Colgate Palmolive Ltd. MD, Prabha Narasimhan
What quality of Chennai do you like?
What I love about Chennai is its people, they are warm, friendly and very easy to get along with, which is why we have made this city our home for the last decade or so. I think I can explain better with a personal story: I have never lived in this city [growing up] though I am a Tamilian. We moved back here about 10 years ago and we didn’t know a lot of people and after a decade we count a lot of our closest friends here in Chennai. This quality to welcome new people, to make people feel like home. That really sets this city apart. One of the things that sets the people apart and you see it a lot, is that they tend to be very humble. The second is really the quality of the mind. They tend to be intellectually sharp and sound people and the third is the good work ethic and it makes it easy to work here.
How did the city grow on you? Tell us your story
Actually, I was born here in this city and my grandparents lived here on first main road in Gandhi Nagar, Adyar. I used to be here every summer at the height of the heat, still loved the city. I then moved back here in 2013 for work and we havent left since. I think what is nice is while it’s a large city and has a lot going on, its still a small city in its heart and soul that is what makes it fantastic.
Favourite Hangout spots?
Going back in time, my absolute favourite spot was the Aavin across the road. They used to have softies for ₹1 . Now, there are lot of very nice restaurants and the Elliot’s beach is a nice place to hang out, and of course Sathyam cinema.
Your association with The Hindu
As I used to come to my grandparents’ house in the summer, The Hindu used to be the first to come in the morning. It used to be read cover to cover. I have a long association with the newspaper. A lot of friends and family work in that great institution and even today our morning starts with The Hindu.
