Top 44 Ajay Piramal Quotes

I think my greatest virtue is that I have the courage to take tough decisions. As for my greatest fault, I guess I should be a little tougher. The feedback I get always is that I am not as tough and demanding as I should be.

Our risk systems and processes – we keep investing and improving them.

When we look at our business, we are not that concerned about short term valuations.

Governance is very important in NBFCs.

I may believe in something, but if it is not working and is not giving returns, we have to close it down because that is the right thing to do for the shareholders.

In a crisis, you separate the men from the boys.

Share your prosperity.

I have always said that you have to fail. If you do not fail, it means you have never taken enough risks.

There is nothing similar between the pharmaceutical and textile business.

I am not for buying into financial services firms because I am not sure of the quality.

In any technology, one has to be very careful to ensure that it is good and has enough safeguards.

Disabilities and misfortune can make you stronger.

There will be good times, and there will be bad, but one has to, to the extent possible, take things in one’s stride.

Don’t hoard your wealth. Instead, live the life you want with the wealth you have been blessed with, but also make it beneficial for the good of the larger community.

We take dispassionate view of our investments. Does it mean that we are looking out to monetise the investment? That is not correct. But if we get an offer that we cannot refuse, as I say, then it is not that we are not, that we will still hold on to the investment.

We have been successful in buying and selling companies because we have a reputation of fulfilling deal terms in letter and spirit.

We’ve always been influenced by some of India‘s greatest minds.

Humility, we say, is very important because we feel humility means the ability to listen, the ability to respect another‘s opinion and to find that everybody around you in some subject knows more.

It is very clear for us; we will do whatever is in the best interest of Shriram shareholders.

In the pharma space, we have been growing both organically as well as through acquisitions.

Textile mills are not a very high-margin business and have fixed overheads, so it was challenging. But I think it is only in challenges that you get opportunities.

Normally, Indian companies follow the trend set by companies abroad. There is usually a long lag period.

It was always the intention that Shriram would have started a bank at some point.

Sometimes, we get mixed up when we say that profit is not important for stakeholders. Oxygen is not the reason a person lives. But it is essential to have oxygen, although it’s not the only reason for a person’s existence. It is similar for profit.

The Internet can bring us much closer to the developed world.

Leadership is more than just managing economic reforms. Leadership means giving broad direction, take up challenges which other people cannot do.

We are disciples of Krishna, and we look at ourselves like Arjun in the battlefield.

I am overall optimistic about India’s growth.

Investment in Shriram will actually enable us to enter some of the retail segments such as vehicle financing, consumer and gold loans, and other products such as insurance, mutual funds, among others, where we wanted to have a footprint.

Within the renewables space, we are focused on solar and wind energy.

Buying a house is not an overnight decision, and people can wait for 3 to 6 months.

Everywhere in the world, when you travel, you see structures that stand out. Historic structures and new structures. But in India, I don’t see anything that stands out.

Coming to the growth potential in financial services, there is enough data to show that, usually, financial services grow about twice or two and a half times of what the economy, the GDP growth rates.

People say values are expensive, but I say they create economic value.

We entered into the pharmaceutical industry in 1988, and since then, we have grown significantly on the back of a growing demand in India for pharmaceutical products.

We always set ambitious goals in our group, and I have found that if you set your mind to it, you can do it ,and sometimes all the circumstances will play in your favour.

Innovation means taking risks, and that is where the private sector can play a role.

There are always highs and lows in life, but if you maintain an even keel, then you can take the right decisions.

Many people say that in a liberalised world there is little for the government to do, but the fact is that there is much for the government to do in fewer areas. One such area is to provide infrastructure.

I think public sector banks need to have greater private participation of people who have skin in the game.

Governments cannot do innovation. There are too many audits, and no one stays in a role for long enough.

I am humble enough to understand there are many people who know much more than I do on many subjects, so I listen to them. Integrity is also critical to leadership, so I believe there must always be alignment between what you think, say, and do.

Demonetisation was always on the government’s radar and was part of the plan from day one when Narendra Modi took over as prime minister, as he was concerned about the black money.

Horses and dogs were part of my growing up years.