The great Indian business legend, Jamsetji Tata’s 12-meters-high statue at Jamshedpur impressed Muthu Govindan. That sparked his passion again for being an entrepreneur in life. With a meagre capital that he saved from his job, he started a business before going abroad, recalling, “if anyone needed to see what one man could do look at the statue”
Muthu Govindan is a non-resident Indian (NRI) entrepreneur based in UAE. Besides UAE, he has set up business in Qatar, Spain and Portugal and also India. Son of a Station Master, Indian Railways and only brother of six sisters, Muthu Govindan belongs to a rare class of entrepreneurs for having many admirable qualities and principles. A brilliant student in his school days, he, however, dreamt to be an entrepreneur. The passion remained in him for long. He continued to explore the right opportunities and capital to feed his dream.
Hailing from Mannargudi, near Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu and educated in seven different schools over 11 years following his father’s frequent transfer, Muthu Govindan took up his first job at the age of 20 after completing his diploma in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. In the same year, he got a job in the Indian Railways also as a Signal Inspector. His father, Amritha Lingam wanted him to join the service and sent him off from Chennai to Nagpur where his posting was confirmed. “But I got down at the next station and cancelled the plan. I knew that was a crazy decision at that time,” he recalls. The destiny kept for him something different in line with his passion and talent. Had he joined the job in the Indian Railways he would have superannuated in November last year. He began his career in an automobile ancillary company in Chennai for a salary of ₹125 in 1980. “I learned a lot from the company and still remember Narayanan Namboothiri,” he says. After this, he joined Toshniwal Brothers and subsequently Devi Polymers, Chennai. Soon he moderately started his own business.
Meanwhile, once in 1982, he went to Jamshedpur, a legendary industrial town of Jharkhand with a huge presence of Tatas for commissioning a project. “While being in Jamshedpur for 20 days with the assignment, one day I saw Jamsetji Tata’s royal statue. That again triggered my passion for starting a business. The present size of the companies, which the legendary businessman started on a very small scale astonished me,” he reminisces. Jamshetji’s statue deeply inspired him and made him realise that a small company could grow into a global size as the Tata companies proved if there was a vision. “If you want to see what one man can achieve, look at the Statue,” a message stuck deep inside his mind to remember ever in life.
Back home, with six sisters to take care of, he realised that he should not expect financial support from his father, who retired from the service by the time. The only option left with him was to earn by himself and fund his business. As he started his business, once in 1984 he saw an advertisement for a six-month assignment opening in Abu Dhabi. “Even if that was for six months, without any qualm, I took the chance intending to make some money to fund my business.” He remembers.
That made him move to Abu Dhabi, which had set in the next major turning point in his life. Simultaneously, he was keen to gain more exposure to the world of business and find better opportunities.
The Abu Dhabi job was an opportunity to earn money and gain exposure to the bigger world. After the first assignment was over, he was called back with an offer of better perks. He never used to look at short term comfort, but sound future growth opportunities. He had his calculations that never failed. He could find other opportunities in the UAE, including an opportunity to look into a doable business proposal. Time went by.
His honest and amiable nature could help him expand his relations. He accepted the business proposals from K P Moidutty and V M Basheer, who were successful entrepreneurs with a footprint in diverse businesses. “We worked jointly for three years in Abu Dhabi. Later, we took the call for separation based on the interest and appetite each one had so that we could better focus on areas where each of us had expertise. I always like to have a company of small size with better control and supervision,” he says.
Today he has 10 companies under the umbrella of BINTEC. Of the 10 companies, three are fully owned by him. BINTEC is a manufacturer, trader, supplier and distributor of fire-fighting equipment, analysers, breathing apparatus, fire and gas detection equipment, ex-proof electrical equipment and safety equipment.
The journey to be a business hasn’t been smooth but has been made to be smooth through his integrity, hard work and timely business growth strategies. “The employees who were working with me since the beginning also struggled a lot to make my ventures successful. Most of them are still working with me,” he points out. Despite getting a job in Railways, choosing a different line that was rarely chosen by an educated youth hailing from a remote location of southern India, was unique. But he had the DNA of business in him. His maternal grandfather was a small businessman dealing in precious stones and his paternal grandfather also had a small business.
As a true entrepreneur also, Muthu Govindan has a unique approach, admirable by everyone who knows him closely. He still remembers the tougher student days, at one point in time to walk as far as five kilometres down to school.
In those days in many places transport facilities were not available, he reminisces. “We have come a long way from the days,” he adds.
As the business began to flourish, he became friendlier with his colleagues. “I set up the business, not for my growth alone, but each of the employees’ betterment,” he asserts. Now 150 people are working in his group companies.
Each one is happy with enough reason to dream big in life under the great business leader, thanks to his marvellous business vision. Once the base is set, employees become the propelling force. Their energy and sincerity are the major determining factors for the success of the company, he rightly believes. Ultimately, the success of a company is the success of the employees. They also get the deserving share of the value of the success, he says and practices this principle. “All employees have understood my policies. They are capable of running the company quite well,” he avers with an immense trust in the employees. He is also a perfect family man while being a busy entrepreneur and travelling a lot.
While his spouse Vasuki is a housewife, his eldest daughter, Anitha who is married and has a child is an engineer. Anitha is working in her father’s business group and her husband Starvin in a multinational company as a metering engineer. The younger daughter Haritha is now pursuing economics undergraduation. “That is the subject I wished her to study,” Muthu Govindan points out.
He praises the Abu Dhabi rulers and the straightforward system that the Arab kingdom has adopted for the smooth functioning of a business.
The friendly business atmosphere in the kingdom encourages everyone. Every Indian desires a similar atmosphere in India too, he says. His business unit that makes various types of sensors, is coming up in Guindy. Chennai. He expects the commercial operation of the unit to begin by the mid of next year.
A technocrat with great team leadership quality, Muthu Govindan sees a big space for India’s young dreamers. He is equally zealous about extending support to capital-starved innovative business initiatives, which
have the potential to grow into a large size.
That would make more people thrive in the changing economic landscape, he assures.