Life stories of Indian and South East Asian business leaders

Peter Church
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I have written two life story books on Indian business leaders and one on South East Asian business leaders.  The first is Added Value - the life stories of leading South East Asian business people published in 1999 by Murmeli , the second is Added Value - the life stories of Indian business leaders published in 2010 by Roli Books (https://rolibooks.com/) and the third is Profiles in Enterprise - inspiring stories of Indian business leaders published in 2015 also by Roli Books.  Many people these days like to listen to audio books, podcasts and interviews rather than, or in addition to, reading books, magazines or newspapers.  There were so many inspiring and extraordinary stories told to me by the subjects of my books that I thought podcast fans might like to hear the best of them in this podcast - https://lifestoriesofindianandsoutheastasianbusinessleaders.buzzsprout.com.

  1. NOV 26

    B M Khaitan, 1927-2019, former Chairman of Williamson Magor.

    The first thing that I felt on setting foot in 4 Mangoe Lane in Calcutta in 2012 where Williamson Magor has its premises is the enormous respect in which its Chairman, Mr. Brij Mohan Khaitan, was held.  You could feel this respect from the security guards at the gate all the way through to the receptionist, lift operator and his secretary and on into Mr. Khaitan’s office where we met.  Immediately on meeting Mr Khaitan I was struck by the peace that seems to emanate from him.  I guess I should not have been surprised as it is not uncommon to find this peace in elderly people who have accepted their lot in life, whether it has been full of success, failure or a mixed bag.  And, boy oh boy, what a wonderfully interesting and satisfying life I learnt he has led. Williamson Magor (www.wmtea.com) is one of the world’s largest tea producers with plantations and operations in India (Assam and West Bengal) as well as Vietnam and Uganda.  I should also add this is my third podcast episode where I have used Speechify (https://speechify.com/) to turn my written word into speech using AI with an Australian voice.  Apologies for any imperfections but certainly my experience so far is that AI can read far better than me. Please note that these interviews took place some time ago - over 25 years ago in the case of the South East Asian life story book and around 10 to 15 years ago in the case of the two Indian life story books. However, their stories are correct to the time of the interviews and the objective is to demonstrate the entrepreneurial skills they exhibited at the time of the interviews in building their businesses.

    25 min

  2. NOV 20

    Arunachalam Vellayan, 1953-2025, former Chairman Murugappa Group, India, https://www.murugappa.com

    I received sad news this week that Arunachalam Vellayan, the former Chairman of Murugappa and a 4th generation member of the storied  business family and a great grandson of the founder Dewan Bahadur Murugappa Chettiar passed away in Chennai on Monday 17 November at the age of 72 after a long illness. This is my interview with Arunachalam Vellayan in 2012 when he was Chairman of Murugappa and he gave me a fascinating glimpse into the family history and the strategy the family has pursued.  The group is one of India’s leading conglomerates and is a market leader in a number of sectors, including abrasives, auto components, cycles, sugar, farm inputs, fertilizers, plantations, bio-products and nutraceuticals.  The interview is covered in a chapter of my 2015 book - Profiles in Enterprise Inspiring stories of Indian business leaders published by Roli Books. Like the interview just published on my interview with Anand Burman it is interesting to see how the Murugappa family has handled the role of women in the family and overall it is seems clear why the strategies of these two families have succeeded in modern India.  What is unusual about the Murugappa group is its success internationally and particularly in South Africa. I should also add this is my second podcast episode where I have used Speechify (https://speechify.com/) to turn my written word into speech using AI with an Australian voice.  Apologies for any imperfections but certainly my experience so far is that AI can read far better than me. Please note that these interviews took place some time ago - over 25 years ago in the case of the South East Asian life story book and around 10 to 15 years ago in the case of the two Indian life story books. However, their stories are correct to the time of the interviews and the objective is to demonstrate the entrepreneurial skills they exhibited at the time of the interviews in building their businesses.

    32 min

  3. NOV 20

    Dr Anand Burman born 1950, Chairman Dabur Limited, India - https://www.dabur.com/

    This is my interview with Anand Burman in 2012 and which is a chapter in my 2015 book - Profiles in Enterprise Inspiring stories of Indian business leaders published by Roli Books. There will certainly have been changes in Burman Limited and the Burman family since the date of my meeting with Anand Burman but, in my opinion, the history of the Burman family is fascinating as is the way the family has successfully managed to make the transition from a small family business into the giant it is today.   And, as I mention in the book, from the hundreds of business leaders I have interviewed on their lives, Anand is the only one who explained the history visually by starting with a blank sheet of paper onto which he created a family tree. I should also add this is my first podcast episode where I have used Speechify (https://speechify.com/) to turn my written word into speech using AI with an Australian voice.  My next challenge is to clone my own voice into the system so it sounds more like me.  Please note that these interviews took place some time ago - over 25 years ago in the case of the South East Asian life story book and around 10 to 15 years ago in the case of the two Indian life story books. However, their stories are correct to the time of the interviews and the objective is to demonstrate the entrepreneurial skills they exhibited at the time of the interviews in building their businesses.

    24 min

  4. NOV 18

    Dr Anji Reddy, 1941-2013, founder of Dr Reddy's Laboratories, India - https://www.drreddys.com/

    As will become clear as you listen to this chapter, not only did Dr Reddy have a brilliant scientific mind but he was able to pick and develop drugs which were "winners".  The world was indeed fortunate that his cousin persuaded him to study chemistry rather than history!  The company he founded is now the 10th largest pharma company in India and in the top 50 world-wide - https://www.drreddys.com/. This episode is my reading of the chapter on his life in my book Added Value (Roli Books, 2010) Please note that these interviews took place some time ago - over 25 years ago in the case of the South East Asian life story book and around 10 to 15 years ago in the case of the two Indian life story books. However, their stories are correct to the time of the interviews and the objective is to demonstrate the entrepreneurial skills they exhibited at the time of the interviews in building their businesses.

    22 min

  5. NOV 18

    Dr. Chaijudh Karnasuta (1921-2004), founder of Italian-Thai Development Public Company, Thailand, https://www.itd.co.th/

    Dr Chaijudh's life is an illustration of how traditional Asian values, including respect for one's parents, can often lead to children following a career path chosen by one's parents, rather than what the child wants to do.  Dr Chaiyudh wanted to be inolved in agriculture as a career but instead became a medical doctor following his father's preference.  However, once his father had passed away, he chose business over medicine and, through a combination of luck in meeting Dr. Giorgio Berlingieri, an Italian and an instinct of the opportunities offered by the construction sector, the two them founded Italian-Thai Development Public Company which became a giant in the Thai construction sector.  But, what is also fascinating for me, is that having resigned from day to day running of the construction business, he was able to return to his first love of agriculture.  This interview appears as a chapter in my 1999 book, Added Value - The Life Stories of Leading South East Asian Business People. Please note that these interviews took place some time ago - over 25 years ago in the case of the South East Asian life story book and around 10 to 15 years ago in the case of the two Indian life story books. However, their stories are correct to the time of the interviews and the objective is to demonstrate the entrepreneurial skills they exhibited at the time of the interviews in building their businesses.

    20 min

  6. NOV 18

    Deepak Parekh, born 1944, former Chairman of Housing Development Finance Corporation, India, https://www.hdfc.com/

    Deepak Parekh, is both charismatic and modest at the same time. His life story is an encouraging example for young people everywhere who aspire to a successful corporate career in demonstrating that one does not have to rank first in class to achieve that corporate success.  Whilst Deepak became a chartered accountant providing him with a core skill and experience, his corporate success came from his people skills, integrity, common sense and a deep instinctive understanding of the banking sector given his father, grandfather and uncle were all bankers. This episode is my reading of the chapter on her life in my book Added Value (Roli Books, 2010)  https://www.hdfc.com/ Please note that these interviews took place some time ago - over 25 years ago in the case of the South East Asian life story book and around 10 to 15 years ago in the case of the two Indian life story books. However, their stories are correct to the time of the interviews and the objective is to demonstrate the entrepreneurial skills they exhibited at the time of the interviews in building their businesses.

    20 min
  7. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, born 23 March 1953, founder and chair of Biocon Limited, https://www.biocon.com

    NOV 18

    Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, born 23 March 1953, founder and chair of Biocon Limited, https://www.biocon.com

    Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (born 23 March 1953) is the founder and chair of India's Biocon Limited ( https://www.biocon.com). Biocon is a global biopharmaceutical company changing patients’ lives in over 120 countries by finding new and affordable ways to treat diabetes, cancer and autoimmune diseases. Her life story is an inspiring one of not just persevering, but succeeding, as a woman in what was then very much a man's world in Australia and India. This episode is my reading of the chapter on her life in my book Added Value (Roli Books, 2010). As you will hear, there were two unexpected interruptions by the same young man to my interview with Kiran and which only go to show the enormous respect in which she is held throughout India.  Please note that these interviews took place some time ago - over 25 years ago in the case of the South East Asian life story book and around 10 to 15 years ago in the case of the two Indian life story books. However, their stories are correct to the time of the interviews and the objective is to demonstrate the entrepreneurial skills they exhibited at the time of the interviews in building their businesses.

    22 min
  8. GVK Reddy, born 22 March 1937, is a philanthropist and entrepreneur. He is the founder and chairman of GVK Group, a business conglomerate with a predominant focus on infrastructure development, https://www.gvk.com/

    NOV 18

    GVK Reddy, born 22 March 1937, is a philanthropist and entrepreneur. He is the founder and chairman of GVK Group, a business conglomerate with a predominant focus on infrastructure development, https://www.gvk.com/

    Gunupati Venkata Krishna Reddy (born 22 March 1937) is a philanthropist and entrepreneur. He is the founder and chairman of the GVK Group (https://www.gvk.com) a major Indian business conglomerate with a predominant focus on infrastructure development.  He also heads GVK EMRI, the corporate social responsibility initiatives of the GVK Group. As the President of the All India Senior Tennis Association and a tennis player himself, he has been a keen supporter of budding tennis talent. This episode is my reading of the chapter on his life in my book Added Value (Roli Books, 2010). What are particularly interesting for me are the stories of his mischievous and boisterous childhood and how all this changed as a result of what happened in one class in school. Please note that these interviews took place some time ago - over 25 years ago in the case of the South East Asian life story book and around 10 to 15 years ago in the case of the two Indian life story books. However, their stories are correct to the time of the interviews and the objective is to demonstrate the entrepreneurial skills they exhibited at the time of the interviews in building their businesses.

    23 min
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About

I have written two life story books on Indian business leaders and one on South East Asian business leaders.  The first is Added Value - the life stories of leading South East Asian business people published in 1999 by Murmeli , the second is Added Value - the life stories of Indian business leaders published in 2010 by Roli Books (https://rolibooks.com/) and the third is Profiles in Enterprise - inspiring stories of Indian business leaders published in 2015 also by Roli Books.  Many people these days like to listen to audio books, podcasts and interviews rather than, or in addition to, reading books, magazines or newspapers.  There were so many inspiring and extraordinary stories told to me by the subjects of my books that I thought podcast fans might like to hear the best of them in this podcast - https://lifestoriesofindianandsoutheastasianbusinessleaders.buzzsprout.com.

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