Morning Stars | Rolls-Royce India boss Kishore Jayaraman is ready to take on the world after walk, meditation

Note to readers: Morning Stars is a series of interviews with achievers across fields about their morning routine and how they get ready for the day ahead. Mornings bring optimism and a fresh start. And how we spend them sets the tone for the day.

‘Smooth’ is one of the first words that come to mind whenever Rolls Royce is mentioned. To purr along as effortlessly and efficiently as the company’s various creations and technologies, Kishore Jayaraman, President, Rolls-Royce India & South Asia, ensures a few things. He tries to sleep eight hours, wakes up early, walks and meditates.

“I am ready to take on the world [after that],” says the Delhi-based Jayaraman.

Excerpts from a conversation.

What time do you get up on working days? What do you like, or not, about mornings?

I am a morning person by habit, but work schedules often disrupt my morning schedule. I start my day at 5:30 am. I enjoy the quiet in the mornings; it allows me to think and set myself up for the day. It is a great time to reflect and re-prioritise.

How many hours of sleep do you need?

I try to get eight hours of sleep most days. Working with different time zones can sometimes eat into sleep time, but I try to make that the exception rather than the norm.

Do you reach for your phone for news/ messages right away or do you stay offline for a while?

My phone is online but I do not reach for it instantly as I believe that we have “to be here now”. Similarly, when I am meeting someone I believe that the time is theirs and not to be interrupted. I also expect others to do the same. So my meetings are usually short and to the point, but if I have the time and so does the other person, a good conversation on global economics and local politics is never off the radar.

What would mornings be like during student days? Can you share a funny anecdote?

College days were a lot of fun for the first half of the year, followed by hard work to catch up and perform. Since we had an annual examination format and the exams went on for a month, it was hard to keep track of which test was when. So a bunch of us from the mechanical engineering batch (at the University of Oklahoma) would make sure that we informed each other about what the next paper was. One time, a friend of ours from civil engineering forgot which exam it was the next day. He found himself staring at a different subject paper from the one he had prepared for. He probably had the worst time of his life but we all had the laugh of our lives. Even today we reminisce about it when we catch up.

What are the two or three things you do in the morning that are important for you to start the day on the right note?

I need my coffee, followed by a stretching routine or a long walk. Starting the day with exercise helps me pack in more during the day. This is followed by meditation or prayers and then I am ready to take on the world.

What is your regular news source in the morning?

Pre-COVID I used to read at least three newspapers in the morning. Nowadays reading the news happens sometime during the day and mostly online.

What do you like to see on the breakfast table? 

I usually skip breakfast when at home, opting only for coffee, but during travel it becomes important to stack up on energy. So it’s usually an omelette or a mix of South Indian delicacies.

Are there two or three cities that you worked in and know well? If yes what did you like about mornings in those places?

I have worked in many locations around the world. I lived for long durations in Holland, Turkey and the Philippines. While weekday mornings followed the routine of going into work, the weekends in each of these places were enlightening and rich. In Holland, during the weekends, we would leave early in the morning and explore the country. In Turkey, we lived on the Asian side and Istanbul was on the European side. So every weekend we would have breakfast in Asia and lunch in Europe. Mornings would be packed with different activities and would rejuvenate me with a boost of energy for the following week.

In Turkey, we lived on the Asian side and Istanbul was on the European side. So every weekend we would have breakfast in Asia and lunch in Europe

I usually have meditation music or prayers playing; I find these calming.

What are weekend mornings like?

I don’t miss my exercise routine, but apart from that, I prefer to keep weekend mornings relaxed. I like reading newspapers and catching up on magazines.