BrightSpark with Anand Ganu | A life without excuses or compromise

Where do I begin about Anand Ganu. One of the first things you notice about AG is his lovely Indore Hindi. He is an unassuming man who exudes kindness. I first met him through Hemant, who introduced us when we started our modular partitions business. He was at Biological E at the time and planned to retire shortly. So I asked him to come on board as our Technology Consultant. After two years with us, he was called back to Biological E to build Asia's largest vaccine plant.

AG is who I reach out to whenever I hit a technical wall. He is a brilliant man, always ready to help and share his wealth of knowledge. People who seek his advice flourish. He mentored us through our first major project and played a significant role in our success. He was always ahead of everyone in envisaging potential problems. He's always calm, even when under tremendous pressure.

In his stellar career, he must have mentored at least a thousand engineers. People who have worked under him are all in great jobs all over the world. He has a knack for recognising talent. AG will spend 3 months with a fresher and tell them exactly where they fit in the company.

While he is a taskmaster, he is also very thoughtful and considerate. He is loved by everyone he has every worked with. I have never known anyone to be able to refuse him.

During a site visit, he knew we were staying at a guest house, and there was no one to cook for us. So he invited us home for breakfast. We ate and were leaving when he called me over and said, "tumhare Bhabhi ko thank you bolo". It was so sweet and heartwarming. He made sure his wife's efforts were appreciated.

In retirement, he has found his place of zen. He is an avid birder and takes beautiful bird photos. He puts his engineering knowledge into everything he undertakes. Even if he's building a compound wall, he's frustratingly technical. I believe AG should be a teacher. He has so much wealth of knowledge to share with young people.

AG was very reluctant to do this interview because he believes his journey is that of a middle-class man who struggled to make his way up the ladder. His achievements weren't as impressive because he didn't take any shortcuts from hard work or deviate from the core values he learnt from his parents. However, I believe this is precisely why AG's life and career must be celebrated.

AG, I am so blessed to know you and to learn from you. Your cool head, your random acts of kindness, your appreciation for the people in your life are an inspiration to me. Thank you for being in my life. I'm glad I can share you with my readers so they can appreciate the fantastic human being you are.

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AK: What are the memorable milestones in your career journey?

AG: The first would definitely be my selection by BEST as a probationary officer. I was among the top ten, among some 90 participants - sixth to be exact. They called the first five in immediately but were to hire the next five, 6 months later. I decided to plead my case to the Deputy Chief Engineer, Mr Mhatre. I remember saying to him, "It won't matter to BEST if 5 or 6 are called in the first lot, but it will make a big difference to me personally as I am in dire need of a job." It worked, and I was included in the first lot itself. Never say die.

I was unemployed for a while, having resigned from a job on principles. A friend suggested approaching Mr B. K. Bhargava at the Industrial Consulting Bureau. He quizzed me about electrical installation and made me an offer but at a lower salary than my previous company because I was currently unemployed. When I said no, he said that he'd pay me at par with my last pay check if I could prove my capabilities to him in 6 months. I accepted. Six months later, he increased it even beyond what I was making before and assigned me an additional four projects to manage.

My decision to switch over to Maharashtra Antibiotics happened by happy accident. One of the projects I was looking after at ICB was MAPL. I was travelling a lot, handling 4 projects in different locations. My father had Parkinson's, and I was seriously considering switching jobs, so I didn't have to travel as much. MAPL had just installed a boiler and integrated vial filling line from Bosch. However, the erection team weren't able to start it because of an electrical snag. They suggested their troubleshooting team take over, which would lose MAPL time and cost a considerable sum. Mr Rao, the MD of MAPL, asked if I could help. I agreed with some conditions. It worked - I fixed the snag. The Bosch team were so happy they gave me their tool kit, which I have even today. I guess my capability impressed Mr Rao, and he offered me a job on the spot. It felt like a godsend even though government salaries are lower. I could be there for my ailing father.

My assignment in Ranbaxy. I learn a great deal about project planning and execution. I was picked from all the heads of engineering at 4 locations to train in Germany on the new Bosch and ROTA equipment being installed. When these machines arrived at our Dewas plant, we installed and commissioned the complete ampoule filling line, inspection machines and capsule filling machine ourselves. I was thrilled when Dr Paraminder Singh complimented me and introduced me to his father-in-law, Radhaswami Ji.

My association with Biological E, where I worked for over 12 years. I was involved in upgrading a 5-decade old facility to make it compliant with WHO regulatory requirements. Then I headed one of the largest greenfield projects for vaccine manufacturing - a state-of-the-art facility for which we received WHO approvals speedily.

AK: What do you like to do when you are not working?

AG: I lost the creative spark in me somewhere along the way. Work was always my first priority, followed by my family and last me. I realise now that I should have put my family first.

When I turned 60, I retired from Biological E to pursue passions I lost to work. Go hiking, practice photography, painting, writing. Take in classical music concerts and watch Marathi plays. I'm happy.

Sometimes I wish I earned money even after retirement, allowing me to comfortably meet family expenses and pursue my hobbies to the fullest. But I have no regrets.

AK: What is the best piece of advice you have ever received that you wish to share?

AG: I remember the three very distinctly.

The first was from Mr B. K. Bhargava, my boss at ICB, while I was managing the Alkyl Amine project at Patalganga. It was during the monsoons, and the site was flooded with knee-deep water. All work had stopped. When Mr Bhargava visited the site, he asked me there was no work going on. When I said because of the rain, he said, "NO EXCUSES! These are all excuses. Find a way". On his next visit, there were lights all around the site, even during the rain. I had found a solution, and that was the last time I gave an excuse.

Dr Parvinder Singh, CMD of Ranbaxy, asked me in a meeting to solve the problem of skewed labelling. When he asked for a progress report, I produced bottles and vials from our competitors as samples. He brushed them aside, saying, "We want to be the best. NO COMPROMISE. Do whatever it takes."

Dr Datla of Biological E once told me, "You should do your HOMEWORK and DETAILING if you want to reduce errors and the necessity to rework.

These valuable pieces of advice have stayed with me all through my career and personal life.

AK: How do you define success?

AG: Success to me is achieving any intended purpose to which you direct your efforts.

AK: What's the mantra you would like to offer to the youth and your peers?

AG: Give your 100% to whatever you take on after evaluating every angle and mitigating all risks. You may still fail, but you won't have regrets.

Never deviate from your core values. Mine are honesty, integrity, loyalty and hard work. Choose yours and stick to them.