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விவேகானந்தரின் விவேக மொழிகள் ::

மிருகபலத்தால் ஒரு போதும் உயர்வு பெறமுடியாது.ஆன்மிக பலத்தால் மட்டுமே நாம் எமுச்சி பெற முடியும். நாம் அனைவரும் மகத்தான பணிகளைச் செய்யவே பிறந்திருக்கிறோம்.

மேலைநாட்டு விஞ்ஞானத்தையும் நம் நாட்டு வேதாந்தத்தையும் இணையுங்கள். இவை இரண்டுமே வாழ்வின் அடிப்படை லட்சியங்களாகும்.

யார் ஒருவர் எதைப்பெறுவதற்குத் தகுதி உடையவராக இருக்கிறாரோ அதை அவர் பெறவிடாமல் தடுத்து நிறுத்துவதற்கு இந்தப் பிரபஞ்சத்தில் உள்ள எந்த சக்தியாலும் முடியாது.

துன்பம் விளைவதற்கு அறியாமையைத் தவிர வேறு எதுவுமே காரணமில்லை. இந்த உண்மையைப் பட்டபகல் வெளிச்சத்தைப் போல என்னால் தெளிவாக புரிந்துக் கொள்ளமுடிகிறது.

ஆயிரம் முறை தோல்வியுற்றாலும் லட்சிய நோக்கிலிருந்து பின்வாங்காதீர்கள். போராட்டங்களையும் தவறுகளையும் பொருட்படுத்தாதீர்கள். லட்சியப்பாதையில் வீறுநடைபோடுங்கள்.

அறிவு வளர்ச்சிக்கு ஒரே ஒரு வழிமுறை தான் இருக்கின்றது.நம்முடைய மனத்தை ஒரு முகப்பபடுத்துவதே அந்த வழி.

எதையும் வெறும் பரபரப்புடன் மட்டும் அணுகுவது கூடாது. தூய்மை, பொறுமை, விடாமுயற்சி என்ற இம்முன்றினையும் பின்பற்றினால் வெற்றிச் சிகரத்தை எட்டிப்பிடிக்கலாம்.

மூளை - தசைகள் - நரம்புகள் என்று உன் உடலின் ஒவ்வொரு பாகத்திலும் அந்த ஒரு கருத்தினையே பரவ விடுங்கள். மற்ற எந்த கருத்தினையும் உங்கள் மனத்திற்குள் நுழைய அனுமதிக்காதீர்கள்.

நாம் நினைக்கும் எண்ணங்கள் யாவும் விதை வடிவத்தை பெற்று பின்னர் நம் சூட்சம சரீரத்தில் சிறிது காலத்திற்கு தங்கி பின்னர் வெளிப்பட்டு வந்து அதற்குரிய பலன்களைத் தருகின்றன. இந்தப் பலன்களே மனிதனுடைய வாழ்க்கையை நிர்ணயிக்கின்றன.

ஒரு நல்ல கருத்தை எடுத்துக் கொள்ளுங்கள் - அந்த ஒரு கருத்தையே உங்கள் வாழ்க்கை மயமாக்குங்கள். அக்கருத்தையே நாளும் கனவு காணுங்கள். அக்கருத்தை முன்னிறுத்தியே வாழ்க்கையை நடத்துங்கள். வாழ்க்கை சொர்க்கமாகும்.

எழுந்திருங்கள்! விழித்துக் கொள்ளுங்கள். இனியும் தூங்க வேண்டாம். எல்லாத் தேவைகளையும் எல்லாத் துன்பங்களையும் போக்குவதற்கான பேராற்றல்! உங்கள் ஒவ்வொருவருக்குள்ளேயும் இருக்கிறது.இதைப் பூரணமாக நம்புங்கள்.

மற்றவர்களின் தெய்வீக இயல்பை வெளிப்படுத்த உதவி செய்வது தான். நம்முடைய தெய்வீக இயல்பை வெளிப்படுத்துவதற்கான ஒரே வழியாகும்.

பொய் சொல்வது சாதாரண விஷயம் அல்ல. அது ஒரு கலை.பொய் சொல்ல அசாத்திய திறமை வேண்டும். ஏராளமான ஞாபக சக்தி வேண்டும். ஆனால் பொய் சொல்லி பிறரை ஏமாற்றுபவர்கள் மற்ற ஏமாற்றுக்காரர்களாலேயே பாடம் பெறுவார்கள்.

துக்கம் என்பது அறியாமையின் காரணமாகத்தான் ஏற்படுகிறது.வேறு எதனாலும் அன்று.

கடலைக் கடக்கும் இரும்பு போன்ற மன உறுதியும்; மலைகளையே துளைத்துச் செல்லும்; வலிமை தோள்களுமே; நமக்குத்தேவை.வலிமைதான் வாழ்வு பலவீனமே மரணம். மிகப்பெரிய இந்த உண்மையை உணந்து கொள்ளுங்கள்.

மேற்கோள்கள்

• பலமே வாழ்வு; பலவீனமே மரணம்
• உன் வாழ்க்கையின் எந்த ஒரு நாளில் உன் முன்னால் எந்தப் பிரச்சினையையும் நீ சந்திக்காமல் முன் செல்கிறாயோ, அப்பொழுது தவறான பாதையில் நீ பயணிக்கிறாய் என்று அறிவாய்.
• விழிமின், எழுமின், குறிக்கோளை அடையும் வரை நில்லாது உழைமின் நன்று. பாசாங்கு போடுவதை விட நாத்திகனாக இருப்பதே மேல்.
• உலகின் குறைகளை பற்றி பேசாதே. குறைகளை நோக்கி வருத்தப்படு, எங்கும் நீ குறைகளை காண்பாய். ஆனால், நீ உலகுக்கு உதவி செய்ய விருப்பினால் உலகை தூற்றாதே, குறை சொல்லாதே. குறை சொல்லி உலகை இன்னும் பலவீனப்படுத்தாதே. உலகின் குறைகள், குற்றங்கள் எல்லாம் அதன் பலவீனத்தால் விளைபவை அல்லவா.?
• செயல் நன்று, சிந்தித்து செயலாற்றுவதே நன்று. உனது மனதை உயர்ந்த இலட்சியங்களாலும், சிந்தனைகளாலும் நிரப்பு. அவற்றை ஒவ்வொரு நாளின் பகலிலும் இரவிலும் உன் முன் நிறுத்து; அதிலிருந்து நல் செயல்கள் விளையும்.
• வாழ்வும் சாவும், நன்மையும் தீமையும், அறிவும் அறியாமையும் ஆகியவற்றின் கலவைதான் மாயா, அல்லது பிரபஞ்சத்தின் இயல்பு. இந்த மாயத்துள் நீ எல்லையற்று மகிழ்ச்சிக்காக அலையலாம், ஆனால் நீ தீமையையும் காண்பாய். தீமையின்றி நன்மை இருக்குமென்பது சிறுபிள்ளைதனம்.
• எவன் ஒருவனுக்கு தன்னிடத்தில் நம்பிக்கை இல்லையோ அவனே நாத்திகன். பண்டைய மதங்கள் கடவுள் நம்பிக்கை இல்லாதவனைத்தான் நாத்திகன் என்று குறிப்பிட்டன. புதிய மதம் தன்னம்பிக்கை இல்லாதவனைத்தான் நாத்திகன் என்று சொல்லுகிறது.
• தன்னம்பிக்கை கொண்டிருந்த ஒரு சிலருடைய வரலாறே உலக சரித்திரமாகும். அத்தகைய நம்பிக்கை, உள்ளே இருக்கும் தெய்விகத்தை வெளியே வரவழைக்கிறது. நீ எதையும் சாதிக்க முடியும். அளவு கடந்த ஆற்றலை வெளிப்படுத்தப் போதுமான அளவிற்கு உண்மையாக நீ முயற்சி செய்யாத போது தான் தோல்வி அடைகிறாய். ஒரு மனிதனோ, ஒரு நாடோ தன்னம்பிக்கை இழந்த உடனே அழிவு வருகிறது.
• நீ எதை நினைக்கிறாயோ அதுவாகவே ஆகிறாய். நீ உன்னை பலவீனன் என்று நினைத்தால் பலவீனனாகவே ஆகிவிடுவாய். நீ உன்னை வலிமையுடயவன் என்று நினைத்தால் வலிமை படைத்தவன் ஆகிவிடுவாய்.
• பலவீனத்திற்கான பரிகாரம், ஓயாது பலவீனத்தைக் குறித்து சிந்திப்பதல்ல. மாறாக வலிமையைக் குறித்து சிந்திப்பது தான். மக்களுக்கு, ஏற்கனவே அவர்களுக்குள் இருந்து வரும் வலிமையைப்பற்றிப் போதிப்பாயாக.
• மிகப்பெரிய உண்மை இது -- வலிமை தான் வாழ்வு; பலவீனமே மரணம்.
• 'இவனை நம்பு' அல்லது 'அவனை நம்பு' என்று மற்றவர்கள் சொல்கிறார்கள். ஆனால் நான் சொல்கிறேன் -- முதலில் உன்னிடத்திலேயே நீ நம்பிக்கை வை. அது தான் வழி. உன்னிடத்தில் நீ நம்பிக்கை வை, எல்லா ஆற்றல்களும் உன்னுள்ளேயே உள்ளன. அதை உணர்ந்து அந்த ஆற்றலை வெளிப்படுத்து. 'நான் எதையும் சாதிக்க வல்லவன்' என்று சொல். நீ உறுதியுடன் விஷத்தை பொருட்படுத்தாதிருந்தால், பாம்பின் விஷமும் உன் முன் சக்தியற்றதே.
• ஒருமுகப்படுத்தும் ஆற்றல் வளர வளர அதிக அளவில் அறிவைப் பெறலாம். இந்த வழி தான் அறிவைப் பெறுவதற்குரிய ஒரே வழி. செருப்பை செப்பனிடுவதைத் தொழிலாகக் கொண்டவன் மனதை ஒருமுகப்படுத்தி தன் பணியைச் செய்தால் மேலும் சிறப்பாக செருப்புகளை செப்பனிடுவான். மனதை ஒருமுகப்படுத்தி சமையல் செய்யும் சமையற்காரன் மேலும் சிறந்த முறையில் சமைப்பான். பணம் சேர்ப்பதோ, கடவுள் வழிபாடோ அல்லது வேறு எந்த ஒரு வேலையானாலும் மனதை ஒருமுகப்படுத்தும் ஆற்றல் வளர வளர, மேலும் சிறப்பாக அந்தக் காரியத்தை செய்து முடிக்கலாம். இந்த ஒரு குரல், ஒரே தட்டுதல், இயற்கையின் கதவுகளைத் திறந்து ஒளி வெள்ளங்களை வெளியே பாய்ந்தோடச் செய்கிறது.
• எந்த ஒரு சக்தியையும் புதிதாக உண்டாக்க முடியாது. ஏற்கனவே உள்ள சக்தியைத்தான் வேறு திசைக்கு நாம் திருப்பிவிட முடியும். எனவே, நமது கைகளில் ஏற்கனவே உள்ள மாபெரும் ஆற்றல்களை அடக்கி ஆள நாம் கற்றுக்கொள்ள வேண்டும். அவற்றை மனதின் வலிமையைக் கொண்டு வெறும் மிருக சக்தியாக இருப்பதற்கு பதிலாக, ஆன்மிகச் சக்தியாக இருக்கச் செய். பிரம்மச்சரியம் தான் எல்லா ஒழுக்கங்களுக்கும், எல்லா மதங்களுக்கும் அடித்தளமாக விளங்குகிறது என்பது இதனின்று தெளிவாகிறது.
• நமது சொந்த மனப்பான்மை தான் நமக்கு ஏற்றாற்போல் உலகத்தைத் தோன்றும்படி செய்கிறது. நமது எண்ணங்களே பொருள்களை அழகு பொருந்தியவை ஆக்குகின்றன; நமது எண்ணங்களே பொருள்களை அவலட்சணமாக்குகின்றன. இந்த உலகம் முழுவதும் நமது சொந்த மனதிலேயே அடங்கியிருக்கிறது. எல்லாவற்றையும் சரியான முறையில் புரிந்துகொள்ளக் கற்றுக்கொள்.
• நாம் இப்போது இருக்கும் நிலைமைக்கு நாமே பொறுப்பாளிகள். நாம் எப்படியெல்லாம் இருக்க வேண்டும் என்று விரும்புகிறோமோ அப்படி நம்மை அமைத்துக்கொள்ளும் ஆற்றல் நம்மிடமே இருக்கிறது. நாம் இப்போது இருக்கும் நிலை நம்முடைய முன்வினைகளின் பலன் என்றால், எதிர்காலத்தில் நாம் எப்படியெல்லாம் இருக்க வேண்டும் என்று விரும்புகிறோமோ அதைம் நாம் நமது தற்போதைய செயல்களால் உண்டாக்கிக் கொள்ள முடியும் என்பது வெளிப்படை.
• இந்த உலகம் மிகப்பெரிய ஓர் உடற்பயிற்சிக் கூடம். இங்கு நாம் நம்மை வலிமையுடவர்களாக்கிக் கொள்வதற்காக வந்திருக்கிறோம்.
• மக்கள் பொதுவாக வாழ்க்கையிலுள்ள குறைபாடுகளையெல்லாம் தங்களுடன் வாழ்பவர்கள் மீதோ, அல்லது அது தவறினால் தெய்வத்தின் மீதோ சுமத்துகிறார்கள். அல்லது புதிதாக அவர்கள் ஏதோ பேய் பிசாசு என்று கற்பித்துக்கொண்டு, அதைத் தலைவிதி என்று சொல்கிறார்கள். விதி என்றால் என்ன? அது எங்கே இருக்கிறது? எதை விதைத்தோமோ அதைத்தான் அறுவடை செய்கிறோம். நமது விதியை நாமே வகுத்துக்கொள்கிறோம். எனவே, அதன்பொருட்டுத் தூற்றுவதற்கும் ஒருவருமில்லை; பாராட்டுவதற்கும் ஒருவருமில்லை. காற்று வீசியபடி இருக்கிறது. பாய்மரங்களை விரித்துக் காற்றை பயன்படுத்திக்கொள்ளம் கப்பல்கள் தங்கள் வழியே முன்னேறிச் செல்கின்றன. ஆனால் பாய்களை சுருட்டி வைத்துள்ள கப்பல்கள் காற்றை ஏற்றுப் பயன் பெறுவதில்லை. இது காற்றினுடைய குற்றமாகுமா?
• ‘நான் அனுபவித்துக் கொண்டிருக்கும் இந்தத் துன்பம், என்னுடைய சொந்தச் செயல்களாலேயே உருவாக்கப்பட்டிருக்கிறது. இந்த ஒரு நிலையே, என் ஒருவனால் மட்டுமே அது நீக்கப்பட வேண்டும் என்பதைக் காட்டுகிறது’ என்று சொல். நான் எதைப் படைத்தேனோ அதை என்னால் அழிக்கவும் முடியும். பிறரால் படைக்கப்பட்ட ஒன்றை ஒருபோதும் என்னால் அழிக்க முடியாது. எனவே, எழுந்து நில். தைரியமாக இரு. வலிமையுடன் இரு. பொறுப்பு முழுவதும் உன் தோள் மீதே சுமந்துகொள். உனது விதியைப் படைப்பவன் நீயே என்பதைப் புரிந்துகொள். உனக்குத் தேவையான எல்லா வலிமையும் உதவியும் உனக்குள்ளேயே குடிகொண்டிருக்கின்றன.
• நாம் நினைக்கும் ஒவ்வோர் எண்ணமும், நாம் செய்யும் ஒவ்வொரு காரியமும், குறிப்பிட்ட ஒரு காலத்திற்குப் பிறகு சூட்சுமத் தன்மையை அடைகிறது. பின்பு அது வித்து வடிவத்தைப் பெற்று மறைந்திருக்கும் நிலையில் நமது சூட்சும சரீரத்தில் வாழ்கிறது. மீண்டும் சிறிது காலத்திற்குப் பிறகு அது வெளிப்பட்டு வந்து தனக்கு உரிய பலன்களைத் தருகிறது. இந்தப் பலன்களே நம்முடைய வாழ்க்கையை நிர்ணயிக்கின்றன. இவ்விதம் மனிதன் தனது வாழ்க்கையைத் தானே உருவாக்கிக் கொள்கிறான். தனக்குத் தானே அமைத்துக் கொள்ளும் விதிகளைத் தவிர, வேறு எதற்கும் மனிதன் கட்டுப்பட்டவன் அல்ல.
• பிறர் முதுகுக்குப் பின்னால் நாம் செய்யவேண்டிய காரியம் தட்டிக்கொடுப்பது மட்டும்தான்
• எழுந்து நில் ! விழித்து கொள் ! இலட்சியத்தை அடையும் வரை ஓயாது உழை !!!
• நம்பிக்கையே இறைவன் என்பது ஞான வல்ளல் விவேகானந்தரின் வாக்கு 
• ..உன் முதுகுக்கு பின்னால் பேசுபவர்களை பற்றிக்  கவலைப்படாதே !!!        
• நீ அவர்களுக்கு  இரண்டு அடிக்கு முன்னால்  இருக்கிறாய் என்று பெருமைப்படு!!!!
  

சுவாமி விவேகானந்தரின் மன உறுதி…

ஒரு சமயம் சுவாமி விவேகானந்தர் லண்டன் மாநகருக்குச் சென்றிருந்தார். அங்கு அவரது நண்பர் ஒருவரின் பண்ணை வீட்டில் தங்கியிருந்தார். அந்தப் பண்ணை வீடு மிகப் பெரிய நிலப்பரப்பில், இயற்கை எழில் சூழ்ந்த இடத்தில் இருந்தது. அங்கே நிறைய மாடுகள் வளர்க்கப்பட்டன.

ஒரு நாள் மாலை, பண்ணை மைதானத்தில் விவேகானந்தர் வாக்கிங் சென்று கொண்டிருந்தார். அவருடன் நண்பரும், நண்பரின் மனைவியும் நடந்து சென்று கொண்டிருந்தனர்.

அப்போது—

சற்றும் எதிர்பாராதவிதமாக ஒரு மாடு அவர்களை நோக்கி சீறிப் பாய்ந்து வந்தது. அதன் மூர்க்கத்தனமான ஓட்டத்தைப் பார்த்து பயந்து போன நண்பரின் மனைவி, அப்படியே மயங்கி விழுந்து விட்டார்.

அதைக் கண்டதும் விவேகானந்தரும், அவரது நண்பரும் துணுக்குற்றனர்.

மனைவியைத் தூக்க நண்பர் முயன்றார். அப்போது மாடு அவர்களை நெருங்கி விட்டது. நண்பருக்குக் கையும் ஓடவில்லை; காலும் ஓடவில்லை.

இன்னும் சில நொடிகள் அங்கே இருந்தால் மாட்டின் கொம்புகளுக்கு இரையாக நேரிடும் என்பதை உணர்ந்த நண்பர், தன் உயிரைக் காப்பாற்றிக் கொள்ள எழுந்து வேறு திசையில் ஓடினார். ஆனால், விவேகானந்தர் அப்படி இப்படி அசையாமல் ஆணி அடித்தது போல் அந்த இடத்திலேயே நின்றுவிட்டார்.

பாய்ந்து வந்த மாடு, கீழே விழுந்து கிடந்த நண்பரின் மனைவியையும் விவேகானந்தரையும் விட்டு விட்டு, ஓடிக் கொண்டிருந்த நண்பரைத் துரத்தியது.

அதைக் கண்ட நண்பர் பின்னங்கால் பிடறியில் அடிக்க, உயிரைக் கையில் பிடித்துக் கொண்டு ஓடினார். மாடும் விடாமல் அவரைத் துரத்தியது.

அதிர்ஷ்டவசமாக ஒரு கட்டடத்திற்குள் புகுந்து தப்பினார் நண்பர். அதன் பிறகே பண்ணை ஊழியர்கள் ஓடிவந்து மாட்டைப் பிடித்துக் கட்டிப் போட்டனர்.

விவேகானந்தர் அதன் பிறகே அந்த இடத்தை விட்டு அசைந்தார்.

அங்கு வந்த நண்பருக்கோ ஒரே ஆச்சரியம். அப்போது நண்பரின் மனைவியும் மயக்கம் தெளிந்து எழுந்தார்.

“”சிறிது கூட பயமே இல்லாமல் அந்த ஆபத்தான நேரத்திலும் ஒரே இடத்தில் உறுதியாக உங்களால் எப்படி நிற்க முடிந்தது?” என்று கேட்டார் நண்பர்.

அதைக் கேட்டு மெல்லப் புன்னகைத்த விவேகானந்தர், “”நான் வித்தியாசமாக எதையும் செய்து விடவில்லை. வருவது வரட்டும்; சமாளிப்போம் என்ற ஒருவித மன உறுதியுடன் நின்றுவிட்டேன். ஓடுபவரைக் கண்டால் துரத்திச் செல்வது மிருகங்களுக்கு உரிய குணம். அதனால்தான் மாடு என்னை விட்டு விட்டு, ஓடிக் கொண்டிருக்கும் உங்களைத் துரத்தியது,” என்று முடித்தார்.

உயிருக்கு ஆபத்தான நேரத்தில் கூட, அதைக் கண்டு பயந்து ஓடாமல், வருவது வரட்டும் என்ற மன உறுதி பெற்றிருந்த சுவாமி விவேகானந்தரைப் பார்த்துப் பெரிதும் வியந்தார் நண்பர்.

உயிரே போகும் நிலை வந்தாலும் தைரியத்தை விடாதே ! நீ சாதிக்க பிறந்தவன் துணிந்து நில் , எதையும் வெல்.

சகிப்புத்தன்மை வேண்டும்

• இந்த உலகில் மிருகங்களை மட்டுமின்றி மிருகத்தனம் கொண்ட எதையும், பயத்தை உண்டுபண்ணுகிற எதையும் எதிர்த்து நிற்க வேண்டும். அவற்றுடன் போராட வேண்டும். பயந்து ஓடலாகாது.

Raunaq Singh Founding Chairman (1922-2002), Raunaq Group

When a country is split into two, millions of lives are thrown completely out of gear. We know it wasn't any different with ours. We can barely imagine the plight of the peoples ravaged by the savagery that accompanied, and lasted even after, the tumultuous occurring. Such an event would have been enough to break down the resolve of many who were faced with innumerable and, often, insurmountable difficulties in life, and out of which very few have come out unscathed. Especially, if one happens to be a young man on the threshold of a blossoming career. But, even in the face of such impossible circumstances, there have been some who have risen like a phoenix and created a world of their own, literally out of nothing. Raunaq Singh, the founding Chairman of the Rs. 4,270 crore (Turnover) Raunaq Group, is one of them. The partition of India forced him to move - almost flee- from Lahore to Delhi, and was, in the process, left almost a pauper.
This write-up here is an attempt to capture some of the significant happenings in the amazing journey of the thorough-bred Raunaq Singh who, with a blunt and down-to-earth manner, propelled his group to the heights where it is presently at. One can be pardoned if after reading this one gets a feeling bordering between reality and stuff of the make-believe world.

Early Days

Mr. Singh was born on August 16, 1922 in Daska in the Punjab Province of present-day Pakistan. It is said that Mr. Singh had very modest beginnings; what with neither any pedigree nor formal higher education to rely on, it was incumbent on the young Mr. Singh to take up a job with a local steel trading shop for a salary of Rs.8 per month. Even as this went on for some time, the struggles of the freedom movement were on the verge of fruition, aided by events elsewhere in the world as also the political ramblings within the country, leading to a period of intense turmoil culminating in the partition of the country into two. Hundreds of thousands of families were displaced. So too was Mr. Singh's which was forced to move to Delhi where he took up a job with another steel merchant Munilal and Sons, located in the Gole Market. He had to put up his family in a small rented portion in the vicinity of his new work place, where his frugality helped him sustain and see through the difficult period with relative ease.

The Spark

That Mr. Singh had all the makings of an entrepreneur was quite evident very early in his youth when he was able to very easily sell a steel tube for a price much higher than it would cost; that too without investing a penny! The sale itself is not unusual but what it led the young man to afterwards is noteworthy. The event turned out to be a sort of turning point in Mr. Singh's life. His job stint and this transaction in particular, was what set him thinking, and laid the foundations for the development of the astute businessman he would eventually turn out to be. While recalling this apparently insignificant event to his friends much later, Mr. Singh would revel in emphasizing the effect it had on him and his thinking that would guide him in all his pursuits thereafter. For it is from this point on that he started to think of starting up a business where he was slated to excel in everything - well almost- he did.

As we have learnt, displacement of the family from Lahore to Delhi as refugees owing to the partition of the country, had adverse effects on Mr. Singh's financial plight and forced him to take up a job, which was barely enough for subsistence. But, as things would have it, the aspiring businessman in him would not give in to the circumstances so easily. His background, early tryst with destiny, and his make-up were such that he had to get himself out of this predicament, and do what he was destined to do.

So in such trying times when survival revolved around a 1-paisa (hundredth of a rupee) meal a day, he had both the courage to pawn the jewellery of his wife -the only conceivable assets they had at that point in time- as well as the conviction and foresight that his aspirations will, sooner than later, fructify. With the capital thus raised (Rs.8000) not long after he arrived into Delhi, he moved to Kolkata to kick-start his journey as one of independent India's first generation entrepreneurs. He started it off with a shop dealing in the trade of steel tubes, aptly naming it as 'Bharat Steel Tubes' after the name of his motherland.

The ascent

It was only logical that with such a man as Mr. Singh at the helm, what started as a business activity involving sale of steel tubes, something that he had considerable success with, grew appreciably and branched-out over the next couple of decades. Having honed his skills and learnt the tricks of the trade in turbulent and uncertain times, it was now time for Mr. Singh to see his company venture into manufacturing, where also he succeeded like very few had before. Along the way, his company also bought and sold quite a few small companies in its effort to further strengthen and consolidate its position in the market.

Now we come to the most remarkable part of this saga. Showing great business acumen for which, along with his wit and humor, he would be known for during the rest of his life, Mr. Singh seized up the situation of independent India as well as its new-found quest for industrial growth. He was quick to realize that domestic consumption and demand were miniscule and that alternatives had to be relied upon to further the cause of local businesses. Towards this end, he left no stone unturned and, to a great degree, it is his efforts that Indian businesses got international exposure, an aspect which also helped create an export-oriented products segment in the country. He was to remain devoted to this cause ever after, up until his last breath. It may sound a touch clichéd to recount here that he was often branded as "Mr. Exporter," which he indeed was in every sense of the word, as exporting our produce was one of his primary business agenda all along. But, beyond the tag, he was one of the leading lights or shall we say the torch-bearer of the Indian Industry in the international market. He was the one who heralded the concept of market-economy during his time as the first President of the FICCI in the early nineties which set the ball of international trade of Indian companies rolling.

As the wheels of the country's economy trudged along, emphasis on road connectivity was going to become one of the imperatives. Mr. Singh saw that the situation was ripe enough to set-up an ambitious venture - Apollo Tyres - India's first tyre manufacturing company. Work on Apollo Tyres was started in 1972 (incorporated in 1976) and established its first plant in Perambra, Kerala (India). This proved to be a master-stoke from Mr. Singh and the stable of the Raunaq Group, as it not only helped boost its domestic as well as international business, but also brought India on to the world stage vis-à-vis manufacture of tyres.

While it took another decade-and-a-half, 1991, to establish its second plant that came up in Limda, Gujarat, the other four (two outside India) came up relatively quickly. This can be attributed to the fact that up until 1990-91, India was largely a closed economy which meant that businesses could not gather pace at the rate they desired for. But liberalization and globalization opened up the flood-gates, and Apollo Tyres went on to taste success after success; there was steady growth as a result of the growing dependence of businesses, as indeed of life in general, on transportation in the era of globalization. The company has established itself as one of the leading tyre manufacturers in the world with its current production capacity of around 1600 metric tonnes a day from its 6 plants, and employing around 16,000 employees. As of March 31, 2012, the company recorded a turnover of $ US 2.5 billion with a market presence in more than 100 countries encompassing Europe, Africa and Asia. This is definitely straight out of the rags-to-riches story books, but one that has happened in reality and on our very own soil.

That is not all. The Raunaq Group, under Mr. Singh went on to establish a handful of other entities namely, Bharat Gears Ltd, Bharat Steel Tubes Ltd, Raunaq International Ltd, Menarini Raunaq Pharma Ltd, and Raunaq Automotive Components Ltd. Transition was due and by the turn of the millennium, Mr. Singh had his sons ready to assume the mantle of leadership and carry forward the rich legacy of the group, more so of its jewel, Apollo Tyres. His eldest son Onkar S Kanwar took over as Chairman of Apollo Tyres in 2002 and has been able to keep the growth story intact.

Mr. Singh's advocacy of liberalization of the Indian market and his efforts towards this end were well acknowledged. Not only that, Mr. Singh's immense talents and his ability to steer forward the ship even in times of trouble also prompted many governments and institutions to seek his services. The Government of India appointed him as the first chairman of the state-owned Maruti-Suzuki Limited. He also held senior positions in the Exim Bank, Export Credit Guarantee Corporation and the Indo-German Consultative Group.

He held several key leadership positions in Industry & Trade Associations successfully overseeing the functioning of many national and international bodies. The capacities in which Mr. Singh served the entities and their names are:

1.     President of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)

2.     President of Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM)

3.     Chairman, Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC)

4.     Chairman, Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association

5.     President, Federation of Indian Export Organization

6.     Mr. Singh also won international recognition for his entrepreneurial skills. He was elected as a member of the Executive Board of the International Chamber of Commerce, Paris, for a three-year term

Philanthropy

The persona of Mr. Raunaq Singh caught the imagination of many contemporaries and adversaries alike. His contemporaries thought of him as someone who was very amiable, full of wit and humour and, who would put many a serious matter into simple earthy language, sorting out differences with his penchant for humour, besides his great business acumen. Another one recollects that he was a true entrepreneur and an example of how one can grow with hard work and commitment. While it may not have been expressly manifest in his early days as an entrepreneur but later on Mr. Singh did demonstrate a strong commitment to serving the larger common good and devoted time to enlightened business pursuits. This, perhaps, stemmed from the fact that he was a strong believer in God, and because he believed that since God had bestowed upon him whatever he had desired for, it was his turn to pay back from the position he was in, by helping people through creation / generation of as many jobs as possible.

Apart from setting up multiple business ventures that helped create thousands of jobs, Apollo Tyres has a very well organized and active CSR wing. Many socially critical issues such as environment friendly practices and HIV-AIDS prevention have been taken up through quality initiatives that have had a reasonable impact on the community. What's more, it is also involved in undertaking training and skill-building initiatives (as part of CSR) that have helped create awareness amongst the youth, providing them with the required industrial exposure and the technical know-how that will make them job-ready and self-reliant.

Awards

*     Delhi University had conferred a Doctoral Degree "D.Litt (Honoris Causa)" on Mr. Raunaq Singh in 1998.

*     Mr. Singh was also honoured with the "Order of the Khalsa" at Anandpur Sahib on the occasion of Tercentenary Birth of Khalsa Panth in 1999.

Quotes

"The desire to do something good has kept me so active way past the age a normal man would have retired."

Raunaq Singh died on September 30, 2002. Mr. Singh is definitely one more reason for us to be proud of being Indians.

Aroon Purie Founder and Editor-in-Chief, India Today

Aroon Purie is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of India Today and is the Chief of India Today Group. He is regarded as one of the most successful entrepreneurs of Post-independence India. He is credited with changing the landscape of Indian journalism with his brand of fearless and unbiased reporting.

Early Days

Aroon Purie was educated at the Doon School. He procured his B.Sc. in Economics from the London School of Economics. His father was from the film business and had set up a printing plant in collaboration where Aroon was working as production planner. Quickly, he realized that they would have to create their own work to keep the printing plant working. His vision of creating children's books for Indian children with Indian themes got him into publishing children's books. They had to move to magazines as children's books were not commercially viable. Moreover, the high price of paper in India left them with no choice but to give up on publishing children's books. The magazines became much bigger than the press. Recently, he has handed over the reins to his son Ankoor Purie. But, he is still the guide and mentor.
Aroon Purie is married to Rekha Purie, a former model and they have three children - Kalli, Koel and Ankoor.

Birth of the Spark

Aroon started out at Thomson Press in 1970 as Production Controller and has been the guiding force. The Thomson Press is the largest commercial printer in South Asia and has a national presence with five facilities across India. Initially, the Press was involved in distribution of overseas publications and printing children's books for export. He then set up Living Media to publish India Today in 1975 to keep the printing press busy. He realized that it was very tough marketing to Indians living overseas and distribution was very expensive. As an experiment they let out some copies in the local markets. They found that there was good acceptability locally and soon they started building on the domestic market. The biggest lesson Mr. Purie has learnt from this was to build a strong domestic market before going to international markets. This is applicable to all products.

The India Today magazine really took off in the time of emergency. In 1977, elections were held after the lifting of the Emergency. Voices and opinions were gagged and news was suppressed during the Emergency. Indira Gandhi lost and a non-Congress party had come to power. With the lifting of the Emergency, a lot of news stories that had been suppressed were waiting to be broadcast and spread. According to Aroon Purie, they were very interesting times with a lot happening in Indian politics. The most interesting was the fall of Indira Gandhi and the Janata party coming to power under Morarji Desai. Then in 1980, the Janata party fell and Indira Gandhi returned to power. Then there was the Sanjay Gandhi aura, which though short-lived, was fodder for the media. The tragic, yet dramatic death of Sanjay Gandhi was followed by the induction of Rajiv Gandhi into the political mainstream. All these events were a plethora of news stories and India Today did not let the opportunity go waste. It was the ideal phase and the magazine reported the events with clarity and credibility. This was the main reason why India Today gained its leadership in media. Its never before seen brand of journalism without fear or favour transformed the landscape of Indian journalism and Mr. Purie was the beacon guiding its progress.

India Today magazine has grown to become the most read publication with editions in five languages. The India Today Group publishes several other magazines to cater to various segments of society and also different fields. They include: India Today Spice; India Today Home; Business Today; India Today Travel Plus; Design Today; G&G (Gadgets and Gizmos); Money Today; Directories Today and Mail Today (a joint venture with the Daily Mail). The group also brings out the Indian editions of Golf Digest; Cosmopolitan; Men's Health and Harvard Business Review. Mr.Purie has steered India Today into a tie-up with AOL TIME Warner group for exclusive marketing and distribution of Time and Fortune magazines. The varied and rich product mix of magazines reflects his understanding of media space.

The group's success in the print medium led Purie to diversify into TV, music and other related businesses. Music Today is the best online store for finest Indian music. OYE 104.8 FM is the radio channel started by the group. India Today Book Club was launched in 1999 to provide the Indian book lovers access to high quality Indian and international books at affordable prices and the additional option of home delivery. It provides books on various sections catering to all ages and fields. It also gives exclusive offers on every purchase. Harper Collins India is a joint venture with Harper Collins. In December 2000, he launched the 24-hour news and current affairs Hindi news channel, Aaj Tak, which has established itself as a brand delivering what people want and expect it to deliver. The group TV Today which controls Aaj Tak also has an English news channel Headlines Today. The India Today Group launched India Today Woman magazine to celebrate the achievements of professional Indian women not just in the workplace but as mothers, daughters, wives, sisters, even best friends. It's a magazine that highlights their leadership skills, their ability to multitask and yet get a job done. The India Today Woman Summit and Awards was started in 2009 as an annual affair. The Summit not only acknowledges the contribution of modern Indian women in top managerial cadres but also provides interaction between highly qualified and successful women and women who are striving to make it to the top.

According to Mr.Purie, "The key thing in this business is to maintain your leadership position because in media it is an established fact that the leader corners most of the revenue. Your market share may come down as the universe expands, but as long as you maintain your numero uno position, revenues would keep coming." Both India and the magazine India Today have grown almost simultaneously. This is one of the reasons for the magazine's success. The country has gone through a lot of change and has created a situation where there is a greater hunger to understand the events and happenings. India Today has been able to satisfy the need for awareness and enlightenment among the public. It has been able to do it honestly and fearlessly over the years. This has been the reason for the India Today Group sustaining inspite of increasing competition in various media.

Purie has taken up the editorial role for his magazines as he believes that editorial excellence is vital for such an organization. It has been something he has enjoyed doing since the inception of the magazine. He is very finicky about details and is always improving and changing till the last minute. He keeps changing things as he keeps thinking of better things and better ways to do them. This trait is very vital in journalism as news keep trickling in till the time of publishing or airing on visual media. In his own words, "That's the thing about this profession that you are never happy, you are always going to gun it better. But the good thing is that you get chance to do it against because there is another issue coming up, another broadcast coming up, another newspaper is coming up, so that's the fun." This characteristic of his has given rise to the term "Purification" in the India Today Group referring to the purification process.

Purie is a hands-on person and has many screens at his office and home to let him watch content onscreen. This way, he is sure about the content that is in his media. India Today Group stands for editorial excellence which is very vital for its sustenance. They look at market trends, changes in economy and keep track of events and identify the information gaps and then try to find the right media or the right information to be provided. News must evolve keeping the user in mind.

News journalism has been evolving and news has become a commodity. People have become more interested and are willing to procure news anytime, anyhow and anywhere. News has evolved with more connectivity among the users sometimes leading to user-generated content. News is being more driven by people with opinions, expert opinions and domain expertise. Now it is not just about the news but people are more interested because of their views. Technology has played a very crucial role in the changing face of journalism in various media - print, radio, television and internet. Technology enables filming, broadcasting live and documenting with very small devices. Hence, people other than journalists can generate content and this is taking journalism to an altogether different level.

Mr.Purie is very clear and has a lot of confidence in his group. This is reflected in his response to queries regarding desertion from TV Today. This is one problem any leader faces. He credits his HR policy for recruiting such good persons that others want them and are willing to do anything to lure them away. But, he prefers to look at the brighter side and replies that his group has not suffered due to these desertions as it gives scope for new stars to be born.

Apart from India Today

Regarding the education system, he feels that educational institutions must produce people who will be employable. He rues the lack of vocational training facilities and the mindset that vocational education is not preferred. He criticizes the Government for limiting its role in development to legislation and not following through with execution. Education is the key for nation development, especially India with a huge young population. Learning should be fun and not by rote.

Aroon Purie's views on education led him to set up the Vasant Valley School in 1990 in New Delhi. It is a self-financing day school with a sprawling campus spread over eight acres. It has a fully equipped Science and Computer laboratories. Many activities are organized to inculcate leadership and self-discipline qualities. The school lays emphasis on an individual's intellectual and emotional growth and a spirit of mutual respect between the students and the teachers. The future lies in the inclusion of internet and digital world into education.

Learn Today was initiated to provide simple effective methods for great education. It promotes an educational vision by promoting professional standards and brings about a change from mindless routine towards discovery of possibilities. It has a unique method of developing books, auditing schools and guiding teachers training.

During the Kargil conflict while India Today was reporting the conflict, it was realized that simple reporting was not enough. In August 1999, Care Today was set up as a registered society to act as a link between the readers and viewers and he problems facing the nation. During disasters, the public has always been very forthcoming and generous in its offers for help. In order to use this goodwill properly, Care Today uses financial contributions from the readers of India Today and provides a report on the progress made either through its pages or its websites. Care Today has responded well to earthquakes in Gujarat and Kashmir; droughts in Gujarat and Rajasthan and Supercyclone in Orissa. The contributions have been utilized using the highest standards of openness and transparency through its magazine and TV channels.

Aroon Purie has been able to maintain the supremacy of his group by his flexibility and willingness to adopt to various changes in media as also the changing mindsets of the public. He has been able to deliver what they want, the way they want honestly and fearlessly.

Awards and Honors

*     G.K. Reddy Memorial Award for Outstanding Contribution to Journalism,1993-94

*     B.D. Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism,1988

*     He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2001

*     Hall of Fame Award from the Advertising Club of Kolkata, 2002

*     Apsara Award from the Film and Television Producers Guild of India,2006

*     The ITA Television Icon Award, 2007

*     The NT lifetime achievement Award by the Indian Television Dot Com for the year, 2008

*     Managing India Award by the All India Management Association, 2010

*     Member of Council of Management, Audit Bureau of Circulations (Chairman, 2000-2001)

*     Member of Executive Committee of The Editors' Guild of India, Council of Management All India Management Association (Special Invitee)

*     Chairman, CII National Committee on Media (2001-2002)

*     Chairman of FIPP Federation of International Periodicals and Publications. This is the first time the post has been held by an Indian national

*     Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accounts (England & Wales)
Quotes

*     The India Today group is not too low-profile to be ineffective or too high-profile to burn cash. We have made a financial investment. Obviously, we'll look at financial returns

*     Well, there are business channels and there are some who appear to be business channels, but are nothing more than being merely a stock market channel

*     We always aspire to be the leader and in most cases are the leader

*     I am genetically tuned to look forward to and always think of what's the next new thing I can do and that's what excites me

*     It's all dynamic, which is the wonderful part of this profession. So, although every kind of media will exist in its own form, but, in the end, the convergence will take place in the digital form

Venu Srinivasan Chairman and Managing Director, TVS Motor Company Ltd.

This might strike one reading now as just another instance of a scion of one of the premier business families of India taking over the mantle of running the family business, and carrying forward the legacy with utter ease. But, if one takes a closer look at the progress of the various companies under the group, one will be surprised, almost amazed- that it wasn’t anything like that when Mr. Venu Srinivasan assumed the responsibility back in 1979. The saga of the TVS Group, from a small family business running a rural transport service in the temple town of Madurai in southern Tamil Nadu growing into a $4-billion conglomerate with a wide range of business interests - from auto components, scooters and auto-rickshaws, to financial services and logistics, is a go-to book for all aspiring entrepreneurs. For it has traversed the path of growth and success like very few corporate entities, conceivably have. More so of Mr. Srinivasan’s emergence as one of the most inspiring leaders to have risen in India in the last three decades or so. The group presently has operations spread across India, the United States, Europe, Indonesia and China.

Early Days

With the advent of industrial India, following a spate of pro-business policies that were envisaged to foster growth and prosperity of the country, the group ventured into manufacturing of auto components by establishing Sundaram-Clayton Ltd in 1962.
By the time Mr. Srinivasan, (Born December 11, 1952), the grandson of TV Sundaram Iyengar – founder of the TVS Group and one of the very few entrepreneurial talents that pre-independence had seen- was ready to join the family business, it would seem as though everything was laid on a platter for him. Even if that was indeed the case, Venu Srinivasan did not think so. His idea was to get some hands on experience with the nuances of the field which he would ultimately get into. So, it is said, that instead of just waiting to assume office amongst the ranks, he set up a small garage while he was still pursuing engineering (Madras University). This was where he would, during vacations, put in some grueling hours as a mechanic to be able to explore and experiment with automobiles and auto parts. Once he was thorough with the nitty-gritty of the automobiles, he took the next logical step in his preparation for taking his rightful place in the family business after completion of his engineering – doing his Masters in Business Administration from Purdue University, Indiana (USA).

The Spark

Mr. Srinivasan became the CEO of Sundaram-Clayton in 1979. What set him apart from the other leaders of his time was his ability to quickly seize the situation, and act appropriately, even if it meant taking some tough and unusual decisions. Right since the early days of leadership in the company, and even after the TVS Motor Company (as it has come to be known since 2001 when its partnership with Suzuki ended) was founded in the same year, 1979; he had very keenly observed the day-to-day functioning of the company. His education and the experience thus far, made him realize that although the company had done reasonably well to sustain business the way it has been for over seven decades, it needed some changes in its running if it were to remain amongst the top automobile companies of India.

This meant that he had to take hard decisions and also look for practices that best-run business the world over were adopting to achieve quality as well as sustainable performance. The company which had relatively little worker-related trouble for so long had now encountered some in the form of labour unrest in a couple of the group companies, especially the TVS-SUZUKI factory, apparently propagated by the labour unions. This was anathema for the thorough-bred Mr. Srinivasan. So he dealt the situation sternly by shutting down the factory for a period of three months, thus forcing the unions to relent.

While that was one way of stamping his authority on the business, Mr. Srinivasan knew that the company also, perhaps, needed a re-structuring, if not a complete over-haul. That is when he set about re-structuring operations by upgrading plant machinery, investing in new technologies and implementing Total Quality Management Practices.

Torch-bearer for the Indian Industry

A re-structuring called for expert intervention, and Mr. Srinivasan sought the help of Prof. Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya of the University of Warwick as a consultant to provide guidance in this endeavour. This was also around the time when the company split, amicably, with Suzuki and, having obtained the capacity, started manufacturing on its own. And in just less than a decade after the separation from Suzuki, the company, now re-christened TVS Motor Company Ltd, made its mark as the third largest manufacturer of two-wheelers in India following the launch and success of ‘Victor’, which was then India’s first indigenously built four-stroke motorcycle, besides the launch of a handful of other models.

Not one to sit on laurels, and someone for whom excellence was intrinsic, Mr. Srinivasan was always keen to improve and work to strengthen the TQM processes within the company. So, it was no surprise then that he brought in the best in the business, so to say, the Japanese as mentors to bolster the various processes of the company. First it was Yasutoshi Washio, a Deming Application Prize Winner and globally renowned expert in Total Quality Management, followed by Quality Management Guru Prof. Yoshikazu Tsuda. Thus, he was the first one to think of, and to implement, the very successful and effective Japanese model much before any other entity in India, big or small, had not even so much as given it a thought. It was a manifestation of what Mr. Srinivasan had always been – a perfectionist and a visionary.

As a result, TVS Motors continued to prosper and by 2008-09 it was one among the top-ten two-wheeler manufacturers in the world. It makes for a great case study, especially for the kind of revolution it has brought about in the way personal commutation was happening, way back in the 1980s. Beginning with launching a simple, easy-to-use moped for the middle class in India in the 1980s to launching 7 new bikes in a single day (first time in the history of the automotive industry in the world), TVS has often taken the unbeaten path to innovation. No small achievement for a company that had relatively humble beginnings, one must say, and whose make-up manifested the culture of its country and yet was open to the wonderful possibilities that industrialization and modernization presented it with.

The TVS Group is presently India's leading automotive component manufacturer, with an annual turnover of more than USD 4 billion, employing over 40,000 people in the 30 companies under its stable.

Another feather in the cap of the TVS Group, and TVS Motors in particular, has been its emphasis on bringing in new and relevant technology, particularly use of eco-friendly and recyclable raw materials. As a result, it was able to bring out -in 1996 itself- the first two-wheeler in India – TVS Shotgun - to use the catalytic converter. Not surprisingly, all the company vehicles are believed to be complying with world’s recyclability standards. This only highlighted the standing of the Group as a pioneer in industrial practices in India, coming as it did on the back of the fact that the TVS Group was the first in India to start an employees providend fund scheme and also the first one to pay gratuity to employees, long before any other enterprise in India could think of, and even before they were made mandatory by the Government of India. Also, it has been constantly exploring to bring out alternative-fuel based vehicles such as the electric scooter and factory-fitted LPG and CNG three-wheelers. TVS can proudly assert that 85% of all TVS vehicles are completely recyclable. All this on the basis of a very strong customer relationship with its customers built over decades and kept intact through various exercises to remain in constant contact with them.

Such foresight, dynamism, as also his penchant for perfection, and conformity to values have always kept the company focused on way to accomplishing its objectives. His penchant, almost obsession, for quality and excellence have brought in rich dividends to the group as Sundaram-Clayton and as well as the TVS Motor Company have both won the global quality benchmark – the Deming Prize in 2002 – the same year he assumed the Chairmanship of the TVS Motor Company, for achieving distinctive performance improvements through application of company-wide quality control. In fact, TVS Motors was the first company in the world to have received the Deming Prize. It is noteworthy that TVS was the only Indian manufacturer to have been considered eligible for Star of Asia 2002 (Awarded in 2003). It is these very aspects about the functioning of the Group that have, in a way, heralded a new era in corporate India which is also looking to keep up with world standards vis-a-vis quality management. No wonder then that apart from being one of the key functionaries on quite a few of the group companies, Mr. Srinivasan has also been entrusted with many other important responsibilities in various positions.

Some of the positions that Mr. Venu Srinivasan held, and successfully carried out his responsibilities, include:

*     Director, Lucas-TVS
*     Director, T V Sundaram Iyengar & Sons Limited
*     Director, Southern Roadways Limited
*     Director, Sundaram Fasteners Limited
*     Director, Cummins India Limited
*     Director, TATA Coffee Limited
*     Director, Oriental Hotels Limited
*     Director, TVS Energy Limited
*     Chairman, TVS Credit Services Limited
*     Chairman, National Institute of Fashion Technology, Government of India
*     Vice Chairman, State Manufacturing Competitiveness Council, Government of Tamil Nadu, India
*     President (Past), Confederation of Indian Industry, Delhi
*     President (Past), Automotive Research Association of India
*     President (Past), Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers
*     Member (Chennai), PM’s Council on Trade and Industry

Social Responsibility

Always one for thinking differently and staying ahead of the pack, Mr. Srinivasan did not limit himself to the exigencies of corporate governance. He has always been one of the very few who work for the betterment of society along with their own, and in their own distinct way. Srinivasan Services Trust (SST), the social arm of Sundaram-Clayton Limited and TVS Motor Company, was established in 1996 with an aim to create self-reliant communities that are models for empowerment and sustainable development for rural communities. The Trust has primarily four focus areas - Education, Environment, Health, and Infrastructure - activities under which have expanded to almost about 1000 villages across the 4 States of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh. The efforts of the Trust have had a great impact in the target areas and the results are there for everyone to see. Today about 50% of the families (about 61500) in the project villages earn a monthly income of Rs. 10,000; morbidity due to communicable diseases has come down to less 5%; 72% of the children pursue higher education after completing schooling; about 72% (92500) of the households under the project areas have access to sanitation facilities, and about 162000 hectares in the Eastern Ghats covered under the afforestation drive. Now those are outstanding figures to achieve in a mere decade-and-a-half since the time it was founded as an extension of the Group’s responsibility towards the cause of the less-fortunate people of the country.

Like Mr.Venu Srinivasan, the Trust has also been recognized for its yeomen work for the society. It was awarded the Times of India Social Impact Award on Advocacy and Empowerment in September, 2011.

Awards and Accolades

*     Business Week, Star of Asia, 2003

*     Honourary Doctorate in Science for excellence in manufacturing, University of Warwick, 2004

*     Jamshedji Tata Lifetime Achievement Award, Indian Society of Quality, 2004

*     JRD Tata Corporate Leadership Award, All India Management Association, 2005

*     Conferred with the PadmaShri by the Government of India, 2010

*     Order of Diplomatic Service Merit, Government of India,2010

Quotes
*     "The challenge is to make development sustainable, through the active participation of communities - the true agents of change."

*     “It is imperative for Indian companies to have high-end technology to build brands to compete with global firms in the field of performance biking.”

Lalit Suri Former Chairman (1947 - 2006), Bharat Chain of Hotels

I've taken the onus to promote tourism.....

An entrepreneur, a politician, an ardent traveler, an avid art collector, a philanthropist and a sportsman too! If one wonders how a man could be all of that, since the pursuit of a combination of more than any two of those is likely to lead to a contradiction. But, such was Mr. Lalit Suri's personality that, being a manifestation of all these facets amalgamated into one, he was admired for his enterprise, dynamism, resolve, intrigue even – some adversaries drummed it as heavyweight tactics - by most of his contemporaries. Such was his influence on the Indian hospitality industry that, although he may not have always brush people the right way, he was still looked upon as one of the most progressive thinkers of his time. He had inherited all the traits that successful heirs of prosperous families are generally known to; he had one more aspect that set him apart – his individuality. Therefore, despite his pedigree, he was the quintessential self-made man. His courage of conviction to tread paths very few had taken is also attributed as one of the reasons for him bringing about a sea change in the way the industry itself looked at business. It is not surprising then that he was believed to be India's single largest owner with complete majority - of the Bharat Hotels – which prides itself of many firsts in the industry. Some even calling him the uncrowned hotel king of India!

Early Days

Mr. Suri was born (Rawalpindi, 1947) into a prosperous business family. Not long after he was born, owing to the partition of India, the family had to shift base to Mussoorie (India) where they had often vacationed. He had his schooling from St. George School (Mussoorie) and St. Columbia's (Delhi), and topped it up with an Honours Degree in Commerce from Shriram College of Commerce, Delhi University. He represented both his school and college at the state-level in swimming and athletics, and the sportsman in him would remain as passionate till his last breath.

His interest in automobiles drew him to undertake training in automobile engineering from Vauxhall Motors, England, and soon after (1971), joined the family business (Delhi Automobile Ltd.) that involved manufacture of automobile parts. The clarion call for Mr. Suri came after a decade when the company had diversified into hospitality, and he aligned his interests with the same. He became the joint managing director of this new line of business in 1982, and with that his long and successful future in the hospitality business beckoned.

The Spark
He had, perhaps, never aspired to become an out-and-out hotelier. But, as things turned out, just after he became the chairman of the hotel business in 1987, the family members decided to exit the business. Whether or not it would have made sense for him also to follow suit is debatable, but he responded to this turn of events like only he could, and moreover, neither he nor any of his well-wishers have reason to regret that he didn't. He bought the entire share of the family in the business and decided to continue, and commissioned the first of flagship hotels – The Grand International in Delhi – in 1988. This was to come up at a prime location of the megapolis at Connaught Place, which drew attention from many quarters of the industry. While the successful establishment of the Grand International is attributed to Mr. Suri's proximity to the Nehru-Gandhi family (although denied by Mr. Suri), given his unflinching determination in everything he did as indeed his resourcefulness, it is beyond doubt that he would gave succeeded in getting this done regardless of the so-called proximity to people in high-places. The no-nonsense attitude of Mr.Suri ensured the completion of this hotel comprising 444 rooms in record time. It is considered to be one of the most successful hotel ventures in the national capital.

Another situation that called for attention of the shrewd Mr. Suri was the Government of India's decision to divest from properties belonging to the Indian Tourism Development Corporation. He saw this as an opportunity to not only makes good of the situation but also to prove himself and everybody else in the world who mattered, that his vision and conviction about the hotel industry were right. He promptly bid for 10 of the properties that were up for grabs – but could only land three – the Hotel Ashok in Bangalore and Khajuraho, and the Laxmi Vilas in Udaipur. While he was a little disappointed at the haul – so to say- but not one to be bogged down so easily, he went about acquiring new properties and kept on adding to the chain, and achieved success with each one of his new projects. The successful chain of hotels is testimony to what an outstanding hotelier and entrepreneur Mr. Suri was.

The Ascent

He wasn't very satisfied by getting only three properties in the initial phase of divestment by the Government of India, so he kept working at it with every opportunity presented, resulting in the successful bidding of Kolkata's Great Eastern Hotel. Then came one of his most surprising and even shocking that some decisions he took as Chairman of the company. Being the visionary he was decided to open the group's Srinagar venture amidst apprehensions from all other competitors owing to the non-conducive atmosphere prevailing in the state of Jammu & Kashmir. But he decided to go ahead with it even after persistent advice against the same. Today the 'InterContinental The Grand', is recognised as his initiative to develop tourism in Jammu & Kashmir state with the sole purpose of assisting the government in its socio-economic development, offering employment and promoting tourism. The company Bharat Hotels Ltd. which operates under 'The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group' banner, presently offers seven top-line hotels in the country, four 'InterContinental The Grand' hotels in New Delhi, Srinagar, Goa and Mumbai and three 'The Grand' hotels in Bangalore, Udaipur and Khajuraho.

He invested greatly in all his properties (existing as well new ones). Rs 500 crore (Rs 5 billion) were put in on its properties in Mumbai and Goa. In addition, the company spent Rs 42 crore (Rs 420 million) on a 30-year lease on the former Bangalore Ashok, and a further Rs 40 crore (Rs 400 million) on renovations and Rs 15 crore (Rs 150 million) on VRS for its employees. Similar spends have either been concluded or are being undertaken in Khajuraho and Udaipur.

There was also another side to his personality as the owner of Bharat Hotels. He was believed to be a very interfering owner, but something which he branded as being hands-on with the running of his business. He was known to have adopted a practice of seeing reports on the hotels everyday, discuss issues with his people to see that annual targets and budgets were met with. In fact, he had himself admitted through the course of an interview as to how he got totally involved in a venture at the initial stage, negotiated and finalised everything, got the right people and the right materials, and then left it to his team to manage it thereafter. One reason he attributed to such involvement was because he was very cost-conscious. No wonder then that all capital expenditure is centralised so they can buy in bulk and get the best prices.

Further, he made sure that extravagance at the cost of profitability and sustainability is avoided at all times. In fact, if there's anything Mr. Suri prided himself on, it was as a stringent and hard-hearted expert on managing budgets. Thus, despite such capital infusion into the business, the company remained reasonably healthy. It had a turnover of Rs.200 crore (in 2004-05) with a gross operating profit of 43 percent. Those are phenomenal figures for a company which had by no means an easy run, in the face facing of ever-increasing challenges.

His contribution to the Indian hotel industry is commendable; therefore, it might be well worth to throw some light on what was it that he did. He used the same political clout that people accused him of using to serve his ends, which he so vehemently denied, to bring about tax reforms in the industry. He was responsible for pushing a number of policy recommendations in the Indian hospitality sector; the hotel expenditure tax was removed lending the sector a part-industry status. That besides, he was also at the forefront of the fight with the states to reduce the luxury tax on hotels, and there should be not doubt as to his commitment and innovative practices that took the travel industry forward. And, to further the cause of the industry, he worked with all in his power as a Global Executive Committee member of the renowned World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and Honorary Chairman of the WTTC – India Initiative; the Chairman of the FICCI Tourism Committee (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) and Founder Member of Hotel Association of India, a premier Hotel body of the country and also it's President.

He was nominated for the upper house of the Indian Parliament, Rajya Sabha, as an independent in 1992, at which point he had to desist upon his wife's insistence to consolidate his business and then perhaps look to play a role in politics. He was re-nominated in 2002, which was extended (in 2004) for another term up to 2010. Although, many cribbed about his brashness, high-handedness, misery, and some even opportunism, none can discredit him for what he did for the industry. As a matter of fact, all in general, adversaries as well as contemporaries, credit him with determinedly and steadfastly holding together the strings of the industry amidst a period of uncertainty when the country was under the threat of terrorist attacks coupled with unstable conditions in the neighbouring regions, which adversely affected the tourism industry, and consequently, the hotel sector too. Another glowing example of his efforts for the betterment of the industry was when he worked closely with the industry as head of the World Travel and Tourism Council's India Initiative. It had aimed to work as a lobby that would brought to the attention of MPs, or those with any influence, about the travails of the travel industry on which a shadow of fear and apprehension had been cast upon. Many industry insiders acknowledged the fact that his ability to influence Parliament has been different from the others. So that during the Rajya Sabha debate on the budget for 2005-06, he was reported to have remained critical of the union finance minister for overlooking the tourism sector, and failing to give it full infrastructure status.

As we have seen, he was a multi-faceted personality and he could not be contented with being just a hotelier. So, naturally, he did venture out and explore all the other areas that interested him – but even that, for him, was business as usual. He had interests in several other marquee enterprise avenues such as aviation, exports, automobile ancillaries, real estate, telecom and information technology and newspaper publishing (He owned the 'Midday' newspaper in Delhi).

By the time this amazing man breathed his last (in 2006), he had taken Bharat Hotels to its rightful place in the hotel industry. It had seven properties, one each in Srinagar, Goa, Khajuraho, Udaipur, Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. He had planned to invest about Rs.1,000 crore in four other properties in Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Noida and Jaipur. Sites for hotels were identified and negotiated in Amritsar, Ahmedabad and Jaipur, while search was on for the right locations in Chennai and Hyderabad.

As part of his overseas operations, Mr. Suri had planned a 20,000 sq.ft. luxury property in Palm Island, Dubai and had plans of investing $100 million. He had also been planning a hotel in London, but had put it on hold due to skyrocketing property prices. His wife, Mr. Jyotsna Suri, has assumed the mantle of taking the business forward and is working towards fructifying every one of Mr. Suri's plans. The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, as it is now known as, is planning to open a high-end boutique hotel in London by the end of 2014. It has paid £15 million (around Rs 129 crore) to acquire a heritage building, which will be converted into a hotel. This is the third hotel property acquisition by an Indian company in London over the past two years (Sahara's Grosvenor House and Bird Group's purchase of Royal Park Hotel being the two others), the Suri chain is about to realise its 'long cherished dream' of having 'The Lalit, London'.

Philanthropy

Not a great deal is known about Mr. Suri's philanthropic interests although he was known to be genuinely inclined towards social causes. It is believed that he supported many charities, mostly to help provide free medical camps and mobile medical facilities in rural India.

Awards

*     First Lady of United States, Hillary Clinton conferred Mr. Suri with the prestigious award for outstanding accomplishments in business and leadership at the International Millennium Convention in New York, On July 11, 2000.

*     Received the Rashtriya Samman Patra for being amongst one of the highest tax payers in the country, for the assessment years 1995-96 to 1999-2000.

*     Conferred with the prestigious Global Network Award 2002 at the World Travel Mart, London, for excellence in all fields related to tourism in London.

*     Recognised for his contribution towards development of tourism in the State of Jammu and Kashmir, 2004.

*     Conferred the prestigious Special Award for InterContinental The Grand Palace (Srinagar) by the government of India, 2005.

*     Lifetime Achievement Award - GMR Express Travel World Awards 2010-2011.

*     He was conferred with the Rajiv Gandhi Excellence Award in recognition of his socio-economic achievements in India.

*     The Hind Rattan Award for his services to the Indian public.

Quotes

*     "I'm a hands-on hotelier who runs a professional chain of hotels."

*     "I've taken the onus to promote tourism vis-a-vis the government and its policies. Sometimes I've succeeded, at other times I've been disappointed."

*     "I will now become the only hotelier in the country having hotels from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from Ahmedabad to Kolkata."

*     "Tourism is the future, and we must never forget that."

Naresh Goyal Founder Chairman, Jet Airways

I will grab all the opportunities coming my way...

Mr. Naresh Goyal is truly a stalwart of not only the aviation sector in India but is also a pioneering entrepreneur and one of the successful faces of the Indian industry as a whole. His rise from very modest beginnings to become one of the richest of our country is a compelling story of success that illustrates in full force the traits unique to such men of caliber. From starting as a cashier / accountant for a general sales agent (GSA) at a salary of Rs.300 to being the chairman of the country's largest domestic private airline that boasts of flying to 52 domestic and 24 international destinations with fleet of 101 aircraft, employing about 14,000 people, and a personal net worth of more than $2bn, this is one remarkable success story worthy of a mention in inspirational folk-lore.

Early days

Mr. Goyal was born in Punjab (Sangrur) in 1949 to a successful jewellery dealer. Even while he in his pre-teens, his family had to go through some rough times financially, leading to a phase of hard-ships for the young Naresh who, it is said, had to walk quite a distance to go to his school as his family was not in a position to provide him with a bi-cycle. He somehow scraped through that period by residing with his maternal uncle, and completed his Bachelors in Commerce from Bikram College of Commerce in Patiala.

Soon after, he joined his uncle's travel firm, East West Agencies, which was a GSA for the Lebanese International Airlines, as a cashier. He very quickly understood the functioning of the business and had, in the process, acquired enough skills and experience to be able to move ahead and work (as regional manager) with other reputed airlines of the time such as Royal Jordanian and Philippine Airlines, in which positions he handled their commercial operations in India. He also travelled overseas extensively on business during this period. These stints further added to his skill and knowledge of the aviation sector. During this period, he also worked with the Indian offices of Middle Eastern Airline, where he gained experience in various areas including ticketing, reservations, and sales.

The spark

But, at heart he wasn't very inclined to remain an employee, as the entrepreneur in him kept egging him to move on to higher things and become a business leader rather than remain just an employee. So in 1974, it is said, he borrowed 500 pounds from his mother and floated his own company, JetAir Private Limited (then known as Jetair Transportation Private Ltd) that provided sales and marketing representation to foreign airlines in India. The company served as GSA to several foreign airlines; was tour operator; courier company (Aramex courier) etc. Major Airlines represented by Jet Air (as GSA) were Aeroflot, Air Canada, Air France, All Nippon, Austrian Airlines, Biman Bangladesh, Gulf Air, Jet Airways (since inception), Lufthansa, Oman Air and Royal Jordanian Singapore Airlines (although after Jet Airways launched its international operations, most of the carriers withdrew GSA rights from Jet Air).

Not the one to be satisfied with this, he was always keen on getting himself to acquaint with the intricate details of the functioning of the sector. As a result, right since the inception of his company, Mr. Goyal got himself involved in the development of traffic patterns, route structures, operational economics and flight scheduling, all of which, over time, have made him an authority in the world of aviation and travel.

In 1991, with the opening of the Indian economy and the enunciation of the Open Skies Policy by the Government of India, the Indian aviation market also began to open up as the government allowed private carriers to fly. Seizing such an opportunity, in the year 1992, Mr. Goyal decided to add wings to his flight by taking the major step of setting up his own airline, jet airways, with backing from Gulf air and Kuwaiti air.

The Ascent

There was no looking back for the company (operations commenced from May 1993) which initially operated as an air taxi operator with four leased Boeing 737s in the first months of operations.

What set apart the new airlines in the opened aviation market of the 1990s was the way they, especially Jet, functioned and delivered their services. As is known, the hereto operated state-owned airlines had reputations for atrocious service standards and frequent delays or cancellations. Jet was one of many new airlines to be approved to start services in a first wave of deregulation in the country, which used this state of affairs to best its business prospects.

Over time, the airline went on to add destinations, aircraft of its own to the fleet, and millions of satisfied customers, helping make air travel more accessible to the masses in a country of more than a billion people and creating a respected full-service airline that employed thousands, and in the process establishing it as one of the most preferred airline both domestic as well as internationally. It is a credit to Mr. Goyal's leadership that the company has been the recipient of one award or the other every year (excepting 1999) right since its inception.

Right since the early days of Jet Airways, Mr. Goyal had emphasized on the need for innovation and thus leading the company to come up with many novel and efficient procedures of functioning, and earning the reputation of being an innovator and a trendsetter in the Indian airline industry. The airline has pioneered concepts like Through-Check-in, City Check-in, Web and Kiosk check-in, SMS check-in, automated tickets at travel agency locations, e-ticketing, JetMobile and the unique five-tier frequent flier programme JetPrivilege in India.

In order to consolidate the company's position in the domestic market as well as to ward of any possible threat from international airline companies entering the domestic market, one of the plans contemplated was to increase the market share of Jet in the Indian airspace. There was also a need to be able to sustain, if not counter them, in the field of low-cost operators. Therefore, Mr. Goyal decided to acquire the reasonably successful yet problem-stricken Air-Sahara. So, he put in his bid with all others (including Vijay Mallya of Kingfisher) when it was up for sale in 2005. The acquisition ran in trouble in the face of many likely as well as unlikely obstacles (discussed at length in so many articles and journals elsewhere) and, he had to stall the process. But it was, by no means, called off entirely. So, in 2007 he resumed work on the acquisition and, ultimately, completed the formalities for a reported sum of Rs. 2,200 Crore, which was believed to be way above the next best quoted by Vjiay Mallya (around Rs. 500 crore). He called it JetLite and decided to run it as a subsidiary.

JetKonnect with the inclusion of JetLite was started as the all-economy class while still providing the same world-class Jet Aiways experience, on specific routes and timings. While there has been quite of bit of air on the way funds were arranged for starting up the airlines, which have not been cleared even up to this day, the fact remains that Mr. Goyal had been very instrumental in keeping the hopes of the aviation industry alive with the decent success of jet Airways. Especially, when a host of other entrants that started with Jet were shut-down or are in a quagmire of sorts owing to the downturn in the world economy as indeed the steep rise in operational and maintenance costs. With his vast experience in the field of aviation, Mr. Goyal currently serves on the prestigious International Air Transport Association (IATA) Board of Governors for the year 2009-2010, having earlier served on the Board from 2008 - 2009 and 2004-2006.

With Mr. Goyal at the forefront of its operations, technological innovation has also been an integral part of Jet Airways business strategy. Focussing on use of cutting edge technology to enhance guest experience by implementing innovative products and thus ensuring a seamless customer experience has been the hallmark of Jet and it's emergence as the leading domestic airline of India.

No wonder, the company has so many firsts to its credit; some of which are:

*     It's website www.jetairways.com was the first to offer 30 country specific websites and multilingual sites in Thai & French language

*     Introduced India to e-ticketing - a feature that made the web not just a convenient way to book tickets, but also to print them yourself

*     Kiosk Check-in, a first in the Indian Aviation

*     Implementation of Automated Online Risk Management solution

*     Brought in mobile ticketing - ticketing at the touch of your mobile phone button, becoming the first airline in India to launch a customized Wallet concept

*     Customised Wallet concept - a highly intuitive, Icon based ticketing solution on mobile phones

*     Introduced Quick Response (QR) codes to the Indian aviation industry

*     First airline in India to reach 500,000 Facebook fans

Mr. Goyal is married to Ms. Anita Goyal, who herself serves as EVP, Network Planning and Revenue Management for the airline. They have two children; daughter Namrata joined the company as a trainee, while son Nivaan is pursuing his studies. The family live in London with Mr. Goyal having received his British citizenship (in 1991), although he spends about 10 days in a month in their Mumbai house which had the great pioneer of the Indian aviation industry, JRD Tata, was one of the neighbours, when Mr. Goyal was aspiring to start the airline.

To the community

Recognising its responsibility to the Society and Nation, Jet Airways launched its Yellow Rose campaign in 1998. The philosophy being that people are like roses, and like the flower they require friendship, warmth and caring. Therefore, Jet Airways has striven not only to extend these qualities to its passengers, but also to the country in times of crises or calamities.

As part of its activities and services under Yellow Rose, the company had undertaken many blood donation camps and relief efforts in calamity-hit areas such as Tamil Nadu Pondicherry, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir which had been ravaged by tsunami and earthquakes. The modus-operandi varies from in-light fund collections through a programme called "Magic Box" to support the various initiatives in addition to using eco-friendly products in the airline, made by post-school children of underprivileged communities who are trained by NGOs.

Awards and Accolades

Goyal is the recipient of several national and international awards, including:

*     On November 16, 2011, Belgium conferred the "Commandeur of the Order of Leopold II", for his meritorious service and efforts to foster business and cultural ties with Belgium.

*     On August 6, 2010, the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award by the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI).

*     Honoured at the fourth edition of the prestigious CNBC TV18 India Business Leader Awards, in the 'Taking India Abroad' award category on January 22, 2009.

*     Accorded the Business Person of the Year award by UK Trade & Investment at the prestigious India Business Awards 2008, on September 9, 2008.

*     Awarded the prestigious "Man of the Year Award" by the Aviation Press Club (APC) on April 09, 2008, in Belgium.

*     Conferred with the "Travel Entrepreneur of the Year" award at the 19th annual TTG (Travel Trade Gazette) Travel Awards.

*     Accorded the prestigious TATA AIG - Lifetime Achievement Award at the Abacus-TAFI Awards on September 8, 2007.

*     Presented with the first NDTV Profit Business Award 2006 on July 28, 2006.

*     The first BML Munjal Award for Excellence in Learning & Development in the Private Sector category on January 6, 2006.

*     'Aerospace Laurels' for outstanding contribution in the field of Commercial Air Transport twice, in April 2000 and February 2004.

*     First Lifetime Achievement Award from the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) in December 2003.

*     'Outstanding Asian-Indian' award for leadership and contribution to the global community given by the Indian American Centre for Political Awareness in November 2003.

*     'Distinguished Alumni Award-2000' for meritorious and distinguished performance as an Entrepreneur' in October 2000.

*     'Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Services' from Ernst & Young in September 2000.

*     Business Week featured as one of the five leaders from India in the July 2005 Asia Edition cover story- "Stars of Asia - 25 Leaders at The Forefront of Change."

*     Voted "International Entrepreneurs of the Year" by the readers of Asian Voice in February 27, 2009.

*     Re-elected to the prestigious IATA Board of Governors from 2011-2013.
Quotes

*     "Aviation should not be treated as luxury, it is essential for the economic growth of the country."

*     "The deal is very good for business; very good for our shareholders, very good for the industry and overall it will prove that in India things can be done better than anywhere in the world." (About the AI-Sahara acquisition).

*     "I am open to all new trends and will grab the opportunities coming my way."

Shashi Ruia Chairman, Essar Group

Several years of hard work and long-term vision builds a vertically integrated business....

For a man who heads one of India's earliest conglomerates, Mr. Shashi Ruia is disconcertingly devoid of much public attention, at least, when compared to his contemporaries. However, one will not be very surprised to know that this man, with a business pedigree that dates back to the 18th century, and who began as a first generation entrepreneur of India, is miles ahead of many later contemporaries, when it comes to knowledge of market, and of the industry in general. In fact, he would, without doubt, rank as one of the most enlightened, aware, and close-to-the-reality business leaders of the country (more about this aspect later). He, along with his brother, Ravi, inherited a well-settled construction business that had its hands where its mouth was. And so, the brothers took-off from where their father had left and over time saw their group (which had begun as a construction firm later diversified into many other areas of business) emerge as one of the country's most successful conglomerates with a truly global presence. Today, the group businesses have a presence in 25 countries spread over five continents, employing close to 75,000 people, in businesses ranging from steel, oil & gas, power, communications, shipping ports and logistics, to construction and minerals. The brothers' net worth is reported to be around USD 17 billion. Now that is something truly remarkable, for not even a handful of Indian companies have been able to come close to having a successful global presence, and impact, like that. Mr. Ruia is widely recognized for promoting India's industrial growth and the expansion of the nation's infrastructure sector; so much so that some even go on to say that the group's growth mirrors the growth of the Indian economy!

Early Days

Mr. Shashi Ruia was born in 1944 in Mumbai, where the Ruia family (originally from Rajasthan) was involved in the construction business. His father, though, moved to Chennai with the aim of starting a new business altogether and set-up a shipping and exports firm in the 1950s. Shashi was the eldest of the two sons, and often accompanied his father to his work place. This activity proved to be an early apprenticeship for the young Shashi who, it is said, picked up quite few interesting aspects about running the business, which he would employ to great effect in due course. He is a commerce graduate but, as we have seen, had most of his mentoring done by his successful businessman father, the Late Nand Kishore Ruia.

The Spark

Business acumen was deeply rooted in the Ruia family who had been into the construction business, it is said, for well over two centuries. So, naturally, it wasn't any surprise that Mr. Shashi Ruia had inherited all that, plus the enviable situation of his father mentoring him and keeping him (along with his brother) upto date with all the intricacies of the business, and along the way sharpening their sense of entrepreneurship. His father had also, apparently, done more than just mentoring his sons: by the time he breathed his last, he had well and truly established the business contacts as well as negotiated some deals and projects to be taken forward (with contracts previously negotiated for the construction of various ports and jetties). It did not take Mr. Shashi Ruia (and his brother) to make good of this. They began the group's (founded in 1969) first active business venture when they completed constructing an outer breakwater in the Chennai port. Not long after, the Group seized the prevailing economic atmosphere in the country, and successfully capitalized on many emerging business opportunities.

The Journey

The brothers shifted base to Mumbai which had, in time, become the commercial capital of the country. It augured well for the Group lead by Mr. Shashi Ruia, all through the 1980s when the hereto state-controlled shipping and drilling sectors were opened to private players. The group was successful in using this opportunity to succeed and grow by investing in diverse shipping fleet and oilrigs.

Likewise, the group continued to seize upon every opportunity presented and continued to invest in diversified markets. Taking advantage of the opening up of the Indian economy in the 1990s -in the wake of liberalisation-Essar entered into steel, power, telecom, and refining (port and deep-sea pipeline construction) businesses. The group set-up the first iron sponge plant of the country in the coastal town of Hazira, Gujarat (India). This proved to be a crucial decision as it also paved the way for the brothers to utilize the first-mover advantage in many such other businesses. The group followed it up with a pellet plant in Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) that, eventually, led to the construction of their fully integrated steel plant in Hazira. They were also India's first private company to buy a tanker in 1976.

Not one to miss a business opportunity resulting from the now liberalized economy, Mr. Shashi Ruia then ensured that the group was always a front-runner in the many sectors that were opened up for private participation. Thus, all through the 1990s, one saw that the group diversified its shipping fleet, and ventured into oil & gas exploration as indeed production, which lead to the foundation of its oil refinery at Vadinar (near Jamnagar), Gujarat (some say that although work on this started at the same time as that of its competitor Reliance's refinery, it did not quite take-off like Reliance's). Essar also set-up a power plant near their Hazira steel complex. It is said that the construction business of the group helped it in building most of the group's assets.

As mentioned earlier, the Ruias were always alert enough to make good of an opportunity, and succeeded in most of their endeavours with the first-mover advantage, Essar entered into the telecom sector where also the government had allowed private players to operate. As a result, Essar started the country's first mobile phone (GSM) service in Delhi (in 1994) with Swiss PTT as a joint venture partner, and branded it as ‘Essar Cellphone.' (Essar sold 67% -amounting to about USD 5 billion- of this arm of their empire to Vodafone).

This venturing into the mobile telephony business is also believed to have brought about a turn-around in the fortunes of the company which had run into financial trouble owing to a downturn in the global steel industry. With the success of the GSM operations, as also the lessons learnt from the debacle in the steel business, Mr. Ruia thereafter was successful in leading the group onto a path of continued growth and consolidation. Taking tough decisions, restructuring of their steel debt (aided by a rise in steel prices), acquiring new businesses, and ensuring that the group was able to spread its foot-prints across the globe, reflect the resoluteness of Mr. Ruia as indeed that of the group itself.

Apart from being the Director of the Board at Essar Steel, and the Chairman of the Essar Group, Mr. Shashi Ruia was also, at one point, a part of the Managing Committee for the Indian Chamber of Commerce.

Expansion and Diversification

It is pertinent here to throw some light on the geographical expansion as well as the diversification of the group's business, as they reflect Mr. Shashi Ruia at his shrewd best.

In 2000, Essar reached an agreement with Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing (one of the promoters) to form Hutchison Essar. When Li Ka-shing sold to Vodafone in 2007, the value of participation of the Ruias skyrocketed by 33%, making Hutchison-Essar the third largest operator in India.

Although the Group plies its trade in many diversified businesses from retail to refinery to BPO, the main focus was always on building Essar's international oil and energy business. Essar acquired Algoma Steel (Essar Algoma Steel) and Minnesota Industries (Essar Steel Minnesota LLC) five years ago to build large low-cost bases of steel products in North America. The Minnesota unit is a Greenfield project with a reported production capacity of 7 million tons pelletization plant. Having moved strongly into North America, they have acquired refineries in the UK (from Shell for an amount reported to be around $350 million) and in Kenya. They have also expanded their Jamnagar refinery. Their group turnover is set to almost double this year, largely because of the refinery business as Essar Oil which accounts for 10 percent of the country's total refining capacity and now operates India's second-largest 405,000-barrels-per-day Vadinar refinery. The company also owns 1,600 retail oil outlets throughout the country and has 2.1 billion barrels of oil equivalent in its portfolio.

In 2010, the Essar Group floated the Essar Energy on the London Stock Exchange, which then accounted for 25% ($2.5 billion at the time) of the Group's worth. It was the second largest overseas IPO ever floated by a company of Indian origin, and is now part of the FTSE 100. Understandably, it drew attention from many investors, some apprehensive, some skeptical but ultimately many investing in this Ruia venture leading to a handsome capital infusion into the company.

Also, Essar Ports recently (May 2012) announced a strategic pact with the Belgian company, Port of Antwerp International. The tie-up is expected to help promote port traffic between Essar Ports and Port of Antwerp and also help the company in developing world class port facilities in India.

In addition, the group is also said to have entered into a binding agreement in May this year to buy automobile sealing system manufacturers, one each in Turkey and Germany.

Family

Both siblings, Shashi & Ravi Ruia have two children each. Both have homes in Mumbai, India, but live part of the year in London due to their regular business with UK companies. The family is believed to be free of infighting, and for years the brothers shared an office, sitting at opposite ends of a long room with mahogany wall panelling and paintings.

Under the expert guidance and leadership of Mr. Shashi Ruia the group has gone from strength to strength over the four decades of its eventful, if not tumultuous, sojourn. The group now has many companies under its umbrella, operating in varied fields of business namely steel (Essar Steel), minerals (Essar Minerals), energy – oil & power (Essar Energy), infrastructure (Essar Ports & Essar Projects), services (Essar Shipping), BPO (Aegis), communications (Essar Communications), realty (Equinox Realty), publishing (Paprika Media), and agri-business (Essar Agrotech).

Failing to mention here one of the traits of Mr. Shashi Ruia that reflects the characteristics of a visionary would make this write-up, about a man who is considered by many as one of the architects of modern industrial / corporate India, lose its sheen. This trait is calling a spade a spade, irrespective of who he is facing. For example, it is said that during one of the international business summits held in India, everyone apparently went gaga over how India is emerging as a regional economic power comparable to that of China, Mr. Ruia (who was a participant) was quick enough to blatantly quash this myth by spelling out at least half a dozen statistics that showed that India is miles behind China and, needs to buck-up and do more than it has been so far, instead of just trumpeting some nice falsities. This was the visionary in him that saw through the lines, and was willing to face the reality and, yet, was hopeful of a bright future provided we put in the efforts required. Another instance being his harangue (well almost) on the huge road-blocks or obstacles faced by industries in general owing to delay in clearances and /or restrictions imposed by the state. Whether or not such a strong reaction was called for can be debated, nevertheless, he is reported to have said, without mincing words, "Natural resources cannot be in the exclusive domain of the government. "(There is a need for resources like iron ore, coal, crude, gas, power and water ..."

This was, obviously, a reference to the group's captive coal block, imploring the government to relax such blockades if it wanted more private sector participation in crucial sectors.

With a persona like that, and his capacity to steer clear out of difficult situations successfully, it can be expected that his guidance would be sought by many other organizations of significance. Mr. Shashi Ruia serves on several important national bodies and industry associations, including the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) the Indo-US Joint Business Council and the Indian National Ship-owners Association (lNSA).

Philanthropy

As much as he has been shrewd and enterprising in running successfully one of India's successful multinational conglomerates, he has also proved to be a man of heart. From putting in a word to help some young stranger wriggle out of a tricky situation with a state-owned company (which was the result of a freak interaction), to becoming a part of a select group (called the ‘The Elders') of renowned personalities who have come together to fund initiatives aimed at tackling at least some of the many difficult problems facing the world, his efforts have been really exemplary.

That besides his group, as part of its social responsibility initiatives established the Essar Foundation. Its activities, divided across six focus areas -- livelihoods and entrepreneurship, women's empowerment, health, education, infrastructure and environment -- are based on the principles of good governance and equity. To improve its reach, it engages with government institutions and local NGOs as part of its fundamental strategy, runs community outreach initiatives at all its plant locations, with a focus on education, healthcare, environmental and agricultural development, and self-employment. The Group says it is committed to sustainable business practices. Its Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) management system is on par with global standards. The Group is also actively undertaking climate change initiatives to reduce its carbon footprint. This includes several Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects that earn the company 'Certified Emission Reduction' credits'.

Awards

*     Businessman of the Year 2010, (Business India)

*     Conferred with the Asian Business Leadership Forum (ABLF) award 2011, in recognition of his contribution in steering the Group to a premier position
Quotes

*     "Building a vertically integrated business is not for the faint-hearted. It requires several years of hard work and long-term vision. But eventually it reaps rich rewards for all stakeholders."

*     "There should be more safeguard duties for the steel sector. I also expect an increase in allocation for infrastructure projects."

*     "It is our request to the government that retailers like us should also be given petro-bonds like the PSUs. We should be treated at par with the state-run oil firms."

*     "The government should provide more opportunities for employment because it improves real spending power at the base level and increases disbursements at the panchayat level."