Inspiration

From being toddlers fighting on the bed for a half-eaten chocolate to being world defining corporate leaders one day, we have done it just right. From being pinched for hiding her cellphone to being hugged fondly as we bid farewell, my sister and I have come a long way. As I left the Novotel Hotel today wishing her luck one last time as she steps into the professional life at Vodafone, memories flooded me as I silently prayed for her success.

Two years ago my sister cracked the CAT and got the opportunity to study at the prestigious Indian Institute of Management, Indore. For someone who has been a diligent student all her life, this was yet another milestone everybody back home was so proud of. I was another of those everyday engineering students, unsure of the trajectories of life ahead. It was the biggest turning point of my life when my sister stepped in as my mentor and opened my eyes into a world where ‘career’, ‘life’ and ‘success’ were of essence. This happened two years ago and today that wayward young man has found his direction and added a sense of purpose to his life.

My coming of age from a teenage blunderer to a mature adult has been an inspirational journey for me. I have always been inspired by my sister, her values, her thoughts and opinions on every subject, the respect she enjoys from everybody, and above all, the immense love and belief she has always bestowed upon me. There was a time when all seemed dark and the light just wouldn’t shine on the road ahead. I stunned myself with the brilliance with which I lit that path, with my own perseverance and dedication, and my philosopher and guide beamed in its shine.

The journey has been immensely satisfying and rewarding when I look back at everything I have gained. The inspiration to succeed and persevere has been etched in a plethora of self-help books by renowned ‘management gurus’ and life counselors. None of those words had the slightest effect on me. Hrithik’s character in Lakshya was a revelation, not because the lazy and immature boy goes on to shoulder the enormous responsibilities of the army, but because I was relieved there were many like me out there! At that critical juncture of my life I should have been motivated to follow suit but the spark inside had died long after I left the theatre. The limited exposure to the outside world and trapped in the cocoon of love of family and friends had blinded me.

Fortunately the spark was enraged into a roaring fire and today I stand victorious in the one lap of life which mattered the most. A respectable score in the CAT followed by NITIE happened in a flash and now I can look ahead with a renewed vigor. Yes, the road ahead is intense and has no place for mediocrity, but I’m riding the waves with my mentor firmly holding the reins, and just like Arjuna’s Krishna my sister will ensure my victory in the Mahabharata of life. The inspiration continues and so will we, as we set out to conquer the corporate world.

@Juhu Beach. Oh why are Goodbyes so hard!

God's Own Campus..

God's Own Campus..

I have been a fan of pagalguy.com and have always wanted to make a "All I wanted to speak about CAT" and a "GDPI Experience" post. But this post beats all. The very first day of the epic sprint in the marathon of Life, NITIE. God's own campus has always been a dream for me, more so as the coveted BLACKI, XL, FMS and all that jazz has been exactly that: Jazz. After a 97.48 in the CAT and the GEM tag firmly tagged on to me, it was do or die for the race to NITIE and here I am, raring to key in my first post as a proud member of PGDIM XX batch of NITIE, 2013-15!

And what could have been a better start to Life at NITIE than Prof. Mandi's class!

Globe shaped stress balls flying everywhere, pink birds exchanging hands, a crude hen and a wooden channel finding its way through Syndi 1 were how we began the class at 9am. Luckily we had Prof. Mandi taking over as a substitute for our Communication prof's absence. We started off with a small introduction by Prof. Mandi followed by questions from our side. We learnt during the course of the class about how important it is for today's 'beggar' generation to be able enough to earn and support oneself. Even if we earn a mere 10% of what is spent on us by our parents, we are destined to sail in life. Our PDC is roughly 2500 rupees and we were challenged to earn atleast 25 rupees on a daily basis. The very famous lines 'Socho Becho, Becho Sikho, Sikho Socho' were hummed by all quite a few times. We even took an oath on our hearts to earn our own rotis. And sir, this oath we shall remember! We were also told about illustrious NITIE alumni who have made it big in the world, like Mrunmay Chakraborty of IM6, the CEO of the globally famous Cyprus Semiconductors. We were motivated to one day reach the heights and cross the standard set by our famed alumni. At the end of the introduction class we were explained the significance of those toys. they were actually Physics made fun! The hen could oscillate as well as slide down the inclined plane while the birds could be balanced on a single point, thus explaining concepts like COG, balancing, rotation, etc.

We were told to write a blog on our everyday learnings. We should educate the masses using the free technology of blogs. If 100 students write 100 blogs, we have no use of any college education and the deprived students can learn important management concepts for free. We would be evaluated on the blogs. One student who wrote poems on his blog was asked to recite a few lines which he did beautifully. The importance of writing quality words on our blogs was stressed upon. Student Enterprises were an important part of NITIE and were given due support by the profs here, so we were advised to make full use of this enterprise.

The POM class commenced at 2pm with important concepts being discussed. The beauty of Prof. Mandi's class is that students study with their eyes and ears, not their hands. We don't have to touch our pens if we listened carefully. The high point of the class was me singing Floyd's Another Brick in the Wall with my buddy Anupam Dhamija and Abhinav Sirohi. We have much to learn from this song, said Prof. Mandi. We should not just be bricks in the wall but change the system for the better. The section mates didn't join us too enthusiastically though! Next time we'll sing at the top of our voices for sure!

So this was Day One in a nutshell. Stay tuned for regular updates on Principles of Management, I shall be posting my everyday learnings here. Hope one good soul gets some benefit from this blog!