"Making of Reliance Jamnagar Refinery"; this documentary is undoubtedly an inspiring story, certainly worth watching. I visited the Hazira plant of Reliance sometime in 1998 and I was awestruck by the size of their plant. But folks at Reliance Hazira told me… ‘You should go and visit our Jamnagar refinery. You will feel this Hazira plant is a small garage as compared to our Jamnagar refinery’.
Reliance is a giant company. It is a giant in every respect, in terms of production scale, market reach, execution speed, revenue, number of people working, but most importantly in terms of ambition. We read about "BHAG" in books; this company is (& was) always driven by Big Hairy Audacious Goals. Here good people are trusted and encouraged to take quick decisions. People may have to explain if a decision goes wrong, but they are never punished for a wrong decision. They are always encouraged to make quick decisions. In spite of being a huge company, it was the most agile company I have worked in.
"Think big, think fast, think ahead. Ideas are no one's monopoly". It was mesmerizing to read that every time I used to enter DAKC.
I came across Reliance two times in my life. First time as my customer when I was working for MASTEK. And the second time as my employer, when I joined Reliance Infocomm.
Here are a couple of people you will see in the above documentary, who also played a big role in the building of Reliance Infocomm and with whom I had a big/small interaction in my Reliance Infocomm days.
** ** Manoj Modi (@ 2:03 and 12:21 in this documentary)
Known as MM. MM was (and is) the most respected (& also the most feared) task master in entire Reliance empire. He is also the most powerful & most trusted right-hand man of Mukesh Ambani. The story goes that he was a classmate of Mukeshbhai, and both of them passed out as Chem. Engineers from UDCT, which is a highly renowned Chem Engineering College. Both of them started their life in Reliance together. In his early days in Reliance, MM approached the late Shri Dhirubhai and sought his permission to take a break to go to USA for his MBA. Dhirubhai told MM…. ‘No university in the world can teach you what you can learn in Reliance now and here. So, stop wasting my time & your time and get back to work’.
In the days when Reliance Infocomm was being built, MM’s favorite catchline was…. ‘Bees Hajjar Karod Jameen Me Gaada Hai. Usakao Kaise Baahar Nikalana Hai Wo Socho’. (200 Billion USD have been buried. Think about how to take it out.)
He used to refer to ‘20 thousand crore’ as the cost of fiber optic cable network created by Reliance across the country. I am sure he was using that number as a placeholder. But he was close. And that was good enough to drive the point.
I joined Reliance Infocomm even before the service was launched, in the days when the company was being built; the ideal time to work in Reliance, a god sent opportunity. At that time thousands of Telecom experts, Mgmt consultants, Biz launch strategists, etc from dozens of multinational companies across the globe were in DAKC, Navi Mumbai. All working day and night. All working towards launching a mobile service that will be cheaper than the cost of sending a letter by post (that was the mandate set by late Shri. Dhirubhai). Within 2-3 months of my joining Reliance Infocomm, MM called a review meeting on a Sunday morning. There were about 15-16 top brass executives in the room, many of them top-grade Telecom experts and others with very Sr. positions in Reliance. I had heard a lot about MM and his style of working and TALKING. But this was my very first meeting with him and within a few minutes of the meeting, I was terrified & shell-shocked by his style of talking. Very soon it was my turn to present. I talked for about 5-6 min. MM listened intently and asked very pointed questions which I could answer. And then he asked for something for which I replied… “Yes, it is already done and all those reports are ready with me in my office”.
So, he asked… ‘where is your office’. I said… ‘on 2nd floor’. (Luckily, we were sitting in a conf-room on 3rd floor of the same building where my office was.) He thought for a moment and said… ‘OK, get it’.
I walked down to my office on 2nd floor, picked up those reports, and came back to Conf-room in less than 2 Mins. MM was visibly surprised to see me back so fast, and he said… ‘Are wah, Tum To Such Me Aa Gaye. Idharse Jo Jata Hai, Itane Jaldi Koi Nahi Aata’. (Oh, you really came back. Whoever leaves this room, nobody comes back so fast).
And he gave a broad smile. Yes, MM actually gave me a broad smile. Then he looked at the reports and he seemed very happy. The review with others continued, and there were more fireworks, but eventually, the meeting got over. That was my 1st interaction with THE MM of Reliance. Later I interacted with him for about 8-10 times, and never ever it was fireworks for which he was known in the entire Reliance empire.
So much so, I even have a pleasant memory of MM. Once he walked into our floor, it was a floor about 200x300 Ft. I was at another corner but I could see him walking in. MM saw me from far away and to the top of his voice he loudly said…. ‘O Satees bhai, Kaise Ho?’ (Hey Satish, how are things?) People around me were stunned in disbelief.
I was shell-shocked again (but this time in a pleasant way). For next 2 days, I had become the talk of the campus. People were talking about me… ‘This is that new guy who MM greeted by calling out his first name’.
** ** Hital Meswani (@ 10:40 in this documentary)
He holds a quite Sr. position in Reliance and he is one of the trusted men of Mukeshbhai. Also happens to be a cousin of Mukeshbhai.
When the service launch date in Reliance Infocomm was very close, Comverse (one of the key technology suppliers in BSS space) made some serious goof-up. A bunch of people (including me) were working day and night to resolve the mess. After two and half days, we brought the system back on track. Sur Saab took few us to "I Block" office to brief Hital Meswani. I Block is the building in DAKC, where Mukeshbhai & few other top executives have their office. (In Reliance, Arun Sur was known as Bhishm Pitamah of the Indian Telecom industry. His word was final in many areas.) Sur saab briefed Hitalbhai that things are back on track etc. Hitalbhai was quite relieved, in the course of the discussion Shri Hital Meswani asked about some very minor thing which ideally should have been done, but was not done. Sur saab asked Hitalbhai in an irritated tone…. ‘Do you know these boys are working nonstop for the last 60 Hrs? All such minor things can wait'.
To this Hitalbhai quickly (and in an apologetic tone) replied… ‘sure sure; these things can wait’.
** ** VV Bhat (@ 13:46 in the documentary)
About 6 months after the go-live of nationwide service launch of Reliance Infocomm, I decided to move on. A SaaS product company in Andheri had offered me a good position with good work of my liking. I gathered my courage and went with my resignation to my boss (Sinha saab). He took the paper from me, read it, and asked me if I was serious.
I said… ‘I am lucky to work for such a mammoth project of the nationwide launch of service, but now it is time to move on’.
He looked at my resignation printout once again and tore it, threw the paper in the dustbin, and told me… ‘You are doing a stupid thing. Now go back to work’.
I came back to my office completely clueless. After about four days I went back to Sinha saab again to request him to relieve me. He said things are beyond his control, he had talked to VV Bhat saab about my resignation, and if I insist on resigning then I should go and talk to Bhat saab to get my relieving letter from him. VV Bhat saab was the HR boss for the entire Reliance empire. He was not only the right-hand man of Mukeshbhai, but also had been the right-hand man of the late Shri Dhirubhai Ambani. The story goes that he was also Ambani’s THE man who tackles Delhi. And here my boss was telling me to go and meet VV Bhat saab. Now I was not only clueless but scared also.
After about 1 week, I went to the office of VV Bhat saab. I had never seen him before. Someone in his office pointed me to an elderly and extremely dignified-looking gentleman. Bhat saab (Ambani’s Man who tackles Delhi) was casually standing in the corridor and talking to someone. I walked towards them and stood there maintaining an appropriate distance. Bhat saheb noticed that I was waiting for him. When he finished, he walked towards me and asked me if I was waiting for him. I said… ‘Yes. Sinha saab has directed me to approach you’.
He immediately said in fluent Marathi…. ‘OK, Tumhi Vengurlekar ka? Tumhi resign Karu Naka. Sinha saheb aani Sur saheb mazyashi bolale. Mi Tumach compensation double karayala sangital aahe. So don’t worry’. (Oh, You are that Vengurlekar? Mr. Sinha & Mr. Sur spoke to me about you. I have already instructed HR folks to double your compensation package. So don't worry).
In Reliance, Arun Sur was called the Bhishm Pitamah of the Indian Telecom Industry. I had no idea that my resignation news had reached Sur saab also. Not only it had reached him, he personally talked to Bhat saheb to stop me. I told Bhat saheb that I was leaving for want of a different kind of work, not for money at all. He listened to me patiently and with a smiling face he said… ‘OK, think over it and come back after one week’.
I went to meet him again after one week. He asked me whether I wanted to leave? I sheepishly said… ‘Yes’. He gave me a warm smile and said… ‘OK, I will talk to Sinha saab to relieve you’.
After that, the relieving process was long but at least now it was confirmed.
** **AG Dawda (@ 5:28 in this documentary)
I never interacted with Dawda saab, actually I never even saw him. But here is a small incident that gives a glimpse of Mukeshbhai.
AG Dawda was the man tasked by Dhirubhai Ambani for building the Jamnagar refinery. The story goes that AG Dawda was in some gulf country in some refinery at some extremely senior position. Dhirubhai invited him to Mumbai for a chat and took him from Mumbai to Jamnagar by helicopter and while hovering over the land of Would-Be Jamnagar refinery, Dhirubhai told him… ‘Yeh Sab Jagah, Jidhar Tak Tumhara Najar Jata Hai, Yeh Sab Jagah Tumhara Hai. Yeh Jagah Ke Upar Tumhe Reliance Refinery Banana Hai’. That was how Dhirubhai roped in AG Dawda Saab. While I was in Reliance, AG Dawda had an office in DAKC, though I never saw him. Once I was called to I Block ( I Block was the building where all top bosses used to have their office). In "I Block", I was walking down the passage on the 3rd floor. And from the opposite direction, Mukeshbhai came walking toward me.
The receptionist was quite far from him.
In a loud voice (but in a polite tone) he asked the receptionist….. ‘Arey Aaj Dawda Saab Aaye Hai Kya? ( Dawada Sir is in office? )
She replied…. ‘Abhi Tak To Nahi Aaye Hai. ( Not in yet).
Mukeshbhai said… ‘Theek Hai’. ( It is all right).
And then he turned around and walked back to his office.
I happened to be in a group discussion with Mukeshbhai on a couple of occasions and he is exceptionally polite and soft-spoken, even with very very junior staff.
A couple of people not seen in this documentary, but I feel like mentioning.
** Ashish Chauhan:
A Sr. executive & a very very trusted man of Mukeshbhai, but a man who preferred to maintain a rather low profile. He was the person who took my interview while I was about to join Reliance. I had left my previous Org because I wanted to come back to Mumbai. The CEO of my previous Org had talked about me to folks in Reliance, as a result, the interview was less of questions & more of a pleasant discussion. Ashish asked me what I would have done if I had complete liberty to do whatever I wanted to do. I said I would have become a reporter for National Geographic. And in spite of my answer, he offered me a position in Reliance 😊
Today Ashish Chauhan is MD & CEO of the National Stock Exchange, and prior to that, he was MD & CEO of the Bombay Stock Exchange.
** Arun Sur:
As
mentioned earlier, in Reliance, Sur saab was fondly called the
Bhishm Pitamah of OSS side of Telecom. Since I was on BSS side, I had no opportunity to work under him. But I do remember one day when I had a close encounter with Sur saab.
We had planned a Limited Launch of Service (Sort of a Beta launch) in multiple Telecom circles, I think it was Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan and a few more. The limited launch was scheduled to start at 00:01 in the night. There was a major piece of work pending on OSS side, which kept us waiting till about 3 AM. Without completing that work, the phones could have started working, but certain problems would have made it a major embarrassment for Reliance Infocomm. Since that problem was not resolved, I decided not to press the final “Go Live” button. I came back home at about 4 AM, had a short nap, and was getting ready to go back to the office at about 7 AM when my phone started ringing. My wife picked up the phone and told the caller that I am taking a bath. The man on the other side said… ‘This is Arun Sur. Tell him to call me back.'
Now I had never ever worked under him, not even interacted with him. But it seems the news has reached him that I had refused to launch the service last night.
My wife told me….
‘One Mr. Arun Sur had called. He was sounding full of authority and was not very happy with you. He is expecting a call from you.’
I called him back and before I could say anything, he said…. ‘Who aborted the launch last night? Tell me his name and I will go after him’.
Now that is not something I wanted to hear from anybody in Reliance, and not at all from Arun Sur saab.
I managed to keep my voice steady and said…. ‘Sir, it was me. I aborted the launch last night'.
There was silence for about 4-5 seconds and then he said…. ‘Come and meet me today morning’.
When I reached the office, my team was visibly tense. The news has reached everybody that Sur saab is extremely upset with me and he had asked me to meet him in his office. I got a message that Sur saab is going to hold a meeting in a conf-room in NOC and he had called me over there. NOC is Network Operation Center. Once you enter the NOC, it looks like a NASA Space Shuttle control room. But very few in Reliance Infocomm had access to enter NOC. I reached the specified conf-room in NOC and soon after that Sur saab entered and started the review of yesterday’s blunder. Sur saab asked me what led me to abort the launch last night. I started briefing him, and just after 2-3 mins, he did something which I was not expecting. In fact, nobody was expecting it. He got up from his chair and waved me to join him. Both of us went out of the conf-room. The conf-room was of glass walls, from ground to ceiling. So, folks sitting in the conf-room were able to see both of us standing outside and talking. I briefed him that…
‘There was no sign of that OSS problem being solved till 3 AM. If the service was soft launched, it would have been not only bad news in the market but also something to ridicule us. And hence I decided not to give the go-ahead.’
Sur saab listened to me with his complete attention, without interrupting me even once. Now he was not looking all that annoyed with me, the way he was in the morning over the phone. Once I finished my briefing, he just said…. ‘All right. Good job’.
That was it. Both of us walked back to conf-room. The meeting got over. I came out of conf-room and walked back to my office. There were no fireworks, at least not in front of me. I have no idea, what and how OSS folks briefed Sur saab. I had a feeling their briefing was not without some fireworks.
After that, I had the opportunity to be in his meetings where OSS & BSS folks were required together. A few months later, I came across my most memorable experience with Sur saab in one of his OSS+BSS joint meetings. We were called to meet Sus saab and update him. Once everybody gave the update, Sur saab said the meeting is over. We all got up and started to leave.
Suddenly Sur saab turned to me and said…..‘Tum Mat Jao’. (You don't leave)
I sat in my chair again, thinking that Sur saab wanted to instruct me something more or wanted to get some more updates from me. Looking at me sitting back in my chair, he said in a somewhat irritated voice…..
‘Are Waise Nahi. Tum Resign Karake Mat Jao’. (Oh my god, not that way. Dont resign and leave)
In Reliance Infocomm, I was many levels below Sur saab. I was not even from OSS background. And here the Bhishm Pitamah of Telecom (who reported directly to Mukeshbhai) had got to know about my resignation and on top of that he was telling me not to resign. Maybe I had left an impression on him about my decision to stop that limited launch. Maybe I had stopped a major fiasco from happening. People standing around me in that conf-room were somewhat jealous of me, most of them Telecom experts. Many of them told me, Sur saab telling somebody not to resign does not happen often.
When I saw the above documentary today, I thought of my resignation from Reliance, and it gripped me with a strange feeling, which cannot be described in words. The feeling that my resignation was noted by Sur saab and Bhat saheb, and both of them personally told me not to resign.
It also rekindled my memories about that place known as DAKC, about their extremely demanding but at the same time quite liberal work culture, about their breakneck execution speed, about their ambition, grit, tenacity, and calculated willingness to take huge risks. I feel it will always be a god-sent opportunity for anybody to work on any greenfield project of Reliance.
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