To All My Seniors in IDL Chemicals Limited

Dear Hon'ble Seniors,
I take this as a opportunity to thank the almighty for bestowing on me such a wonderful and envious life. I am very proud of every accomplishment thus far in my life, and I quickly add, I haven't reached a plateau, I have many more miles to cover before I sleep.
Part 1.
My humblest pranams apart from everyone firstly to Mrs. Pramila Nanda, who was my first boss when I started my career even before I got into IDL. It happened by chance, thought today I might say it was 'God's Will, and his Gift of Future to me." Mrs. Pramila Nanda was my first boss in IDL too, however to me she was much much more that that, she was my mentor, coach, guide, well-wisher et all. She was an integral part of the first half of my professional life, and has been pretty instrumental in making me in many ways what I am today. May her tribe increase. An 'incredible lady' in every sense of the word, for me a "treasure."

Next after that would be my to everyone else who presided over my life. Everyone who crossed my path, encouraging or discouraging, whatever it may have been, known or unknown, deliberately or accidentally, all of them have taught me something in life which is worth it's weight in gold. They can be inscribed on the tombs of time in letters of 'diamond' 'paltinum' or any invaluble thing that those who see in the future shall be proud of. Looking at the several things that are prevalent in our country in present time, I can vouch my life to say, we all lived and lead an 'exemplary life.' We can all lift our collar's with pride ... read this story which will spell out more. We were a part of this club the Ex-IDL Club ...

I've been very keenly following every mail that's been flowing, it's been perennial. Wish really the rivers in India flow as much and as these memories, thoughts and strings of gratitude from our colleagues, dispersed across geographies. It's not only nice to read it but also nice to savor to such an extent that it transports you in time to relive the past, despite the present circumstances - personal or otherwise.

It's amazing how times flies and can remember this vividly, I was schooling in St. Patrick's High School, Secunderabad and one of them from our neighborhood asked an uncle of mine if he was interested in a job and so he landed in IDL, appointed into the crimping shop. Facilities were good salary, free pick up and drop, subsidized wholesome canteen milk, free tea when you check into work and about to leave and that to virtually at your door step.

Now all these things and that too around 50 years ago is something that is super-visionary, and that could come in only for one of the finest gentlemen I have met on this planet, and that's our Late Sri. M. Varadarajan.

Part 2.
I am far too junior to most of them in this august gathering, however, this flows from my heart freely and that too with my head bowed in reverence.

To me and am sure that there would be many in this group who will swear by this fact that he made many homes, many lives. I will not be surprised that his picture would be in their pooja rooms along with the Gods on display. I'm not being a sycophant, by any stretch of imagination. I say this with absolute authority as I have spent the other half of my professional life in IT. My journey in this space has brought me in touch with some leading lights on the global IT map. The world has acknowledged many of them for all of their accomplishments, however, to me all of them come only after our Late Sri. M. Varadarajan. So I would first offer my gratitude to him where ever he is to let him know that even my life was one that he molded. I can hardly recall a single day that he doesn't cross my mind. When I see books written by and about the IT czars, a book of Late Sri Varadarajan if it were realized a few years ago, might have sold a million copies. What ever he conceived, he put it to action, followed it up, gave all the support it deserved be it in terms of money, workforce or expertise, he provided it all to ensure it worked. People talk abut Infosys, WIPRO, TCS, Cognizant, NIIT, Satyam etc., these companies were started by people who were at the right place at the right time doing the right thing, with again people like Dr. Sam Pitroda, the then Scientifc Adviser to the Prime Minister on Science and Technology. That gave it the boost, for a new industry, and the rest is history. So to me they contributed to the National exchequer wonderfully well, and also amassed a lot of personal wealth as they figure in the Forbes list of some of the richest people in the world. I feel proud being an Indian, but that's it. Their feeling for people who worked for them or their companies do not go beyond some very closely trusted colleagues. Their talks on platforms and forums about the people who work for them is good to the ears, but not to the hearts as everyone involved within knows that the company can't be without them and so they take a lot of money for what they deliver, the rest they take it as a bonus. So the underlying thing for me is the lack of real passion on both sides.

Part 3
Let's go back to history for a moment again, a highly charged, passionate, and ambitious young man around 38 years, decides to start a company manufacturing industrial explosives, puts the seed money - authorized capital of Rs.8,00,000, all from his own sources. Builds a small band of people to assist him on his mission, scouts for land in the out skirts, ensures that lots of it is available (keeping in mind future expansion + safety). takes it on long term lease and starts off. I now wonder how he would have located people whom he wanted on his venture and on his team to take his mission forward. I'm sure he wouldn't ever have said there is a talent crunch, because in those days while people were brilliant, they would be in secure government jobs, and to convince them with his story would call for extra-ordinary narration skills. He could do it because of his honesty and sincerity of purpose. For him welfare of everyone around him was an equally big concern. Growing from the grass root level, working on the mission of import substitution, working within the framework of all statutory conditions laid by the government, using every little scheme that supported his cause, he built a self-dependent future not only for the one's who worked with him, but for the nation too. That is what to me is passion in every aspect. He didn't ever flaunt his wealth and was modest as ever, in what he wore and swore. He lived as much as know in a leased accomodation, drove an Ambassador or Fiat car (could have very well afforded a Mercedes, but chose not to). I can go on and on like this, and you all know yourselves as you have seen him in 'flesh and bones.' He was walking along side us a 'towering personality' he was.
Part 4
If the late Dr. Kurien was called the man behind the "white revolution," and Dr. M.S. Swaminathan was the man behind the "green revolution" and awarded the Padma's (Sri, Bhushan and Vibhushan), I believe late Sri Mudumbai Varadarajan should have been recognized along side them because in real terms he was the one who started making explosives - technology imported but manufacturing it indigenously, were as the only other company in existence at that time was importing explosive and just assembling them in India.

Again going back further deeper into history Alfred Noble was cursed for his inventing the dynamite, but that later paved the way for using the same destructive material for very constructive purposes, like becoming a boon for miner's of the future.

Part 5.
Today, it has gone even further, as all the new mines are open-cast, whereas the old one's are underground still. Here again Mr. Varadarajan excelled as his frequent travels abroad to gain first hand information on developments and technology enabled him to foresee this change and start the bulk loading system closer to the mines and delivered straight into drilled holes by trucks. The best possible in every aspect, commercially effective and safely too. I sometimes wonder what all he would have done if only he had the Google and the Mobiles and the I-Pads at his disposal.

His vision on technology was again unparallel - The thought on Solar Energy, the use of Cold Bitumen, High Explosives Bulk Loading System etc., were all way ahead of time. And today all of these things have become a default practice of people pursuing it vigorously campaigning hard for adaptation. If he were there amidst us today, I am sure he would have taken no credit what so ever for any of these, but would have named some of his trusted advisers like late MSN, late KSV, the VCK, MND, Dr. AKC, VYT, Dr. KC, ......

On the welfare side, the establishment of diary farm, the Diagnostic health Check Up scheme, the IDL Rural Development Trust, the family planning policy, Children's Education Assistance, Housing Loan to the Management staff etc., has no parallel. All those beneficiaries or these or some of these schemes will endorse what I say. To say the least it was amazing and it came from a man who loved the people he was engaged with. He trusted them and earned their respect all the way. He was a true leader in every sense of the word.

I am stopping with this for now as missing out on any would mean bad, but believe me he would have acknowledged everyone for all that they did to make him what he was. His modesty would be unbelievable.

I have learnt more that one or two things - IDL didn't just give me bread but it taught me the skill of kneading the dough to make "bread" all my life and to make a living of it all.

This story that follows will elaborate several other learning's in life, and the credit for all this goes to my formative years in which IDL is included.