The Hindu Business Line : ‘A multi-faceted personality’

One of the doyens of Indian industry Dr Bharat Ram, chairman emeritus of DCM Group and SRF Ltd, is no more. His name will go down in the annals of history not just as an astute businessman, but one with a multi-faceted personality who thought macro and included in his vision the economic, social and cultural landscape of the country.

Born on October 15, 1914 in Delhi, Dr Bharat Ram joined his father’s business at the age of 21 after he graduated in 1935 in economics from St Stephen’s College.

He rose to the position of Chairman and Managing Director of DCM in 1958 and got to be known for some of his management practices, especially labour policies. He may have been the first businessman to have an elected workman on the board of the company. Under his stewardship the DCM group branched into fields other than textiles and sugar. It added chemicals, fertilisers, tyre cord, automobiles and electronics to its business portfolio.

Dr Bharat Ram seemed to be pragmatic as well, for at his retirement in 1985 he divided the conglomerate among the family members into separate companies.

Besides growing his own business, Dr Bharat Ram grew the Indian private sector as well during the overtly socialist era of the sixties and seventies. He championed the cause of the industry as president of FICCI in 1965 and later became the first Asian president of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in 1969. It was also the first time the Government made a departure from tradition and appointed him, a private sector man, as chairman of Indian Airlines.

He had several other achievements to his credit, including a Padma Bhushan in 1972 and an honorary doctorate from the Aligarh Muslim University. He was also nominated as Member of the National Commission on Labour, the educational panel of the Planning Commission, All India Council of Technical Education, the Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India and the National Council of Applied Economic Research.

Offering his condolences the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, said, “Dr Bharat Ram was not only one of the doyens of Indian industry, but was also a multi-faceted personality who left a deep impression in many areas. He was a large hearted philanthropist whose contribution to the development of education, culture and sports has left a lasting impression on our landscape.”

The industry chambers also paid rich tributes to him.