The Simba Group, one of the country’s most respected business groups, is
celebrating 30 years of business excellence in Nigeria. In that time, the group
has contributed greatly to the Nigerian economy, and its portfolio of widely
recognised brands, continue to dominate industries in which Simba operates. We
spoke to the Group Managing Director, Chief Vinay Grover, about the ways in
which Simba is engaging with the community.
Simba represents many Indian companies in Nigeria.
Please tell us about these partnerships.
Today the Simba Group represents leading Indian
companies in their respective industries. Let me start with
TVS Motors which is part of the Multi-Billion Dollar TVS
Group – a conglomerate that has interests across automotive
and ancillary industries, with over 70 companies based
in over 100 countries around the world. We have been
associated with TVS for over 10 years now – assembling,
distributing and servicing TVS motorcycles and tricycles
in Nigeria. Then there is Luminous Power Technologies, a
wholly-owned Indian subsidiary of the multinational, Multi-
Billion Dollar Schneider Electric group, whose inverters
command overwhelming leadership positions both in India
and Nigeria. We also represent Genus Innovation, Exicom
Telesystems, and Mahindra EPC – all part of larger Indian
conglomerates.
What sets Simba apart from other companies?
I have always believed that a good quality product means
very little unless it is supported by a high level of service
– before, after and during the sales process. That’s what
we assure our customers, and that’s what we off er to our
international partners.
For us, service is not so much a department or a
buzzword, it’s an ethos that runs through the entire
organisation. The philosophy serves as a guide to every
member of our team, on how to react and how to respond
to customers – not only when there is an issue, but in every
transaction and every interaction, we have with them. I
suppose what sets us apart, is that we recognise that good
service costs money – it doesn’t come cheap – and we are
not afraid to spend it.
20 • Nigeria-India• 2018
What role does your organisation play in supporting
the development of the Nigerian economy?
Our motorcycles and tricycles touch the lives of millions
of Nigerians every day – taking them to work, to school,
to prayer – driving them and driving the economy. Our
inverters and solar solutions bring light into our homes, and
our agriculture solutions help improve effi ciency so that that
the food on their plate is aff ordable.
But our impact is even more direct in terms of the
employment generation our products create. First and
foremost, there are the riders of the motorcycles and tricycles
who earn a daily wage for ferrying passengers to and fro. Then
there are our dealers, fi nancers and fl eet owners who play
critical parts in our value chain and ensure that the vehicles
are made available to potential owners and investors. Finally,
there are the tens of thousands of mechanics and spare parts
dealers who repair and service the vehicles and ensure that
they are back ‘on road’ as soon as possible.
Do you have any fi nal remarks?
I feel one thing we’ve not had a chance to discuss, and
it’s something that we’re especially proud of is the training
we’ve provided to tens of thousands of people across Nigeria
who service our vehicles.
Our training programs are absolutely central to the
importance we place on excellent customer service. We not
only ensure our employees undergo regular and rigorous
training, but also provide free training to mechanics who
service our vehicles, and engineers who maintain our power
products. For us, it’s not necessarily about delivering the
service ourselves – it’s about ensuring that any customer, no
matter where they are located, can identify someone who is
able to fi x their vehicle and get it back on the road.