 So when PC returned to Bengal in the mid-1990s, still a low-profile man who relished the take-over lifestyle, somehow his reputation preceded him. At the invitation of then West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu and in respect for his mother’s desire to do something memorable for Bengal, PC invested $ 200 million in H.P.L. The rest is history, a remarkable story of how he breathed life into a difficult project under trying conditions, and an industrial climate that was far from conducive.
Aveek Sarkar of the A.B.P. Group recently told a newsweekly, “He is symptomatic of the changing face of Bengal. He is an unusual Bengali-enterprising, hard-driving, aggressive.” Sarkar was echoing what Chatterjee had told an elite audience only months before, how Bengal must admire the risk-taker even if he fails, and cease to view the profit-maker as an exploiter.
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Back to Basell. The deal, insists PC, is “a story about India arriving on the global stage, and not about individuals.” The success of Haldia gave him the insights and the confidence to bid and he hopes for a ripple effect of aspirations in other industries. “I’m just trying to do what’s possible. As an individual, I am immaterial,” he says modestly. It is a time when India stands a chance of acquiring a company with plants in 21 nations and with over 8,500 patents. Adds Subhasendu Chatterjee on the group’s immediate goals, “TCG aims to make Haldia as competitive a chemical hub as Hajira and turn Salt Lake into a IT and biotechnology centre like Seattle.”
But there is nothing modest about his net-worth. Even
Chatterjee-watchers are unsure of what his personal net worth is, guesses range from $1 - 2 billion. He has assets in airlines, energy, telecom, computers and real estate across the globe. Yet he dresses simply, speaks with a Bengali accent, and prefers to remain private whenever he can.
They say a vision without action is a day dream, but action without vision is a nightmare. Mix vision with action, and in PC you’ll find a thoroughbred that runs like a dream. |
