India Inc has to connect with Bharat: Das

When the Rs 7,000-crore Satyam accounting fraud threatened to damage Indias assiduously built image as a IT powerhouse,Prime Minister...

When the Rs 7,000-crore Satyam accounting fraud threatened to damage Indias assiduously built image as a IT powerhouse,Prime Minister Manmohan Singh turned to none other than Tarun Das to step in and sort out the mess. In a short span of time,quite unheard of in Corporate Indias history,a government-appointed board led by Tarun Das ensured a smooth transfer of ownership of the company to the Mahindras.

After steering the Confederation of Indian Industry for 35 years,Das has now decided to call it a day. He intends to now focus his energies on strategic dialogue and building international relationships,mostly within Asia with a special focus on China. He,however,continues to be the president of Aspen Institute,India and also remains on the international advisory board of Coca Cola. He is also the chairman of Haldia Petrochemicals.

Das,70,had given up the job of looking at the day-to-day functioning of the countrys biggest industry body as its director general in 2004,after putting in a good 26 years. He donned the mantle of chief mentor in 2004 and continued with the organisation for another five years. In his three decades at the CII,he has been witness to a sea change in the country,from being a protectionist,closed economy to a liberal and global one.

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I have seen a wonderful change,from the country being afraid of competition and protectionism to becoming confident and competitive. The most important change is that industry is now trusted. Earlier everything was regimented,controlled by the government, Das told The Indian Express.

The most important challenge,he said,is to remove the mistrust between India and the US. However,going forward,the biggest challenge that Corporate India is facing is connecting with Bharat. Das has been known for his pro-active role in influencing the government policies on a host of issues.

Under Taruns leadership,CII has been instrumental in managing and initiating changes that shaped the socio-economic environment of the country over several decades, CII president Venu Srinivasan said in a statement here. During his long tenure,CII forged international tie-ups,including with the Geneva-based World Economic Forum.