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He would have found a solution to this conundrum too. He just ran out of time.
One other perspective is relevant here. He became an icon for the Indian youth,
corporate executives, new generation of Indian entrepreneurs and businessmen,
who subscribed to his positive, even aggressive, style. In every meeting he addressed,
the intensity of their reception to his ideas and the adoration
they heaped on him was, palpable. He perhaps contributed to
shaping many more entrepreneurial dreams than we think.
He may have paid a severe personal price for his success in other
ways. He had little family life to speak of and I am sure, there must
have been times when he must have felt utterly lonely. He dealt
with loneliness through the only way he knew— by giving himself
no time to be on his own.
Dewang, to my mind, symbolizes the new Indian:
knowledgeable, professional, committed and confident of matching swords
with the best in the world. His image is what the world is slowly recognizing to be the
face of the new Indian, having strong educational and entrepreneurial
traits combined with business and marketing savvy second to none.
Dewang will not be forgotten easily. He has shown that whether you are an
individual, an association, a company or an industry – you can make a difference.
You have to make a difference.
In Mumbai, the function to commemorate Dewang was held in the auditorium
of a local college. My eyes went to the college motto that
summarized Dewang’s way of life. It said: I Can and I Will.
n
(
Harish bhai [as Dewang preferred to call him] was the man who brought Dewang Mehta into NASSCOM. A founder member of
the association, he put his belief and faith behind the young Dewang, convinced that he was the right man for the job. Dewang, in
turn, treated him like a friend, philosopher and guide or mentor whose counsel he trusted and depended on. For Dewang, Harish
bhai was family and his home, a favorite place to visit in Mumbai. The CMD of the Onward Group India is still tied to Dewang as a
trustee of the Dewang Mehta Foundation)
Harish Mehta is CMD, Onward Group India
Co-founder, NASSCOM & President, TiE Mumbai
Acknowledging Leadership: Dewang Mehta with Narayana Murthy and
Phiroz Vandrewala at a nasscom Annual Conference
