I consider myself quite fortunate that my passion is my profession and my profession is my passion.
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While pursuing my chemical engineering, I always had the instinct of doing something different rather than the run-of-the-mill jobs. During a campus interview, I was selected to work for a company in Chandrapur ufffd a heavy chemical industry that had plans of coming up with huge projects. I was the first one to get employed in our batch, having completed our exams on May 9 and joined the company in Chandrapur on May 10.
Unfortunately, the expected new projects never started and after about a year of working with them, I left with a note of disgust as my health suffered much.
I, now, had no job or direction and my friends then advised me to go to Mumbai and camp there.
The one good thing about my college days was that I made a lot of great friends, who till date still remain in touch and we meet on all occasions. Three or four of these friends were sharing a flat in Mumbai and I found myself at their flat seeking advice. They had read in the newspapers about a project that was coming up called Champagne India Limited for manufacture of champagne (though it was not legal to mention this).u00a0 I met the managing director (this is another story) and my career with Champagne India began here. My employment conditions were to work for six months with the French wine.
One day, we had to open all 200 bottles to taste and differentiate them. This was in the third month of my joining. The French wine master asked me to do the tasting along with him and we would compare notes at the end of the tasting session. This got me thinking of getting another job. But like a miracle was to happen, we both agreed 80 per cent.u00a0
u00a0The French wine masters left India in 1988. I worked with them for four years and they declared that I was ready for takeover. This was a great responsibility and I must admit my first success. Today, as business head and chief wine maker of the wines division of the UB Group, I have complete responsibility right from planting of grapes to selling of the wines.
u00a0Selling wine in India has always been a struggle. It may sound funny, but there have been instances when people have asked how to drink wine, whether water or soda should be added. Serving temperature, glassware were terms not even heard of. It has been a process of education, awareness and a lot of patience to bring the industry to the state it is today. Wine consumption in the country has remained very low, one main reason being that wine is perceived as a beverage of the elite. My message has always been 'wine is like any other beverage meant to be enjoyed, just drink it'.
u00a0For the younger generation to follow an unusual profession like mine or any other profession for that matter, they must have a passion for whatever they do. If you do not enjoy what you are doing, there is no way you will achieve what you want. There are never quick returns especially in the wine industry. One has to work hard and be the best in whatever you set out to do.
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