CEOs find various ways to beat the stress and unwind: Some go on holidays, others indulge in shopping; many shop at airports to cope with travel stress. Four heads of companies talk of their latest splurge
Rahul Sharma
Co-founder, Micromax Informatics Ltd
As is the practice, if you shed an eyelash, you take it in your palm, blow it away and make a wish. When I was small, I used to wish for a Mercedes. Back then, that was the only [luxury] brand one had heard of. I have always loved cars and am passionate about them.
Till recently, I had a BMW X6, which is a cross between an SUV and a sports car. But I was looking for a ‘pure’ sports car. I wanted to indulge in something that would make me happy. The options were: Bentley, Aston Martin and Ferrari. I opted for the Bentley Continental GT because, while it is a sports car, it’s also classy. It is fast and furious, but also looks royal. I’m an impulsive buyer, so once I decided on a Bentley, I just picked it up.
This Bentley takes just about 3 seconds to clock a speed of 100 kmph. I love speed. I drive it every week and often take it to office. On weekends, I drive it on the Yamuna Expressway to Agra and back.
I like to immerse myself in anything I do. When it comes to mobile phones, I am completely focussed on them. So, when it comes to the Bentley, I make the most of it. Usually sports cars are red, yellow or orange. I chose orange because it is Micromax’s corporate colour. I love music and listen to all genres. For my Bentley, I decided to have a Naim music system, which has 12 speakers.
Alok Tandon
(This story appears in the 02 May, 2014 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)