1. VDAMODAR
A BRIEF PROFILE
Born in Kaipuram, an extremely remote and undeveloped village of Kerala, Southern
India, had primary education in a local privately owned school and higher secondary
studies leading to the Secondary School Leaving Certificate at the Government High
School, Pattambi.
Unable to continue further education owing to financial constraints, commenced
working as a typist at the age of seventeen in Mumbai, then Bombay. Thereafter
acquired the following qualifications and titles through part-time studies and self-
tutoring:
1. Diploma in Secretarial Practice from Sydenham College of Commerce and
Economics, Bombay - 1963;
2. Intermediate (Commerce) from Madhya Pradesh University - 1972;
3. Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com) from University of Delhi - 1974;
4. Associate-ship (ACCS) from the Corporation of Secretaries, London - 1966;
5. Associate-ship (ACIS) of the Chartered Institute of Secretaries, London - 1970;
6. Associate-ship (ACS) of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India - 1970;
7. Fellow-ship (FCS) of The Institute of Company Secretaries of India - 1977;
8. Fellow-ship (FCPA) of The Botswana Institute of Accountants - 1991.
Work experience at higher levels include:
1. As Company Secretary of Nagpal Ambadi Petro-Chem Refining Limited,
Bombay/Madras, from the inception to public issue of share capital,
arrangement of institutional financing, interaction with eminent personalities
including Sir Ramaswamy Mudaliar, Mr A M M Arunachalam, Mr K R K
Menon, Mr G B Newalkar, Mr V D Chowgule, and Mr K N Mukherjee,
directors, as well as Merchant Bankers, legal experts and the like – 1967 to 1972.
2. As Company Secretary and Finance Manager of Gujarat Machinery
Manufacturers Limited, Acme Manufacturing Company Limited and Glasslined
Equipment Company Limited (members of the NSE Group whose Chairman
was Mr H M Patel) in Bombay and Gujarat – regular interaction with Senior
Directors including Mr J V Patel and Mr B V Shah – 1972 – 1975.
3. Starting as Finance Manager with Gulf General Projects (GGP) in Sharjah,
United Arab Emirates, in April 1975, was promoted to the positions of General
Manager in 1976 and Group Vice President in April 1978. In line with growth of
the Emirate from a primitive non-entity to a throbbing business place, could
gear and expand the GGP in to a successful group of nearly ten organizations
specialized in varied activities such as Construction (Civil Engineering,
Aluminium Fabrication, Wood Works, Ready-Mix Concrete, Transportation,

2. Elevators, et cetera), Real Estate, Travel Agency representing over fifteen
regional as well as international airlines, and Automobiles Agency representing
General Motors.
4. On deciding to take up ‘self-employment’ in 1981 –
a. Engaged in general trading in the United Arab Emirates from 1981 to 1986;
b. Returned to India and associated with DOUBLE COLA soft drinks industry
from 1987 to 1990 at the franchisee level – the franchiser (mother company)
collapsed owing to mismanagement;
c. Went to Botswana, Southern Africa, in 1991 to join in business with another
but the association did not last beyond 1992 owing to personal differences on
business ethics;
d. Founded Afroworld Impex Pty Limited in Botswana in 1993 and saw through
the company growing in to the AFROWORLD GROUP with five active
member-companies in a span of four years. The Group’s activities
comprised of complete range of Health and Medical Equipment and Supplies,
Pharmaceuticals, Veterinary Products, Educational Aids including Books,
Laboratory Equipment and Consumables, Assembling and Marketing
branded Computers, Three Wheeler Automobiles, et cetera.
e. Moved to Zimbabwe in 1998 to set up business activities, similar to those of
Afroworld Group, but left for India in 2007 owing to difficulties there.
Some Contributions to the Community –
i) Founding of the INDIAN ASSOCIATION SHARJAH in April 1979 as a service
organization for benefit of the community in the Emirate of Sharjah and
around;
ii) Founding of SHARJAH INDIAN SCHOOL in September 1979 especially for
children of the community. Starting with 346 students in Nursery to 5th
Standard on the very first day, the School was upgraded to 8th Standard the
following year itself; it continued its steady growth to have a strength of over
10,000 students. The Indian Association Sharjah owns and manages the School
as a democratic institution;
iii) Construction of a permanent structure in 1980 as contribution at the
CHESHIRE HOMES, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India, to shelter six
persons;
iv) Getting India’s National Airline AIR INDIA to commence operations to and
from the then new Sharjah International Airport in 1981 – thereby establishing
regular air-link for the first time between India and Sharjah;
v) Developing PUSHPAKA AVIATION from a charter-cargo-operator to a regular
passenger airline between Sharjah and Bombay;
vi) Getting the cumbersome procedure that existed, in relation to Emigration
Clearance every time a person travelled out of India, modified;

3. vii) Founding of ACTION AFRICA mainly to encourage cultivation of MORINGA
trees which contain various health-supporting portions, especially for the benefit
of those in Africa suffering from HIV and AIDS;
viii) Working towards the establishment of INTEGER COMMUNES including
INTEGER HOMES for Seniors where the helpless will be helped to live their
remaining lives as respected humans.
ix) Wrote autobiography FORTITUDE (English), MULCHEDIKALIL
MULLAPPOOKKAL (Malayalam), and MULCHEDIKALIL
MULLAPPOOKKAL (Manglish for benefit of those who can converse in but
unable to read or write Malayalam) separately and not translated; acclaimed to
be highly inspirational especially to the youngsters struggling to
progress/succeed in the ever competitive world.
x) Had donated body to University of Zimbabwe in 2003 on the assumption of
living the remaining life there. Owing to relocation to India, have now donated
the body to the Anatomy Department of Coimbatore Medical College Hospital.
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