President’s Message
Dear Friends,
Very warm greetings.
All over India, and even more so in Mumbai which houses the BSE & NSE, there is a very high degree of obsession amongst people about shares, stock exchanges, trading, speculation and investments. There are stories of wealth made and wealth lost/ fortunes made and fortunes destroyed. It is not uncommon to see people checking the stock indices, the first thing in the morning and, probably, a few times during the day. Whatever be your real job, employment, vocation, occupation and business, it is not uncommon to find in middle-class and upward strata of India, people’s wealth invested in stocks.
So, our meeting last Tuesday with the ‘Big Bull of Dalal Street’, Mr. Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, was wonderful and very wellattended. Mr. Jhunjhunwala’s investment journey from a mere Rs. 5,000 to now a portfolio worth over Rs. 5,000 crore is an amazingly inspiring story. His optimism and reading of the pulse of the Indian economy is quite encouraging. His qualities of knowledge, analysis, far-reaching vision, considered decision-making and ample patience as an investor have become legendary. The qualities which impressed me during my very brief interaction with him on that day are his humility, great devotion for parents and love for family. In his own words, “I believe there are only two Gods – ‘Mother’ and ’Father’.”
His generosity and feeling for elders was demonstrated in his spontaneous and generous donation towards our Elder Care / Ananda Yaan projects. May God bless him, his family and may his tribe increase.
As I write this message, I am receiving news about our fellow Rotarians’ exciting trip to Uzbekistan. Seeing the amazing pictures, we know what we are missing… a wonderful destination in great company. I am told that the group was welcomed by the first snowfall of the season. We’ll get more details on their return.
Preeti Mehta
President