Suresh Kotak

Suresh Amritlal Kotak, often hailed as the “Cotton Man of India” is a businessman, a former President of Cotton Association of India and a Director of International Cotton Association Liverpool. He is one of the founding directors of IMC International ADR Centre. He currently lives in Mumbai.

I was asked by VYCF, through my friend Nanikbhai Rupani, to write and share my perceptions and experiences about our dear Prime Minister Shri Narendrabhai Modi’s LIFE and WORK. 

We were frequently meeting Narendrabhai when he was Chief Minister of Gujarat. Especially when he came to Bombay we used to meet him on behalf of IMC Chambers of Commerce and Industry during 2000-2010. 

I had previously also had occasions of meeting him on behalf of Cotton Community and especially as President and Director of Cotton Association of India, in respect of Cotton Development in Gujarat. Gujarat is very prominent leading cotton state. 

I am glad to say that Shri Narendrabhai’s response to the development of “Shankar Cotton” in Gujarat was spontaneous and actually during his tenure in Gujarat he created an Agricultural Revolution. He also created development and growth of Industry based on Agricultural resources in Gujarat. Yearly kisan melas were held and Narendrabhai travelled village to village along with experts and changed and upgraded the culture of farming. 

He made it scientifically oriented and compulsorily introduced soil testing, which was perhaps first of its kind in India. 

Gujarat today has become the biggest producer of Cotton in India. Respected Narendrabhai’s agriculture strategies made Gujarat farmers very prosperous and more than doubled their income. The productivity improved greatly. The supply chains upward and backward were created. Ginning factories were encouraged to start and produce Yarn and Clothes for the local requirement. This led to remarkable generation of employment and supply and value chain was created. 

Gujarat became a prime state where apart from Textiles, the development of Port (Mundra Port), Electricity and Solar took place, Pharma other industrial cluster took place. 

On the educational side, universities were created and I am aware and conversant with one special sports university which is doing good work. 

Every time that I have met Narendrabhai, I have felt deeply motivated and inspired by his remarkable vision along with his great Humility. He shows respects to the elders and youngsters alike. He also respects the saintly spiritual and socially high up servers to the society. 

He is always ready to listen to everyone’s views patiently but after understanding and grasping quickly, he acts very swiftly to actionate decisively. 

I have been always appreciative of his remarkable administrative capabilities and judgemental powers are unique and can strategize that. His communication skill is all pervasive 

Apart from his great vision for our people and our great nation. He has very admirable sense of purpose to serve every sector of the society with more attention on lower strata and middle class strata. 

We all have noticed that he is highly devotional and sensitized to the well fare of masses in understanding their problems and difficulties. 

His understanding of difficulties of Indian Women is admirable and many reforms have been ushered in.  

The weightage and focus on Swachhata (Cleanliness), along with Shauchalay (Toilets) in every house makes him STAND OUT as a leader of masses and proponent of better environment.  

He also understands equally well and appreciates the contribution and creativity of entrepreneurship. Therefore the new industries, new ventures, start-ups and new innovation imitative gets seeded and encouraged in India. 

When the Pravasi Bharat Din on 9^th January was started to increase greater connectivity, co-relation and collaboration with our NRI Indians brothers spread across the world, FICCI was asked to officiate the function to honour the outstanding NRI’s. 

Shri Narendrabhai immediately visualised the potential of this great movement and carried forward monumentally well in Gujarat. 

He seized the opportunity and invited people to Gujarat and there emerged the Vibrant Gujarat Congregation of NRI’s and the investments started flowing. For IMC we had number of meeting and discussion on removing trade barriers which was Balkanizing the internal trade of India. He was very clear and categorical and had a vision of United India in trade between the states. The latest policies are culmination of his wisdom and foresight to make India united commercially and transactionally in most integrated way. This unification will give vibrancy to the nation. 

I am an agricultural person and the recent agricultural policy will carry the nation to greater heights and agriculture will be the backdrop of our great Indian renaissance according to me. The policy removes the barriers in flow of agricultural goods which used to clog our agricultural eco system till now. 

Apart from being am able and outstanding leader, he is very versatile and has very great appetite for for knowledge updates on all subjects. 

His knowledge is profound and impressive. Once in discussion he told me about a 1000 years old well preserved and hand written documentary of Jain Religion at Kobra in Gujarat and arranged my visit to that place.  

His oratory is exceptional. He dignifies every approach to acknowledge each letter meticulously worded. This is exceptional and noteworthy. I have seen his Gujarati poems and even his individual letter to Suresh Dalal (and others noted Gujarati writer). 

These are my some of the experiences which I am sharing with you to give you my impressions about Narendrabhai’s exceptional leadership qualities which has traits of great administrator and reformist and visionary. One can draw some comparison with historically venerated CHANAKYA. 

There are three types of leaders – 

First, Leadership acquired due to birth in leader’s family. 

Secondly, is the transactional leader who is expert in particular profession or vocation or technology, etc. these leaders are excellent leaders for their job. Military commander in chief is in this category. 

The third one is transformational leader who change the society for the benefit of all with extra ordinary devotion and sacrifices and dedication. Abraham Lincoln, Gandhiji, Martin Luther King.  

Narendrabhai belongs to this category of exceptional leaders. 

He has created a platform of confidence in the country. That our country can rise to great heights. Presently, he has been strategically telling not only Make For India But Make For World. The geopolitical events justify this long term vision. 

I have shared my some of the experiences to illustrate my perceptions about his mission and vision. 

We all pray god to help him in his endeavours to take our BHARAT to greater heights. 

Jai Hind and Vande Mataram.