This story goes back to the early Sixties. We used to manufacture carbon pieces used in short-circuit boxes that protect buildings from lightining. Ek tender bharvano hato. We had quoted 30 paise per piece and were quite confident that we would get the order. Syedna Taher Saufuddin Saheb, who used to take an interest in our business, instructed us to raise the amount to 39 paise per piece. Hamein nazrul maqaam maani ne tender bharu. Surprisingly, we were not allotted the order as someone had quoted 34 paise per piece. If we had stuck to our original price of 30 paise, we would have won the contract.

 

Something interesting happened thereafter. In the Union Budget that followed, the customs tariff was revised on the product with the effect that had we been allotted the contract to supply at 30 paise per piece, we would have had to incur a sizable loss. Finally, we showed the carbon piece to Muqaddas Maula. He inspected it and advised us ke tamein kai safed cheez nu business karo. So we entered mica and did remarkably well thereafter.