Anil Agarwal | Wheels of fortune

From the Patna lad who left school at 15 to founder, chairman and majority stakeholder of the $10 billion conglomerate Vedanta Resources, Agarwal has traveled a long way.

One of the most thrilling moments of my life was the day I got my first cycle,” reminisces Anil Agarwal, founder, chairman and, with his family, majority stakeholder of Vedanta Resources Plc., the London Stock Exchange-listed mining and metals conglomerate with a market cap of $10 billion (Rs39,400 crore).

The cycle was a gift from his father, a fabricator of grills and gates in small-town Patna in the 1960s. It meant the youngster could ride to his municipal school in style, instead of making the daily 10km hike on foot. Much later, Agarwal graduated to a Vespa scooter, but never made it to college.

His friend, Shishir Kumar and he often caught the overnight train from Patna to Varanasi, where they would take in two shows, back-to-back, of the latest Bollywood releases. Sipping hot milk from a matka at the station, they would then catch the train home.

A fellow cyclist and family friend, Kiran Gupta, became Agarwal’s bride when she was just 16 and he, 21. The couple still occasionally cycle in the summer sun in Hyde Park, just across from their London Mayfair residence.

Kumar went on to become chief diabetologist at Bombay Hospital, Mumbai. And Agarwal came to Mumbai as a scrap-metal dealer in 1976, going on to build an empire in copper, zinc, aluminium and iron ore, recently venturing into power generation.
These days, Agarwal travels by private plane, hopping from his mines in Zambia and Tasmania to Agra and Mathura. There he slips back with ease into a rickshaw with his old buddy Dr Kumar, for a darshan at the Krishna temple, riding through crowded lanes, savouring their favourite hot milk drink.

While Agarwal’s earlier cycling routine has morphed largely into a stationary cycle workout at the gym, holidays are different. Four winters ago, a group of old friends and the Agarwal clan cycled and camped outdoors over four days from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer, with a replay in Bhutan the following year. Ajay Anand, managing director, Faze Three, who was part of the group, says: “It’s such fun to get away together. The landscape may have changed, but at heart Anil is just the same.”

From the Patna lad who left school at 15 without knowing a word of English, to founder, Vedanta Resources, Agarwal has travelled a long way. Vedanta Resources was the only Indian group to go for a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange in 2003 and its subsidiary, Sterlite Industries, was listed on NYSE in 2007 in the largest IPO in the US by an Indian company.

Patna Born Meena kumar Opens An Indian Restaurant Zaiaka's hospitality and North Indian flavors in Pittsburgh

Zaiaka's owner, Meena Kumar, learned Indian cooking from her mother and dreamed of opening her own restaurant.

The Indian tradition of hospitality dates back thousands of years, with guests ranking in importance only after one's parents and gurus. In many ways, dining at Zaiaka is like being an honored guest in owner Meena Kumar's home, not least because Kumar had no restaurant training or experience before opening Zaiaka about 15 months ago.

Kumar, who grew up in Patna, learned to cook the traditional foods of this Northern Indian city from her mother and dreamed of one day opening a restaurant. Today she treats her customers at her Plum restaurant with a warmth and personalized attention that could serve as a model for restaurateurs anywhere.

Despite the unprepossessing background. True hospitality in any setting is a priceless commodity. Kumar's sweet voice, her welcoming smile, and the care with which she settles her guests into their seats is appreciated by all.

Zaiaka offers some of the most authentic and delicious Northern Indian food I have had the pleasure of sampling, whether it is compared to restaurants in Pittsburgh, New York or London.

Visit Zaika at 924 Presque-Isle Plaza
Route 286 East
Plum
724-325-1247
www.zaiaka.com