‘You need to think Today about tomorrow’

Font Size

Print

Feedback

Email

Discuss

Related Articles

‘People still prefer piracy to paying for world ci...

: As a young girl she was always inspired by the image of a knight. But when Swati Piramal, director, Strategic Alliances and Communications of the Rs 3,000- crore Piramal Healthcare Ltd, thinks of a knight in a sari, she can’t stop smiling.

Three years back when the French Government decided to honour her with Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Merite (Knight of the Order of Merit), it was one award she readily accepted. “I read about the award and saw the image of a knight. She is the symbol of liberty and justice and is used on the coins in France. I was pretty kicked about the award. I wear the blue ribbon of the award when I go to France. This time I met President Sarkozy and was wearing the ribbon with my Sari. I think of a knight in a sari and can’t stop smiling,” she giggles, biting into Pizza over a lunch meeting.

Swati is an unusual mix. She might wear pink chiffons and pearls and diamonds but going into a slum is not something that she will bat her eyelid about.“ I have quite a few crazy ideas,” she says.

Born into a business family, Swati found her own world in books. “My favourite memories of childhood are curling up with a book in some corner in the house.” That that she had no inclination for business comes from the fact that she studied medicine at Bombay University. In fact she was still studying when she got married to Ajay Piramal, now the chairman of Nicholas Piramal India Ltd. And one of the things that settled her quickly into her new life was the fact that her father-in-law promised to let her work in the medical field and also open a hospital for her. But soon after, he passed away and her brother-in-law fulfilled his wish and set up Piramal Memorial Hospital.

And once the hospital was established, there was no looking back for the young enthusiastic new doctor. “I was marketing manager, accounts manager, doctor, service person etc. Day and night, I did everything,” remembers Swati.