ONE would normally expect the chairman of the Unit Trust of India (UTI), S.A. Dave, to be spouting economic theories and not to speak with authority on a Rabindranath Tagore poem, or one of the lesser known aspects of Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy of non-violence.
But, Mr Dave is a man of many hues. ''Tagore and Gandhi have influenced my entire life, for they taught me to have the courage of my convictions,'' he said, looking at the side-wall of his cabin where a book-case is flanked by portraits of his two heroes.
''I have never believed that one should listen to the voice of the majority; you should go by your intuition, as they [Tagore and Gandhi] taught.'' Once you see Mr Dave's background, it is not very hard to understand his erudite philosophising. He has a doctorate from Bombay University to further embellish his master's degree from the University of Rochester, New York.
He was chief of the Securities and Exchange Board of India at a time when it had few statutory powers; and not much was expected of him when he was transferred four years ago to take the place of the high-profile M.J. Pherwani, chairman at UTI.
Mr Dave, a simple, unassuming, soft-spoken man totally changed its style of operation.
He realised at the outset that the tremendous growth that UTI had seen between 1987 and 1990 had been driven mainly by the corporate sector. The unit trust had become a sort of rich man's club, and the small investor had been totally ignored.