44. PARTNERS AND ASSOCIATES IN BUSINESS

 

When I quit Voltas International Limited in utter disgust in the year 1986 ( see A JOINT VENTURE COMPANY IN YEMEN ), I did quite a bit of spade work before I took the next big plunge in my career : I scouted around for suitable business opportunities in Bangalore and Madras, before zeroing in on Bangalore as the city of choice to set up business.  Also, since I was not certain how long it would take me to find my feet in the consultancy business, and indeed find a sufficient number of clients to keep the Home fires burning bright, I had a fall back strategy. Before quitting Bombay, I called upon friends and associates manufacturing pumps, agitators, and other odds and ends which find extensive use in Water and Wastewater treatment plants, and convinced them to give me sole dealership for selling these items in the Southern states of India.  And since by temperament I am a poor salesman (short tempered and ill mannered when having to deal with lesser mortals), I took on board a Partner to look after the Sales end of the business.

The Environmental Consultancy Business would be handled by me under the name and style of Ecotech Engineering : The Sales activity would have a separate and distinct identity, under the name of Dixie Enterprises.  My other partner would be solely responsible for day to day running of this Company.  An equitable scheme of sharing of profits from the two companies was mutually agreed.  It was also expressly agreed that the highest level of professional ethics and integrity would be maintained, and Dixie was not to have any business dealings with Ecotech’s clients : this to avoid any potential conflict of interest.

Now, a brief description of this partner of mine is in order.  An old colleague of mine from my previous company, Dilip was an extremely outgoing and gregarious fellow : always smiling, playing pranks, playing the fool,  an eminently friendly and likeable character. His joie de vivre was infectious : A few minutes of Dilip’s company will lift your spirit, setting it free and flying high.

Nothing happened either in the Consultancy front, nor in the sales front in the first six months of startup.  I kept my cool, comforting myself that these things take time, patience and perseverance. 

A break came providentially, when an old colleague from Bombay asked me to take care of the supervision and guidance during execution of a Sewage Treatment Plant for the Indian Telephone Industries which he had bagged.  Another colleague from Madras entrusted the task of commissioning a particularly difficult industrial wastewater treatment plant for the Mysore Acetate and Chemicals in Mandya.  An old college mate of mine facilitated my getting a consultancy assignment for a Wastewater treatment plant for NP Chewing gums ( see Treatment Plant Design by Academics ).  Now the ball was set well and truly rolling in the consultancy business.

Dilip, meanwhile found it an uphill task to sell pumps, agitators etc., and develop his end of the business.  Towards the end of the first year much to my chagrin, I found him canvassing sales from my clients in the consultancy business.  By means of a quick surgery, I closed down Dixie Enterprises, terminated our partnership and concentrated on developing Ecotech.  I lost a business partner, but retained a friend : Dilip is still the same old prankster I knew about 30 years ago.

I seem not to have learnt my lesson from this unhappy episode.

I got myself into a loose association with another erstwhile colleague of mine.  Things were going well for quite a number of years, since he also had another partner as a mentor, a much older, wiser, seasoned professional, a hands on engineer, a genius and a gentleman. His was the voice of reason, the sane counsel that reined in the over the top and get rich quick schemes of his younger acolyte : I was the technology and process consultant to them with my chemical and environmental engineering background : many a difficult industrial wastewater treatment plants were successfully designed and executed by this arrangement.

All was smooth sailing until another junior partner was roped into their company : Coming from a totally vacuous background, with scant appreciation of business and professional conduct, this charlatan brought in new work ethic and standards which possibly were music to the ears of his over ambitious boss : indeed, I suspect that could be the very reason for inducting him into the company in the first place.

Soon came a day when the Senior partner possibly could not countenance the shady goings on in the business and quit to protect his fair name : shortly thereafter, I too opted out when it became clear to me that professionalism and business integrity and ethics was of no account in this association, and my fair name could be dragged through the mud and mire they were sinking into.

I neither regret this decision nor rejoice in having made it : only a deep sense of sadness and sorrow lingers in having lost a friend bowing to Mammon.

                                        

Dr. Ananth S Kodavasal                                                                                    December 05, 2011