Ahmedabad:
"I will work with integrity and succeed with integrity," went the concluding statement of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, former President of India, during a speech he gave at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIMA)'s new campus.
He was speaking on 'Multiple dimensions of innovations' during ConneXion 2010, an annual management conclave organised by PGPX students of the institute.
Dr Kalam began with a session on globalising and resurgent India through innovative transformation. He spoke about the dynamics of leadership and its various characteristics.
"I had a panel discussion with students and eminent people such as Anshu Gupta who runs an NGO called Goonj, Chirag Doshi who is the MD of Walchandnagar Industries Ltd, and Karumuttu Kannan, MD of Thiagarajar Mills and member of Tamil Nadu State Planning Commission.
While in conversation with them, I felt as though I was the student in the group," said the ever-humble Dr Kalam.
Post his student meet and before his afternoon panel discussion, Dr Kalam also met two innovators, Palanpur-based Asjad Dukka who has invented a battery-operated tricycle, and North East-based Nicholson who has invented a shock-proof converter.
While he appreciated Nicholson's efforts at inventing the converter, he suggested to Dukka to come up with a fully-automatic tricycle meant to be operated with both hands.
Dukka, however, explained that he had invented this tricycle for his father whose one hand is paralysed.
Hence, his tricycle was custom-made for those with one paralysed limb and the old.
During his evening session with mediapersons and while inaugurating ConneXion 2010, Dr Kalam spoke on 'Multiple Dimensions of Innovations'.
Under this topic, he covered governance in innovative rive basin management, interaction with civil service trainees from Missouri, governance for the billion - which Dr Kalam said was the need of the hour, traits of good human beings, pillars for vision India 2020, and lastly, qualities of good leadership.
"To possess leadership qualities is of utmost importance as it helps build the 'I can do it, we can do it, India can do it' confidence. A leader must have vision, passion, be prepared to tread untrodden paths, have courage and nobility, and be transparent," he said.
And it was at this juncture that Kalam spoke of the importance of integrity.
"Once one works and succeeds with integrity, all hurdles are defeated. And instead of hurdles turning into our captain, we will become their captains," concluded Dr Kalam.
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