An entrepreneur extraordinaire charts his life story from a studious young boy to an experienced businessman who climbed the ladder of success with his brainchild Praj Industries.
What seems clear from the narrative is that Chaudhari trusted his instincts and showed rare determination. His childhood posed many challenges but Chaudhari took it in his stride.
From his father losing his job and his subsequent move to Pune for his schooling, Chaudhari learnt a lot about life at an early age. Being an excellent student, Chaudhari banked on his scholastic strength to move forward in his chosen engineering field.
Life wasn’t a bed of roses for young Chaudhari as moved from Fergusson College to IIT Powai. Faced with the daunting task of rubbing shoulders with equals or even better students, Chaudhari learnt to apply himself better after a few shock results. The new teaching methods plus life in a hostel ultimately strengthened his resolve and he was ready to take on his career as an engineer.
As a junior, Chaudhari came face to face with many issues which ultimately shaped his thinking when he started off on his own. From facing a dominating union leader to handling a tricky change of job with a competitor, Chaudhari got invaluable hands-on experience. The Praj success story dominates the book. Chaudhari was lucky to find a few like-minded individuals as he converted a small firm working from a tiny office to a major company with international connections.The company did not have it easy. It had its ups and downs and in particular the financial crisis of 2009 hit it hard.
Chaudhari’s philosophy of running his firm like life – with its joys and sorrows – emerges strong through the story.
His ambition to succeed with forgetting the values of life is at the root of his rise. Chaudhari is blunt enough to criticise where the need arises but the human touch is always present.
Chaudhari’s life story is not complete without the strong support he received from his wife Parimal. Marrying her when she was just 17, Chaudhari is eternally grateful for the backing he received from his wife.Right from living in a two-room house to a huge home later in life, Parimal withstood all the difficulties with aplomb and stood by her husband. Chaudhari devotes a whole chapter to her in appreciation.
In the final reckoning, Chaudhari hopes that his book will prove an inspiration for many young entrepreneurs who are starting their careers. Chaudhari’s narrative is to the point. He does not waste time philosophising on the various merits and demerits of his career and business.That makes for easy reading.
It is a valuable book for start-ups as it gives an insight into the world of business. Even for those without a business bent of mind, the book captures the life story of a man who is determined to succeed.
Note : The Marathi edition of this book will be available from January 6th, 2017
Pune365: This is a commercial book review
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