HarperCollins presents 'The Ambuja Story: How a Group of Ordinary Men Created an Extraordinary Company' by Narotam Sekhsaria

NEW DELHI, Nov. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- HarperCollins is proud to announce a new perspective on business and life, 'The Ambuja Story: How a Group of Ordinary Men Created an Extraordinary Company' releasing in December 2021.

Praise for the book

Mr Narotam Sekhsaria is among the most accomplished of the new-age industrialists who emerged in the free market-driven economy of post-liberalization India. This book vividly captures that engaging story, the determination and perseverance that went into building one of India's finest companies.

- Anand Mahindra, Chairman And Managing Director, Mahindra Group

A simple life of hard work, honesty, compassion and knowing when to let go of the reins is what makes him a truly unique leader. A must-read for India's business leaders of today and tomorrow.

- Deepak Parekh, Chairman, HDFC

Over the years, I have watched with admiration how Gujarat Ambuja was built brick-by-brick through dedication, persistence and constant innovation. This book is the story of the man behind this awe-inspiring journey. For a nation bubbling with entrepreneurial energy, the lessons from this book are invaluable and highly relevant.

- Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman, Aditya Birla Group

From cotton to cement and beyond with the spirit of 'I can' is a truly amazing journey of one man. I find the book fascinating, representing the old spirit of Marwari and Gujarati joint family tradition transforming into modern corporate leadership.

- Uday Kotak, Managing Director And CEO, Kotak Mahindra Bank

Written with unusual candour and frankness that is rare in business autobiographies, this book is packed with insights on the evolution of Indian society and what helps entrepreneurs build and grow ever-lasting organizations that create value for society.

- Kishore Biyani, Founder And CEO, Future Group

On his forthcoming publication, Narotam Sekhsaria, says, "After much persuasion by family and friends, and fifteen years after I handed the reins to my successors, I felt it was the right time to tell the story of how a handful of colleagues and I built a wonderful company that everyone knows as Ambuja Cement. This book is also a tale of the highs and lows of entrepreneurship in India, spanning several decades. Most of all, it is a chronicle of the virtues of self-belief and trust in building an institution — my colleagues' trust in me and my vision; and my belief in their ability to realize that vision. I hope you enjoy reading the book as much as I did writing it."

Sachin Sharma, Executive Editor, HarperCollins India, says, "Mr. Narotam Sekhsaria's journey as an entrepreneur is a case study for our times' young and restless startup builders. Here's a man doing exceedingly well as a cotton trader when he decided to venture into cement in his early thirties. He knew nothing about the business, had never seen a cement plan, but trusting his instinct, he went ahead and created one of the best cement companies in the world. The Ambuja Story is a celebration of the spirit of entrepreneurship, and we are excited to be publishing this exceptional book."

About the book

The year was 1983. A cotton trader, still in his early thirties, began to dream big. His aspiration was to become an 'industrialist'. The venture he was about to embark on was uncharted territory for him. He knew nothing about cement, limestone or anything remotely associated with it.

In the era of Licence Raj, where everything from production to consumption was controlled by the government, Narotam Sekhsaria saw the huge potential in cement and its role in a growing nation. Trusting his instinct, he started Ambuja Cement and went on to create one of the most successful cement companies in the world.

Told by the man himself, The Ambuja Story is a tale of grit, determination, honesty and integrity. For a cement company, it's a unique case study that broke many stereotypes, such as cement production can't be an environmental friendly activity, good cement can't be cheaper and it's difficult to market a product as boring as cement.

Narotam Sekhsaria's vision for Ambuja wasn't just limited to financial success; he undertook community development around all Ambuja plants to a whole new level. Ambuja's work in women empowerment, skill development, health and education created new benchmarks for the industry long before corporate social responsibility became mandatory in India.

The Ambuja Story provides a new perspective on business and life, inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs to scale greater heights.

About the author

Narotam Sekhsaria is the chairman of ACC Limited, Ambuja Cements Ltd, and Ambuja Cements Foundation, which runs one of India's most extensive CSR programmes. He also manages the Narotam Sekhsaria Foundation, a leading philanthropic funding agency.

About HarperCollins Publishers India -

HarperCollins Publishers India is a subsidiary of HarperCollins Publishers. HarperCollins India publishes some of the finest writers from the Indian Subcontinent and around the world, publishing approximately 200 new books every year, with a print and digital catalogue of more than 2,000 titles across 10 imprints. Its authors have won almost every major literary award including the Man Booker Prize, JCB Prize, DSC Prize, New India Foundation Award, Atta Galatta Prize, Shakti Bhatt Prize, Gourmand Cookbook Award, Publishing Next Award, Tata Literature Live Award, Gaja Capital Business Book Prize, BICW Award, Sushila Devi Award, Prabha Khaitan Woman's Voice Award, Sahitya Akademi Award and the Crossword Book Award. HarperCollins India has been awarded the Publisher of the Year Award three times: at Publishing Next in 2015, and at Tata Literature Live! in 2016 and 2018.HarperCollins India also represents some of the finest publishers in the world including Egmont, Oneworld, Harvard University Press, Bonnier Zaffre, Usborne, Dover and Lonely Planet.

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