I first met Chandru (whom I affectionately referred to as "Uncle") while researching the Indian community in Japan in 2015. The departing Indian ambassador to Tokyo at the time, Deepa Gopalan Wadhwa, introduced me to him. She said he was a kind, knowledgeable man who would be of great help to my research.

Indeed, Chandru turned out to be a reservoir of information, not only on India and Japan but also many other aspects of life. Even at 92, he never allowed a day to pass without reading the newspapers, poring through every English publication available in Japan.

He would often send me cuttings he thought would be of help to me, and I was not the only beneficiary of his generosity. He loved to share his knowledge and wisdom with people he knew, eager to help however he could.