A. Selvadurai Hallman puts trust and ethics at the heart of entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship requires more than spotting an opportunity and taking a financial risk. For corporate consultant A. Selvadurai Hallman, lasting business success also depends on ethical judgment, inner resilience and the quality of relationships an organisation builds.

Drawing on nearly three decades of consulting experience, Hallman argues that professional competence must be supported by a deeper understanding of people and a commitment to responsible conduct. An enterprise, in his view, should be judged not only by its profits or scale, but also by the trust it earns, the dignity it protects and the opportunities it creates.

His perspective brings together the practical demands of entrepreneurship and a broader question about leadership. How can businesses pursue growth without sacrificing the people and principles that sustain them?

Entrepreneurs identify business opportunities, organise resources and establish or develop enterprises to earn profit or create value. Their core responsibilities include innovation, risk-taking, leadership, decision-making and recognising unmet needs or potential markets.

These responsibilities unfold amid uncertainty. Developing products, accepting the possibility of financial loss, guiding employees and making consequential decisions require both commercial judgment and mental strength.

Hallman believes that leaders who focus exclusively on targets, processes and financial performance risk overlooking the human foundations of their organisations. Mechanical oversight, without attention to people’s inner lives and emotional well-being, can leave a business vulnerable to friction, operational disorder and burnout.

A business is a community that includes employees, customers, suppliers, regulators, shareholders and wider society. Its long-term strength, he argues, depends partly on whether it honours commitments, treats people fairly and contributes to social harmony.

That makes ethics a practical leadership responsibility rather than simply a statement of corporate values. Speaking about respect means little if people are treated as instruments of convenience. Equally, pursuing profit requires reflection on how it is earned, whom it affects and what responsibilities accompany it.

Hallman acknowledges that ethical choices do not always deliver immediate rewards. An organisation may lose an opportunity by refusing unfair practices. A truthful professional may be misunderstood. Rejecting bribery, misrepresentation or manipulation can appear to mean surrendering a short-term advantage.

Yet he sees such decisions as investments in a deeper form of capital, built through credibility, goodwill, institutional reputation and lasting relationships.

In his understanding of good karma, the return on responsible conduct need not be immediate or financial. It may emerge through loyal employees, trusted customers, responsible business partners, supportive communities or the resilience to face difficulty without abandoning one’s principles.

The most meaningful business legacy, in this view, extends beyond what an institution earns to what it enables others to become.

Hallman also distinguishes professionalism from purely transactional behaviour. Competence, punctuality, quality, discipline and accountability remain essential. But professional usefulness alone does not create a lasting relationship.

Relationships that endure beyond a person’s position, influence or immediate advantage rest on respect, gratitude, affection, trust and goodwill. Hallman identifies these qualities as central to his understanding of leadership, professional conduct and life.

His consulting experience has reinforced his belief that technical expertise alone is insufficient for sustained success. Leaders also need depth of understanding, the ability to interpret complex business environments and the resolve to resist unethical opportunities and shortcuts.

He believes spiritual development, supported by appropriate mentorship, can help cultivate mental clarity and that inner strength.

Hallman’s search for guidance led him, through a banker friend, to the teachings of Shri A. M. Patel, who became known as Akram Vignani Dada Bhagwan.

In Hallman’s account, Patel, who lived from 1908 to 1988, was a civil contractor and householder associated with Gujarat and Mumbai. His spiritual inquiry explored the inner dimensions of human life alongside social and religious questions.

Hallman describes Patel’s experience at Surat railway station in 1958 as a spontaneous spiritual enlightenment. He highlights Patel’s emphasis on applying his teachings to everyday situations rather than relying solely on abstract doctrine or formal discourse.

According to Hallman, Patel engaged with thinkers, philosophers, scientists and spiritual seekers through questions and answers, while respecting different belief systems. The language of “inner science” reflects the spiritual framework through which Hallman discusses these teachings, rather than an independently established scientific finding.

Hallman also points to Mumbai industrialist Jayantilal Shah, who, he says, held personal discussions with Dada Bhagwan over five and a half years. Shah subsequently spent nearly three decades applying and examining those lessons in business settings.

Hallman credits that approach with offering a way to maintain balance amid commercial stress, struggle and strain. He identifies Shah’s booklet, Secrets of Holistic Living, published in 2018 by the Holistic Science Research Center in Surat, as a record of those learnings.

For Hallman, the connection between entrepreneurship and inner development is ultimately practical. Professional skill helps leaders build enterprises, while ethical discipline and meaningful relationships help determine whether that growth creates enduring value for others.

About

Contact

Submit a story

DAILY WA © 2026

Daily WA Online is an independent news and media platform covering Western Australia. We publish local stories, business insights, lifestyle features, and community voices for the digital era.