Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
Entrepreneur who founded Cobra Beer, a lager designed to accompany Indian food, and was named Entrepreneur of the Year.
On the island
Eight records
This was uh an amazing concert that took place literally a month after Cobra had arrived in the UK. And I'll never forget that concert and um having Zubin Mehta, who's from my community, a Zoroastrian Parsi. conducting Pavarotti and and it was just fabulous and and it was just after the beard come into the country.
I'd like to select a song called Soul, written by my cousin Cheyenne, who is a musician, a very talented musician, who is also a great grandson of D D Italia. And I think again for him it's against all odds, and I hope my great grandfather's inspiration is inspiring him.
The Massed Bands and Pipes of the Household Division
Gurkha military music tends to be pipes and drums, and so have selected Amazing Grace performed over here at one of the beating retreats.
Well, one of my favourite groups is the Rolling Stones, and I've selected Satisfaction.
I was introduced to Santana by the officers in my father's regiment when I was a young boy. And I've always just admired the music. Whenever he's in Britain I try and go and see him play live, because I find him so inspiring and And also the music is a combination. Of sort of modern rock music, but also bringing in percussion and Latin music. It's a wonderful fusion.
Ian Tracey and the BBC Philharmonic
We played this um at um At one of our weddings, when I when I got married to my wife, and this was the music we walked out of the church to.
What a Wonderful WorldFavourite
My parents from the time I can remember have always loved jazz, and I've been brought up through my childhood listening to jazz. And one of my Favourite memories is It's seeing my parents dance to jazz, they just dance so beautifully. And I've selected Louis Armstrong and What a Wonderful World. 'Cause it's so relevant to what's happening today as well.
Ravi Shankar and Bismillah Khan
at the opening ceremony last year. Rabbi Shankar played. With Bismillah Khan, and it was the most magical, magical ceremony. With this great artist symbolizing India opening up, India going into the future.
In conversation
Presenter asks
1:23Do your family approve of you now that you are a success?
When I first started, people asked me, Did you get help from your family? I said, Well, forget financial help. I didn't even get any emotional help from them. They called me an import-export waller. They really disapproved. I mean it was a genuine disapproval.
Presenter asks
2:14Tell me about that moment when you spotted a gap in the market.
I just hated the lagers in this country when I came over as a nineteen year old and I drank all these famous lager brands and I found a lot of them really fizzy and harsh and bland and really difficult to drink, and particularly with Indian food. It made me very bloated. ... The restaurant owner could be selling me more beer and more food. There's a business opportunity here. And and I thought one day I'll bring in my own lager from India, which will have all the refreshing qualities of a lager, but it'll be smoother and less gassy, and it'll accompany Indian food and appeal to ale drinkers as well.
Presenter asks
9:42What kind of upbringing was it being brought up in the Indian Army?
It was the most amazing upbringing. When I was seven years old my father took over command of his battalion of Gurkhas. ... my mother, brother and I joined my father when he took over command of the battalion in Allahabad in North India. And the battalion was posted down to Trivandrum, which is right at the tip of India in Kerala. and a special train. Was commandeered to take the whole battalion down.
The keepsakes
The book
Paulo Coelho
I would take Paolo Coelho's The Alchemist. To me it's alchemist is someone who turns lead into gold. So you're starting with something small and creating something big. You're starting with small beginnings. It's like entrepreneurship. It's like our vision, our motto, which is to aspire and achieve against all odds with integrity. And it's those sort of messages that you get in the Alchemist. It's about when you're trying to do better things. It's amazing how the forces of the universe seem to be there to help you to do it. And it's when you do better things, you seem to make things better for other people around you as well.
The luxury
Complete series of Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister
The luxury I would like is to take the complete series of yes minister and yes prime minister, he bemused.
Presenter asks
14:56Was the fact that an army salary couldn't buy all the finer things in life one of the motivating factors behind your ambition?
There were several reasons I didn't join the army, and one of them was that I was always worried I'd be following in my father's shadow ... The other thing about the army I realized was that it's very restrictive. It's a wonderful career, but I needed more freedom of opportunity and blue sky and to be in control of my own destiny.
Presenter asks
26:27Why have you taken British nationality?
this is my home. This is my business headquarters. This is where I met my wife. And what I've seen in in Britain is when I came here as a student when I was nineteen, My family and friends said to me then, Just remember, you'll never get to the top. Because there's a glass ceiling. As a foreigner, you will not be allowed to go to the top. ... But I've seen the transformation here. I mean, it's it's just been phenomenal the way this country has now become a real meritocracy and where I believe now that anyone regardless of race or religion or background, can get as far as they want to and their abilities can take them.
“I believe that most business ideas are not inventions. Invariably, you're dissatisfied with a product or a service and you think I can do this better and I can do this differently.”
“I really believe that there's no shortcut to researching your marketplace thoroughly. It is about producing something that's different and better and changing your marketplace forever. It's about constantly being innovative and creative. The other very important factor is to always constantly look ahead.”
“You've got to be passionate and proud of your product, and it's not just me, I would hope that anyone in my company would find that feeling of pride and passion.”