In addition, modern businesses need leaders to be well-read, global in their thoughts, aware of their surroundings and well-trained. My father believed the key to success lies not in hard work but in education and the preparation young people need before and during their careers,” says Singh. “My entire family has always felt that the younger generation with good education should not be satisfied with good jobs, but should strive to challenge themselves as entrepreneurs who can create modern industries and jobs for the growth of the economy of their respective nations,” he adds. “Universities must lay greater emphasis on entrepreneurship in their course work and training of students. Cleveland State is doing this and more to produce the next generation of business leaders. We are proud to be alumni.”
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When Kabir, the eldest, decided to pursue advanced management education, our father sent him to the United States, considered by our family to be the number one location in the world for advanced business education. - Preet Singh
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SINGHfamily
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20 members of the Singh family hosted a welcome dinner at their home. The guests included the principals of New Delhi’s two top high schools and many other influential leaders. “It was a wonderful evening of food, culture and conversation that focused on the reason we were in India — to seek ways to expand CSU’s cohort of Indian students and explore possibilities for new partnerships, student and faculty exchanges, joint degree programming, student work experiences, research collaborations, and more,” says President Berkman. “Many interesting insights and ideas were shared. And getting to know the remarkable Singh family and meeting four alumni who used their CSU education to achieve great success in the business world was a highlight of our trip,” he adds. (See related story on page three.) For the Singhs, the evening brought back fond memories. “CSU was the start of our educational experiences and truly helped shape our characters and our personalities,” says Singh. “Furthermore, CSU helped train us and set us on the path to achieve success in our professional lives. For all these reasons, CSU remains very close to us.” Singh says he, his brother and cousins were raised to be respected individuals who would contribute to society. “My father realized that education was required to achieve these goals. He always felt that with education, people develop the aptitude of reasoning and when combined with an analytical mind, this aptitude can produce great results.
BUSINESS
Jagdip (JD) Singh and his younger brother, Taranjit, founded Sigma Corporation in 1964. As a manufacturer of vibration control products for the automotive aftermarket, the business grew rapidly in the local Indian market. By the 1990s, Sigma products were being sold in the United States and Europe and the company was one of the largest engineering goods exporters in India. In 1998, Sigma formed a partnership with a German company to expand into the original parts manufacturing business. In 2003 Sigma expanded again, collaborating with German and Japanese partners to produce an oil seals product line. Today Sigma Group comprises six companies that manufacture and market automotive components. One company is based in Plymouth, Mich.; the others are in New Delhi, India. Sigma employs over 2,500 people and has annual revenues of $200 million. The group supplies products throughout Europe and the Americas to such companies as Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, MercedesBenz, Volvo, General Motors and Ford.
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