On March 2nd, 2012, I had an experience of a lifetime when I met Late Sri Suresh Hundre, Ex – CMD of Polyhydron group of companies, Belgaum.
He is an unbelievable combination of ambition, humility, success, spirituality, and much more. Having one such quality will make us feel proud of ourselves.
Having all of them in ONE man is surreal.
In the past 35 years, his company has not paid a single rupee as a bribe nor generated a single rupee as black money.
His group company’s turnover is about 125 crores. He works at a profit margin of about 40%. For every working hour, he pays an income tax of Rs 50,000/-.
He shares his wealth with his employees open-heartedly. In the previous 4 years, every employee had got a bonus of 100%.
With a wry smile he shared, ‘Earlier, we would take shortcuts and earn by cheating and other malpractices. One incident changed my life. One IT inspector understood the fudging of our records and filed a case against us.
Sri. Suresh Hundre’s wife was an inactive partner in the firm. She was innocent in truth but not in the eyes of law.
For mistakes done by him, his wife was now paying the price and standing as an offender. He felt a deep sense of shame and vowed to make corrections.
He decided, he will face any challenge, but he will never generate a single rupee as black money.
At that moment, there were 18 of us with Sri Suresh Hundre in that room. There was pin-drop silence there. We were speechless.
Till then, I had believed, in our beloved India, doing business without corruption is impossible.
I wanted to believe, in our beloved India, becoming successful without corruption is impossible.
Remember, he pays an income tax of about Rs 50,000/- for every WORKING HOUR.
With a nostalgic look in his eyes, Mr Suresh Hundre said, “It has not been easy. It has been very very difficult. But, it has been WORTH IT“. And he beamed a smile at all of us.
It was a moment that will always be etched in my mind. That smile!
It was not a smile of arrogance. It was not a smile that challenged you. It was a smile filled with encouragement. It was a smile that a grandfather has when he shares a naughty childhood secret with his grandchildren and the grandchildren are a little scandalized but in total awe of the grandfather. Ahaaa! To be there in those moments was sheer bliss.
Sri Suresh Hundre said, “I do not ask anyone to follow my path. This path is difficult. All that I request is, stop saying it is not possible. Start saying, IT IS POSSIBLE.”
When we bid farewell to Sri Suresh Hundre, I read the back sticker on his Reva, “Just a drop in the ocean.”
Yes, indeed a drop in the ocean. But not ‘just’ a drop. He is the drop that becomes the pearl. He is that pearl that is the rarest and the most precious.
Thank you Sri Suresh Hundre. You inspired me deeply!
With love, prayers and exceptional wishes,
Change your thoughts. Change your life
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