For a well respected and astute leader, Mahendra Kampani seemed to be living ahead of his times. A visionary in the true sense of the word, Kampani was amongst the first marketmen to draw out a blueprint for the foundation of on-line trading at a stock exchange.
Ironically, he will not be witness to the ambitious BOLT expansion plan when it takes off. While clearance for the plan has been granted by the regulator, delays have taken place due to various queries and formalities to be completed.
Besides being a member-partner at amongst the oldest institutional brokerage houses in the country, he served the exchange in various capacities since 1982 as a member of the governing board, vice-president and president.
Known affectionately as Mahendrabhai amongst broking circles, in recent years he deliberately stayed away from the coveted presidentship post (despite being often in the race), preferring to concentrate on the broking business. The JM Financial group chairman Nimesh Kampani, is his first cousin.
Kampani, who served as BSE president for one term in 1987-88, had at that time visualised a broad computerised trading programme for the exchange which probably did not go too well with the broking community in those days. By the end of his term, it turned out to be a stormy session as a section of the broking community, led by the Manu Manek coterie, wanted Kampani out and did not vote in his favour for another term.
In 1992-93, Kampani had prepared a paper on setting up an inter-connected market system and earlier as president pioneered a paper on derivatives trading in India.
Former BSE executive director MR Mayya says: He had a great role to play in laying the foundation for computerisation. During my years as ED in 1983-93, I ensured that after serving as BSE president his role was not diminished, and he continued to head the computer committee at the exchange in coming years.
According to Clifton Desilva, director, Altina Securities (an NSE brokerage) and a close colleague of Mahendra Kampani: He was a reformer who wanted to change the primitive way of trading at the exchange and bring BSE trading modules at par with international standards.
