The word OR (Other Ranks ) rings a bell to all from the Indian Army(& may be a to a lesser extent to all from the Navy & IAF where they are referred to as Seamen & Airmen).

They are also referred as Jawan , Sainik ,Soldier,Combatant etc .

What ever they are referred to , there is no doubt in any one’s mind that they are the back bone of the Services.

My years in the army has been made adventurous , soldierly, comfortable ,educative & fruitful to a large extent due to the contribution of O R . I would go far as to say that with out them, I would have never enjoyed my army career.

Hence it was always a question (posed by self ) to me as to how to pay them back?

This became a real thorn in my mind when I saw their struggle to seek employment after their early retirement , their efforts to improve their quality of their life & most important not to lose their pride & dignity.

I found the answer after pondering over the issue for many years. I know I can only solve their problem in a very little way. How ever if more such ventures are started, I am sure over a period of time the retired OR would lead a dignified life after retirement too .

I am planning to start a service oriented company in which only O.R.s (& may be widows of O.R.s ) will find employment. The role I have selected for them would need not require much of special training & they can excel in that role. In that role they would be the brand ambassadors for the company. Ultimately their brand would be promoted in such a way that they become the ultimate & house hold brand in the country.(How about O.R. Akri Tir rice & O.R. Akri Tir Bank as also O.R. Akri Tir Aircraft carrier.)

Hence I have named the brand itself in their honour i.e O.R. (to be pronounce O dot R dot). The suffix Akri Tir (the last arrow) signifies the role they have played while serving i.e. there is nothing after them for the country (viz the last shot)

While I have started the process of registering the brand ,I would be too happy to share the brand name with others so that the O.R. gets better recognition & better employment.

While I was planning ,I kept the following in my mind :-

• The task to be assigned to the OR should not require too much of reskilling & it should correspond to their capabilities
• The O.R. should be comfortable with the environment & he should have sense of belonging to the organization.
• The remuneration should allow him to lead a dignified life.
• The employment opportunities should not be affected by recession.
• There should be growth opportunities for him
• The work should not hinder his family life.