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How Shashi Ruia of ESSAR helped me - A True Story
Prelude
*****
In the summer of 1985, just after my ICSE exams, I started working for my Nana’s (Mom’s Dad) transport business in Mumbai.
Someone has suggested to him that he accept the contract of supplying ‘potable water’ to ONGC rigs off Mumbai High and without much contemplation, he accepted.
It was a disastrous business. ONGC was a tough client and the water came from BMC and private well owners in and around the docks; both of whom unpredictable suppliers - so we got squeezed from both sides.
Added to the pain was that our tankers had to move in and out of the Mumbai docks – because ONGC had its base inside the docks. And The Mumbai Port Trust is a deadly animal to deal with.
But, this blog is not about the lessons I learnt from that business.
This is about the admiration I have for Shashi Ruia – a person who impacted me very early on in my life and to whom I owe some support today - in the time of a bit of crisis (telecom charge sheet).
True Story
****
The ONGC receiving base for potable water was located in Victoria Docks in South Mumbai (I think it was 12 VD).
In the first few days after we began supplies, I went along with one of my tankers to unload it at the ONGC station.
There was a rather strict ONGC inspector ( I just cant remember his name – it was either a Malhotra or a Tandon) with a thick moustache who climbed on top of the tanker (on that slim vertical ladder meant to walk on on the top) to inspect the supply via opening the lid and checking if the tanker were full or not.
I cant remember what happened exactly on top that Tanker, (it was 27 years ago) but I said 'YAAR' to him in a comment.
Yaar is a very casual and informal greeting that Indian youth exchange between themselves. Its not spoken ever in business exchange.
When Mr. Inspector heard this, HE FREAKED OUT.
He began screaming and shouting and said ‘who the hell do you think you are – you bloody water supplier to call me Yaar’.
Imagine me – a 16 year old trembling with fear on what I had done.
No apology worked for him.
Post that incident, that man made life difficult. He would not co-operate with us and the business became miserable.
I tried to explain and apologize to my Nana, but my Nana is a living GOD – he just smiled and said ‘doesn’t matter’. He is one of the rarest of rare people I have met in my life who is ready to sacrifice anything and everything for his family members happiness.
However, I feeling wretched and told my Mom about this incident it in a passing conversation.
What I did not know at that time was that my Mom was very friendly to Shashi Ruia’s wife and they were in regular touch. Shashi Ruia is the Chairman of the ESSAR group.
SHASHI RUIA
A couple of days later, my mom called me and told me ‘Alok, I have spoken to X and she has just asked you to call Shashi uncle and explain the problem’.
Now, what’s the connection between ESSAR and ONGC?
A major one. Most of the ESSAR Offshore Supply vessels (OSV’s) were servicing ONCG rigs at that time and ESSAR was (and probably is) one of ONGC’s biggest drilling support partners. In fact that water I used to unload at the ONGC receiving station was directly unloaded into an ESSAR offshore vessel docked at the station.
I was very nervous but gathered the courage, called up Shashi Ruia and arranged to meet him in his huge and elegant office in Nariman Point (again it was one of the Maker Chambers).
I explained to him what happened.
He laughed.
And then, he picked up his landline and said something in Tamil. I did hear that name of that ONGC Inspector in that conversation.
A few minutes later, the land line rang.
This was the conversation - starting with Shashi Ruia speaking:
“Hello Mr. Inspector"?
“Yes. Who is this?”
“This is Shashi Ruia of ESSAR”.
Gulp.
“Sir, what can I do for you? What made you call me?”
“ARREY YAAR – I have this Bacha (kid) in front of me and he tells me that you don’t like him being called Yaar and you are punishing him for his mistake. Please let him be YAAR”.
Shashi Ruia called him YAAR twice.
You can imagine what happened after that. ONGC treated me as if I was a Ruia myself.
This incident impacted me deeply:
- It taught me that mistakes are made by the young, but the mature should forgive.
- Even the biggest and the busiest people like to help others if approached.
- It takes guts to go to the Gods to ask for help, but what's the harm?
Thank you Shashi Ruia. I am no one to help you in the situation you are in, but you sure did help me in mine, and I am forever indebted to you.
*****
UPDATE:
The ESSAR Team showed Shashi Ruia the blog!!
Check this out!
Tags: ESSAR, Mumbai Port Trust, ONGC, Shashi Ruia, Water Tankers
Views: 6326
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Deepak Sharma on -
Awesome, this truly shows that it works to ask for help. you wont get small by asking someone if something they can do to get you out of a crisis. Mr. Ruia is also a tough master, he taught the inspector in language he understood very nice Alok Ji.
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Permalink Reply by Ranjan Bhattacharyya on -
Liked the story very much. Thanks for sharing.
I wish that Mr. Ruia emerges from his present troubles soon. In this context I would like to share an old fable. Once upon a time, a very wise king was asked "What words if said to a sad man will console him and the same words if said to a happy man will temper his joy ?" The wise king's answer ? "This too shall pass"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_too_shall_pass
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Permalink Reply by Nishant Agrawal on -
Don't want to be a spoilsport, but a person will always help you if you have 'connections' with his family members.
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Permalink Reply by Alok 'Rodinhood' Kejriwal on -
yup. sure
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Permalink Reply by Kumar Arayan on -
Really loved the learning you were able to take out of the incident , it really takes lots of GUTs to go to GOD and ask for help, but whats harm :) 100% agreed
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Permalink Reply by Sachin Upendra Trivedi on -
Yaar, this was good.... Thanks for sharing :-)
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Permalink Reply by Samudra Neelam Bhuyan on -
Big people get big because they think big and have large hearts. I have heard stories like this about JRD, Narayan Murthy, Ratan Tata, and now even Mr. Ruia.
Which is why I really appreciate the work you are doing too, bringing out stories like this. Such stories do a great job of reminding us of our core values, and inspiring us to be better. Thank you Alok!
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Permalink Reply by Alok 'Rodinhood' Kejriwal on
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:-))
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Permalink Reply by Ramachandran Iyer on -
"Even the biggest and the busiest people like to help others if approached. It takes guts to go to the Gods to ask for help, but what's the harm? "
I agree to what you said and my mom has taught me that from childhood, and i have seen things working out by being courageous enough to approach someone no matter how big he is.
10
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Permalink Reply by UdayKal (Uday Kalbhor) on
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- - It taught me that mistakes are made by the young, but the mature should forgive.
- - Even the biggest and the busiest people like to help others if approached.
- - It takes guts to go to the Gods to ask for help, but what's the harm?
Excellent excellent points.
A takeaway here is to understand the 'when' of approaching such busy people. Egoistical reasons do not warrant getting in touch with the gods.
On the other hand if the reason is much greater than petty ego, go ahead and contact even the god of the gods !
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