“Our organisation and culture is based on professionalism and values. I think my children reflect both.”
― Ajay Piramal
“I am humble enough to understand there are many people who know much more than I do on many subjects, so I listen to them. Integrity is also critical to leadership, so I believe there must always be alignment between what you think, say, and do.”
― Ajay Piramal
“Manufacturing is finite, but human intellect is infinite. Textile is all about manufacturing, and industries like pharmaceuticals are all about human intellect.”
― Ajay Piramal
“Investment in Shriram will actually enable us to enter some of the retail segments such as vehicle financing, consumer and gold loans, and other products such as insurance, mutual funds, among others, where we wanted to have a footprint.”
― Ajay Piramal
“We always set ambitious goals in our group, and I have found that if you set your mind to it, you can do it ,and sometimes all the circumstances will play in your favour.”
― Ajay Piramal
“Textile mills are not a very high-margin business and have fixed overheads, so it was challenging. But I think it is only in challenges that you get opportunities.”
― Ajay Piramal
“In any merger, when you have large organisations coming together, there will be challenges in terms of culture.”
― Ajay Piramal
“There will be good times, and there will be bad, but one has to, to the extent possible, take things in one’s stride.”
― Ajay Piramal
“We are disciples of Krishna, and we look at ourselves like Arjun in the battlefield.”
― Ajay Piramal
“Within the renewables space, we are focused on solar and wind energy.”
― Ajay Piramal
“Spirituality permeates all aspects of your life and business is just one part of your life.”
― Ajay Piramal
“I think my greatest virtue is that I have the courage to take tough decisions. As for my greatest fault, I guess I should be a little tougher. The feedback I get always is that I am not as tough and demanding as I should be.”
― Ajay Piramal
“Leadership is more than just managing economic reforms. Leadership means giving broad direction, take up challenges which other people cannot do.”
― Ajay Piramal
“Our philosophy always teaches us that you can have intense activity, but inside, you have to have peace. The office has to reflect that.”
― Ajay Piramal
“Our risk systems and processes – we keep investing and improving them.”
― Ajay Piramal
“I think public sector banks need to have greater private participation of people who have skin in the game.”
― Ajay Piramal
“You cannot have the financial system crippled because of lack of decision making and lack of quality people.”
― Ajay Piramal
“Governance is very important in NBFCs.”
― Ajay Piramal
“Horses and dogs were part of my growing up years.”
― Ajay Piramal
“There are very few who have the privileges I have, and, therefore, it is essential that we give back to society.”
― Ajay Piramal
“I have always said that you have to fail. If you do not fail, it means you have never taken enough risks.”
― Ajay Piramal
“I may believe in something, but if it is not working and is not giving returns, we have to close it down because that is the right thing to do for the shareholders.”
― Ajay Piramal
“We have been successful in buying and selling companies because we have a reputation of fulfilling deal terms in letter and spirit.”
― Ajay Piramal
“When we exited the textiles business, we paid our bankers and labourers. We must have been the only company to do that.”
― Ajay Piramal
“People say values are expensive, but I say they create economic value.”
― Ajay Piramal
“Governments cannot do innovation. There are too many audits, and no one stays in a role for long enough.”
― Ajay Piramal
“Innovation means taking risks, and that is where the private sector can play a role.”
― Ajay Piramal
“The role of a trustee is to ensure beneficiaries get the best returns, without the trustee benefitting.”
― Ajay Piramal
“Humility, we say, is very important because we feel humility means the ability to listen, the ability to respect another’s opinion and to find that everybody around you in some subject knows more.”
― Ajay Piramal
“We will follow in letter and spirit whatever the RBI rules and guidelines are – whether at the holding company level or individual company level.”
― Ajay Piramal
“It was always the intention that Shriram would have started a bank at some point.”
― Ajay Piramal
“In a crisis, you separate the men from the boys.”
― Ajay Piramal
“We are a very systems- and process- driven business which reports directly to the board, whether it is risk or legal.”
― Ajay Piramal
“I am not for buying into financial services firms because I am not sure of the quality.”
― Ajay Piramal
“We have a unique culture.”
― Ajay Piramal
“I am overall optimistic about India’s growth.”
― Ajay Piramal
“Everywhere in the world, when you travel, you see structures that stand out. Historic structures and new structures. But in India, I don’t see anything that stands out.”
― Ajay Piramal
“We entered into the pharmaceutical industry in 1988, and since then, we have grown significantly on the back of a growing demand in India for pharmaceutical products.”
― Ajay Piramal
“Fortunately, in Piramal Enterprises, we are in three broad sectors. One is in the whole financial services sector, the second is in pharmaceuticals, and the third is in healthcare analytics and data.”
― Ajay Piramal
“Coming to the growth potential in financial services, there is enough data to show that, usually, financial services grow about twice or two and a half times of what the economy, the GDP growth rates.”
― Ajay Piramal
“There is nothing similar between the pharmaceutical and textile business.”
― Ajay Piramal
“Demonetisation was always on the government’s radar and was part of the plan from day one when Narendra Modi took over as prime minister, as he was concerned about the black money.”
― Ajay Piramal
“Buying a house is not an overnight decision, and people can wait for 3 to 6 months.”
― Ajay Piramal
“When we look at our business, we are not that concerned about short term valuations.”
― Ajay Piramal
“In pharma or in information, you have to invest for three or four years, and then you start seeing returns.”
― Ajay Piramal
“There are always highs and lows in life, but if you maintain an even keel, then you can take the right decisions.”
― Ajay Piramal
“We take dispassionate view of our investments. Does it mean that we are looking out to monetise the investment? That is not correct. But if we get an offer that we cannot refuse, as I say, then it is not that we are not, that we will still hold on to the investment.”
― Ajay Piramal
“Sometimes, we get mixed up when we say that profit is not important for stakeholders. Oxygen is not the reason a person lives. But it is essential to have oxygen, although it’s not the only reason for a person’s existence. It is similar for profit.”
― Ajay Piramal
“In the pharma space, we have been growing both organically as well as through acquisitions.”
― Ajay Piramal
“We’ve always been influenced by some of India’s greatest minds.”
― Ajay Piramal
“Normally, Indian companies follow the trend set by companies abroad. There is usually a long lag period.”
― Ajay Piramal
“In any technology, one has to be very careful to ensure that it is good and has enough safeguards.”
― Ajay Piramal
“Life looked bleak when I became chairman of the group at the age of 29. But I survived, as the Lord must have carried me when I needed Him the most.”
― Ajay Piramal
“Disabilities and misfortune can make you stronger.”
― Ajay Piramal
“Many people say that in a liberalised world there is little for the government to do, but the fact is that there is much for the government to do in fewer areas. One such area is to provide infrastructure.”
― Ajay Piramal
“The Internet can bring us much closer to the developed world.”
― Ajay Piramal
“Indians are very intelligent – of that, there is no doubt – but we are not necessarily hard working.”
― Ajay Piramal
“Our responsibility is to maximise shareholder value, and if that means we can make short-term investment where we can maximise short-term value, we can do that.”
― Ajay Piramal
“In life, there are always intense battles, and yet we must practise the lessons from the Gita.”
― Ajay Piramal
“If you concentrate on action and forget the results, you actually perform much better, because then you are not worried what will happen.”
― Ajay Piramal
“We never thought about getting into banking, as it is not an attractive business as perceived generally. This was also not a consideration when we decided to invest in Shriram Group.”
― Ajay Piramal
“Share your prosperity.”
― Ajay Piramal
“Don’t hoard your wealth. Instead, live the life you want with the wealth you have been blessed with, but also make it beneficial for the good of the larger community.”
― Ajay Piramal
“It is very clear for us; we will do whatever is in the best interest of Shriram shareholders.”
― Ajay Piramal
“In pharma, we continuously look for acquisitions… if it makes strategic sense and if there is any value.”
― Ajay Piramal
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