Died: Russi Poncha Billimoria, 88, management consultant who was chairman of several public companies like Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and of Indian Airlines, on January 3, 2013 in Delhi following cardiac arrest.
"Through the years Russi has been a tremendous friend, a meaningful mentor to me in my early years, a person who was highly respected by the government and who did a great deal for the country in his areas of expertise,” noted Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus of Tata Sons, in his condolence letter. During the 25 years Billimoria spent at Tata Iron and Steel Company (now Tata Steel), he started as worker and progressed to line manager, chief personnel manager, divisional manager (administration and services) and director of personnel in the largest private sector undertaking in India at that time.
Among the other Tata Steel leaders who paid their tributes through condolence messages were managing director H. M. Nerurkar who viewed his passing as an "irreparable loss,” and vice chairman B. Muthuraman who having known him for over 40 years was aware that Billimoria was "widely respected in India, specially in steel and related industries.” His "expertise and professionalism… as a successful human relations and management consultant” had earned him a "great reputation” in the country, observed Syamal Gupta, special advisor, Tata International Limited.
Yet another steel giant that benefited from his association was SAIL where he was chairman from 1974-76 and as stated its current chairman C. S. Verma, "SAIL will always remember him as a brilliant administrator and an outstanding leader who contributed immensely towards SAIL’s growth and success.” "I enjoyed working with him for a number of years and I will always cherish his memories…Russi had a genial temperament and he had been particularly kind to me,” recalled Dr V. Krishnamurthy who had served as chairman of SAIL and Maruti Udyog Limited before accepting his current duties as chairman of National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council.
There were other national bodies too where Billimoria had left his imprint as chairman: National Mineral Development Corporation and National Textile Corporation, a public sector organization running nearly 150 textile mills. He was a director on the board of over a dozen companies including Air India, Belpahar Refractories Limited, Bharat Coking Coal Limited, Hindustan Steel Limited, Bata India Limited… According to Sonja Bata, chairman of Bata Shoe Foundation, Canada, Billimoria would be "remembered by many people and organizations for the great contributions he made in many fields.” Viewing him as "a friend, philosopher and guide,” Col S. P. Wahi, former chairman of the Oil and Natural Gas Commission mentioned that he admired Billimoria’s "outstanding abilities and strong human values.”
During the 1980s when he was chairman of Indian Airlines, Billimoria had sanctioned free air travel for Mother Teresa which she used very judiciously, recalls Billimoria’s wife Frenny who is director of Billimoria Consultants Private Limited, a management consultancy organization with over 20 professional associates where Russi had served as chairman and managing director since 1978. For a decade he was chairman of the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) of the Government of India, a body responsible for recommending all board-level appointments for over 200 public sector enterprises in the country as also advising them on organizational structure, top level succession planning and training.
A founder member and past president of the Indian Institute of Personnel Management, national chairman of the National Institute of Personnel Management (NIPM) as also its chapters in Bihar and Delhi, on behalf of the NIPM its vice president Somesh Dasgupta acknowledged, "His contribution to the development of the Institute… was remarkable and enhanced the prestige of the Institute... He was renowned for his charming personality and most respected… in the Human Relations profession and (at) NIPM.” He was the first recipient of the Institute’s Most Distinguished Service Award in 1985 and had subsequently been conferred its Life Time Achievement Award.
Ten years ago he had been honored with the Dadabhai Naoroji Millennium Lifetime Achievement Award. Among the other recognitions he received was the Governor of Bihar’s Gold Medal for outstanding work in promoting the cooperative movement in Jamshedpur and Singhbhum, Sir Jehangir Ghandy Gold Medal for industrial peace, the Delhi Ratna Award for his excellent services as PESB chairman. The respected professional had even served on the panel of the Indian Council of Arbitration.
Former chairman of EXIM Bank T. C. Venkat Subramaniam who had worked with Billimoria on the executive board of the Foundation for Organisational Research and Education (FORE), a non-profit autonomous teaching and research institution where Billimoria was president emeritus and professor of HRM at its School of Management lauded his colleague’s "total commitment and dedication to the cause of education. His cheerful and friendly nature coupled with his scholarly and sagely guidance on the affairs of the Institute had endeared all of us to him.”
One of the founder members of the governing body of Jagadis Bose National Science Talent Search in Calcutta, Billimoria had also served on the governing body of the Xavier Labour Relations Institute in Jamshedpur in the 1970s.
After his schooling at Davangere in Karnataka, Billimoria studied at Poona’s Wadia College, graduating in science from the Bombay University. He subsequently proceeded to the UK for higher studies where he qualified as a Nuffield Fellow from Birmingham University, a Fellow of the Institute of Directors and a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. A base baritone in his younger days, he had an abiding interest in music, particularly the opera, and enjoyed cricket.
"Always ready to give a helping hand to the Parsi community in Delhi,” he was willing to advise on matters brought before him, stated Frenny, adding, "He was not very orthodox but he prayed regularly from the Avesta. Contemporary in his views, he followed the middle path.” As remarked the former Chief Justice of India Sarosh Kapadia in his condolence message, "Russi was an optimist. Deeply religious…I consider myself privileged to have known him.”
An inspirational icon for many juniors, amongst the tributes that came his way was one from Prof Joe Philip, president of the Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship (XIME), Bangalore who recalled, "He has done so much for me in my professional career. I am sure several others who were juniors to him would say the same story.” Appreciating that just a month prior to his demise Billimoria had sent him a mail congratulating him on the opening of the Cochin branch of XIME, Philip summed up, "He was unquestionably the best human relations man that India has seen in the last half a century.”
The chairman-consultant is survived by his wife Frenny and son Raiomand.