Page 167 - SocialHarmony

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The Spirit of Family in Business

(Mahatma Gandhi Shram Sahyog Award, IIM,
Ahmedabad. April 4, 2005)

There is a common misconception in business field that an
industrialist is someone who invests in business. We have
tried to change this fundamental belief. We have tried to add
something to the meaning. We believe that financial investment
is not the only investment. The one who gives knowledge and
the one who works hard in business is also an investor, and in
turn, an owner. We consider hard work an investment. The
amalgamation of all the three enlightens the spirit of family in
a business. This is the fundamental idea of business. The
financial investor knows that his company is doing well only
because of the manager of his company because knowledge is
also an investment.

He knows that as a businessman, his only investment is
money. If this feeling is cultivated, and every work is accepted
as an individual strength, the feeling of family and partnership
in business will arise automatically. This makes every employee
belong to the company. And once every single worker starts
having family feelings for the company, the company is surely
on its way to progress. Therefore, to cut a long story short, we
should work with the feeling of family and belongingness in
business. I firmly believe that this idea will lead us to superior
results.

It is only by the gift of God that it is possible to skilfully
manage industries in a land where there is scarcity of natural