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WORK-PAD

Inside Chennai’s first high-rise

Photo: S. Thanthoni

Where performers meet Southern Zonal Manager B. Manivannan

For nearly 50 years, its name was the answer to a standard GK question: Which is the tallest/first-high-rise building in Chennai? The 177-feet, 14-storeyed LIC edifice might have lost that standing today, but the trekking and bungee-jumping Southern Zonal Manager, B. Manivannan is not taking a bow yet. “Just as the building is tall, we continue to stand tall,” he says, pointing out that this building, completed by Chennai-based architect L.M.Chitale, has stood here since 1956.

We’re in a small, official-looking office with a matching ante-room. Manivannan leads us to the comfortable set of couch-chairs with a logo on the wall and pots of greenery around. The opening question is all he needs to recite the company report from memory. The organisation is best in terms of maximum number of policies sold, growth rate and volumes in the 12 divisions in Tamil Nadu, Pudhuchery and Kerala. Ah! but in life insurance, you win only when you lose! “We enjoy the trust of the people,” he says without smiling, “Ninety-six per cent of the claims are settled before due date.”

With a coat of paint every four years, the office maintains its 52-year-old ambience. The regular furniture is continuity. “We keep coming and going. Yes, I changed things — the board on the wall, for instance, that carries the names of the Zonal Heads from 1956 to 2008.” I look at the tall, grand, silver-coloured Kuthuvilakku. He nods — his idea.

The office is an activity hub. Here he meets zonal office HODs and division heads, full complements of marketing teams, anyone with a need. Among the people he’s happiest to receive are the high performers, for felicitation. Statistics roll off his tongue smoothly, non-stop — a sold-by-sold account of policies and premiums, of Social Security schemes, Bima villages, Bima banks, Bima schools, the Golden Jubilee Bima Fund — 50 crores, or is it 100?

It’s a well-wired place. The 12th floor office, the high-tech connectivity and the words used in the trade — you begin to think of M1/FBI, not LIC. Listen: “I conference with the central and zonal offices through videophone, 15-16 people at a time. This is an Internet telephone, this is the local intercom and the third is for incoming calls.

See the Business Line program on the monitor? Developed in-house. Helps to know what the agents are doing, what’s happening in the 261 branches, in the 62 satellite offices.” He talks of digitising the system. Soon “you can collect maturity payments in any branch.” It gets spookier. “I keep a tab on the stock market, for policy returns,” he says glancing at NDTV Profit on the TV.

“I try my best to keep employees focussed. We have to make sure our customers get the best service.” He looks at the monitor. “Look, a Varkala agent has captured Rs. 3 crore in premium!”

I must leave before I morph into an “agent”, ok, Life-insurance Advisor. Manivannan has a “leaving” philosophy. “If you can leave three, four people to take up your job, you’ve done your best.” Before that, he must make sure LIC continues to get the Reader’s Digest Platinum Award and the Corporation remains the most recognised brand in Chennai.

Favourite place: The sofa set. I sit there for lunch.

Favourite view: Through the window across Anna Salai.

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