A Legacy of Excellence: In Memory of Mr Deep C Anand

I woke up this morning to the sad news of the passing away of Mr DC Anand, Chairman Emeritus of the Anand Group.

A life lived well, meaningfully, gracefully and grand. Mr Anand was man of substance and style. As the news made its rounds, we paused in our rushed lives and allowed ourselves to transcend back in time to relive the ‘once in a lifetime experiences’ we had at Anand. Many hearts warmly remembered him today and thanked him profusely.

“He is extremely quality conscious”, were the words of my boss as I joined the institution in 2001 as a young communication executive. We had ‘Anand Interaction’, a newsletter that would go to all the Group’s stakeholders including the Joint Venture partners across the globe with a compliment slip signed by Mr Anand.? The slip would carry the full name of the person and Mr Anand was extremely particular that the name be spelt correctly with the right salutation. Instead of using the computer where printing the compliment slip of the size he specifically wanted was difficult, a manual typewriter was used. Gradually, as time went by, I learnt more about this Bishop Cotton studied, detail-driven but elusive Mr Anand.

The Chairman's office was set apart from our seating area, with a glass fa?ade that offered sweeping views of meticulously manicured gardens, vibrant and lush in their greenery. Mr Anand loved landscaping and hence the office was a beautiful haven, hidden from public view in the bustling Hauz Khas area of New Delhi. The exterior walls cleverly veiled a breathtaking monument inside that would form the backdrop of all Anand events giving them a magical spin.

Visitors to the facility were captivated by the serene ambiance of the office, the pristine gardens, and the well-designed parking facilities. Glass predominantly made up the buildings allowing one to get a glimpse of the green now and then. The washrooms and the cafeteria were strategically built outside of the office block as Mr Anand believed that it gave everyone good reason to step out and explore nature.

In this delightful place functioned some of the finest leaders. Mr Anand’s core team was practically with him throughout his working tenure. I recall the likes of Mr K N Subramaniam, Mr Deepak Chopra and CEOs of all the joint venture companies who aligned with his vision as one. It was in Anand that ‘the Anand Way’ was a Board Room discussion. Every employee of Anand would subscribe to ‘the Anand Way’ which would dictate how business would be conducted.

I reported into the only woman VP among the men, a fact that Mr Anand would proudly highlight and applaud. He would urge his core team to hire more women, a task that fell on the able shoulders of his favourite ‘Kaka’, Maj General M S Sandhu and Mr K S Bhullar spearheading the people management then. All policies, development programmes favoured women, so much so that Fast Track Programmes were introduced for women with potential. Board meetings or annual speeches would invariably have Mr Anand talk about the need to have more women at the helm. I recall the words of a colleague, “He respected professionals. With him professional women could speak their mind and be safe in the knowledge that Mr Anand would never take umbrage.”

Anand Group that time boasted of 18 global JVs, collaborations that thrived year upon year. There couldn’t be a stronger PR story. Mr Anand’s life principles and charisma coupled with his business acumen, were greatly respected by all JV partners. Henkel - Germany, Haldex – Sweden, Mando – Korea, MAHLE - Germany, Dana - USA, Valeo – France, are some of the long-standing JVs.

The Group, under Mr Anand’s leadership, adopted the best practices in every sphere. Whether it was TPM or Six Sigma, Anand’s own Parwanoo-based university, Anand ‘U’, set the foundation for investment in Learning and Development!

Long after I had moved out of Anand, it dawned upon me how little companies do for their people. Mr Anand did and did it from his heart. I remember when Anjali Anand, Mr Anand’s daughter who later took the reins of the business in her hands, suggested a uniform for the corporate office, the best was sought. Both men and women received many sets of uniforms. The warm Ludhiana sweater is still with me, a prized possession and one we cherished. And who can forget Diwali. All employees would get huge cartons of apples sourced from Mr Anand’s Mashobra farm. It was the healthiest Diwali gift, and we loved it. One can imagine what a logistical nightmare it must have been to source them for so many employees, but the exercise was undertaken seamlessly and gracefully.

I was never one for travelling but I soon learnt as a woman that the Group had your back. Safety was a given and that was delightful. In my visit to the Perfect Circle factory at Nashik, I stayed at the company’s guesthouse which was so reflective of Mr Anand’s love for landscaping and greenery. And that’s how every Anand facility was.

Mr Anand built a world-class institution but more importantly he built an environment then where women were indulged and encouraged. Organizations cannot be chivalrous, but Mr Anand made Anand one. The leadership was solely invested in building the Group and its people, which is even more commendable today when other organizations are driven by toxic self-proclaimed leaders destroying people and cultures.

I still remember the Group’s love for polo thanks to Mr Anand. As a young girl just finding my bearings, I remember looking out at him through the glass as he walked past office corridors; a leisurely pace of one who thoughtfully and meaningfully built an empire. This is not the end of an era as Anjali, true to his dreams, is carrying his legacy forward.