SERVE MOTHER INDIA – A LESSON FOR NRIs

KARMA YOGI SHRI KVK RAJU – PART 4

After completing his Engineering in the Madras Institute of Technology, Shri KVK felt that unless a person acquired knowledge of the latest technology and practical experience in an area of specialisation he would not be able to deliver the goods in the best manner. He wanted to study in the United States which had great reputation for modern scientific knowledge and latest technology. He pursued higher studies in the Michigan State University and Minnesota University in the United States of America in the subjects of Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Engineering. Shri KVK took up a part time job in Olds Mobile factory in Lansing, Capital city of Michigan to finance his living expenses while studying.

Even at that time Shri KVK entertained ideas and plans of starting an industry to generate wealth and employment and be of some service to his countrymen. Shri KVK’s work experience both within the university and in industry while in America gave him valuable insight into industrial production practices and their work culture.

In spite of his agricultural background Shri KVK was determined to acquire technical expertise and experience so that he could serve his country by starting an industry. His slender means did not prevent him from entertaining the ambition of becoming an industrial entrepreneur. However he did not like to ape the western ways and fashions but to attempt something that would suit the Indian ethos and the essential requirements of his country. Given an opportunity he wanted to start an industry which would cater to the needs of the farmers, and modernize agriculture in his homeland.

What all INDIAN should note is that Shri KVK cherished a desire to return to his own country after finishing his studies abroad and serve the people by acquiring modern knowledge in the USA. In this respect he was unlike most of the US educated young men and young women of India who hanker after lucrative jobs in foreign countries and refuse to return to their motherland on some pretext or another. Even as a student in America Shri KVK used to advise his Indian friends to service their motherland after finishing their studies.

While most of his friends remained in US and Canada as NRIs or long time residents, Shri KVK chose to come back to India, prepared to face the umpteen problem and uncertainties of our country only to build South India’s largest conglomerate into Agri, Oil and Energy sector.

His is the only conglomerate in the private sector that is into all the sectors essential for sustained growth, self sufficiency and development of our country.

One should feel proud that not only Shri KVK Raju but also his generations have inherited the value to return to the motherland to serve the nation after their higher education abroad.

“Serving Society Through Industry” and “Serve Motherland” are the Mission fulfilled by Shri KVK which is a great value to be imbibed by all NRIs.

Source Prof IV Chalapathi Rao

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FRIENDS IN NEED

My whole office was bustling with activities. The Group Chairman is visiting our new Project Site. Everyone is full of activity preparing for the Chairman’s visit. Every second was precious and everyone wanted that to be put to the best use. None has a second to do anything other than preparing for Chairman’s visit.

It was late in the evening, many of my colleagues were still busy with their scheduled tasks, I had to leave the office to meet a few officials. I along with two of my colleagues Mr.Muruganantham and Mr.Vishwanath were about to board the car waiting for us.

The road was dark with no street lights. Ours being an approach road to beach is always a busy road with a lot of vehicular movement. Though the road is reasonably broad, one third of that is occupied by the open drainage on either side.

With limited options, the driver had parked the car in the left end of the road with just enough space for a kid from Somalia to enter the car.

The late evening was so dark that the meter deep open drainage would have clearly visible to an owl but definitely not to me. Without knowing the danger, I tried to step into the car only to plummet into the open drainage. Before I hit the bottom of the drainage I could hear the panic voice of my colleagues yelling for help.

I tried to get up in the drainage but the sludge did not allow me to get up. Immediately Mr.Muruganantham bent down to lend a helping hand and lifted me out of the malodorous drainage full of slush and mire. Within a minute I was out of the drainage carrying all sorts of filth with me and every part of my body insulated by the sludge.

When I was out of the drainage I could see the whole office in front of me. Mr.Vishwanath and Mr.Muruganantham took me to the office handholding me never minding the finished products and by products I was carrying from the drainage. The whole office came rushing to help me out. After enquiring of any external or internal injuries, one of my colleagues helped me remove my shoes and socks, another colleague gently removed all the contents in my portfolio bag filled with drainage water and other wastes generated by flora and fauna. Yet another colleague took care of my belongings- my purse, my cellphones, my wrist watch etc. In the meantime, the drive came running to me and apologised profusely for a mistake not of his.

I was gently taken to the wash room by two other colleagues. My bath for the next half an hour with Soap, dettol, shampoo could only remove partially the sludge in my body but by then the whole bathroom turned black and my dress unusable. My colleague Mr.Pratap rushed home and brought a T Shirt and a Lungi to wear. For the next one hour Mr.Jeyakanthan, Mr.Rajaram and other colleagues did everything to ensure that all important belongings in the bag and my personal belongings are properly cleaned notwithstanding the bad odour. My colleagues Mr.Vishwanath and Mr.Muruganantham took me to a hospital and gave me first aid and dropped me in my house to a great relief of my wife and children.

Friends in need are friends indeed. I joined this office just a fortnight back. The whole office spent more than two hours on me with less than 12 hours left for Chairman’s visit speaking volumes about our work culture. I thank my colleagues for the help and my stars for making me a member of this well knit family.

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AIM HIGH, THINK BIG & DO GOOD

Karma Yogi Shri KVK Raju – Part 3

Even from childhood days Shri KVK manifested spiritual learning. Perhaps it was part of heredity. He had an ardent desire to pursue spiritual values and apply them to industry.

He came in contact with Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University of Mount Abu. He was so impressed with their meditation – Raja Yoga – and other practices that he established a Centre on the Nagarjuna Hills which has become a centre of meditation.

It was Shri KVK’s dream that India should someday offer to the rest of the world management development programmes based on spirituality.

As Shri KVK firmly believed in our cultural heritage, he performed “Surya Namaskars”, one of the best of the yogic exercises of Indian origin. He also practised meditation. He chose to be a vegetarian, teetotaller and a non-smoker, and successfully persuaded many of his friends and workers to give up smoking and drinking. Shri KVK used to work till clock struck the midnight hour and start his day at 3 AM with meditation.

Whenever his colleagues went to see his, irrespective of the level, he used to get up from his seat, give them a warm hand-shake with both hands and go up to the door to see them off when they rose to leave. One could not but notice this virtue in posterity.

Once I had an opportunity to meet Group Chairman, Shri KS Raju in his office. Shri KS Raju was suffering from severe back pain and had just come to office after resting for a few days. When I entered his office, he stood up to greet me resisting the pain and agony with a smiling face. He shook hands with me and slowly sat down. Though I could notice the pain, he had a smiling face and a pleasant dialogue with me. Once our discussions were over, he once again stood up with a lot of pain to see me off. So strong was the value he imbibed from Shri KVK.

That is not all. I was a member of the Career development committee which was chaired by Shri Rahul Raju, Joint Managing Director. During one of the meetings, I was having a severe cold and cough. The conference hall was cold that aggravated my cough. Seeing me uneasy, Shri Rahul requested for switching off the A/c. After sometime it became stuffy nevertheless Shri Rahul continued the meeting for the next three hours without A/c. He suffered for three hours just to make his associate comfortable.

Whatever a great man does, it is followed by others. People go by the example set by him.

Above all KVK implicitly believed in the ideal of universal peace and religious harmony. He belonged to the true religion of humanism which cuts across all religious and sectarian differences. He felt that in the political and social context it is more important to celebrate “Knit India”.

Shri KVK’s life conveys a message to all, especially to the youth “have faith in your future and confidence in your activities. Aim High, think big- do good.

Source - Prof IV Chalapati Rao

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LOVE BEGETS LOVE

KARMA YOGI SHRI KVK RAJU – PART 2

Many of us would be fascinated to know how Shri KVK Raju a first generation entrepreneur managed to win the hearts of his employees to become a Demi god to them.

His mantra was simple :-
• Love begets love
• Trust attracts trust

He never exuded his power but made his demands sound more like gentle requests making his requirements abundantly clear.

Whatever he said and to whomsoever he said, he always said it with a bouquet of flowers. He knew that personal relations are as important as official relations. He was looked upon as a father figure by constantly looking after the employees’ welfare.

I am not aggrandizing by saying that Shri KVK’s personal services included admission of the workers’ children in schools, marriage of their sons and daughters and hospital care whenever they need it.

Shri KVK’s leadership style was democratic and participative. He functioned as a team member rather than an autocratic boss. He firmly believed that work is a way of life rather than a mere means of livelihood. The employees were encouraged to become share holders at a concession of easy instalments for deeper involvement of the employees.

Human relations were Shri KVK’s sphere. He possessed the common sense to understand the people sense. With accessibility and allure of good demeanour, Shri KVK was a stickler for order and discipline. When the neighbours were plagued with the usual menace of absenteeism, worker unrest, low productivity, strikes etc, he was able to maintain a high standard of discipline, which was not super-imposed from outside but voluntarily observed from within. He was aware that there was a greater compulsion in the leader’s personal example than in ruthless enforcement of a heavy handed discipline system. He demonstrated that it was possible to be loving and democratic and yet maintain authority and control.

Another diamond in his crown was his belief in the trusteeship concept of management, wealth should be held in trust, possession of wealth and ownership of property should be used for the good of the community. Shri KVK tried to adopt this idea and apply it to industry so that the difference between capital and labour shall be eliminated. He saw a great amount of success in his effort. He lead a simple life. Though he provided houses to his workmen, he did not have a house of his own and never lived in his own house.

Behind Shri KVK’s accomplishment lay a concoction of optimism, endurance, serenity, tenacity and fortitude. When the dense shadows darkened around him, morning shone in his hearts. The reason is that be believed that problems and crises can be converted into opportunities and so he did.

When a person’s mind vibrates at a high rate with impetus the resultant fervour, passion, zeal, zest and gusto is swelled to reach the minds of people within its radius and beyond, especially to those who are close to that person. Shri KVK’s motivation and buoyancy permeated every corner of the Organization and is felt even today.

Lessons for young technocrats from the life of Shri KVK Raju :-
• Love begets love
• Trust invites trust
• Personal relations are as important as business relations
• Work is a way of life and not a mere means of livelihood
• It is possible to be loving and democratic and yet maintain authority and control
• Serve the society you belong to
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KARMA YOGI – SHRI KVK RAJU - A CATALYST OF CHANGE

This is the first of the series of articles as narrated by Prof IV Chalapati Rao, about the life of Shri KVK Raju the founder of NAGARJUNA GROUP, South India’s Largest Conglomerate.

Kanumuri Venkata Krishnam Raju delectably known to his friends and the professional admirers as KVK, was a first generation technocrat and a entrepreneur. He scaled great heights by dint of his hard work, persistence, fortitude and vision from a very humble beginning to attain a paramount position as an industrialist. He broke new ground and blazed new trails to become a torch bearer and a beacon to many others to become entrepreneurs.

Hailing from a small hamlet and born in a traditionally agricultural family, Shri KVK rose to eminence to become one of the few self-luminous, self-propelled figures who lit up the industrial scene. By sheer force of his character and unremitting labour he established NAGARJUNA GROUP bringing his own State Andhra Pradesh into the spot light in the industrial world. He was a common man who achieved uncommon things.

Shri KVK faced hard times and led a life of utter simplicity and intense activity. Inspired by him no less than 42 entrepreneurs most of whom were under his tutelage came into industry.

Shri KVK’s had laudable objectives of generating employment, achieving material progress and upholding ethical standards in a co-ordinated manner each complementing and completing the other, and providing enduring value to all his business constituents, customers, employees, shareholders and the public. His ambition was to create wealth through industry and use it for the good of the nation.

Few industrialists make it to history during their own life time. What appeared as a miracle or mirage to lesser mortals seemed within reach to Shri KVK who was an incurable optimist. Many of his friends wondered that only a maverick would aspire to achieve exgtraordinary results with such slender means at his disposal. Moreover he started his industry rather late in his career when most of his contemporaries gave up because of the fact that the country was sailing in low financial waters, what with its huge international debt and the depleted state of foreign exchange. Besides, an entrepreneur had to face the problems of bureaucracy and red tape. Adding to this, his own people including elderly relatives were not in favour of his forsaking a comfortable and lucrative career in Union Carbide in search of “fresh fields and pastures new”.

Despite all these discouraging circumstances and every other adverse factor, he persisted in the passionate pursuit of his goal. Naturally this appeared to others as a Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) or a wild cat venture. His conviction, indomitable courage and infinite patience saw his through all the obstacles and carried him through. The man who invested his provident fund as a capital astonishingly achieved success as one of the leading industrialists of the country.

No doubt Shi.KVK is an ordinary man with an extraordinary commitment.

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ADAPTION TO CORPORATE CULTURE

Have you ever noticed how we react to foreign visitors? We always welcome the foreigner who is alien to us. But we accept them only when we find that the foreigner adapts to our norms, our environment and our culture. If the foreigner is not adapting to the norms of the local environment we reject the alien.

This is true in case of Business also. A new executive or a consultant should first try to understand the culture of the Organization and adapt to the corporate culture and take the acceptance of the people. Sans this understanding, the chances for success of the new executive are trifle. Moreover the members of the culture would definitely reject the alien and will work against them.

Is there any thing wrong with the members of the culture rejecting the alien? NO.

The reason is that the employees, the employers, the stakeholders prefer the conformity in their culture. What is conformity? It is the environment where people would and could easily predict the actions and behavior of others and where a harmony prevails. This harmony arising out of the stable environment promotes self confidence and brings the best out of them. Moreover it brings stability and order to the Organization.

So if the new executive wants to change the culture, he should first of all understand the culture and get the acceptance of the members of the culture. How can you bring change when you are not accepted? Many of us have ideas but how effectively we implement the ideas is very important.

The executive should first of all understand that the culture evolves over a period of time and he should not aim at changing it overnight. There is a well know saying “the older the heritage, the more ingrained the culture is in its members.”

The new executive should bear in mind that changing the culture is just not meeting the deadline. Changing the culture involves people. Understanding the culture and bringing the desired changes in the culture is a management art.

Trying to bring changes without understanding the fabric of the culture has brought the demise of several executives. Trying to blame the culture without understanding that people do commit mistakes and people do have different perspectives itself would ruin the executive.

So every executive should be careful about the following: -
• Culture evolves over a period of time and trying to change it without understanding it is a blunder.

• Once you understand the culture, gain the acceptance of the people in the culture

• Understand the good things in the culture and appreciate it abundantly.

• If you find something needs to be changed in the culture, prepare a plan in discussion with the management and important stakeholder.

• Don’t set a deadline for changing the culture and try to meet the deadline. It would be disastrous or may not yield the desired results.

• Communicate more frequently emphasizing the need and importance of the change initiation.

• Gain the acceptance of the members of the culture for the change management and provide them with enough opportunities to internalize the desired changes.

• Monitor and evaluate the changes. Reward the change managers

• Celebrate the changes and involve the people in the festivity
• If you are determined to change the culture, you should be more determined to be patient.

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