Naveen
Jindal,
MP and Executive Vice Chairman and MD Jindal Steel &
Power Ltd.
Sky
is the limit
One thing I learnt abroad was the dignity of labour.
As
a student of Salwan Public School and Delhi Public Sc]lool
Mathura Road, what was your idea of patriotism? Were
you as passionate about the national flag then,
as you are now?
I always loved my country a great deal. Whether I watched
a patriotic film or listened to a patriotic song, or
the National Anthem, I would get goose bumps. I had
always wanted to join the army. But I felt more about
my country when I was in the US. When you are away from
your home and your country, you tend to think about
the country more, I guess.
Has
any particular leader or statesman inspired you?
I can't point at one single person. I like different
things about different people. My philosophy of life
is very simple. I want to do good things, I don't want
to hurt anybody, and I want to serve my country to my
fullest capacity. I believe in all religions. I am very
liberal that way.
As
a child what were your interests?
I liked economics a lot. I was always one for outdoor
activities and very interested in riding all the time.
I played polo, did shooting. I represented Chattisgarh
state and our team came second at the national
games.
The
army has held a special fascination for you as
a child. Did you ever think of joining the Forces?
By the time it came to joining the army, the world was
changing. The role of the army had changed as well.
Today, we are witnessing an economic warfare rather
than just a military one. I realised that I would be
able to contribute more in other areas.
What
was your career objective?
This company was a family business and I had an idea
that I would be joining the family company.
Being
an active sportsman and participating in several
sports at a time, would you say that you have acquired
from sports the qualities of team spirit and leadership,
so necessary for management?
Sure, it does give you a lot of confidence. If
you are playing polo, the ball doesn't go to the pole
on its own. The ball goes to the pole because somebody
has put in the effort required. It is a similar
case when one is the MD of a company. But I took
part in too many sports and while I can't say that I
am the number one in any particular sport, I am
good at all of them. However, if I have to be the best,
then I should concentrate on just one sport.
What
synergy can you draw between sports and management?
Well, team spirit is one. You are working with others
and you can't achieve anything on your own. In
a team, sometimes you may not perform well but
since others do, you get through. The team has a lot
of strength. But if you are on your own and mess up,
you are out.
How
did you decide to pursue a management degree from the
University of Texas?
I studied B.Com from Hansraj College in New Delhi from
1987 to 1990. I went to Texas straight after that. The
choice was made because I wanted to run the family company.
So I thought a business degree would be of help.
You
successfully contested the college elections for
the post of President at the University of Texas? How
did that happen?
Well, I first became a senator. It was very easy to
become one. A senator solves problems and allocates
money for different purposes. So the next step
was to fight the election. In fact, I contested the
election for Vice-President and an American fellow fought
for the post of President. We fought as a team. I secured
almost double the number of votes than he did. I actually
got the highest number of votes in the history
of my university. While the President got 500 votes,
I had 900. I campaigned a lot went to classes,
talked to students. It was not just the Indian students
who voted for me, the Americans did so as well.
What
issues did you take up?
Making the campus a non-smoking zone was a prominent
issue at that time. And since I had been a senator,
they knew I could help them whenever any problem arose.
Was
there any element of hostility?
None at all. I must say, I had no such problems. The
Americans were very good to me. America is a big melting
pot.
Two
years is a very small span of time to make a mark in
a foreign country. How did you do it?
I was first the Vice-President. But when the sitting
President graduated, I became the President and held
office for 10 months. I also got the Student Leader
of the year award. I remember it was .a very big function.
They were giving prizes to star students. And they announced
10 names but did not announce mine. It occurred to me
that I should have got the award but perhaps I didn't
deserve it. Then they announced the big award and began
citing my achievements. I couldn't believe it. I kept
asking myself, "Are they talking about me?"
But I was really thrilled. I had got intercoms installed
all over the campus because students had to use the
pay phones to call even within the campus. I worked
on extending the library hours. And then, in case of
any dispute, I helped out. I was given the award basically
for dispute resolution.
What
is the most striking difference between the academic
environment of Texas and India?
In the US they test you on what they teach. If they
teach you something today, they will test you on that
tomorrow. The second point is (but I don't know whether
or not it is true now) is that if you answer all questions
right, they give you full marks. In India, even if you
do everything correct, they give you eight out
of 10. The system is quite easy over there... quite
practical.
When
you returned to India, what innovations did wish to
implement and how successful were you in doing so?
One thing I learnt abroad was the dignity of labour.
You learn to treat people with a lot of respect. In
India we are very spoilt. We don't wash our own clothes,
we don't clean our room - there is domestic help to
do all that. Now over there it's very expensive to get
things done and it's not possible. So from cooking my
own food to washing my own clothes, I did every thing.
So you learn to respect the dignity of labour. So
when I came back I had a positive attitude towards people.
I wanted to motivate them rather than force myself on
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