The mortal remains of Parvinder Singh were consigned to ashes on Sunday. His sons lit the funeral pyre. Among those present were power minister PR Kumaramangalam, chief election commissioner MS Gill, former finance minister Manmohan Singh, former finance secretary Montek Singh Ahluwalia, former commerce secretary and Ranbaxy board member Tejendra Khanna and industrialists Arun Bharat Ram and Onkar S Kanwar.

Sources in the company said that the board meeting could be held in the next couple of weeks.

Brar's appointment as managing director is certain to be brought forward from the earlier announced date of October 1 since he was chosen for the job by Singhhimself.

"Brar eminently deserves to don the mantle of CEO. I am confident that the company will continue to be even more successful and will achieve greater heights under his leadership," Singh had said while announcing his appointment after the company's annual general meeting on June 8 at Mohali in Punjab. Company sources said Parvinder Singh's elder son Malvinder Singh, who is working as a manager in the company, could be taken on the board of directors soon. The second son, Shivinder Singh, who is studying abroad, is also expected to join the company after completing his studies. Ranbaxy's chairman emeritus and Parvinder Singh's father Bhai Mohan Singh, who has maintained a low profile after his exit as chairman of Ranbaxy in 1993, has been actively working for the past few weeks to get Malvinder inducted on the board. The selection of the new chairman is also likely to be done in consultation with Bhai Mohan Singh, Malvinder and Shivinder. The family holds an equity stake of about 36 per cent in thefirm. Singh's death has thrown up the name of former commerce secretary and Lt. Governor of Delhi Tejendra Khanna as the most suitable choice for the chairman's post.

Khanna, who has been on Ranbaxy board since September last year, was a close friend of Singh. Parvinder Singh had ruled out elevation of his sons to the post of managing director of chairman. "Both my sons are in their twenties. They are too young and just because they are my sons dosen't entitle them to become managing director or the chairman," he had stated after the company's AGM. Though there have been reports of some discontent among the top level excutives on the appointment of Brar as managing director, they are expected to rally around each other after Singh's sudden death to send the right signal to other employees.

Ranbaxy is today rated as one of the most professionally managed companies in the country. "This has been one of the primary reasons for our tremendous growth under Singh's leadership. We will strive hard to achievehis dream of making Ranbaxy a force to reckon with in the international pharmaceutical industry," a top level executive said while dismissing reports that there was resentment among some of the top manager's on Brar's appointment.