The Double Crosse, page 7
"So why do you bring your produce such a distance? Aren't there any markets near Puthiyalur?"
"Yes, there are. But the competition is fierce. We would sit in our stall all day long and end up not even selling one half of our stuff."
"But you've slashed your prices so low. How can you not sell even at that price?" Krish wanted to know.
"Well, everyone charges less. And so the customers expect prices to be low. But then, there's always someone who charges even lesser than you, and all the buyers go there!"
Krish smiled in understanding.
"Drink up your tea," he urged. "Would you like some butter biscuits to go with it? Kumar, go in and get a plate of them, please."
"Thanks, that's very gracious of you," said the lady. "Frankly, we were worried when you asked to meet with us. We thought you were upset at having some competitors enter your territory."
Krish looked straight at the two new-comers. His frank and direct stare was disarming.
"Can I speak to you freely?" he asked.
"Of course" they said in unison.
"Ok. To be perfectly honest, I am unhappy that we have competition. But not for the reasons you believe. I'm saddened that we're both losing money."
"How do you mean?" asked the man.
"Look, you've travelled from far away. You'd love to sell your entire produce quickly and get back home. So you're cutting your prices lower than me, to sell out faster."
"Yes, that's right."
"But that means you're losing out on potential profits. I mean, you could sell your carrots at four or five rupees a kilo. You'll still sell the same amount of carrots - but it will take more time."
"True."
"So, I want to propose a deal which will benefit both of us. Would you be interested?"
Husband and wife glanced at each other, suspicion writ large on their faces.
"We'd have to know more before we can tell" said the woman, slowly.
"Here's the deal. You sell us all your produce. We'll buy it all from you - at a price higher than what you sold them for today. For example, we'll buy all your carrots at four rupees a kilo. That means you'll make one-third more than you did today - and you'll do nothing but deliver the vegetables to us."
The idea took a while to get through. But when it did, a bright smile lit up the lady's eyes. She turned eagerly to her husband.
"That's a wonderful plan, Nandu. We bring produce from our village here, sell them in bulk to this nice man, get paid, and ride right back home."
"Exactly" said Krish, smiling at her.
The man still looked unconvinced. "Why should we do this?" he asked uncertainly.
"You don't have to" Krish replied. "But it just makes so much more sense to do it. I mean, you get paid more than you charged today, and have no effort or risk. Why would you not want to do this deal?"
"We accept" said the woman quickly.
The man said nothing. His wife looked exasperated.
"Well, aren't you going to say anything?" she asked him querulously.
"Ok, I still think something's fishy, but if that's what you want, we'll do it your way."
"Fantastic. Now tell me. How often can you deliver vegetables, and what kind? Once I know that, we can negotiate a price that's acceptable to all of us."
The haggling over details went on for a few hours. By the time they came to an agreement, it was almost dark. Krish, Kumar and Michael set off home, after treating their new partners to dinner at a hotel in the market town.
A new avenue of growth had opened up in their fledgling business. And it had happened without a fight or struggle.
Krish was becoming a smart businessman.
<== XX == XX == XX ==>
The vegetable co-operative business model worked very well. And with their monopoly firmly established, profits were predictable, and under Krish's control.
Judiciously, he managed the pricing in a way that none of their customers were tempted to go elsewhere, or create an opportunity in the marketplace that any other smart competitor could exploit.
Within a year, the three young men had saved up a modest fortune.
"If only we didn't have to give away a large part of our income to that thief, we would be richer" Kumar complained.
"Or broke" replied Krish, quietly.
"What do you mean?" Kumar asked.
"I mean we may not even have a business today. Muthu and his henchmen would have run us out of town. We'd have actually been in debt to the farmers because we couldn't have paid them for the produce we lost."
"Ok, ok" Kumar grumbled. "But why do we have to continue paying these miserable farmers twice what they used to get before?"
"Because they trusted us when they didn't have to" said Krish.
"Oh, they were getting a great deal. Trust had nothing to do with it!"
"Maybe you're right, Kumar. But I gave them my word. I promised them the same rates for as long as they would sell to us."
He was thoughtful for some time. Then, he spoke slowly, his words reflecting an idea gradually coming alive and taking form in his fertile brain.
"But we don't have to give any new partners similar rates. Hmm... We should try and get more farmers from other villages to join our business."
Kumar and Michael were excited at the idea.
"Yes, let's go talk to the farmers in Paviyar village. The lands are more productive around there, too. And our customers will certainly snap up more if we can deliver it at the same price."
<== XX == XX == XX ==>
Soon, Krish bought a TVS-50 moped. It was little more than a motorized bicycle, but it let the three friends travel faster between Anandal and the market. And now, his vegetable shop was open three days a week.
Profit had tripled. Krish and his partners were happy. The farmers were happy. And Walter was, too. His income from the joint venture was growing steadily, with no active work on his part.
Word spread that Krish Thomas was willing to buy as much produce from other farmers as he could sell.
He didn't cut out his own villagers, because they were his primary concern. But business was booming, and now shoppers from far and near were flocking to his shop in the market because of the great value he always offered them.
Most of the farmers who wanted to work with Krish became partners, and supplied him with their harvest exclusively. Some haggled harder over pricing and supply schedules, making him a better negotiator. Others simply accepted his always fair offers.
But now and then, there was a bump on the smooth road to growth.
"He simply won't accept any reasonable offer" Krish fumed, after he had wasted most of the morning trying to make a deal with Gopal, who owned a medium-sized farm on the outskirts of the village.
Until recently, Gopal had sold his produce locally. But he noticed that most of his customers now preferred to buy from Krish because of the wider choice and cheaper price. So, after his wife urged him to do something about it, he visited Krish to discuss terms.
"I don't see why you're bending over to accomodate him, Krish" said Kumar. "He's nothing but a greedy pig who was fleecing his buyers for as long as he could."
Krish said nothing, but nodded his bent head as he supervised the accounts.
"I wonder what plan he'll come up with next" wondered Michael.
Next week, they found out.
Gopal set up shop at the corner of the street. By a queer coincidence, he picked the very spot where Krish had first set up when he launched his business.
That wouldn't have mattered, except for one thing.
"Krish, Krish, you've got to come and look!" called Michael, as he rushed into the store.
"What's happening? Why all this agitation?" asked Krish.
"That fool Gopal is making insanely discounted offers. All the crowds are buying from him today."
"I'll talk to him around noon" Krish promised.
The morning grew steadily hotter. By mid-day, all the early shoppers had returned back home, and the marketplace was clear.
Krish stepped out of his store and strolled to the corner. Gopal saw him coming, and prepared to face an argument.
"Hello, Gopal. I see you've set up shop here in the market."
"Yes, I don't know of any law against it, do you?" snarled Gopal.
"No, no. It's a free country. Just freer for some than others, that's all." He grinned at the tense face of the interloper.
Gopal thought he was laughing at him.
"You think you can scare me away with your tough talk, you punk? Let me tell you, I'm no wimp like that fool Muthu whom you sent away last year. I've been in business for longer than you, and know more tricks. You just watch. Before the year is out, you'll be the one who is forced to leave town."
Krish listened to the angry rant silently. Beside him, Kumar and Michael look worriedly at their leader.
"I've even made deals with your suppliers" Gopal crowed. "There's no loyalty among thieves, you know. Those cut-throats happily agreed to sell their produce to me for a few rupees more."
Abruptly Krish turned on his heel and walked briskly away from the place.
Behind him, Gopal's face now wore a worried look.
<== XX == XX == XX ==>
A week passed.
There was no sign of Gopal at the market.
The farmers who made deals to sell to him at a higher price were now forced to come back to Krish.
Three weeks later, Gopal sold his property and moved to another village closer to his in-laws. His wife was happy. Gopal was not.
The new owner of Gopal's gardens sold all his produce to Krish. That was no surprise. Krish had arranged to buy the property for him in the first place.
Walter's long hand behind the incident was rumored, but no one had any proof. Only the foolish or the reckless would dare try and look for it. People who were knowledgeable about such things figured Gopal was lucky to get out of it physically unharmed.
No one else challenged Krish's monopoly after that.
It was business as usual in the rough and tumble marketplace of rural India. And Krish's lucrative vegetable business expanded by recruiting more farmers into the co-operative.
The three partners made even more money. And another dream started taking clearer shape.
<== XX == XX == XX ==>
Walter smiled. The envelope he held in his hands was fatter than ever before.
"Well done, boys."
Krish and Michael bowed their heads in respect. "It wouldn't be possible without your help and support, Sir," said Krish softly.
The wily politician stared at the two young men for a silent moment. His eyes were shrewd and calculating. Then, as if he had come to a decision, he nodded once to himself.
"Are you interested in taking this a step higher?" he asked.
Krish was confused. "Sir, I don't understand. What do you mean?"
"You are smart and ambitious. Like me. We can do more together. But to grow, you must learn. I want you to go to school."
The boys glanced at each other. Then, Krish spoke.
"Sir, we will do whatever you suggest."
"Good. This is will be big. Now, go and make arrangements. Come and see me if you need any help."
He waved in dismissal.
<== XX == XX == XX ==>
1993 - Chennai
Now, seven years later, Walter had once again promised something very exciting.
"Krish, this is will be big. Very big. And you're just the person to make it happen."
The taxi pulled up in front of his hotel.
"Sir, we are here."
Krish was jerked out of his reverie.
In a little while, he would know more. He could hardly wait.
"How much do I owe you?" he asked the cabbie.
"One hundred and twenty rupees, Sir."
He handed him two one-hundred rupee notes. "Keep the change."
"Thank you, Sir." A broad grin split the wrinkled nut-brown face, as the elderly driver scrambled to get down as quickly as his arthritic limbs would permit to help Krish with his bags.
"I must remember how far just a couple of dollars go here" Krish mused, as he registered at the front desk and rode the elevator up to his room. It was comfortably furnished, if not luxurious. But he noticed nothing except that there was a telephone in the room.
"Good. Now I won't have to go out to buy a phone card."
Quickly he completed his toilet and dressed. He called room service to order a light breakfast, and then made what would turn out to be the most important phone call of his life!
<== XX == XX == XX ==>
"Hello?"
"Sir, this is Krish here. Krish Thomas."
A short pause.
"From Australia?"
"I just flew in this morning."
"Good. We should meet sometime."
"That's what I called about, Sir. When would it be convenient to see you?"
Another pause.
"Krish, I'm leaving the office in a few minutes. I'm flying to Coimbatore. The Minister has to be at an important meeting."
"Ok, then how about after you get back?"
"One moment. Talk to my secretary, Nancy. She'll arrange something."
Krish could hear a muffled conference in the background, and then a sweet female voice addressed him with a cheerful, "Hi Krish. This is Nancy. How can I help you?"
"Mr.Devaraj said you'd be able to give me an appointment to meet him sometime soon."
She seemed to be looking through a diary. Krish heard the rustle of pages being flipped.
"Well, I'm afraid it won't be for a while. From Coimbatore, the PA is travelling to a few other places before returning on Tuesday."
"So I can't see him before Tuesday?" asked Krish, his heart sinking.
"Not even after. The Assembly will be in session, and things will be hectic around the office for a week longer."
"Is it possible to squeeze in a quick meeting today before he leaves for the airport, please?"
"Impossible. He's leaving in about an hour, and has 3 other meetings before then."
"What time is the flight?"
"2:30 this afternoon. He wanted to leave earlier, but there were no other flights available."
Krish's mind raced furiously. If only he could figure out a way to accompany Walter, they could discuss their plans on the trip. But getting a ticket on the same flight at this late hour wasn't going to be easy, or even possible.
Charter.
The word popped into his mind suddenly. Was that an option? Krish recalled that his friend Ramesh owned an airline chartering service. Was he still doing it? And more important, was it going to be affordable?
Krish hesitated just for a second, and then took the plunge.
"What if I chartered a flight for Walter to Coimbatore? Would that be ok?"
"Hmm. I'll check with him. Just a sec."
She was back on the line in a moment.
"He says yes."
"Ok, I'll call you back in ten minutes after making arrangements," said Krish, hanging up the phone.
He had a window of opportunity and it was up to him to take advantage of it. His heart pounding with excitement and anticipation, Krish looked up Ramesh's phone number and called him.
"Hi Ramesh. This is Krish Thomas. Remember me?"
"Krish? Of course. How are you? I heard you went abroad for training."
"Yes, I just got back a few hours ago. Listen, I want to ask you for a big favor. It's very urgent."
"Tell me."
"Do you still charter airplanes? I need to fly to Coimbatore this afternoon. Can you help me out?"
"Let me check and tell you. Please hold on."
Krish waited, his fingers drumming nervously on the table. He was taking quite a chance. But was he making a fool of himself? Wouldn't it be better to just wait for a couple of weeks?
No. If this opportunity was as huge as Walter had indicated, they should get moving right away. Money likes speed. His mentor at business school had been fond of saying that, sharing one example after another of how being first to market had been responsible for building many business fortunes.
