That Baba was an extraordinary, yet unusual man is a statement his colleagues and friends agree with to this day. He wasn’t a run of the mill businessman – he had a big heart and a zest for life, qualities that are unbeknownst to anyone who was self employed in that decade. His heart was seen by many through his generosity, which was not only reserved for family but shone through whenever anyone, friend or foe, approached him for help.
As the eldest Pradhan sibling, it was only natural for him to follow and hold true the rich legacy left behind after the untimely and sudden demise of his father in 1954. I think Baba was about 18 years old at that time, an age when most of his peers were busy exploring the dusty streets of the then-Bombay with their friends or were busy seeking career options and creating plans for their future. Fate had already cut his work out for him. It took Baba little time to realize how important it was to have his father’s calloused hand over his head, protecting him from the tough, weather hardened world that Baba now ventured into everyday in order to earn bread and butter with which to feed his family. His father’s friends had now become strangers and the depth of familial relationships was put to test in this time of crisis.
Baba understood that he had to fend for himself and also took on the responsibility of providing a good education and livelihood for all his siblings, who were relatively young at that time. He came from a family where education was of paramount importance. His father was among the first Ph.D’s from the Mumbai University – a man whose principles were grounded in the sound belief that knowledge was the only thing that could elevate man. Venturing into business was unheard of in the Pradhan family but when the responsibility of the house fell on Baba’s shoulders, the harsh reality of the potholed path that lay ahead became very clear. At the age of 22, Baba started working full time at the Shops and Establishment Department of the Municipal Corporation of Bombay while also pursuing his Bachelor of Arts.
Though he wasn’t happy at his job in the Municipal Corporation, his hard work, determination, and grit, coupled with the realization of being the sole bread winner of the family, were reasons enough for him to inculcate a deeply rooted ambition of changing his life and his family’s life for the better.
His colleagues remember him as someone who always wanted to be a big fish. While he was happy when he achieved his goals, his dream was to do something that was worth remembering. And, what a glorious journey he set out for…a journey that became a legacy, something for people to remember and cherish him by.
Alcock Ashdown
After a brief stint at the Municipal Corporation of Bombay, Baba joined Alcock Ashdown as Head Clerk. Because the importance of education was drilled into his mind from a very young age, Baba earned his B.Com degree while working at Alcock Ashdown and was soon promoted to Junior Accountant.
At Alcock Ashdown, Baba worked under senior English bosses – an opportunity that he used to his best advantage. He ensured that he spent time learning under them, by observing their actions, their way of talking and the immaculate manner in which they conducted business. Being in the company of such sophisticated and refined businessmen had a nurturing effect on his inner entrepreneur who was absorbing everything around him. He received training in running many different aspects of the business, especially important tasks like managing company accounts, drafting correspondence, and dealing with clients and vendors. This helped hone his presentation and negotiation skills, which were going to be put in use soon.
His colleague, Melville George, sums up Baba as a hot tempered, stubborn man…but a kind hearted soul who loved life, a lovely human being was an excellent administrator albeit a poor businessman.
By 1961, Baba completed a program in business management and industrial management from the Bajaj Institute of Management, post which he received another promotion, this time as Chief Accounts Officer. That he was able to educate himself beyond what was considered good education in those times is attributed to his love of learning and his innate desire to accumulate and use this knowledge for the benefit of his family.
In 1968, Turner Morrison & Company, a larger enterprise that managed Alcock Ashdown and a few other smaller units, went into liquidation. After the closure of the company, Baba decided it was time to take the inner entrepreneur out and embarked on the tough, potholed road ahead – the road which first stopped at Dharukhana and finally, in Thane.
The Birth of Mangala Engineering Works
Because Alcock Ashdown was operating in the shipping industry, Baba put all his learning and knowledge he had obtained from his English bosses to use by establishing a small company that imported steel plates. This company was into buying and selling marine quality steel that was used in the construction of ships at Mazgaon dock.
He was able to bring together a group of highly skilled people who came from different areas of expertise. Their combined knowledge had the potential to lead Mangala and its future endeavors onto a path of success. In the initial years, possibly between 1968 and 1973, the small Dharukhana company ventured into steel fabrication and repair work at Mazgaon dock with the assistance of his group of skilled resources. Baba, being a superb people administrator, had already completed the all important task of having a highly skilled team that was more than happy to join the shipping company Baba floated later.
This team of people, under Baba’s able guidance, allowed the business to build its reputation as a reliable shipping company which had the potential to perform bigger tasks due to the sheer diligence and qualifications of the workforce.
In 1974, the company was allotted a stretch of land for building a shipyard by the industries minister, K.R. Antulay. The land wasn’t much to speak of, so to say. During the Bhoomi Pujan, barely two people could sit in the area as most of it was marshy land which needed to be filled before it could be used constructively for ship building. The reason Baba chose this piece of land was because of its strategic location, it had a water front of 200 meters, making it ideal for launching ships of large dimensions. Filling the land was back breaking work and it wasn’t only the land that required his attention – there was staff that needed constant motivation, accounts that needed to be managed, and a burning desire to be successful in the journey he had set out on. In spite of all the odds that life presented, Mangala was destined to succeed under Baba’s aegis.
The success that Mangala found was primarily because of one factor – Baba’s strength of turning his adversaries into his biggest supporters. He always made people feel at ease around him, whether it was government officials or the security guard who saluted him every time he entered the shipping yard. It was an ability that was imbibed in him. He treated everyone with dignity and respect and expected the same in return. There is an incident that I remember well and one which illustrates how important his self esteem was.
Baba was waiting to meet the owners of a large shipping conglomerate. The owners failed to keep the appointment and made him wait for quite a while. Although patient, Baba left the venue leaving a note for the owners. Though this deal, if finalized, would have been very lucrative for Mangala, it wasn’t something Baba would have given up his self respect for.
It was a valuable lesson for all his colleagues and to this day, most claim they learned the essential virtue of respecting all human beings as equals from Baba. That was the kind of effect he had on people.
Baba was an administrator who believed in action and leading by example. He was willing to don a multitude of avatars for Mangala’s success – he could be a welder, accountant, manager, and much more whenever the need arose. People said he took on many responsibilities, failing in some but shining through in others.
In the period between 1977 and 1979, the company started export activities to the Gulf and built several ocean going vessels and pontoons for the Indian Navy. Because of the immense growth the company experienced in a short time, it bagged the All India Export Award two years in succession.
Shipbuilding had finally taken off at Mangala! The shipyard quickly became a hub of activity, with more than 200 employees working in three shifts, turning fabricated steel into ships ranging from 100 to 200 DWT in capacity. It was not long before the company started building ships to trade in its own name.
Taking financial aid from the Shipping Investment and Credit Corporation of India, MEW built two twin screw fully ocean going flat bottom vessels of 800 DWT capacity and capable of carrying approximately 1300 tons of cargo in their holds. The two flagship vessels of Mangala Engineering Works were named Mangal Asha and Mangal Meena, to acknowledge the silent contributions made by the wives of MEW directors.
Mangal Asha and Mangal Meena were soon engaged in lucrative contracts along the coastline of India, carrying cement, chemicals, and automotives for several companies. Some prominent MEW clients included Chowgule Shipping, Essar, Gujarat Ambuja, and Dawood Saudagar timber merchants.
Following the success of these two ships, the company launched Mangal Tara and Mangal Jyoti, with both having twice the capacity of their predecessors.
During 1987 and 1989, poor health forced Baba to retire from business, following two massive heart attacks. The government was busy constructing rail and road bridges on either side of the shipyard, making it very difficult for MEW to build large capacity ships. This move was favorable for Mangala’s competitors but it tested Baba’s ingenuity and his ability to think ahead of his time.
Baba created a plan for converting the existing shipyard into a holiday resort, taking advantage of the scenic location and the serene and calm water front. In some ways, it was a battle for change, for survival, for creating something better from what remained. In the following years, I worked hard with Baba to prepare a detailed report for what would have been our dream project, the YOKO Holiday Resort but things took a turn for the worse and we bid good bye to Mangala.
The way Baba conducted business is perhaps best described by his colleague, Arindam Ganguly:
“To sum up, Ram Pradhan was –
Impulsive
Generous
Impetuous
Proud
Without inhibitions
Unconventional
Reckless
Inquisitive
Adventurous
Uncalculating”
What a befitting way to sum up Baba’s many different qualities.