About the Book

A HEARTFELT REFLECTION ON LIFE AND CAREER BY A STALWART OF INDIAN INDUSTRY.
After his graduate studies in the United States, Ashok S. Ganguly chose to live and work in India instead of returning to pursue a career as a scientist. This single decision would lead him down a path that was inextricably tied to the fate of the fledgling nation.
In We Are Our Future, Ganguly relives the highs and lows of his career with Hindustan Lever, the multinational that introduced branded goods to India. Joining the company as a researcher, he rose through the ranks to become chairman, smoothly transitioning from R&D to management.
Ganguly describes the complex dance between government and industry that characterised the post-Independence years, his interactions with Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Pranab Mukherjee, Manmohan Singh and various others in government. There are moments of levity too, such as the time he caught a mill- worker union leader from Bombay coming out of an upmarket jeweller's in London, and the day he unintentionally upstaged a Congress trade union leader by standing firm in his decision to not allow him to bring his armed bodyguards into the factory premises.
Much more than a memoir, this book is a reflection on the importance of taking ownership of your own future. As Ganguly puts it, the good, the bad and the in- between-each encounter leaves its mark and moulds our mind and behaviour. Maturity and satisfaction are a result of reflection and our attitude towards the many 'what if's of our life. It's up to us to seize each learning to grow and prosper.
For the future is built on the decisions we make.

About the Author

Dr Ashok Shekar Ganguly is a noted industry expert, former chairman of Hindustan Lever and was a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha. Much of Dr Ganguly's working life has been with Unilever PLC, where he spent over thirty-five years. He was the chairman of Hindustan Lever Ltd from 1980 to 1990 and a member of the Unilever Board from 1990 to 1997. Dr Ganguly has held board-level positions with various other multinationals, including Hindustan Lever, ICI India, British Airways, Wipro, Tata AIG Life Insurance Co, Hemogenomics and Firstsource Solutions. He was a member of the board of British Airways PLC from 1996 to 2005.