PODCAST · business
Life stories of Indian and South East Asian business leaders
by Peter Church
I have written two life story books on Indian business leaders and one on South East Asian business leaders. The first is Added Value - the life stories of leading South East Asian business people published in 1999 by Murmeli , the second is Added Value - the life stories of Indian business leaders published in 2010 by Roli Books (https://rolibooks.com/) and the third is Profiles in Enterprise - inspiring stories of Indian business leaders published in 2015 also by Roli Books. Many people these days like to listen to audio books, podcasts and interviews rather than, or in addition to, reading books, magazines or newspapers. There were so many inspiring and extraordinary stories told to me by the subjects of my books that I thought podcast fans might like to hear the best of them in this podcast - https://lifestoriesofindianandsoutheastasianbusinessleaders.buzzsprout.com.
Episodes
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Bhavarlal Jain, (1937-2016) founder of India's Jain Irrigation (https://www.jains.com/), the second largest global micro irrigation system
All of the people in my books are outstanding entrepreneurs but, every now and then, one of them demonstrates an extra "something" which I can't easily or simply define. Bhavarlal Jain is one such person. Like most, he had an eye for an opportunity, but he had an unusual approach to admitting his...
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Washington Sycip, (1921- 2017), Founder SGV Group in the Philippines which in due course became the largest accounting firm in South East Asia and which later became a member of Athur Andersen and then Ernst and Young
Washington Sycip, known to most as "Wash", bestrode the accounting profession in South East Asia as a legend in his own life time. He founded W SyCip and Co in 1946 as a "one man band" with the plan to make it the largest in the Philippines. He did way more than that. It grew through a merger to...
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Ambassador Alfonso Tiaoqui Yuchengco , Founder, Yuchengco Group of Companies in the Philippines (1923-2017)
Ambassador Yuchengco founded the Yuchengko Group of Companies. By the time I met him in 1998 he was already 75 and had handed over day to day management to his eight children. The group is prominent in many business sectors and includes major companies such as Malayan Insurance, Rizal Commercial...
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Radhe Shyam Agarwal, co-founder and Chairman, Emami, born 1946
Radhe Shyam Agarwal, is the co-founder and Chairman of Emami (https://www.emamiltd.in/) which is leading Indian conglomerate involved in the businesses of Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), paper, real estate, edible oils, health care and cement. He is almost always referred to as RS Agarwal…
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Venu Srinivasan, Emeritus Chairman of TVS Motor Company, born 1952
Venu Srinivasan is one of the grandsons of the founder of TVS Motor Company, T. V. Sundaram Iyengar. Under Venu's "watch" TVS (https://www.tvsmotor.com/en/ec/About-Us/overview) has grown to be the third-largest motorcycle company in India by revenue. TVS is also the second largest two-wheeler...
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Keshub Mahindra, former Emeritus Chairman, Mahindra & Mahindra 1923- 2023
Keshub Mahindra was born in Shimla in 1923 into a well to do family. Many in the family were educated at prestigious international universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard and, in Keshub's case, Wharton. Keshub's father, K C Mahindra (1894-1963) and uncle, J. C. Mahindra (1892-1950)…
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B M Khaitan, 1927-2019, former Chairman of Williamson Magor.
The first thing that I felt on setting foot in 4 Mangoe Lane in Calcutta in 2012 where Williamson Magor has its premises is the enormous respect in which its Chairman, Mr. Brij Mohan Khaitan, was held. You could feel this respect from the security guards at the gate all the way through to the...
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Arunachalam Vellayan, 1953-2025, former Chairman Murugappa Group, India, https://www.murugappa.com
I received sad news this week that Arunachalam Vellayan, the former Chairman of Murugappa and a 4th generation member of the storied business family and a great grandson of the founder Dewan Bahadur Murugappa Chettiar passed away in Chennai on Monday 17 November at the age of 72 after a long...
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Dr Anand Burman born 1950, Chairman Dabur Limited, India - https://www.dabur.com/
This is my interview with Anand Burman in 2012 and which is a chapter in my 2015 book - Profiles in Enterprise Inspiring stories of Indian business leaders published by Roli Books. There will certainly have been changes in Burman Limited and the Burman family since the date of my meeting with…
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Dr Anji Reddy, 1941-2013, founder of Dr Reddy's Laboratories, India - https://www.drreddys.com/
As will become clear as you listen to this chapter, not only did Dr Reddy have a brilliant scientific mind but he was able to pick and develop drugs which were "winners". The world was indeed fortunate that his cousin persuaded him to study chemistry rather than history! The company he founded is...
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Dr. Chaijudh Karnasuta (1921-2004), founder of Italian-Thai Development Public Company, Thailand, https://www.itd.co.th/
Dr Chaijudh's life is an illustration of how traditional Asian values, including respect for one's parents, can often lead to children following a career path chosen by one's parents, rather than what the child wants to do. Dr Chaiyudh wanted to be inolved in agriculture as a career but instead...
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Deepak Parekh, born 1944, former Chairman of Housing Development Finance Corporation, India, https://www.hdfc.com/
Deepak Parekh, is both charismatic and modest at the same time. His life story is an encouraging example for young people everywhere who aspire to a successful corporate career in demonstrating that one does not have to rank first in class to achieve that corporate success. Whilst Deepak became a...
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Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, born 23 March 1953, founder and chair of Biocon Limited, https://www.biocon.com
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (born 23 March 1953) is the founder and chair of India's Biocon Limited ( https://www.biocon.com). Biocon is a global biopharmaceutical company changing patients’ lives in over 120 countries by finding new and affordable ways to treat diabetes, cancer and autoimmune diseases....
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GVK Reddy, born 22 March 1937, is a philanthropist and entrepreneur. He is the founder and chairman of GVK Group, a business conglomerate with a predominant focus on infrastructure development, https://www.gvk.com/
Gunupati Venkata Krishna Reddy (born 22 March 1937) is a philanthropist and entrepreneur. He is the founder and chairman of the GVK Group (https://www.gvk.com) a major Indian business conglomerate with a predominant focus on infrastructure development. He also heads GVK EMRI, the corporate social...
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Ir. Ciputra, born Tjie Tjin Hoan (1931-2019), a major Indonesian property developer and later in his life a significant philanthropist
Like all of the interviews for my books you may find it strange that I find each one unique in different ways. This is the only interview where I was first interviewed by the subject and, having satisfied him of my bona fides, it is one of the most unusual interviews I have ever done. It extended...
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Rahul Bajaj (1938-2022) was Chairman Emeritus of the Bajaj Auto empire founded by his grandfather, Jamnalal Bajaj
Rahul Bajaj who passed away at the age of 83 in 2022 had a larger than life personality and, like many of those who I have interviewed for my life story books, was a clear business thinker. He was Chairman Emeritus of the Bajaj Auto empire founded by his grandfather, Jamnalal Bajaj and which was...
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Julius Tahija (1916-2002) a leading Indonesian businessman and pre Independence politician and military officer.
Julius Tahija who died in 2002 at the age of 86 was an extraordinary man. As you will hear he followed a number of core principles which served him well throughout his life as a soldier (awarded the Netherlands Military Order of William during WW2 being that country's oldest and highest military...
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Ela Bhatt (1933 – 2022) founded the Self-Employed Women's Association of India (SEWA) in 1972. From humble beginnings it now has over 3.2 million members.
Ela Bhatt was an absolutely extraordinary women who passed away in 2022 at the age of 89. The Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA) she founded against strong opposition now has over 3.2 million members across 18 states in India. SEWA advances the rights of women workers in the informal…
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Professor Bala V Balachandran (1937-2021) was the founder, chairman and dean emeritus of Great Lakes Institute of Management in Chennai, India
Following receiving his undergraduate and post graduate degrees in Maths and Statistics at Annamalai University in his birth State of Tamil Nadhu, a young Bala Balachandran followed the path of many bright young Indians in the 1960s and moved to the US where he had a very successful academic and...
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Alluri Venkata Sathyanarayana Raju (born 18 April 1937), commonly known as AVS Raju is the founder chairman of Hyderabad headquartered Nagarjuna Construction Company Ltd.
AVS Raju (born 1937) is certainly one of the most unique businessmen I have met. Not only is he obsessed with punctuality in a country where being on time is the exception rather than the rule but he is also a deeply spiritual man and a devout follower of the late His Holiness Bhagawan Sri Sathya...
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Narayana Murthy, born 1946, is one of the seven co-founders of Infosys, the leading global technology company
Nagavara Ramarao Narayana Murthy (born 20 August 1946) is an Indian businessman. He is one of the seven co-founders of the leading global technology company, Infosys and was at different times its chairman, chief executive officer, president, and chief mentor before retiring and becoming chairman...
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Professor MS Swaminathan (1925-2023) - the father of India's green revolution
Professor Swaminathan died at the age of 98 in 2023. He was an extraordinary man and it is said his skills in genetic engineering and his powers of persuasion made famine an unfamiliar word in Asia. There is a memorable story of his encounter with the formidable Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who...
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Sengkham Phinith (1940-2022), civil engineer and former Vice Minister of Construction of Lao PDR
Sengham Phinith was born on 2 December, 1940 near the Lao capital, Vientianne. He trained as a civil engineer rising to Vice Minister of Construction before being falsely accused, dismissed and exiled to a remote region for four years. The way he dealt with this cruel experience is inspirational....
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Shahnaz Husain (born 1941) is the founder of The Shahnaz Husain Group of India which is internationally renowned for organic beauty care, based on Ayurveda, blending ancient traditions with advanced techniques.
Shahnaz Husain has built an enormous health care business from very humble beginnings starting in her New Delhi home. It is an extraordinary life where she was born into a conservative Muslim family, married at 15 and became a mother at 16, spent time in Tehran before being ordered to return to...
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Vijaypat Singhania (born 1938) is a member of the prominent Indian Singhania family having been chairman and managing director of the leading textile company, Raymond Group
Vijaypat Singhania, often known as VPS, has led an extraordinary life which is unique in many ways. He was born into a prominent and successful Marwari "joint family" whose original business was founded over a century ago, experienced an unhappy childhood at the hands of a "wicked stepmother"…
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U Nay Oke was born into a prominent Burmese family in 1943 and is the founder of a well known English language school
There is a chapter on U Nay Oke's life in my South East Asian Added Value book. However, I also interviewed U Nay Oke a few years ago for my Myanmar Oral History podcast ( https://myanmaroralhistoryprojectlifestories.buzzsprout.com) and, although it is a far longer interview than what is covered…
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Phu Kok An, founder of Anco Brothers Cambodia (born 1954)
Okhna (Lord) Phu Kok An has had a remarkable life. He successfully navigated the horrors of the Khmer Rouge regime and the life threatening risks of being killed by pirates when he was involved in the early days of smuggling goods from Thailand to Vietnam during the US trade embargo. He then…
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Introduction to podcast on life stories of leading South East Asian and Indian businessmen and women
I have written three life story books - two on India and one on South East Asia. The first being Added Value - the life stories of leading South East Asian business people published in 1999 by Murmeli , the second being Added Value - the life stories of Indian business leaders published in 2010…
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G M Rao, Founder and Chairman of GMR Group, India (born 1950)
Grandhi Mallikarjuna Rao (often known as "GMR") is the founder and Chairman of GMR Group, a major Indian conglomerate with businesses in a range of sectors such as airports (e.g. Delhi, Hyderabad, Goa and Medan), Energy (a mix of coal, gas and renewables), Transportation (e.g highways), Urban...
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Eka Tjipta Widjaja, Indonesian - founder and chairman of the Sinar Mas Group (1921-2019)
I interviewed Eka Tjipta Widjaja around 1995 when he was in his mid 70s and had already started handing over day to day running of Sinar Mas (https://www.sinarmas.com/en/) to his sons. His was a remarkable life and I must admit I was amazed at the ingenuity and business acumen he demonstrated…
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Captain Chittarath Poovakkatt Krishnan Nair, Indian (1922-2014), the founder of the Leela Hotel Group
Captain Krishnan Nair led an extraordinary life as you will hear from the excerpts I will read from the chapter on his life in Added Value - the life stories of Indian business leaders (published 2010 by Roli Books - https://rolibooks.com/). He founded The Leela Hotel Group...
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Yusuf Khwaja Hamied (born 25 July 1936) is Non Executive Chairman of Cipla, a major Indian generic pharmaceuticals company founded by his father Khwaja Abdul Hamied in 1935.
Yusuf Khwaja Hamied (born 25 July 1936) is Non Executive Chairman of Cipla (https://www.cipla.com/), a major generic pharmaceuticals company founded by his father Khwaja Abdul Hamied in 1935. I interviewed him around 2005 in his office in Mumbai. His story appears in my first Indian life story...
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Henry Sy, Founder of SM Investments/SM Group of the Philippines (1934-2019)
Henry Sy, the founder of SM Investments/SM Group (https://www.sminvestments.com/) started with a small shoe shop in Manila and built the business into the largest shopping mall business in the Philippines and China along with many department stores, supermarkets and grocery stores. The business...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
I have written two life story books on Indian business leaders and one on South East Asian business leaders. The first is Added Value - the life stories of leading South East Asian business people published in 1999 by Murmeli , the second is Added Value - the life stories of Indian business leaders published in 2010 by Roli Books (https://rolibooks.com/) and the third is Profiles in Enterprise - inspiring stories of Indian business leaders published in 2015 also by Roli Books.
Many people these days like to listen to audio books, podcasts and interviews rather than, or in addition to, reading books, magazines or newspapers. There were so many inspiring and extraordinary stories told to me by the subjects of my books that I thought podcast fans might like to hear the best of them in this podcast - https://lifestoriesofindianandsoutheastasianbusinessleaders.buzzsprout.com.
HOSTED BY
Peter Church
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Life stories of Indian and South East Asian business leaders currently has 33 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
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I have written two life story books on Indian business leaders and one on South East Asian business leaders. The first is Added Value - the life stories of leading South East Asian business people published in 1999 by Murmeli , the second is Added Value - the life stories of Indian business leaders...
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