Entrepreneurship 1st Assignment

From

Shiva kumar .C

1HK11MBA38

HKBKCE

Bangalore

Biography of five entrepreneurs

To

Prof. Shahajahan

MBA Department

HKBKCE

Entrepreneurship 1 st Assignment

1

Biography of N.R. Narayana Murthy (infosys)

NagavaraRamaraoNarayana Murthy, also known as N.R. Narayana Murthy, is a widely

known Indian industrialist, software engineer and one of the seven founders of Infosys

Technologies, a global consulting and IT services company based in India.

Narayana Murthy was born into a Kannada Madhva Brahmin family in Mysore on August

20, 1946. N.R. Narayana Murthy graduated with a degree in electrical engineering from the

National Institute of Engineering, University of Mysore in 1967 from the government school,

and received his master’s degree from IIT Kanpur in 1969.

His first position was at IIM Ahmedabad as chief systems programmer where N.R. Narayana

Murthy worked on a time – sharing system and designed and implemented a BASIC

interpreter for ECIL (Electronics Corporation of India Limited).

After IIM Ahmedabad, Narayana Murthy joined Patni Computer Systems in Pune. Before

moving to Mumbai, Murthy met his wife Sudha Murthy in Pune who during that time was an

engineer working at Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co. Ltd. in Pune.

In 1981, Narayana Murthy founded Infosys with six other software professionals. N.R.

Narayana Murthy served as president of the National Association of Software and Service

Companies, India from 1992 to 1994.

Narayana Murthy is the brother – in – law of serial entrepreneur Gururaj “Desh” Deshpande

and the uncle of former NASSCOM Chairman and MphasiS chief Jerry Rao.

Narayana Murthy served the chair as the founder CEO of Infosys for 21 Years, and was

succeeded by co – founder NandanNilekani in March 2002. N.R. Narayana Murthy is the

chairman of the governing body of the International Institute of Information Technology –

Bangalore, and has been the Chairman of the Governing Body of the Indian Institute of

Management, Ahmedabad.

In addition, N.R. Narayana Murthy is associated with a host of Indian companies like the

Board of Directors of INSEAD, Board of Overseers of the University of Pennsylvania’s

Wharton School, Cornell University Board of Trustees, Business Advisory Council of Great

Lakes Institute of Management Chennai, SingaporeManagement University Board of

Trustees and the Board of Advisors for the William F.

AchtmeyerCenter for Global Leadership at the Tuck School of Business.Narayana Murthy

also sits on the Board of Governors of the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), a graduate

school of business that is located in the Philippines and is also the Chairman of the Board of

Members of School of Management, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) located in

Bangkok, Thailand.

This renowned Indian entrepreneur is also the chairman of the Asia Business Council, an

organization headquartered in Hong Kong.

Narayana Murthy is an eminent member of the Advisory Boards and Councils of various well

– known universities like the Corporate Governance initiative at the Harvard Business

School, the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Yale University and the University of

Tokyo’s President’s Council.

Narayana Murthy serves as an independent director on the board of the DBS Bank of

Singapore – the largest government – owned bank in Singapore. Being a director on the

Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India, N.R. Narayana Murthy is the co – chairman of

the Indo – British Partnership, as a member of the Prime Minister’s council on trade and

industry, as a member of the Asia Advisory Board of British Telecommunications plc and as

a member of the Board of NDTV, India.

Narayana Murthy is also an independent director on the board of the European FMCG

giantUnilever. N.R. Narayana Murthy is an IT advisor to several Asian countries; also an

Independent Director on the board of HSBC.

Narayana Murthy has been the recipient of numerous awards and honours. In 1999, Business

Week named Narayana Murthy one of the nine entrepreneurs of the year and N.R. Narayana

Murthy was also featured in the Business Week’s ‘The Stars of Asia’ (for three successive

years – 1998, 1999 and 2000).

In 1998, the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, one of the foremost institutes of higher

learning in India, awarded him the Distinguished Alumnus Award, and in 1996 – 97, N.R.

Narayana Murthy was awarded the JRD Tata Corporate Leadership Award.

In 2000, N.R. Narayana Murthy was awarded the Padma Shri, a civilian award by the

Government of India. Narayana Murthy was the first recipient of the Indo – French Forum

Medal (in the year 2003), awarded by the Indo – French Forum, in recognition of his role in

promoting Indo – French ties.

N.R. Narayana Murthy was voted the World Entrepreneur of the Year – 2003 by Ernst and

Young. In 2001, Narayana Murthy was declared by TIME / CNN as one of the twenty – five,

most influential global executives, a group selected for their lasting influence in creating new

industries and reshaping markets.

N.R. Narayana Murthy was awarded the Max Schmidheiny Liberty 2001 prize (Switzerland),

in recognition of his promotion of individual responsibility and liberty. Narayana Murthy was

one of the two people honoured as Asia’s Businessmen of the Year for 2003 by Fortune

magazine.

TIME magazine’s “Global Tech Influentials” list (August 2004) named him as one of the ten

leaders who are helping shape the future of technology. Narayana Murthy is also honoured as

the first recipient of the Indo – French Forum Medal (2003) that was awarded by the Indo –

French Forum in recognition of his role in promoting Indo – French ties.

In the following years, Narayana Murthy was showered with many more awards and

honorary titles. In December 2005, Narayana Murthy was voted as the 7th most admired

CEO / Chairman in the world in a global study conducted by Burson – Marsteller with the

Economist Intelligence Unit.

The Economist ranked him 8th among the top 15 most admired global leaders (2005).

Narayana Murthy was ranked 28th among the world’s most – respected business leaders by

the Financial Times (2005).

N.R. Narayana Murthy was recently awarded the Commander of the British Order (CBE) by

the British government.

Narayana Murthy is currently the non – executive Chairman and Chief Mentor of Infosys.

After stepping down as CEO of Infosys in 2002, N.R. Narayana Murthy has broadened his

scope of activities to social services as well as promoting India in the global market.

His corporate and social vision has been appreciated globally and N.R. Narayana Murthy is

the recipient of several awards including Padma Vibushan (in 2008) – India’s second highest

civilian award.

Achievement: One of the founders of Infosys Technologies Limited; Chosen as the World

Entrepreneur of the Year - 2003 by Ernst and Young

Narayana Murthy is the Non-Executive Chairman and Chief Mentor of Infosys Technologies

Limited. He is a living legend and an epitome of the fact that honesty, transparency, and

moral integrity are not at variance with business acumen. He set new standards in corporate

governance and morality when he stepped down as the Executive Chairman of Infosys at the

age of 60. 

A final word: When, one day, you have made your mark on the world, remember that, in the

ultimate analysis, we are all mere temporary custodians of the wealth we generate, whether it

be financial, intellectual, or emotional. The best use of all your wealth is to share it with

those less fortunate.

I believe that we have all at some time eaten the fruit from trees that we did not plant. In the

fullness of time, when it is our turn to give, it behoves us in turn to plant gardens that we may

never eat the fruit of, which will largely benefit generations to come. I believe this is our

sacred responsibility, one that I hope you will shoulder in time.

Thank you for your patience. Go forth and embrace your future with open arms, and pursue

enthusiastically your own life journey of discovery!

I learnt from N.R. Narayanamurhty’s biography

“It is very difficult for any corporate to achieve so much having followed such wonderful

value system. ... His or Her personal experiences which have taught him good lessons for

life.”

2

Biography of Vijay mallya

Vijay Mallya is the Chairman of the United Beverages (UB) Group. He launched a new

domestic airline called Kingfisher Airline which is making great waves. Vijay Mallya is

famous for his flamboyant and flashy lifestyle.

Vijay Mallya is the son of a famous industrialist VittalMallya. He assumed the Chairman of

the UB Group in 1983 and took the company to great heights. Under his dynamic leadership

the group has grown into a multi-national conglomerate of over sixty companies. During this

process United Beverages acquired several companies abroad. The UB Group has diversified

business interests ranging from alcoholic beverages to life sciences, engineering, agriculture,

chemicals, information technology and leisure.

In 2005, Vijay Mallya established Kingfisher Airlines. In a short span of time Kingfisher

Airline has carved a niche for itself. It was the first airline in India to operate with all new

aircrafts. Kingfisher Airlines is also the first Indian airline to order the Airbus A380.

Vijay Mallya has other interests too apart from business. He has won trophies in professional

car racing circuits and is a keen yachtsman and aviator. Vijay Mallya has also won numerous

trophies in horse racing including several prestigious Derbies. 

In 2000, Vijay Mallya entered politics superseded SubramaniamSwamy as the president of

Janata Party. Presently, he is a RajyaSabha M.P.

I learnt from Vijay Mallya’s biography

“Make a solid brand that is your company's backbone”

Mally felt that in any business brand is more important it seems so I understood this by

mally’s biography.

3

Biography of MukeshAmbani

Since time immemorial, we have witnessed the fact that sons inherit the legacy of their

fathers. MukeshAmbani's story has a similar start. It is a well-known fact that some people

squander the fortune given to them while some others build it into a formidable business

empire. He belongs to the letter genre and indeed, has come a long way till now. His journey

has not witnessed a break since then. He how heads Reliance Industries, India's largest

private sector company.

Born on April 19, 1957 in Yemen, Mukesh was a bright child. Having grown under the

tutelage of his astute businessman father, DhirubhaiAmbani, Mukesh learnt the tricks of trade

from him. His father instilled the core values of hard work and value for money since a tender

age. Not a very learned man, Dhirubhai wanted his sons to acquire higher education at the

best of institutes.

Following his father's wishes, Mukesh completed his bachelors in chemical engineering from

the University of Mumbai, Department of Chemical Technology (UDCT). Then, he began his

MBA programme at Stanford Business School, but failed to finish it. He dropped out after his

first year in order to assist his father in building the Patalganga, Petrochemical Plant. Soon,

he joined Reliance in 1981 and initiated Reliance's backward integration from textiles into

polyester fibers and further into petrochemicals. In the process, he directed the creation of 60

new, world-class manufacturing facilities involving diverse technologies that have raised

Reliance's manufacturing capability from less than a million tonne to twelve million tonne

per year.

A stoic and diligent businessman with a panache to look into the future, MukeshAmbani

directed and led the creation of the World's largest grass roots petroleum refinery at

Jamnagar, with a present capacity of 660,000 barrels per day.

Communication is holding the world together today and that is the reason why the world has

become a much smaller place. A visionary, Mukesh had foreseen this development. He set up

the largest and most complex information and Communications technology in the world in

the form of Reliance Infocomm Limited. Covering more than 1,100 towns and cities across

India, Reliance Infocomm offers the full range of voice, data, video and value added services

at the lowest entry cost and services cost any where in the world. However, Reliance

Infocomm is now under ADAG (Anil DhirubhaiAmbani Group) after the brothers' split.

Exploring and setting an indelible imprint in varied fields has been the hallmark of

MukeshAmbani since the beginning. He is steering a world-class offshore, deep water oil and

gas exploration and production programme. He has created a pan-India petroleum retail

network involving 5,800 outlets. Also in the pipeline is a research led life sciences' initiative

covering medical, plant and industrial biotechnology.

Equipped with the right leadership skills and aura, MukeshAmbani has been ranked 42nd

among the 'World's most Respected Business Leaders.' He is ranked second among the four

Indian CEOs featured in a survey conducted by Price Water House Coopers, an esteemed

organization in the business world. Statistics prove this point. For instance, the combined

market capitalization of the four MukeshAmbani group Companies—RIL, Reliance

Petroleum (RPL), IPCL and Reliance Industrial Infrastructure Ltd (RIIL) has crossed the Rs

2, 50,000 crore mark.

No doubt, all this sounds very impressive but it was not a smooth ride throughout. His ugly

spat with brother Anil Ambani resulted in separation of business assets, still, he cemented his

control of $ 16.5 billion (sales) petrochemicals giant Reliance Industries. After family

matriarch, Kokilaben brokered a settlement with his feuding younger brother Anil Ambani,

Mukesh is now planning to list subsidiary Reliance Petroleum to raise money for a new $ 6

billion refinery. He has also started a mega retail venture.

Now, some nuggets about the personal life of this business monarch married to Nita Ambani,

the couple are blessed with three kids. His wife is also involved in numerous charitable and

philanthropic activities. The DhirubhaiAmbani International School in Mumbai is a

brainchild of Nita Ambani. MukeshAmbani is also reported to be building a lavish 60 - storey

family home skyscraper in downtown Mumbai.

Undoubtedly, MukeshAmbani is a destiny's child. He inherited a flourishing business from

his father. But it cannot be ruled out that he had added on to the family enterprise. His hard

work is finally paying rich dividends and he deserves so!

Mukesh says: - The most powerful tool that I use is trust. My philosophy is that when you

give trust, you get 10 times trust back and that then builds relationships and at the end of the

day life is all about relationships and trust.

I learnt from MukeshAmbani’s biography

Trust is very important to build relationship with someone else or organization so first

we should have trust than only we can expect result while doing things.

4

Biography of Ratan Tata

The Business World's “Man of the 90’s”, the dignified but fiercely competitive individual

who was once voted "India's most perfect gentleman". The visionary whose company’s

products touch our lives in some way or the other. The man is Ratan Tata, the Chief of the

largest business group in India - The House of Tata's.

    Ratan was born on December 28, 1937 to Naval and Soonoo Tata. Ratan's childhood was

not exceptional, as his parents divorced when he was just seven. But his grandmother ensured

that he never missed his mother. She showered Ratan and his brother Jimmy with love and at

the same time trained them to be disciplined and gentlemanly. Even today, Ratan attributes

his success to the excellent upbringing by his grandmother. At the same time, Ratan was very

close to his mother, Soonoo. Soonoo had remarried, but remained in close touch with her

sons.

    Having completed his schooling at Bombay's famous Campion School, Ratan moved to the

United States to study Structural Engineering at the prestigious Cornell University. After his

graduation, Ratan wanted to stay back in the US and make a career for himself. But his

grandmother persuaded him to come back and join the family business. This was the turning

point in Ratan's life. Even though at that time, he was reluctant to return to India, today he

looks back and acknowledges that it was the right decision.

    Once back in India, Ratan joined TELCO (today Tata Motors), which was into

manufacturing of automobiles. Soon, he was shifted to TISCO, the flagship company of the

Tata's, which was into the manufacture of Iron and Steel. He worked at TISCO's plant at

Jamshedpur for six years, during which time he learned both, the technical aspects of the

company’s products, and the corporate values of the Tata Group.

    In 1968, Ratan was shifted back to Bombay to assume a more senior position within the

group. However, everything was not fine. Ratan was given charge of two sick companies in

the Tata group, Nelco and Central India Textiles. It was a difficult experience for Ratan,

however Ratan turned around both the companies within a few years. This experience

strengthened Ratan immensely, and he was now ready to take on larger responsibilities. He

had also left an enduring mark on the seniors in the Tata's Management Team.

His perseverance and hard work bore fruit when he was made Chairman of Tata Industries in

1981. He took over from JRD Tata, who was now 78 years old, and was slowly moving

towards retirement. This move created waves in the world of business. Ratan was being

hailed as the heir apparent of the Tata Empire. But Ratan's period of victory was also laced

with grief; his mother was diagnosed with a terminal cancer. Ratan immediately flew with

her to New York for her treatment. He stayed with her for four months, till she lost the battle

to the ravaging disease.

    During this period, Ratan had plenty of time to think. And look at various avenues for the

Tata Group to move with the times. The once dominant and monopolist group was now

facing stiff competition in all spheres of business. Ratan had sensed the consumer revolution.

He knew he had to convert the Tata group into a highly competitive and diversified group of

companies. He thought out a process, calling it the 1983 Tata Strategic Plan. This was the

turning point in the Tata's heritage of more than 100 years, a group that had stuck on to

generic businesses without diversification. With JRD Tata's support, Ratan diversified into

contemporary industries like telecommunication, software, biotechnology etc.

    At the same time, he created an intense culture of competitiveness within the Tata Group.

Slowly the laid back attitude of the employees and management changed. In 1991, JRD

retired and named Ratan as the Chairman of the entire Tata Group. This move was well

accepted by the business community and within the Tata group. Their faith was not

misplaced as Ratan began to grow the Tata group to dizzy heights, with innovation and

customer value as the key words. He was instrumental in creating the first totally indigenous

Indian Car, Sierra, Estate and Indica.

    Tata also was a forerunner in the emerging software field through his pet project the Tata

Consultancy Services. Both these ventures put the Tata's back into the top echelons in the

Indian and International economy. The existing businesses were improved. They bounced

back into market leadership positions in spite of intense competition. Ratan's radical change

in the group’s philosophy was questioned by the senior management team. Eventually, these

very changes were commended and lauded.

    Ratan's tenure at the helm was not filled with high points, but loaded with problems too.

The Union problem in Tata's Pune plant in the 1990s, turned ugly and threatened to tarnish

the reputation of the Tata Empire, which was built over a century. But Ratan has stood up and

fought. And Won. Over the years, Ratan Tata won many such tough situations, and carried on

the legacy of his predecessors capably.

    Under his leadership, the Tata group has grown tremendously Ratan Tata has his own

capital in Tata Sons., the holding company of the group. Though his share is just about 1%,

his personal holding is valued at US$1 Billion. About 66% of the equity capital of Tata Sons

is held by philanthropic trusts endowed by members of the Tata family. Since this

shareholding belonged to Ratan’s ancestors and these trusts were created by them, Ratan Tata

has an effective right over them. If all the value of this is added, his Net Worth is estimated at

around US$50 Billion, making Ratan Tata one of the richest people in the world.

    On January 31, 2007, under the chairmanship of Ratan Tata, Tata Sons successfully

acquired Corus Group, an Anglo-Dutch steel and aluminium producer. The merger created

the fifth largest steel producing entity in the world. On March 26, 2008, Tata Motors bought

Jaguar & Land Rover, the two iconic British brands, from Ford Motor Company. Ratan Tata's

dream was to manufacture a car costing just Rs 100,000. He realized his dream by launching

the Tata Nano car in New Delhi Auto Expo on January 10, 2008.

    Ratan lives a simple life without the hype that would normally go with a person of his

statue. His vision to steer each of the Tata group companies towards growth and profits has

come true.

I learnt from Ratantata’s biography

Tata has shown the guts which reflect that it is possible to do business in a clean and ethical

way,

While refereeing Ratantata’s biography I came to know that we should follow ethics in

business that will help us to get good result or corrupt less end result.

5

Biography of AzimPremji

AzimHashimPremji, the Chairman of Wipro Corporation was born in 1945 in Maharashtra.

His father had vegetable oil Company in Maharashtra. His father died of a heart attack in

1966 at that time he was studying at Stanford University of USA. The sudden demise of his

father forced him to carry on his father’s business and he joined Wipro in 1966 at the young

age of 21. He is a man of simple living and high thinking and is well known for his down to

earth personality. He still drives a six-year-old Ford Escort, travels economy class on

international flights, and packs a travel iron and detergent for washing his clothes.

Under his able leadership, an Rs.70 million company in hydrogenated cooking fats his grown

to a $900 million diversified, integrated corporation in services, technology products and

consumer products. He is a role model for young entrepreneurs across the world.

Mr.AzimPremji has integrated the country’s entrepreneurial methodology with professional

management, based on concrete values and superlative integrity. His greatest strength lies in

bringing together and building motivated teams of high potential, high performing people.

With his vision and pragmatism Wipro Corporation become the 2nd most competitive and

successful company in India. Wipro chief AzimPremji is amongst Fortune Magazine’s list of

25 most powerful business leaders outside the US. AzimPremji, turned Technology Company

Wipro into the largest publicly traded company and has been ranked 17th on the list.

Mr.Premji is of the opinion that the most important factor to Wipro’s success has been the

articulations and honest adherence to basic values, a shared vision for the future,

identification and development of Wipro leaders through precisely defined Wipro Leaders’

Qualities.

Premji is very dedicated about delivering value to customers and his willingness to sacrifice

business and profits to hold on to Promises made Vivek Paul, CEO Wipro says about

AzimPremji, “The best person I’ve seen who has climbed himself up. He’s taken it upon

himself to go from being someone who inherited a factory in Amalner, Maharashtra, to being

a global ambassador for India. I utterly admire him for that”.

Premji had changed an old-fashioned Indian company into a high-tech one. A family business

like his rarely survives the founder but under Premji it surpassed anything his father has left

behind. He touched the sky by his perseverance and sheer hard work. In 1984, Wipro’s

Infotech division diversified into software. The liberalization of 1991, as Indian exports of

the software industry expanded by 50 per cent every year, so did Wipro. Wipro makes 65 per

cent of its sales to the US. They have built a strong brand in the US.

AzimPremji also established a foundation known as Wipro Cares, which focuses on primary

education. This foundation has been set up with a corpus of Rs.100 million with an aim to

harness the creativity, passion and sense of social responsibility of Wipro fraternity to

contribute to the society in which they live and work. It has taken the target to educate 3500

children through Child care India. The foundation also set up libraries in slums. It also

provides computer skills and scholarships to the needy students. In the short time since its

foundation, Wipro Cares has brought smiles to many children.

He also set up Wipro’s Gujarat Earthquake Relief Fund. After Wipro’s matching

contribution, the total amount crossed Rs.20 million. He ensured that this amount is well

utilized for the needy and affected citizens of Gujurat. Premji was the prime mover behind

Wipro’s decision to achieve ‘Six Sigma’ status. In his address to the top management of

Wipro Corporation, he said, “The end objective of our ‘customer-in’ concept is that we want

to build the voice of the customer in our products and services. In this journey of achieving

the near defect-free products and services, Premji is very clear that as a world-class

organization, what Wipro needs to be concerned about is the process, not merely the results.

Once he says: “My sincere belief is that development and deployment of the right talent can

soon push India to that long-awaited status of being a developed economy.” An optimistic

vision, perhaps, but worth watching out for. Such is the vision of a great and highly resolved

world-class entrepreneur.

Success Mantra ByAzimPremji

The funny thing about life is that you realize the value of something only when it begins to

leave you. As my hair turned from black, to salt and pepper and finally salt without the

pepper, I have begun to realize the enthusiasm and excitement of youth. At the same time, I

have begun to truly appreciate some of the lessons I have learnt along the way. As you

embark on your careers, I would like to share them with you. I am hoping that you will find

them as useful as I have. Economically India is among the two large economies (above $700

billion), growing above seven per cent. Also, India is possibly the only country in the world

where those aged less than 25 years are more than half the population. Both these represent

tremendous opportunities. Yet there are fundamental challenges in the country including

education, basic infrastructure, water, health and hygiene which need to be addressed. But

then, challenges as much as opportunities, bring out the best from talent and youth.

Take charge

This was the first thought that came to me, when over four decades ago, I stepped into Wipro

factory at Amalner. I was 21 and had spent the last few years in Stanford University

Engineering School at California. Many people advised me to take up a nice, cushy job rather

than face the challenges of running a hydrogenated oil business. Looking back, I am glad I

decided to take charge instead. Essentially, leadership begins from within. It is a small voice

that tells you where to go when you feel lost. If you believe in that voice, you believe in

yourself. You can either amplify the voice to make it the purpose of your life or you can

discount it and turn if off. Similarly, when you face a great challenge, you can run away from

it, push it on to someone else, or just plain roll up your sleeves and face it head on. I have

always chosen to take charge. In the long run, I have found it the easiest option of all.

Similarly, when it comes to choosing your careers, you have to take charge of your own

destiny. I believe that at the end of the day, our destiny is too precious to leave the choice to

someone else.

Earn your happiness

I have learnt that a Rupee earned is of far more value than five found. In our interviews, when

people are asked to narrate their most memorable achievements, they usually recount those

which needed maximum effort from their part. It is almost as if the pain they faced is now an

integral part of their pleasure. In my own life, I have found that nothing gives as much

satisfaction as earning our rewards. In fact, what is gifted or inherited follows the old rule of

come easy, go easy. I guess we only know the value of what we have if we have struggled to

earn it.

Success from failure

Next lesson I have learnt is no one bats a hundred every time. Life has many challenges. You

win some and lose some. You must enjoy winning. But do not let it go to your head. The

moment it does, you are already on your way to failure. And if you do encounter failure along

the way, treat it as an equally natural phenomenon. Don’t beat yourself for it or any one else

for that matter! Accept it, look at your own share in the problem, learn from it and move on.

The important thing is, when you lose, do not lose the lesson.

Willingness to learn

Humility is important. There is a thin line of difference between confidence and arrogance.

Confident people are always open to learn. A recent survey of executives in Europe showed

that the single most important quality needed for leadership success was the willingness to

learn from any situation. Arrogance on the other hand stops learning. It comes with a feeling

that one knows all that needs to be known and has done all that needs to be done. In a

dynamic world, the rules of the game are always changing. Complacency can dull the senses

and prevent us from knowing what is happening around us. That is the first step towards

failure.

Always a better way

Partly as a corollary to what I have just said, we must remember that no matter how well we

do something there has to be a better way! Excellence is not a destination but a journey.

Continuous improvement happens when we believe it is possible and when we are willing to

work for it. Sometimes, we reach a plateau in our climb for perfection. That is when we need

to look sideways. Creativity and Innovation sometimes need inspiration from other

disciplines. It is probably not a chance that Einstein’s interest in music was as much as his

interest in Physics. Bertrand Russell was as much a mathematician as a philosopher.

Excellence and creativity go hand in hand.

Respond, not react

There is a world of difference between the two and in terms of success and failure. The

difference is that the mind comes in between responding and reacting. When we respond, we

evaluate with a calm mind and do whatever is most appropriate. We are in control of our

actions. When we react, we are still doing what the other person wants us to do. In youth,

rebellion is a fashion. I remember myself being a rebel without a cause many times. But

rebellion as a reaction is conformity to something else. Disagreement and bringing about

change as a response has led to challenging the status quo and useful, sustainable social

reforms.

Stay physically fit

It is easy to take health for granted when you are young. But when you enter the 24 by 7

schedule of your work, it is important not to succumb to time pressure and sacrifice the time

needed for physical fitness. I have found that exercise not only improves the quality of time

but also reduces the time you need for sleep. The truth is that stress will only increase in a

global world. You must have your own mechanism to deal with it. There is enough literature

to support the finding that exercise effectively reduces stress. That is another benefit of

remaining physically active.

Do not compromise

Mahatma Gandhiji often said that you must open the windows of your mind, but you must

not be swept off your feet by the breeze. One must define what you stand for. This is not

difficult. But Values lie, not in the words used to describe them, as much as in the simple

acts. And that is the hard part. Like someone said, “I could not hear what you said because

what you did was coming out far too loud”. Play to win Playing to win does not mean playing

dirty.

Playing to win

brings out the best in us and in our teams. It brings out the desire to stretch, to achieve that

which seems beyond our grasp. It is about aiming for the maximum, a passion to do our best

and having the hunger to be the best. However, it is not about winning at any cost. It is not

about winning every time. It is not about winning at the expense of others. It is about

innovating all the time. It is a continuous endeavour to do better than last time. It is the Spirit

of fortitude, the Spirit of never letting go – ever.

Give back to society

I mentioned in the beginning that while India has made tremendous progress, we also have

significant challenges. All of us have a collective social responsibility towards doing our bit

to address them. Of all the challenges, the key to me is education. We have a paradoxical

situation, where on the one hand we have jobs chasing scarce talent and on the other, rampant

unemployment and poverty. The only way to bridge these two ends of the pole is by

providing Quality education that is accessible by all. At AzimPremji Foundation, we work

towards universalisation of Primary Education. We are convinced that the only way to create

a just and equitable society is by addressing it at the grass roots. Without education, it will

not be possible to correct the past and prepare the society for the future. We also believe that

no matter what, every child has a right to childhood. I wish you all the best in your life and

career. I hope you achieve success in whatever way you define success to be.

I learnt from AzimPremji biography

While referring azimpremji I came to know that we have to take action, mentally and

physically we have to fit and we should not compromise at last we should have social

responsibility then only we can achieve our target.