Padma Bhushan Dr C K Prahalad – A Tribute

Dr C K Prahalad is no more ! . The sad news of his death at a San Diego hospital  yesterday morning shocked the business world . A great management guru and thought leader  with an open mind  and a passion for working towards the less privileged  citizens of the society , his passing away  at the age of 69 years is a great loss  to the global business leadership .

” Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid ” , authored by Dr Prahalad  after extensive research of the dynamics of the Indian rural market  shaped the government policies and business strategies of many Indian companies and MNC’s while  positioning their service offerings for the Indian market .  While retaining his global outlook  in managerial thinking , Dr Prahalad understood fully the special needs and opportunities for India  and advocated  policy initiatives to  leverage the unique endowments of Indians and India to the global business community.

For his significant contribution to the Indian management thinking and education , Dr Prahalad was awarded the national honor of ” Padma Bhushan ‘”  by the Indian government . He was consulting for and also in the board of many Indian companies and educational institutions when fate snatched him away .

I was fortunate enough to listen to  Dr Prahalad in person during the national seminar of All India Management Association in 1997 at Bangalore  and his messages for the Indian manager during that talk  still linger in my memory . It was only a few days back that I took notes from his one page brief in the HBR  Jan –  Feb 2010 issue titled ‘  The Responsible Manager ” which he usually gave as a valedictory  speech to his students after every teaching program conducted by him .

I take this opportunity to pray for the departed soul whose legacy will always be cherished by all management thinkers and students all over the world.