Our company was acquired a few days ago, and even as I stay on to help transition, yesterday was technically my last day as owner of the company I had been part of for 41 years. At 7.30 pm, my younger son Abeer came into my cabin and asked me a simple question – ‘So, how does it feel?’

My love and passion for our business was no secret, and yet the ease of making the decision came not from valuation, but from asking the question – ‘will the team, customers and suppliers be better off, and is this the right answer for the business long term?’ My attachment, not my love, dissolved when I was able to put the cause ahead of myself.

I shared with him the string of mistakes I had made and the things that went right. It was a deep sense of gratitude for having had the opportunity of the journey. I realised that my true wealth was the experiences and learnings that I carry, and in a small way, the lives we touched along the way.

He asked what helped build the culture we had. On reflecting, I realised it was a simple, yet often overlooked aspect in the commercial world  – we built the company with a lot of heart. We built our market leadership, of course aware of all the business aspects, but always keeping people – team, customers, suppliers and community at the heart of our discussions. Life is not just numbers; it is about people.

We discussed that we had built not just products and processes, but a learning, caring and winning culture. The constant reminder to put our ego aside even when we are market leaders, and having the humility to say we don’t know and we need to learn, grounded us. The willingness to care deeply for our people, even in the face of carrying a cost, unleashed commitment and love from the entire team, a blessing over the years. The attitude of winning, not by focusing on competition but by raising our own standards, paved the way for positive energy in a highly competitive environment.

My advice to him was to fill stomachs and fill hearts. Our role is not just to generate employment, but to take good care of those with us and increase those numbers in a sustainable way. And anyone who interacts and transacts with us should feel good and happy doing business with us. The business of creating joy is the joy of building a business.

We both discussed that our trust was not established because we were honest, but probably because we tried to make the right, even though difficult decisions in challenging times.

As I shut off the lights and we were walking out, I told him that ownership may have changed to bigger and better hands, but our love for what we have built is beyond that. Walking down the stairs, I recited to him lines from one of my favourite songs:

Chalte, chalte – mere yeh geet yaad rakhna,

Kabhi alvida na kehna, kabhi alvida no kehna.

As you walk along in life, remember my words,

Never say good-bye.

(Picture – Stairs in my alma mater, Campion School)