Ramjibhai
never had any selfish intentions of keeping the rewards of his efforts only for
himself and his family. Such tendencies were not in his nature. He was a very
generous person and believed that as many people as possible should benefit
from the work he did. If his achievements did not benefit others then these
achievements did not give him any gratification. He was always ready to
distribute the fruits of his labours with a free hand. Many examples of his
foresight and generosity can be seen in his personal and public life. All of
Kamani’s factories benefitted from Kamani Industry’s contacts in India and
abroad, their own expert engineers, the successful outcomes of their experiments
and Ramjibhai’s own experience, so Ramjibhai was inspired to start a scheme
whereby others could also get the same benefits.
During
a visit to America, Shri Poonamchand, his eldest son had spoken to an engineer
about Ramjibhai’s foresight and generosity. This American engineer took great interest in
this matter and put forward a plan to Shri Poonamchand as to how these
qualities could be given concrete form.
A plan
was put into action to establish an institution whereby the various factories
of Kamani Industries would be able to avail of expert guidance, advice and
suggestions for industrial diversification and manufacture of new items; and
these benefits would also be available others. Such an institution came into
existence on the 4th September, 1962 under the name of ‘Consultant
Private Ltd.’ This institution was set up in such a way that it could give expert
advice and suggestions on the engineering aspects and also on managerial
aspects. Expert technical advice on different aspects of engineering was being
carried out in a big way in America, England and Canada – arrangements were
made to get expert guidance in various fields from some institutions in these
countries. These institutions were: Triphels & Rosetti, McKay &
Funelmen and Shovnigan Engineering Company.
To
enable others to avail of this expert guidance and advice, experienced, senior
engineers from the Kamani group – Shri N.R. Parikh, P.C.N. Mazumdar and J.S.
Fevrani - were appointed as directors of the consulting company that had been
formed. Another director, Prof. S.V. Ghatalia was appointed to give advice related
to financial and taxation matters, Shri V. Ishwaran, who was an ex-minister of
Gujarat and a retired ICS officer was appointed as an executive director, John
Porters, Prof. Cyril Rekar and Dr. Aloz Zoomer from Yugoslavia and the ex chief
engineer of the Swedish Power Board, O.D. Zatar and Prof. D.E. Othmar from the
Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute in America were taken as expert technical
directors.
In
the short span of three years this institution gave expert technical advice to
Kamani Industries, for development, diversification and industrial expansion.
In addition, keeping these organisations in mind, it gave expert guidance on financial
and managerial matters for the growth and development of Kamani Engineering,
Kamani Metals and Alloys, Kamani Metalic Oxide, Kamani Tubes. It also gave a
great deal of expert advice and guidance on matters related to the labour
problems of the workers of Indian Rubber, the new buildings of Kamani Chambers
and the schemes for manufacture of industrial jewels.
In
addition the institution also showed its readiness to give expert advice on the
schemes of Kamani Industries in the planning stage and at each new phase.
The
institution also gave expert advice and guidance for the development and
diversification of other industries in the country, which were in different fields
from those in which Kamani Industries was involved. Thus Ramjibhai’s broad
minded ideas gradually became a reality.
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