German luxury car maker Audi’s India head Rahil Ansari’s love for Mumbai is unique. He considers this city as his home and so do his two children, who were born in Germany. Mr. Ansari (40), a German citizen of Indian origin, has been staying in the city since 2017 with his family, and he loves to hang out at famous eating joints. Someone who likes sports, he laments the expensive cost of living in the city. Edited excerpts:
You came to India in 2017. How is Mumbai as a workplace?
I love Mumbai. It’s like home. This is the second time I am here, the first being between 2011 and 2013. Whenever I travel to Germany, I never think this would happen, but after a few days I need some Indian food like dal-chawal, roti and chilies. Because I miss those. I love being in India.
Has your family adapted to this city?
Absolutely. When my children go to Germany, they ask, “When are we going home?” My younger son (four years old) has spent more time of his life in India than in Germany.
What you do in Mumbai, apart from your office work?
Other than spending time with the family, I love to play football, badminton, tennis and table tennis. Once I was the goalkeeper and my team won the Volkswagen group football tournament. I do watch football matches whenever there is a champion’s league on. I am a big Bayern Munich fan. Actually, when I was based out of Germany, I used to travel to their European games. So it’s like flying in the morning to watch the game, then taking return flight in night, and the next day I am in office.
Do you have friends here?
I have quite a few friends and mostly Indians. I do hang out with them and that’s typically what you do with your friends. You go to movies like Gully Boy or you have dinner; you just have a nice get together. Since I work quite a lot, I don’t have as much time as I would want to have for those social gatherings. The priority is to spend time with the family. But whenever I can, I spend time with friends.
Where do you travel on holidays?
We have been to Amritsar’s Golden Temple, Wagah Border, Agra, Jaipur, Goa, Delhi, Varanasi, Allahabad, and Lucknow. My family is still stay in UP. We have also visited Chennai and Puducherry. India is so centrally located that you can reach international destinations like Maldives, which is a two-hour flight from Mumbai.
Which part of Mumbai you like the most: Bandra or south Mumbai?
I like the entire city. I spend time in probably every part of Mumbai because I have friends in Chembur, Andheri (East), Andheri (West), Juhu, Bandra, Thane and Goregaon.
What type of food you like?
I love Indian food. Almost every day, I have chicken tikka. I also love chicken kebab. In breakfast, I like masala dosa, though I try to avoid it.
You must have worked in different global cities; you grew up in Germany. How expensive is Mumbai compared to other cities?
Mumbai is very expensive, I think, as a city and, that’s a bit scary. It’s not really very easy to live in Mumbai. You have also less living space, which is very tricky, especially for employees of companies. But it is convenient in cities like Delhi where you have larger space for the rent amount that you pay here. Mumbai is one of the most expensive cities in the world. For the amount you pay in Mumbai as rent, you would probably find houses in different parts of the world. Even in Germany, you would find houses. On the one hand, we’re trying to achieve here by working hard, and on the other, everything goes as the rent of a small apartment, and it’s sad.
What is the unique thing about Mumbai?
I think the enthusiasm and warmth when it comes to people. Here people celebrate everything. You have a lot of fan base and people approach me at the airport and talk to me or want to take a picture with me. But I don’t consider myself special, and for sure not a celebrity. This is something which has surprised me because it has not happened anywhere else in the world. I also find that very inspiring because people have the enthusiasm that shows the friendliness. It shows the passion with which people live in India and other countries could learn from this.
You are the CEO of luxury car company; you are its brand ambassador. Does it come as pressure on you?
I love my job and I love being part of Audi because I just love the brand. I tell my team that whenever I look at the four rings, I feel very proud of coming here and being associated with Audi. Because it’s a passion, and it’s very easy for me to identify with the four rings. I just love all our products, especially our brand.
What do you advise people who become CEOs at an young age?
Work hard and believe in yourself. So even if you fail, you need to get up, because in every failure, you will learn something. I think you need to keep a positive mindset to make things happen. And that has always been my attitude.
