RCSS -Interview-M.Chandra Shekhar

Interview-M.Chandra Shekhar

Madhu: Hi Sekhar,caught you in your office today.How's life?
Sekhar: Hi Madhu, please take a seat.Life is wonderful just like all of us at the RCSS.

Madhu: Tell me about your initial years of growing up?
Sekhar: Well, I was born on the 14th of June, 1960.Incidentally, this day was rumoured to be
the doomsday, when people feared that the entire world would come to an end.But I came
into this world to dispel their fears and instill hope in them! Ha! Ha!
I was born in the town of Bellary which happens to be my mother's native place.

Madhu: Where did you do your schooling and further education?
Sekhar: I did my schooling in Hyderabad from the Mahboob College, intermediate from
Wesley College and went on to do my B.E(Mech) from CBIT.I completed my B.E in 1983
and in the same year I got married to Vijaylakshmi.Incidentally, Viji is also from Bellary and
infact is my uncle's daughter.

Madhu: Wow! Sounds great.Two childhood friends(Read cousins) come together to live happily ever after.Please tell me
something about your wife?
Sekhar: Well, Viji is very simple,extremely talented and basically a very practical person.She does a lot of artwork as a hobby.
But what makes me really proud of her is the fact that she gets along fabulously with all members of my large, joint family.In
essence,an ideal homemaker.

Madhu: Amazing! Especially in today's world where people prefer to live in nuclear families.You are indeed very lucky. Now,
can you tell me one (or more) thing/s that Viji just does'nt like about you?
Sekhar:Viji does'nt like the fact that I talk too much( I can't help it though).She also complains that I make far too many
promises than I can fulfill.Of course, she refers to the little promises like taking her out etc and not the serious or major
ones because I always keep up my word.

Madhu: and what does she admire you for?
Sekhar: You'll have to ask her and also please let me know.I'll be very happy.Jokes apart, she has told me that she likes the
fact that Iam a funloving guy, full of enthusiasm and always having a very positive attitude towards life and at the same time
very focussed in whatever I choose to do in life.

Madhu: Sekhar, must say that Viji is 100% right because these are the same qualities that have endeared you to all of us at
the RCSS. We'll now move over to your children.How old are they and what are they doing?
Sekhar: My son Rahul is 21yrs old. Having completed his B.E(Civil), he has now joined the Nagarjuna Constructions Ltd and
is posted in Bangalore.He is very mature and is very attached to the family.My daughter Anusha is 17 and is pursuing the
Intermediate course.Her hobbies include singing and she sings beautifully.

Madhu: You are a great dancer yourself and Iam sure she must be making you dance to her tunes!Please tell me something
about your business?
Sekhar: Well, after my degree in 1983, I did take up a job for some time.Later, I quit the job and took over a sick unit and tried
to run it.However, things did not work out as I expected and so I started my own business in the year 1988 as a retail trader in
Furniture and Office Equipment and that's how my store Chandra's was born.Today, we are the Authorised dealers for reputed
companies like Godrej, Kurl-on and Neelkamal Plastics.Presently Iam also into Share trading and Real Estate Business.

Madhu: As a successful businessman what is your advice to people aiming for success in their business ventures.Also could
you name someone who actually inspired you to start your own business, I mean some role model?
Sekhar: Vijay and Raj Shriram are two people who I look upon as role models.Infact both of them are also Rotarians.I believe
in the following four principles which must be followed by any businessman if he needs to succeed in any business.Period.
1. Never ever compromise on quality.
2. Believe in fair and just pricing of products
3. Provide excellent after-sales service and
4. Maintain cordial customer relations and also build up strong employer-employee relations

Madhu: Great! And now coming to service activities when did you first join a service club?
Sekhar:I joined the Jaycees in 1992 and was a very active member.As President of the Jaycees, Sec'bad during 1999-2000
I implemented many innovative ideas and programmes, during my tenure.

Madhu: and when did you decide to join RCSS?
Sekhar: My good friends Ajit, Lokesh , Srinivas and myself decided to start a new club with young and dynamic members.
When we were told about the RCSS we were only too happy to be part of this new Rotary Club right from its inception.
Ofcourse, our Charter President, Rtn Narendar Gouri was indeed instrumental in getting us into the RCSS.

Madhu: What do you like most about RCSS?
Sekhar: We are like a close-knit family and we have excellent fellowships and Programmes and we are also involved in many
service activities.Iam indeed proud to be a part of such a happening club.

Madhu: Any suggestions for improving our club as a whole, because we need to better ourselves each day as we move on.
Sekhar: Our meetings could be made more informative and interesting like having a group discussion/ debate on any interesting
topic. We also need to ensure that work is shared between all members(old and new). I also feel that greater adherence to the
Standard Club Constitution will make Rotary more enjoyable for all of us. Maybe we could even put down the Club Bye-laws in
a concise form and distribute them among our members for better understanding and participation in club meetings and Programs.

Madhu: I've taken quite a bit of your time. As a parting shot could you share with us any quote that has impacted you?
Sekhar: As someone rightly said, “ Making a million friends is not a miracle. The miracle is to make a friend who stands by
you when millions are against you”