Fleet footed

Fleet footed
13 Nov, 2007, 0653 hrs IST,Amrit Mann, TNN

Imagine driving through the hills of Himachal in a BMW 7 series, or cruising in Rajasthan in a stretch limo. Sometimes people rent luxury cars as an alternative to a standard car while on vacations, while many people choose luxury cars for their business travel . And then there are those customers who rent luxury cars for special occasions. The one man who is making everyone’s dream come true is 40-year-old Amrit Mann, and in turn is making his father’s dream a reality as arguably, the biggest player in the luxury rental car market in the NCR region.

Some 22 years ago, his father, MS Mann, hit upon the idea when a party guest suggested buying a car and using it for both personal and commercial purposes . In 1985, Mann Sr bought a secondhand Ambassador. Finance was a big problem , remembers Amrit. “My father used to work as a senior lab technician at Lohia Hospital and my mother was working as an assistant nursing superintendent in Irwin Hospital. Generating money at that time was a big task and we took out money from their PF accounts.”

Amrit was still in college, and used to do bulk of the work, driving around and picking up clients from the airport at night. “I would go to college in the morning and then would drive around at night. I love driving and this made it easier,” he remembers. Well, the old Amby has been replaced. In it’s place have come the BMWs, Mercedez Benz’ , the Volvos. In fact, today, Mann Tourist Transport Services doesn’t have a single Amby in it’s 175-car fleet. As a player in the luxury space, he doesn’t find the fit.

When he decided to play the luxury game, it wasn’t without some risks. Well no risk, no gains. Says Mann: “This was the first lesson I learnt in class XI in my school. These were the words that were written there on the blackboard and with course of time I realised how true they were.” He was the first to introduce expensive luxury cars into tourism transport in Delhi.

He has always wanted to do something different, something extra that would help him stand out in the crowd. “We are the pioneers in this business and I wanted us to become a trendsetter. So everytime a new car was launched, I would look at the feasibility of introducing it in our business. I took risks, but very well calculated risks,” he says. The result is the impressive car fleet including all the big names in the luxury car segment.

In 1986, he bought his first commercial vehicle, an Ambassador and went on to add a Swaraj Mazda mini bus in 1990, Cielo and Qualis in 1995, Lancer in 1997 and Mercedes in 2002. His calculated gamble was paying off. Says a business associate : “It’s his dedication, hard work and his thinking that has made the company what it is today. It’s his business sense that has taken him so far. He does research as in any other sector and identifioes the needs of the clients.and then introduces new products in the market.”

Once, the business got going, Mann set up a small office in Palika Place, and hired a driver. Today, he employs 175 chauffeurs and has 50 others on his staff. The journey so far has been steady. Turnover for next year, is expected to touch Rs 22 crore. Says Mann: “Except for the year of 9/11 blasts, we have registered a cumulative growth of approximately 50% every year since the inception of business.”

It hasn’t been roses all the way though. Permits posed a huge problem in the early days, and business came in a trickle from travel agencies. Then in 1987, he got his first corporate client, the Swedish packaging giant, Tetrapak. After which came names like Sumeet (mixer and grinder), The Oberoi Hotels etc. “Now we have a very impressive client list including approximately 30 embassies, deluxe hotels, and almost all the MNCs operating in the NCR region. If you want quality, you will have to come to Mann,” he says assertively.

At ground level, a lot has changed as well. As India opened up, international car rental firms too have made a beeline for its shores (read Hertz, Europcar, Leaseplan, Avis). Today the car rental industry is almost $ 2287.19 million. The organised sector , however, accounts for only just 3% market share with a turnover of $139.78-152 .49 million and about 6,000 cars in their portfolio. Yet, none have been able to touch Mann’s leadership position in the luxury segment. Says Mann: “They can never give the personalised touch that I offer in our services. I have been in this industry from more than 20 years. This is my only job and the kind of attention I pay to details can not be matched by international companies. Being an Indian I understand the needs of the clients well.”

There were times when he would be working for 72 hours at a stretch. Ask him if he would mind driving one of his cars in case of a crisis now and he replies promptly, “I am confident that it will not happen. But I don’t mind driving a car to pick up a client in case of an emergency. Commitment is commitment and there is no substitute for hard work.” His 20 years of hard work has made him understand that honesty, dedication and focused efforts can take one a long way.

And there is piece of advice for other entrepreneurs . “No one can become rich over night. Focus on your aim, stick to it. and work hard and you have all the ingredients to be successful.”