'Simplicity as its Best'

 ‘Raghu Pillai’, the man who had a lot of meaning in my life left for his heavenly abode on 10^th April ’11. There were umpteen no. of sms and phone calls exchanged with various people from Sunday morning to Monday evening.  It was really an extremely tough moment to go from the Ground to the 4^th floor of Shangrila Apartment in his Besant Nagar residence to watch the ‘Tiger’ in a standstill mode. The aura which this great man carried with him was truly amazing. Every moment was difficult to believe that he was no more with us. My mind was again and again taking me to all the time I had spent with him.  Looking at him and his family along with the large crowd of people who had come to pay their last respects to this great soul was by all means a challenging moment.

This day came as a landmark day for the lives of so many admirers like me who have always been his true followers. Although the last journey for our mentor got over, however the lasting impressions he had left in the life of many of us would remain etched forever. I consider myself to be extremely fortunate to have had the chance to work with him for 3 years at Reliance Retail. This experience has been both enriching and instrumental in shaping me to what I am today.  

My first interaction with him in May ’06 at Sahakari Bhandar, Matunga store was the beginning of my journey with him. I was extremely delighted to meet the man who was the creator of Modern Retail in India. Looking at him from magazine and newspapers to real time itself was an exposure. He asked me several questions and I was keen enough to answer and also understand his views. Later, I had the opportunity to join his office as one of the initial team members.

As Rajesh and Sriram pointed out, there were lots of unique things about him which not only differentiated him from others but also created a special place for him. Few of them are as follows:

• Lover of ‘Simplicity’ – this trait in him was outstanding in all areas. The art of looking at any document or write up was very different with him. 
•  He was ‘Visionary’– he had the skill to look and explore beyond the obvious. I along with Sriram had the chance to prepare multiple presentations for him and what used to come out exceptionally was the future of retail. It was always a pleasure to work on various such projects time and again.
• Lover of ‘Innovation’ – he was always keen for people to come up with ideas which are not run of the mill types.
• ‘Humbleness’ – his humble nature will always be missed by one and all. Respect for people was a trait he used to follow till the last word. Having observed him closely, I cant recall even a moment where he used to differentiate speaking to another CEO or the person serving coffee at his table. What was  different was the change in language from English to Hindi.
• Love for ‘People’ – He used to put in lot of trust on people. He would go out of the way to do anything for people whom he really loved. I have experienced various such situations in my own stint with him.
•  Great sense of Humour – There have been innumerable instances where he would switch a tough moment into an easy going one with his terrific sense of humour. Moreover, even during regular occasions, he used to create situations for people to enjoy.
• ‘Stress Free’ – Seeing him under stress was rare since he used to take complex situations in his stride.
• Problem is always a ‘Solution’ – He had the innate ability to convert problems into solutions. His ongoing guidance and ideas would always remain a benchmark in corporate circles.
• ‘Approachable’ – He was always approachable and people could always walk in to meet him without any inhibitions.
• ‘Personal Touch’ – He was truly a humane person. He always used to understand and appreciate the issues faced by an individual even in his personal life.
• ‘Charming Personality’ – He had a highly charming and magnetic personality through which he always used to attract people. He was more than happy to visit my house for dinner to meet my wife and parents and was open to share so many things with a very open perspective.

In the numerous interactions with this towering personality, there were lessons for me to carry forward throughout my life. Apart from the above what I also learnt is the ability to take risks with conviction and be accountable for the same. He was a voracious reader and used to implement various concepts time and again in real life. He was a lover of the concept from C.K.Prahalad’s – Fortune at the bottom of the Pyramid. He always advised me to read and learn newer things from others experience.

Listening to him in a public forum was always a delight since he was truly stupendous in sharing his thoughts and expressions.

The above are only be few of the impressions and learning’s. The irreplaceable vacuum will continue forever, however, the good times will be remembered every single day.

Vivek Khandelwal has worked with Raghu at Reliance Retail. He is now the Regional Manager – West for Hindustan Field Services.