“I’m Gunashekaran, born, and residing in Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai.

I studied until my 5th grade and started working all petty odd jobs for my minimum rate of wages. Financially, we were too low and a peaceful sleep every night with a proper meal was very challenging. Years passed and from the age of 14, I started dealing with vehicles and gradually learnt the process of repairing 2-wheelers.

Back then in the 1970s, Re.1 was a big deal of amount for me. My daily wages would be 25p to 50p, for which I felt so happy and blessed. I have had my hands-on experience in almost all the two-wheeler brands in Chennai.

I worked in a mechanic shop for almost a decade and then started my own shop, Joe Mechanics, in 1980. On the other hand, I fell in love with a girl, to whom I got married around the same time. I have three sons who isare educated, talented and have their own incomes. I got the first two of them married and they have kids as well.

From nowhere, I struggled so hard to build my professional life and my family. Since I have no proper land to maintain my shop, I was pushed outside of my garage, beaten and there were days when I was treated so badly. All these experiences and hardships have made me a better, calm and skilled person.

I wasn’t the ‘survival of the fittest’ person, rather I was an amicable and innocent human. I had no awareness, haven’t stood for myself, did not know the legal terms and did not know my rights to survive. But now, I feel everything was for a reason and that had shaped me to withstand all the negativity and helped me succeed in my career. Though the developing period was slow, I’m maintaining my growth and still working hard to learn more even in my 60s now. There was no rush in going forward. Slow & steady; no pressure at all.

From receiving only 50p a day to now having an income of Rs.500 per day on average – my vision was strong yet subtle!”