KE Ranganathan, MD, Roca Parryware.
Note to readers: Morning Stars is a series of interviews with achievers across fields about their morning routine and how they get ready for the day ahead. Mornings bring optimism and a fresh start. And how we spend them sets the tone for the day.
The window of the house is opened. The page of the calendar turned. Fresh filter coffee bubbles on the flame, releasing its knee-weakening aroma, the kind that could make a man give away Infosys shares for a cup.
Old-school Madras discipline and traditions define the mornings of KE Ranganathan, Roca Parryware’s Chennai- based managing director. He is the early to bed early to rise kind, whether it’s a working day or weekend. It keeps Ranganathan fresh for work challenges, or to share an anecdote, like when his college friends started calling him Mr Bullet after his father gifted him a loud, slow motorised cycle.
Edited excerpts of an e-chat:
Are you a morning person? What time do you get up on working days?
I am a morning person. I get up at around 5.30 am feeling fresh every day. My wife Vidhya gets up at 4.30 and the home is ready by 5.30 with fresh filter coffee, aroma coming from the puja room and freshness all around.
I do my small routines like opening up window screens, changing the calendar date etc. Then I browse my iPad or chat with Vidhya over mesmerising coffee.
When I am travelling, I have the same routine, but with a digital connect with my wife briefly to start the day.
How many hours of sleep do you need?
I am trained for over 55 years to go to bed at around 9 to 9.30 pm and enjoy sound sleep for about eight hours. Of course, many days in a year, this changes if I have a flight to catch.
Where did you study? What were your mornings like? Can you share a funny anecdote?
I did my graduation studies at DG Vaishnav College in Chennai during from 1978-82. I pretty much had a similar routine as now, getting up at around 6 am and having the best coffee made by my loving mother. Thanks to my father’s advice, I got into the habit of reading the newspaper for about an hour in the morning. That helped my English and my knowledge of current affairs.
I remember my father gifting me a motor-fitted bicycle, a first of its kind in Chennai in those years. It used to make a lot of noise and was a funny sight. People on the road would stare at me. My friends in college started calling me Mr Bullet, mocking my speed. But I enjoyed the attention.
Do you reach for your phone for news, messages right away or do you stay offline for a while?
My way of using gadgets in the morning is by switching off live alerts. I check my phone once every half an hour to see if there are any urgent messages.
What are the two or three things you do in the morning that are important for you to start the day on the right note?
A quick puja and a game of tennis or an hour’s walk gives my day a nice start.
What is your regular news source in the morning?
I love reading newspapers more than digital news sources. The smell and newness of the day’s paper is important to me. But in the last few years, I have also got into the habit of browsing news apps.
What do you like to see on the breakfast table?
Fresh fruits, which I buy and cut myself. A freshly cooked south Indian dish like upma or dosa. Filter coffee.
Which are the two or three cities that you worked in and know well? What did you like about mornings in those places?
Mostly I have worked in Chennai. I also worked in Pondicherry for about four years. Both places are similar for me.
Any song or tune that you like to listen to in the morning or which captures the morning mood?
Being an ardent lover of Carnatic music and old Tamil film songs, I do listen to songs when I cut fruit. I love to hear ragas like Boopalam, Bhairavi, Hindolam and Khamboji in the morning. Kalyani raga is best suited for evenings.
What are weekend mornings like?
More or less like week day mornings. Having fallen into a routine, it is difficult for me to change and, say, wake up late on weekends. But during weekends, I do spend a bit more time on the tennis courts, play the flute for a bit longer and enjoy Smule sessions.
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