By Savita Bhave Translation Nandu Dange

4T H E B E D R O C KRamesh D. Dixit is currently the Managing Director of Menon Bearings. Hewas a close companion of Chandran Menon in the days when the latterlaunched his oil engine venture. Dixit matriculated in 1960 and completed a1½-year draughtsmanship course with the ITI. He couldn’t go into engineeringdue to financial constraints. Kolhapur did not have a comprehensive industrialbase then. A government certificate required six months of apprenticeship. Y.P. Powar hired him, but his workshop had no drawing facility. Powarencouraged him to work on a machine. Dixit was earning a stipend of Rs 45.He was still unsure what to do, and one day he was introduced to Menon. Hetold Menon of his predicament and expressed a desire to work on engineeringdrawing. Always a good judge of budding talent, Menon offered him a job onthe spot, but Dixit saw that Menon’s workshop did not have drawing facilities.He carried across his own drawing board and got to work. Menon then had astaff of about 20, and the Lister type engine was under design anddevelopment. There was also the routine subcontract job work.Menon’s keen interest in design led him to spend a good three-fourths of histime with Dixit. Six months later Menon shifted his workshop to Udyamnagar -there was a separate room for the design and drafting activity. The workshophad a two-hour lunch break, but Menon would finish in an hour and be back atwork. He worked tirelessly, often beyond eight in the evening. James Stampsof the government Small-scale Industries Office regularly spotted out talentand helped promising people. He saw the calibre of Dixit’s drawing, invitedhim for training, which Menon gladly consented to, and trained him fully andcomprehensively. In this way, Dixit did pioneering design work for the Menonoil engine venture.The company normally distributed 20 per cent bonus to its workers duringDiwali. Menon and Ram would sit at a table and personally hand over cash inan envelope to every worker. The workmen would stand in a queue to receivethe money, a packet containing festival sweets and a cake of soap. Menonand Ram knew each and every worker personally. The workmen strength till1962 was about 45. This practice continued for a few more years; after that itbecame practically impossible to continue this method of bonus distribution.However the practice of close personal contact continues even to this date.Menon was always particular about using things properly, whether it belongedto him or not. On one occasion, when he had to rush somewhere in a hurry,he borrowed Dixit’s bicycle – and proceeded to lose it. He went into a flurry,and was very relieved when the object was found! Menon always made it apoint to be as careful with other people’s property as he would take care of hisown. He had expensive tastes but he would take care of his possessions well.