I'm a Master in India

Ron had no choice but to meet the leader of the Shiv Sena.

No one in Mumbai dared to refuse his invitation, as he truly held power.

Of course, it was also because the Shiv Sena now controlled the Mumbai government, and there were actually more people eagerly seeking an audience with him.

As long as you hold power, no matter your background, a crowd of people will automatically follow behind you, fawning and flattering.

Ron was scheduled to meet Bal Thackeray in a week; the other party was very busy, and he needed to wait in line.

It was quite comical, as he was clearly the one who had been specifically invited.

Hanging up the phone, Ron focused on the work at hand.

As he had expected, the first batch of air coolers sold were mostly the standard and 'light luxury' models.

Given people's income levels, anything over a thousand rupees was difficult to sell.

The standard model sold the best; at 350 rupees, it was cheaper than many unbranded electric fans. People who saw the advertisements, even if they didn't know Ron, couldn't help but want to try it.

Indeed, low prices were the sharpest tool for opening up the market; flashy advertisements were merely the icing on the cake.

On the other hand, customers who bought the 'light luxury' model were more significantly influenced by the advertisements. Most of them had read about the various advantages of the air cooler, as promoted in English newspapers.

Having entered the middle class, they paid more attention to the quality of life, and the air cooler's environmental friendliness, low noise, and health benefits greatly appealed to them.

The price of 800 rupees, which was lower than that of well-known brand electric fans, became another reason to buy.

Of course, the sudden popularity of Sur Electrical's air coolers was inseparable from Ron's personal endorsement.

Whether Hindu or Muslim, people were all willing to pay to support his products.

"Dr. Sur is a good man," for the first time in centuries, two constantly conflicting religions reached a consensus.

His actions in saving people at Mangaldas Market truly touched many people at the grassroots level.

The Shudras and Dalits within Hinduism were the most enthusiastic; some of the people Ron saved that day were clearly from the lower castes.

Normally, when these low-caste individuals went to the hospital, doctors from high castes wouldn't treat them; only doctors from the same lower castes were willing.

Ron's actions might displease some extreme high-caste individuals, but the lower castes ultimately constituted the majority, and they cheered for this.

Muslims were also grateful for his actions, especially after newspapers dug up the fact that Ron had also saved a Muslim child on his way to Mangaldas Market.

See, Dr. Sur is just as the newspapers said, compassionate towards all people, without any prejudice.

This was especially precious after the Muslims had suffered repeated persecution.

Even those Muslims filled with hatred couldn't speak ill of Ron; his actions only inspired admiration.

It was done, Ron's golden image had been forged!

Many fervent people even crowded the entrance of the electrical factory, wanting to buy Sur Electrical's air coolers.

They firmly believed in the health benefits advertised; wasn't it normal for appliances blessed by Dr. Sur to have such effects?

Ron was speechless; he even considered selling health supplements.

"Ron, you need to go see them," Anand's head popped out from the office doorway.

"What?"

"Those people are gathered there, shouting your name, it's very lively," he happily shook his head.

"I heard, but the warehouse is sold out, there are none left."

"It doesn't matter, you need to see them," Anand insisted.

"Alright," Ron put down his pen and reluctantly got up.

He wanted to pretend he didn't hear, but these people had been there for over half an hour and hadn't dispersed. Many people who came to discuss business were blocked outside, seriously affecting the traffic here.

Ron followed Anand to the entrance, and the crowd outside immediately erupted in cheers. Then, a young woman holding a garland, with a shy expression, stepped forward.

Hmm, an old tradition of the Indian people.

This was an expression of respect; typically, statues of deities in religious ceremonies would also be adorned with garlands.

Clearly, these people regarded Ron as a kind of "idol" and held him in high esteem.

Ron dutifully lowered his head, and after the garland was placed around his neck, the young woman also marked his forehead with vermilion.

The process was complete at this point, and Ron smiled and performed a namaste gesture towards the crowd.

Many people excitedly came forward, showering Ron with praise. Then, before he could react, they knelt down and performed the touch-feet ritual.

Ron was numb, watching everyone vying to kneel down and touch his feet. In this scene, he felt like a cult leader.

After smiling and lightly touching their shoulders to complete the blessing, these people finally got up, satisfied.

The entire process was less like a friendly meeting and more like a religious ceremony of some kind.

They were all Ron's supporters, and they eagerly asked when they could buy Sur Electrical's air coolers.

Only after Ron promised them delivery within a week did these people disperse, satisfied.

"Wow! Ron, we're famous," Anand stood beside him, feeling honored.

"Aren't they too superstitious about our air conditioners?" Ron was a little conflicted. "An old man said his eyes were almost blind and he was going to try the air conditioner."

"To cure a disease?" Anand asked.

"Something like that."

"Maybe it really works, who knows," Anand shook his head carelessly; in magical India, anything was possible.

Ron probably hadn't seen the folk remedies used for treating illnesses in the slums, otherwise, he wouldn't be so surprised.

"In any case, I hope our air conditioners are associated with technology, not some outlandish effect."

Whether the old man's eyes could be cured was uncertain, but using it for a long time could potentially lead to rheumatism.

As the two were talking, Ashish had already led a truck to the factory entrance.

The businessman from Madras, Ratnam, jumped out of the truck and eagerly trotted towards Ron.

"My dearest friend, Mr. Ron Sur, look what I've brought you? A full twenty thousand cheap and easy-to-use electric motors!"

"You have to give me a discount, you see the scene here, everyone is waiting for my products."

"Oh, brother, what I gave you last time was already the lowest price."

"I have another batch of orders coming, and my workshop is expanding, you know what that means?"

"Alright, let me have a glass of water first, then we can talk slowly."

Ron did have plans to expand; currently, the factory strictly speaking only had two lines.

Except for the plastic casings and various plastic parts which were produced by injection molding machines, the rest was basically assembled manually.

The efficiency was too slow; with two workers cooperating, it took an average of 40-60 minutes for one air cooler to come off the line.

Out of the fifty workers urgently hired, after removing the ten or so operating equipment, the remaining thirty-plus people worked twelve hours a day without stopping, and the final daily output was only around 220 units.

He wanted to integrate the production line, minimizing manual steps as much as possible, in order to improve efficiency.

Ratnam was a shrewd businessman. Ron argued with him for a long time, and only after he agreed to also source mechanical timers from him did Ratnam agree to give an 80% discount on the original price.

Overall, Ron was quite satisfied with this deal. The price of mechanical timers in India was not cheap, and the quality was not as reliable as those from Singapore.

If it weren't for considering supply chain risks, he would have preferred to import everything.

After finalizing this deal, Ron was thinking about whether to make a satellite call to Leon; he wanted to get another injection molding machine to set up a third line.

However, considering that the current production bottleneck was not the injection molding machine but the manual labor, he dismissed this impulse.

"Anand, Ashish!" Ron shouted outside.

"Coming!" The two of them scurried over.

"Round up people! Quickly round up people! Sur Electrical Factory is in urgent need of workers now."

"Boss, how many more people do you need?" Ashish's eyes lit up.

"First, expand the team to a scale of 150 people. Only two of the three workshops are in operation; the other one also needs to be organized now."

"No problem!" Ashish glanced at Anand; they would privately allocate the remaining 100 positions later.

"Ron, what about the wages? The travel company hasn't had much business lately, and many people have lost their income," Anand said worriedly.

He wasn't worried for himself; he wasn't short of money. It was just that his friends in the slums were struggling again.

Ron understood Anand's thoughts, but the method of wage calculation did need to be changed.

"Let's switch to piece-rate wages. For every air cooler assembled, the pay is 10 rupees. The more complex the model, the higher the pay per unit."

"10 rupees?" Anand and Ashish's minds raced, and soon both of them widened their eyes in surprise.

Given the current order volume at Sur Electrical Factory, the workers would have to work at full capacity for two or three months, right?

Excluding time for eating and resting, a worker could assemble at least 7 air coolers a day, which would be 70 rupees.

In a month, that's a solid 2100 rupees minimum!

The more you work, the more you earn; otherwise, how could you motivate the workers?

Ashish felt a pang of envy; as a college graduate, his monthly salary was only two thousand, and in the end, the workers were earning more than him.

"Go ahead and recruit people based on these conditions, the sooner the better," Ron didn't hesitate at all.

To increase production capacity, a piece-rate system had to be implemented. If they were paid a fixed salary, it was estimated that all the Indians would slack off.

He had too many orders in hand; a rough calculation had already exceeded ten thousand units.

Getting to work quickly was the right thing to do; there was no need to feel bad about the small amount of wages, the more products sold, the more money would flow into his pockets.

Such a salary package was undoubtedly a huge temptation, even Anand was a little tempted.

The two of them didn't hesitate any longer and immediately prepared to make arrangements, but Ron called out to Ashish.

"Sur Electrical is in urgent need of talent right now. If you have suitable classmates or experienced peers, you can call them over."

"Boss, I'll bring people over tomorrow!" Ashish was as enthusiastic as ever.

"Very good," Ron nodded with satisfaction; this workhorse was excellent at his job. "Your salary can be increased again next month, and there will also be a bonus; you've been doing well during this time."

"Boss!" Ashish plopped down and knelt to touch his feet, "You are as generous as a saint!"

"Work hard, go on!" Ron patted his head.

Ashish bowed and scraped, expressing his gratitude, and exited the office.

Tsk, the Indians are also very competitive. If you give them a little benefit, they can't wait to worship you like a deity.

Ron smiled; this place was simply a capitalist's paradise.

He wanted to go out, but another call came in; it was Hardkhan.