Ramesh D Grover

Contributor  :  H R Shenoy

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During my formative years in L&T in 60s, a few people left indelible impressions on my mind for various reasons.  From personality point of view, in Switchgear, two people come to mind. 

One of them is Ramesh D Grover.

He was in PSW for a couple of years.  I do not remember whether he was in SWS or SPE.

May be some two decades ago, before my retirement, I saw an ad in newspapers featuring Ramesh Grover’s photo and the name he was associated with was CMS Computers.  I started wondering, is he the same Ramesh D Grover, RDG as he was known.  He was looking slightly different.

It was pre-internet era (we had only intranet in PSW – Arcnet to start with and Ethernet later, if I remember right); so I had to depend on thick MTNL telephone directory to get CMS Computer’s telephone number.

I rang them up.  I told the Operator “I am Shenoy from L&T.  I would like to speak to your Chairman, Mr Grover.”

No further questions were asked.  The call went through.  First the Secretary and then Mr Grover came on the line.

“Mr Grover, my name is Shenoy.  I work for L&T Switchgear.  You are not likely to remember me, but I think I remember you. Are you the same RDG who was with us sometime in 60s.”

I could sense the smile on his face through the telephone line.

We chatted for a couple of minutes.  Before, we disconnected he told me “If KV Vaishampayan is around and you are in touch with him, please ask me to give me a ring.”

CMS Computers has grown vertically and horizontally, going by a cursory look at their website.

I am writing this because I was reminded of RDG through a full page ad in today’s TOI.  It must be the pressure of giving birth to an organization and nourishing it which must have taken its toll on his health and personality.   The smile is same but the freshness had disappeared.

This day, 5 years ago, he expired at the age of 66.

Thank you, RDG for your deposit in my memory bank.

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HCP's note :

Ramesh was a gem of human beings ; always smiling , always solving problems , always helping out anyone who needed help

I remember that , along with a few friends , he lived in a rented flat in a building close to ( then ) Akbarali Store on SV road , near Santacruz station . I had visited his place , a couple of times . Now that building is demolished and a new one has come up

Once he asked me :

Mr Parekh , can I build you a radio ?

May be he knew , I did not have a good one at my home !

So , off we went to Opera House and bought components ( cabinet / wires / resistors / tuner / board / valves etc ) and some soldering wire , along with a soldering iron

For the next few days , after office hours , we will go to my flat at Shivaji Park and he would busy himself with studying some circuit diagram and solder wires and mount the components on the board

He enjoyed the Gujarati meals that my wife served , after each session

I used that radio for a few years and when friends asked , I proudly said :

It is RDG brand - better than Grundig !

After he left IBM , he got into maintenance of computers of client companies - perhaps the first in the country ( till then , CMC held the monopoly for maintaining / servicing of any make of computers , owned by anyone , in the entire country ! )

I have vague memory that , even L&T Powai gave him a maintenance contract , when SKP ( S K Prabhudesai was our Manager - Computer )

Many years later ( after I set up 3P Consultants ) , I once visited him in CMS office and we talked about the " good old times "

A few years later , I interacted with one of his Vice Presidents , for some kind of collaboration re placement of computer trainees , who were getting trained in a CMS institute

I also spoke to him on phone , a couple of times , in the 90s . Then lost touch with him but continued to follow his progress in papers

Shalom !  RDG,

You will continue to live in our memories 

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Corporate  Culture :

 Helping colleagues / Collaboration  /  Friendliness