Even in 1944 the Job Market was as tough as at Present

Our own Navratna Company HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd) was the brain child of Sir MV. He planned for a Car factory at Bangalore, for which he visited Germany, the Maharaja agreed to provide the land, and some known industrialists were ready to invest. The collaborators were eager to start up the venture. But the Britishers never wanted India to be a competitor in the Car market. Instead, they sanctioned an Aircraft Overhaul Factory, in the same land reserved for the car factory. Though, disappointed, Sir MV had a forethought of building Bangalore as an industrial hub. His erstwhile contact, the shipping industry tycoon, Mr. Walchand Hirachand was contacted, and thus the Hindustan Aircraft Limited was born.

The joke of the yester century was that the civilian people of Bangalore were scared to move beyond the present day MG Road entrance at Trinity Circle. A jutka stand, still available behind the Naveen Complex/Canara Bank Building in the road leading to Ulsoor, was the stop point for all civilian movements. The reasons for the scare were, either the people were selected for the Army or to the HAL Factory. By mistake, if anyone, disembarks the BTC bus at the HAL factory, going towards Kadugodi (the present Whitefield area and beyond), would have been offered a job at HAL! Such anectodes were a plenty in the writings of the humourist Mr.Dasharathi Dixit, the ex-employee of HAL.

But, it was not so. Even in 1944, HAL's Personnel Department, under the British guidance, was working, keeping an eye on HR Values. Any resume' reaching them was promptly responded, and the proper interviews being conducted. HRN was dreaming to be an engineer, like his close friends of Tumkur. Planned to join BSc, prior to engineering, and landed at Bangalore. When he reached Bangalore, the admissions to BSc at Central College were over. He planned to work part-time, for few months. He sends an application to HAL, and the reply what he got (in 1944) is available from his records.