Pratap Bhogilal Journey Through Life

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

Page 70

64 PRATAP BHOGILAL JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE
I was against Bombay Textile Research Association being headed by a foreigner when we had local talent...
Bombay Textile Research Association (BTRA) was set up by mill owners and many of my colleagues on the Managing Committee of Bombay Mill Owners' Association wanted to appoint a foreigner to head it when its first Director Dr. Nanjundaiyya retired. I was the President of the association at the time and I did not like the suggestion. My contention was: why look for a foreigner when there is so much talent within our country? There were so many brilliant research scholars and professors. So I approached the head of the department of scientific research in Delhi for help in identifying a suitable candidate. He suggested the name of Professor E.A.Daruwala, who was heading the department of chemical engineering at Bombay University. I met the Vice Chancellor of Bombay University and persuaded him to release Professor Daruwala for BTRA. The original agreement with the University was to lend the professor for a year, but Professor Daruwala stayed on with BTRA for about seven years and did very good work, especially in processing. Later on, when he retired he was taken on as an advisor to BTRA.
Hindustan Polymers...
In 1963, we decided to branch out into the manufacture of styrene and polystyrene, and we put up a plant at Visakhapatnam (Vizag). R.K. Parikh was appointed Director of Hindustan Polymers (HP). Unfortunately, due to several factors like poor evaluation of technical know-how of Universal Oil and some poor management decisions followed by the devaluation of the rupee in 1966, the company ran into rough weather.
After the devaluation of the rupee, I told Bapaji that we should sell off the business and get out forgetting the investment made in the company till then, which was about Rs.15 lakh. Bapaji agreed. However, Kasturbhai Lalbhai, who was the Chairman, insisted that we continue and Bapaji relented. Since Hindustan Polymer was not making any headway, I talked
Opportunity comes but does not linger - Nepali Proverb