Tech it or lose it

 

Ashwin Dani – Ashwin bhai as he was popularly known, was a passionate technologist at heart. In my early years as a product manager one had heard of his key role in making the company get into new categories like wood and automotive finishes. I first interacted with him over the development of exterior paints - a category the company was looking to enter, by seeding major projects.

One of the earliest things I learnt from him was the discipline of respecting others time. I was few minutes late to meet him and he unthreateningly asked, if you wanted to, could you not have made it on time? That moment has stayed for ever. He was an ardent practitioner of yoga and truly promoted it. No wonder he was a very alert and active person.

He believed in the strategic strength Technology brought to business. As my exposure to international markets went up, my interactions increased on what we were facing in those markets and the need for technology to make us face competition overseas. From developing resins for international markets to making wood finishes for coating lines abroad, he would be inquisitive and ensured R&D supported these well.

He was keen on the shift to plastics for packaging water-based paints. It was a huge ask given the issues and scale of change it called for, but looking back, it was one of the key enablers for growth and value addition in the paints industry.

While he had stitched the automotive roadmap for India with a joint venture, he was keen on something for international markets and enthusiastically travelled to Europe with me and Khannaji in our efforts to cement one, which we eventually could not. He was one of the earliest visitors when I relocated to Cairo, then the largest investment for the company into a single country and I remember him saying get your products right first.

Humble to interact he was socially active. He took great interest in having a get together with family at his home every year during Diwali and took care to make it different and memorable year on year.  I was touched when he remembered me and called a few years ago when he had just turned 75.

Ashwin bhai leaves behind a legacy of ‘Technology is at the Core of every Business’ he passionately lived!