Durga Das
February 8, 2018
He is an epitome of enduring greatness. An ideal blend of personal humility and professional will. He never said no to opportunities; his sparkling eyes narrate indelible stories. Stories of his sweat and toil. Stories that make him our stainless hero.
Here is a rewarding journey of an industrious man who devoted his four decades in the service of our company.
Journey Of Mr Durga Das, AGM – Raw Material At Jindal Stainless
- JOINING DATE-MAY 1979
- NDO & Vigilance Officer -1982
- Dispatch, Quality & Finishing Officer-1985
- Inspection Incharge of Material for Procurement-1989
- SMS Raw Material (RM) & Rajgarh Plant Project Manager-1993
- SMS Raw Material Head till now- Since 2003
Tell Us About Your Family And Background.
I come from a farmer’s family in Nalwa, a village in Hisar. There is nothing fancy about my background and I had a very ordinary childhood with limited means. My mother’s sad demise, when I was only three-year old, was the major hit on my family. One can still manage in meagre resources, but as a kid, when all you need is love and attention, the absence of a mother is sharply felt. Though I had an elder sister, life was still dull, so at a very young age I started accompanying my father to farms.
How Did You Manage Your Studies While Contributing Towards Farming?
I managed my studies not only with farming, but even with my first job at Jindal Stainless. Up till class ten, I used to head straight to the farms after coming from school, which was mostly out of necessity. Jindal Stainless happened to me while I was still a student. It’s true that Jindal Stainless is the first and may be the last company that I have worked with. I was in class eleven when I was offered a role of a store keeper. It was the most I could have got as a student. My shifts were in evening, so I used to come to work directly from school. Managing both studies and job was a real ordeal. My day would start at four in the morning, as that was the only time I had left for my studies. The evening shift would end by twelve in the night. At that age, in my initial days of adolescence, I was completely oblivious to the other side of the world; full of youthful merriment and joys.
From A Store Keeper To The Head In Charge Of Raw Material, What Was Your Secret Of Success?
There is no secret as such, and there never is for anyone. It’s only your willingness and hard work that makes it all. Since day one and even now, I was never asked before giving any responsibility. I was always intent to do whatever task I was assigned. Be it a simple job like keeping a check on daily transactions or a challenging one like sorting the scrap for harmful material, which can be very risky, I readily accepted it all. I once worked day and night on a job that required detailed sorting of defective raw material, which others were hesitant to put their hands in because of its being damaging to our skin. I still took that challenge, as ‘no’ was never there in my dictionary.
Having Spent About 40 Years In One Company, You Must Be Full Of Those Sweet And Sour Memories. Would You Like To Share One With Us?
I remember this very interesting event when I was working on an extremely challenging project of dismantling the electric transmission tower. There used to be no cranes then, and I was standing at a height of 85 meter, trying to disassemble this high voltage tower, when I got a call from bauji, Shi OP Jindal. He summoned me for his personal work. I was so frantically immersed in my job that I told him I can only come after completing this project. He laughed sarcastically and replied “So now your tower is more important than me?” Despite that remark, I knew he was happy to see me being dedicated towards my work. I knew because no matter how discreetly I worked in the background, I was becoming known for my hard work and perseverance.
Would You Like To Give Any Message To Our Jindal Stainless Family?
There is one advice to all- ‘passion’ and an ‘untiring spirit’ is must to achieve great things in life. This, along with strong educational background, which I personally lacked, is really significant to bring the best in you. Also, I would like to thank all my mentors who I have worked with, including Mr SP Mittal, Mr Ram Singh Gupta, Mr Swamy, Mr Vikram Jindal and Mr S Bhattacharya, for helping me become what I am today. Special mention to Mr Jagmonhan Sood and Mr Vijay Bindlish for their unparalleled support.
‘Passion’ and an ‘untiring spirit’ is must to achieve great things in life”. -Durga Das
