Pratap Bhogilal Journey Through Life

Author(s): Rauf Ahmed
Publisher: Bhupendra Singh Anand

Page 60

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PRATAP BHOGILAL - JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE
that the Bank's reputation was not sullied. Bharat Forge saved lakhs of rupees in the process.
Later, S.L. Kirloskar and Neelkanth Kalyani invited me to join the Board of Bharat Forge Limited as a Director when their factory was commissioned I joined without any reservation. Bharat Forge passed through very difficult times. But Kalyani and his son Baba Kalyani managed to lead the company out of the turbulent phase. After Neelkanth's retirement, Baba has continued the good work and with his vision and efforts, taken the company to great heights.
When Bharat Forge floated Automotive Axles Limited, Kalyani wanted me to be on its Board too as a Director, possibly because of my association with Rockwell of USA. He wanted my help to approach Rockwell. I suggested they approach them directly and there would be no hassles. He did, and Rockwell's association with Bharat Forge and Automotive Axles Limited has now completed more than two decades. They are continuing to do very well. After being a Director on their companies for many years, I resigned in 2005.
Foray into textile business...
Around 1935, Madhusudan Mills, which was a part of the Currimbhoy Group of Mills, had gone into liquidation along with all the mills of the group and was taken over by the Amerseys and Sir Purshottam Thakurdas Bapaji asked the Amerseys for a share, but they could not accommodate him. However, P.N. Mehta, who used to purchase diamonds from Bapaji, was a graduate in textile engineering from Manchester University, and was running a yarn business of his own. He suggested to Bapaji that they buy Crescent Mills, another mill from the Currimbhoy Group. So, Mehta and Bapaji jointly pitched for Crescent Mill and bought it for Rs. 6.25 lakh and spent another Rs. 20 lakh in upgrading it from a coarse count' mill to a 'fine count' one and installing a processing unit over a period of nine months. The mill was re-launched under the new name of Shree Ram Mills Limited.
The measure of man is what he does with power - Pittacus of Mytilene