P 5
Shift to Baroda- 1st Innings!
While working in M/S Taylor, on one fine morning in Feb.'72, while in office, I got a surprise phone call from Mr V Varadarajan-14th batch DMIT,.He was working in ECC(L&T) Madras. He indicated that my name has been identified by his company for a foreign assignment ( Construction contract) in Qatar.
M/S L&T bagged a contract for executing a refinery complex in Qatar in association with M/S Mannai Trading co.(a local outfit) and M/S Mortensen & Shroff were the Lead personnel located there.
Mr Varadarajan requested me to come down to their office next day for discussions. In those days since the telephone communication was premature, with great difficulty they organised for International trunk call for one to one conversation, which I relished and was selected. Then the HR department of L&T issued an appointment order ( with the condition that the assignment will come into force, the day I travel to Qatar). They also organised my first Indian passport with Emigration authorities. Everything was set for me to travel and have been asked to resign my job from M/S Taylor, which I did.
Since that was the time the middle east boom was starting, naturally I was keen and interested. I submitted my resignation to Taylor. My manager Mr RD Sharma was reluctant to relieve me; but considering that being a foreign job, he did not stand in my way. He had difficulty in convincing the HO at Faridabad; personally he talked to Mr P Jayachandran, another DMIT of 3rd batch, GM
( that time topmost position in the company) and impressed upon him to relieve me from the job, but there was a shock awaiting me! On the advice of RDS, M/S Taylor did relieve me by March end, but visa clearance was not coming through from Qatar.
In between as a pious man, I did go to Mookambika temple with my mother,via Shimoga route. That was my first trip to Kollur and that trip is still green in my memory.
Though M/S ECC(L&T) appointed me as Instrument engineer for the construction job, Qatar authorities rejected the visa application stating that they look for only technicians and not engineers. So I was literally on the roads without a job. As Mr Varadarajan is known to me as well as my father
(Vardarajan's mother & my mother were friends while we were at Ayanavaram), we urged him strongly to get any fixation for me even if it was not instrument engineering function.
As luck would have it, M/S Alkan Engg. Co Ltd. Bombay was looking for an instrument engineer for their contract job in IPCL- DMT&PX plants at Baroda. Mr Suri Shyamsundar, another DMIT of 8th batch,ex L&T manager was the director in Alkan, who was looking after these. As he was based at Madras, Mr Vardarajan phoned him to narrate my case and tried whether I can be fixed in that position. Mr Shyamsundar asked me to come down to their office at Montieth Road, Egmore directly.
I was not only given the appointment order but also given a II class rail ticket to Bombay. So my salary earning jumped from Rs 575 to Rs 700/PM. I was asked to report at their HO at Kakad Chambers, Dr Annie Besant Road, Worli and meet their MD Mr Ameer and Mr JK Shivdasani, another director & pick up the ticket to travel to Baroda on the same day. Mr CSS Narayan, the administrative manager showed his character then itself but has to follow management orders
( there is a reason for me to make this mention here, since there was a tussle between us in '80 when I returned from East Germany)
That is how my second change has taken place by accident. After reporting at Bombay office, on the same day evening I travelled by Dehra Dun express to Baroda. Innings at Baroda will continue......
Key Aspects :- Opportunity, Transfer ..
Shift to Baroda- 1st Innings!
While working in M/S Taylor, on one fine morning in Feb.'72, while in office, I got a surprise phone call from Mr V Varadarajan-14th batch DMIT,.He was working in ECC(L&T) Madras. He indicated that my name has been identified by his company for a foreign assignment ( Construction contract) in Qatar.
M/S L&T bagged a contract for executing a refinery complex in Qatar in association with M/S Mannai Trading co.(a local outfit) and M/S Mortensen & Shroff were the Lead personnel located there.
Mr Varadarajan requested me to come down to their office next day for discussions. In those days since the telephone communication was premature, with great difficulty they organised for International trunk call for one to one conversation, which I relished and was selected. Then the HR department of L&T issued an appointment order ( with the condition that the assignment will come into force, the day I travel to Qatar). They also organised my first Indian passport with Emigration authorities. Everything was set for me to travel and have been asked to resign my job from M/S Taylor, which I did.
Since that was the time the middle east boom was starting, naturally I was keen and interested. I submitted my resignation to Taylor. My manager Mr RD Sharma was reluctant to relieve me; but considering that being a foreign job, he did not stand in my way. He had difficulty in convincing the HO at Faridabad; personally he talked to Mr P Jayachandran, another DMIT of 3rd batch, GM
( that time topmost position in the company) and impressed upon him to relieve me from the job, but there was a shock awaiting me! On the advice of RDS, M/S Taylor did relieve me by March end, but visa clearance was not coming through from Qatar.
In between as a pious man, I did go to Mookambika temple with my mother,via Shimoga route. That was my first trip to Kollur and that trip is still green in my memory.
Though M/S ECC(L&T) appointed me as Instrument engineer for the construction job, Qatar authorities rejected the visa application stating that they look for only technicians and not engineers. So I was literally on the roads without a job. As Mr Varadarajan is known to me as well as my father
(Vardarajan's mother & my mother were friends while we were at Ayanavaram), we urged him strongly to get any fixation for me even if it was not instrument engineering function.
As luck would have it, M/S Alkan Engg. Co Ltd. Bombay was looking for an instrument engineer for their contract job in IPCL- DMT&PX plants at Baroda. Mr Suri Shyamsundar, another DMIT of 8th batch,ex L&T manager was the director in Alkan, who was looking after these. As he was based at Madras, Mr Vardarajan phoned him to narrate my case and tried whether I can be fixed in that position. Mr Shyamsundar asked me to come down to their office at Montieth Road, Egmore directly.
I was not only given the appointment order but also given a II class rail ticket to Bombay. So my salary earning jumped from Rs 575 to Rs 700/PM. I was asked to report at their HO at Kakad Chambers, Dr Annie Besant Road, Worli and meet their MD Mr Ameer and Mr JK Shivdasani, another director & pick up the ticket to travel to Baroda on the same day. Mr CSS Narayan, the administrative manager showed his character then itself but has to follow management orders
( there is a reason for me to make this mention here, since there was a tussle between us in '80 when I returned from East Germany)
That is how my second change has taken place by accident. After reporting at Bombay office, on the same day evening I travelled by Dehra Dun express to Baroda. Innings at Baroda will continue......
Key Aspects :- Opportunity, Transfer ..
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