Interview with Hemendra Kothari, interviewed by V. G. Narayanan, Mumbai, India

In this interview, Hemendra Kothari, chairman of DSP Investment Managers, narrates both his own impressive career and the 150 year history of his family's business in finance and investment management. He begins by describing the early years of the family business, when his great-grandfather became one of the founders of the Bombay Stock Exchange in 1875. During this period, the business grew in part through its relationships and partnerships with British companies, and the group earned a reputation as reliable, trustworthy traders. By the time Kothari was poised to enter the business, however, the situation had grown difficult. "At that time, there were no youngsters coming to the stock market, and there were not many transactions taking place. There was not much future," he recalls in the interview. As a result, Kothari's father pushed him to go in another direction, and he ended up working for several years at the Morarjee Mills. After several years in the textiles industry, however, Kothari grew restless, and again approached his father about joining the family business. Immediately, Kothari felt at home in the family business. Clients recognized and respected his clear enthusi