To build a legacy of success is not everybody's cup of tea - for, it needs consistent efforts, undying enthusiasm and unflagging determination. Thus, when it comes to Anil Manibhai Naik, Chairman and MD, Larsen & Toubro, he probably is one of those rare people who carry within them all the seeds of success.

A workaholic to the core, Naik's rise to the fame and glory could also be assigned to his doggedly efforts he puts into his work, without taking any break, Few people know that Naik took his first holiday from his strenuous schedule only after 22 years of uninterrupted attendance in office and that too, on as big an occasion as the birth of his granddaughter!

In his initial days at L&T, Naik broke and reset a number of records. Known for his quick decision making prowess, Naik L&T in 1965 as a Junior Engineer and shortly became the youngest Manager in Larsen & Toubro history. In a little over three decades, he ascended to the top post of the company. He became General Manager in 1985, and Vice President (Operations) and Member of the Board in 1989 (in charge of the erstwhile Group II, now bifurcated into E&C and Heavy Engineering). It was in 1995 that Naik was appointed President (Operations) and in 1999, he took over as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director. On December 30, 2003, he was appointed as the Chairman & Managing Director.

It is indeed a remarkable achievement for a person who hails from Endhal, a small region in the backwaters of Gujarat to have reached such a position. Naik has proved that place and position do not matter to a person who is determined to succeed in life.

Naik had his primary education in his father's school. In fact, his father was a renowned Gandhian who believed in the education of girl child to improve women's status in the country. No wonder, today Naik is involved in the construction of a number of girls' hostels. After completing his basic education from his father's school he went to do his bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering, and since than he has not looked back.

Over the years, Naik played a stellar role in making the company a name to reckon with. And he has been instrumental in helping the company achieve a multinational status. A lot of sincere toil and selfless dedication on his part has gone into making it what it is today. Naik has clear reminiscence of the time when he had to plod through knee-deep water during the setting up of their plant in Hazira, Gujarat.

Naik often recollects the time when, as a junior employee, he used to wait for an acknowledging smile from Henning-Holck Larsen, the founder of L&T. Today, Naik must be a contented man, for he has not only earned L&T a respectable name but has also done its founder proud.