“Can I assume you approached me because you knew I was connected to IBRD Program?”
“I won’t deny it.”
I met his gaze calmly.
A businessman has to be serious about anything that can make money.
I hadn’t broken any laws, so there was no reason to lie.
“”According to regulations, I should probably keep my distance from you.
Yet somehow, I’m more curious than offended.
How did you know?”.”
“The World Bank doesn’t maintain hundreds of specialists for every developing nation. If India is seeking industrial financing, sooner or later the matter lands on your desk.”
“You know quite a lot. Then you must also know that some of my American colleagues are opposed to the IBRD loan.”
“Yes, and they think Europe deserves the money more.”
Alfred’s eyes widened.
“You truly have done your homework.
I shook my head.
“They’re asking the wrong question.”
“The wrong question?”
“They keep asking how Europe will recover.”.
“And?”
“They should be asking how Europe remains recovered.”
Silence filled the room.
Alfred leaned forward.
“What exactly do you mean?”
I pointed toward a map hanging on the wall.
The Mediterranean.
The Middle East.
The Indian Ocean.
“The Arab-Israeli War may end.But there is no saying another war will not start in another place and it will not affect USA”
“You think European reconstruction is vulnerable.”
“Yes”
Finally, Alfred broke the silence.
“So your solution is India?”
“My solution is preparation.”
“So, Mr. Alfred, why worry about headquarters? Haven’t they already lost interest in you? If I were you, Mr.Alfred, I’d submit an Geopolitical -risk report to the U.S. government under my own name.”
“!!!!!”
“You should hurry. The moment the U.S. government realizes what’s happening worldwide your report will lose its value.”
“Gah!!!”
For a scholar, achievements were both honor and money.
Neither could be let go.
“Mr. Alfred, the moment another war will happen in 5 years and supply chain issues will be in front of the world , your predictions will be proven correct. Don’t hesitate.”
“Proven in 5 years ? You are very sure that a War will take place in five years, even if it happens it will take years to feel the economic situation .”
“worry not by that time we will support your thesis, you know we are fast and stubborn to the bone”
“They may be fast, but there’s no infrastructure…”
No infrastructure?
Of course there was.
The economic impact could be felt immediately.
“There’s already a locomotive factory, jute units, steel and what not. We just need to systematically scale them. After that, we can become a successful trade partner with the USA and European Countries. In just 10 years we can support the global economy. By then Raw material procurement and by-product disposal would become incredibly simple by that time.”
“Th-that kind of idea…”
Sir, that’s basic economics.
Honestly, even if only part of the facilities became operational, synthetic fiber feedstocks would pour out in enormous quantities.
Rayon, and in future Nylon, polyester—it could all be mass-produced and exported to the United States.
“If you can arrange just $100,000 in IBRD financing, I’ll prove it before the end of the year. One million dollars in exports to America. What do you think?”
This man is currently in charge investment of 200 million USD.
Surely $100,000 was nothing to him.
“…You’re quite the braggart.”
“A braggart? Why would I lie over a mere $100,000?”
Think about it.
After displaying such foresight all this time, why would I suddenly start making ridiculous boasts?
“…$100,000… Very well. That much is worth investing. Consider it the cost of observing you.”
Alfred simply defined the money as a personal investment in me.
I quietly waited for what he would say next.
“Can you promise me one thing?”
“Of course.”
“Even after I return to America, promise that we’ll meet at least once a year. If you agree, I’ll arrange the $100,000. It’ll be listed under an World Bank consulting allocation for India.”
“!!! Naturally.”
Alfred had decided to build a relationship with me.
That wasn’t a bad thing for me either.
“Sign the contract, and I’ll write the check immediately.”
Alfred searched through a filing cabinet and produced a contract.
It was based on the template used by the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers when signing direct contracts with foreign companies.
Why the hell does the US consulate have US Army Corps of Engineers templates?
Do they print them in Bulk or at this time every consulate has these templates?
Well whatever.
Replacing the Corps with the World Bank’s Indian office turned it into a perfectly acceptable agreement.
“Looks good.”
I signed my name:
Rohit Karmakar,Nayara Corporation .
Scribble, scribble.
The moment I finished signing, Alfred pulled out a checkbook and wrote me a check for $100,000.
I hadn’t expected something like this in the 1950s.
I thought it would take at least two weeks.
“Will it be registered under the IBRD loan account?”
“Of course. If necessary, request a certificate from the Manhattan Bank branch.”
“Thank you.”
A $100,000 check…
At current exchange rates, it was worth about 331,000 INR.
By 21st-century standards, it was equivalent to billions.
And because foreign capital could be matched by domestic financing, I could borrow another 3.31 lakh INR.
Only then did my heart begin pounding.
“By the end of the year—one million dollars in exports. I trust you’ll succeed.”
If my exports exceeded even $500,000, this man’s reputation would soar.
American clothing prices will stabilize thanks to the influx of Indian textiles for the next 10 years.
After that there will be the Vietnam war.
Well, we can think that in future.
“Just watch. I’ll give you the peak achievement of your career.”
“Hahahahaha!”
Apparently pleased with my answer, Alfred grabbed my hand and shook it vigorously.
***
Industrial Development Bank of India Calcutta Branch.
“Thank you for your business.”
“Take care, Mr. Rohit.”
After cashing the check at Manhattan Bank and depositing it into the IDBI, I was suddenly treated like a VIP.
“Don’t forget to send a bank employee to the address on that business card tomorrow. We’ll be acquiring a factory immediately.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
Not only were they approving an additional 331,000 ₹ , they were even assigning staff to help with the acquisition of the Baranagar factory.
Holding a bankbook showing 662,000 ₹, I headed toward Baranagar.
It wasn’t quite the money I had bragged to Abir about, but it was close enough.
This 1 lakh would buy the factory.
The remaining would cover raw materials and machinery repairs.
Producing fabric would simply be a matter of time.
“Taxi! Taxi!”
“Yes, sir.”
“To Baranagar Dunlop More. There’s a factory called Sunanda Chemical Fabric in the alley.”
“Yes, sir.”
I wanted to show off to Abir as soon as possible, so I took a taxi.
That guy’s going to be shocked.
Imagining his reaction, I headed towards the factory
“Huh?”
As I approached the factory, the cheerful mood vanished.
The area was in complete chaos.
“Boss! Where are you?”
“Where is he?”
“Everyone, calm down! Mr. Rohit Karmakar isn’t here today. Please go home!”
“You go home. We’re here to see the boss.”
“It’s just a rumor! Go back!”
“Who are you to tell us what to do? Move aside.”
A massive crowd surrounded Abir.
“What’s going on, Abir?”
“Damn it! Why are you only showing up now?”
Abir looked ready to burst into tears.
“What happened?”
“Mr. Rohit Karmakar is here!”
“Boss!!!”
The crowd surged toward me.
***
“W-Wait, what’s happening? Why are you all doing this?”
So many people rushed forward that I ended up pinned against a wall.
“Sir, I heard you’re hiring workers. Salary: 450₹.”
“Well, yes…”
“You told the foremen to bring you capable people.”
Abir pushed through the crowd to my side.
No exaggeration—there had to be hundreds of people here.
Had they all come to apply?
Was a salary of 450₹ really this powerful?
“I’m a good worker. I graduated top of my class at Shreerampore High School.”
“I was first in my class at Bengal High School.”
“I was the top of Sealdah High School’s Commerce department. Better than those students from the presidency.”
Apparently this means my three Arun,Varun,Tarun are fairly famous among school graduates and in this area
One recommendation from them had brought all these people here.
The foremen stood proudly shouting:
“Line up! Form a line!”
“Are you hiring female workers too? I’m good at my job. I was at the top of Ma Sarada Girls’ High School commerce department.”
“I was first in Dum Dum girls high school”
“I’m first in my class at Bidhannagar Girls’ High School. Please hire me!”
It wasn’t just normal school graduates.
Young women were pleading for positions as factory workers as well.
Every school they mentioned was prestigious.
In the 1940s and 1950s, elite technical and commercial high schools existed, among them some are established by Freedom fighters, some are by rich landlords some are by britishers to teach their own people.l
Many brilliant students gave up academic high schools because they couldn’t afford the tuition. You are reading on g.com, the official source.
Back then, even middle school and high school admissions required entrance examinations separately for each school
But this situation changed and various private schools were established, one time if people were students of those schools their parents would be bragging about that.
“Ah! Stop pushing!”
Abir and I were forced backward through the crowd and ended up behind the factory gate.
“Abir, how many people do we need?”
“What kind of question is that?”
Since we already had the opportunity, we might as well recruit employees.
“If we’re running a factory, we need workers.”
“Have you lost your mind? You don’t even have any money—”
He stopped mid-sentence.
He had almost said, ‘You don’t have a single rupee, so how are you going to run a factory?’
“Don’t worry about money.”
“Y-you…”
I opened my bankbook and showed him the balance.
Abir stared blankly.
“I told you I’d get the money. Now tell me—how many people do we need?”
“Three foremen and twenty workers.”
“Huh? What kind of number is that?”
Including our existing foremen, that meant six foremen and twenty workers.
The numbers didn’t make sense.
With four crews rotating across three shifts, that would only be about five workers per shift.
Far too few.
“What kind of staffing plan is that?”
“What do you mean? We need at least that many for day and night shifts. Any fewer and it won’t work.”
“How are you planning to run a three-shift operation with those numbers? Factories should operate 24 hours a day.”
“Three shifts? Rohit , don’t tell me money has changed you… Are you planning to make people work day and night without overtime pay? I didn’t know you were this cruel.”
What?
Why was he reacting like that?
Abir practically shoved his forehead into mine.
Of course overtime should be paid when necessary.
But in manufacturing, overtime was supposed to be the exception, not the norm.
Efficient factories planned staffing so workers could maintain regular shifts.
Each crew needed at least one reserve worker capable of stepping into different roles and handling quality control.
That person usually served as the team leader.
But that wasn’t what Abir was talking about.
He was calling me cruel simply because I wanted workers on eight-hour shifts.
“Wait… are you planning to run the factory on two twelve-hour shifts?”
“Of course. Otherwise how will workers earn four hours of overtime every day and get night-shift bonuses every couple of months?”
“…Four hours of overtime every day? Is that why all these people came?”
“Obviously. You promised to pay overtime at 1.5 times the normal wage. Don’t tell me you were just talking?”
Good grief…
No matter how good overtime pay was, people weren’t made of iron.
How could anyone survive endless twelve-hour shifts?
Construction sites sometimes did it because every day saved meant money.
Even then, it rarely lasted more than two months before fatigue caused accidents.
The fact that so many people had gathered simply because I promised proper overtime pay really reminded me that this was the 1950s.
“Alright. Alright. I finally understand what you mean.”
“You do? Then we’ll hire according to the original plan.”
“No. Hire more. Twelve foremen and forty-eight workers.”
“What?! That’s more than double!”
“The workload will keep growing. Better to train everyone at once.”
In the long run, a three-shift system was far more profitable.
I could demonstrate that later.
For now, we needed manpower.
Multiples of twelve were ideal.
Whether organizing three crews or four, it made management much easier.
“Training?”
“Yes. Training. We need to raise our own people.”
Even if we hired everyone, one factory alone wouldn’t handle all future orders.
We would eventually need subcontractors.
At first, subcontracting seemed efficient.
But if your own factories never grew, you became dependent on subcontractors’ productivity and quality.
Soon quality declined.
Then you started searching for even cheaper subcontractors.
It became a vicious cycle.
I will not repeat this mistake.
Now that I had been reborn as my grandfather , I would build a proper business.
And I would raise my own people.
“Wow. You really dream big.”
“Enough jokes. Let’s move some desks. You and I are the interview committee.”
“Huh? Me? An interviewer?”
And so began the very first recruitment interviews of Nayara Corporation ‘s new employees.
Year 1948.