A day before my retirement, as I sit with the ones closest to me for lunch, my eyes swell with appreciation.

My 50-year journey in the Mahindra group would not have been possible without the support of these wonderful people who helped manage, not only my office but also my life; as I spent more time in the Gateway building and Mahindra Towers than at home.

The journey started with young Smita. She was just out of college (and still in her teens) when she joined Mahindra Sintered in Pune to help me with my office work. It’s been nearly 40 years since I left Pune, but I knew Smita was always there to help me in any situation. She treats me as a part of her family both, in good times like her children’s marriages, or not-so-good times when she lost her husband, Vijay, a very fine and equally helpful gentleman. What really touched my heart was when my boss in MSP, Brij Kataria, fell seriously ill a couple of years after her retirement. She looked after him for more than a year like a daughter as Mr. Kataria’s children live abroad and couldn’t be there all the time.

Then came Bala! I was new to Gateway building and he had spent 40 years with the group working with doyens like Mr I. Chatterji and other directors of M&M. He helped a young manager in his 30s to settle in with the stalwarts of the Mahindra group and taught me the skills needed at that level. Thank you, Bala.

A couple of years before Bala was to retire, I was privileged to have Margret join my office. She was like a good school headmistress. She was totally disciplined and a no-nonsense lady who brought discipline into my work life. Thank you Margaret for everything. I miss you. .

In between for a short while, I had Sabina, a lady with a golden heart and always willing to work with a smile. Unfortunately, Sabina could not be there for the team lunch as she was travelling overseas. God bless you!

Last 25 years of my life, I was blessed to have Davida and Glory help me cope with probably the most challenging part of my corporate life. Two very different personalities who complimented each other's strengths and helped me tide over all the challenges with several startups in my portfolio. A time when I was on the Board of nearly a dozen companies as diverse as advertising to oil drilling, waterworks and real estate to hospitality. Between the two of them they not only managed my complex work life but they made sure all the relevant papers were ready before every meeting, correspondence was up to date, frequent travel was seamless and at the same time life was comfortable. Without you two ladies, I would not have achieved even a small fraction of what I achieved. My heartfelt gratitude. God bless you, Davida and Glory.