Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | NXg | Friday Review | Cinema Plus | Young World | Property Plus | Quest |

WORK PAD

A room for everyone

Photo: R. Shivaji Rao

A SIMPLE STORY R. Thyagarajan in his office

He may head a Rs. 22,000-crore, 20,000-employee venture, but R. Thyagarajan, founder-chairman, Shriram Group, doesn’t like the idea of reserving a room for himself full-time. His room was designed for a CEO of an insurance broking company he started, and is structured as a conference room. In décor terms, it’s simple to the point of being Spartan. “It’s everyone’s room,” he says. “I am not a cabin man.”

Mr. Thyagarajan sits behind an unpretentious table in a corner. There’s a larger one for meetings. A goddess looks down from a picture. “I was pushed into business by someone who wanted to get into trouble,” he says, smiling. First it was chit fund, which needed minimum investment, then truck financing to give employees better premium. He calls it an accident — moving from broking to financing. In 1991, he switched from consulting to resurrecting sick units. And, inherited this office.

“Why should I reserve a room for myself, when I can work out of a conference room?” he asks. “The youngsters can choose what they want. They are asking for fu-mu (functional music) playing in the background,” he shakes his head. “I can’t work. I’m sensitive to music.”

He has been accused of surrounding himself with poverty, he says, but “I’m not opposed to plush office expenditure.” It’s just that he believes the office doesn’t make the man; it is the man who adds to the importance of the office he runs.

Doesn’t a cabin reflect the personality of the user? Sure it does. He is a chairman who delegates work, believes in their loyalty and innate goodness, but cross-checks what they submit. Without a computer. “I am a Math-Statistics man, I use my arithmetic sense,” he says. “I’ve seen computer accounting go wrong. The excuse is ‘input is wrong, program is wrong’.” He’s planning to learn though. “This year will make me a computer man.”

Thyagarajan sees a plush office as isolating, as an out-of-reach pedestal. “We have to be in touch with India. Our transactions are with the middle-and-below classes.” He throws in the clincher. “We’ve grown without a swanky office. Our equity partners include Chrys Capital, Citi Bank, Merrill Lynch and TPG. All deals were closed in this ordinary office. Sanlam Group’s Chairman once said that some companies that shifted their HQ to a ‘nice’ building went bankrupt!”

“It’s too late”, he relents. “Can’t allocate valuable time to decorate, shift. The bother isn’t worth it.” He agrees a done-up room satisfies the ego, and lends social visibility. “But is it useful for the community? I’m comfortable this way.” No. he isn’t judging others’ preferences. “When everyone is okay with it, we’ll do it.” He compares it to his choice of a small car. “If I rode a Merc, I’d want to take people in on the way.” That’s the philosophy this workplace reflects.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail