Pankaj Batra, director (marketing) of Yum! Restaurants International, has a large menu spread out ahead of him. But, as he explains, his educational background and work experience make him eminently fit to take on the challenges.

?My professional education started with a BCom degree from Shri Ram College of Commerce in 1987. I am a true-blue marketer; I went on to receive an MBA from FMS in 1989. I have spent over 15 years in sales and marketing.

?The experience of having worked with various multinationals in the FMCG/services industry has been an eye opener in several ways. Their volume of operations is just mind-boggling. No matter how much you learn in a B-school, you have to be in an organisation like that to know how things operate. You have to be on your toes all the time, which can be quite taxing for a youngster. But that is the test. You must like it and enjoy the challenges to succeed. I guess I have always been able to do that.

?Fresh out of B-school, my first stint was with Nestl? as a brand manager. I worked on brands like Maggi, Nestl? Milk etc. I knew that ?retail is detail? and that I was entering into an industry that was going to see exponential growth.

?My Nestl? stint was followed by two years as product manager with American Express, in travel-related services looking after American Express travellers? cheques in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh.

?But the turning point came after I joined Yum!. Being a part of Yum! Restaurants International (YRI) has been a tremendous experience. I?ve had the privilege of seeing our brands (Pizza Hut and KFC) grow in both size and stature. Every day brings with it a new challenge and a learning experience. This in turn is a reminder that the ratio of ?what I know to what I know I don?t know? is a constant.

?To succeed in any profession, a deep understanding of the market and its constituents ? principally the consumers ? is a prerequisite. In the service industry, the challenge lies in having the ability to know the pulse of the consumer and the passion to exceed his expectations. In YRI, we describe it as the ability to put a ?YUM? on our customer?s face.

?What is more important is an appreciation of the human factor in a service industry. We always have to remember that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

?Our entry in 1996 was a challenge. Based on extensive research and a deep understanding of the Indian palate, we made a calculated decision. We moved with caution, but learnt quickly.

?One lesson that has left an imprint on us and the brand today is that if we wanted to reach out to the customer, we had to become relevant to him. Menu localisation is a step in reaffirming our commitment to the Indian market. This was reflected not only in our products but also in our communication. I guess this strategy has made a difference. As a result, the consumer always identifies with our products.

?The going has not been easy all the time. Getting a foothold in a vast market like India where every big company is vying for a share is obviously not a simple task. But it gives me great satisfaction when I look at Pizza Hut today. The consumers see us as the pizza expert, a gold standard in pizzas.

?I became a part of Yum! soon after the launch of its highest-flying brand ? Pizza Hut ? in India. As director (marketing), Indian subcontinent, I am responsible for building brand equity, as well as growing sales, in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Mauritius. We are also carrying on an aggressive expansion drive to set up 100 restaurants across the country. Besides consolidating the brand?s leadership position in the metros, this will involve entering smaller cities as well.

?The future looks exciting and I have a long way to go. I believe that success in any field begins with a strong educational foundation. However, academic knowledge needs to be coupled with the ability to adapt to a dynamic environment and apply one?s experience in the marketplace, where change is the only constant.

?To quote Charles Darwin, ?It is not the strongest of a species and not the wisest that survive, but the ones that are most responsive to change?.? Batra would rather be the surviving cockroach than the extinct dinosaur. But definitely not at his own restaurants.