In Jamshedpur, Bailey Bodhanwala?s name is synonymous with successful business enterprises and social work. But ask him about his success mantra and he gives a shy smile, ?Each day has been a learning experience. It?s god?s blessings that I have achieved so much in life but somehow I cannot point out any particular formula for success,? said the modest owner of the construction empire, Tarapore and Company.

Bodhanwala?s father set foot in the city way back in the 1930s and set up a modest transport company, M/S DP Bodhanwala, in partnership with a friend.

In 1966, the company tied up with the Chennai-based Tarapore and Company and thus started the Bodhanwalas climb up the success ladder. Within a few years, Tarapore and Company established itself as a leading transport house in the steel city.

In 1970, Bailey joined his father?s business after graduating from St Xavier?s College, Kolkata. Under his leadership, the Bodhanwalas into construction work in 1980. From the JRD Tata Sports Complex, the Tata Cummins Factory, the new Telcon factory to the numerous new constructions inside Tata Steel, the company has carved a niche for itself.

The Bodhanwalas, however, did not venture outside the Tata Steel works. Bailey explains: ?Well there is no specific reason for this. But there is not much scope for our kind of work outside Tata Steel.?

Having taken Tarapore and Company to the pinnacle of success, Bailey finally got an opportunity to realise his dream of opening good schools in the city so that children could avail of the best of education. ?For years I had seen the kind of trauma parents had to undergo while getting their children admitted to schools. I always wanted to do something to relieve them from this tension.? And thus came up JH Tarapore School on March 10, 2002. Today, the school has two branches, one in Dhatkidih and the other in Agrico.

Recounting those initial years when he was toying with the idea of setting up a school, Bailey said: ?It was perhaps god?s blessings in disguise when the Tatas decided to give away old vernacular medium schools to private companies. I jumped at the offer and decided to go ahead with my plan to set up a school.?

Quality and the Bodhanwalas go hand in hand. And JH Tarapore School soon made a name in the city?s academic circle in a short span of time. As for Bailey, he is feels grateful for the way the residents of the steel city has helped him achieve his dream .

However, the school, which started off as a co-educational institution is today only for girls. So what prompted him to take this step?

?Right from the beginning my aim was to educate girls. I wanted a ratio of 70:30 girls and boys in the school. But we started getting unnecessary pressure during admissions. So, we decided to convert it to an all-girls school.?

But he opened a second branch of the school so that even boys could be accommodated. While he looks after two schools, his wife runs the two nursery schools, Little Hearts Nursery School and Twinkle Nursery School in Baradwari.

No wonder Bailey is a busy man. Apart from his social commitments, his hands are tied up with various business engagements. As a result, he refuses to take on new challenges. ?Right now my main goal is to complete what I have in hand. I don?t want to take more than I can swallow. I want to finish my present assignments and then think of future assignments.?

If educating the young ones was his dream then helping those in need is undoubtedly his mission.

Bailey is associated with various social organisations in the city. He is actively working with Cheshire Home, National Association of Blind, Singhbhum Association for the Deaf and Special Olympics. ?I try to be a part of these special children?s lives and give them love and encouragement. I think everyone should come together and give the reason to smile,? says Bailey.

?I spend a lot of time doing welfare activities at the grassroots because I believe that we should give back to people what we get from them. If I have achieved success then I should ensure that I share its benefits with everyone.? Though Bailey does not have any success formula but he feels, ?adequate human resources and a sound public relations system? can take a person a long way. And that?s perhaps the reason why he is so popular among the residents of the city.

Bailey is a happy man today His construction business is scaling new heights each day. The company is now working on the resurfacing and widening of the city roads. It is also building a new badminton court next to the Mohan Ahuja stadium for the 2007 National Games.

?I have never planned my life... everything just happened to me. But I have one problem. I cannot say no. So, I often get tied up with things I don?t like.?

After a hard day?s work, Bailey is relaxes with his family. ?I am proud of all that I have achieved. But I wish I had studied further and then got into business. Though I am in the construction business, I still don?t have any technical knowledge of my work. All that I have learnt is on the job.?

It is this regret that makes Bailey advice children to study hard. ?Education makes a man confident and knowledgeable. A man is incomplete without education. It provides a solid foundation for future growth,? said this versatile and dynamic businessman with a golden heart.

Nilanjana Ghosh Chowdhury