Last year, when International Distillers &
Vintners (IDV), US, merged with United Distillers, UK, to create the 13-billion pounds
Diageo Plc, little did Ravi Rajagopal, 43, the Finance Director of the
Mumbai-based Rs 200-crore International Distillers India--an IDV subsidiary--realise that
his golden moments lay in wait. Last month, Ravi was named Director, Business Support,
Diageo. And he's the only Asian in the 6-member core team of global managers. But now,
Ravi--a chartered and cost accountant--is networking with Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan to give
music lovers like him in the UK a chance to savour classical Indian music. That's the
spirit...
It was, indeed, a rare event. On June 29,
1998, Mallika Srinivasan, 38, the charming and cerebral Director of the
Chennai-based Rs 960-crore Tractors And Farm Equipment, took over as the first-ever woman
President of the 162-year-old Madras Chamber of Commerce & Industry (MCCI). An alumna
of Wharton B-school (Class of 85) and wife of Venu Srinivasan, the CEO of the Rs
1,040-crore tvs-Suzuki, Mallika now plans a more significant role for MCCI in Tamil Nadu's
infrastructure development. Says she: "We'll use MCCI's strengths to work with the
administration and improve infrastructure, particularly power, in the state."
Power-conscious, did someone quip?
Even as her filmi career waxes and wanes, Dimple
Kapadia, 42, is quietly moulding a different one--in wax. Back in Mumbai's
north-west suburbs, Dimple, along with her daughters, Twinkle, 22, and Rinky, 21, has a
workshop: The Faraway Tree. There the trio craft candles--from fragrant ones, to
centrepieces, to big table candles--with price-tags from Rs 100 to Rs 4,000. Dimple,
however, plays down her role: "Although I am involved, the business is handled by my
children." But says Twinkle: "Mom started it and, soon, we too got involved When
friends liked them, the hobby turned into a business venture." With the candles now
finding their way into Dubai, one presumes the Kapadias have much more to light their
lives with.
The country's largest transnational, the
Rs 8,342-crore Hindustan Lever Ltd (HLL), has lost one of its finest managers to the
largest Indian conglo: the Rs 36,000-crore House of Tata. R. Gopalakrishnan,
53, former vice-chairman, HLL, has left the company he kept since 1967 to join Tata Sons
as an Executive Director. At Tata Sons, Gopalakrishnan--a Physics graduate from Calcutta
University and an electronics engineer from the Indian Institute of
Technology-Kharagpur--will be part of the core team that will work with Chairman Ratan
Tata on devising group strategy. Exudes Gopalakrishnan: "I am thrilled about the new
responsibility. I hope I'll live up to the challenges." But, deep down, there must be
the tinge of sadness too...
Return of the native! One
could well say that of Jaithirth 'Jerry' Rao, 45, who's now back home
after 5 years in the UK, where he headed Citibank's retail banking division. Jerry is now
on the board of 20th Century Finance (1997 income: Rs 223 crore)--after 25 years at Citi,
which he also served as Country Head, India. But why 20th Century? Perhaps 'cos Chairman
Dev Ahuja is his friend and former boss at Citi. Says Jerry: "There can be a
synergistic relationship both for me and the group." But will he take over from Dev?
"Nothing planned," he says. We accept...
Last year, when International Distillers &
Vintners (IDV), US, merged with United Distillers, UK, to create the 13-billion pounds
Diageo Plc, little did Ravi Rajagopal, 43, the Finance Director of the
Mumbai-based Rs 200-crore International Distillers India--an IDV subsidiary--realise that
his golden moments lay in wait. Last month, Ravi was named Director, Business Support,
Diageo. And he's the only Asian in the 6-member core team of global managers. But now,
Ravi--a chartered and cost accountant--is networking with Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan to give
music lovers like him in the UK a chance to savour classical Indian music. That's the
spirit... 
It was, indeed, a rare event. On June 29,
1998, Mallika Srinivasan, 38, the charming and cerebral Director of the
Chennai-based Rs 960-crore Tractors And Farm Equipment, took over as the first-ever woman
President of the 162-year-old Madras Chamber of Commerce & Industry (MCCI). An alumna
of Wharton B-school (Class of 85) and wife of Venu Srinivasan, the CEO of the Rs
1,040-crore tvs-Suzuki, Mallika now plans a more significant role for MCCI in Tamil Nadu's
infrastructure development. Says she: "We'll use MCCI's strengths to work with the
administration and improve infrastructure, particularly power, in the state."
Power-conscious, did someone quip?
Even as her filmi career waxes and wanes, Dimple
Kapadia, 42, is quietly moulding a different one--in wax. Back in Mumbai's
north-west suburbs, Dimple, along with her daughters, Twinkle, 22, and Rinky, 21, has a
workshop: The Faraway Tree. There the trio craft candles--from fragrant ones, to
centrepieces, to big table candles--with price-tags from Rs 100 to Rs 4,000. Dimple,
however, plays down her role: "Although I am involved, the business is handled by my
children." But says Twinkle: "Mom started it and, soon, we too got involved When
friends liked them, the hobby turned into a business venture." With the candles now
finding their way into Dubai, one presumes the Kapadias have much more to light their
lives with. 
The country's largest transnational, the
Rs 8,342-crore Hindustan Lever Ltd (HLL), has lost one of its finest managers to the
largest Indian conglo: the Rs 36,000-crore House of Tata. R. Gopalakrishnan,
53, former vice-chairman, HLL, has left the company he kept since 1967 to join Tata Sons
as an Executive Director. At Tata Sons, Gopalakrishnan--a Physics graduate from Calcutta
University and an electronics engineer from the Indian Institute of
Technology-Kharagpur--will be part of the core team that will work with Chairman Ratan
Tata on devising group strategy. Exudes Gopalakrishnan: "I am thrilled about the new
responsibility. I hope I'll live up to the challenges." But, deep down, there must be
the tinge of sadness too... 
Return of the native! One
could well say that of Jaithirth 'Jerry' Rao, 45, who's now back home
after 5 years in the UK, where he headed Citibank's retail banking division. Jerry is now
on the board of 20th Century Finance (1997 income: Rs 223 crore)--after 25 years at Citi,
which he also served as Country Head, India. But why 20th Century? Perhaps 'cos Chairman
Dev Ahuja is his friend and former boss at Citi. Says Jerry: "There can be a
synergistic relationship both for me and the group." But will he take over from Dev?
"Nothing planned," he says. We accept... 