Ashis was a man of sharp intellect, yet what made him truly remarkable was his warmth, humility, and innate ability to put people at ease. He carried no arrogance despite his brilliance and no sharp edges despite his incisive mind. Whether in the intense world of academia or in the playful company of a child, […]
With Malice Towards None Read More »
In the quiet hum of the flight back to Ahmedabad from Delhi that September evening in 2010, a profound sense of accomplishment washed over me. I had successfully secured Dr. Manmohan Singh’s agreement to be the Chief Guest at IIMA’s Golden Jubilee Convocation, scheduled for March 26, 2011. The following day, I wrote to Dr.
Two Leaders, One Stage: A Tale of Vision and Leadership Read More »
My first encounter with Dr. Manmohan Singh occurred in the latter half of 1992 at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA). The meeting was arranged by Dr. Ashok Desai, who was then the Chief Consultant for the Finance Ministry. At the time, there was a palpable sense of uncertainty surrounding the future of the
A Gentleman Prime Minister Read More »
I met Deepak over lunch in Dubai in 2008 after a hiatus of over three decades. We had not kept in touch. After the initial hesitancy from the absence of contact for a long period, we went back to the easy conversations we would have had when we were students and new in our work
Deepak and I studied engineering together. Though staying in the hostel was compulsory for students, the new institute struggled to find adequate hostel rooms for all students as hostel buildings were still being constructed. Both of us were therefore (gladly) permitted by the authorities to be day scholars as our families lived in the same
It was 1975. After finishing my Master’s in engineering, I was working with a large engineering company in Bombay. I shared a 2-bedroom flat with 3 other college friends, one of whom worked in a chemical company and the other two were with an IT company. The flat was on the third floor of a
Feroze Rangoonwalla Read More »
