2SATURDAY, AUGUST 3, 2013

TULSI TANTI: He is the chairman and managing di- MUKESH AMBANI: rector of Pune-based Suzlon Energy, the ’s richest man, business tycoon Mukesh world’s largest supplier of wind tur- Ambani is the chairman and managing bines, a company he built from scratch. director of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), a Fortune 500 company. Elder son of the legendary entrepreneur Dhirubhai Ambani, he is known for his leadership qualities and for putting on the global map by setting up the largest refinery in the world at Jamnagar in the state. UDAY KOTAK: He is the vice chairman and man- aging director of Kotak Mahin- dra Bank in which he owns 50% “Gujaratis stake. In a recent interview, he stressed that solutions to India’s problems are not in running after are fun-loving” US dollars but fixing the manu- NITIN SHAH, Chairman and Managing facturing sector in the country. Director of Allied Digital shares his journey and his love for Gujarat in conversation with Rashmi Sanzgiri

ILLUSTRIOUS : HOW HAS YOUR JOURNEY opportunities. I have my business QBEEN, FROM EMPLOYEE TO across the state and provide IT- EMPLOYER? service to bluechip companies like PIRUZ KHAMBATTA: MicroInfra, Torrent, Reliance and PERSONALITIES : After passing BE (Electronics) many other companies here. Afrom VJTI in 1977, I got a job in Gujarat is very close to my heart. He leads India’s largest and most CMC where I worked for six years. My roots are in Gujarat and I am India is home to some of the finest and most popular soft drink concentrate While I was there, I got a chance to thankful to the state. My native place successful Gujarati businessmen in the world. work on mainframe systems. Several is Jamnagar but I love brand Rasna, which with its mainframe companies took over city. It is beautiful and well- Aruna Raghuram reports IBM business then and it was shut developed. If I ever get the appealing campaign won many a down due to political reasons. I opportunity, I would like to settle sensed a vacuum in the IT industry there. I’m also a big fan of shrikhand- child’s heart in the eighties. The as there was no other IT service puri and undiyo. provider. brand has been repositioned with In 1984, I accidently got into : WHAT DO YOU FEEL ABOUT health as a focal point though it business. The mainframe of one of QTHE ROLE OF GUJARATIS GUJARAT HAS OPENED the largest companies was not LIVING IN OTHER STATES? SEVERAL still retains its value for money working and their Indian supplier was not able to rectify the problem. : People from the Gujarati OPPORTUNITIES FOR advantage. Khambatta has So, I was called to help out. I initially Acommunity are fun-loving and EVERYONE AND refused as I was working in CMC. But are very humble. Wherever they live, localised the flavour names and after much insistence, I agreed and they adjust to the surroundings, work I AM CONSTANTLY used innovative strategies to EXPLORING THESE My native place is Jamnagar but I love penetrate deep into the market. Ahmedabad city. It is beautiful and well- OPPORTUNITIES. I developed. If I ever get opportunity, I would HAVE MY BUSINESS like to settle there. I’m also a big fan of ACROSS THE STATE Shreekhand-Puri and Undiyo. AND PROVIDE IT-SERVICE TO solved the problem in two days. It is hard and achieve success. They are ANIL AMBANI: because of my work that the company also business-minded people. They BLUECHIP COMPANIES offered to do business with me. have the ability to sustain their LIKE MICROINFRA, business even through all the The younger son of Dhirubhai, he : HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE difficulties. I have observed that the TORRENT, RELIANCE QYOUR CONNECTION WITH education level in the Gujarati is the chairman of the Anil GUJARAT? community is also improving and AND MANY OTHER many of them are well-qualified and COMPANIES HERE Dhirubhai Ambani Group. A : First, I would like to thank are venturing into professional highly disciplined person, he is ANarendra Modi. He has business. completely changed the image of known for telling aspiring entre- Gujarat. He has helped welcome huge : YOU ARE INVOLVED IN investments for various projects. QSOCIAL WORK AS WELL. underprivileged children. We have preneurs, “Work till your last Also, they are running ahead in PLEASE ELABORATE built a Jain temple in Shahapur, near government sector and have an e- and have a dharamshala for breath. Work is worship.” He sees governance system. : We have a family trust on my people to stay. We also run Khakhra his business as “spanning the Gujarat has opened several Awife and mother’s name ‘Padma- centre where women who are not opportunities for everyone; and I am Pragya’ trust. Through this, we try to well-qualified and financially poor, entire landscape of emerging constantly exploring these help the needy people and educate earn by making Khakhras. human aspirations.”

Gujarat has emerged as the power hotspot of the country. This state, which is a house to many bigwigs, has created a global presence. Swati Soni reports GUJARAT’S VERY OWN TORCHBEARERS GG Sanjay Lalbhai Arvind

he inherent spirit of IT IS A NO HIDDEN FACT THAT giants from UK, Germany, France and adventure and USA. T entrepreneurship in GUJARAT AND GUJARATI Pharmaceutical industry is Gujaratis has led to their COMMUNITIES CONTINUE TO incomplete without this icon’s name, GG Karsan Patel phenomenal success as a community in meet Pankaj Ramanbhai Patel, the whatever business they do, be it in their BE AT THE FORE OF INDIA’S chairman and managing director of own land or adopted lands. This ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. . With over 30 years of community either leaves foot prints experience in the pharma industry, he is behind for the world to follow or set a WHILE THE GLOBAL ECONOMY one of the most successful pharma stupendous benchmark for others to entrepreneurs in the country. Zydus surmount. It is a no hidden fact that MAY BE FEELING THE JITTERS, Cadilla is a well-known brand now and Gujarat and Gujarati communities THE GUJARATI BUSINESSMEN enjoys good reputation in the pharma continue to be at the fore of India’s industry. economic development. While the global HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAINTAIN Gujarat is the state where textile economy may be feeling the jitters, the CONSISTENT GROWTH RATE IN industry has seen many seasons and who Gujarati businessmen have been able to would know that better than Sanjay maintain consistent growth rate in the THE COMPANIES THEY ARE Lalbhai, who has played a pivotal role in companies they are leading or creating. LEADING OR CREATING making Arvind Limited (formerly The From selling soap powder on his cycle, Arvind Mills Ltd.) a force to reckon with GG Pankaj Patel to creating a mammoth industry under in the textiles sector. Now the chairman the banner called Nirma, Karsan Bhai business world is a glaring example of and managing director of one of the Patel, is a success story known to all. It is the fact that the vision to build a largest manufacturers of denim in the business acumen, which is discussed in successful enterprise does not require an world, Lalbhai has been instrumental in the form of a case study in various MBA from a blue-chip B-School. placing Ahmedabad — the Manchester of world- renowned universities including Another name that took the drug the East — on the global map. Havard. industry in different league altogether is The shak-rotli eating folk have stirred Talking about business, it is a must to Ahmedabad-based Sudhir Mehta, the various nations and companies through mention the first billionaire of chairman of Torrent Group, of which their strategic alliances and path- Ahmedabad, Gautam Adani, a self-made Torrent Pharmaceuticals Limited is the breaking business and trading skills. GG Sudhir Mehta billionaire and the chairman of power- flagship company. He has been These hotshots are now known as GG Gautam Adani focused Adani Group, which owns instrumental in steering the growth of ‘Global Gujaratis’, for they made their Mundra Port is a first generation Torrent Pharmaceuticals through presence felt in numerous lands across businessman. His success in the strategic alliances with international oceans and time zones.