REDEFINING AMBITION

Shashikant Ruia was a visionary entrepreneur who navigated challenges with resilience. He leaves behind a rich legacy of ambition and leadership

- KRISHNA GOPALAN

DESCRIBING SHASHIKANT RUIA is no simple task. Perhaps he epitomised the qu i ntessent ia l Indian entrepreneur: a sharp thinker adept at navigating complex systems with skill and charm. Ruia, who passed away on November 25, was a man of boundless ambition, bolstered by extraordinary grit and confidence.

His journey was remarkable. Together with his younger brother, Ravi, Ruia took on his first major project in 1969—constructing an outer breakwater at Chennai Port. From those humble beginnings, which saw him and his brother move the business from Chennai to Mumbai, although both the brothers retained the Tamil culture, he built a legacy spanning steel, oil, shipping, telecommunications, and more—industries challenging even in the best of times. But this was pre-liberalisation India and the infamous Licence Raj was known to scuttle even the most resilient of the lot. But the constraints of the Licence Raj were no deterrent for Ruia; instead, he excelled in navigating through its bureaucratic labyrinth, leveraging strong relationships and his innate business acumen.