Personality Of The Week

S. Amarjit Singh Chandhok, Past President, Federation of All India Automobile Dealers Association in Coimbatore. He is truly secular. Not only does he visit Gurdwara everyday, he also visits some place of worship or other -- be it a temple or a church - almost every day. He has visited Sabarimala 18 times so far and visited almost every pilgrim centre in the country. For 56-year-old Amarjit Singh Chandhok, a victim of 1984 riots, (the aftermath of the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi when all the shops of the Sikhs were looted) all religions are equal and he reveres every religion. He received Mohammed Koya Peace Award for his contribution to religious harmony in the city.

‘When my autombile spare parts shop was set ablaze and my family was traumatised exactly 24 years ago, it was D.Jayawardanavelu, my school senior and chairman of the LMW, who instilled courage in me to take the bull by the horns and start the life afresh," recounts Mr.Amarjit . In a chat with G.Satyamurty, he discusses the harmony of the adjacent community and the phenomenal growth of automobile component industry in Coimbatore region.

His family (originally refugees from Pakistan) has spent almost five decades in Coimbatore and has become an integral part of the city. An alumnus of the Mani HSS, Coimbatore, who became a dealer of automobile spare parts at a very young age, he has involved himself in every activity of the city, be it the imbroglio over the passage of the Koniamman temple car in late 1980s or peace talks in 1998 after the serial blasts ripped through the psyche of the peace-loving citizens, he was one among those who played a crucial role in bringing about peace.

“The serial blasts period was traumatic and there was total chaos. With the help of several prominent citizens from various religions, we tirelessly worked to restore confidence among the community and restore normality in co-ordination with the administration" “As a functionary of the Gurdwara not only did I attend the functions of all other religions but also invite other people to attend the functions at the Gurdwara". The Gurdwara also helped the Sri Lankan refugees as well the Tamils fleeing from Karnataka following the Cauvery Tribunal Interim Award in 1991. As a Rotarian, he contributed his mite for the resounding success of the polio vaccination drive and also for the shelter of tsunami victims.

He is also involved in various sports associations. “As a 9th standard student , I entered the automobile spare parts business set up by my father and became the youngest and the first Sikh from the south to become the National President of the Federation of All India Automobile Dealers’ Associations." He is immensely thankful to his legendary head master Chinnasamy Naidu for making him a disciplined citizen and to his alma mater for providing contacts with the "who’s who" of Coimbatore which has proved the bedrock of all his social and business life throughout.

“The current power scenario is nothing compared to what we suffered in 1973 as it was 100 per cent power cut then. But, as sweet are the uses of adversity, this made me diversify into diesel generator business. Then the import duty was 340 per cent as against the current 22 per cent. Even then not only did we survive but also flourish". e also diversified further into earthmover equipment business later. Despite such diversification, his first love continues to be automobile industry. With statistics in his fingertips, he is extremely optimistic about the growth of automobile ancillary industry in Coimbatore.

“Not a single two-wheeler, three-wheeler or a four-wheeler can come out in India without some part or other from Coimbatore," he asserts. Automobile industry, at the national level, is booming. And this sector is contributing 5 per cent to the GDP and 19 per cent towards indirect taxes. While it employs about 20 lakh people in organised sector, it provides more than one crore jobs in the unorganised sector. This sector is growing at the rate of 27 per cent now and this is likely to continue till 2015, he is confident.

By then the domestic demand for automobile components is expected to touch 25 billion dollars ( more than Rs one lakh crores). While Tamil Nadu holds the pride of place in this sector, Coimbatore is its heart. He puts the growth of automobile sector in Tamil Nadu on a par with telecom industry in the State. Tamil Nadu contributes 30 per cent to the domestic demand through the original equipment manufacturers." Coimbatore produces world class auotmobile engineering products-- be it brake drums or cylinder blocs.

And Coimbatore units supply to every major auotmobile manufacturer in the country including Maruti, Telco, Ashok Leyland, Hyundai and Mahindra and Mahindra and also some international manufacturers. Coimbatore automobile component manufacturers employ at least 20,000 persons directly. He categorically underlines the superiority of Indian automobile industry citing that even China, which has threatened every other country in all other fields, is yet to emerge as a threat to India in automobile sector alone. “Of course, our major threat is from Thailand and Taiwan".

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