Satinderpal Singh Ahuja
Chairman, Machinery Sales Corporation
Honorary Consul of Georgia | Mumbai, Maharashtra (INDIA)
Ancestry & Birthplace:
Sargodha (undivided British India)
Residence:
Mumbai, Maharashtra (INDIA)
Phoenix: Born to Rise
Even though he had lost everything in childhood, God kept his spirit high. Perhaps this spirit has brought him success and made a whole country fall in love with him.
For 190 years, Indians had struggled hard to free themselves from the grips of the English and when they did achieve freedom, it came with bloodshed and tears. Bharat was torn brutally into two, India and Pakistan. Millions of lives were affected in the process; I was affected the most, I would say, for we, once living royally, had come down to begging, it took my father away and ruined my childhood, something I could never live again.
Partition was a serious matter
I was born in Sargodha to Sardarni Sundar Kaur ‘Biji’ and Sardar Pratap Singh ‘Papa ji’ on 19 October 1944. The only memories I have of pre-independent India are that I had smallpox and we lived in a palace-like bungalow with a lot of servants. Papa ji was a cotton, sugarcane and cloth merchant, supplying these goods to the government. Biji took care of me, but with the news of partition, Papa ji sent me to Delhi by air with Savitri bua1. His two brothers, my grandmother and Biji would follow later but in all the chaos, everyone lost everyone.
I was four and waiting for my parents as my bua took care of me when Papa ji, Biji and grandmother made it to India. He was so terribly affected by the bloodshed and sufferings they witnessed that he went into a shock and suffered a heart attack. Soon after his brothers miraculously showed up, he left the world. I don’t even remember his face properly.
The displacement had left our family in a pitiable condition, both financially and emotionally. My uncles were working hard at very low wages in the railways and ordinance factory. In a hand-to-mouth situation, Biji decided to take a stand: to support us. Our family that just a couple of months before was living king-size started selling fruits and vegetables in the market. They could manage sending me to small government school nearby Bara Hindu Rao, Old Delhi. We would have lived our life in that misery had not my bua’s son, Bhapaji Gurbak Singh come to our rescue. As he did not have any brother, he advised Biji to send me along with him to Bombay. Looking at the future I could have with Bhapaji, she agreed with a heavy heart. It was 1953, I was just 9; I remember crying inconsolably on the way.
Others have two parents, I have four
Life was much better in Bombay. Bhapaji wasn’t just a cousin, but more like my father. He continued to protect me and provided me full security like all birds protect their new-born fledgings. He often said, “If you do not want to suffer in life, never lie.” Back then, he could not afford many luxuries but sent me to one of the best English-medium schools in the city, St Teresa High School. Though fascinated with this life, I still missed Biji a lot. I ironed my family’s and my clothes, did homework, learnt the value of money and, most importantly, to lead a disciplined life.
I liked the new school too; teachers, students, the environment were all much better here. Seeing the difference between my life in Delhi and Bombay, I understood what money and hard work could reward us with. I studied hard, topped classes and skipped grades 5 and 7. My aim was clear: I wanted to become a doctor.
Like everyone else, summer vacations were my favourite too, when I got to meet my grandmother and Biji, who cooked me the best-on-earth sarson da saag2, parantha and fed me with her own hands. Heavenly, it felt!
After completing high school in 1960, I joined Guru Nanak Khalsa College of Arts, Science & Commerce, Matunga, on a scholarship to study pre-medical and earn a bachelor’s degree in Biology. I excelled at the college also. One thing that differentiated me from others in college was my white shirt and pants. Bhapaji said if I wore whites every day, no one would know that I had limited clothes. But if I wore colours, anyone would easily make that out. The best thing to happen during college was meeting Gobind Singh Duggal, who became my lifelong friend. I had never had friends in life, but my friendship with him was different. He was like a brother from a different mother. As he was from a well-to-do family, he often supported me. Together, we had decided to study medicine after college.
When college ended in 1964, I met Dr K Jagjit Singh, my mentor who always stood by me. The same year, I took admission in Christian Medical College, Ludhiana, and he in Bombay, but Bhapaji requested me to rather help him in business since his partner had left.
Responsibilities winning over dreams
Bhapaji had raised me like a father. Without squandering money on me, he had fulfilled all my requirements. I couldn’t deny him and joined Machinery Sales Corporation in 1965. At that time, the company supplied farm equipment to Punjab, where the Green Revolution had started, and my role was to look after sales and marketing. Beginning with a humble role, I continued to learn more and grow more. Now that I was working, Biji too stayed with me in Bombay.
Life changed after that as there was someone home, waiting for me. She would not have dinner until I reached home. She was happy because she could watch her son growing up in front of her eyes. Perhaps, her happiness made it the happiest period of my life.
In 1971, my family realised it was time for me to take one of the most important decisions of life. Jaspal Kaur had lived a life very similar to mine. Born in Gujranwala and brought up in Jakarta, she too had lost her father. She had come to India with her mother when we met. I liked her simplicity and we tied the knot on 16 May 1971.
As Jaspal and Biji bonded very well, I could concentrate on business solely, where Bhapaji was always there to guide me. We together worked hard and took our company to new heights, venturing into compressors and other industrial products with the Industrial Revolution. When things were just the perfect, Bhapaji passed away in 1978. When my father had passed away, I was a small child, unaware of the loss, but when Bhapaji left us forever, I was shattered. He had made my childhood, given me the best education and made me the person I was. Just a few days before he left, he had handed over the entire business to me, a responsibility I had no choice but had to own.
I worked hard, with just one aim: to bring Machinery Sales Corporation enormous success. With changing time, we ventured into marine and aviation, exporting marine, aircraft, military hardware and industrial spares. We today have offices in New Delhi and Visakhapatnam, as well as in Russia, Singapore, Indonesia, Dubai and the UK.
Humility – the ideal way of life
When Georgia declared its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, my business connections were already spread there. In 2014, the Ambassador of Georgia in India, HE Zurab Kachkachishvilli, appointed me as The Honorary Consul of Georgia in Mumbai. Since then, I have been promoting not only my business but tourism in Georgia too. Top Bollywood film houses like Dharma Production, Yash Raj and others have worked in Georgia, bringing more tourism to the country, and it makes me happy that my efforts are bringing results.
I ensure spending double the quality time with my children, Arvinder and Sonia. Arvinder, an MBA from Regent’s American College, London, is my backbone in the business. He is married to Simran and blessed with two children, Ansh (20) and Aashna (12). Sonia is married to Amit Tandon, an engineering exporter. They have two children, Iccha (16) and Arjun (10).
What gives meaning to my life is following the Guru’s words and commit to sewa. I am the Vice Chairman of Guru Nanak Hospital, Mumbai, and have put up a free complete dental clinic. I remember my school days and, being a trustee in Guru Harkrishan High School, give scholarships to deserving students. I am also the President of Khalsa College Alumni Association and also a member on the Local Managing Committee of the College. Along with this, I am the President of the World Punjabi Organisation, Mumbai Chapter, where we provide free medicines and are making old-age homes.
I realise happiness is when you see other smiles, your family, friends and society. This alone has now become my main aim of life.
Philosophy
Be confident, positive and strong in every situation and never cheat anyone.
I love…
Being with my grandchildren. Talking to them is full of fun and knowledge.
Success Mantra
The rewards upon winning over rough patches make you nothing less than successful.
I’d suggest the youth…
Not to look for shortcuts in life. Work sincerely. Learn to compromise in life.
The world doesn’t know that…
I do not like opportunists because I myself am not one. There were times when I had no money, yet I never made friends for my personal benefits. I made friends because I loved them, like Gobind.
Gallery
ISBN : 9788193397695