Subhash Chandra is to Indian Satellite TV what Sachin Tendulkar is to Cricket.
This article was published in BW Businessworld issue dated ‘March 21, 2016’ with cover story titled ‘Budget 2016 Split Verdict’
Link to the article at Businessworld – http://businessworld.in/article/Book-Review–Man-With-A-Mission/2016-03-09-91793/
Unlike what is common knowledge, Subhash Chandra is much more than just about
introducing and pioneering satellite TV channels in India. In his book – “The Z
factor – My journey as the wrong man at the right time” he pens down all his
businesses he started and moved on from or is still continuing, his life
stories (personal & professional) and the lessons he learnt from umpteen
hurdles he faced, especially in trusting people.
introducing and pioneering satellite TV channels in India. In his book – “The Z
factor – My journey as the wrong man at the right time” he pens down all his
businesses he started and moved on from or is still continuing, his life
stories (personal & professional) and the lessons he learnt from umpteen
hurdles he faced, especially in trusting people.
Subhash
Chandra hails from a marwari business family in a small town in Haryana. Among
the most interesting phases of his life that he describes, I found his teenage
life most gutsy and the most inspiring. How he stood up on the occasion when
his family was down in deep debt in his hometown of Hisar (Haryana) and against
all odds he took over the grain business and revived the family business from a
loss of 50 lakhs to a profit of multi lakhs! Mind you, all this at an age when
he was just a teenager! He was in his twenties only when he moved to Delhi to
do business with just Rs.17 in his pocket. Now that’s called audacity. Today at
the age of 65, he is valued at $5 Billion.
Chandra hails from a marwari business family in a small town in Haryana. Among
the most interesting phases of his life that he describes, I found his teenage
life most gutsy and the most inspiring. How he stood up on the occasion when
his family was down in deep debt in his hometown of Hisar (Haryana) and against
all odds he took over the grain business and revived the family business from a
loss of 50 lakhs to a profit of multi lakhs! Mind you, all this at an age when
he was just a teenager! He was in his twenties only when he moved to Delhi to
do business with just Rs.17 in his pocket. Now that’s called audacity. Today at
the age of 65, he is valued at $5 Billion.
His
fearlessness showed in all the businesses he got into, he sensed opportunities
much before anyone else woke up and he took the bold (and the most difficult)
first step forward in working towards his dream. You will be amazed to know how
soon he got his distinctive lock of grey hair on his forehead. This was one of
those times when someone was trying to take advantage of him.
fearlessness showed in all the businesses he got into, he sensed opportunities
much before anyone else woke up and he took the bold (and the most difficult)
first step forward in working towards his dream. You will be amazed to know how
soon he got his distinctive lock of grey hair on his forehead. This was one of
those times when someone was trying to take advantage of him.
Sadly, this
was not a one off incident; he kept on engaging with many such people in his life.
Many even succeeded in pulling Subhash down
in the short run but in the long run they all failed miserably. In fact there
were instances where Subhash actually reached out and helped many of these men
who initially betrayed him. Talk about a big heart. It’s also incredibly bold
of him to mention all the names of the people who have been mean to him, in the
book. Yes, there were multiple instances where his partners tried taking
advantage of him (none eventually succeeded). Be it his first partner in Delhi
in the grain business, the partner in the plastic sheet business or later in
the telecom pole business (in fact this person tried cheating his twice!).
was not a one off incident; he kept on engaging with many such people in his life.
Many even succeeded in pulling Subhash down
in the short run but in the long run they all failed miserably. In fact there
were instances where Subhash actually reached out and helped many of these men
who initially betrayed him. Talk about a big heart. It’s also incredibly bold
of him to mention all the names of the people who have been mean to him, in the
book. Yes, there were multiple instances where his partners tried taking
advantage of him (none eventually succeeded). Be it his first partner in Delhi
in the grain business, the partner in the plastic sheet business or later in
the telecom pole business (in fact this person tried cheating his twice!).
An
interesting story he narrates is about the rice exports business. After months of
struggle to get the right quality of rice to be delivered to the Russians, he
soon realized that the competition was delivering a low grade rice and all that
the Russians cared about continuity of similar quality of rice even when
Subhash was delivering a high quality basmati rice! Another one is from his
packaging and toothpaste tube manufacturing business where HLL played with his
company, almost to the verge of bankrupting him. How he recovered from such a
situation is a fine read. Many such incidents (including the tussle with BCCI
and the hurdles he faced during the making of Essel World Amusement Park) that
he narrates will make you believe, even more, in an institution that he himself
has become. This book reads like a Bollywood style thriller roller coaster!
Yes, it’s that eventful. As each of this book’s short chapters end, you also
end up saying wow out loud thinking how the heck did he manage to do that,
again and again!
interesting story he narrates is about the rice exports business. After months of
struggle to get the right quality of rice to be delivered to the Russians, he
soon realized that the competition was delivering a low grade rice and all that
the Russians cared about continuity of similar quality of rice even when
Subhash was delivering a high quality basmati rice! Another one is from his
packaging and toothpaste tube manufacturing business where HLL played with his
company, almost to the verge of bankrupting him. How he recovered from such a
situation is a fine read. Many such incidents (including the tussle with BCCI
and the hurdles he faced during the making of Essel World Amusement Park) that
he narrates will make you believe, even more, in an institution that he himself
has become. This book reads like a Bollywood style thriller roller coaster!
Yes, it’s that eventful. As each of this book’s short chapters end, you also
end up saying wow out loud thinking how the heck did he manage to do that,
again and again!
Take the
launch story of the iconic Zee TV for example – In the era when the only option
you had was Doordarshan, he worked extremely hard for almost 2 years in an
unknown territory (he did not even know what a satellite is when he started!)
to launch India’s first Hindi satellite channel. Before it went mainstream, Zee
TV was only a daily-3-hour daily transmission medium (Today Zee networks has 70
channels!). His negotiations, arguments and how the entire deal went thru with
STAR TV for hiring the transponders (for ZEE to beam in India) is insanely
unbelievable. It would make you cringe to read how much rudeness he had to deal
with in this entire saga. Another interesting incident that he talks about is
when he confronted the Ambani’s. Again its important to bring out the fact that
Subhash got into a confrontation only because he was only trying to help a
friend and trusted him too much (he has been kind like that all his life). This
confrontation was very much like the famous Deevar scene (Mere paas Maa hai),
while Subhash was apologetic about a particular incident, he beautifully put
his point stating, he came to a big city from a small town with just Rs.17 in
his pocket hence he has nothing much to lose! Even if he does lose, he knows
how to bounce back! The way he describes this part, I was able to visualize the
scene and it kind of gave me Goosebumps.
launch story of the iconic Zee TV for example – In the era when the only option
you had was Doordarshan, he worked extremely hard for almost 2 years in an
unknown territory (he did not even know what a satellite is when he started!)
to launch India’s first Hindi satellite channel. Before it went mainstream, Zee
TV was only a daily-3-hour daily transmission medium (Today Zee networks has 70
channels!). His negotiations, arguments and how the entire deal went thru with
STAR TV for hiring the transponders (for ZEE to beam in India) is insanely
unbelievable. It would make you cringe to read how much rudeness he had to deal
with in this entire saga. Another interesting incident that he talks about is
when he confronted the Ambani’s. Again its important to bring out the fact that
Subhash got into a confrontation only because he was only trying to help a
friend and trusted him too much (he has been kind like that all his life). This
confrontation was very much like the famous Deevar scene (Mere paas Maa hai),
while Subhash was apologetic about a particular incident, he beautifully put
his point stating, he came to a big city from a small town with just Rs.17 in
his pocket hence he has nothing much to lose! Even if he does lose, he knows
how to bounce back! The way he describes this part, I was able to visualize the
scene and it kind of gave me Goosebumps.
He
still believes in the philosophy that his idol, dadaji believed in – Death
happens only once, why fear something that occurs only once in your lifetime!
As per his community philosophy he has always donated 10% of his wealth. But
over time he has been doing much more than just that for the upliftment of the underprivileged
in this country. Grab a copy now for your reading pleasure before it’s made
into a movie. It sure has the potential.
still believes in the philosophy that his idol, dadaji believed in – Death
happens only once, why fear something that occurs only once in your lifetime!
As per his community philosophy he has always donated 10% of his wealth. But
over time he has been doing much more than just that for the upliftment of the underprivileged
in this country. Grab a copy now for your reading pleasure before it’s made
into a movie. It sure has the potential.
