'If businessmen should be included in the political process -- which is essential in my opinion -- they need to have the freedom to express themselves and to take stands against the government of the day, without fear of reprisals and attacks on their business.'
Jayadev Galla, chairman of Amara Raja Batteries and a two-time member of Parliament for the Telugu Desam Party , is taking a break from electoral politics to focus on business 'without fear of reprisals and attacks'.
Galla, 57, is one of the richest MPs in Lok Sabha with a declared asset of around Rs 683 crore (Rs 6.83 billion).
Amara Raja is moving from being a battery manufacturer to a comprehensive provider of energy and mobility solutions.
'It is with a heavy heart that I announce my decision to not contest in the upcoming 2024 general elections. I will be taking a break from politics to focus on diversifying the business which is at a crucial stage of leading the world in the transition to a more sustainable future,' said Galla, who represents Guntur in Parliament.
'As part of this we are investing about Rs 9,500 crore (95 billion) for the Amara Raja Giga Corridor, which will have one of the largest manufacturing facilities of lithium-ion batteries and also state-of-the-art research and development center for research in advanced chemistry cells.
'In the developed world, business people are encouraged to be part of the political administration as they can play an important part in helping people take charge of their economic destinies. Unfortunately, in our context, this means constant fear of reprisals and vendettas.
'To start and run a business, one has to get more than 70 approvals from various local, state and central agencies which include Pollution Control Board, water department, forests department, Electricity Board, labour, revenue, fire and many others. Each of these agencies can be weaponized by the party in power,' said Galla, who is chairman and managing director of Amara.
'If businessmen should be included in the political process -- which is essential in my opinion -- they need to have the freedom to express themselves and to take stands against the government of the day, without fear of reprisals and attacks on their business.
'How do you ensure law-abiding businesses are not exposed to harassment even if they don't share the same political views? This is a question for which I am still seeking the answers' he said .
Galla has been part of the parliamentary committees on commerce, external affairs, defence, and information technology. Many of his recommendations were accepted and implemented as policy.
Amara Raja is one of India's leading battery manufacturers and its plants are one of the largest employers in South India. The plants contribute Rs 1,200 crore (Rs 12 billion) to Andhra Pradesh and Rs 3,800 crore (Rs 38 billion) to the Centre in annual taxes.
