There is a saying—everyone has a book inside of them. Ashutosh Garg, founder of the Gurgaon-based pharmacy retail chain Guardian Lifecare, has certainly lived true to this adage. He had written columns for Business India during his tenure at the ITC Group, and later for The Economic Times and Business Insider while running Guardian. It was in March 2010 that he decided to go the full haul and write a book. The Buck Stops Here, his first book, tells his journey of becoming an entrepreneur from a corporate manager. “When I started writing, the thoughts just flowed and I finished writing the book in 60 days.” Published by Penguin India, the book sold 13,000 hard cover copies and went into two reprints. It was all the encouragement he needed to forge ahead. His recently launched novel, The Corner Office, is his first work of fiction—a tale of five corporate managers battling to reach the venerable corner office. Writing is a function of discipline, says Garg, and recalls that for seven months, he would sit down at his study at 6pm sharp, and get up only after writing 2,000 words. It’s a rigour he’s clearly hooked to for Garg has also finished his third manuscript. “Writing is therapeutic. Whether writing about myself, or creating characters, it gives me a chance to introspect on how I’ve lived my life.”

The reader
Not just a writer, Garg’s library houses almost 5,000 books. He could be found reading a Harold Robbins or James Hadley Chase on aflight, or the biographies of Steve Jobs and Hitler when on ground. Garg has read To Kill a Mockingbird and the Atlas Shrugged more than three times each.

Fan encounters
Garg once saw a fellow passenger on a flight reading his book. He asked, “What do you think of it?” “Love the book,” the man replied. Garg politely enquired if he could sign it for him but the man was surprised to see a stranger make that request. He didn’t know who the author was until he saw the photograph at the end.