NEW DELHI (India CSR®): The world’s richest ‘Bihari’, the head of Vedanta Group conglomerate, billionaire Anil Agarwal revealed for the first time, how he rose from being a Patna scrap dealer to join the World Forbes list of billionaires.
In a freewheeling interview with Rajat Sharma in the latter’s iconic show ‘Aap Ki Adalat’ telecast last night on India TV, and to be re-telecast tonight, Anil Agarwal explained how presentation, timing and taking entrepreneurial risks matter.
“I dream of the day when every youth in India will have a choice of jobs before him or her…. Mother India has abundant natural resources which are yet to be exploited…Like Mother Cow, if you do not milk her daily, she won’t stay healthy, and proper care will make her life better”, Agarwal said.
“I appeal to all of you to start a movement. India has no shortage of oil, gas, copper, gold.”, he said.
“Hindustan Abhi Khul Gaya Hai. Hamari Sarkar Bahut Acchi Hai. To aane wale dinon me isme kshamta hai. Hamare paas 15-20 defence ki factories hai. Aanewale dinon me mujhe lagta hai human resource, natural resource… poori duniya me aaaj Hindustaniyon ne Naam Kiya Hai aur main bhi unme hoon. Agar Hindustani kisi company me naukri karta hai, us company me koi gadbad nahin ho sakti.”
( I appeal to all of you to start a movement. Let us extract our abundant natural resources. India has no shortage of oil, gas, copper gold. India has now opened up. Our government is very good. In the coming days, we have the capability to do this. Today we have 15-20 defence factories. In the coming days, human resource and natural resource will count. Indians have brought fame to our country. I include myself in that. If any Indian works in any multinational company, he never cheats)
SEMI-CONDUCTOR
Asked why he backed out of his semi-conductor plans, Anil Agarwal replied: “Mere Ko Samajh Mein Aaya Ki Jo Kaam Main Samajhta Hoon, Wahi Mere Ko Suvidha Deta Hai, Aaj Poori Duniya me Hum Kaam Karte Hain, hum oil, gas nikalte hain, aluminium, zinc, copper ka kaam karte hain, Toh Yeh Saari chezen Meri Pasand Ki Hai. Mere collaborators Bahut Acche They, Isko Aagey Badha Rahe They, Meri ek hi Beti hai, 11 saal ki grand daughter, Hum bahut dukhi Ho gaye they, Hum North India Ke Hain, aur usne South Indian se Shaadi Kar Li…Main 6 Mahina depression Me tha, Lekin baad me pata chala, Woh Itna Achha Ladka Hai, Mangalore Ka Hai, top engineer hai, MBA kiya hua hai, Woh Bhi Hamara beta hi ho gaya. Woh Technology Me they, Isliye semi-conductor me gaye they, Ye Jo Chooti-si Zindagi Hum Kar Rahe Hain, Wohi Theek Hai.
( I realized the work that I know is convenient for me. We work throughout the world, we extract oil and gas, make aluminium, zinc, copper. We are going ahead with these. I have a daughter, a 11-year-old grand daughter, We were sad when she married a South Indian. We are North Indians. For six months, I was in depression, but later I came to know that the boy is so good. He is from Mangalore, a top engineer, did his MLA. He has now become our son. He was in technology, That’s why we wanted to go into semi-conductor. Since it is a a small life, we decided to stick to what we are doing).
Rajat Sharma: You want to say you want to stick to your areas of core competence?
Anil Agarwal : Ji, Ji…Chhota Mota Kuch Kar liya, Woh Alag Hai, Lekin main focus Us Par….
HOW BALCO WAS BOUGHT
The billionaire revealed how his company Sterlite acquired the government’s Navratna company Bharat Aluminium in 2001 during Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s rule.
“Atal Ji ke time me Bharat Aluminium ko Rs 550 crore me liya, hamare jo Finance waale they, boley, sir bank me to sirf Rs 5 crore hai. Maine kaha, le lo. Aaj main yahan disclose kar raha hoon, Humne sab banks ko chithi likhi ye keh kar ki Navratna company BALCO hmum kharidenge, jo bank pehle aayega, usse hum pehle paisa lenge, Humen Rs 550 crore ki jagah Rs 2000 crore ka offer aa gaya. Arun JI )Jaitely ) mujhe Atal Ji ke paas le gaye, Atal Ji ne kaha itni badi company hum aapko de rahe hain. Atal Ji bole, aap ek bhi worker ko nikalengey nahin. Humne kaha, hum 5 goona workers badhayenge. Arun JI bahut suljhe hue aadmi they. Unhone mujhe kaise PM ke saamene present kiya, Ye Ishar Ki Badi Kripa thi”.
(We acquired stake in Bharat Aluminium during Atalji’s time for Rs 550 crore. Our finance guys told me, we have only Rs 5 crore in bank. Today I am disclosing this here for the first time. We sent letters to all banks telling them we are acquiring this Navratna company, the one who comes first, we will accept its loan. In place of Rs 550 crore, we got loan offers for Rs 2000 crore. Arunji took me to Atalji . Atalji said, we are giving you this big company, you must not sack a single employee. I replied, we will hire five times more workers. Arunji was a very sensible person, the way he presented me begore the PM, it was God’s blessing.)
PLANS FOR BIHAR
The ‘Bihari’ billionaire promised to “seriously consider any proposal” for setting up factories in Bihar. He also promised to build a stadium in Bihar, with talents like Ishan Kishen and Vaibhav Raghuvanshi evolving. He said, IPL must have a Bihar team.
MAHARAJA ANIL KUMAR
Anil Agarwal said, after buying a factory in Mumbai, he went to London, where he stayed for 15-17 years. “Wahaan par kya ho gaya ki izzat nahin milti thi, Bade Bade Aadmyon Ka Club tha, Raat Me nightclub bhi gaye, Lekin Woh Humko Heen Bhawna Se dekhte They. Toh mujhe inferiority complex ho jaata tha. Mujhe jaga, hamara koi background nahin hai, hamara aisa koi khandan nahin hai, ….Wahan ho gaya tha kaam. Listing (of company) bhi kara liye they. Lekin Jo Chamak Aana Cahye, Jo Dilip Kumar, Shhrukh Khan hona tha, woh nahin ho pa raha tha, London me koi hume jaanta nahin tha. Toh humne apna card banwaye. MAHARAJA ANIL KUMAR. Wahan Maharaja bol dete ho to aapka position bahut ooncha ho jata hai. Card chhapwa liye, Wife se kaha, donon bachhon ko saath me leke chalo. Wife ko laga, mera dimag hil gaya hai. Soch rahi thi, 6 mahine baad waapis aa jayenge, … Do saal laga. India me apni companyRs 300 crore ka ho gaya tha. Usko India me delist karake London le gaye. Wahan Rs 4000 crore me list kara diya….Aap logon ko bataoon, ek hi baat hai, Jitni Kahani Banaiyega, Utna Aage Badhiyega . Kahaani Baba Bahut zaroori hai, jhoot mat boliye.
(We did not get any respect when we went to London. There were the big men’s club, I visited nightclubs, They used to look at us with ‘heen bhawna’. I developed an inferiority complex. I thought, we had no background, no ‘khaandaan’, ..But we got our company listed. But the ‘chamak’ (shine) was missing. I couldn’t get the fame like Dilip Kumar, Shahrukh Khan. Nobody knew me in London. So we printed a visiting card MAHARAJA ANIL KUMAR. In London, if one describes his position as Maharaja, he gains acceptance. After I got the card printed, I told my wife to take the two kids with me , My wife probably felt, I had lost my mind. She was planning to return to India in six months. It took two years to establish myself I got my company worth Rs 300 crore delisted in Mumbai, and got it listed in London for Rs 4,000 crore…So, let me give you an advice. The more you spin a story, the more you go ahead, but donot lie.”)
AAP KI ADALAT with natural resources billionaire Anil Agarwal will be re-telecast tonight at 10 pm on India TV.
