At the 75th annual general meeting of Hindustan Unilever Limited (Hul), shareholders proved themselves every bit as boisterous as one would expect of such a company. Chairman Harish Manwani faced a fusillade of questions. One shareholder shot off an entire series of questions in quick succession within the time alloted to him. Will dividends increase in times to come? How much growth does Hul expect this fiscal? Will shareholders get any discount coupons for the company?s products? Plus, many more. Manwani said that he might as well take all the questions together, reassuring the hall that everyone?s queries would be answered before they left. And so it was that the chairman received another energetic burst of questions. It was much later that Manwani finally got round to answering the original questioner?s rapid-fire round, and he made it a point to peer over the front rows in search of him. Alas, he had left.
Track two
In Mumbai, local trains are the great leveller. More and more corporate bigwigs are abandoning the safe airconditioned confines of their chauffeur-driven luxury sedans to catch those overstuffed clunkers on rails that provide the metropolis its daily lifeline. The managing director of a multinational travel company, for example, is clear about his preference for local trains, especially during peak rush hour: he loves reaching home faster, getting that much more time for his family. Now, if only Delhi Metro could achieve something similar.
Twin gains
There is, of course, another benefit of travelling the way the hoi polloi does. One can lend an ear to what?s actually being said. In Mumbai, as they say, whether an IPO is going to hit the jackpot is determined by the local train buzz. Remember West Coast Breweries and Pooja Bhatt?s bikini ad for it? Of course, sustaining post-IPO success is another matter.
