At Sundram Fasteners, Arathi Krishna focuses on quality, diversification

She has lined up around Rs 500 crore in capex for 2019-20, and the bulk of this money will be spent on improving the company's market share in non-automotive businesses

A new feather in Arathi Krishna’s cap came six months after taking over as Sundram Fasteners’ managing director in November, when she won the equivalent of an Oscar for a manufacturer, the Deming Prize for quality control. 

The auto parts manufacturer, which is part of the $8.4-billion TVS Group, won the award late last year for all its 17 plants which are located across geographies and engaged in different aspects of manufacturing, a first for any company not just in India, but also globally.

Now Krishna, 50, is busy preparing the ground for the next phase of growth at the