Shanmugam told Kumaran that he proposed to make another product using the chemical made by Kumaran Industries but that the material was needed in laboratory grade, slightly different from the chemical grade material Kumaran Industries was now making.
Shanmugam requested Kumaran to manufacture and supply the laboratory grade material also in addition to the commercial grade material Kumaran Industries had already been making and supplying.
Manufacturing and supplying laboratory grade material to Shanmugam would generate additional revenue to Kumaran Industries. The new product could also be supplied to other potential users of the product.
However, manufacturing laboratory grade material required procuring and installing additional equipment. License from the government was also to be obtained.
Kumaran informed Shanmugam that he had initiated steps to set up a plant for making the laboratory grade material and that he would be able to begin supply within a few months.
Shanmugam told Kumaran that for the time being, he was buying the material from some other firm and that once Kumaran Industries was ready to begin the supply, he would buy it from them.
Kumaran began to take steps for setting up the new plant.
There was a delay in getting the license from the government. The manager of Kumaran Industries told Kumaran that if he, as the proprietor, met the government officials, the process could be speeded up.
Kumaran met the government official concerned and requested him to expedite the process of giving the license. But, he didn't get any positive reply from the official.
Kumaran realized that there was some problem at the higher levels of the government. He thought that he would be able to resolve the issue, by meeting some officials at the higher levels of the government and complying with their requirements.
But, due to some hesitation to meet higher level government officials and procrastination, Kumaran kept postponing his intended visit to the government offices.
"You have been our customer for the past several years. But, you tell me all of a sudden that you won't buy from us any longer. It is shocking!" said Kumaran.
"It is not a sudden decision from my side. I had told you six months before that in addition to the commercial grade material, I also needed the laboratory grade material. Though I needed the laboratory grade material even at that time, I told you that I would be buying it from another supplier but would switch over to you, once you started manufacturing the product. But, you have not been able to get even the license till now!" said Shanmugam.
"We have been making efforts, sir. There has been a delay from the government side" said Kumaran, apologetically.
"I made some discrete inquieries through my contacts in the government. They say that you have not shown any interest in getting the license. It appears to me that you have dropped the idea of setting up a plant for making the laboratory grade."
"No, sir! We are still working on it."
"Sorry, Mr. Kumaran. It would be advantageous to me to buy both grades of the material from one source. There is a person who manufactures bot the grades. He is Damodaran, who worked as a chemist in your firm. I have to consider what is good for my business. So, I have decided to buy both the grades from him. My best wishes."
Shanmugam ended the telephonic conversation.
Damodaran!
Kumaran felt a stream of hot vapours rising up inside his body.
Damodaran, who was working as a chemist in his firm, tried to sell the formula of his firm to a rival firm. The proprietor of the rival firm called up Kumaran and exposed Damodaran's treachery. Kumaran dismissed Damodaran immediately.
Several people including the manager of his firm urged Kumaran to file a police complaint against Damodaran. But Kumaran thought that dismissal from the job was an adequate punishment for Damodaran.
Kumaran realized that his failure to act against the person who betrayed him and his failure to vigorously pursue the project to set up a new plant had together struck him hard.
Section 2
The Method of Executing An Action
vinai pagai enRu iraNdin echcham ninaiyum kAl
thI echcham pOlath theRum.
No comments:
Post a Comment