My 40 years corporate journey....

Completed last week 40 years of working life, an important milestone - Daurala to Singapore !!! ... Here is the story - the journey began in Daurala, Distt Meerut, Western UP, where I was posted as a Management Trainee of DCM Group, for my first industrial stint. DCM was a glorious group in those days, and the SMT program as it was called, the Management Trainee scheme was amongst India’s most coveted of jobs. I landed it at the age of 19 something, competing nationally and selected amongst the 6 of my batch. I grew up in Pondicherry, and did my graduation in the town of my birth Vijayawada from where I took the train to Bhopal then to Delhi and a UP Roadways Bus to Meerut. The next morning reached Daurala, which was 14 KMs away taking a rickety Matador, with 2 bags. The corporate journey began – 54Kg weight, 19years of age, lots of fire in the belly, and plenty of wetness behind the ears !!! Spent my first 5 years in this industrial township of Daurala managing, commercial and materials function. The Officers Club, walk on the Daurala Rly station at night, and Gulab-Jamuns and Samosas from the Mill Bazaar are life time memories.

Perhaps I am blessed with unparalleled variety in my jobs – can’t complain, over the 15 years in India and later 25 years overseas out of Singapore, I have been through manufacturing industries, chemicals, FMCG – (that added the excitement of advertising, communications, branding,) and global pharmaceutical marketing out of India. Later, global trading, IT business, a stint with Singapore Civil Service, entrepreneurship with PE advisory and consulting for internationalisation – finally, the last 17 years+ have been with the Tata Group in varied roles, on the international side. Interestingly enough, I started with a value-centred conglomerate then, and will hang up my boots in a few years time with Tata Group, amongst the most value-centred groups in the world today. Thanks to God for the wonderful ride, albeit with some bumps and speed breakers too thrown in between, that reminded me periodically to remain grounded always.

After covering 50+ countries, imbued with much multi cultural experiences, I have now started sharing my stories by writing, speaking and sometimes training. My inner leanings to give back and the love for the arts – particularly classical music has found me serving in the community in Singapore with SINDA and SIFAS that give me so much soul satisfaction.

Thanks to my family, my friends, bosses and mentors who have been with me through this exciting journey and have shaped it too in many ways.