‘Entrepreneurs still encounter a tough environment in India’

The Indian ecosystem is still indifferent to the vital needs of entrepreneurship, said R. Thyagarajan, Founder, Shriram Group.

“The environment for entrepreneurs is hostile and we want to mitigate it for them,” he told the audience who had gathered for the launch of the book – “I am not an Entrepreneur” – The R. Thyagarajan Story.

RT, as he is fondly known in business circles, said that the attitude towards failed entrepreneurs should change. Mr. Thyagarajan said that when the idea of writing this book was first proposed, his reply was, “Let’s not waste paper.” “This time it came as an order and I had to cooperate,” he said.

R. Seshasayee, Chairman, Infosys Ltd and Chairman, IndusInd Bank Ltd, said, “RT is someone who has nurtured so many entrepreneurs. He is a person who is quantitative in his approach. His understanding of music is exceptional.”

‘A game-changer’

N. Lakshmi Narayanan, vice chairman, Cognizant Technology Solutions, spoke about RT’s passion for mathematics and his contribution to the Chennai Mathematical Institute.

 “The institution continues to be supported by the Shriram Group,” he added. Mr. Thyagarajan also supports the Hyderabad-based CR Rao Advance Institute of Mathematics and Statistics.

S. Gurumurthy, Chartered Accountant, Writer and Analyst, said RT was a game-changer in the non-banking financial company (NBFC) space.

Ian Kirk, Group Chief Executive of South Africa’s leading financial group Sanlam which holds a stake in Shriram Group, said Mr. Thyagarajan had always treated them like equal partners.

Ajay Piramal, Chairman of the Shriram Group, said RT has created wealth for society but not for himself.

“Yes, he does not have a mobile phone or a car,” he added.

The first two copies of the book were handed over to N. Vaghul, former chairman of ICICI Bank Ltd, and Gopal Srinivasan, Chairman of TVS Capital.

 Source: The Hindu

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