Pawan Munjal, chairman and CEO of Hero MotoCorp, was cautiously optimistic about emerging from the clutches of the pandemic in 2021.

At an interactive session of the Indian Chamber of Commerce, Munjal in conversation with Suhel Seth, MD and founder, Counselage India, said the process of emergence from the pandemic could take a few months.

“Everyone wants to get into 2021. But don’t forget, for now, coronavirus is also travelling with us into 2021. We have started seeing a vaccine now.. This is going to be a process of some months,” Munjal said.

He added that the pandemic has offered an opportunity for businesses to work hard and grow. Citing his own company’s performance, Munjal said Hero MotoCorp has seen the best ever month of October since 1985 when the company started.

He added that there was highest production, sales and dispatch. "My mantra in the company was don't let this opportunity go to waste. Personally I am optimistic that 2021 will be a good year for the country," he said.

Munjal said that innovation and technology will be a key driver going forward and he cited the example of Ather Energy, an electric scooter manufacturing starup where Hero Motocorp has invested.

He also said that despite passage of 10 years since parting ways from Honda, Hero has continued to grow and has even partnered with Harley Davidson in India