What is spirituality in your day-to-day life?

I start the day with five minutes of prayer. I used to meditate more than I do now but still, my mind is constantly working and it is good to calm it. One book I enjoyed reading is The Monk who sold his Ferrari. When you live in this

hyperactive mode, there is some fatigue factor and it is good to get another perspective. But I am not into rituals. I do not go to temples… I have my own connection with god, we communicate. I ask god to fix things. And in return, what I have to do is goodness.

How does spirituality figure in business?

My work will always be for a bigger cause, for the good of humanity. I feel that there are companies like Tata, Infosys, Bharti, Wipro who… have a greater cause and it is less of a concern if you are second or sixth or tenth in the country. What matters is how people see you as a corporation connecting to society.

Is there one experience that changed or shaped your spiritual beliefs?

It happened to me in 1981-82. I was struggling on some particular issue, I was doing everything I could but it was just not working. So I connected to god and said I would leave something very dear to me in exchange for which this would have to go through. I never smoked, I never was too fond of drinking but I loved non-vegetarian food. So I decided I would give up any form of meat for a year. The very next morning, I went to meet this very difficult man. I went in and 20 minutes later, the deal was signed. I was a kid then, just trying to build my life. It was so bizarre…. So every time I got stuck I did the same thing.

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