Priti Paul, director of the Apeejay Surrendra Group, does not like remembering her initiation into business. The house she has built since is however something that she can be justly proud of.

“After passing out from Loreto House in Calcutta, I considered quite a few options,” she says. Finally, I decided to study architecture at MIT, USA. I was just 18, so it was a whole new world opening up before my eyes. It was a fascinating experience and an extremely challenging environment. The students there were so committed and the teachers so approachable that I just loved studying there. MIT had the best teachers and theorists. I finished my course when I was just 21.

“But just before that something happened that changed my life. My father was killed by Ulfa activists in Assam while he was on a business trip there. It was an enormous shock. Fortunately, my brother Karan was also studying in a nearby university and we took the same flight back home. That was a terrible time for the family but my mother pulled us all together. She forced us to take charge of our company. My brother and I were put in charge of two very important divisions of the family business. I took charge of shipping though I knew practically nothing. But I did learn in a couple of weeks.

“Then I had to return to MIT to finish my course. I got a job offer in the US but didn’t take it up. Within a week, I was back at office. Very soon I was sent to the UK to manage the London operations of Apeejay Shipping. I was trying to find my feet in a male bastion. To learn quickly, I placed my desk in the centre of the office so that I could observe what was going on around me. It worked.

“After about six months, I was in a position to take control. And I did something quite drastic. I restructured the company to take on the challenges that we were facing. We had to take advantage of the fact that India was changing post-liberalisation and shipping had been deregulated. It made the business more volatile and dynamic. Since the summer of 1990 I have been based at the London office from where I manage our shipping business. Other than shipping, architecture has been high on my agenda. I have been involved with a number of architectural projects overseas.

“During this period I had hardly visited the Oxford Book Store either in Calcutta or other cities. It had a wonderful ambience with an old-world charm and a great collection. But one day in 1993 when I stumbled into it, I felt we could do much more to improve. We were in a new age and the shop should offer a lot more. Especially since the world of publishing was moving fast and lots of things were happening. We introduced an alternative art gallery, a cha bar and music. Oxford was re-launched in 1995, first in Calcutta and then in other cities. It was nice to take something out of Calcutta.

“It had to be done, for the concept of bookstores was changing from being mere retail outlets to comfortable browsing zones, and cultural and learning centres. We introduced the Oxford Clubs and have attracted new segments for young adults, budding amateur artists and young professionals from different fields.

“The cha bars, on the other hand, combined tea drinking and books at a time when the coffee drinkers market was growing exponentially. The alternative art gallery encourages different forms of expression; art forms such as photography, ceramics, business design, advertisement graphics, calligraphy, sketches, poster design, sculptures and paintings, and give booklovers an opportunity to explore other creative pursuits.

“Over the years, shipping has changed. It is affected by what’s happening globally so you are going through ups and downs on a daily basis. A lot more technology is used these days. To survive, you’ve got to have nerves of steel. You can make or lose a million in a second. Fortunately, I no longer bear this strain alone for my brother conducts half of the business. I am more into real estate now, both commercial and housing. In fact, I have been heading a project team for our real estate division since 1994.”

Priti Paul was willing, when needed, to be part of the ships that sail away in the night. But her preference is more solid ground.

As told to Prithivjit Mitra in Calcutta