A diamantaire Govind Dholakia tells how to polish kids

It isn't often that a diamantaire would let his business secret be known. But diamantaire Govind Dholakia has several tips to offer as far as diamond polishing is concerned. And the diamond in question is not the stone but something more precious to most people — their children.

Speaking a session — Auto History: How to polish your own diamond — at the ongoing Gujarat Literature Festival here on Saturday, Dholakia enthralled the audience with his self-effacing humour. He spoke about his own journey from a class 7 graduate to a diamond baron. But the founder and chairman of Shree Ramkrishna Exports is not just known for his business acumen but also the unique way in which he prepares the next generation to take on the roles expected of them.

"We should remember: we need not leave behind any inheritance for our children if they are capable. They will make one of their own. And if they are good for nothing, there is no question of leaving anything behind as they will ruin it. In either circumstance it is clear that our duty is not to leave behind an inheritance for our children but to ensure that we ready them to face the future," said Dholakia.

The Dholakia family that spans six generations and six families consisting of 944 members have a unique way of preparing the next generation to take up new responsibilities.

"Every two years, all the eligible men are sent out into the world for a month with nothing but Rs 6,000 in their pocket. They have to go to a distant city that has a different culture and language, and get a job for one week. It can be anything. They can work as a waiter or a plumber or anyone. They can't reveal their identity or seek help from family or friends. The idea is to let them know how difficult it is to get a job, how difficult it is to make money and make it last and, more importantly, why people, and not money, are important," said Dholakia.

He said the impact of the unique training is that family members are respectful of people irrespective of the work they do. "You will never find our kids being rude to a waiter. It is because at some point in life they have been a waiter themselves and they know how it is to be in the other person's shoes," said Dholakia.

He noted that the biggest lesson he has learned and most people don't ever learn is the difference between price and value. "We know the price of everything but rarely do we know the value of anything. Money is important, it provides us with luxuries we want, but it is of no value if we don't value the people in our lives," he said.

Any family member of the Dholakias joining business needs to spend a year in their factory as a common worker. "This means they can either choose to cycle to work or hire a rickshaw. That is because the person who will teach him the nitty-gritty is going to come on a motorbike and a student should not throw more weight than his teacher," said Dholakia.