'We need to believe in this country'

Aditya Anand speaks to Raymond CMD Gautam Singhania on his need for speed his Sholay ideology and his lovesYour penchant towards fast cars yachts and aircraft is well known How fast can it get for Gautam SinghaniaMan and machine Gautam Singhania poses with his BMW PIC SAYED SAMEER ABEDI I have already driven a Formula 1 race car and also flown in a fighter jet both of which are fast toys But I am not sure how much faster it can get for me But no I am not inclined on making the Virgin Galatic trip right now Those of us who share the passion for super cars have just come together and formed a clubu00a0u00a0 What is this Super Car Club It is a group of 35 people from Mumbai and Pune who own super cars like a Ferrari Lamborghini Rolls Royce Bentley and the like Members will showcase their beauties on the south Mumbai streets tomorrow during the Parx Super Car ShowWhat is this show aboutThere will be over 35 highend super cars comprising Ferraris Bentleys Audis Rolls Royce and others on display It will be a Super Car Parade which will wind its way between Kala Ghoda and Prabhadevi via Peddar Road and Marine Drive I hope to make it an annual affair In fact the Maharatshtra Tourism guys want to sponsor the event to attract touristsu00a0 Sundays super car show is going to see you drive your Lamborghini Why would sleepstarved Mumbai wake up at 10 am to see the paradeTruth is that Mumbaikars will need no coaxing Forget a Ferrari or a Rolls Royce people stop when they see an Audi or BMW The youth just love these machines Its crazy a crowd of about 100 gathered within minutes when I brought out my Lamborghiniu00a0 at Kemps Corner People will be allowed to take pictures along with the cars as well We want this to be yearly do Again we have already announced the route so that people can choose their favourite viewing spots and watch the beauties zip past at easeu00a0u00a0 But dont the roads worry youJo dar gaya woh mar gaya We have chosen a route from Kala Ghoda to Prabhadevi which is quite good and will ensure smooth driving As for damage to the cars it is always a risku00a0u00a0u00a0 What is your take on the Rs 1 lakh car the Tata NanoCongratulations to Ratan Tata for the great product India roughly sells 10 lakh passenger cars and 70 lakh motorcycles every year People who use twowheelers want to upgrade to the Nano It is great to see that over 10 lakh people are interested in the car Even if Tata Nano takes away 15 of the motorcycle market you will still witness 100 growth in passenger car sales And I dont think 15 is an unrealistic numberu00a0 Also look at the spinoffs this would have on industries like steel fabric tyres components and so on The economy is bound to improveHow long will the economic slowdown lastI hope I am wrong but it will last another two to three years and not six months as they normally say However India is still very much insulated in comparison to say Japan where some corporate houses are seeing an 89 per cent loss But the Indian industry lacks confidence and everything seems to be uncertainu00a0 Will the Parliamentary elections and a new government act as an economic stimulator It will be a hung Parliament And with all fairness the new government will need a minimum of six months to get its act together So all steps taken to improve the situation for the industry will take shape only in 2010 Youve admitted that becoming a father at 40 changed your lifeu00a0 HowI now have a bigger family responsibility Which is tougher being a husband or a fatherBeing a complete man is the tougher challenge I love my threeyearold daughter Niharika and wife Nawaz and ensure that my schedules are fixed around their agenda I also ensure that Niharika gets a chance to visit villages near Alibag to give her a taste of real India We have a farmhouse in AlibagDoes Niharika share your passion for fast toysAt three she loves cars and can identify them But high speeds I dont know You built Ashena the worlds largest super yacht thats chartered out to anyone who can afford it at US 125000 a week Why do you want to sell itI still hope to sell when it fetches the right price I got it built when I needed it It is pure economics and there is no emotional attachment here I cherish the time I spent on the yacht yet I believe it makes complete sense to sell itu00a0 Raymond produces fabrics that range from Rs 150 per metre to Rs 125 lakh per metreu00a0 Why such a large range The Raymond brand is the only one in the world that spans such a price spectrum It is Raymond all the way from what a cabbie wears to what Im wearing A brand is built on its values What is important for us is the fact that the consumer who is buying the Rs 150 a metre fabric has as much confidence in the brand as the one who is buying at the Rs 15 lakh plus a metre As you look back at your business are you contentYes very much Raymond has managed to span India from the bottom to the top Raymond and Gautam are continuously evolving Things are definitely improving For instance the simplicity with which my manager can travel today buy a car or get a telephone is phenomenally better than it was 15 to 20 years ago And I think we need to believe in this country Raymond is growing and customers are today demanding more value for moneyu00a0 We believe in educating our customers on what they should buy what is needed and what is not through our salespersons