Life At Pune & Infosys

All my IIT batchmates were assigned the same training batch (14'th June LC) at Infy and thankfully, there were no extensions or delays. Like all of us, the

feeling of actually earning for the first time was really overpowering and hence I was really excited.

Pune: A City of Dreams:

My job posting was in Pune and the good part was that my closest friends were going with me.
We all started researching about the city and as we unravelled, we found that it has one of the best climates of the country, a cosmopolitan culture, good malls (Back in 2004, malls were still a rarity) & multiplexes, good restaurants etc. This city is rich in cultural heritage - be it the famous vadas & its peth areas or its annual palkhi pilgrimage.
This city is a potpourri of traditions interspersed with modernity and the good part is they have a harmonious existence.
The city is also known as 'Oxford of East' due to its famous colleges and universities which attracts the best & the brightest from across the world. Being a student's hub, you will find a lot of areas where students drive the economy. These areas are typical neighbourhoods surrounding famous colleges like MIT, Symbiosis, Bharti Vidyapeeth, Singhad to name a few. These places are always bustling with activity.Pune is also a global manufacturing hub with the likes of Bajaj, Volkswagen and a host of German multinationals setting up their base. It is also known as the software haven and is home to all the top software companies thereby generating quality employment to lakhs of IT professionals like me.
Overall, I had a good feeling that I'm going to a city which would open a new world of learning and some unforgettable experience. How true my feeling was!

Pune: My first feelings:

The D-Day finally arrived. I Was in a state of nervous excitement. Nervous because I was entering into a new phase of life, was going to a place far from Kanpur and won't be able to meet my parents so often. Excited because I no longer need to ask money from my parents, will be starting my career with a good brand and above all - the feeling of being independent at the age of 23.
When I landed in Pune along with my friends, we went straight to our hotel (Hotel Woodland near to Pune Railway Station) and then decided to explore Pune later in the evening.During 2004, there was only one multiplex - INOX at Camp and we went to watch our first movie that day itself, strolled & shopped at MG Road, ate at the famous Hotel George.

All in all, this was much beyond expectation - positive energy , young & ambitious souls out there to prove to the world, endless conversations, link ups & break ups etc. I could smell freedom in the air - there are no restrictions, no weight of expectations - just pure gay abandon. Creativity and dreams are nurtured in such environments where you are not judged by your pedigree but by your excellence, where the pressure of performance doesn't weigh you down, where individuality is respected & herd mentality is frowned upon. I have always believed that life lessons are much more important than class lessons. It doesn't matter how good are your grades if your HQ (Humanity Quotient) is low. We do not need intelligent robots but empathy filled humans to make this world a better place. I can't help but remember Michael Jackson's incredibly beautiful song called 'Heal the World' which effectively sums up the need to heal this world and make it a better place for you and for me and the entire human race. Really powerful lyrics combined with MJ's magical rendition.

14'th June 2004:

Finally, one of the most important mornings of my life arrived. We all were supposed to report to the campus at around 9 PM and our mode of transport was Bus. Since Infy campus in Pune is located at the outskirts of the city - Hinjewadi, we had to leave the hotel by 7:30 AM. We all were dressed in formals (including the tie) ready to take charge of our destiny. We reached the magnificient campus of Infy - Phase 1 and were ushered to a big training room where we were welcomed by our training head and some HR folks. Orientation process was pretty boring and by the end of the day, we were planning our evening dinner.

Training at Infy:

Our training program consisted of regular lectures followed by practical tests and a final exam. Since our batch consisted of Chem, Mech engineers etc, we were taught basics of programming and other general stuff. I was never particularly interested in the nuances of coding, so we used to plan early escapes from the training centre and explored nearby areas around Pune like Lonavala, Khandala etc. I was having a whale of a time. Just like college - last minute studying ensured that I passed my training attaining decent marks and was about to become productive to the company pretty soon.

First Salary and the perks of being an Infy Product:

Since we joined in the middle of the month, our first salary day was approaching fast. It was such a nice feeling to receive my first paycheck (some 10k odd for 15 days - nothing much by today's standards but a decent amount for a bachelor in those days) and we all celebrated our independence by downing some beers at a local pub. I had a good sleep that day.
Although Infy isn't known for being a generous pay master, in those days being a Infy product had some unusual perks - discounts at malls, restaurants, cheaper loans, credit cards at your doorstep etc. I used to feel good. In those days, I got a credit card with some 30k odd limit which was very good at that time. I was never a thrifty spender, so by the end of the month, I was left with practically nothing.

My first Purchase - A Gleaming Red Pulsar Bike:

Pune is a small city and travelling by auto daily is an expensive proposition, so I thought of buying myself a bike. With the help of my parents (pitching for the downpayment), I bought Red Pulsar bike which was roughly around 60k - expensive during that time but a real good mean machine. This event occured during the second month of my job and this was the second time I felt liberated.
This bike was about to become my most trusted companion and would be witness to my highs and lows of entrepreneurship. BTW - I still drive that bike. It has a special place in my heart and life.

With life at Pune going at a steady pace, it was full masti time with friends. With Naukri part being set, we all thought of Chokri and what better place than Pune to find your life partner.

My personal life from here on was about to witness a techtonic shift. The atmosphere and the stage was set. I was about to enter into a whirlpool of events which brought me face to face with that special someone - who would change the very fundamentals of my existence, show me life from a different prism and would help me rediscover myself.

This personal part has shaped me where I'm today. This phase is really interesting, eventful and has taught me the most.

Stay tuned for the third part.

Life At College & Seeds of Entrepreneurship

I have a story to tell. It is engrossing, engaging, emotional and entertaining. It is my life experience and which has shaped me who I'am. By telling this story, I will relive those days. Who knows, there is a lesson or two in hindsight.

They say when you want something so badly in life, cosmic forces conspire to help you achieve that.

I'm a guy with above average intelligence and a sprinkling of common sense, so I considered myself lucky when I triumphed with flying colors in my IIT-JEE exam. I was good at studies so like everyone else I took science and dreamt of being an engineer. One year of preparation and I was inside the largest engg campus in India (IIT-BHU) whose hostels are bigger than some of the colleges. I was told to study hard so that I get a good placement which (if you fast forward it to the next 5 years) is considered as a precursor to a good and comfy life ahead.
Coming out of a cocooned atmosphere of home, here I was in the company of the smartest students all standing on the hallowed land of Kashi. A new life beckoned me and I had to embrace it.

We all fondly remember our college days and I'm no different. I learnt lots of life's lessons in those 4 years of engg. I can summarize them as under:

1. Life is not about grades but wisdom: 

Within the first month being on campus, I realized it is a melting pot of wisdom in which pearls of learning are waiting to be taken, you just need to choose which one you want to take in the limited time you have at your disposal. Some chose how to come 1'st in the batch or how to make that perfect weed or  etc etc. I chose to let myself float and flow with the moment and enjoy these four years like there is no tomorrow. I studied, played, read and made some really good friends. I opened my eyes to a whole new world slowly unfurling in front of me. I was happy and optimistic about what future would  hold for me.

2.  The word FRIENDS got a new meaning: 

They say that your bond with your college friends is like Fevicol - the strongest. I Was fortunate to forge some really close friendships which have stood the test of time. College friendship is pure, unbiased and without hatred. It is unconditional, full of life and always equal. It teaches you your first lessons and helps you to explore new horizons and realize your potential.

3. Chem Engg is not my cup of tea: 

After my 1'st year (though passed with decent grades), I realized that I'm not meant for working in a petroleum company or some chemical/fertilizer plant. It didn't excite me, so I decided that for the next three years, I would enjoy to the fullest and in the process decide what I want to become.

4. Quizzing:

Since I didn't use to study daily (apart from exam days), I used to play cricket, read Agatha Christie thrillers and English newspapers. I always had this habit of reading newspapers from the back - since it had sports news and I made a resolve to try reading it from the front like a gentleman. In the meantime, I also got interested in Quizzing - especially corporate & business quizzing. Two of my batch mates were really good at that and this is how I developed my interest. I started reading business magazines, business sections of newspapers, stories of companies on the internet and general trivia. Inspiring stories of entrepreneurs and their businesses started to interest me. I was really amazed to read stories of people who dropped out of college and created multinational corporations of today. I wanted to understand their rationale of doing so, their motivation, their conviction and their resilience against all odds. I wanted to feel that feeling, that passion, I really wanted to be like them.

5. MBA: 

By the start of fourth year, I was damn sure I wanted to do management. I had read enough and had known enough and nothing could change my conviction. I decided to try for an MBA so that I get some good corporate experience, save enough money and then I can think of starting on my own. On paper this plan looked unbeatable and perfectly sensible. After IIT, next step was to MBA from IIM (Can't settle for less you see). I started preparing for CAT (like others in my batch), gave exams but alas, my percentile wasn't enough to get me an IIM seat. I was surely disappointed. This sudden brush with failure really affected me for some time. Oh, in the meanwhile, I gave campus interview in Infosys and I got selected. I came to know from seniors that life at Infy is pretty relaxed and a lot of them chose this company so that they get a good brand as a launchpad and they can prepare for MBA simultaneously. Since I got the job at the start of the year, the entire last year seemed to pass in a blur. No more interviews, no more stress. My planning was clear.

But life is not so simple. Life at Infy was to start another chapter in my life.

Stay tuned for the second part.