWS) and Motherson began with a technical agreement in 1983, which later transformed into the establishment of a formal joint venture, Motherson Sumi Systems Ltd. (MSSL) in 1986.
First automotive component (wiring harness) manufactured in India in 1983. When the Maruti plant was inaugurated, Motherson's wiring harness was used in it. This is where Motherson's automotive parts journey began. And three years later, in 1986, Motherson Sumi Systems Ltd. was established in a joint venture with Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Japan.
Motherson was listed on BSE in 1993.
Policies in the 1980s and liberalization in 1991 prompted Maruti Udyog (then a JV) to increase local sourcing, leading to 65% indigenization by 1991, building a strong local auto component industry through 'local content' regulations, and promoting supplier development. Now Samvardhana Motherson International Limited benefited from this law.
The company's joint venture with Sumitomo Wiring Systems was successful and Motherson Sumi raised just $1 million for a listing on the Bombay Stock Exchange in 1993.
Partnership with Mercedes in 1994
मर्सिडीज 1994 में भारतीय बाजार में आने वाला पहला लग्जरी कार ब्रांड था। Two years later, he started a local assembly line in Pune. In just 39 days, Motherson built an entire new plant to produce their wiring harnesses. Motherson won the trust of Mercedes and soon included dashboard assemblies in his production for them.
For the first time, Motherson was able to showcase its quality standards to a renowned global brand. This proved to be the beginning of a long partnership that continues to this day.
By 1997, two important milestones helped Motherson begin to build relationships with automobile companies in Asia and the United States. The right time was coming to become international. Motherson began supplying parts for Hyundai in 1997. After this an agreement was also signed with Ford. In this way, Motherson also became a global client.
Vivek Chand Sehgal is Australia's richest Indian
In a 2019 interview with Australian news website Financial Review, Sehgal said that in 1994 he was the only business migrant to India through Australia's High Commission, and he took full advantage of this opportunity. After moving to Australia, he started joint ventures with companies like BTR Nylux and learned to make different types of components like headlights and door trims.
He had said, "What caught my attention was how proud the Australians were of the fact that they were making all the parts of the car themselves. What they did to increase volumes without increasing capex was very interesting. I always say that the training of the Japanese, the ability of the Australians and the entrepreneurship of an Indian came together to create Motherson."
Segal bought a house in Melbourne's east, enrolled his two children at Wesley College, and by 1997 had become an Australian citizen.
Sehgal is the richest Indian in Australia. According to Forbes live tracking list, currently Vivek Chand Sehgal's net worth is $6.6B. In 2022, he demerged the India wiring harness business and listed it on the Indian Stock Exchange as Motherson Sumi Wiring India.
Business is spread in 44 countries
Under the supervision of Vivek Chand Sehgal, Samvardhan Motherson Group has grown to become one of the largest auto component supplier companies in the world today. It now makes some of the most essential automobile parts, accepted by major automobile companies around the world.
Motherson Group supplies automotive components (wiring, modules, polymers, vision systems) and differentiated engineering solutions to leading global automakers such as Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Volkswagen, as well as other key clients in the aerospace (Airbus), technology and industrial sectors in 44 countries. Their client base ranges from premium auto brands to emerging tech industries that rely on Motherson as a Tier 1 supplier for complex systems integration.
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