Endeavors

Dhirubhai started working as a clerk in A. Besse & Co. (named after its French founder Antonin Besse) from the very first day he reached there.
Aden was the second busiest trading and oil bunkering port in the world then. A. Besse & Co. was engaged in almost every branch of trading business cargo booking, handling, shipping, forwarding and wholesale merchandising. Initially Dhirubhai worked in the trading section of the firm, later he was transferred to another section that handled petroleum products for the oil giant shell. Dhirubhai had done well at office and hence A. Besse & Co. became the agent for distribution of Shell refinery products to the Shell oil refinery and the first Oil harbor that came up in Aden in 1954. The same year, Dhirubhai returned to Gujarat to marry Kokilaben. Due to his hard work, he was sent on promotion to the oil filling station at the newly built harbour, which was more challenging, unlike the desk work in the commodities section.

In 1957, Dhirubhai returned to India and started