Institution-builder

One of the more challenging tasks for a professional is to build an institution, with the internal systems and depth that make for sustained success.

And it is a sine qua non of a modern society that it has powerful institutions that prevent overweening power in any one group of hands. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), as one such institution, owes its pre-eminence as a service organisation for industry to the man who has led it for the last 30 years, Tarun Das.

The organisation is at a watershed just now as Mr Das transitions into a mentoring role before formally retiring, and the reins of formal leadership are being handed over to his seniormost deputy "" itself the sign of a strong organisation.

Mr Das has brought together in himself three gifts in a rare combination: the vision to see what the organisation could become; the execution capability to bring life to that vision; and the ability to network across a broad spectrum that is in itself unique.

Armed with these, he has developed internal capabilities, developed strong lines of revenue that give CII a healthy balance sheet, anticipated the emerging needs of Indian industry, built a strong line of deputies and laid an ethical base to the organisation's lobbying effort and functioning.

For these reasons he was asked to stay for five years after the normal retirement age, and it is a sign of his maturity that he is now moving on without overstaying his welcome.

In the days when FICCI and Assocham were the premier all-India industry bodies, both of which saw their role primarily as lobbying with the government, Mr Das came from Calcutta to lead the merged product of two engineering associations, and soon laid the foundations for its future success.

When rival bodies were riven with factionalism, the Association of Indian Engineering Industry (AIEI) as it was known before it became CEI and then CII, developed an altogether healthier and more professional style of functioning (which the others have since tried to emulate).

Recognising the danger of being dependent entirely on membership dues, Mr Das developed exhibitions and trade fairs as a profitable line of activity that at the same time showcased Indian industry.

He moved into quality management and offered consultancy to organisations that wanted to upgrade quality, before diversifying even further into issues like AIDS "" on which subject he had the rare privilege of addressing the UN General Assembly last year.

CII also added an international dimension, in anticipation of the time when the Indian economy would open up to the world, and it now has creditable relationships with the political and business leaders of countries as far apart as Singapore and Britain, plus long-standing partnership with bodies like the World Economic Forum.

All this is also a tribute to the members of CII, with worthy leadership provided by people like Rahul Bajaj and Jamshyd Godrej, MV Subbiah and Arun Bharat Ram, for it is they who have had the wisdom to provide support where required, and to leave matters to the professionals the rest of the time. And in Tarun Das, they've had the services of the best of India's professional class.