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“But I had one weakness,”
says Mr Khaitan with a smile.
“Whenever I visited upcountry, bets were laid at Mangoe
Lane as to what I was going to commit to!”
In those days
bungalows on the estates did not have the luxury of
refrigerators, air conditioners or televisions, and
swimming pools were a rarity. Mr Khaitan always
sanctioned an item which may not have been a
necessity yet surely made life more comfortable for
planters.
“When I returned to Calcutta, Michael (Late
Michael Rome), Eric and John would say, there goes another large sum...the cost of tea is going up!”
This largess created difficulties within the other tea companies but this fact never bothered
Mr Khaitan.
“The welfare of planters is paramount in my mind and that used to be the main reason for
my visits.”
Over a drink at the club or whilst being entertained in a bungalow, Mr Khaitan would
hear of what the district/bungalow needed and sanction the finances.
The goodwill and warmth experienced on his many trips to the estates are cherished by
Mr Khaitan.
From the planters’ point of view, “It is rare to find a corporate star for whom everyone has a
nice word, and even rarer when it comes from his subordinates.”(Business Maharajas)
~
Vidya Kaul
With Mr Trinick at theVisiting Agent’s Bungalow, Pertabghur T.E.
Planting aTree in the Factory Compound
Our father is a self-made man. He got his first break in 1963 and that was in Tea.
From that day onwards, he has expanded his Group to the size that it is today
through his foresight, passion and love. We both feel very lucky to have him as our
role model.
By God’s grace, he is still fit at 86. He continues to play golf and takes an active
interest in business, being fully aware of what is happening in the Company. We can
only say that we would consider ourselves blessed if we could achieve even a
quarter of what he has, and even that would be a Herculean task. As a family, we
are truly amazed at our father’s abilities and achievements, while people in Kolkata
and in business circles know and respect him for his integrity and loyalty. One
cannot find the words to describe the extraordinary person that he is.
Deepak Khaitan
Aditya Khaitan