I am perhaps the only person who has been actively associated with the construction industry from the time of the first Five Year Plan to the 11th Five Year Plan. The road to my success stems from the fact that I was fortunate enough to be born in a family that emphasised academics — even back in 1918, when it was less common, my grandfather ensured my father completed his studies before starting work. But I was not considered the brain in the family — that was my brother, two years older than me; I was more of an all-rounder. My father was a government inspector and also asthmatic.