Ranbaxy Has An Eye For Foreign Colour

Corporate Treasures

Ranbaxy's dream of becoming a global pharmaceutical giant has virtually been splashed on the walls of the company's corporate office in Delhi.

In the last five months, as many as five paintings from Brazil have been collected painstakingly by D S Brar, managing director, Ranbaxy, for the corporate office. And more is in the offing.

An art aficionado, Brar feels that paintings make the atmosphere in an office more vibrant. In pursuit of international recognition, the management has asked its representatives in different countries to collect the best pieces of local art available.

The company's passion for art is evident from the fact that it has appointed an art collector for this purpose.

"The focus will now be on international collections on to give a global feel. We already have enough Indian paintings," Sunita Mehrotra, Ranbaxy's official art collector, said.

Enchantment, by Brazilian painter Gregory Fink, adorns the main entrance of the office. Painted in bold and bright colours, it is a celebration of humanity.

The painting has human faces painted in brown and red with a bright blue background. In the last five months, the company has spent around Rs 12 lakh on Brazilian paintings. Most of them have bright colours, unlike some of the Indian pieces, says Mehrotra.

However, the most prized collection of the company is a Manjit Bawa painting that represents nature through bold animal figures. The 82-inch by 62-inch painting had cost Rs 7 lakh in 1993.

"It is a beautiful portrait of animal life in bright colours. Its current price will be much higher," says Mehrotra. However, Brar prefers a rare piece from M F Hussain in his room.

The company had collected a number of rare paintings of famous Indian painters, including M F Hussain, J Swaminathan and Manjit Bawa, during 1993-94.

However, there has been no addition to the collection for the past eight years. "It was only from the end of last year that we again started collecting paintings," says Mehrotra.

The paintings have proved to be a healing balm for many company executives. "It takes away the dullness and lifts our spirits. However, a painting has to be chosen tastefully to break the monotony and give a soothing touch," says a senior company executive.