The boss after work

Romi Malhotr, Dell India, Managing Director, a lot in life than those new ideas in board meetings. Prerna K Mishra reports.

Dell India Managing Director Romi Malhotra majored in metallurgy. Was it the influence of the steel town of Jamshedpur where he spent his entire childhood? But soon after he quit the well trodden path and took a plunge into the sales and marketing of computers, moving on to consultancy, and finally dabbling in software.

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First love:

I love to buy watches and am trying to build up a decent collection. You will catch me buying watches all the time.Sometimes I take my wife with me to the shop and show her all the watches I like. Somehow all these visits are usually close to my birthday or other special occassions! Of course, a Patek Phillipe - which to me is the ultimate in watches - still remains an aspiration. I also love to collect art, especially figurative stuff. But that has become an unaffordable hobby now.

Ultimate Unwinding:

Even if I get home at two in the morning on a bad day, the only way I can unwind is by watching a movie, especially old classics. Among Hindi film heroes, Big B remains my all time favourite. Right now I am watching US 24 hours - an action drama.

Family Fit:

I love to spend time with my two daughters - Simran (11) and Taanvi (9) - and my wife, Lovely. In the last few years one change from the past is that while deciding our itinerary for a vacation, my wife and I end up doing what the kids like to do most. On almost every holiday we end up near the sea.

Style Statement:

I seem to be caught in a time warp. I am stuck in the 1980s and I can never feel comfortable in jeans which are worn so low, I always fear they will fall off. For business occasions, I am on the conservative side. I may prefer casual attire, but for specific meetings, I have to dress formally. But, my daughters are always there to tell me if I am going too far, either in dressing casually, or in being formal.