Having completed Chartered Accountancy, inspite of various offers he had to work abroad, he decided to take the challenge of setting up a branch of one of the oldest firms existing in Kochi, by the name Varma & Varma. In the year 1954, joining them as an Assistant, he rose to the level of a Senior Partner by 1960.
Around 1959, he started a magazine called ‘Business Management at a time when the management movement had not taken its roots in India. By virtue of his association with the magazine, he was selected for US Aids Scholarship for 4 months with the Asian Productive Organisation in Tokyo. The 4 months that he had been in Tokyo, widened his understanding of business as well as inspired him to get into business in the subsequent years. He continued to be in practice till the year 1970 by which they had already established his interest in future businesses.
Around 1969 and 1970, he started a Real Estate Development company called, Southern Investments, who were pioneers in constructing multi storeyed buildings, and they spread their business not only in Chennai but to Bangalore, Cochin and Trivandrum. He continued to be active in this business till about 2005, when he sold away his shares to the other partners.
Here again, in the same time he started the business of export of sea food which was started to help other friends in Cochin. He was able to take this business to much greater heights by establishing 2 – 3 ancillary companies and spread his activities with see food factories, with marketing offices in New York and Tokyo. He also went for joint ventures in Canada for processing of sea food, which was being exported from India. This again, after very successful running till about 2004, for practical reasons he sold the shares to some of the company’s directors and got out of that business completely.
In recognition of his service to the Sea Food Industry, he was presented a shield by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) of the Govt. of India for his outstanding contribution to the growth and development of the Sea Food Export in India.
Sometime in 1985 he went to Andaman Islands to look into the possibility of buying timber for the purpose of bringing to the Main Land. Though that business was not feasible, accidentally coming out the airport, the contractor showed him a board saying land for sale just opposite the airport. His immediate reaction was, instead of why buy the property, his inquisitive mind said, lets see the property. The same evening, the owner of the land came to see him and without much discussion a price was concluded by the seller and at in impulse, may be surely with God’s blessings, he concluded the price not knowing what he would do with that property.
Subsequently, an idea came to him to put up a cold store, the first of it in the Island, to keep fruits and vegetables coming in from the Main Land. Having done this, he thought why not improve upon it and he established a company for bringing in various frozen foods from Main Land to Port Blair. Today he is the biggest importer of frozen food from the Main Land, ranging over 40 – 50 products, and for the purpose of distribution, he acquired refrigerated trucks for local distribution, and refrigerated containers to carry the goods from the Main Land to Port Blair. This business was occupying only a portion of the land that was acquired, and having plotted out the back portion of the land, the front portion was lying idle. It was at this time that he thought of putting up a hotel.
Prior to this, he had converted his property in Chennai to a very successful Resort and the experience gained from this, gave him the idea of setting up a 48 rooms, Four Star category hotel at Port Blair.