But it's his alma mater, La Martinere, Lucknow, that Thakur credits with getting him where he's today. ``Discipline got top priority at school,'' he says. ``Our teachers encouraged fair competition among the boys.'' Apart from being a diligent student, he was a member of five school teams (notably swimming, rugby and gymnastics).

After getting his Master's in Economics from Lucknow University, Thakur got into FMS and from there, he hasn't really looked back -- his rise on the corporate ladder has been steady and firm. But it is the Nepali warrior blood in him that Thakur says is responsible for his determination and tenacity. His freedom-fighter father, who joined Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's Indian National Army, was determined to give his son the best education (he himself had studied only up to Class IV), but at the end of it, Thakur found himself being tugged in three different directions.

While his parents wanted him to join the Army, his education qualified him for a corporate career, but his passion was theatre. ``I'd been drawn to the stage right from school,'' says Thakur, recalling his days of impromptu skits, plays and mimes. ``But it was a difficult scenario that didn't even guarantee a steady career''.

Still, Thakur has retained his interest in the stage. He's had a long association with Barry John and Joy Michael, and was even part of TAG's anniversary celebrations last month. ``I think youngsters should opt for a career that excites them and not bother about material results,'' he says. But Thakur has no regrets, especially with the kind of career graph he has to show.

At the beginning, he focused on honing his administrative skills with companies like Usha International, then he moved on to sales and marketing at Modi Xerox, and later ventured into human resource development. And with over 24 years of experience behind him, he has all the qualities it takes to be an inspiring leader. ``I'm very patient with my staff and I can handle tremendous levels of pressure,'' emphasises Thakur, who specialises in bringing the best out of his subordinates. ``Anyone can come to me at any time,'' he says, pointing at the door to his office and the small round table at the centre. ``Today, employees are the cutting edge. So, we focus on their key performance indicators to motivate and excite them''.

It's these qualities that make him so ideally suited to Dom-ino's. ``We are selling a proven system and there are no corners cut anywhere,'' he says. ``The trick is to improve upon the system without breaking out of it,'' Thakur explains.

Domino's had just about five outlets when he joined last March; today, it is 25-outlet strong. ``My aim is to make it 35 by next March and 50 by the turn of the millennium,'' he declares. With his ``people-oriented management'' style, it certainly isn't a tall order.