He was a brilliant student. I was on a transferable job (with the Ambalal Sarabhai group). We had to shift from city to city and he had to accommodate different schools, curriculums, languages and friends. He changed about five or six schools. For a young boy at that age it is a very challenging situation. But there was one thing common throughout: He always stood first in his class wherever he was.

Vikram was a studious person. I would not say that he was a bookworm. He enjoyed every small aspect of his activities -- games or debating. He had learned how to analyse the situation -- a sort of lateral thinking -- and to come to solutions and make the best of it. He is very successful in that.

Did you live in Mumbai? And how did Vikram reach New York?

We lived in Bombay from 1959 to 1964 in Sion (northcentral Mumbai) and Vikram went to the Dadar Parsee Youth Assembly High School.

He was 12 when we went to Mombassa, Kenya. He was 16 when we went to New York and he joined Columbia University.

I was posted in New York for five years. The company made arrangements for us to stay in an apartment in Rego Park in Queens. I never changed the apartment because I never found the necessity to change it. When you go on a transfer for a few years you don't go on hunting for good houses. You just carry on with your job and with the facilities that have been given. He was staying with me. Until his BSc.

When my term was over my son and daughter, Alka (who is older than Vikram. She did an MS in microbiology, works at Pfizer and lives in Connecticut) chose to stay back for their education.

I was transferred back. He was about 20 or 21 when he went to live on the Columbia campus. He did his engineering, his PhD in finance and then joined Morgan Stanley.

Also see: Video: On why he admires his son

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