As his eldest grandson, I spent time with my grandfather at home, at his business and alongside him in public life. I saw how he worked, how he treated people and what he expected of himself. Those years shaped my understanding of enterprise and responsibility.
Creating livelihoods
He wanted me to build a mill, a factory or an enterprise that could provide employment for hundreds of people.
He encouraged me to think beyond finding a job for myself. He understood the value of a business through the livelihoods it could support.
Beginning again
Before Partition, his business operated in what became Pakistan. His home remained in Udhampur, but he lost the business he had built and had to start from scratch.
He faced further setbacks and rebuilt more than once, later developing a construction enterprise. He knew from experience what it meant to begin again.
Integrity and service
His position on corruption was uncompromising. He taught me that ambition never justified abandoning one’s ethics.
He held positions of considerable public responsibility and treated them as opportunities to serve. Spending time with him showed me the importance of listening, being available and following through on people’s concerns. He continued to serve until the end of his life.
He also impressed upon me the importance of giving back through education and healthcare. These were responsibilities he wanted me to carry into my own life.
What I carry forward
Airmesh works in different fields, but his influence remains in my decision to build enterprises that create employment and in the standards I expect us to uphold.
This page honours the time I spent with him and the example I continue to carry.