Till five years ago Indian manufacturing companies focused mostly on production – the small 'm' concept giving little thought to the entire environment. However, to compete globally Indian manufacturing companies need to enlarge their perspective and develop an integrated thinking capability dovetailed with a strategic mindset – the BIG M perspective.

Given the Fast Clock Speed and to develop competitiveness in the manufacturing sector the industry will need to develop Visionary Leaders capable of Breakthrough Thinking and envisioning. The perspective needs to change from production focus (Small M) to the holistic picture (BIG M) including the impact that technology, environment, supply chain, societal changes, global changes etc have on the customer’s apparent and latent needs. This sensitivity is what will enable the manufacturing sector to understand apparent and latent customer needs. Using feedback from sales and service department and incorporating that into product design, taking into account the societal change, regulatory and global change and arriving at the future needs of the customer, is what will enable companies to stay a step ahead.

Since 2004, Prof. Shoji Shiba, a world renowned authority in Breakthrough Management, had been working with 2 Learning Communities in India helping them to make this shift in mindset. Having realized this need of the Indian manufacturing sector and urged further by a personal request made by Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam, Prof. Shiba alongwith CII decided that it was time to take the successful Learning Communities concept to a National Level. Thus were taken the first steps towards the creation of a National Level Learning Community through the Visionary Leaders for Manufacturing Programme.

The initial objective of the Programme was to create a critical mass of Visionary Leaders to lead India’s manufacturing sector in to future growth. But today, after an year, the programme is focusing on building a shared dream for India’s manufacturing sector that fuel the growth of the individual, the organisation, the industry and the economy.

The Programme is being implemented in technical collaboration with the Government of Japan through Japan International Cooperation Agency. It also found mention in the Joint Declaration signed by Prime Minister of India, H.E. Dr. Manmohan Singh, and the former Prime Minister of Japan, H.E. Mr. Shinzo Abe. The statement reads as follows:

“Human Resource Development for Promotion of Manufacturing:

Cooperation within the framework of Japan-assisted ‘Visionary Leaders for Manufacturing’ (VLFM) programme, under which Japanese manufacturing management and skills will be transferred to senior managers of Indian manufacturing industry”

A world class centre was created at the CII Godrej Centre of Excellence under Prof. Shiba’s guidance and the patronage of Mr. Jamshyd Godrej. The centre comprises of a concept engineering lab enabling participants to learn how to understand the Voice of the Customer. The full White Board walls allow flexibility to the participants to work anywhere.