Delivering the convocation address at IMT Ghaziabad where he was Chief Guest, Mr Mittal said, “To succeed in the corporate world, you have to be a good professional and also imbibe the entrepreneurial spirit. Don’t just follow guidelines and orders. Question them, and add value with your initiatives…. Those of you who are planning to turn entrepreneurs, know that it is not an easy road. The life of an entrepreneur is not easy. It’s filled with struggles.” He then recounted his journey from where he started as a postal clerk in his father’s office.
When he wanted to pursue his graduation at St Xavier’s college in Calcutta, he was initially refused admission because he came from a Hindi medium school. When he finally got admission, he vowed to do well. In the mornings, before going to college, he would work in his father’s office a postal clerk. Then, he topped the Calcutta University exams. Soon after, Mr Mittal joined his fathers business but unsatisfied with the growth opportunities that India in the1960s had to offer, he moved to Indonesia and started his journey to be a global steel tycoon. For the next 14 years, he worked hard to turnaround a small steel plant into the largest facility in Indonesia. From then on there was no looking back.
Mr Mittal offered his mantras for success: “Vision, passion, focus and drive are key to success. Passion is all-important. If you have the passion, then you can take on all the difficulties and hard work.”
Egging on the IMTians, he said, “You are at the right place at the right time. India is a brand name in many sectors. There is no global conference or discussion today where India is not an important topic. Global corporations want to include India in their plans. So opportunities abound… No longer do you need to go abroad for good placements. Opportunities are here and now. Many bright Indians are retuning to India today.”
While talking about vision, Mr Mittal also talked about the need to have a ‘changing goalpost’: “I never set lofty goals and visions. As we kept achieving one milestone, our focus then shifted to next one – like a changing goal post,” he said.
