How Harshavardhan Neotia turned around a business with human touch

Neotia tells Sudipto Dey that while his family played a key role in his choice of profession, his children are totally free to pursue their interests

We are at The Deck, a members' lounge and restaurant with a swimming pool on one side, on the fifth floor of India Habitat Centre, in Delhi. Flipping through the menu, I realise the restaurant specialises in Italian and Turkish food with a lot of non-vegetarian options. My guest Harshavardhan Neotia, however, is a vegetarian and a teetotaller. Clearly, the venue has been picked by his team more for the access than anything else. The All India Management Association (AIMA) is holding a council meeting there, followed by a convocation ceremony for students in the evening. Neotia, as president of