Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
Humility, we say, is very important because we feel humility means the ability to listen, the ability to respect another's opinion and to find that everybody around you in some subject knows more.
Fortunately, in Piramal Enterprises, we are in three broad sectors. One is in the whole financial services sector, the second is in pharmaceuticals, and the third is in healthcare analytics and data.
Coming to the growth potential in financial services, there is enough data to show that, usually, financial services grow about twice or two and a half times of what the economy, the GDP growth rates.
Many people say that in a liberalised world there is little for the government to do, but the fact is that there is much for the government to do in fewer areas. One such area is to provide infrastructure.
I think my greatest virtue is that I have the courage to take tough decisions. As for my greatest fault, I guess I should be a little tougher. The feedback I get always is that I am not as tough and demanding as I should be.
Investment in Shriram will actually enable us to enter some of the retail segments such as vehicle financing, consumer and gold loans, and other products such as insurance, mutual funds, among others, where we wanted to have a footprint.
I am humble enough to understand there are many people who know much more than I do on many subjects, so I listen to them. Integrity is also critical to leadership, so I believe there must always be alignment between what you think, say, and do.
Sometimes, we get mixed up when we say that profit is not important for stakeholders. Oxygen is not the reason a person lives. But it is essential to have oxygen, although it's not the only reason for a person's existence. It is similar for profit.
We take dispassionate view of our investments. Does it mean that we are looking out to monetise the investment? That is not correct. But if we get an offer that we cannot refuse, as I say, then it is not that we are not, that we will still hold on to the investment.