January 8, 1988
Thanks, Shaishab and Siddharth, for your support.
Raj was in his office, immersed in paperwork. Luxmi Bank was performing exceptionally well these days. In just one week since introducing the two new customer acquisition schemes, the bank had gained 20,000 new account holders.
He had also replaced the old bank logo—a simple capital 'L'—with the traditional Swastika (卐). In the Western world, the symbol had been tragically misinterpreted and associated with the Nazis, but in its ancient Indian context, it represented the Sun, prosperity, and good fortune.
Meanwhile, the agricultural cycle had moved forward. After harvesting the previous season's crops, farmers across the country were preparing to plant anew. Unfortunately, this year's monsoon had been weak, leading to widespread drought. Crop prices were already rising, and food shortages loomed on the horizon.
The United Farmers' Trust (UFT), which Raj had established, had just completed its first full harvest in the pilot village. Thanks to advanced seeds, modern techniques, and technology sourced from the System, yields were a remarkable 50% higher than the previous season.
The 70% of farmers who had joined UFT contributed their land and received 75% of the earnings from the previous year—without lifting a finger in the fields. Many took up other jobs and earned even more. Those who had stayed out, however, saw their harvests drop to just 20–30% of the prior year's output. With loans to repay and daughters to marry, their situation turned desperate. Many bitterly regretted not joining.
Raj stepped in with a compassionate yet strategic offer: interest-free loans on the condition that they sign a five-year contract with UFT. They would surrender farming rights on their land for those five years but receive the same seasonal dividends as other members.
The response was overwhelming. Farmers from surrounding areas flocked to join. Within weeks, UFT expanded to 30 villages, bringing total membership to 2,000 farmers.
With the rapid growth came increased demand for equipment. Raj quietly purchased farming machinery and tools worth ₹2 crore from the System Store.
Back in his office, Raj's thoughts turned to the upcoming Legislative Assembly elections in Meghalaya and Tripura, scheduled for next month. Six months earlier, he had allocated ₹50 crore to support Bharatiya Pragati (BP) candidates. Party workers had been busy on the ground—building roads, installing toilets, providing electricity connections, and ensuring clean water supply to remote villages.
The efforts were paying off. BP was poised to win a respectable number of seats, though not enough to form the government outright.
A strong anti-Congress wave was sweeping the country, fueled by the escalating Bofors scandal. Indian investigative teams had visited Sweden, uncovering more damaging evidence against Rajiv Gandhi's administration.
In Raj's previous life, this scandal had united the opposition under V.P. Singh's Janata Dal. But in this timeline, BP had already built significant momentum, holding a growing number of seats and real influence in national politics.
A knock at the door snapped Raj out of his thoughts.
"Come in," he called.
Vishal Singh, CEO of Mehra Construction, entered and greeted him warmly. He handed over a file.
"Boss, these are the reports for the last few months. We've completed 30 small projects, generating ₹50 crore in profits. The two highway projects from two years ago are 75% complete—another seven to nine months, and we'll wrap them up with an expected ₹300 crore profit."
Raj reviewed the numbers and nodded approvingly. "Excellent work."
He slid another folder across the desk. "I have a new project for you. A few days ago, we acquired 500 acres of undeveloped land for ₹200 crore. The terrain is harsh, with no existing roads or infrastructure. I want to transform it into the grandest, most luxurious Shiv Temple complex in the country."
He handed Vishal the detailed blueprints—specially obtained from the System and tailored perfectly to the site.
Vishal studied the plans, his eyes widening. "Boss, this design is magnificent. But this is a massive undertaking. The cost could easily reach ₹1,000–1,500 crore. Can we fund it?"
Raj smiled confidently. "Don't worry about the money. Our early revenues across all industries have already crossed ₹900 crore this year. The project will take three to four years—we're looking at completion around 1992. That gives us plenty of time to generate and allocate funds. Start the work immediately."
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