26-27 / 52
26
25
I am told that B.M Khaitan has steered the Magor
group of companies for nearly half a century and to
commemorate this extremely important milestone a
special edition of The WM Times is being published.
Mr Khaitan has led the Group through the latter half
of the last century which was full of tumultuous events.
One Super Power that dominated the world collapsed
in exhaustion, Science took giant strides,
Communications improved beyond imagination. This
did make life easier but brought its own set of
problems. Issues not related directly to our own
Country had to be taken cognizance of, such as, the
Global Economic turmoil that just refuses to go away.
Through all this ‘chaos’ the MAN at the helm has stood
firm and provided the stability to survive and grow.
My interaction with BMK is probably around three
decades old, and, in my view much of his success may
be attributed to his keen adherence to equity and
fairness, and his ability to get the best out of people. It
is without hesitation that I admit that at the end of
every interaction with BMK I felt professionally and
personally valued.
Om Kaul
Chairman (Retired)
Carritt Moran & Company
I feel privileged and deem it a great honour to have been asked
to pen down a few words on my association of over 45 years
with Mr B.M. Khaitan, Chairman of the Williamson Magor
Group of Companies.
My first meeting with BMK was in early 1966 when he engaged
me to serve as an Assistant Manager at Majulighur Tea Estate.
During this period of nearly five decades this suave and
charismatic gentleman has left a distinct mark on the industrial
map of not only Assam and West Bengal but the entire
country.
Having started from the 1960s he has been instrumental in the
establishment of the largest tea producing Empire in the world.
BMK possesses a high verbal ability, a keen power of
observation and an exceptionally great level of creativity.
Besides this, he has a heart of gold and has been extremely
generous and caring towards his staff and their families. The
state of Assam and, for that matter, the entire North East, will
always be grateful for the most precious gifts that BMK
graciously presented to them i.e. the Assam Valley School at
Balipara and the Balaji Temple at Guwahati, built on the lines
of the famous temple at Tirupati in South India.
His farsightedness and courage, despite several odds, has
been instrumental in guiding the Williamson Magor Group
towards stability and its present position of strength and
prosperity. A family man, he has imbibed in his children the
core values that he believes in. The business community and all
well wishers of the Group are assured that the future of the
Company is in competent, safe hands.
We wish him and his family good health and continued success.
G.S. Sodhi
Visiting Agent (Retired)
It is a privilege to pen a few words regarding my association
with Mr Khaitan. I have known him for over four decades as a
well wisher, guide and a friend. He is one of the most
courteous, kind and generous human beings, willing to
extend help whenever required.
I remember the early days when as a member of the CTTA
sports committee we had to approach him because we were
short of airfare/ accommodation. His response was, “Send
the bill to us”. Later, when as Brokers we faced problems
because one of the large Buyers had delayed prompt, we
used to land up in his office on a Tuesday morning and his
reply, which came as a great relief, was short and sweet, “You
may delay our prompt”.
In the last few years I have been privileged to play golf with
him over the week-end. Despite his age he out drives us on
most of the holes, leaving us awe-struck. He is a fine
sportsman who has kept two institutions alive in Kolkata, the
Royal Calcutta Golf Club and the Royal Calcutta Turf Club.
Briju or B.M. he is well known amongst his friends and
admirers, is a man of perfect manners, fond of good food
and wines, and is aptly referred to with reverence as a
‘Perfect English Gentleman’. May God give him a long,
healthy and happy life and many more years on his favourite
Royal Golf Course.
Harish Parekh
Chairman (Retired)
J.Thomas & Company Limited
The quality of leadership, more than any other single factor,
determines the success or failure of an organization and there is no
truer example of this than MR B.M. KHAITAN.
Mr Khaitan’s entrepreneurial verve made WM achieve many milestones
in a short span of time. A businessman of rare vision and high values,
he carved a place for himself in India’s business, commercial and
community life. His personal qualities, especially his immense humility,
made him reach out to all, through the spectrum of the organization,
which had an electrifying effect on morale, motivating them to achieve
even greater heights.
Planters always welcomed Mr Khaitan’s visits to the Estates.
He was well versed with the SWOT of each Estate, yet he chose not
to make his visits “inspectional” but to encourage the managerial staff
and provide a tonic for employees’ morale.
I vividly remember my initial meeting with Mr Khaitan. It was on his first
official visit to the Estates. A cocktail party was hosted at
Pertabghur T.E., but in a significant departure from ‘dastoor’, even
Assistants were invited. At the party, four of us junior-most
Assistants were huddled in a corner, when Mr Khaitan joined us,
introduced himself, addressed us by our names and expressed how
proud he was that we had joined the Company.
Mr Khaitan always conveyed the impression that Planters gave so
much to the Company and that their wellbeing was of prime
importance. As the Late Michael Rome would humorously comment,
whenever Mr Khaitan planned an Assam visit, he would first need to
check with ‘Accounts,’ that there was enough money in the Bank, as
Mr Khaitan would be at his magnanimous best in Assam.
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of
comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge
and controversy. When dark clouds descended on the Industry and
there was dejection, we were confident in the knowledge that, ‘WHEN
BMK IS THERE, ALL WILL BE WELL.’
He is truly the “King of the Tea industry”.
Bhushan Chhabra
Advisor (Retired)