The Mitsubishi Group comprises more than 500 companies, yet despite diverse and sometimes-competing interests, all abide by three core principles. These emphasise corporate responsibility to society, integrity, fairness, and cultivating a global understanding through business.

Gagandeep Arora: An Indian joining a Japanese organisation may not seem the most intuitive course of action. After I graduated in 1997 with an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmadabad, ranking among the top 10% of my cohort, I had offers to join a US food and beverage company and a Hong Kong investment banking firm. But it was the Mitsubishi Group that I wanted to join.

Historically, Japan has had a warm relationship with India. Indians respect Japanese people, perceiving them to be trustworthy. In 1997, Japan was also the world’s number two economic superpower, and Japanese corporations such as Toyota and Sony were strong brands. Mitsubishi’s scale and diverse portfolio of products was impressive, and it was exciting to be associated with such a well-known brand.

However, what ultimately attracted me to Mitsubishi were the company’s philosophy of long-term growth with its employees and the opportunity to work in the steel sector – an industry I believed was poised to play a leading role in India’s global emergence. These factors aligned with my belief of growing your life in an area that you have been destined for. I therefore became a management trainee at Mitsubishi’s Indian office in 1997, with a focus on the steel sector.  

Taking risks, reaping returns

In the early 2000s, the global steel industry underwent great turmoil as prices crashed due to overcapacity. In India, falling steel prices were exacerbated by the country’s unclear regulatory framework. Faced with bleak prospects, heavy restructuring was conducted within Mitsubishi and many people left the company’s Metals Group during the 2000s.

In 2002, with business circumstances still challenging, the company gave me the opportunity to launch a new business stream – leading the sales of ferrous products in North India. It was an immense challenge. But, driven by an entrepreneurial zeal and the immense motivation that came from management delegating me with this responsibility, I worked towards building total supply chain management. I handled everything, from managing the importing of steel from Japan, to building client relationships with the Indian conglomerates, and engaging Mitsubishi’s top management in India.

I concluded my first transaction, just one day prior to the deadline set for me to achieve a deal. That particular transaction had big implications for Mitsubishi’s growth in the steel sector, and senior management in Tokyo was monitoring its progress – so imagine my emotions on concluding the deal. Yet, this milestone achievement was merely the first of many steps. My next challenge was to grow and develop this small department, and for it to contribute towards the revival of Mitsubishi’s struggling steel business in India.  

The rewards and frustrations of developing a business

Amidst the initial difficulties of the early years, there were two factors in my favour. Firstly, I was part of Mitsubishi’s unique compensation system that emphasised risk-taking and subsequent rewards. Fixed remuneration was at modest levels, but performance and result-oriented rewards were set, providing I produced results. This stoked my entrepreneurial spirit. Secondly, the management in India empowered me to run the new business stream like my own, as long as it was broadly within the confines of Mitsubishi’s organisational philosophy and worked towards the company’s goals.

Six years later in 2008, my department had grown to about 10 staff and was contributing a highly significant portion of Mitsubishi India’s profits. I was heartened to see Mitsubishi’s steel business in India become one of the most successful industrial operations in the country. With the opportunities, empowerment and support provided by the company, I had also grown from a manager to a general manager with larger responsibilities.

However, 2008 also marked the start of a radical shift in my career with Mitsubishi. I was seconded to Metal One India (MOI), an integrated steel trading company under the Mitsubishi Group umbrella. MOI was then at the nascent stage, and I found myself in a unique role. The expectations from my position and the nature of contribution expected from me changed radically, when compared to my previous role.

MOI was a fledgling organisation fighting for its existence. My first few years there were a mix of struggling for survival, while simultaneously working towards catapulting MOI to heights similar to those attained by Mitsubishi’s steel business from 2002-2008.

The endeavor was highly demanding. At times I was exhausted by the energy needed to galvanise a new organisation, while building afresh relationships with a new management. But, I always maintained my humility and my belief in Mitsubishi’s organisational philosophy of long-term relationships and constructive growth. These core principles gave me the patience and strength to maintain my commitment and sincerity, while also building a stronger MOI.  

Why mentoring matters          

How important is the mentor-mentee relationship? Gagandeep Arora and Toyohiro Matsuda discuss this and the importance of language skills for foreign talent in Japanese organisations.

Gagandeep Arora [GA]: My personal traits and belief in Mitsubishi’s values helped sustain me during difficult times. But one of the most significant factors in me staying on at Mitsubishi was that in Toyohiro Matsuda, I had a coach and a great mentor. Whenever I faced moments of indecision and a patch of discontentment or frustration, Matsuda-san ably advised me and guided me through such phases.

Toyohiro Matsuda [TM]: I first met Gagandeep when he was nominated to participate in Mitsubishi Corporation’s Global Leadership Program in 2001. At that time, he was still a relative newcomer in an organisational context, and I was the Head of Global HR Development, based in Tokyo. In his very first interaction with me he asked, “Can I become a director in Mitsubishi’s headquarters one day?”

I was surprised, because Gagandeep was the first person to ask me such a question. “Yes, you can,” I responded. “But, in addition to business results, you need to learn the Japanese language.”

He did not say anything at the time. But later I found out that he took my words to heart, and learnt Japanese over the years.  

GA: I could not change my nationality or origins, but I made every effort to learn Japanese. Doing this helped me appreciate the Japanese mindset better, not just towards business, but also in areas such as lifestyle, cultural values and virtues. With deeper appreciation of Japanese culture, I saw many similarities with my own Indian culture, such as respect for elders and the importance of acting fairly. This encouraged me to think that cultural differences can be bridged.

TM: The effort Gagandeep made to learn Japanese won my respect and my support. The Japanese dominance at Mitsubishi is still significant, and an aspiring executive will need Japanese language skills to take the first steps towards integration. Having said that, knowing the headquarters’ local language is not a prerequisite specific to Mitsubishi, or even Japanese companies in general. US multinationals – like General Electric – require their high potentials worldwide to speak English.

Gagandeep was the first and – so far – only Indian employee to be invited onto the board of a Metal One overseas office. In addition to his business creation and relationship skills, he can speak, read and understand Japanese. As his mentor, I would say my key contribution is advising him on how to become known to and trusted by management at the company’s Tokyo headquarters.

GA: Now a director on the board of Metal One India, I am charged with expanding its share of the Indian market, building new business verticals and forging relationships and alliances with Indian conglomerates. My position today would not have been possible without the constant guidance of Matsuda-san. It is my wish to repay this faith in me. I have promised the chairman of my board to produce at least ten more ‘Gagandeeps’ for our next generation of leaders.  

Big in Japan:

History provides us with a fascinating array of foreign leaders who have left their mark on Japanese society  

Jules Brunet

The Tokugawa loyalists established the Republic of Ezo – Japan’s only ever republic – on the island of Hokkaido. The Ezo army was under joint Franco-Japanese leadership with Brunet as second-in-command. When Ezo fell to pro-Meiji forces in 1869 it marked the end of feudal Japan.In 1867, Jules Brunet was part of a French military mission sent to Japan to help train the army of the Tokugawa Shogun. After the overthrow of the Shogunate in 1868, the Meiji Emperor ordered French military trainers to leave Japan. However, remnants of the Shogun’s army refused to accept defeat. Rather than desert their Japanese students, Brunet and four other officers resigned from the French army to continue the fight alongside the men they had trained.

Brunet escaped back to France where he received a hero’s welcome. The 2003 film The Last Samurai is loosely based on his exploits.

Marutei Tsurunen

Born Martti Turunen in Finland in 1940, he survived an attack by Soviet guerrillas that killed nearly every other person in his village. The massacre influenced his decision to become a missionary and travel to Japan.

He married a Japanese woman, and took Japanese citizenship and the name Marutei Tsurunen in 1979. In 2002 he became the first-ever Western-born member of the Japanese parliament.  

William Adams

Adams built Japan’s first-ever Western-style ship for Tokugawa, and was made a samurai and personal advisor to the Shogun. He was considered so valuable that for a long time he was forbidden to leave, and was widely regarded as the most influential Westerner in the country.William Adams was an English navigator who was shipwrecked in Japan in 1600. Imprisoned and facing execution, he used his knowledge of shipbuilding, navigation and trade to impress Tokugawa Ieyasu, the future ruler of Japan and founder of the Tokugawa Shongunate.

This article was first published in HQ Asia (Print) Issue 06 (2013)