Kindle Notes & Highlights
She was a wonderful hostess and took care of everything at home,’
The parties at home also ensured that none of the other exporters would be able to sidle up to the Russians to ask for business. ‘I ensured a totally controlled environment in India,’
Adi Godrej said that UK Paints was the client and Godrej was the supplier and therefore, following protocol, it was Godrej who would come to Kuldip’s office.
‘We were used to cost our own products down to the last detail as we brothers had worked at the ground level,’
Meeta never, even once, differentiated between her daughters and my children. She treated everyone the same.
the low-key Dhingras kept the financials also low key and did not publicize their profits or their sales volumes. ‘People would ask me about the Russian business and I would say, ‘Aisa hi hai, bas theek thaak hai, margin-vargin kuch nahin hai’ [Business is just okay, the margins are nothing],’
He ensured that UK Paints used its inspectors and quality assurance professionals before each order was exported.
“Never indulge in businesses that are connected to violence. If you do not deal in arms the wars will not stop; if you deal in weapons wars will not start. But wars are a curse for mankind and we need to spread the message for peace,”’
‘When someone wants their own share you should not stop them. And it was their share after all,’
The root of all acrimony is money.
Kuldip was an impatient man. He could not sit still. He also liked to come straight to the point in conversations.
to do business with great involvement but without emotional attachment.
unscathed from Russia, said, ‘Kuldip chachaji told me that one should always keep an exit open under all circumstances.
‘The grass is greener on the other side’, ‘all that glitters is not gold’ and ‘door ke dhol suhavane [distant drums are pleasing]’
‘Without passion how can anyone be successful?’
‘Kuldip is also the most focused man I know. Not only is he focused on business but he is also focused on the paints business. However, he is not a unidimensional person. He has an interest in everything. He can tell you about the trees in his garden and the birds that live in the trees,’
‘The thing about Kuldip is that he is always thinking of the business,’
‘Once he decides on a course of action, he does not yield an inch. He will push everyone to get to where he wants to go,’
People have asked Kuldip and Gurbachan about the key to their success. The owners of Berger Paints maintain that God has been kind to them and the teams did the job. A deeper discussion and analysis indicates that while luck indeed played a major part, the Dhingra touch led to the business turnaround.
We will not go for diversification,
He did not sack anyone like many new owners of business do. He empowered the existing team to do things differently,’
‘This degree of separation of ownership and management in Berger Paints is rare compared to other companies,’
Even the vendors and suppliers commend this separation of ownership from management.
All his dealings are with the management team though he knows that Kuldip is always kept informed.
At each annual budget meeting, the fact that the company was losing good people would come up. Kuldip could not understand why the company was not able to retain good professionals. He told the management team to work on a stock option plan.
The brothers flew economy and worked out of humble offices.
From a shopkeeper to one of the biggest exporters of India and to the owner of a corporate company—Kuldip made this transition in twenty years. His values and the values of the family, however, remained rooted.
The management of Berger in the initial days was apprehensive about the new owners cutting down their lifestyle perks. However, the canny businessman in Kuldip understood that the perks were a small price to pay in return for his demand for better performance.
‘He does not ask anyone to travel in a particular way. He just tells you that he is travelling economy and leaves you to make your own decision,’
Kuldip told me that he was travelling premium economy. I booked my ticket in the same class. But I saw some other senior employees and other directors on the board in business class, and Kuldip was OK with it,’
The entrepreneurial approach and the freedom given to the management to execute their strategy works for Kuldip at two levels. One, this approach frees him to focus on the way forward. ‘If I get caught in the day-to-day routine I will not have time for anything else,’ he said. The other way that this strategy works for Kuldip is that it takes away the reason most often used when agreed-upon targets have not been met. ‘Professionals are very clever. If I tell them to do something and it doesn’t work out they will just look at me and say that I had told them to do it. They are quick to pass the
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‘I don’t know why professionals take so many holidays. I don’t like holidays,’
I don’t want to give instructions.
‘Mr Dhingra has this ability to speak with anyone and make them feel like they are the most important person for him,’
Kuldip, after telling the steward what he wanted, asked him, ‘And how are you? Is all well with you?’ The steward was surprised as he knew that it was the chairman of Berger Paints that was asking him the question. ‘All is w . . . we . . . well, Sir,’ he stammered. Kuldip was not finished yet. ‘And how is everyone at home? I hope they are all fine,’ Kuldip continued to talk to the steward. ‘Yes, Sir, all are well. Thank you for asking,’ the steward said, getting back his voice. Kuldip then patted the steward on his arm and said, ‘Chalo, take care of yourself.’ Abhijit was watching this from
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‘Even though I was working for him, Kuldipji gave me so much respect. He told me that he had lost his father when he was very young and that he would take any advice I gave him as given by a family elder,’
‘Kuldip is a family man. His life is only about his business and his family.
Kuldip Dhingra is a man that evokes a multitude of emotions. The only emotion he does not evoke is that of indifference. ‘It is difficult for someone to meet Kuldip and walk away without being affected either positively or negatively,’ said Jerry Adams, Kuldip’s business associate since 2000. ‘He has an inbuilt ability to connect with people.’
‘Do you have any regrets?’ I asked. ‘I have no regrets at all,’ Kuldip said immediately. ‘Whatever I have done I have done after a conscious decision, after thinking about all the pros and cons. So, if things go wrong I don’t curse anyone. If things do well, it is because God is kind to me,’ said Kuldip. ‘I take life as it comes. What is there in my control?’ he asked me. He did not wait for me to answer. ‘Nothing. There is very little in my control. There is a larger force that controls our lives,’
Kuldip is a control freak.
professionals are professionals at the end of the day. They are worried about their CV all the time. If the business collapses they will find themselves another job. But where will I go? This is the only business I have,’ said Kuldip. ‘So, I have to patiently teach them about the business. I have to get them to love the business as much as I do,’ he added. ‘But I can’t leave it completely to them,’
‘Business is my life and it is my destiny,’
“You always have to keep your eyes on the business. You cannot relax thinking that it is going well. The moment you take your eyes away, you take your focus away, the business could slip out of your control. It will happen so fast that you will not even know it,”’ said Kuldip. ‘“There are competitors waiting for you to make a mistake. One mistake, and phat,”’ he slapped his hands together, ‘“you will be finished.”’ ‘I have seen the world and I have seen life from all angles. I know that it is a fight, a struggle to keep going every day. And that is why I continue to be in business. To fight. I
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