"Manage your time well, keep people first": Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman, DS Group
Dharampal Satyapal (DS) Group is a diversified conglomerate with a growing FMCG portfolio in India.
- Oct 7, 2025,
- Updated Oct 7, 2025 11:13 AM IST
What was the problem you were grappling with?
For a 95-year-old family business like ours, navigating constant change and staying relevant were the biggest challenges. Every decade transformed business dynamics. Adapting to constant change while staying rooted to the values was not easy. At the same time, business was growing rapidly, and efficient time management was the need of the hour for work life balance.
Whom did you approach for advice and why?
In the early years, I turned to my parents and elders in the family. Their wisdom shaped the way I saw the world and the business. As time moved on, it was my brother, my wife, and a few trusted professionals whose counsel I sought. I also sought guidance beyond the business. Attending high-impact leadership workshops and reading across business, behaviour, and personal growth also gave direction. I believe that real transformation must reflect ground realities, not just boardroom ambition.
What was the advice you received?
The advice was simple, ‘Manage your time well and keep people first’. It came from my father, Shri Satyapalji, also a co-founder of DS Group. He saw time as a leader’s most honest metric. He taught me to guard it, use it wisely, and invest it where it creates the most value. I understood that ‘where a leader spends time is where the organisation moves’. Whether it was employees, trade partners, or consumers, he placed immense value on relationships.
How effective was it in resolving the problem?
By consistently refining how I manage time, we developed sharper focus and greater control. It gave me far more room to act, to think, to re-plan, and to decide better. Efficiency and productivity went up, not by chance but by choice. I made a conscious effort, and this clarity helped me focus on what truly matters, ‘Creating What Is Worth Creating’. It helped me balance my professional and personal life harmoniously.
What was the problem you were grappling with?
For a 95-year-old family business like ours, navigating constant change and staying relevant were the biggest challenges. Every decade transformed business dynamics. Adapting to constant change while staying rooted to the values was not easy. At the same time, business was growing rapidly, and efficient time management was the need of the hour for work life balance.
Whom did you approach for advice and why?
In the early years, I turned to my parents and elders in the family. Their wisdom shaped the way I saw the world and the business. As time moved on, it was my brother, my wife, and a few trusted professionals whose counsel I sought. I also sought guidance beyond the business. Attending high-impact leadership workshops and reading across business, behaviour, and personal growth also gave direction. I believe that real transformation must reflect ground realities, not just boardroom ambition.
What was the advice you received?
The advice was simple, ‘Manage your time well and keep people first’. It came from my father, Shri Satyapalji, also a co-founder of DS Group. He saw time as a leader’s most honest metric. He taught me to guard it, use it wisely, and invest it where it creates the most value. I understood that ‘where a leader spends time is where the organisation moves’. Whether it was employees, trade partners, or consumers, he placed immense value on relationships.
How effective was it in resolving the problem?
By consistently refining how I manage time, we developed sharper focus and greater control. It gave me far more room to act, to think, to re-plan, and to decide better. Efficiency and productivity went up, not by chance but by choice. I made a conscious effort, and this clarity helped me focus on what truly matters, ‘Creating What Is Worth Creating’. It helped me balance my professional and personal life harmoniously.