Leadership & Business Wisdom

The Entrepreneurial Mindset

“Your Problem is solved” – the 4 worded sentences by Sir Adamjee Haji Dawood in reply to Quaid-e-Azam’s appeal to fund the newly born nation can be regarded as one of the greatest service any one did for Pakistan and founder of Pakistan. Sir Adamjee Dawood was approached by Finance team of newly formed Government of Pakistan on orders of Quaid-e-Azam on August 27, 1947 – just 13 days after the country gained its independence. Pakistan ran into financial trouble due to planned stoppage of funds it was supposed to receive.

At that critical moment of history, Sir Adamjee Dawood replied with these four words and wrote a blank cheque secured against all his assets. He factually gave away all his assets which included a business conglomerate besides other personal wealth. His sacrifice enabled Pakistan to tackle this crisis fruitfully.

Born in 1880, Sir Adamjee showed inks of a great entrepreneurship from teenage. He organized trading business and fruitfully led it to become a conglomerate. He also started participating in Indian politics and funded many humanitarian causes.

By the 1940s, Dawood had become a prominent figure in the business circles of India and Burma. His recognition was acknowledged by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who became a good friend and appointed him advisor to the freedom movement of the Muslims, which eventually led to the creation of the country. Dawood convinced the entire Memon and many from other Gujarati Muslim communities to migrate to Pakistan. With this vision in mind again at the request of Jinnah, he also organized two major institutions along with Abul Hassan Isphan.

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He was also nominated as the first president of Muslim Chamber of Commerce & Industry by Quaid-e-Azam in 1944. Among his established conglomerate, the Adamjee Group, Sir Adamjee also organized Muslim Commercial Bank on July 9, 1947 on Quaid-e-Azam’s instructions. The Bank went on to become one of largest banks in Pakistan today. Sir Adamjee lived only few months in Independent Pakistan and breathed his last on Jan 12, 1948. Quaid-e-Azam stated on his death:

“He was a loyal muslim and rendered great service in our struggle for the country. His loss will be felt all the more now, when having attained our goal we need his services for building the country. His death will leave a Gap in Muslim Business Community which will be hard to fill. His death is a National Loss to the country.”

Earlier Quaid paid tribute to Sir Adamjee during the partition movement with these words:

“If we had a dozen men like Sir Adamjee, Pakistan would have been achieved earlier”

Awards And Recognition

• In recognition for his services to his countrymen, the British government knighted him in June 1938.
• The Government of Pakistan honoured Sir Adamjee Haji Dawood by minting a postage stamp titled ‘Pioneers of Freedom’ on 14 August 1999.
• Adamjee Government Science College is named after him.