Manoj Choudhury: A Seasoned Expert Steering Medical Device Market To Expansion & Commercial Excellence
Manoj Choudhury
Director
In a candid interview with us, Manoj shared with us the latest industry trends and also shed light on his personal and professional life.
Can you highlight some major milestones you've achieved and the lessons you've learned from those experiences?
I have always been deeply involved in the medical device industry and on the surgical side. My career began as a fresher with a nice and small company in Delhi. Subsequently, I moved to chal-lenging positions and worked for various MNCs like Medtronic, B. BraunAesculap and Covidien in regional and national roles before joining my current position as Director & Country Head of Ackermann India, leading the Indian subsidiary. These roles have been significant milestones in my 25+ year career, shaping me into the professional I am today.
When I joined as a fresher, learning to interact with customers was crucial. Field visits with senior colleagues and attending customer calls, especially inside operating rooms while demonstrating our equipment, were invaluable learning experiences. Over time, visiting numerous customers taught me not only about the products and industry in general but also helped me build strong customer relationships. These relationships have been instrumental in securing
more business for different products in the future.
How have these experiences been bene-ficial in strategically driving the company's growth so far?
In my experience, we have identified three key strategies that have been highly effective for Ackerman India. Firstly, we have focused on our core product segment, using an 80/20 product segmentation approach where we sell 80 percent of our product portfolio to customers, with the remaining 20 percent serving to complement our offerings. This strategy, based on my previous industry experience, has been particularly successful in identifying our core product segment. Secondly, our strategic partnerships with other manufacturers have significantly contributed to Ackermann's growth.
Collaborating with global manufacturers has allowed us to expand our market presence, creating mutually beneficial opportunities for both partners and ensuring our products are readily available to users. Lastly, establishing an Indian subsidiary has instilled confidence in our partners and customers, as they know we have a local presence in India with all local due-diligence completed and regulatory com-pliances in place. This subsidiary office enables us to efficiently handle operations within India, reducing the need for partners to constantly communicate with our parent company. The global management team led by our CEO Peter Grassl & our President Rolf Ackermann has been extremely supportive of the venture. These three strategies have been the most impactful in driving Ackermann Medical's success story.
What best practices do you prioritize in your leadership approach when it comes to training your team in product delivery, maintenance, repairs, spare parts, and product warranties?
Product training is crucial in the biomedical industry, and it's not just a one-time event but an ongoing process due to product upgrades and new product launches. Continuous training is essential not only for sales teams but also for service teams, as after-sales service is critical. We prioritize continuous training for both sales and service teams to ensure that our customers receive excellent support. Our colleagues are always available to address customer needs, whether
How have these experiences been bene-ficial in strategically driving the company's growth so far?
In my experience, we have identified three key strategies that have been highly effective for Ackerman India. Firstly, we have focused on our core product segment, using an 80/20 product segmentation approach where we sell 80 percent of our product portfolio to customers, with the remaining 20 percent serving to complement our offerings. This strategy, based on my previous industry experience, has been particularly successful in identifying our core product segment. Secondly, our strategic partnerships with other manufacturers have significantly contributed to Ackermann's growth.
Set-backs are only an experience Persev-erance will lead to achievement of goals
Collaborating with global manufacturers has allowed us to expand our market presence, creating mutually beneficial opportunities for both partners and ensuring our products are readily available to users. Lastly, establishing an Indian subsidiary has instilled confidence in our partners and customers, as they know we have a local presence in India with all local due-diligence completed and regulatory com-pliances in place. This subsidiary office enables us to efficiently handle operations within India, reducing the need for partners to constantly communicate with our parent company. The global management team led by our CEO Peter Grassl & our President Rolf Ackermann has been extremely supportive of the venture. These three strategies have been the most impactful in driving Ackermann Medical's success story.
What best practices do you prioritize in your leadership approach when it comes to training your team in product delivery, maintenance, repairs, spare parts, and product warranties?
Product training is crucial in the biomedical industry, and it's not just a one-time event but an ongoing process due to product upgrades and new product launches. Continuous training is essential not only for sales teams but also for service teams, as after-sales service is critical. We prioritize continuous training for both sales and service teams to ensure that our customers receive excellent support. Our colleagues are always available to address customer needs, whether
it's for repairs, maintenance, or spare parts. We adhere to international norms for warranties and maintain sufficient inventory in our India office to support our customers efficiently.
How do you lead the company in recruiting new market leaders to align with your vision and mission?
To attract new market leaders to join us, the first step is to ensure they align with our team and vision. True to our vision: Innovating Tradition, our goal is to offer industry-leading value propositions to our customers and healthcare professionals through continuous innovation in our products and processes. As an established family business with global reach, we prioritize preserving our craftsmanship and legacy that has been perfected over generations, while staying ahead in the global market. Our global headquarters, in Germany and teams worldwide are dedicated to fulfilling our vision and mission through ongoing innovation and value creation.
What are your expectations regarding the market's future trajectory?
The laparoscopy instruments market is expected to reach approximately 725 million USD by 2027. We anticipate significant competition from both domestic and international high-quality manufacturers. However, there is ample opportunity for success in the market, given its size and growth of new opportunities. The market's strong Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) suggests a promising future for our business, with the potential for significant success with our products in India and South Asia.
What plans do you have in mind for your future journey?
We have both short-term and long-term goals that we aim to achieve. Our short-term goals focus on exploring new markets and territories, expanding our presence in unexplored areas, and introducing new product ranges to enhance our business. In the long term, we are looking towards establishing working partnerships with more manufacturers in country and also considering proposals for local manufacturing, furthering our vision for growth and development.
Manoj Choudhury, Director, Acker- mann Medical
Manoj Choudhury is a seasoned Business Executive in the Medical Devices industry, boasting more than 25+ years of expertise in market development and commercial operations, char- acterized by notable achievements and a results-oriented approach.
How do you lead the company in recruiting new market leaders to align with your vision and mission?
To attract new market leaders to join us, the first step is to ensure they align with our team and vision. True to our vision: Innovating Tradition, our goal is to offer industry-leading value propositions to our customers and healthcare professionals through continuous innovation in our products and processes. As an established family business with global reach, we prioritize preserving our craftsmanship and legacy that has been perfected over generations, while staying ahead in the global market. Our global headquarters, in Germany and teams worldwide are dedicated to fulfilling our vision and mission through ongoing innovation and value creation.
What are your expectations regarding the market's future trajectory?
The laparoscopy instruments market is expected to reach approximately 725 million USD by 2027. We anticipate significant competition from both domestic and international high-quality manufacturers. However, there is ample opportunity for success in the market, given its size and growth of new opportunities. The market's strong Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) suggests a promising future for our business, with the potential for significant success with our products in India and South Asia.
What plans do you have in mind for your future journey?
We have both short-term and long-term goals that we aim to achieve. Our short-term goals focus on exploring new markets and territories, expanding our presence in unexplored areas, and introducing new product ranges to enhance our business. In the long term, we are looking towards establishing working partnerships with more manufacturers in country and also considering proposals for local manufacturing, furthering our vision for growth and development.
Manoj Choudhury, Director, Acker- mann Medical
Manoj Choudhury is a seasoned Business Executive in the Medical Devices industry, boasting more than 25+ years of expertise in market development and commercial operations, char- acterized by notable achievements and a results-oriented approach.