Back to search

Turning an Elephant into a Cheetah: The Turnaround of Indian Railways

By Claudia Zeisberger,  Horacio Falcao,  Claudia Gehlen
Published 15 Sep 2009
Reference 5623
Topic Entrepreneurship
Industry Railroad Manufacture
Region Asia
Length 16 page(s)
Inspection copy
6.00
Add to cart
Summary

The case describes the transformation of Indian Railways, the world's largest employer with over 1.4 million employees, from near-bankruptcy to a profitable and viable business. We follow Sudhir Kumar, Officer on Special Duty to the Minister of Railways, as he deals with the various constituencies in this highly successful turnaround of a government-run institution.

Teaching objectives

- Highlight the importance of managing stakeholders in a turnaround process - Delivering results in a highly political environment

Keywords
  • Turnaround and Transformation in Corporations
  • Negotiating with Stakeholders
  • Managing stakeholders in a turnaround situation
  • Financial distress
  • GPEI
  • GPEI-Case
Related cases to use with this case

The Indian Railways 'Cash Cow' - Over or Extra Loading? (A): Confidential Instructions for Sudhir Kumar extra

By  Horacio Falcao,  Claudia Zeisberger,  Claudia Gehlen

    Add to cart

    The Indian Railways 'Cash Cow' - Profits or Safety? (B): Confidential Instructions for Gaurav Malik

    By  Horacio Falcao,  Claudia Zeisberger,  Claudia Gehlen

      Add to cart
      About the authors
      Zeisberger

      Claudia Zeisberger

      Senior Affiliate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise
      Falcao

      Horacio Falcao

      Professor of Management Practice of Decision Sciences
      Gehlen

      Claudia  Gehlen


      Recommended Cases

      Crisis at the Mill: Weaving an Indian Turnaround - Alvarez & Marsal

      By  Claudia Zeisberger,  Anne-Marie Carrick,  Sankar Krishnan,  Nikhil Shah
      Add to cart award extra
      Emerging markets are challenging and require special expertise. India in particular is known to be a tricky business environment. The case follows two senior executives from Alvarez & Marsal’s India practice as they deal with an urgent request from one of their US private equity clients, Sapphire Capital.
        View case

        GO Telecom: From Zero to Hero – A Turnaround Tale

        By  Claudia Zeisberger,  David Munro
        Add to cart new
        This case focuses on the reasons for the 12-year deterioration of a major Saudi telecommunications company, the attempt to revive its fortunes by hiring a veteran telco executive as CEO, and the twists, turns, inventions and machinations of the top team that took the company from near-death to a growth story. The first part of the story looks at how ineffective management, lack of planning, indisc
          View case

          An Indian Family History: The Munjals and the Hero Group

          By  Dominique Turcq
          Add to cart
          From tiny beginnings in the 1940s the North Indian Munjal family creates the world’s largest bicycle manufacturing company. Through diversification into other areas of the transportation industry, including joint venturing with foreign companies, it emerges as one of India’s largest groups. In the 1990s family management styles are challenged by rapid economic change.
            View case