Winning Stroke: Interview with Kuldeep Malhotra, Vice President, Sales, Konica Minolta Business Solutions India

1) If not in the current profession, you would be?        
If I wasn’t leveraging the potential of rapid technological innovation for setting new benchmarks in the global printing industry, I would have been a consultant. I would’ve played an advisory role deploying deeper levels of expertise in Information Technology. No matter what I would have done, my focus would have been staying committed to relentless innovation and inspiring the youth through my work and life.

2) One tune you always hum?
I’m a great fan of Hemant Kumar. His haunting, soulful rendition of Hai Apna Dil To Awaara from the movie Solva Saal is one of my most favorite songs.

3) One Book to read when you want to motivate yourselves?
One of my personal favorites and the last book I read is ‘The White Tiger’ by Aravind Adiga. It’s an extremely powerful story about a rickshaw driver’s son who overcomes all social and economic constraints to become a “self-made entrepreneur”. The story eloquently traces his journey of emerging as the most rare and intelligent creature (referred to as the White Tiger!) even while living amongst cruel, exploitative landlords. He defeats the system of poverty and subjugation under which India’s poor live to start his taxi company called ‘White Tiger Drivers’ to bring call center workers home safely at night, and the venture becomes an enormous success. This story truly motivates me whenever I think of it, as entrepreneurship in India is all about using your distinctive thought process and determination to beat the odds!

4) One Dialogue of a movie that motivates you or you like the most?
I love this dialogue “Success ke peeche mat bhaago; kabil bano kabil, kamyabi toh jhak maarke peeche aaegi” from the inspirational movie ‘3 idiots’. This line perfectly captures the need to focus on becoming a visionary leader who’s oriented towards chasing excellence instead of some far-fetched superfluous idea of success. You must contribute to the world before thinking of using it to drive your success! It is necessary to become so good at what you do that success can’t help but fall at your feet.

5) The Place you never been to and always want to go?
I’d really like to visit Scotland someday. The country has a quaint and old-world charm to it, and there are several places of historical interest that one can visit. In particular, I want to visit the castles of Inverness and Edinburgh.

6) An animal that signifies you & why?
If I had to pick an animal, I’d pick deer. It is smart, clever, and quick on its feet. An antlered deer also signifies strength and power.

7) A Movie Character you most resemble or resonate with?
I deeply relate to Ranbir Kapoor’s character in the movie Tamasha. I’ve always tried to live by the same traits he symbolizes: passion, innovation, courage! I couldn’t help but see myself in him when he decides to let go of all his fears, break away from what the society expects from him and goes away to pursue his dreams without any excuses.

8) Choose one from each below:      
a) Marvel or DC

b) Batman or Superman

c) Tom or Jerry

d) Chacha Chaudhary or Super Commando Dhruv

a) Marvel

b) Superman

c) Tom

d) Chacha Chaudhary

9) If your life was to be turned into a movie who would you like to play your part?
I believe Amir Khan would be the best choice for playing my part in a movie! He is everything that I hold dear in my personal as well as professional life. Also, after watching him ace the part of an unconventional and thought-provoking young boy in the movie ‘3 idiots’, I’m sure he’s apt for bringing my personhood to life on screen in a skillful and effortless manner.

10) Luck or Hard Work, What do you think weighs more in defining a successful Person?
I believe that successful people have a way of transforming their luck to work in the direction of their dreams. Their hard work, dedication and willingness to learn and share revolutionary ideas with the world ends up opening up a multitude of opportunities for them wherever they go. A successful person is defined by their belief in themselves (call it luck, skill or hard work!) and by their commitment to manifesting the reality of their imaginations.

11) One best decision you ever made?
Having started my career in a finance profile, I feel it was a very good decision to switch over to Sales & Marketing. I feel this decision has really reaped great dividends for me and unlocked an extremely fulfilling career trajectory.

12) A strategy that you always use to take your decisions in Personal or Professional life?
I always ask myself before doing something or making a decision, “Is this needed?” or “Is this helping someone?” Asking these simple questions helps me put things into perspective. The ultimate aim of doing anything in life is to offer one’s own unique gifts to be able to foster social welfare and development of others. At Konica Minolta, which is a significant aspect of my professional growth curve after Xerox India, everything we do is aimed at offering in-depth assistance to our wide-ranging team, customers and partners. Whenever there is a roadblock that requires choosing white or black, I choose only what helps me drive innovation and change, inspire the youth and build sustainable products and services for the global printing industry. This strategy has really helped me regulate my actions in my personal as well as professional life by thoroughly assessing the impact of those actions on all stakeholders.

13) Whose advice you seek when in dilemma?
My heart and brain

14) What has been your biggest achievement?
As I’ve mentioned earlier, I’ve always been drawn to innovative solutions which solve a problem, whether existing or new, in a better manner. All of my professional endeavors have been shaped by this ambition. Because I feel that this spirit of innovation is best nurtured in a highly-competitive corporate environment, I consider my professional success as my biggest achievement.

15) One thing that you want to change in yourself?
I would love to learn to express disagreement in a courteous manner since this need arises often while working with diverse groups of people who have distinctive ideologies and working styles.  I believe it’s a necessary skill, particularly in today’s fast paced world, to stay calm and balanced during distressful situations without losing one’s temper. Everyone works the best when they happily agree to disagree!  

16) A line said by your closed one that you never forget?
Someone really close and dear to me once told me, “No matter what you do in life, leave no stone unturned.” Though really simple, this line has somehow stayed with me and has helped me tremendously throughout my professional journey. I learnt at an early age that I must be willing to do anything to attain my goals.  That’s precisely what makes me believe in learning at each step in life, sharing new ideas with others, and building relevant skill sets for emerging victorious in any domain. This magic mantra has been my motto in life and has done it all for me! It is extremely powerful to guide one’s life with the knowledge that nothing works as miraculously as one’s inner drive, dedication and the ability to risk everything for turning visions into reality.