Teams make stars

11 October 2004

Bharat Puri, MD, Cadbury India Ltd and Rahul Dravid, vice captain, Indian cricket team, discuss team building on Harsha Bhogle's Masterstrokes to be aired on CNBC-TV18 on Tuesday, October 12 and Sunday, October 17, 2004. A domain-b exclusive

Harsha Bhogle: Bharat has actually been part of two outstanding teams. First Asian Paints and now Cadbury. When we were all starting out, Asian Paints was a big entry in ones curriculum vitae. If you worked in Asian Paints, you were some one different. Asian Paints had a great team. What was it about Asian Paints then and maybe even now that created this awe among people?

Bharat Puri: I would say two things Harsha, first thing about Asian Paints was that it had very clear purpose. Here was this Indian homegrown company, which was giving a bashing of its life — it was giving a good knock to every single multinational. Every single year, Asian paints widened the gap between itself and its competitors. Great team, solid purpose, lots and lots of bashing.

Harsha Bhogle: Lot's of stars in the team as well. Rahul we've got enough examples in sports and it is not always that a collection of stars makes a great team as we have seen in recent times with France losing to Greece in Euro 2004 (soccer championships). Real Madrid's collection of stars couldn't win this Spanish League and nobody knew anyone in Valencia. Collection of stars, can it make a team?

Rahul Dravid: No, I don't think so. You got to have different kinds of individuals on your side. I think if you pack your side up with stars or similar kinds of players then I think you are not really going to form a team.

Harsha Bhogle: Is belief a factor? You need to starting believing more in yourself? Is that what happened to Team India?