Calling the shots

BACKSTAGE

Apjit Singh Bindra, promoter of the Chandigarh-based Rs 300-crore Hitech Group, that has interests in agro- and meat-processing, computer gaming, livestock genetics and pharmaceuticals, has acquired a brand new identity. He is now the father of India’s first gold medallist in the Olympics in the individual category, Abhinav Bindra. But more than that, he’s seen as the man who made Abhinav what he is today — Arjuna’s Krishna, as it were.

After completing his doctorate in veterinary science from Denmark, in 1968, Apjit started trading in dairy equipment and live cattle with agencies around the world. Later, he decided to set up his business venture, Punjab Meat Ltd, in Punjab in 1992 with an initial investment of about Rs 40 crore. This was the time when many industrial units were set up in the state due to a 25 per cent subsidy being offered by the Punjab State Industrial Development Corporation (PSIDC).

“I had initially planned to run my business from Punjab. But when I realised that Chandigarh would be a better place to hone Abhinav’s shooting skills, we relocated there in 1994,” says Apjit. And he was determined to sponsor his son himself.

“Abhinav got a lucrative offer from a German coach when he was only 14. Though he was impressed, I refused. I love and respect my country. Thus, I advised him to play only for the nation, even if it meant waiting for a while.”

This was the same year when Abhinav won his first championship at the Ropar District Championship.

Colonel J S Dhillon, Abhinav’s coach in Chandigarh, says Apjit was so concerned about training his son that when Abhinav was to go to the US to pursue a BBA degree, Apjit selected a university in Colorado Springs because it had a world-class shooting school. “Usually, children who get everything on a silver platter cannot sustain their motivation. But Abhinav’s father played a key role in ensuring Abhinav’s efforts remain consistent. I do not think any Indian family would invest Rs 10 crore on training their child in a sport,” says Dhillon.

Among the many companies that the Bindras own — including Bindra Agro Industries Corporation and PML Industries — Abhinav is the CEO of a company called Abhinav Futuristics which deals in, appropriately enough given his Olympic feat, in computer gaming and weapons. Abhinav Futuristics is also the sole agent of Carl Walther Waffenfabrik (Germany) — the ace shooter has been using a Walther rifle for the past 10 years — in India. The company is already selling Walther’s sporting weapons in the country. To increase sales, Abhinav Futuristics plans to set up offices in Delhi, Bangalore, Bhopal, Kolkata and Chennai, aiming at a turnover of Rs 100 crore by 2010. Apjit has also recently floated a venture called Abhinav Inn and Hotels that intends to set up five-star hotels in Dehradun.

Though Apjit says that God has blessed him with a son with unmatched talent and qualities, those close to him give him the credit for his son’s unprecedented success.