IMPRESSIONS
Colleague
Turns Brother
“Deva met me as a colleague
but left as a brother. Someone
who went out of the way to
do things. A real go-getter,
with a can-do attitude. He was
the all-rounder of the team
having the strength, vigour
and confidence of a Sehwag.
Our CEO used to say that
Deva is one person who
doesn’t have a negative bone
in his body. Our marketing
spearhead and a live wire
in our company, house and
society, losing Deva is a real
body-blow to our company.
We will certainly miss you my
brother.”— Antony Powath
President and Publisher,
Asian Business Media.6 | AutoPartsAsia | OCTOBER 2017“I met Deva in 2006 while searching
for an effective sales person for a
magazine I was working for. Referred
by a friend, he approached me, a timid,
soft-spoken, composed person but
with a rare determination in his eyes.
He was chosen for that trait. Deva knew
very little about the automotive industry.
But once he became part of the sales
team he learnt the undercurrents of the
industry and in a short span became
the star performer of the company. He
dared unknown frontiers to market the
magazine space successfully.Deva and I began to work together
for the new-born AutoParts Asia.
His proven talents and skill to stride
untrodden paths brought the magazine
to new heights in the national and
international markets.
He was brilliant with no chip on his
shoulders and has been ideating
continuously for the product’s growth.
More than anything else, Deva wasa great, compassionate human
being. During the Chennai floods in
December 2015 he was always out
to help the affected people with relief
materials. After the demise of the
former chief minister of Tamil Nadu, J
Jayalalithaa, several police personnel
were on duty continuously for about 24
hours. With closed shops, hotels and
restaurants around, the hapless men
and women in uniform on the Airport
Road could get nothing to eat or drink.
Deva stepped in with food made in
his kitchen and water bottles he had
purchased earlier for another function.
Nobody had thought of them then but
Deva; that was Deva the Human Being.
He had relevant solutions for any
predicament under any circumstances.
Personally, Deva was a very close
family friend. Deva was incredible and
irreplaceable; we will miss him for
ever.”
— T Murrali
Editor, AutoParts AsiaDeva Passes Away
R C Devakumar, 51, Head, Marketing,
AutoParts Asia, passed away after a massive
cardiac arrest on Monday, October 2, 2017.
He is survived by wife Malathy, a school
teacher, and sons Siddharth and Vasanth.
Deva who hails from Muthaloor village in
Thiruvannamalai district, Tamil Nadu, India,
was well-known for his marketing acumen
and ability to take up any challenge. A
dedicated colleague and a thorough
professional, well-versed in the nuances of
the publishing industry, Deva made AutoParts
Asia a commercial success in a short period.
Deva is an irreplaceable loss for Asian
Business Media (ABM) and for all of us in the
ABM family. May his soul Rest in Peace.Incredible, Irreplaceable