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A Distinguished duo retire
The Sanmar group’s Chairman Emeritus K S Narayanan recently retired from the Chemplast Sanmar board. Two other pillars of the Sanmar group also decided to call it a day professionally. Dr G S Laddha and R K Chari both adorned the Board of Directors of Chemplast Sanmar Limited for a considerable length of time, the former for well nigh three decades and the latter for some fifteen years. We have profited immensely from their expert knowledge and sage advice and bid them farewell with great regret. We shall miss their keen participation in the group’s affairs at the policy making level. We reproduce below profiles of the two senior citizens and excerpts of interviews we had with them.
Prof G S Laddha
Born on August 26, 1922 in Maharashtra, Prof G S Laddha graduated in chemical engineering in India but obtained his M S (1947) and Ph.D (1949) in that discipline from Purdue University in the US.
On a lecture visit to Madras, Prof Laddha was persuaded in January 1950 to accept the position of Reader by the University of Madras at the A C College of Technology, Madras, by no less a person than the eminent Vice Chancellor Dr A Lakshmanaswami Mudaliar. By 1957, he was a Professor and Campus Director, and in the years that followed, he helped the college become one of the premier institutions in the country.
Prof Laddha believes that research should be relevant to industry, that institution- industry cooperation is a must for decision-making, development and diversification. As a member of a subcommittee appointed by the Government of Tamil Nadu, he identified a number of chemical projects for the state which bore fruit. He has served as a nominee director of a number of chemical units financed by state industrial development corporations.
As a consultant of the UN Environmental Programme, Prof Laddha submitted a report in 1977-79 on chemical industry pollution of the environment in developing countries. ISRO, CSIR, and UGC funded research programmes in Space Science at Madras University were based on a monograph by him. He initiated research in the expanding field of crystal growth.
The list of the universities Prof Laddha has visited to teach and lecture, or conduct research seminars is long and impressive, including the Universities of California, Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon.
The first recipient of the Ambrose Congreve award and the honour of Chemical Engineer of the Year (1980) nominated by the Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers, Prof Laddha has many publications to his credit.
On 1st September 1995, Anna University conferred on Prof Laddha the degree of D.Sc. (Honoris Causa)
A soft spoken man approaching his eighties, Prof Laddha is still mentally very active, though physically he has slowed down slightly, reducing his travel commitments and retiring from many of the numerous boards of directors he had been invited to join. He spoke to Matrix with nostalgia on his association with the Sanmar group.
R K Chari
An electrical engineer turned cost accountant, R K Chari had a successful career in ICICI, an organisation of which he became Executive Director. A product of the Central Polytechnic, Chennai (CPT), he was one of those instrumental in enhancing the status of the Licentiate course offered there. Working at Delhi at the time, he was persuaded by other alumni of CPT to meet C Rajagopalachari, then a Cabinet Minister for Education, and convince him of the merit of the polytechnic syllabus which was in no way inferior to the engineering degree curriculum offered by universities. A strong believer in the university system, ‘Rajaji’ appreciated the well-argued case made out by Chari and initiated the steps that led to polytechnic licentiates being allowed to appear for the degree examination of the engineering colleges.
Chari is a teacher by inclination and he put that ability to good use as visiting professor at the Bank of Baroda Training College and other training institutions in the banking industry. At present, he is immersed in the study of the upanishads and the religious literature of the Tamil saints of yore. He is alert and articulate and it is difficult to believe that reduced hearing ability was the reason for his decision to retire.
Interview with R K Chari
Q: How did you first come into contact with Chemplast?
A: I came to know the group when I was working for the financial institution ICICI.
  My boss and mentor H T Parekh had great faith in K S Narayanan and T S Narayanaswami of India Cements Limited (ICL). My first association with ICL was across the table, in a lender-borrower relationship, though as Parekh never failed to stress, we were more like business partners. He always said, “If the businessman does not exist, we don’t exist. Never call him a borrower, he is our partner.”
ICL’s sense of business ethics appealed to me and my ICICI colleagues and our relationship grew. After TSN’s death, my association with KSN developed, often in the form of informal consultations. Soon N Sankar too took part in these consultations.
  When I retired from ICICI in 1984, Chemplast were one of three companies to offer me a place in the Board.
Q: What was your background prior to your stint with ICICI?
A: By qualification, I am an electrical engineer as well as a cost accountant. My first job was with Crompton Engineering, before its merger with Best & Co. Later I worked for a few years at Sindri Fertilizers, which was my real training ground in all round administration. Working in ICICI was a rewarding experience both as Madras branch manager and at the Bombay head office, where I rose to be Executive Director.
Q: When you were invited by Chemplast, was it as a finance man or because of your experience of financing chemical industry?
A: It was certainly more for my financial expertise and general experience. When I was in ICICI, I was known as a cement industry specialist. Though the client – in the case, ICL – was well informed about local conditions, we in ICICI brought in a national perspective.
  This is how I had opportunities for greater interaction with the ICL group. Later as Madras branch manager, I developed close contacts with Chemplast, especially KSN and NS.
Q: How was your experience as a Director of Chemplast?
A: Most fulfilling. In many companies, the board members are rarely involved in the policy making. The Chairman comes prepared for meetings, to push his agenda through. I resigned from such boards. The Chemplast board has always been participative. N Sankar takes a keen interest in what the directors say. It is a pleasure to function in such an environment.
Q: Were you involved in the recent restructuring exercise?
A: I was.
Interview with Dr.G S Laddha
Q: Dr Laddha, you are one of the pioneers of chemical engineering research and education in India. What do you think are your significant contributions in your field?
A: We are confined in our activities by the boundaries of scientific research in which we work. We do not think beyond these boundaries, but research should be relevant to society. In my opinion my contributions have been meagre but I feel proud that whatever little work I’ve done will be beneficial to society and the scientific community.
Q: Amidst the several honours and awards that have come your way, which do you cherish most?
A: The honorary doctorate of science awarded me in 1995. I am proud to have received it from the University where I worked. I am also proud that Chemplast Sanmar have taken my advice and help. I have been associated with the company since its birth.
Q: How did the association come about?
A: In 1962 I first met Sri K S Narayanan, who had been the Chairman then. His son, N Sankar graduated in Chemical Engineering from AC Tech and afterwards went to Chicago, USA. After his return from the States he began to contribute significantly to the industrial development of our country. It was my association with Sankar that brought about my ties with Sanmar.
  I wish Sankar all success in his endeavours to improve the economic structure of the company which today has a turnover of Rs.900 crore. I believe he is a dynamic personality who understands the international economy. Both KSN and his son NS have been very generous in their outlook. They are pragmatic and always do only what is morally correct.
Q: Why have you decided to call it a day?
A: I have served more than 25 public limited companies as a director. Now, age is advancing and I am trying to step down though it is the industry that keeps me active and alive. Here, all the problems are of tomorrow, not of today or yesterday.
Q: How did you come to Madras University?
A: After my Ph.D degree in the US, I got an appointment at the University of Madras for 3 or 4 months. When at the end of that period, I went to see the Vice Chancellor, Dr A L Mudaliar, to inform him I was going back, he said.
  “I learn that you do not want an academic career. God has given you some creative talent. Don’t join one industry. You must just join an academic institution so that you can interact with many industries and help them in a big way.”
  Such an elderly person was advising me to take to teaching, so I stayed back. The University appreciated my work. It allowed me to make A C Tech a premier institution in the country. We were given complete freedom to develop the institution.
Q: Do you remember the early years in Chemplast?
A: It so happened that I became a member of a subcommittee of the government of Tamil Nadu for industry. This was when R Venkatraman was the Minister for Industries. The objective was to give proposals for industries which could be started by entrepreneurs in Tamil Nadu.
  One of our reports was on PVC which was taken up by KSN and TSN because they had contacts with some British people. I was instrumental in opening up this topic with Minister for Industry Manubhai Shah at the Central government. He had come to inaugurate a conference in my campus and I asked whether the government would give its consent for a project like that. He agreed.
  That is how Chemplast was started. The first five years were very crucial. We often wondered whether we should go ahead or drop the project. Now you see how Chemplast Sanmar has diversified.
Q: What are your views on India’s technological capabilities?
A: It is easy to buy technology from outside. But you have to pay a very big price. Instead you can develop your knowhow yourself. Your costs will then be lower. This is my message.
  Develop a technology yourself. Your profits will be much more.
Q: You must have made a few friends in Chemplast...
A: Quite a number of people in Chemplast have been known to me for so many years. Some of them were students of mine.
  Many have stuck to Chemplast from the time I joined. I am happy. It is very good for a company to retain people.
Q: Who are your eminent students?
A: My students are occupying top positions in Japan, in the US, in Europe. Whenever I’ve gone abroad I have seen one of them. Many are working in India, too. Sankar was a star pupil.