Role model
Dadan Bhai's legacy today might be mired in controversy, his company might
have faded from memory, but few can deny that his name will remain permanently
etched in the annals of Indian IT history. Under his stewardship, Pertech
Computers (PCL) not just became the first company to overtake HCL in its
aggressive selling, but more importantly it gave the PC an FMCG status in the
Indian market and created a catalytic effect on PC shipments. He launched PCL in
1987 at an initial investment of Rs 6 lakh and in seven years made it the
country's largest PC seller. The aftermath was unfortunately not so bullish,
and Dadan Bhai passed away virtually unnoticed in 2005. But the PCL of pre-1994
surely has become a role model for others to follow.