What it does: Anand Group manufactures and supplies automotive parts to the commercial, passenger, and railway vehicles industry. The Group also boasts of a hospitality business SUJÁN, which provides luxury vacations in Rajasthan (India) and Kenya.
Best known for: Being the leading supplier to every major vehicle manufacturing company in India.
Staff stats: More than 15,000 employees in 59 locations across 17 companies.
The good bits: Many perks and provisions for all employees, including a well-maintained work campus. Opportunities for further education and training.
The not so good bits: Slightly lower pay compared to industry standards. Relatively slow progress within the company in terms of promotions.
Hiring grads from: Engineering (Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical, Civil, Environmental, Industrial, Systems); Sales & Marketing; Finance; Law & Legal Studies, Human Resources.
When Deep C. Anand was an employee at Mahindra Group, he met officials of Cleveland-based Gabriel Company, who expressed interest in doing business in India. Following this meeting, in 1951, Anand Group was jointly founded by Anand and the American firm to produce shock-absorbers in India. The first plant was then opened in Mumbai. The company began to provide dividends to its employees within the first year. Within the next two decades, the company had partnered with many other companies to manufacture automotive gaskets, sealing products, air and oil filters, piston rings and engine bearings. The Group has also been lauded for their innovative revenue model which is largely credited to their joint ventures (JV) with American, French, Swedish, German, and Korean corporations.
Anand Group has been praised for its innovative JV strategies in order to bring global standards of automotive manufacturing to the emerging market that was India. The Group projected turnover of Rs. 10,000 crore in 2017, predicting a doubling of their revenues from exports. Since the 1960s, the Group has collaborated with Henkel, Behr and MAHLE of Germany, Dana Corporation of USA, Valeo and Faurecia of France, Haldex of Sweden, Mando and Chang Yun of Korea, among others. This is why Deepak Chopra, the CEO of the Group, is optimistic about performance even during the recent auto slowdown.
While Anand Group generally hires directly from colleges or universities, job openings are also posted online. Alternatively, applicants can also submit their resume or profile on the company website for consideration in any future opportunities. The process can be competitive because while many candidates are called for the process, very few obtain a job offer.
Candidates can expect to hear back from Anand Group within one week of application. The process usually starts with an online aptitude test, consisting of questions related to verbal ability, logical reasoning, quantitative skills, and basic questions from the branch the role is being offered for. This test is like any AMCAT test of low difficulty. However, this round can be a determinant to get into the next round, and the passing rate is very low.
If candidates clear this round, group discussion would follow, after which there would be 2-3 interviews. One or more interviews are based on testing the technical skills of the candidate. This personal interview can be challenging since Anand Group expects candidates to be well-versed with the basics of their subject, as well as the automotive industry. Another interview might be conducted to gauge the HR fit of the candidate. If many candidates are being vetted for various job profiles, a psychometric test might follow which determines the field of work the candidate is best suited for. The entire process would only take two to three days to conclude.
The hiring process is extremely optimised considering that generally, more than 50 candidates are shortlisted to appear for the first test. Even though the difficulty level is low, even a small performance difference can translate into not making it to the next round. While the executives in the interview panel are friendly and encouraging, they expect candidates to have come prepared with their subject, and also with information regarding the automotive industry in general. Reading about the company and their model may give you an edge above other candidates.
The interviewers are not looking to conduct an interview under stress, but provide ample opportunities to the candidate to demonstrate the ability to think on their feet.
As a leading supplier of automotive parts, alumni of Anand Group can expect to switch to other corporations. Within the company, there are opportunities for growth, but employees may find the salaries too low and promotions slow. Many engineering employees may choose to pursue higher education in management. Management trainees and associates gain experience for a possible future in upper management roles in companies like Amazon, Cognizant, Flipkart, and Tata Consultancy Services.
It’s said that employees choose to stay on at Anand Group for long durations due to good HR policy, and job security. That said, while progress is assured, it can be slow within the company, which may not seem ideal for those with degrees in fields with high demand. If employees are happy with a stable career with flexible working hours, then staying on with the company may be the best option. For those with a role in management, promotions to senior positions are more likely to come by, as opposed to those in engineering departments. Anand Group invests in its engineers by setting up Specialised Training for Operating Engineers (STOE), under which engineers can take up leadership roles within the company. The Anand Talent Programme also encourages well-performing managers to undergo training to assume more diverse responsibilities and grow their careers.
On top of this, Operating Engineers are encouraged to apply for a scholarship from within the company to pursue post-graduate training in engineering and management from reputed institutes like Shoolini University (Himachal Pradesh), Indian Institute of Technology (Madras), and National Institute of Industrial Engineering (Mumbai).
Anand Group pays slightly lower than the industry standard for entry-level graduates, with graduate engineers earning approximately ₹5,00,000 to ₹6,00,000 per year. However, management graduates may start earning around ₹6,50,000 to ₹7,50,000 as assistant managers, which can scale up to ₹12,00,000 to ₹16,00,000 with a rise in seniority, depending on the management department (finance or marketing). However, good HR policy within the company means that employee benefits are ample; medical insurance, pension/retirement plans, stock options, and performance bonuses are provided to all full-time employees.
The Anand Group aims to provide all its employees with a balance between professional achievements and personal commitments. Campuses, where employees work, are professionally maintained environments; greenery and well-manicured gardens are prioritised. In India, Anand Group has offices in 11 states, and each hub is committed to celebrating the culture of the region via the many cultural festivities that are organised throughout the year. Moreover, the campuses also have sports facilities for the employees, including indoor sports, because they value holistic wellness for their employees. Canteens with subsidised rates and medical facilities are also available on campus.
The company also privileges workplace diversity by encouraging women engineers to be able to grow, by providing hostel facilities with warden support, transportation, and crèche facilities. As is evident from the various training programmes, scholarships, awards, and events, Anand Group not only claims to care for its employees but also invests heavily in employee talent development.
As part of their CSR activities, Anand Group has two core social initiatives; the SNS Foundation and the Anand school. SNS Foundation is named after the spiritual leader, Sant Nischal Singhji, who considered education of the masses to be essential to social equality. The Foundation is involved in working within the scope of health, hygiene, skill development, rural development, and education, spearheading community initiatives in rural areas to encourage environmentally sustainable living as well as economic self-reliance. SNS partners with many government and non-governmental agencies to follow a rights-based and empowerment approach. Some of the partners include Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (GoI), American India Foundation, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Asian Development Bank, Council for People’s Action and Rural Technology (CAPART), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
Similarly, the Anand school, established at the foothills of the Shivalik Range, is affiliated to the CBSE board and seeks to fundamentally change how students are educated.
As an established company with a history of prioritizing employee retention and development, Anand Group seeks to provide all that an employee needs within the campus. Anand Group also uses its hospitality vertical SUJÁN to treat its employees with excursions, fostering an environment of camaraderie and responsibility within all teams. The Group is also keen on furthering an accident-free workplace, which is why the safety of the OEs is given particular importance.