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GLOBAL INVESTORS MEET: MY VISIT TO INDUSTRIALIST ANAND MAHINDRA’S HOME IN COORG FIVE DECADES AGO

By P.T. Bopanna

My visit to industrialist Anand Mahindra’s home in Kodagu (Coorg) district of Karnataka five decades ago is still etched in my memory. Probably because that was the first time I had visited the bungalow of a top industrialist. The bungalow and the coffee estate are located on the outskirts of the town of Kutta, bordering Kerala state.

The manager of Mahindra estate was the brother of my classmate, Konerira Bopaiah, while studying at Virajpet Model School in late 1950s. Bopaiah who joined government service worked as the PA to the late chief minister R. Gundu Rao.

In early 1970s, I visited the estate quarters of Bopaiah’s brother and stayed there for a few days.

During my stay, I requested Bopaiah’s brother to show me around the Mahindra estate bungalow, as the Mahindra family members were not in station.

I went around the house, even going to the kitchen. I was surprised to find that masala powers were kept in bottles in the kitchen. The family could come in anytime and start cooking!

What caught my fancy was the weighing machine placed outside the bathroom. I asked the manager why they had the machine there. “The family is very health conscious and the family members weigh themselves daily to ensure their body weight is within limits,” the manager told me.

Billionaire Anand Mahindra (in picture) was in Bengaluru on Tuesday to address the global investors meeting. During his address, he shared his childhood experiences growing up in the Kodagu region of Karnataka.

“The state of Karnataka is deeply entwined with memories of my childhood because my family is closely connected with Kodagu,” the industrialist noted.

Recalling his childhood memories from Kodagu, he said his family developed a coffee plantation there during the late 1960s. “While I come here today as an investor, first and foremost, I’m just a Kodagu boy coming home,” he reflected.

Mahindra shared three major lessons from coffee cultivation: planting deeply rooted bushes for success, providing support for growth, and having patience for returns. “Watching that coffee grow taught me life lessons that have shaped me both as an adult and as a business leader,” he added.