Three cheers to techno-entrepreneur

To the best of my recollection, I met him first at the Pragati Maidan in New Delhi during the construction of the Punjab Pavilion in the Asia-72 , India International Trade Fair, of which I was in charge. At first sight itself I fell for the captivating charm of his backslapping manners.The affair thus started lasted till Chandra Mohan breathed his last, leaving a trail of glory.

The heart and soul of the Swaraj Engine and Punjab Tractor, Chandra Mohan was a brilliant mechanical engineer in the Indian Railways before he embarked upon his mission, Swaraj Tractor, which was a saga of audaciously inspiring vision and unflinching commitment to an indigenous tractor. Lesser humans would have surrendered to failure, but not Chandra Mohan who fought through many battles to the crowning commercial success of the indigenously designned and built Punjab Tractors. The advent of Swaraj Mazda was only a logical next chapter in Chandra Mohan’s life.

With his easy ways, Chandra Mohan was Dale Carnegie incarnate in winning friends and influencing people. Ever critical of the establishment, he was quite harsh on the IAS and lost no opportunity to voice his disdain for them, ‘your clan’ to me. Yet many stalwarts of the clan were pillars of strength, who stood by him through thick and thin.

Chandra Mohan, Pammi and your friends will miss your physical presence amongst them, but your ‘never say die’ spirit will survive and permeate to inspire and foster another generation of techno-entrepreneur-managers.

Three cheers to you, Chandra Mohan wherever you are, planning your next ‘Make in India’ project.

TKA Nair, ex-Principal Secy to former PM Manmohan Singh