I'm an early riser. I typically get up at 5:00. I try to get up at 5:00 wherever I'm in the world. I typically run about 9 km a day. That's my standard distance. So I enjoy that. I like to run by myself. Lot of people say join a running club, this that. No, honestly I go by myself so that one and a half hours is my personal time. It's not only physical, it refreshes me mentally. So when I turned 40, I asked myself do I have any regrets in life. And the regret was I hadn't learned to play the drums. Because I was always into music, I used to always listen to a lot of music. Intuitively I knew I could play the drums. But never had the opportunity. So I was in Singapore at that time, we had acquired Natsteel I was there. So I enrolled in classes and learned for 3 years. To me every day there's a new challenge because we are a global industry. We are a global company, but the industry is global. So every day I open the newspaper, there is something in it which impacts me directly or indirectly. So we are never short of excitement. In fact sometimes I feel we have too much excitement you know. So for me that keeps you going because every day is a new day there's something new to learn.
So what is your typical day like? What time do you get up in the morning?
I'm an early riser, I typically get up at 5:00. So I try to get up at 5:00 wherever I'm in the world. I like to go out for a run or a walk or some outdoor or indoor physical activity. Typically by 5:45 I'm out either if I'm in a hotel in the gym or if I'm in any other place I'm familiar with, I go for a run and normally I'm out till about 7:15-7:30.
You run for more than an hour?
I run, I typically run about 9 km a day. That's my standard distance. I enjoy that and so that's where how my day starts and normally by 9, I mean if I'm in Europe I'm in the office by 8:00-8:30. If I'm in India I'm in the office by 9-9:30. And then I'm there till about maybe any time between, I try to leave by 6:30 if I can, otherwise it's 7-7:30. Once I get home at 8, then it's typically personal time unless there's something urgent. I like to sleep early. I like to sleep by 10:00-10:30 if I can because then I'm ready for the next day at 5:00. So I lead a fairly disciplined life from that point of view.
How many days in a month do you travel for work?
Ha, so it's a bit of a....now it's Bombay. I spend a week in a month in Jamshedpur if I can. But even there I'm not staying in Jamshedpur, I'm visiting all our sites in eastern India. Even if I'm in Bombay, I'm traveling out of Bombay quite a bit, so like I said it's 15-20 days of travel a month.
So you mentioned you run a lot in the morning that's your physical exercise, what sort of exercises do you do to keep a good mental balance?
So actually that's one of the reasons why I get out in the morning. That's my personal time. I like to run by myself. I don't like... a lot of people say join a running club, this that. No, honestly I go by myself I like to run by myself.
It's sort of meditative for you?
It's meditative for me. So I don't run with anyone I run by myself and I like to be by myself at that time. So that one and a half hours is my personal time and not only physical it refreshes me mentally.
Are you thinking about work during that time?
Sometimes. So if I have some complicated issues to think through, that's a great time to think through because your mind is clear. It's in the morning. If it's very complicated then you don't realise how much you're running because... when you don't have much to think about then you start getting tired sooner than you should. So I enjoy that that's my personal space.
What's your favourite way to relax or unwind?
I think multiple, like I said physical activity clearly, music, spending time with family, reading.
You play drums as well? Do it regularly?
When I'm in Jamshedpur, I have a kit at home so I get the chance to play the drums when I'm in Jamshedpur, that's maybe so on weekends so typically maybe two or three times a month. Not more than that.
What sort of music do you listen to?
I listen more to western music, rock, jazz, blues. So I like music in general.
Yes 60s, 70s, yeah yeah. Getting introduced to newer stuff by my daughter but I generally like music. So whether it's classical or jazz or Indian or Western whatever but most of what I listen to is Western music.
What made you want to learn the drums, I think you started at 40?
Yeah so when I turned 40, I asked myself, if I have any regrets in life. And the regret was I hadn't learned to play the drums. Because I was always into music I used to always listen to a lot of music. Intuitively I knew I could play the drums. But never had the opportunity. So I was in Singapore at that time we had acquired Natsteel, I was there. So I enrolled in classes and learned for three years.
What are your other hobbies?
I think like I said I love to read I love to spend time with my family, I like my personal space, so whenever I can, I spend time with my family and that's not much they've been very supportive of my hectic life so when I can I like to spend time with them and I like to read and I like to travel whenever I can. Not on work, work travel takes me everywhere but if I can take a break I do that. So personal time is very important.
You mentioned travel, what is your favorite destination?
For a holiday yeah I think for a holiday some of the I mean, at least memorable holidays my wife Ruchi and I and the first one was with her daughter she was small at that time, this was in Scotland. Not the first holiday we had but a memorable holiday. We drove around there and more recently, my wife and me, we went to Norway. We like the mountains and the water which is similar. Scotland and Norway are similar. So we've enjoyed that because I don't like hectic holidays, I like more relaxed holidays where you walk around enjoy a place enjoy the food enjoy the culture and not hectic sightseeing kind of holiday yeah.
Do you get a lot of time to take off?
I try to take a week or 10 days off in a year 10 days off that's it? Yeah, that's pretty much the best I can manage
What is your favourite food?
Beyond Indian, I think Japanese okay I love Japanese food yeah.
Did you develop a taste during your stint in Singapore?
No the first time I had Japanese food was in Dubai. That time I didn't like it. But yes I think it was more during my time in Singapore that I really started enjoying it. I found it very healthy and very high quality food particularly if it's good Japanese it's fantastic.
Are there any childhood experiences that shaped you?
I think many, you don't sometimes realise that it's shaping you at that point in time but I think much later in life you start reflecting and say hey what do I trace it back to. For instance I've always been into sports and I credit my maternal grandfather for that because he was very fond of sports and I remember listening to commentary with him and he taught me to play chess and so many things but he passed away before, when I was maybe seven years old or something. My paternal grandfather who was a freedom fighter, he used to discuss a lot of idealism with me and I think a lot of my values have come from, I did not realise then, and he got me into reading a lot of stuff. On the freedom movement and things like that. So I think a lot of that idealism came from his conversations with me. You didn't really realise it then but later when you think back and of course my parents and my later my spouse and my child and my daughter and everyone has played a big role in shaping who I am.
What all sports do you watch?
