Abstract

This case study “Y C Deveshwar and ITC Limited” describes the journey (1968–2019) of ITC Ltd’s (ITC) longest serving Chairman, Yogesh Chander Deveshwar (Deveshwar). The case study describes ITC’s growth under the leadership of Deveshwar, who started his career in 1968 at ITC after getting a degree in engineering. He joined ITC as a management pupil in 1968 and was promoted later to different roles – Management by Objective (MBO) advisor in 1972, Factory Manager of ITC’s printing and packaging division in 1974, and subsequently General Manager in 1978, Director-in-charge of ITC’s hotel division in 1984, Vice-Chairman in 1994, and eventually, Chairman in 1996. ITC was going through several challenges (tussle over control issues, FERA obligations, and some former ITC executives being given jail terms) in the late 1990s. The case elaborates on Deveshwar’s strategies to circumvent the challenges at ITC during that phase and lead its foray into FMCG (2000), Technology (2000), Agri Business (2000), and Food and Packaged Food segment (2001) along with expanding its existing businesses (Cigarettes, Hotels, and Paperboard and Packaging). The case study also describes the transformation Deveshwar brought about at 0ITC before he switched to a non-executive role in 2017. The case study concludes with a look at the futuristic goals and endeavors of ITC under the new leadership, after Deveshwar’s demise on May 11, 2019.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• How a leader’s vision helps an organization to succeed
• How leaders seize opportunities existing in the business environment that change the direction an organization takes to achieve its vision
• How leaders overcome internal and external challenges in a business environmen
• How leaders create unique and sustaining business models that transforms society as well as the business

Keywords

e-choupal; FMCG; Leadership; Transformation; Diversification; Vision; Business Model; Change Management; FMCG; Deveshwar; Authoritative Leadership; Democratic Leadership; Autocratic Leadership; Benevolent Leadership