The Quarterly BITSians BITSunami Team & S Nagarajan (IAS Topper)

The BITSAA Edition

Sandpaper [2.0] Fall 2005 BITS, Pilani, Alumni Magazine

BITSians on Wall Street

Private Equity • Investment Banking • Hedge Funds • Sales & Trading

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Sandpaper [2.0] Fall 2005 Issue

6 EDITORIAL 60 BITSians at India’s Best B-schools 63 FedEx Delivers – Book review FEATURES 7 News GENERAL INTEREST 9 Masala & Spice 66 The Writer’s Market 10 Dilip’s column – Fits BITS 70 We Who Are Not As Others 72 Confessions of a BITSian Woman COVER STORY 12 BITSians on Wall Street RESEARCH & INNOVATION 32 Our Alumni in High Finance 74 Embryonic Stem Cell Research 75 Quantitative Concepts in Arts & Sciences NOSTALGIC NOTES 83 Mission to Mars… Abort? 33 You Only Live Twice: A Tale Of Renewal 35 The Dridge THE QUARTERLY BITSIANS 78 BITSunami Team NOTES FROM PILANI 81 S Nagarajan, IAS 2005 Topper 36 CSD –An Era Of Collaborative Research 82 Civil Services in India 38 Evaluation pattern at BITS – a new story 40 BITSAT Review BITSIANS IN THE COMMUNITY 42 The Pharmacy Group at BITS Pilani 86 The diljales make a difference 45 Back to BITS 48 Oasis to Oasis ALUMNI CORNER & BITSAA 87 MIT, Stanford, or Caltech? On a Scholarship? CREATIVE & HUMOR 88 BITSAA Women’s Council 50 A Month of Bhavan’s Night 88 BITS.aid 54 The Looking Glass 89 BITSAA 30 Under 30 Awards 56 Lost… in every which way 90 BITSAA Silicon Valley Elections 91 Partyin’ around the world BUSINESS & STRATEGY 94 Classnotes 57 Hedge Funds

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About Sandpaper 2.0

BITSAA SANDPAPER VISION

To read past issues visit the website: http://sandpaper.bitsaa.org/archives/archives.htm

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About Sandpaper 2.0 SandpaperOnline http://www.bitsaa.org/sandpaper/sandpaper.html

BITSAA Newsletter BITSians IN ACADEMICS Every month we bring you a newsletter At last count, there with stories about BITS and BITSAA were 208 BITSian through the Yahoo! Groups. In case you alums teaching as miss an edition, you can visit the professors at Newsletter archives online and go through universities and issues and news that you may have research institutes missed. around the world. All details including Photo Galleries research, emails and phone Click on “Photo Galleries” on numbers are to be www.bitsaa.org and see photos of Pilani, found on the cartoons, artwork and books by BITSians, website. Contact as well as profiles of BITSians in business, these professors. academia and research. Start a dialogue!

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EDITORIAL BOARD Dilip D’Souza, Anuradha Gupta, Anupendra Sharma JOIN THE TEAM (Also includes *Chief Ed)

CHIEF EDITOR Sandeep Mukherjee* Sandpaper 2.0 is created by ASSOCIATE EDITORS Ashish Garg, Pushkala Venkataraman, a global team with members Dileepan Narayanan spanning seven countries in PILANI TEAM Anindita Dutta, (Team Lead), Himabindu four continents. It’s a great Chitta, Sukanya Vijayakumar, Vernon place to gain organizational Fernandez, Sandip Gangakhedkar, Sindhu leadership experience, Anand network with the alumni GENERAL INTEREST Sandhya Krishnan, Madhurjya Banerjee community and enhance BUSINESS & STRATEGY Prasenjit Chaudhuri, Vignesh Shetty your writing skills. EDUCATION & ACADEMICS Vikas Chandra COMMUNITY SERVICE Laxman Mohanty Please email your articles, nominations for Quarterly CLASS NOTES Suraj Srinivasan BITSian, letters to the TECHNOLOGY Vivek Iyer (Lead), Anand Jayaram editor, feedback and THANKS The team wishes to thank Prof Rahul requests to join the team Banerjee, Prof Raghurama, Prof R K to: [email protected] Mittal, Mukul Chawla, Neel Broker, Aditi Pany as well as all those who helped us put together the BITSians On Wall BITSAA International has Street article. Thanks also to everyone been granted 501(c)3 tax- who sent in his or her articles. All articles exempt status by the IRS, that could not be included in the print and is registered in New version will be made available online for our readers to enjoy. Jersey, USA.

♦ © All copyrights for these articles belong solely to the authors unless stated otherwise.

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Advertising Feature BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine

Special Advertising Section

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Advertising Feature BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine Special Advertising Section Wissen is seeking outstanding BITSians to join their team

Buy the world’s best cricketing gear or play fantasy cricket online

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Editorial Masters of the Universe? Barbarians at the Gate? Both?

Tom Wolfe, in his book Bonfire of the Vanities, others, we hope that the article makes for called them “Masters of the Universe”. In enjoyable, educational reading. Barbarians at the Gate, the implication is less In addition, this issue flattering yet just as also breaks from our powerful. Investment tradition of awarding Bankers, Traders, the Quarterly Equity Analysts… the BITSian to list goes on. The individuals only. importance of Wall Warren Bennis, Streeters to the free leadership guru and market can hardly be management overstated. At their educator, often best, they are true reminds us “none of market makers us is as smart as all ensuring the flow of of us”. There is capital to areas where it perhaps no better can be most example of this than productively employed. the outstanding This often has the end achievements of the effect of raising BITSunami Team, standards of living and the first group to be national productivity. At awarded the their worst, they Quarterly BITSian. symbolize greed and hyper-capitalism – a We hope that these sentiment perhaps best stories, our regular captured in Michael features, and other Douglas’ words, “Greed ‘extras’ on is good” in the movie sandpaper.bitsaa.org Wall Street. help you stay connected with your In BITSians on Wall BITSian heritage and Street, the Sandpaper spur you on to 2.0 team had the whatever it is that you opportunity to meet and speak with many of our want for yourself. prominent alumni who have built careers in various functions of high finance on the Street. As always, our alumni were extremely gracious Sandeep Mukherjee (’95 Phy Mech) in taking the time to tell us their stories and providing us with various insights into careers on Chief Editor Wall Street. We spoke about topics ranging from November 7, 2005 the long hours and the lure of the lucre to the league tables and dynamic hedging. Our goal is to inspire alums and students with a penchant for such careers to follow their dream as well as to help them chart their courses. For

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FEATURES | news

THE SANDPAPER 2.0 TEAM BITS & BITSAA NEWS BITS OPTED OUT Atul Gupta, currently working with Infosys Technologies BITSIAN IAS OF INDIA TODAY Limited as a Technical SURVEY Architect, has close to 9 years of TOPPER BITS opted out of India Today’s work experience on Microsoft S Nagarajan, a BITS alumnus, survey of 2005 because of a technology projects across has topped the 2005 civil pending court case between business domains. services exams conducted by the Union Public Service BITS and India Today. This explains why BITS does not Commission. Nagarajan was figure in the India Today ranked first out of 422 rankings. In 2004 when India candidates (also see Quarterly Today released its rankings, it BITSian). did not collect the data from BITS, Pilani even though it mentioned it did so. BITS questioned the validity of the data because there were many factual errors in India Today’s description of BITS. India Today did not accept the errors Atul Gupta and hence BITS has gone to the court against India Today and the case is still pending. SUBODH KARNIK

Sadly, no press reporter carried LEADING THE WAY this story. AT ATA HOLDINGS ATA Holdings has announced Krishnamurthy Surysekar Subodh Karnik, a BITS alum, as Senior Vice President and EXCELLENCE IN Chief Commercial Officer. ATA Holdings Corporation is an RESEARCH Indianapolis-based holding Dr. Krishnamurthy Surysekar BITS DLP MS SS company with six wholly owned (’76), currently the Assistant subsidiaries specializing in Professor, School of STUDENT IN aviation and travel industries. Accounting, College of Business MICROSOFT MVP Administration, Florida International University, has 2005 LIST BITS ALUMNUS been awarded the Florida Atul Gupta, ME Software BECOMES MD OF International University Faculty Systems, is one of the recipients Award for Excellence in of the Microsoft MVP (Most NYLIM Harish Kumar, BITS alum, has Research - 2005. Valuable Professional) Award this year. been appointed the Managing Director and Head of Growth VIVEK PAUL JOINS

Portfolios at Equity Investors TEXAS PACIFIC The Microsoft MVP (Most Group of New York Life Valuable Professional) Award is Investment Management LLC GROUP given out each year to (NYLIM). Dr. Kumar, who has Vivek Paul has quit Wipro and outstanding members of a bachelor's degree in Mechanical joined Texas Pacific Group Microsoft online Developer Engineering from BITS, is a (TPG), one of the world's largest Forum. CFA charter holder. Private Equity firms as a

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FEATURES | news

Partner. At TPG Ventures, he The U.S. Citizenship and will focus on Technology & Life Immigration Services (USCIS) Sciences investments. organized the “Celebrate Citizenship, Celebrate America” Vivek Paul also sits on the Board of Directors of Electronic Arts.

BITSIANS MOVE AT CISCO Prem Jain senior vice president at Cisco recently announced his retirement. Meanwhile, Pankaj Patel (ex SVP at Redback) has been promoted to senior vice (right) Arvind Matthew president, Broadband Edge & Arvind Singh Mid-Range Routing Business Energy and Corporate R&D Unit. He holds an MS in EE divisions. ceremony the week of July 4th. from the University of The keynote speaker for the Wisconsin-Madison and a BE ceremony was Arvind J. Singh, from BITS, Pilani, India. ARVIND MATHEW an Indian national who became a APPOINTED MD, United States citizen last year. FORD INDIA Arvind is a serial entrepreneur Arvind Mathew took over as who has lived the “American the Managing Director of the Dream” since '91. company from August 1. He is now Vice-President and Arvind has an MS from the Executive Director (India Birla Institute of Technology programs implementation and and Science (BITS) in Pilani, supply). India.

ARJUN VALLURI BITSIANS FINISH LANCO GLOBAL RUNNERS-UP IN Pankaj Patel AS CEO IMAGINE CUP 2005 Lanco Global Systems Limited Ishan Shukla and Mayur (LGSL) has brought in Arjun Karthik, BITS, Pilani's BITSIAN’S BOOK Valluri (ex-BITSian) as director contestants at Imagine Cup and Chief Executive Officer of 2005, competed and got the ON GLOBAL LGSL. Mr. Valluri, founder Second Position and award of OUTSOURCING chairman of Intelligroup Inc $4000 in the Imagine Cup 2005. Suresh Sharma has published a (first IT company from India to Ishan and Mayur showed book on Global Outsourcing, be listed on the Nasdaq), later typical BITSian gumption in which serves as a left it. He then acquired a meeting the challenges posed by comprehensive reference guide `substantial' shareholding in the other teams and getting on that takes managers through the LGSI. The combined turnover of top with little fuss. necessary milestones for these companies would be about successful execution. $22 million. PRABODH VYAS

Suresh has led multiple global ARVIND SINGH, APPOINTED business, technology, and SPEAKS AT GIGABYTE MD process improvement initiatives Prabodh Vyas (EEE) has been at General Electric (GE) over CITIZENSHIP appointed MD of Gigabyte the past decade within the CEREMONY Technology (India), a joint

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FEATURES | news venture between D-Link India a mission to develop world-class and Gigabyte Technologies, DR. MOTILAL desert development Taiwan. Prabodh, earlier the technologies, titled Project Director-Sales & Marketing, D- DASH Desert Bloom. The C-DDT at Link India, has over 28 years of CONFERRED BITS Pilani aims to develop in experience. the desert world class INDIRA GANDHI technologies for water and DARING TO NSS AWARD energy conservation in irrigation Dr. Motilal Dash, Assistant systems, rain water harvesting DREAM BIG Professor, Humanistic Studies and water distribution systems. Rajesh Hukku, CEO of i-flex Group, BITS, Pilani, has been This is one more jewel in the (recently taken over by Oracle) conferred the Indira Gandhi crown of BITS, whose was successful in powering i- National Service Scheme (NSS) pioneering work for the society flex to become one of the largest Award, for the academic year proves that the reputation of an financial software majors, with 2004-05. Join us in educational institution is not revenues of $185 million, net congratulating Dr. Dash on his merely based on its admission profit of $40 million and a tremendous achievement! and placement statistics but market share of $1 billion in the based on its Social Engineering financial year 2004. efforts too.

BITSIAN SECURES TOP SINGAPORE ACCOLADE The head of Asia-Pacific operations of Satyam Computer BITS ‘64-69 BATCH Services Ltd. (NYSE:SAY), Mr. STORMS INTO Virender Aggarwal, today became the first Indian national LIMCA BOOK OF Motilal Dash to receive the prestigious RECORDS International Management BITS, Pilani's batch of '64 has Action Award ("IMAA") from stormed its way into the Limca PROJECT DESERT Singapore. "His success clearly Book of Records for creating a BLOOM demonstrates his outstanding World Record number of management capabilities, BITS Pilani has established a especially his skills in managing Alumni Meets of a Single Batch: Centre for Desert Development a feat that does us all proud. The diversity," the IMAA said in its Technologies C-DDT and has citation. feat has been listed in by the joined hands with Jacob ♦ Limca Book of Records 2005 Blaustein Institute for Desert (pp. 156). Research BIDR Negev Israel in

MASALA & SPICE BITSIAN PRODUCED H1BEES exterminate Y2K bugs and code Java and link Unix. However, as they toiled in cubicles, they dreamed of CREATES HISTORY keyboards of a different sort, of a world where C- Geeksta rap is making way for Curry Rock! sharp is just a musical note, not computer code. Then their worlds became one. Srikanth Devarajan, Kartik Venkataramanan, Devesh Satyavolu and Srivatsa Srinivasan, were not unlike Their collaboration resulted in the creation of their many others who have left India over the past decade first music album, H1Bees. The album, named after on the H-1B visa, a guest worker program for highly the US visa given to foreign workers with high-tech skilled professionals. They wore glasses and skills and recorded in a suburban basement-turned- mustaches and collared shirts. They could studio, was released on September 10. Its music is "a

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FEATURES | Dilip’s Column mix of Indian and Western beats with lyrics who earlier worked with Mani Ratnam as assistant exploring the high-tech immigrant's experience in the director, is set to direct his first movie Chukkallo United States." The music is written by Srikanth Chandrudu. He has already managed to hit the Devarajan and performed by aspiring Rock-and-Roll headlines by pulling off a casting coup by bringing musicians who arrived in the United States to work in together today's A-list stars like Siddharth, Saloni, the computer and software industry. "The album, Charmi to share screen space with veterans like ANR which will be sold via South Asian Web sites and and Waheeda Rehman. In keeping with the string of stores for $6, boasts songs in English, Hindi and trendy flicks churned out these days, the movie is Tamil." Producer Vatsa and lyricist Devesh supposed to be an energetic youth techno flick. The Satyavolu are both BITSian alums. muhurat of this film was held at State Art Gallery in Madapur on the morning of 24th August. We wish the BITSian director the best as we eagerly wait to ANOTHER BITSIAN TURNS see how this film shapes up and performs at the box DIRECTOR office. After BITSian Manishankar, who shot to fame with ♦ 16 December, it is now the turn of Sivakumar, another BITSian, to grab the arclights. Sivakumar,

BY DILIP D SOUZA (’87 ECO INSTRU)

Fits BITS In business, in the community and in every other realm of life, BITSians continue to make an impact in eclectic ways.

Things have a curious way of going round. A couple years ago, a few of us organized a BITS alumni meet Nevertheless, in early October this year, I was tickled here in Bombay. Among various things, we came up to find myself on a panel with Shashi Warrier -- and with the idea of honoring two BITSians at the meet. then, less than 48 hours later, on a panel with Ramesh One, someone who has done well in technology or Ramanathan. Tickled because it's hardly as if I'm on the corporate world, as might be expected of a panels all the time; yet these two in quick succession normal BITS graduate. Two, someone who has done featured three BITSians, and these two in particular. well in a completely different realm, as might not be expected of a normal BITS graduate. Why were they on these panels? Warrier won first prize in an Indian Express/Citizens for Peace essay Then again, given that celebrated broad-based BITS competition on new ways of looking at secularism. education, the second might also be expected. As part of the prize distribution function, he and I were part of a panel discussing the themes that had In any case, for our "off-the-usual-track" honoree at emerged from the contest. Then Ramanathan and I that meet, we chose Shashi Warrier: the 1981 MA were the speakers at a seminar session on democracy Economics graduate who has taken to writing and peoples' participation, a subject he is eminently thrillers and novels. (Check his little gem, qualified to explore. "Hangman's Journal"). One year later, we had another Bombay alumni gathering, and we did the same thing And as I sat behind tables listening to Warrier and again. This time, our choice was Ramesh then Ramanathan, they will forgive me for admitting Ramanathan, the once-high-flying Citibank executive here that I didn't give them quite my full attention. who now runs the citizens' organization Janaagraha in Because a part of my mind was marveling at the Bangalore. coincidence of it all; then marveling some more at the paths these random BITSians have taken over the It was a good start, those two. We wanted this to years; then marveling still more at how these paths become something of a Bombay alumni meet managed to converge for a brief spell, only two days tradition. Which it might have, but for one problem. apart. And I marvel most that it is BITS that underlies We have had no more Bombay alumni meets. Just all this. BITS, the good old "engineering" college. those two.

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FEATURES | Dilip’s Column

I don't mean to sound my little trumpet here, but with of our minds we know it likely wasn't and isn't quite that said, consider some events from the first ten as rose-tinted as all that. Yet I imagine the greatest months of this fifth year of the 21st Century. tribute to BITS, to the kind of education we all got Ramanathan's Janaagraha embarked on a major effort there, lies in the great variety of paths its alumni have to check the veracity of Bangalore's electoral rolls. taken. BITSians won two major writing competitions in India -- me, the Outlook/Picador confiction prize last So you'll find the telecom tycoon, but also the February; and Warrier, this Indian Express/CfP prize novelist. The venture capitalist, but also the effective in October. After the tsunami, BITS alumni in and respected bureaucrat. The highly rated business Chennai adopted two Tamil Nadu villages and put in professor, but also the guys who find innovative ways motion some carefully considered long-term to clean up after a tsunami. There's nothing very development plans there. As part of that, curiously profound in pointing all this out, I know; and besides, enough, they actually were involved in the effort to to readers of these pages it's all familiar anyway. set a Guinness record by planting over 250,000 trees Still, there was something delicious in the very act of in a day. What's more, the old record of some 80,000 sharing public space with two of these off-track trees had a BITS connection as well: the District alumni within two days. There was also a quiet Collector who suggested it in 2002, Sudeep Jain, is a satisfaction in knowing that we had picked these two BITS alumnus. And just for good measure, S to honor, at our gatherings. And then, sitting on that Nagarajan, yet another BITS alumnus, topped the panel with Warrier beside me, I remembered one Civil Services exam this year. final delicious detail. When we invited Warrier to our alumni meet, he arrived in style. He drove up from There's plenty more where all that came from, I'm Coimbatore -- on a gleaming Royal Enfield Bullet sure. But I'll stop there. That's an eclectic enough list motorbike. of achievement. Fits BITS, wouldn't you say? We all like to look back on our alma mater days with ♦ rose-tinted nostalgia, and understandably. In Dilip can be reached at [email protected] hindsight, everything about BITS -- calculus classes to practice school to endless cups of chai -- invariably seems terrific to us. Of course, at the backs

“Ready to play?” from the BITS-TiE Golf Event, 2005

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COVER STORY | BITSians on Wall Street

BY ANUPENDRA SHARMA (’87 ECO INSTRU) AND SANDEEP MUKHERJEE (’95 PHY-MECH) BITSians On Wall Street BITSians are increasing in numbers on Wall Street as well as in the world’s major financial centers in San Francisco, Houston, Singapore, Mumbai and London. Advising companies on multibillion-dollar mergers and acquisitions, financing new companies, acquiring mature businesses, taking companies public and much more. This article discusses BITSians working in Investment Banking, Equity Research, Sales & Trading, Private Equity, Asset Management and Hedge Funds.

In his classic book, “Liar’s Wall Street is physically no The world’s most powerful Poker”, Michael Lewis longer the centre of hedge funds have moved described Wall Street as America’s high finance that even further afar to being a street with a river at has been written and captured Greenwich. As the world’s one end and a graveyard at in books, magazines and film. trading goes electronic, and the other. He says that those The Street is steeped in much of the trades pulse who work there will end up history, which makes for below the city, completing in one or the other. great reading, but not for 21st billions of transactions in the century architecture needed blink of an eye, the New I am thankful to report that for the world’s most powerful York Stock Exchange, sitting our investigations did not financial corporations. In proudly on Wall Street, will uncover anyone headed even recent years, much of that disappear in the future. remotely in either direction. action has shifted to Park Every few years there is a Avenue in Midtown where Wall Street is critical to major shakeout on the Street, spanking new buildings have America’s future. The US but right now there is a heady come up. Morgan Stanley, capital markets are the most optimism, as the Street Lehman Brothers and Bear efficient in the world, which recruits in record numbers to Stearns have all built brand allows capital to move keep pace with business. new facilities. rapidly throughout the system. The ability to invest in companies, liquidate as

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COVER STORY | BITSians on Wall Street necessary, and trade in small services that quanta, allows capital to includes advisory, move rapidly within the financing, sales, system. Without Wall Street, trading, research, America would not been able money to rapidly take advantage of management and new technologies, trends, and private wealth create productive, efficient management. companies. High profile On an early fall morning, if mergers are the you stand at the 4/5/6 subway bread and butter stop, you can see financiers business of the go about their business, their world’s largest dark suits in sharp contrast to Investment Banks the fluttering American red such as Goldman and blue flags and the early Sachs, Citigroup morning golden rays of the and Morgan V P Rajesh - Principal in Technology M&A sun slanting through the tall Stanley These grey buildings. Inside the firms help companies execute the US. Sumeet Kanwar Stock Exchange, the bell mergers & acquisitions (‘87, Wharton MBA) is an rings and America opens for transactions by advising their Executive Director in business. clients on the valuations, Healthcare M&A at UBS in taking them through a due New York. VP Rajesh (‘87, diligence process, and Michigan MBA) is a Investment negotiating the terms of the Principal in Technology agreements that are needed to M&A at Thomas Weisel, San Banking buy a company. Francisco. Anuraag Pfizer buys Warner Lambert Agarwal (‘93, Dartmouth, for $84 billion. JPMorgan Beyond advisory work, Masters in Engg. buys BankOne for $60 investment banking also Management) is a generalist billion. Teva buys Ivax for includes the sale of securities Vice President at Berenson & $7.4 billion. to raise equity and debt. Company, a boutique When a company goes on a investment bank in New As corporate growth slows road show to meet investors, York, executing M&A, and markets grow more and files for an IPO or a debt private placements of debt competitive, buying seems to loan, Investment Bankers be an easy way to take on the work round the clock to competition. With cheap ensure that these financing, multi-billion dollar companies can raise hedge funds and stalled stock capital from the markets. markets, these prices appear low. Mergers are hot on the BITSians have worked in Street, and Investment investment banking at the Bankers are working long big firms (known as hours to provide deals and bulge bracket) such as financings. Goldman, UBS, JPMorgan and Citigroup, Investment Banking is a as well as the boutique narrow definition typically and mid-sized firms such used on the Street for as Thomas Weisel and advisory and financing work. Piper Jaffray.

Investment banks are There are three BITSians financial institutions that currently working in provide a wide range of Investment Banking in

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COVER STORY | BITSians on Wall Street and equity, and restructuring road with clients, meeting about creating the headlines. transactions. and educating top fund He worked at Wall Street’s managers to buy into the #1 Healthcare investment Investment Banking is stock at the time of offering. banking group, where UBS usually divided into Product Debt deals are generally was the advisor to Ivax, one and Coverage Groups. shorter, but have a similar of the world’s largest generic Product groups include marketing requirement. There pharmaceutical firms on its M&A, Leveraged Finance are many other hybrid $7.4 billion public acquisition and Private Placements. financial products which also by Teva Pharmaceuticals. Coverage groups include get created and sold by Telecoms, Healthcare, investment bankers to Investment Bankers build Financial Services and Real investors through the sales skills in project management Estate. While product arm of the bank. – orchestrating a large group bankers work with a wide of people to a conclusion – range of companies, they are Multibillion dollar deals can including lawyers, tax typically execution specialists be completed in small periods experts, accountants as well who deliver products to their of intense activity where as business team members. clients. Coverage bankers timing is everything. Missed Bankers also develop a very are focussed on windows of opportunity can strong understanding of understanding sectors, and kill deals and lose millions in finance and accounting. But building a rolodex of contacts fees for bankers. It is a high as Anuraag Agarwal says, with CEOs and CFOs at a stress job. “the work is more about number of organizations. personalities and deal skills VP Rajesh loves the work. than numbers, which is what “As a mergers and makes this work really acquisition banker, I work exciting. You need to be able mostly with advising to understand numbers but technology companies about effectively use the numbers their strategic alternatives. to convey your message and The goal is to negotiate best argument – the numbers are terms for a client in a given just a means, not an end.” situation and execute the transaction.” VP says that he As bankers get more senior, enjoys numbers, analyzing the focus shifts from situations and sometimes, executing and processing “getting to see the Wall transactions, to bringing in Street Journal headlines business. This is a very before everyone else.” His important function at the most memorable moment in boutique and smaller banks, banking was on a hostile who may need to work harder Investment Banking is a very acquisition, where his team to attract business versus interesting, but physically broke up an announced deal some of the larger banks. gruelling job. Junior bankers with another party. (all the way up to Vice People who work in President and Principal) work investment banking need to most weekdays and develop strong skills in weekends. This is because communications, deals typically need to get negotiations, creating done during very short presentations, building very windows. M&A has a high large and complex financial degree of confidentiality, so models, as well as working it needs to be done fast. long hours on multiple Initial Public Offerings projects, many of which will require bankers to create fail. prospectuses, prepare Sumeet Kanwar’s work at management, then go on the UBS reflects the thought

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COVER STORY | BITSians on Wall Street

of mergers and acquisitions activity in India. The financing markets (both from a public and private perspective) are maturing and the distressed markets are also developing. Anuraag says “ Investment banking as a profession is not as commoditized in India as it is in the West. It is an exciting time to be an investment banker in India right now and will be in the near future.”

Advice From Anuraag Agarwal (BITS ’93) On Investment Banking Firstly, investment banking and other similar careers on Wall Street are mainly apprenticeship oriented – it is not about being super brilliant in solving differential equations. You need to have a good work attitude and be willing to Entering investment banking exposure was very learn. Further, you need to requires one to demonstrate a fascinating to him and drew be able to be a good strong passion, and interest. It him closer to the field of salesperson. There has to be is important to get to know a finance. After his MBA at more than just academic lot about the deals done by Michigan, he joined brilliance in your personality the investment bank, its JPMorgan Chase. After a if you want to move ahead. culture, many people who few years in New York, he Do not expect to come on work there, even before the moved to Deutsche Bank in Wall Street and achieve first interview is conducted. San Francisco to focus on academic fulfillment (trust These are sought after jobs. Technology M&A., He me I rarely use more than 2% The hours are long – and it joined Thomas Weisel earlier of my gray cells!). However, may be tough to balance this year. He says “Growth if you are willing to put your family life with work. It is banks like TWP are best head down and learn a trade, certainly not for everyone – suited to address the advisory go for it! many bankers burn out. I and capital market needs of know of many Indians who technology companies that Second, try to obtain an opted out once they had are too small for bulge internship in the financial children because they did not brackets to bank”. He also sector before deciding you want to make the tradeoff jokes that banking was also want to pursue a career in between work and not seeing the quickest way to pay his investment banking. Try to their kids. MBA loans. get as much information as you can. Do not be swayed VP Rajesh developed a Anuraag also advises to look by the glamour – the sheen gradual interest in Finance. at India. There has been a lot goes away very quickly when At his first job at Citicorp of development in the field of you have to routinely work Overseas Software Limited investment banking in the last for more than 100 hours per (COSL), he wrote software five years in India. Besides week and have no time to code for mutual funds the capital markets, there has spend with your family. Ask accounting system. This been a considerable amount yourself what kind of a

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COVER STORY | BITSians on Wall Street Street Stress history at college, the 10.0 make the store more (or the 2.0 GPA) and all the profitable and efficient. By A career on The Street is extra curricular activities the end of the first year, you exciting and rewarding. means nothing if you can’t are finished fixing it, and it is But, it is not for everyone. deliver at work. Again, you generating Rs20K per year in The Street is infamous for have to have a good work profit. In six years, you have big egos that go with the attitude, put your head down paid off Rs120K the loan, enormous pay checks. It is and be ready to learn. Every and now almost own the also a cyclical industry year is a needs to be started store. You put it back on the with a hire & fire mentality. afresh! market and sell it for 20X Investment Banks are earnings or Rs400K. You notorious for over-hiring pocket the entire sum – a and then over-firing every Private handsome profit of Rs320K five years. The last on your original investment, sizeable round of layoffs Equity a return of 41% over five took place between 2000 Here’s a business problem. years. and 2004, where entire You want to buy a store in divisions were decimated. Delhi that makes Rs10K of This is a simplistic example, It affected Indians in profit per year. The owner but this is essentially how it unusually large numbers. says – You can have it for works. If you are able to Some were out of work for Rs200K or 20X the Price to leverage up the store even up to three years, Earnings ratio. further by using only Rs40K eventually getting back in of equity and $160 of debt, when the market turned. Now if you gave him you would have generated a Most people who on the Rs200K from your personal 73% return on your Street are driven, savings, the 5% annual return investment. ambitious, intelligent and on your investment may not talented. They are seem very attractive, The wider definition of survivors. Careers are especially when India’s stock Private equity includes made or broken on the markets are headed for the venture capital (early stage), backs of single trades or stratosphere. growth capital, and deals. The pressures are Leveraged Buyouts (LBOs). enormous. Higher risks So here’s the private equity LBOs typically focus on bring higher returns. But spin on it. You pay Rs200K more established companies you have to be tough. for the store, using Rs80K with stable cash flow from your personal savings, characteristics that can person you are. What you and borrowing the remaining support a high level of debt want to achieve Rs120K from the bank. To (or leverage) Private Equity professionally. What your secure the innate motivations are. An loan, you internship will help you place the store answer many such questions. as collateral.

Third, talk to alums or other Then you people in investment incentivize banking. I hate to use the the store term networking, but try to management build as many relationships by giving as you can. Do not call them them some for a job – but call them to piece of the gain some perspective. upside, or you bring in a new Finally, remember that you management start with a clean slate when team that has you start working. Your retail expertise to

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COVER STORY | BITSians on Wall Street firms typically take full turnarounds, sourcing control of a company, sit on expertise, etc.) the Board of Directors, and act as partners to the The past year has seen an management team to help unprecedented growth in them grow the business. capital directed towards private equity, creating a Private Equity in its current universe of “mega-funds”. form was spearheaded by Recent examples include The Jerome Kohlberg, Jr., and Blackstone Group’s $10 cousins Henry Kravis and billion fund and Warburg George R. Roberts, all of Pincus’ $8 billion fund. As whom had previously worked Private Equity firms raise together at Bear Stearns, a larger and larger funds, they large Wall Street firm. The are being able to buy three partners created companies that would not Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, or find buyers amongst strategic KKR, in 1976, which has (or competitor) firms. When money based on performance become the worlds’ most you add the leveraged over the life of a fund storied private equity firm. financing you can receive, (typically 5-8 years) – This firm became famous in these sums become making it a long term game the book, Barbarians at the significant. (unlike investment banking Gates, which details the or hedge funds, where annual takeover of RJR Nabisco. The past few years have seen compensation is based upon The $25 billion deal remains a huge interest in private the previous year’s the largest of all time. equity in India, with many performance). The capital for Greenfield and global private funds are primarily raised Private equity firms put in equity firms opening shop. from institutional investors anywhere between 20-50% Examples of Greenfield such as pension funds and equity, and use leverage to funds include ChrysCap and large financial institutions. make up the rest of the Westbridge, and examples of Fund professionals earn 1-2% purchase price. They seek to global private equity firms in annually as a management create value in three ways: (i) India include Temasek, fee to fund the ongoing paying down debt, (ii) Warburg Pincus, The operations. The upside comes improving the underlying Blackstone Group and The from the “carry” – which cash flow characteristics Carlyle Group. represents 20% of the fund’s through growth and profits over its life. Thus, for operational improvement Private Equity firms have a $300 million fund, with a initiatives, and (iii) exiting historically generated 15% IRR over a 5 year the business at a higher cash attractive returns for their period, the fund gains are flow multiple than the investors. A recent example $300 million, resulting in a acquisition multiple. of a highly successful $60 million payout to the investment is Warburg partners of the fund. As the industry has matured, Pincus’ $300 million private equity firms have investment in Bharti The industry is highly identified specific focus areas Televentures which generated relationship driven, with with – either by size of transaction $1.3 billion in returns in a strong connections to the (large: >$1 billion, mid- short span of time. In mature banking community as well market: $100 million to $1 markets such as the US and as senior corporate billion, lower middle market: western Europe, IRRs of 15- professionals. John Major, $25 million - $100 million) 20% are typically the the former UK Prime by industry vertical (eg: benchmarks set by high Minister is Chairman of healthcare, consumer, media performing funds. Carlyle Group Europe. Texas and telecom, etc.), or most Pacific Group hired Vivek recently, but functional Professionals in Private Paul (1975) to its venture specialization (eg: Equity firms make their arm for investing in

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COVER STORY | BITSians on Wall Street lifesciences, but he is also name recognition in the Private equity is rarely a focussed on doing Private financial community, hence “first job off campus” for Equity deals related to India. hirers were unsure of how anyone. Private equity firms Vikram Pandit, head of much weight to place on the usually have small teams, and Morgan Stanley’s Investment BITS name during the hence expect new hires to Bank, recently left to start a recruiting process. contribute from day 1, while Private Equity firm aimed at Eventually, what gave them having a long term career investing in India. Jack comfort was the fact that horizon with the Firm. Hiring Welch has worked with Neel referenced BITS’s decisions are highly driven Clayton Dublier & Rice, strong college rankings in by a combination of 3 another top Private Equity India, and explained to them factors: firm, since he left GE. that BITS was co-founded by MIT, was structured on the (i) Academic and MIT model, and today boasts professional pedigree: At a strong alumni community the pre-MBA level, in India and overseas. experience at a good Additionally, Neel had investment bank remains a already done his GMAT good route to get into Private exam, which provided a Equity. Consulting is also useful metric for evaluation.. becoming a breeding ground for junior private equity At ICV, Neel spends a bulk professionals. As more junior of his time either evaluating professionals get private new acquisition equity experience pre-MBA, opportunities, or working a high percentage of post- with ICV’s existing portfolio MBA hiring takes place from companies on value creation the cohort of graduates with initiatives. The combination prior private equity Neel Broker (BITS ’93) of his I-Banking and experience. Larger private consulting experience are equity firms are beginning to Neel Broker currently works particularly useful, since they establish in-house operations for a Private Equity firm in contribute both, deal and consulting teams for their New York called ICV Capital structuring and execution portfolio companies, and look Partners. 4 months after skills, as well as skills to consulting firms and graduating from Pilani in relating to working with operating executives to fill 1997 he joined BT management teams on these positions, Alex.Brown (now Deutsche diverse topics such as Bank) in New York. He spent operations, marketing, and (ii) Relationships: Referrals close to 3 years with them in strategy, to ICV. are a common way to get New York and London and one’s foot into the door. then completed an MBA at While there are few specific Unlike larger banks or Wharton. In 2002, he joined academic courses that he consulting firms, private McKinsey & Company finds directly applicable on a equity firms have a small where he worked in both day-to-day basis on his job, margin for error in their South East Asia and in New the analytical rigor, hiring decisions, given their York. He joined ICV in May structured approach to small size and infrequent 2005. problem solving, and the hiring cycles. In private Looking back, the biggest ability to multi-task and equity, as on Wall Street in stumbling block Neel faced manage time efficiently are general, the most powerful initially getting a foothold indispensable assets of his qualification is having a good onto Wall Street in 1997 was BITS education. professional reputation with convincing firms of the mentors willing to stand credibility of his academic HOW TO GET behind you and “blow your credentials from BITS Pilani. trumpet” for you. Unlike the IITs, BITS had not INTO PRIVATE yet developed strong brand EQUITY?

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COVER STORY | BITSians on Wall Street

(iii) Timing: Hiring cycles was Ashok Kumar, a fixed distressed situations (when for post-MBA hires at small income analysts at Lehman, companies approach to mid size firms are closely who correctly predicted the bankruptcy – a common tied to the raising of a new 2000 collapse with a sell on phenomenon in recent times) fund. Hence, the process can Amazon. and hedge funds place bets often be frustrating since on where these companies although one may have the The work of Research will end up. Small bits of right pedigree and right analysts is critical because it news can cause large relationships, it may be a few guides the direction of flow fluctuations in price. The years before a new position of money on Wall Street. issuance of debt, changes in opens up at one’s “dream Experts in the field supply capital structure or fund”. analysis, information, advice newsworthy events trigger to clients, and predict future reports from the analysts. Up trends. Some analysts on to four All-Star analysts in Wall Street are followed very every sector are named by McKinsey has been another closely and hugely respected IDD and the Wall Street firm from where a number of for predicting markets and Journal every year. people have ended up in stocks correctly for years. Private Equity. Neel Broker WHAT and Manish Sinha (see Hedge Equity Research analysts Fund article) both worked at are sector experts, and spend ANALYSTS DO? McKinsey prior to joining the their entire lives covering up Analysts have high stress financial services industry. to 20 companies in one or jobs. Bold calls on Manish Sinha says “You two related sectors at any companies, good or bad, can would find many point in time. The workload create instant recognition, Management Consultants, is cyclical, and revolves and trigger the flow of especially McKinsey alums around the quarterly earnings billions of dollars. Henry in Private Equity. Private announcements that are so Blodget made a $400 price Equity in addition to financial closely watched. Analysts target call on Amazon which analysis and valuation calls often appear on CNBC and came true and made him the for understanding industry MSNBC, giving their most famous equity analyst trends, segmentation, impressions about a stock. of all time. In July 2005, strategic positioning and Well respected analysts have Matt Simmons appears to operational efficiency a lot of clout in the have made a wrong call that improvements as the PE firm marketplace, and takes on a more active role in make the stock the companies they buy. In move up or down my view Mck experience depending on their comes in handy.” ratings.

Fixed Income Equity & Research analysts are the less Fixed glamorous peers. These analysts Income research the publicly traded Research debt of companies, Mary Meeker. Henry which is an Blodget. These are just two enormous market equity analysts (one famous, in itself. Fixed one infamous) on Wall Street Income Analysts who have at one time or the analyze company other been household names fundamentals. The in the United States. Another work becomes who briefly became famous more exciting in

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COVER STORY | BITSians on Wall Street

earnings per share, markets and products of the which drives the share company, running up to 100 price. Since investors, pages. One analyst said he many of whom are spends the whole day talking large financial to people. Come 6 PM, he institutions, depend on unplugs his computer and these reports, there is a starts writing late into the great deal of stress not evening. to get this figure too far wrong. WHY JOIN

Investment banks hold RESEARCH? investor conferences all Research allows one to year round, where develop excellent domain CEOs and CFOs come expertise about a group of Praveen Chakravarthy, has had together with companies in great detail an extraordinary start to his Wall investment managers (end markets, consumers, Street career. He was promoted to and other analysts to suppliers, competition, Director in less than three years of talk up their profitability, risks, graduating from Wharton. He has companies, and provide managements, track records) become in-charge of Thomas a short and long term and then performs financial Weisel, India. Praveen put together outlook for their analysis to determine the a business plan, presented it to the business. price targets. This Executive Committee and the information is usually Board. His most memorable Analysts spend a lot of communicated through moment came when he mustered time talking to the written research reports, TV the courage to tell Mr. Weisel market as they move interviews as well as one-one personally that the business was further up in their discussions with portfolio under pressure, and proposed a career. They talk to managers looking for solution to set up the India industry experts, CEOs investment ideas. operations. He says his success is and CFOs of the due to his ability to be pro active companies they cover, Research is a good area for and bold in putting his views and competitors as well BITSians especially those across. to understand how the who have specific domain dynamics of the expertise, and/or are looking Praveen has important advice or industry are shaping for a switch. Research is a BITSians. He says “Most people, up. The ability to way to build strong domain especially Indians are very wary of connect with with expertise. The industry offers putting their views across strongly powerful and flexibility to move over to the which can be the biggest stumbling influential people, build Money Management or block in this business. In my a meaningful Hedge Fund side of the business, I only get paid for my relationship and business, like Arun Kumar. views. I do not get paid for not provide intelligent There are many Indians, taking a stand.” insights is a very useful especially in the high-tech skill. sectors such as Software, oil would hit $100 per barrel, Hardware and but it put him on every There is a lot of writing Semiconductors. newspaper, TV station and involved. Short reports are channel in the world. Can produced once a quarter on BITSIANS AND you handle that kind of each company, and pressure? significantly longer ones at RESEARCH least once a year. When There are four BITSians in Analysts create financial coverage is first initiated on Equity Research in the US, models to value the the company, the report can but none in Fixed Income companies they cover, and contain very interesting Research. Wamsi Mohan try to calculate the quarterly details on the strategy, (’90, Kellogg MBA 2003)

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COVER STORY | BITSians on Wall Street works at Merrill Lynch something new everyday. I million a year to provide covering Enterprise tend to compare “Markets” to investors with “independent Hardware companies. “Golf”, you can get better at advice”. Rajesh Raju (’89, MBA it, can never master it. So you Chicago 2001) covers are constantly learning and But when the telecom and Infrastructure Software getting humbled along the tech bubble burst, companies at Robert Baird. way.” shareholders were left Sumit Dhanda (’87) works holding worthless stock. in Semiconductors Research Wamsi is racing up the That’s when the backlash at Bank of America. Praveen learning curve. He says “I started and Eliot Spitzer Chakravarthy (’90, really enjoy the aspect that sprung into action. Wharton MBA 2002) each day brings something relocated from San Francisco new. No one knows what Eliot Spitzer’s settlement has to Mumbai in October 2005 news might occur on a given recreated the Chinese Wall. as Director and Head of day which might impact the VP Rajesh (Investment Thomas Weisel India, to start stock prices. To quickly Banking) and Praveen up the operations there. absorb the news and translate Chakravarthy (Equity that to financial impact is key Research) are at the same Wamsi joined Equity to the job. Macro changes firm but cannot talk business Research because he was include tendency to ramp up with each other. tired of engineering. He was outsourcing in areas of pure excited by the financial number crunching. “ Since Research is back to markets. But getting an writing and selling what it equity research job right out WINDS OF writes (that retails at approx. of school wasn’t easy. $8 per page), this has resulted Instead, he went to a CHANGE in an industry shakeout. corporate finance group, but In December 2002, the There is a close relationship later moved when the economics of the Research with Sales & Trading. Funds opportunity came. industry changed forever, as reward good research with regulation rebuilt the Chinese trading of stock and bonds Rajesh Raju started out in Wall. Eliot Spitzer went after through the firms; this investment banking, then the banks and broke the cozy subsidizes the research. moved to Equity Research. relationship between Praveen had a defining investment banks and As the bulge bracket firms moment when he was sitting research. The top banks paid pared their ranks to focus on in the Corporate Finance $1.4 billion in fines. covering only large class by Prof. Franklin Allen. companies, smaller He says “I truly understood The problem was essentially independent firms have the meaning and power of the one of conflict of interest. sprung up to cover the mid- “Invisible Hand” as Research is supposed to be tier and small-cap sectors. postulated by the great Adam independent. But in the pre- While these were intended to Smith.” Spitzer days, investment give customers more choice, bankers executed the IPOs, they have largely struggled. LOVE and the research analysts India is beginning to take talked up the stock to the advantage of the significant RESEARCH? investors. The banks with the opportunities in offshoring by The BITSians we spoke to most influential analysts were setting up research back love their jobs. Praveen says chosen by companies to run office operations, or even “My job involves analytics, their IPOs. Everyone on the independent shops to reduce strategy, operations and Street got rich. The highest the costs of research. WS vision. I cannot think of a paid analysts were the ones Ravishankar (’87) and more complete job.” who could talk up a stock to Sandeep Talwar (’87) run investors. Everyone was one such firm in India. Rajesh Raju reiterates “Great selling stock and being thing about following the compensated for it. Jack Wamsi echoes the changes on markets is that there is Grubman got paid $20 the Street. “Sell-side analyst

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COVER STORY | BITSians on Wall Street

also very relevant for the Research qualification if one does not have an MBA.

For those looking to get into research, start running a small stock portfolio, have three stocks or bonds at any time that are your buy or sell recommendations and keep a close watch on the macro and micro forces impacting at least two sectors. Only if you live and breathe the markets, read a lot and demonstrate passion, can you enter this industry.

slots on the street have been many of these independent Investment shrinking since the bubble research firms. This year a days; because of the new quarter of Wall Street income Management regulatory environment the will come from servicing Investment management (also economics are not as Hedge Funds. The sheer size known as Asset Mgmt, Fund attractive for investment and competitiveness of hedge Mgmt or Money banks, most are running lean funds makes it difficult to Management) describes the research shops.” beat the market, hedge funds business of managing savings may have to acquire more by investing them in various Praveen has a more resources, including some of securities and assets to aggressive take. He says “I these research firms. provide returns to investors. postulate that this model will break very soon and different WHAT AFTER Investment management models will emerge. So, companies in the US control people looking for a job as a RESEARCH? over $9 trillion in assets. Of Equity Research Analyst will Equity Research can be a this, approximately $8 trillion have to be aware of what they good long term career. For is held by 8,300 mutual get into and be prepared to those seeking a move after a funds, and the rest by closed change dynamically with new few years, good analysts can end and exchange traded business models that will move into the more lucrative funds. Hedge funds (which emerge. buyside into asset are largely unregistered) management research or control close to $1 trillion in Because of these changes, hedge fund analyst positions. assets through 7,000 hedge BITSians should think long Here, they may eventually funds. George Soros (Soros), and hard about the changes evolve into managing funds. Julian Robertson (Tiger) are on Wall Street. Broadly, Analysts with strong C-level famous names. Steve declining trading networks within industries Feinberg, Cereberus, the commissions, separation of have also joined investment world’s largest hedge fund investment banking and banking. has control over more research and the “push” revenues than Coke or Exxon model of current Wall Street HOW TO GET Mobil. research is under severe The rest of the Investment pressure. INTO EQUITY Management industry also RESEARCH has famous superstars Stephen Castellano, a former The MBA is instrumental in including the legendary researcher predicts that hedge switching careers, into the superstars - Peter Lynch funds are going to acquire Research industry. A CFA is (Manager of Fidelity

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COVER STORY | BITSians on Wall Street

Investments) and John Bogle (’84, PhD Economics, (Founder and CEO of Alabama, Drake), Sanjay Vanguard). Rajpal (’84, PhD Mathematics, Dartmouth), Capital is increasingly Manish Sinha (’89, PhD becoming global as investors Mechanical, Johns Hopkins, are looking to various parts Litespeed) and Adri Guha of the world to diversify their (’88, APM Capital). investments. The flow of money around the world is There are three BITSians in also becoming much easier Investment Management. given the easier convertibility Harish Kumar (Mech, PhD of various currencies into one Columbia Business School) another, a more global is a Managing Director at workforce, and much New York Life Investment improved financial Management. Krishna instruments that allow this Memani is a Managing flow of money (technology Director at Putnam clearly has an important role Investments (Edward Jones in this trend). A Partner at a Group) responsible for Fixed top fund recently said that HEDGE FUNDS - Income Mutual Funds. America’s biggest export is JUST A NEW Rajesh Chelapurath (’88, fast becoming capital, not MBA Tulane, CEERA goods or services. PAYOUT Investments) is the CEO of MECHANISM? his own company, a Investment vehicles known Hedge funds receive 1-2% Registered Investment as hedge funds have resulted management fees, and 20% Advisor based in Houston. in a significant move into the of the profits. This structure sector of both people and is similar to the PE and VC TRACING THEIR capital. Hedge funds have industry. However, some arrived in very large numbers Hedge Fund managers with PATHS as increasingly wealthy and outstanding records keep up Anand Haridh joined sophisticated investors look to 40% of the profits. When Merrill Lynch Capital to generate absolute returns there are three partners Markets in the Strategic that are uncorrelated to running a $5 billion fund that Solutions and New Products broader market returns. This makes a 40% profit in a year, Group straight out of is a sector that is fraught with that’s $300 million per Wharton. This was a small risk due to the unregulated partner. No wonder experts high profile group that nature of the industry, and from so many high profile bankruptcies and different fields have meltdowns. ended up in Hedge Funds – Nobel Prize Hedge funds use aggressive winners, Research strategies that are not allowed Analysts, Mutual for most mutual funds. This Fund managers, allows them to raise the risk Private Equity and profile and the rewards. Hedge Fund Hedging strategies tries to managers. reduce the rewards within predictable outcomes. Only There are five accredited investors with BITSians in the $250,000 in income and net Hedge Fund Industry worth of over $1 million are in the US. Anand Pradeep Kumar allowed to invest in hedge Haridh (’84, funds. Wharton MBA), Portfolio manager at Drake Investments – Pradeep Kumar a $3B global fixed income hedge fund

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COVER STORY | BITSians on Wall Street

Pradeep Kumar was a Civil Mathematics and Computer Engineer, but developed an Science at BITS, and then interest in Economics and a completed his PhD in Math at simultaneous lack of interest Dartmouth, with a in Civil Engineering. He specialization in pursued a doctorate in combinatorial geometries. Economics at the University He started as a Research of Alabama. He also got the Associate at a global CFA, but he says that at the investment manager. He least an MS or an MBA is a worked there for a number of must. Pradeep worked as an years learning about various emerging market strategist at aspects of the investment Anand Haridh Citigroup for 8 years. He was management process from a Director in the fixed technology to research to “Persistence and stamina income research group before trading to portfolio more than anything else are he decided to quit and join management to performance key ingredients for success Drake. Pradeep is a portfolio attribution. Subsequently, he on Wall Street” manager at Drake moved to a financial analytics worked with selected clients Management-a $ 3 billion startup and then moved to a often discretely. The hugely global fixed income hedge mid-sized quantitative hedge profitable group worked fund. He trades and manages fund where he co-developed across products (equity, debt, emerging market fixed their statistical arbitrage cash, derivatives) which was income products and program. After rising to rare in Wall Street in the 90s. currencies. Research Director, he left to He played a key role in join a major international building what is now a multi- Sanjay Rajpal studied bank as head of a quantitative billion dollar market in trading desk. preferred securities in Europe. In the process his Manish Sinha did not get group financed much of the into Hedge Funds directly. corporate consolidation in He joined McKinsey & Co. Europe in the late 1990s. as a Management Consultant, right after his PhD. To get Anand says willingness to into McKinsey, he took move to London gave him Accounting/Finance courses the big break. “I got an in Night School, got involved opportunity to start this group in extra-curricular activities at Merrill Lynch in Europe while remaining faithful & along with a senior banker. diligent toward his fluid Not many of my peers mechanics research program. wanted to move to London - He worked with McKinsey New York was the preferred for three years, and the move place. I took the opportunity to hedge funds, although and it paid off as the business unusual, was relatively easy. took off.” At Goldman, due At Oaktree Capital to his past experience, he Management, he learnt invests across the capital hedge-fund by investing as structure which requires both part of the Global Emerging debt and equity markets Market Hedge Fund group. experience as well as a more Harish Kumar "event/deal" oriented analysis Harish Kumar completed of investments that comes His PhD at Columbia Business his Mechanical Engineering from having worked in School was in computational finance, degree at BITS, and followed banking. option pricing, bond indexation and it up with an MS in credit derivatives. Mechanical Engineering from University of Colorado at

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COVER STORY | BITSians on Wall Street

Boulder. But he saw limited management of multiple of clients. Rajesh’s value- growth in engineering due to strategies in domestic growth based investment philosophy globalization, but the most equities. revolves heavily around the developed capital markets in thoughts and teachings of the world. He saw a trend to investing legends such as apply quantitative methods to Warren Buffett, Philip Fisher, traditional areas of Finance Ben Graham, and Peter such as investment Lynch. He is also the Chief management, so he decided Investment Officer of the to get a PhD from the BITSAA Investment Columbia Business School. Committee that oversees the At Columbia, Harish focused surplus funds / endowments his dissertation on of BITSAA International. computational finance, option pricing, bond indexation and LIFE IN THE credit derivatives. He also worked simultaneously as an INVESTMENT Associate, Credit Derivatives MANAGEMENT at The Chase Manhattan Bank. After his PhD, he INDUSTRY moved on to Aeltus Rajesh Chelapurath Hedge Funds are very Investment Management entrepreneurial but within a Started his own firm – Ceera where he served as structured environment – Investments, LLC Quantitative Analyst and kind of best of both worlds. Portfolio Manager, enhancing Rajesh Chelapurath worked Anand says the day goes by models for all Large Cap at Larsen & Toubro for a few very quickly and the earnings products, as well as years after graduating from potential is of course supporting ING/Aeltus’ suite BITS and then obtained an tremendous. On the flip side, of products. Before joining MBA from Tulane University you work with big egos and Aeltus, he managed more to get the academic training constant tense environment than $1.2 billion in Large he needed to make the career can wear you down quickly. Cap Aggressive Growth transition to finance. At Asset management is going Strategy as Senior Portfolio business school, Rajesh through a shift from relative Manager at ING Investment decided to focus on buy-side to absolute returns and this is Management and led a team money management because affecting money flow in a responsible for managing he wanted to evaluate and fundamental way. Large Cap Disciplined Core invest in different businesses and Large Cap Dividend and the managers who run Harish says “On a day to day Growth Strategies. One of the these businesses and make basis, my job involves main obstacles was the managerial decisions. He decision making in buying transition from a Quantitative also saw this career as a and selling equities for the analyst to being a money flexible lifestyle choice, client’s portfolios and assist manager. Investors are where he could work from the company in gathering and particular about who they anywhere in the world if he retaining assets through give their assets to; they want were to set up his own firm presentations to clients, both a seasoned professional with and make it a success. in the retail and institutional good track records. Harish Rajesh, who was part of a community.” says “A strong backing from team that managed over $100 senior management and the million in assets at Burnham Harish loves his job because desire to retain me assisted Securities as AMD, left to new situations present me in making the transition.” start his own firm (Ceera themselves everyday. There Now Harish is Managing Investments, LLC; is constant change and Director and Head of Growth www.ceera.com ) this year. challenges to adapt. Harish Portfolios at Equity Investors As portfolio manager at says “There has been a Group. This role entails the Ceera, he manages tremendous growth in development, growth and investments for various types alternative strategies, also

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COVER STORY | BITSians on Wall Street known as “hedge funds” number of people working in since engineers can “slice and which has resulted in the industry. The CFA could dice” real world issues. But increasing volatility and be considered as a way to persistence, passion and hard efficiency in the equity supplement particular sector work are bigger predictors of markets. Technology has expertise with financial skills success for those wanting to influenced investment that can lead to a career in get in. management in a huge way, research and fund affecting everything - from management. However, with So what does it take to win in the speed of information flow CFA one has to use other this industry? Anand says “In to trading methodologies. means such as networking to terms of stumbling block, The days where brokers get a break into Wall Street. you are competing with could generate huge revenues people with extensive friends from being middlemen are The PhD is more relevant if and family network within gone with the rise of one wants to go into fixed the industry. Without such electronic exchanges.” income research or advanced advantages, mistakes are modeling. Harish agrees “An inevitable. By not giving up Anand says “On a day to day advanced degree in easily and keeping at it day in basis, I research investment quantitative methods in and day out, you eventually ideas, talk to other market Finance is essential in what I come out OK.” participants and trade. I do.” usually check up on Asian Sanjay says “a quantitative markets late night before Sanjay does not believe his background with strong going to bed. I am up early area of specialization in Math computing skills tends to be in the morning to commute to is directly relevant to quite useful in my field. The New York and get my quantitative trading, but he traits that probably matter the reading done during the says that it is the entire most are a deep interest in commute.” process of original research markets, flexible thinking, and the discipline of formal and perseverance.” QUALIFICATIONS proofs that is more useful. According to him, Anand advises that one AND SKILLS “Understanding the markets should “Talk to people and The advice differed between is a continuous research do your research. It can be a professionals, but a lot of the process that involves a very satisfying and messages were similar. certain level of scientific remunerative career for those rigor so that one can be with the aptitude. If you are Harish advises that one extremely objective about early on your career, the should get an advanced one’s beliefs.” major investment banks are degree in finance. Do an recruiting heavily again and internship at a Wall Street Manish Sinha agrees. He did can provide the right entry firm. Network with Wall not apply any core Street professionals. engineering skill sets in his career. Instead, several skill Sandeep says “I felt that my sets he honed along the way lack of formal education in proved to be invaluable. It finance would be a major was primarily the analytical stumbling block, but the and quantitative skills that he reality turned out to be quite developed as an different. There is room on engineer/researcher. Wall Street for all sorts of backgrounds! It is, however, In hindsight, none of the critically important to choose BITSians felt that the the right work environment.” discipline/degree mattered as Manish Sinha The MBA is the degree of much if one was determined choice, especially if it is from to enter the industry. Being What matters most - “deep a good school. Wharton an engineer has its interest in markets, flexible probably has the highest advantages on Wall Street thinking, and perseverance”

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COVER STORY | BITSians on Wall Street platform to a career in when Long-Term Capital JOINING finance. For others, history is Management started to melt full examples of late down with exposure to over INVESTMENT bloomers. Wall Street has $1 trillion in securities. This MANAGEMENT many people such as doctors, almost caused the start of a The most important aspect of math professors and major collapse in the US getting into the field is meteorologists who have markets, resulting in the networking. It should made a switch to Wall Street Federal Reserve to move in continue to grow after one later on life.” to bail out the company. has entered Wall Street. There was another recent Since Wall Street is an HEDGE FUNDS collapse, with Bayou apprenticeship business, the Management LLC. Since first salary, the first sign on HEADED FOR hedge funds use derivative bonus is not important. MELTDOWN? securities, the collapse of one Where you work and who On the positive, there is fund could lead to a series of you work with is the most fundamental shift in effects across the industry. important. BITSian seniors investment management from SEC is trying to rein in funds. want more people to join relative to absolute returns SEC registration is going to Wall Street, so they are which favours hedge funds. be mandatory. willing to help. However, as Hedge Funds have become so large, and THE FUTURE OF There are other things that the competition has one must do. Read as much increased, it has been harder INVESTMENT as possible on history, recent to generate adequate returns MANAGEMENT events etc. in financial for many. This has resulted in In the West, the aging markets and do some basic diversification. Capital is population needs to manage reading on macroeconomics. heading for offshore markets. its retirement savings. In This is easy to digest without Hedge Funds have gotten into countries like India and financial knowledge. the Private Equity and China, only a fraction of Suggestions on this would Venture Capital game with personal net worth is invested include The Great Crash of more capital than there are in the financial markets but 1929 (Galbraith), History of good ideas. This is turning increasing. Both of this Financial Euphoria some Hedge Funds into full- means there will be demand (Galbraith), Bull (Mahar), service sources of capital – for talent to manage money. You can be a Stock Market and even investing in real There are also related jobs in Genius (Greenblatt) etc. Skip estate developments. investment management such sections that seem totally as risk management, unfamiliar but see how Hedge Funds first caused a marketing and distribution of interesting you find all of panic in the markets when mutual funds, personal this. If one finds this Long-Term Capital financial planning which are interesting, then read more Management started to melt all set to grow, particularly in technical books such as down with exposure to over India. Graham Dodd. But to make $1 trillion in securities. This this step forward, one needs almost caused the start of a Manish says “India has been basic accounting skills that major collapse in the US “hot” in recent times as the can be got by taking a few markets, resulting in the equity market has taken off. classes to get the basics. Federal Reserve to move in There has been a lot of to bail out the company. funds/liquidity flowing For those already involved in There was another recent through to India. Action on a specific industry and collapse, with Bayou the private equity front and wishing to migrate to finance Management LLC. Since distressed debt side is also using that industry hedge funds use derivative picking up as many reputed knowledge, I would suggest securities, the collapse of one global firms are in the midst them trying to get the "big fund could lead to a series of of opening offices in India.” picture" of the industry effects Hedge Funds first through extra reading. Read caused a panic in the markets industry reports by say

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COVER STORY | BITSians on Wall Street

Economist or ask a friend in the brokerage industry for industry reports. If you can talk about your own company onjectively from a financial perspective (margins, leverage, valuation etc), then you are most of the way there. This can then provide the basis to start talking to people about careers in the money business. For example, "The Prize" is an excellent read on the politics and economics of the oil industry.

For those who can afford it, set aside a pool of money for investing. Document each trade/investment you make pumping action. This is the from securities that have a along with your rationale for Wall Street most of us know. fixed coupon on the notional, the investment. Build the like government bonds. portfolio and you can use that Some remnants of this picture However the fixed income as a basis for discussion. remain – in the pits of market is much bigger and Chicago, but it is more complex that equities. It Reinventing oneself is disappearing quickly. Much broadly includes credit and necessary in any field these of the trading has moved off interest rates. Over the last days. Ability to work under the trading floor. Men and few years, fixed income has pressure, quick thinking, women in suits, sipping lattes powered the profits on Wall global perspective – these are behind desks on trading Street as Equities sputtered all transferable and sought floors that are larger than after 2000. after skills that you hone in football fields. There is a this industry. They just need buzz in the air, but not the Sales brings in business to to be repackaged if you want same noise and action that the firm – from other to or are forced to change was reminiscent of the 80s. A financial institutions that are careers. lot of the trading is done by looking to buy and sell computers. securities. Trading execute orders that sales brings into Sales And Welcome to the future of the bank. Sales people are out trading on Wall Street. selling when they are not in Trading the office taking orders. Trading is an instinct. The Cultural fit and an ability to (S&T) best traders in the world can sell helps in this business. Wall Street conjures up “feel” the market even Very simplistically, Traders pictures of men in colourful though it has moved to the make money when they buy jackets, screaming buy and computer screens. low and sell high. sell, making strange hand gestures, and electronic If you look at the securities IMPORTANCE tickers running across the industry as a whole there are screen. Millions are being two major divisions – OF S&T made and lost as the seconds equities and fixed income. Over the past few years, S&T roll by. Its adrenaline Fixed Income gets its name has overtaken investment

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COVER STORY | BITSians on Wall Street banking MBA. Deutsche was the first and projects he did at IIM (advisory/equities/debt) in firm to make him a summer Bangalore shaped this terms of being a source of decision. His favourite course profits for the bank. This is in MBA was due to the enormous volumes macroeconomics, where he of trading being generated by authored an interesting paper hedge funds, who have made on monetary policy which got the markets very efficient, published in the IIM but also due to the enormous management review. That amounts of capital that the was the real turning point. banks have risked on a daily Post MBA, he joined basis through their own Deutsche Bank in June 2004 superstar proprietary traders. as a senior analyst. After completing their global BITSIANS IN S&T graduate program in London, There is one BITSian in Sales he moved to work in New – Rajiv Rangarajan (‘00, York, completing short IIM-B MBA, Deutsche), and rotations in different Srinivas Kopparapu five in trading. Sreenivas functional areas before he joined his current position in Kopparapu (’93, Pace After an MBA, he joined sales – Selling Interest Rates MBA, Barclays), Karthik Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette in Krishna (’93, IIM-C MBA, Products to Hedge Funds. research, eventually transitioning Only one year into Deutsche, Deutsche), Siddharth to trading Swarup (‘91, Columbia he is handling really big MBA, Merrill Lynch), Nirav offer at IIM-C. He says the accounts very early in his Shah (‘93, Lehman) and interesting paychecks made it career. Prasanth Subramanian difficult to resist. He is (‘98, IIM-C MBA, Lehman). currently a Vice President in LIFE IN S&T the Emerging Markets Sales & Trading is a weekday Srinivas Kopparaju worked Structured Products Group. job. Though it is as pressured at Wipro in the finance and – there are budgets and banking vertical, which made Siddharth Swarup pursued quotas to be met, positions him quite interested in the a Masters in Chem Engg at that could win or lose field. With the money he the National University of millions of dollars, the job saved from his Wipro job, he Singapore after doing a BE in starts at 630 and ends at 6pm. bought a one way ticket to Chemical at BITS. He then And no one comes in on the US (and an F1 visa) and worked for an Environmental weekends – unlike the landed at his brother’s place. Consulting firm in Hong bankers and research analysts He found a job pretty quickly Kong and London for about 4 who have work to do even at a Quantitative Analytics years. While in London, he when the markets are closed. firm in NYC, where he met some people who were worked full-time, while interning at Goldman Sachs Rajiv works in Fixed Income studying full-time at Pace in their Fixed Income Sales and Trading. Within University. He completed the division and that’s where he fixed income, he works with MBA in 3 years. After learnt about the field. It interest rate products – these completing his MBA, he sounded quite interesting. So are instruments that depend found a job Donaldson, he decided to give both the on the level of interest rates Lufkin & Jenrette in research MBA and finance career a in the economy. There are and eventually transitioned shot. He is now an Associate several instruments that are into trading. He says he in Credit Derivatives Trading derived from interest rates – wishes he had applied to a at Merrill Lynch. and are called derivatives. better business schools. Examples are swaps, options Rajiv Rangarajan did Mech on interest rates and so on Karthik Krishna was a at BITS. He got exposed to and so forth. His group is software engineer before his Finance during his MBA at called Cross Rates Sales, IIM Bangalore. The courses

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COVER STORY | BITSians on Wall Street which sells different interest base involving emerging interpersonal skills and rates products to Hedge funds market countries or trustworthiness which are across the world. Hedge corporations. critical in winning and funds are large investment maintaining business. In houses that use capital from Siddharth also works in terms of degrees, PhDs and its investors in risky financial structured Credit Derivatives. MBAs. Karthik says BITS instruments. They take a lot He trades options on Credit helped by giving him a lot of of risk and hence are termed Default Swap contracts, first- exposure, competitive spirit to be levered (ie even though to-default baskets and other and the essence of they may have $10 million in correlation products such as camaraderie. capital, they would have a CDOs. He prices and risk potential exposure of 10 manages these securities. In Siddharth credits the MBA. times that figure). Rajiv’s job derivatives trading, he works “The MBA has definitely is to provide liquidity to his on the cutting edge of helped in this both in terms of clients who might want to financial innovation. The securing the job and being trade these instruments and work is highly competitive able to successfully do it. also suggest innovative trade and one requiring quick MBA/CFA are probably ideas. He says “I tread a very decisions, which Siddharth good degrees to have in my fine line between managing says he thrives. “It brings out field if you decide to move client relationships and the best in me”, he says. He into the field rather than keeping the traders happy.” starts work early (before starting into it after 7am) and is usually done by undergrad.” But he says that Karthik works with 7pm. He never works there are a lot of people who Governments, Central Banks, weekends which gives him have just college degrees and Hedge Funds, time to pursue non-work no advanced degrees and end Corporates/Banks in the interests. up being very successful in Latin American/Carribean this job. region to design and execute The widespread acceptance structured products in order of Credit Derivatives greatly FUTURE OF S&T to manage, hedge and the increased the liquidity of transform the risks in their this business. Siddharth says IN INDIA books in the most efficient that “Global clients have The Indian Bond market is a and profitable way. He does a begun to recognize the merits USD 200bn market. Not too lot of work with derivatives of the products. Since, these many countries can boast of a technology. are fairly complex financial bond market that is 40% of products it has taken a while the GDP. The Indian equities Srinivas runs the Emerging to gain acceptance.” The are also the darling of US Markets Credit Derivatives market has grown at an investors who think the future Trading for Barclays. Credit extremely fast rate. Hedge is in India, China and Japan. Derivatives are one of the funds have emerged as the Hence there has been a lot of hottest areas on Wall Street biggest players in these credit activity from domestic and or “the cutting edge in global derivative products. This has overseas investors and the fixed income and the new also increased the Indian markets have proven frontier in finance” as competition within the their stability in the face of Srinivas likes to describe it. industry requiring reinvention intense activity. His job involves market and continuous innovation. making and proprietary Fixed Income sales and trading in Emerging Market QUALIFICATIONS trading is very nascent in sovereigns and corporates. India. The liquidity in these The business also has a AND SKILLS instruments is very limited highly structured component Karthik believes that one and due to absence of hedge to it which involves devising should have (i) A lot funds or other investment and implementing quantitative and analytical houses that can take risky investment, risk management skills, (ii) Cross disciplinary bets, the market for and balance sheet solutions – Statistics, Legal, Marketing derivatives in general is for Barclays’ global client and (iii) Most importantly, small. However as the

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COVER STORY | BITSians on Wall Street government deregulates the on Wall Street. Be well financial services sector, this Rajiv believes students mannered but not too docile. sector should pick up. The should seek information You must have the urge to opportunity to exploit proven aggressively. Cocooned in learn and explore new things market ideas and practices is Pilani, Goa, Dubai, we know all the time. The early years very alluring. nothing of Wall Street. But are always rough but if you there is a lot that one can read can ride them out – you’ll be KEY TRAITS TO and learn independently. If a winner (no pain, no gain!). this is of interest, seek as TRADING much information as you can. WHAT AFTER You have to be willing to Tap into your alumni pool. work under pressure. This is He encourages students to get S&T an extremely fast market, and in touch. More importantly, Karthik believes that he will there is no room for error. In he says that students should go back one day in the role of terms of other traits, Karthik be willing to take risks early an investor in small says technical aspects are in their career – not the tried businesses. Those businesses clearly vital. So are Ethics, and tested path. Think have the highest growth since you are deal with through all the alternatives prospects. Rajiv says he may someone else’s money. you have (like an MBA or go back to India at some Communication skills and doing a one yr Masters in point, but at this stage he has clarity of thought are very Finance from a US school no plans. With India growing, important in converting even if it means taking a big it is likely that at some points opportunities into profitable loan) and go with what you all the alums would get transactions. really want to do. Even if it ample opportunities. Srinivas doesn’t click, because it is so says he will continue to build Siddharth adds humility. early in your career, you can the Barclays business in India Attitude is everything and reverse them. Be a go getter over time. having a good one can make – Aggression is very valued all the difference.

The First BITSAA Wall Street Gathering in New York. October, 2005 Front (L to R): Rajiv Rangarajan, Manish Sinha, Pradeep Sinha, Anand Haridh and Wamsi Mohan Back (L to R): Karthik Krishna, Neel Broker, Anuraag Agarwal and Siddharth Swarup

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COVER STORY | BITSians on Wall Street Our Alumni in High Finance

Name Department Company Location Vivek Pandita Venture Capital Eastward Capital Boston Rajesh Chelapurath Asset Management Ceera Investments Houston Janardan Menon Equity Research, Semiconductors Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein London Aashish Bhinde Venture Capital View Group Mumbai Ajay Gupta Global Energy & Utilities Group Morgan Stanley Mumbai Ajay Mahajan Sales & Trading Yes Bank Mumbai Alok Gupta Investment Banking Yes Bank Mumbai Aru Arumugam Private Equity Merlion Mumbai Jugal Parekh Currency Options Trading (Derivatives) HDFC Bank Mumbai Padmanabh Sinha Private Equity Temasek Holdings Mumbai Pradeep Mirchandani Equity Research Salomon Smith Barney Mumbai Ravi Menon Investment Banking HSBC Mumbai Sandeep Talwar Asset Management Banyan Tree Advisors Mumbai Sanjeev Kaushik Investment Banking Lehman Brothers Mumbai Sashi Krishnan Asset Management Chola Mutual Fund Mumbai Srinivasa Alluri Venture Capital ICICI Ventures Mumbai Sunil Mehra Merrill Lynch Mumbai Vikas Khattar Equity Origination and Capital Markets Merrill Lynch Mumbai WS Ravishankar Asset Management Banyan Tree Advisors Mumbai Adri Guha Hedge Fund APM Capital New York Anandh Haridh Proprietary Investments Deutsche Bank New York Anuraag Agarwal Investment Banking Berenson Minella New York Harish Kumar Asset Management NY Life New York Kamal Kasera Trading Goldman Sachs New York Karthik Krishna Fixed Income Trading Deutsche Bank New York Manish Sinha Hedge Fund Litespeeed Partners New York Neel Broker Private Equity ICV Capital New York Nirav Shah Trading Lehman Brothers New York Pradeep Kumar Hedge Fund Drake Investments New York Prasanth Subramanian Mortgage Strategies Lehman Brothers New York Rajesh Raju Equity Research Robert W Baird New York Rajiv Rangarajan Fixed Income Deutsche Bank New York Sanjay Rajpal GM Equity Prop Trading Deutsche Bank New York Siddharth Swarup structured credit/correlation trading Merrill Lynch New York Sreenivas Kopparapu Credit Trading Barclays New York Sumeet Kanwar Healthcare Investment Banking UBS New York Sumit Dhanda Equity Research, Semiconductors Bank of America New York Wamsi Mohan Equity Research, Enterprise Hardware Merrill Lynch New York Vivek Paul Private Equity Texas Pacific Group San Francisco Praveen Chakravarty Equity Research Thomas Weisel San Francisco Rahul Chandra Venture Capital Undisclosed San Francisco Rajesh Vaishno Investment Banking Thomas Weisel San Francisco Rajeev Kannan Structured Finance Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation Singapore

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NOSTALGIA

BY RAHUL CHETTRI (BITS ’75) You Only Live Twice: A Tale Of Renewal Musings on the nuances of our BITSian journey. There once was a group of lachha-ing, people with a simple notion – to where topics go back in space and time on a of discussion journey of rediscovery. And if, ranged from along the way, the path led them the profound through the delights that are to to the be had by raising a glass with a mundane, friend, then they were more than from the adequately prepared to take that nature of path. And so they converged on God to the the place of their youth, some nature of travelling under the star-lit night girls, from of the North Indian skies, others music to braving the dust and heat of the philosophy, semi-arid landscape. from food to girls, from the sublime to the Despite the effects of time and But I get ahead of myself. The erotic, from things that made ample supplies of good food tale actually begins thirty years them laugh to girls, from… well, they recognized each other ago, when members of the very you get the idea. instantly, and pounced on each same group braved the very other for warm embraces as their same passage through the Some went on to wield great spouses looked on with mild hinterland to arrive dusty, influence in matters of State. amusement. The halls echoed bedraggled, and bewildered at Others became champions of with the sounds of laughter and the gates of a great institution. industry. Still others became the the slapping of backs and, yes, Those first memorable steps shapers of young minds in gaalis spoken with the utmost would lead them into an internationally renowned affection for friends not seen for adventure like no other. One institutions of learning. All went twenty-five years – as if in where they would enter as boys on to raise families. Yet through gentle reproach to the target of and girls, and would leave as all the challenges of life they the swearwords for having men and women. Confident, retained their sense of place, stayed away for so long. The poised, accomplished, world- staying grounded in the simple years melted away in a velvety aware. In short, they left as truths to leading a good life. smoothness, creating a placid leaders. And that, so many years later, is tide on which they all floated. what brought them back on their Old ties were immediately re- But the adventure offered more journey of rediscovery. And so established, new ties formed. than the opportunity to acquire they embarked, in carloads and And all through it they caught the qualities of leadership. So busloads, going back to the up and reminisced and took much more. Here were formed place where they all learned the pleasure in the company of bonds of deep friendship, important lessons of life. people who shared a common, appreciation of the uniqueness life-shaping experience. They of us all as individuals, and the When they met it was like a were rambunctious and raucous, beginnings of the understanding clash of the Titans. It seemed yet reflective and thoughtful. of our purpose in the vastness of like neither hell nor high water They sang and danced, but the Cosmos. Here were enjoyed would be able to keep them shared their life stories. They the simple pleasures of sipping a apart, such was the depths of drank through the night, but hot beverage on a chilly winter’s their enthusiasm and joy. were courteous and mindful of night. Here were spent hours in the wives and children of their that pastime known to them as classmates.

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NOSTALGIA

nostalgia that made the food And then began the exploration taste Oh, So delicious? Daylight brought a sense of of their old hunting grounds. dread at what was to come. The Bhavan rooms were revisited, There were felicitations and single word that would capture the new occupants regaled with honouring of those that had the essence of the journey is stories of by-gone days. guided us through the “renewal” of friendships, of Classrooms were peeked into, treacherous straits of academia. faith in each other and in bringing back a flood of Speeches and themselves, of confidence that memories. The Insti, the new acknowledgements, gift-giving their life’s voyage had not been Library, the Museum and its and hand-shaking. And in vain. And for these things lawns, the Saraswati mandir afterwards they partied. And they were grateful to the were all examined under a how they partied! Some of their Institution that had fostered critical eye and deemed to have own were in the spotlight, them and nurtured them at its become none the worse for the belting out tunes of yesteryear, bosom. And for these things passage of time. But most of all heartened by the enthusiasm of they held their heads high, even they congregated in droves at the crowds, paying little heed to as they parted with heavy hearts. their familiar watering holes - the rust on their fingers from How then, shall this tale end? Connaught, Nutan, Skylab. Alas years of lack of practice. And Shall it end in the bittersweet of the PO Canteen and Bank what they gave to the audience, parting? Or in the promise of Canteens were no more, and the the audience surely gave back. tomorrows to come? Or perhaps places that had remained open With cheers and encouragement in the divine merging of the were not the same. But then, and calls for encores, they let two? None has said it better than neither were any of them. So it their hair down and gave a member of that select group: was with some wistfulness that themselves to the night. And Jis raaste se hum guzare the Aaj they sipped their coffee and when the music was over and phir wohi mo-de pe khaday hain snacked on dosas and sat on they’d turned out the lights they Kya din the, kya raat(ein) Ab jab plastic chairs, and remembered realized the evening was still mil rahe hain yahin par To dil se the days when Vinod’s served young. As was the spirit inside pooch Yeh hui na baat? piping hot chai and samosas, them. And so they trooped back and they took their ease on to the lawns, guitars and bottles ♦ modas and watched the pretty in hand, and crooned the night girls walk by. away. Some even greeted the Rahul can be reached for dawn with glasses of steaming comment at In between it all they gathered chai in the now-quiet [email protected]. once more in the dining hall that marketplace outside campus. many of them had shared. There were the old favourites - aaloo parathas with peeli daal and dahi, raajma with phulke ki roti, pulao and French fries, the ever- popular fruit cream and cassata, even supaari and paan at the end of the meal. The quantities were generous, the service prompt and courteous. But the quality? You ask. What about the quality? Judging by the way they were putting away the food and the satisfied looks on their faces when they pushed away their plates, it was evident that they had no complaints. Was it because the quality of the food had actually improved in the intervening years? Or was it the The Rs. 1.05 formula: One samosa, two jalebis and a chai at the PO canteen.

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NOSTALGIA

BY HEMANTA KUMAR SARMAH (’78 CIVIL) The Dridge One of the many chota stories from our Pilani days. Nutan, BC, ANC… add this one to your BITSian vocabulary. A story about a bull, although this one’s not quite the Wall Street kind.

The name Dridge sounds absurd, gate, mostly at night. Any "Hoosh! It's dridge, run, bhai, doesn’t it? But being a BITSian, guesses as to what it was…? run!". this is a part of a very common vocabulary created by groups It was actually a fully grown 'Dridge' was a term given for over the years in Pilani. This bull! It used to reign supreme 'degenerating' in hobbies like term was known playing cards or rather dreaded (bridge), by some of the smoking(!?) etc. '78 batch The name became students of VK, an instant hit and Bhagirath, and the bull became RPA messes. known as Dridge among us for years There was a to come. Whenever branch of UCO we used to cross bank near the RP BC at night, we Bhavan and the first checked to see post office was whether dridge was nearby too. The around. The less bank had an open brave among us canteen, naturally chose to take the named the bank longer route via the canteen or BC main entrance to go for short. There to Nutan at night. was a small Memories of dridge passage way near and its charges still the BC through rake up roars of which we could laughter during our go to Nutan. A get-togethers and it retired army Jat will be remembered opened a chai shop in the lane, among the cows in the area by us for long. near the hockey field, in during the day but at night it ♦ between Nutan and BC. We chose to stroll about in the Hemanta is a ‘78 batch Civil used to frequent this place only vicinity of the BC as the latter engineer from Guwahati, Assam in the evening and at night was deserted at night. Its name, and. He is an active member of because for us VKites C’not was dridge, was the contribution of our '83 batch. At his last reunion too far and there was the added one of my classmates who at BITS in 2003, he, not danger of being ragged while the always had this habit of surprisingly, found a lot of BC was hardly visited by exclaiming "Hoosh" when he changes on campus as well as in seniors! We named this joint IC was surprised by anything or, the students. This in his words is or intermediate canteen. The for that matter, anyone. One a “chota story about one of owner used to make the best tea night when we were returning those nostalgic moments”. He around campus. from a movie at Jayshree, we can be reached for comment at encountered the bull at its [email protected] The Dridge loomed large across musth. It charged us and our that area especially near the BC friend, as usual, exclaimed

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CampusNotes

BY ANINDITA DUTTA (’ 03 BIO) IN CONVERSATION WITH DR RAHUL BANERJEE CSD – Entering An Era Of Collaborative Research From Grid Computing to collaboration with MIT, some of the CSD’s recent initiatives have the potential to position BITS Pilani as the largest provider of science and technology-based education in India.

Among the prominent its first phase, partly funded by based) micro grid amongst initiatives is The Grid Microsoft Research, the group themselves. As part of the work Computing initiative, in the aims to build a heterogeneous, planned in this phase, various area of next generation IPv6-QoS aware campus wide devices like pocket PC’s, networking (IPv6 included). grid comprising of 1000 pocket PC phones and other The aim is to build an subscribed notes (out of an PDS running on variants of architecture that would allow estimated capacity of 5000 Intel-X-Scale processors and the grid computing application notes on campus). This is using select processors from Texas sitting in the application layer a heterogeneous combination of Instruments would be used. to be able to transparently hardware and software Next, the plan is to develop utilize the quality of service, platforms atop an IPv4/IPv6 identical campus-wide grid enhancements as defined by the dual stack enabled Giga bit islands in the other campuses of recent flow level specification backbone. It involves building a BITS Pilani and interconnect for the IPv6. medium-sized campus-wide these grid islands to form a grid involving several Server larger multi-campus grid GRID COMPUTING grids involving several Server- environment with built in An umbrella project known as class systems, about 3000 PCs capability of IPv6-QoS “Project Grid One” was class systems, used inside the awareness. launched by BITS last year. In institute’s laboratories and faculty This would be hooked into chambers, other research grids in different large number parts of the world; those who of student- volunteer to either adopt the owned PCs in Grid One architecture or allow their hostel a translation facility based rooms and mechanism for hooking to their many of the existing infrastructure. staff-owned Since grid computing is an PCs / Laptops umbrella research project like etc. the “Project IPv6@BITS” (http://[email protected]), As part of the it has several sub projects work planned separately planned as its other in the second components. Most prominent of phase, mobile this is the telemedicine project access meant for rural and semi urban components health support system will be able to assistance. This project has selectively use been named “i-charak”. the grid apart from forming Website an ad hoc discovery.bits- (intermittent pilani.ac.in/gridone/index.h connectivity tm

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CampusNotes

MIT BITS PILANI with a participation iCAMPUS Website capacity of 100 students. The MIT iCampus is aimed at discovery.bits- „ Students who miss these achieving broad, substantial, pilani.ac.in/icampus/index. sessions can use the on- and sustainable on higher htm demand capability of the system to see the recorded education through information technology. iCampus incubates events. BITS VIRTUAL innovations for labs, UNIVERSITY classrooms, and campus The facility also allows in BITS Pilani is heralded as the communities at MIT and addition to the above, the pioneer of Science and promotes their dissemination following: Technology based education around the world. BITS Pilani „ Asking on-line questions of through its off- campus has been identified as an objective type, descriptive collaborative and distance iCampus Hub Institution in type learning programs. Currently India under the Memorandum „ Taking on-line polls distance learning caters to more of Understanding between the „ Web-casting of an event than 10,000 students all over two institutions taking effect „ Use of internal expressway the country; all of who are the 1st of October, headed by services that allows employed and sponsored Dr. Philip Long from MIT and automatic server selection, professionals in industries, Dr. Rahul Banerjee from spread over different research laboratories and select BITS Pilani. The BITS-MIT continents around the educational institutions. Quite a collaborated iCampus world, based on some pre- large number of these students originated as a research and determined parameter derive colossal benefits from development project when MIT values in a dynamic way. the services provided by BITS (with funding from Microsoft virtual university Research) started developing The Live Interactive Sessions (http://vu.bits-pilani.ac.in) collaborative technology, under are a vital part of this endeavor which provides the following: their iCampus initiative, and this constituent portal is an „ Asynchronous interactive allowing over the network easy-to-use interface, which as well as non-interactive learning facilities to be made allows application-sharing learning environment using available both on campus and facilities while in the LIVE web based lessons, soft off campus. It also permits mode. It also allows the user to tutors and animation tools. those that do not have adequate ask questions using voice or „ Desktop (internet based - infrastructural facilities, text, participate in group 64 kbps and above at the expensive lab equipment, or discussions, attend seminars, individual user's end) live domain expertise in select areas meetings, tutorials – all through interactive lecture sessions etc to be able to connect to the web-browser and an for 300 students for every iCampus project sites and Internet connection. If any first- single course offered utilize these recourses even time user has trouble during through the distance remotely. In addition to sessions, she can click the learning mode adaptation, co-development and 'Help' tab to learn using the (http://202.54.26.115/bits/ deployment of iLabs, iMOAT facility. In addition, there is a portal/dlpd) and xTutor for its own students pre-recorded on-demand „ Live interactive (internet as well as helping several other tutorial on using the facility based) group discussion interested institutions of higher accessible from the 'On- facility learning in the country to use Demand' tab. „ Live interactive (internet these resources, BITS Pilani based) tutorial facility. shall carry out joint WEBSITE „ Web based seminar facility collaborative research with http://202.54.26.115/bits/po for up to 1500 students at a researchers at MIT under the rtal/dlpd/default.asp time broad agreement between the „ Live interactive project two institutions. ♦ meeting over the internet

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CampusNotes

BY HIMABINDU CHITTA (’02 CHEM) Evaluation pattern at BITS – a new story A revamped test schedule, with tutorials and mid-sems, replaces the long withstanding three-test scheme and there’s already a lot of speculation about the reasons for the change. Our conversation with the Vice Chancellor, Dr. S Venkateshwaran

Six courses, with two tutorials is, predictably, more holistic. that such a dual emphasis would and three lectures a week in We learnt from the VC, Dr. S. make the student truly each. Halfway through the Venkateswaran that a change competent in a subject. semester, three days of grueling in teaching methods had been on mid-semester examinations the cards for a long time now. This explains why a single Then more tuts and finally the "That was the idea behind professor handles Chemistry I compress. No, this is not the building the Lecture Theatre for the entire first year batch, schedule of a EEE CDCite but Complex," he revealed, while new faculty members take that of the hapless BITSian first explaining that the new on the tutorial sessions in year student. Along with the evaluation system is modeled on smaller, more interactive distinction of being the first that of the IITs. Students now sessions. Those familiar with the

batch of students to have come have a limited number of large structure of EEE CDC courses through the BITSAT, the lecture sections, where will remember that certain newcomers are also the first on experienced professors courses like Digital Electronics whom the new evaluation emphasize conceptual learning. have always been structured this methods are being piloted. The tutorial sessions are way. Two professors take the intended to encourage lecture sessions while the REASONS FOR THE application of these concepts, weekly tutorials see new CHANGE and help students develop lecturers and TAs in action. The administration's take on this problem-solving skills. It is felt Most significant, perhaps, is the fact that the new lecture- tutorial system of teaching has been extended, in one form or another, to several second year courses and all CDCs except those of Computer Science and Information Systems (these disciplines have heavy Lecture theatre complex course weightage

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CampusNotes for online assignments, which prepared for. Moreover, if one accomplished. Classes remain cannot be effectively substituted does badly in the mid-sem, there steadfastly empty, and students with tutorials). is no hope of redemption. It is a have taken to attending only the win-all, lose-all situation. tutorial components.

WHY ARE STUDENTS “Fourth and fifth Another theory circulated in COMPLAINING? yearites on campus secret is that the administration Critics of the previous system wanted less emphasis on extra- believe that the idea of regular can be heard curricular activities in BITS. tutorials forces students to reminiscing about The first yearites burdened with remain up-to-date with what is the "good old days" the additional workload, can being taught - for sure, a now hardly spend time getting to positive development. In stark when classes could know seniors and batch mates in contrast, the entrenched BITSian be bunked en masse clubs and departments. The mid tradition is to study the night sems happen barely ten days before a test, and to count on the and BOSM was not before Oasis, which is the focal next test to go well if you fail to spent in the shadow point of BITSian social and perform well in one. Fourth and of the approaching cultural life. Work for Oasis fifth yearites on campus can be usually gathers steam just about heard reminiscing about the midsems.” a fortnight prior to the fest, and "good old days" when classes it is very unlikely that the timing Though no one in the could be bunked en masse and of the mid sems is a administration will openly admit BOSM was not spent in the coincidence. it, observers suspect that the real shadow of the approaching midsems. reason for the change in teaching and evaluation was the NO EXTRA- CURRICULARS? Therefore, BITSians are desire to improve attendance. The jury is still out on the new learning more than they ever The higher-ups had hoped that system and whether it will have. How can that be a bad the new system would phase out continue to hold sway in thing? Well, for starters, the students absconding from semesters to come. As for the total number of hours spent in classes, appearing before the regular tutorials, no one says class has gone up to 32 per week familiar BITSian saga of classes, they are a bad idea. However, per first year student. There are and appearing before professors reducing the number per week twelve tutorials per week - so merely to write tests and collect might make students take the many, in short, that they are no papers. Sadly, however, nothing components more seriously. It longer taken seriously, or of the sort seems to have been would also reduce the pressing demands on their time, and allow them to relax and engage in activities that aid their all- round development. After all, BITS has always prided itself on producing students who excel at anything they choose to take on. A uni-dimensional education is certainly not conducive to developing such talent. A careful and critical assessment of the new system is in order, and incorporating this system's benefits into a newer, more balanced model would be a healthier change. ♦

No need to guss classes?

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CampusNotes

BY VERNON FERNANDEZ (04’ EEE) AND SANDIP GANGAKHEDKAR(’ 05 EEE) BITSAT Review For the administration, BITSAT ’05 was a great success. Conducted in 14 centers all over India, it truly reflected the nationalized outlook that BITS Pilani has always desired. A pioneering venture, BITSAT ‘05 has already changed from being a prototype to being a model that will probably remain in place for years to come.

BITSAT ’05 was announced at a press conference on 15th December, 2004. The last date for the receipt of applications was 31st January ’05. Approximately 57,000 applications were received. 48,435 candidates appeared for the exam at centers all over the country. 11,611 of these were female. 1400 candidates were successful, 800 in Pilani and 600 in Goa.

Each candidate was given a choice of centre and of date and time. This gave the students a lot of flexibility, as they had to BITSAT Test Center appear for other competitive exams as well. Faculty in charge of PS and professors on campus procedure followed by BITS drastic skewing are varied and also took on the responsibility of Pilani. This new, more subject to much debate, overseeing the procedure in the cosmopolitan crowd is strongly prominent among them being respective centers. in tandem with what BITS Pilani the existing educational system has always valued – intellectual which promotes the ‘coaching DEMOGRAPHICS and regional diversity. One odd class” culture where guys get The post BITSAT demographics fact however, is the surprisingly more preference and flexibility give a rosy picture of regional low percentage of girls, 14% in for going to the “renowned” parity etc., which was missing in Pilani, admitted this year. The coaching classes. This coupled the normalized percentage factors that contributed to this with a patriarchal societal system, which tends to favour About the BITSAT boys and thereby put girls at a disadvantage in competitive

exams like IIT JEE, AIEEE etc. BITSAT ’05 tested skills in five areas – Mathematics, Another factor could be the lack Physics, Chemistry, English and Logical Reasoning. The of awareness about the various three-hour test was on 450 marks. It contained multiple educational avenues in BITS, choice questions. Each question carried 3 marks with no like MMS and B. Pharm. associated negative marking. The weightage was 135 marks However, the institute plans to for Math, 120 each for Physics and Chemistry and 75 for take affirmative action to English and Logical Reasoning. For those who attempted all remedy this problem. Where the the 150 questions in the stipulated time, a bonus of 12 authorities feel that the initiative questions were unlocked. to send more girls should come from their parents our VC Prof.

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S Venkateswaran says that the these challenges and bettering toppers from the 2005 batch are institute is, looking to increase the given norms comes as part now on campus. The required the number of girl participation of the responsibility of cut-off in the 12th exam was in the test by introducing certain organizing a completely new 80% in addition to the BITSAT incentives like reservation quota entrance test, and improvements score, which reiterates BITS’ for girls etc. Much of it is still in are in the offing. Nothing stance on this issue. Recently the process of discussion. tangible, so far, has been the IIT’s have introduced a 60% decided but we can look forward cut off for entrances. Emulating to a possible increase in the BITS should we say? Prof PROBLEMS numbers of centers, increasing Raghurama smiles and says, One might wonder how ride software efficiency etc. “We can’t be sure but if they through the first ever-online test are, then the institute is happy was- a bumpy and rutted one or BITS – THE ROLE that others are also waking up to was it a smooth sailing the importance of school experience? Prof. Raghurama, MODEL? results”. Dean Admissions and Placement One avenue, which BITS still believes that it was the latter, holds its mark, is its With the BITS administration th where problems faced, in terms acknowledgement of 12 being highly satisfied with the of software, security, standard result, which had been whole process, BITSAT will management were close to none relegated to the background with most certainly be conducted or at least ones that had been increasing emphasis on entrance next year with necessary expected. However, he adds that exams. Admission to the toppers improvements and new features. the mammoth task of pulling off from every board was granted ♦ an online entrance of this stature this year too in spite of an has its own challenges. Meeting entrance exam and 17 board

BITSAT – A Freshman Perspective

Anticipation and fear dominated my senses as I entered the test-centre for the all important, much-vaunted BITSAT 2005 exam. The swank and plush building called ‘Eduquity Career Technologies’ in the elite area of Marol, Andheri East, was going to be the battlefield. The warriors? A fully-armored, battle-ready brigade of 40. Except that there were no sides- everyone pitted against everyone else… Phew! Sounds much more than just a war… guerrilla warfare, maybe.

Being an objective, multiple-choice test, speed and accuracy were the main keys to success. A race against time, BITSAT ’05 was a well-structured exam with unconventional testing areas like English Proficiency and Logical Reasoning. It was this part that made BITSAT ’05 different from the other routine examinations like AIEEE, IITJEE, State CET’s, etc. The smooth flow of proceedings was marred by a few complaints about mistakes in a few questions. The invigilators could do nothing beyond noting the ID numbers of the respective candidates.

As the seconds ticked and the minutes flowed, the warriors were deep in thought, fervently clicking away… some to glory, some to doom… The stakes were too high; no compromises could be made…

I heaved a sigh of relief as the final bell rang. The joy of having finished the last of my exams pushed the more immediate concern over my BITSAT performance into oblivion. The BITSAT was unique in many ways. It certainly gave me more freedom than any other exam. Right from the date and time of the examination to the order of answering, everything was decided by me… The true mettle of the candidate was tested by a plethora of carefully crafted questions from a very vast database. In retrospect, BITSAT seems largely representative of our life at BITS!

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CampusNotes

BY SINDHU ANAND (’ 03 BIO) Pharmacy Group Pharmaceutics and Biotechnology are set to revolutionize the Health Sector. Many start-ups in the Pharma sector, the Pharma stocks booming, overwhelming research with new discoveries almost every day, all these signal bigger days for the Industry. What is our very own Pharmacy Group doing in the face of these exciting new prospects? The topics raised during a talk with Prof R Mahesh, Group Leader, Pharmacy Group, mirrored the excitement in the Pharma field globally.

The Pharmacy Group of BITS, and aims to explore new areas of Prof. R Mahesh emphasizes that Pilani is one of the few early research such as – Design and all the Programs and CDC’s are schools of Pharmacy in India. development of new bioactive industry oriented and are Established in 1950, under the molecules: (anti-inflammatory, reviewed every year to meet able leadership of (Late) Prof. anti-hypertensive, anti- current demands of the industry. M. L. Schroff, Father of convulsant, anti-psychotic, anti- Practice School is not the only Pharmacy Education in India, it bacterial, anti-viral, anti-AIDS bridge between the School of has blossomed into one of the and 5-HT, Dopamine receptor Pharmacy and the Industry. most sought after Schools of modulators). Several research grants have Pharmacy in India. The been obtained from well-known Pharmacy Council of India has The other objectives of Vision Pharma companies. Several granted permission this year to 2008 are to obtain modern technology transfer programs increase the uptake of students industrial manufacturing have borne fruitful results. A to 60 in the B. Pharm program equipment per latest GMP and first ever of its kind, technology (the maximum permitted to any ICH guidelines for training of transfer venture, with IPCA college of Pharmacy) owing to students (UG & PG) and adding Laboratories Mumbai, yielded the huge demand for the Industry sponsored projects. the drugs Zerodol-CR and program. The M. Pharm course Movon-CR. Under the project is one of the best in India, with sponsored by IPCA, the group around 800 applicants contesting INDUSTRY has designed a novel controlled every year, for the 12-15 LINKAGE release tablet Aceclofenac, a available seats. More than 50% of the Ph.D students on campus belong to the Pharmacy Group.

The 20 strong faculty includes Prof R N Saha who was awarded the Best Pharmacy Teacher in India for the year 2005.

The group has raised 1.4 crore with the Institute pitching in another crore. Vision 2008 is to gear up for the huge growth expected in the sector, BITS Pharmacy Group

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CampusNotes non-steroidal anti- suggest changes if inflammatory drug any to the that is used for prescription along management of with proper arthritis, joint references and pains, analgesia diagnostic tests and inflammatory validating the diseases. The tablet required change. design, based on This report is bio-erodible matrix submitted to the technology, will physician and release the drug at serves to augment a constant rate for the treatment. uniform availability over a It has received period. So the financial assistance tablet can be taken under Special International Symposium on Public Health only once a day, Assistance instead of the Programme (SAP) normal twice a day course, programs for Dr. Reddy’s of UGC at the level of making for better patient laboratories, Hyderabad, LV Department Research Support compliance. The product was Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, (DRS) with financial assistance developed by Prof. R.N. Saha Shankara Netralaya, Chennai, of Rs 32,60,000 for three years and his research team and has Srides Acro Labs, Bangalore period. The Department of already been introduced in the and Institute of Cardio-Vascular Science and Technology, market. The Group Leader’s Diseases, Chennai. The strong Government of India has given a pride was obvious while Academia-Industry symbiosis is grant of Rs. 35,00,000 to presenting the yellow label on quite incredible. This strengthen post-graduate the tablet cover, which says, relationship has not only given research. “Manufactured under Technical our students an edge and a rare Collaboration of IPCA exposure but has also added to There are around 7 laboratories Laboratories Ltd., with BITS the brand value of the BITS with the Central Analytical Pilani.” Technology has been Pharmacy degree in the Laboratory housing the most transferred in another project by Industry. The group has shown sophisticated instruments like the same company for the the way for something that is so NMR, HPLC, FT-IR development of novel controlled wanting in the present day spectrophotometer, release tablet of Nimulside, the education system, to integrate Spectrofluorimeter, Atomic product is soon to be launched teaching and research with the absorption Spectrophotometer, by the company. The other current Industry needs. High Vacuum Lyophilizer, projects making formulations Digital Plethysmometer, soon to hit the market are oral COURSES AND Differential Scanning tablet of selective combination Colorimeter, Pharmacol (Animal of drugs and development of LABORATORIES monitoring and Tracking aqueous injection for selective In terms of course structure and system) to name a few. analgesic drugs. The group also projects, Prof R Mahesh says The other laboratories are- under takes routine drug testing that more emphasis has been for various Pharmaceutical given to Clinical pharmacy. The • Industrial Pharmacy Industries. It is also actively layman’s view of looking at a Laboratory involved in Consultancy pharmacist as a drug storekeeper Facilities for pharmaceutical activities in the areas of GMP is what they want to change, formulation manufacturing system implementation, process radically! Students undertake (tablets, capsules, ointments, optimization and validation, case studies at Birla Sarvajanik liquid orals, parenterals) and in- design and evaluation of optimal Hospital and Medical Center process quality control drug delivery systems. The where they analyze each case, procedures Group has also conducted speak to the patients to obtain Human Resource Development additional information and

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• Formulation Development Electrophoresis and Gel India, USA and Canada. and Pharmacokinetics Documentation System laboratory: Facility for International Symposium on design and development of A new addition has been the Public Health Novel and Controlled drug Animal Farm a visit to which The Pharmacy Group with the delivery systems left me in total awe! The place Biological Sciences Group in situated right behind FD III is collaboration with Uniformed • Pharmacology and extremely well maintained and Services University of Health Physiology Laboratory: has 1100 experimental mice Science, Bethesda organized an Facility for screening and along with experimental rats, International Symposium on evaluation of NCE’s rabbits and guinea pigs. The Public Health Education- sparkling floor and glass doors, International Scenario and • Synthetic Medicinal a well-furnished laboratory, Challenges during 9-11 April Chemistry Laboratory neatly stacked rows and rows of 2005. The focus of the Facility for design, synthesis animals, a small operation symposium was on the need to and process optimisation of theatre all seem to usher in an impart quality education in the potential anti-psychotic, anti- era of change in BITSian labs. area of public health, curriculum microbial, anti-cancer, anti- design and course development. viral and anti-inflammatory OTHER ACTIVITIES As a development of this agents International Symposium cum discussion, an M.Phil course is Workshop on Recent being introduced by BITS. The • Radio-Isotope Laboratory: Advances in Drug Design and programme is aimed at Facility for gamma Drug Delivery System developing public health scintigraphy, gamma The Group conducted an administrators with expertise in spectrophotometry, Beta International Syposium cum related areas of community counter study of reaction Workshop on Recent Advances health in collaboration with kinetics using radio labelled in Drug Design and Drug Uniformed Services University probes and estimation of radio Delivery System during 24-27 of Health sciences, Bethesda, probes by atomic absorption February 2005 in collaboration Armed Forces Medical College, spectrophotometer. with Molecular Design and (AFMC) Pune and Christian Information Technology Centre Medical College, (CMC) • Molecular Biotechnology (MDIT), University of Toronto, Vellore. Laboratory: Facility for Ontario, Canada and was nucleic acid and protein supported by Seascape- A MORE INFORMATION isolation and purification, Tripos Inc. It was co-sponsored rDNA manipulations, Cloning by University Grants Email: rmahesh@bits- experiments, DNA Commission (UGC), New Delhi, pilani.ac.in sequencing, PCR, Gel India. With the main http://discovery.bits- objective of pilani.ac.in/discipline/phar holding macy deliberations on recent advances in The Group conducts routine drug design, Health Awareness camps, computer aided Health Checks and organizes drug design lectures and seminars. Pharmacy (CADD), communiqué is a magazine medicinal and brought out the group about pharmaceutical recent trends, technology the ♦ event attracted many experts and resource personnel from Animal Farm 1100 experimental mice living in harmony with rats, rabbits, and guinea pigs

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BY THE SANDPAPER2.0 TEAM Back to BITS BITS Pilani – a place we’ve all fallen in love with. Sometimes, all of us hope that we can come back, and re-live those days. Here are a few of our faculty doing exactly that. Get to know these faculty members: BITSians then, and BITSians, now.

were placed upon students, which Three 1968 Chemical Engineering PROF L K are absent today. He feels that this graduates are currently pioneering a change is for the better, since an “Desert Development Technology” MAHESHWARI open and free environment is programme to improve agriculture in Professor Maheshwari more conducive to students the desert. obtained his ME and PhD in thinking and learning on their Electrical and Electronics own. If not through a live project, alumni Engineering from BITS Pilani in can be guest faculty in BITS. Guest 1971. He was offered a teaching The second important change is faculty may teach for a week, a position at both REC the improvement of infrastructure. month, a semester or a year, as per Tiruchinapally and at BITS Even in the 1970s, BITS was one their choice and convenience. “Once Pilani, but decided to remain at of the foremost institutions in the they are in India, BITS Pilani will BITS. Since then, he has been nation with respect to take care of their every need,” an integral part of the EEE infrastructure. The flexible Professor Maheshwari says with a faculty as well as one of the education system, laboratory smile. “If they are willing to come pillars of the administration. He facilities and collaboration with back and actually interact with is currently the Director of the foreign universities such as MIT BITSians here on campus, we are BITS Pilani campus. meant that BITS was a name to more than willing to make the contend with in the field of teaching experience worth their while. education. Even today, We can arrange for them to attend infrastructure continues to conferences in India and broaden their improve, with the Library, Lecture own horizons, while they help our Theatre Complex and now the students broaden theirs.” He urges Student Activities Centre. The alumni to help BITSians fine-tune primary issue with infrastructure, their entrepreneurial skills. He feels says the Director, is that no one that with their hands-on experience utilizes it well. “The Library has a and knowledge of the industry, seating capacity of 1200,” he says alumni can turn an amateurish idea with a smile, “but I have hardly into a successful business venture. He seen more than a few odd people is also optimistic about recent inside. To all those who complain mentoring programs that have been about what we don’t have in begun by alumni groups. He sums it BITS, I’d like to say, first use up all in two words, “Be involved.” Prof L K Maheshwari what we do have.”

Finally, how can alumni in other PROF S Professor Maheshwari feels that parts of the world give something BALASUBRAMANIAM the changes in BITS since 1965 back? “Don’t contribute money, Prof. S Balasubramaniam are two-fold. First, society has give your time instead,” he insists. completed his BE (Hons) from the changed and become more open. He quotes the campus-wide LAN EEE department, BITS, Pilani in In those days, BITS had a – NEURON as an example of the 1970, and further went on to complete uniform for students and girls active involvement of BITSian his ME as well from the EEE and boys were not permitted to alumni in improving student life at department in 1972. After a working speak to each other. Anyone BITS. This alumni involvement is and teaching experience of 26 years, caught violating this rule was continuing through other projects. he joined the BITS faculty in 1998. fined! Other similar restrictions

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CampusNotes

the placement officer when he work, faculty can ensure that was a student at BITS. He problems are addressed exactly in the was motivated to involve critical areas. The best people who are himself in the Distance already familiar with the system are, Learning Programme Division of course, the alumni. According to (DLPD) of the Institute, him, today’s students are more following which he joined interested in specializing in a narrow BITS, Pilani as Associate area, which is probably due to a larger Professor in November 1998. quantum of peer pressure. Keeping this in mind, the prospects for alumni Prof. Balasubramaniam has in BITS are tremendous. Teaching handled courses related now requires people with the hardcore to communication, background and with experience. such as Communication Systems, Circuits and Signals, Contact: [email protected] Satellite Communication, Mobile Telecom Networks, DR. R K MITTAL Advanced Digital Dr. R K Mittal joined BITS in 1968, Communication, Mobile and for his Bachelor’s degree in Personal Communication and Prof S Balasubramaniam Mechanical. He also completed his Radio Frequency Master’s in Mechanical Engineering He is currently Group Leader of Microelectronics, which are during the years 1973-’75. Even the EEE department at BITS. specifically his areas of interest. though he received other job offers at Believing firmly in the fact that the time, he decided to teach at BITS After he completed his advanced each course should be and went on to complete his PhD studies from BITS, he joined the supplemented by a lab component, here. He is now the Dean of the Microwave Division of the he set up the Communications Academic Regulation and Counseling Indian Space Research Lab, the RF & Microwave Lab Division (ARCD) as well as the Organization (ISRO), and the Digital Signal Processing President of the BITS Alumni Ahmedabad as a Microwave Lab at BITS. He is one of the Association, BITSAA. Engineer. He was involved in Research Advisors for the the system design, system research projects undertaken by Dr. Mittal has been associated with integration and environmental BITS, under the BITS-NOKIA the institute for nearly two decades qualification of the Satellite Research Collaboration. He has and he thinks the teachers at BITS Microwave Radiometer also published various research receive the best of everything. The (SAMIR), which was one of the papers, the latest of which kind of freedom that the BITS style of primary payloads on board the concentrate on Mobile Networks. education gives a teacher cannot be BHASKARA – I, used for the found anywhere else. A congenial measurement of sea state and Prof. Balasubramaniam explains environment, which is conducive to sea roughness. SAMIR was there is now a need in the industry research, and the facilities available India’s First remote sensing in the fields of Power Electronics, ensure that the teachers are not payload and sent the First RF & Microwave, Power hindered in any way. He feels that remotely sensed data from Systems, Electromagnetic Fields Pilani has no lack of facilities due to BHASKARA-I. He was also and Waves, et cetera for which its location. Indeed, it has everything part of the second launch personnel need to be trained and a metro can offer. campaign during November motivated. The advent of wireless 1981. He later joined the ISRO applications will need students As president of BITSAA, Dr Mittal is Satellite Center at Bangalore. and professionals with sound often asked by alumni as to how they Here as project manager, he knowledge and background in can contribute to BITS. Unlike US formed a team for radio these fields. In India, just as in the universities, BITS never asks for a frequency and microwave work. field of mobile communication, yearly donation. In his own words, After substantial R&D there is a tremendous need in “The IITs may be cash-strapped, but experience, he joined the ISRO, defence and other we certainly aren’t.” He feels that Bangalore University. It was industries, for which workers have more than monetary contributions, during this time that he met to be trained. If people join BITS intellectual inputs from alumni would Prof. Gopalan, who had been to undertake sponsored research

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CampusNotes

the prospect of doing some Embedded Systems Design, Digital higher studies and obtaining Electronics and Computer a Masters in engineering. It Organization and VLSI Design and is with this intention that he Architecture. He has also supervised joined as TA. Further, he various project courses and theses. believes that he had a flair for teaching as well. Part of He believes BITS provides something his motivation to teach was that many universities do not offer: a his teachers, who had free hand in teaching. What is special impressed him a lot during about this feature is that the his student life. He says that instructors realize that they cannot his experience and position just do what they want and get away as a teacher is a tribute to with it. With freedom comes an equal those who taught him and amount of responsibility, and as incited him to do the same. faculty everyone realizes this fact. It Of course, the fact that he is also not necessary that people have was selected to join the to stick to his discipline or field of faculty as Assistant Lecturer study while teaching in the institute. Prof R K Mittal after completion of his ME For him, every course has been a programme is witness to learning experience. The courses he be more beneficial. Alumni who this fact. has taught and those he is currently wish to take a sabbatical are teaching differ significantly from the always welcome to come to Dr. Gurunarayanan has now been ones he studied in his ME. Thus his BITS for a semester or two. teaching experience has helped him BITS could always offer a learn a lot. course in their area of specialization for that period. He BITS Pilani holds many prospects for assures alumni that they will be an alumnus. BITS welcomes alumni provided furnished participation to improve its teaching accommodation and expertise. There is also much scope compensated for their input. for growth, with the current level of Any alumnus is always welcome industry participation and research to return to BITS. facilities available in the institute. Lab facilities have also come a long way Contact: [email protected] with the advent of sponsored labs, such as the OLAB, which create DR. S. facilities conducive for research. The inbuilt flexibility of the system should GURUNARAYANAN also impress the alumni. Apart from He joined BITS as a teaching this, the alumni could also help in assistant in 1987 after he Practice School and Distance completed his MSc. Physics Learning Programmes of the institute. programme. At BITS, he joined An effective and useful way to “give the ME Systems and Information Prof S Gurunarayanan back” to your alma mater! programme in 1988, which he completed in 1990. Later on, he faculty at BITS for 17 years. He Contact: [email protected] also did his PhD from the has handled a variety of courses ♦ institute. He is currently such as Microprocessor Professor in the Instrumentation Programming and Interfacing Group and Assistant Dean, (which has been revamped over Engineering Services Division at the years to include newer BITS. versions of microprocessors), Physics and Modeling of After he had finished his MSc. Electronic Devices, Analog programme, Dr. Electronics, Electronic Devices Gurunarayanan joined BITS in and Integrated Circuits,

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CampusNotes

BY ABHIJIT KUMAR (’04 CSE) BITS Pilani Dubai Campus Oasis to Oasis Tracing the journey from small town Central India to the urbane Dubai in pursuit of a great education.

When I first read about BITS- Pilani opening their first offshore campus in Dubai, I must admit I was a little apprehensive. It took me half a dozen calls to the Admissions Officer and the Student’s Affairs to be completely convinced of the sound infrastructure, meticulous planning and enormous support from Pilani that had gone into realizing the was in November, and was done with a reflection of déjà vu, plans for vision that was BITS-Pilani by Dr. K.K. Birla, who amidst his more activities, a fuller hostel, and Dubai Campus (BPDC). A speech read out the then Prime new stories from India and a little bit prestigious collaboration with Minister, Shri Vajpayee’s letter of our version of the Arabian one the largest group of to the students of BPDC. hospitality. The sessions with our companies locally had also Dean were still something all of us ensured stability, facilities and Most of the school-kid attitude really looked forward to, and a new backing for large-scale was replaced by our newfound wave of being senior students added expansion, in a region not goals with BPDC and our Dean’s more expectations from us. Visits known for its educational inspirational counseling provided from Dr. K.K. Birla, Prof. centers. The stage was all set for a great boost and direction for all Venkateswaran and later the visit of the students to carry forward the of us. The remaining part of our the Honorable President of India, Dr. high standards that were part of first year passed rather Abdul Kalam, further instilled a the BITS name. uneventfully, due to a variety of sense of pride and responsibility reasons from homesickness, hostel amongst all of us. On a personal note, The orientation was on Sep 7th, culture, adjusting to mall city, I began to find enormous relaxation 2000 and the sixty odd students exchange rates or just plain and freshness in the strong doses of (an all-Indian outfit) who joined studies. The BPDC branding in rock music that the frontbenchers BPDC were quick to realize the India was still at the start of a pumped in all the time. This formed foundations, the expectations steeply rising graph. I remember the backdrop for most of my late and the pros & cons of being a how all of us volunteered to help night study sessions and the stages of first batch. Although we missed by giving our India phone Need for Speed. out on guidance from seniors numbers. Students on vacation, (which dawned much later when from Delhi to Hyderabad, I strongly believe that a BITSian we had our juniors) and a few Bombay to Cuttack spoke to hostel would always have the same facilities (which improved with several aspiring students and flavor, irrespective of geography. each batch), we also had a very parents, explaining everything Midnight oil was always in – if it was personal rapport with the Dean from admission procedures, not searching for cheeky material for Prof. Ramachandran and our education loan schemes, VISA assignments, it was the Quiz on staff, few of whom were requirements, faculty and Thermodynamics or the latest Khan BITSians. In addition, being prospects. We were keen to make extravaganza. There was always much smaller in number, our a good first impression. something – from Limp Bizkit to batch had an amazing level of Jagjit Singh, from CGPA to distant spirit, unity and cooperation. With a fresh intake of students in plans for Masters. The elaborate The official inaugural ceremony 2001, the equation changed a bit, birthday celebrations had to be one-

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CampusNotes of-a-kind, and ditto for the wee- hour World Cup matches which were marked by a good attendance.

Our PS-I program was highly successful, with many positive figures, and these reflected on the next intake of students and an exponential increase in the number of stations. Due to lesser academic pressure during PS, a new level of socializing set in – College Road shows, mass counseling sessions, Driving Licenses, beach football, bus rides, budget eateries and in- house parties; we had them all. to comprehend what I would be God’s grace, I was amongst the first Onam, Christmas, Eid and Iftar missing – the jogging with to be recruited on campus along with were all redefined to mean Manish behind the hostel, playing my long time pal lab/hostel/class mate colorful, high-energy chess with Anna, the group Abhishek. Some chose to apply celebrations attended by studies in the hostel, news with individually. everyone. I particularly want to Nachiket, dandiya with Charles, mention two events in Dubai. lab assignments with Abhishek The graduation ceremony was very First, the splendid Navaratri and the plethora of activities that impressive, and it is not uncommon to celebrations, of which dandiya were now built into the BPDC feel weak at heart, on your G-day. was the highlight (and to which culture. In addition, although the Anyone could tell that the faculty our batch has been a regular for nostalgia was always playing in (especially those from Day 1 the last four years). Second, an the background, we tried to face onwards) were probably just as underground rock concert that the next episodes of campus emotional as the first batch. BPDC, proved that even the heaviest recruitment and college now set for it’s sixth intake of rains could not dampen the applications. As a batch, we students (still predominantly Indian), spirits of the hundreds probably missed a senior’s advice is a well established name in the (including yours truly) who most at this stage. While some academic circles, and has an nudged the local bands to were keen to go back to India and impressive new campus in the proceed with the show. cash on the explosive market Knowledge Village campus, adjacent growth, some chose to apply to to the Dubai Internet City and Media As our time at BPDC drew the fleet of new and enterprising City. closer to the end, I slowly began companies that participated. By Now scattered all over, from Masters, to Media, Consultancy, Banking, Oil, Software Engineering, Marketing and Sales, we go that little extra to stay connected. We often have small or medium reunions mostly in Dubai, and have planned a small one in Delhi later this year. Rains still don’t stop us from cheering at concerts. ♦ Abhijit can be reached at [email protected]

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CREATIVE & HUMOR

BY DILEEPAN NARAYANAN (’00 MECH)

A Month of Bhavan’s Night The ruling hands of BITS, Pilani have said a firm 'no' to Bhavans’ Nights. But, does the newer bunch know what it feels like to celebrate a Bhavan’s night? I recount, without tempering for the sake of political correctness, the naive pride of then: how it felt to celebrate a Bhavan’s night -- the contagious Bhavan enthu and the vicious Bhavan spirit -- when the Bhavan was the first yearite’s home and there was little beyond.

It was the time when Mal did cricket, guessed classes, but candidates came forward, their not like walls. And, people left discussed the Bhavan’s Night entourages not far behind, and their slippers outside IPC when more than it discussed girls. As got into severe deliberations. they wanted a newer pair. One the propitious hour neared -- a The cheering slowly gave way had to hand over one’s ID card month before the usual to a chaotic babble. “He, for outside the audi, to watch a RAF Bhavan’s Night week -- the sure, has political ambitions,” movie. Voices were often heard, pressures of preparations having one fellow hissed from behind, calling out, “317, phone call! to be soon embarked on were looking askance at the second Holding,” or “318, gate call,” mounting. The seniors, in a candidate, “I am sure he is going from near the common room -- common room meeting, to nominate himself for H-Rep there were no mobile phones. It announced that our proposal for next year.” After hushed was the year when aeroplanes a Bhavan’s night had been parleys, the second candidate learnt to fly through buildings, approved by them (few of us came forward and declared but Team India had not learnt to recollected such a proposal himself the coord. The audience huddle. It was the time when having been made, but cheered let out a confused cheer. “The Bhavans celebrated Bhavan’s nevertheless), and decreed us to decision was taken in the best Nights. It was the year of ‘Nihil begin our preparations. "This is interests of our bhavan,” he Ultra 2K++’. your Bhavan’s night,” they announced, putting things into insightfully added, “And there perspective. “This will be the “The Bhavan’s night,” cried our will be no intervention from us best Bhavan’s Night, ever!” he H-rep, spread-eagling to the seniors in the planning.” “But, proclaimed. And he became our ground, “will, this year, be a you have our full support, coord. Bhavan’s week!” We freshers always,” they vouched, hailed him, lifted him up, and, in reassuringly. When we had to decide on a keeping with the jollity of the date for the event, the coord put occasion, gave him another The first step incumbent on us his foot down -- we would round of bumps. The talent that was the task of electing a perform after all the Bhavans had been put on display, on that coordinator -- the coord, so to had had their turns. The last day of Freshers’ Welcome, speak. The common room, would be the grandest, he apparently, had prompted him to where all the first-yearites had vowed. This criterion was make such an epoch-making assembled for the purpose, singularly instrumental in the proclamation. Moreover, there, remained silent for a minute. A choice of the auspicious date. began the talk of Gandhi’s fellow’s hand went up. “I want “But what shall we call our Bhavan’s Night. to be the coord.” His wingies Bhavan’s night?” a studious cheered. “Go ra,” they shouted; looking chap asked, Came the second semester: junta they were gults. Then, another overwhelmed by the prospect. In ghotted for tests, played QT hand went up. Both the the next meeting, two guys came

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CREATIVE & HUMOR up with names, but junta felt Some creative souls had wanted made them resemble a certain they were too comprehendible to to write a ‘for’ loop of C++ code band which helped build bridges evoke awe. Then someone came to allegorize the countdown to to Lanka with stones, while up with Nihil Ultra 2001. The the Bhavan’s night. Some, who most others were a little more Coord rather liked it, probably heard the cathartic proposal, did circumspect in their criticism -- because it was more Greek than not hesitate to show the world when they could have chosen to Latin. Moreover, it could then that they were miffed. shout virtually anything! But the be captioned, much like big- Nevertheless, clearly, CP-I had Krishna seniors said it often, and budget Bollywood flicks. Then, played on the minds of more were proud that they said it a CP-I (Computer Programming than a few, and to a greater often enough. And the juniors I) stud observed that 2k++ extent than one would imagine. were proud because the seniors would sound more fundoo than And the posters in the messes were proud to say it. Anyway, 2001! Whatever the name, flashed exactly that: ten lines of the issues of the poster seemed “Nihil Ultra 2k++, Nothing C++ code! Coming back to the to only stretch themselves into Beyond” soon became the apple spat itself, the arraigned were posterity. of every Gandhiite’s eye. some inmates of Krishna, Gandhi’s neighbor. Meanwhile, budget limits Often, furtive emergency imposed by the Wardens had meetings were held in the Krishna! The very mention of been well exceeded. It was common rooms, and the heftiest Krishna Bhavan evoked a sense decided that we would build person stood at the doors to of bonhomie in the Gandhiites. I caves leading up to the guard our secrets against spies mean, instantly the Gandhiites quadrangle arena. Night-outs from Krishna and Vyas. Raging all fraternally bonded amongst followed night-outs, and classes issues were discussed: some themselves, and voiced, in no were totally gussed, to say were thwarted by firm opinions; kind terms, that Krishna Bhavan nothing about tests. And so many still raged. Shankar would willingly create all the caves were built and makeshift decided, rather prudently, that trouble in the world during the stages appeared out of wing the best way to bid farewell to Bhavan’s night, if they could cots. We were to have a number their seniors was not a Bhavan’s help it. The two Bhavans had of dances (one among which night. And so the people decided already squared up against each they called a shadow dance), not to inconvenience it by other in the Basketball courts, and a mime whose singular dragging it into the discussions. although they did not play in the motive, in keeping with the drift basketball matches. The biggest of things, was give back all the Soon summer was beginning to fingers had been raised flak we had got. And, the boys blaze his way through the desert. accusingly at each other -- often, had already invited the girls; And, with a mere week literally -- and vile unfounded there was a lot at stake! separating us from the Bhavans’ rumors often coursed themselves Nights, things got hotter than into the veins of both inmates When the gates opened to Nihil ever. One night, while leaving and, sometimes, boiled some Ultra 2K++, the excitement the mess after the grub, we blood. among the fanatical supporters chanced to find quite a crowd of all Bhavans was palpable. outside the mess. Three fellows The Krishnites denied that they The Krishnites too arrived, were crying, four were bawling had torn away any poster, but rebelliously encoded in black their lungs out, and many others the poor fellow who claimed to shirts and black lungis, ashes were unmistakably chagrined! have seen it pleaded them guilty. and vermillion generously “The posters!” the wailers They made it clear that they did smeared on the foreheads, and wailed, punctuating their wails not think much of any of our flaunting a C++ primer out to with less-than-pleasant details of posters, anyway. “Surf Ultra: the crowds -- an obvious the miscreants’ lineages. Something beyond,” they insinuation at the posters. And Apparently, some malefactors chanted, when they saw a then they all shouted, “Jai had torn down the posters that Gandhiite. And the Gandhiite Krishna!” and, a strange peace the Gandhiites had put up in the mocked in retort, “Jai Krishna!” descending upon their faces, messes to advertise the occasion. And that irked them no end. But, settled down to watch the show. The posters themselves had not honestly, we never quite knew been less talked about. Furious why they shouted, “Jai The happenings off stage were tirades had raged over them. Krishna,” -- some scoffed that it as dramatic as those on stage

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CREATIVE & HUMOR themselves. The electricity proceedings. But the Gods had played truant -- in a manner that already charted out another Tired inmates of Gandhi were only it is capable of -- and course of action. One of the woken up early next morning by suddenly, in the middle of a comperes, while introducing the a certain chap from Krishna. dance, there was a power cut; next event -- the mime --, for no Apparently, in the mayhem that the entire quadrangle was pressing reason, accosted the had occurred the previous night, plunged in darkness! A huge Krishnites with, “I am sure you his C++ book had been lost! He roar went up and continued until Men in Black will have had a CP-I compre soon, he one of the guys, nicknamed after something to say about it!” The said, and implored us -- rather the electrician Mangi Lal ‘Men in Black’, who had politely, I thought -- to return it himself, ingeniously pulled out remained as well behaved as if we found it by chance. People wires from the Bogs which were petted puppies till then, all assured him (with a similar connected to the insti generator! jumped up at the mention, threw politeness) they would, if they In a desperate rearguard their C++ books into the air and chanced upon it. Nihil Ultra was measure, the think-tank decided charged forward with their war talked about by everyone for the to advance the shadow-dance to cry. And, needless to say, the next few days. Gandhiites and the semi-darkness, and hope that quadrangle was thrown into Krishnites gradually warmed up the power was restored before anarchy. It took a great deal of to each other. But I find myself the dance ended. C-Lawns exaggerated apologising to unable to rule out hearing about would have, that day, heard the appease their tickled Krishnite a certain inmate of Krishna who cheers and sighs of relief when spirit, before normality had to write his CP-I open-book the power did, in fact, get back prevailed. The show, by itself, compre without a book. in time. captured everyone's ♦ imagination. Nihil Ultra, despite One would have expected sanity its acrimonious interludes, was a to be restored to the success.

By Prasenjit Chaudhuri (’84 Chemical) Wall Street Wall Street received its name from a stockade or wall, built in 1653 by Dutch colonists to protect the settled area south of it from assault by the English and the native population in America.

In the 18th century, the US economy was based on manufacturing, and stockbrokers were regarded as little more than intermediaries were. Brokers would hold informal meetings at coffee houses and street- corners, often congregating around light posts. When brokers wanted to place trades, children hanging out of nearby windows would write down the buy, sell orders, and then pass them onto the clerks inside to start the necessary paperwork.

It was not until May 17, 1792 that seeds of a more formal stock exchange organization were planted. Under a Buttonwood tree (known today as a Sycamore), 24 of the more successful brokers signed the Buttonwood Agreement, which set forth trading hours and the fixed commission system. On Feb 25, 1817, this private club evolved into the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), occupying the second floor of 40 Wall St., for an annual rent of $200.

But those who could not afford the $20 membership fee still traded on the street curbs. As trading activity increased, the shouting became so loud that special hand signals were introduced. (For an up-close feel of the early commodities trading & hedging activity, look up a DVD copy of the Mayor of Casterbridge)

In 1920, these traders formed the New York Club and moved indoors to the building where it still resides (and where hand signals were used for decades afterwards). This Curb Market was renamed the American Stock Exchange (AMEX) in 1953.

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CREATIVE & HUMOR

BY THE SANDPAPER 2.0 TEAM BITS Pilani Goa Campus New Stuff on Campus

WAVES ‘05 With the auditorium in BITS being close to BITS-Goa campus presented its first cultural fest completion, the grand edifice, built in a typical WAVES ’05 on 2nd & 3rd April. The programme Portuguese architecture, has a seating capacity was co-ordinated by Dr.N.N.Ghosh, the faculty- of 2100. An additional 400 more seats is on the in-charge for cultural activities. The great work cards. The library and SAC – Students Activity done by the cultural representatives and the co- Centre – is fully functional and shuttle badminton operation from the students made WAVES a courts, gym, TT courts, a basketball court are grand success. ready as well. Net connectivity Net is available in the hostels though owing to a slight problem with the server is not available in the new hostels STUDENTS UNION and one of the old ones for which serious efforts With a fully functional Students Union this are on the move. semester, the union has already taken over the arduous task of organizing programs for the festivals with the President, Vice President, and The inauguration of BITS Pilani, Gen Sec taking overall responsibility and the Goa Campus by Indian Prime treasurer allotting funds for all programs. Group discussions, paper presentations etc organized Minister Manmohan Singh, by the union is in the offing. Each hostel also scheduled for Oct. 15, 2005, was has a representative for sports, cultural activities and hostel and mess maintenance. tentatively postponed to the first week of November. INFRASTRUCTURE ♦

BITSian Women In the Community

Chandra Anil Philanthropist, Saathi, AID-India

2003 - Present: Full-time AID Saathi, based in Chennai. 1995 - 2002: Employed with Wipro Infotech, IIT Bombay , SCM Microsystems 1991 - 1995: B.E. in Instrumentation Engineering, BITS Pilani, 1995

Chandra Anil is the joint coordinator of the 40 strong AID, Chennai team, along with Ravishankar Arunachalam. She volunteered for 3 years from 2000 to 2003 for AID-India in Chennai. This motivated her to quit the IT field in 2003, to work on development projects full time. Inherently interested in education, she was part of the coordination team for the Makkal Palli Iyakkam education programme that was active in around 250 villages in TamilNadu.

She worked towards setting up around 60 primary education centers in Chennai catering to 1000 children. Coordinating these initiatives involved conceptualizing the programme structure, training, field visits and local youth group and volunteer motivation. At AID-Chennai, she has been coordinating the primary education programmes in TamilNadu where AID has a direct presence as well as programmes with other groups in around 300 villages. For education initiatives, she coordinates with the Pratham network in India, sharing resources, ideas and adapting them in programmes.

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CREATIVE & HUMOR

BY MEENAKSHI CHATTERJEE (’00 PHY-EEE) The Looking Glass Mirabilis lives alone. Deserted by her husband, left by her ambitious son and with a senile mother in an asylum, she lives with memories, in a society that has no family unity. Her dignity is her last reserve of strength. She would have passed her days, sitting in a bench in Manakim Park, chatting about inconsequential things with Mrs. Johnson, had she not bought the Looking Glass. However, what did she see in it?

Mirabilis Meredith started appeared as if God had used a cracked - Mirabilis thought to licking. Her grandmother had hammer instead of a chisel to herself. She agreed. Come to given her the name. Her mom carve his features. She was think of it now, she wondered was never good at child-raising wondering how to upbraid him what drove her to buy it in the and it was because of her when the silence between them first place. She had never done grandma that she grew up to into was abruptly shattered. anything so thoughtless before. herself. Now she was forty- seven. She stayed at the blue “How much for the mirror?” The coins exchanged hands. The house in the corner of Mienie tramp counted them one by one Street, all by herself. Her “What?” Mirabilis was too while Mirabilis stood waiting. husband had forsaken her and surprised to believe her ears. Satisfied that he hadn’t been her son was away at the cheated, he took out a university earning a graduate “You heard me. How much?” rectangular object wrapped in a degree. Mirabilis bore the pains The tramp was least perturbed. tardy brown paper. The sides that life inflicted upon her with were torn and it was a wonder immense stoicism. Her “I will not be addressed to like how the thing was in one piece. estrangement, her only son’s this and why will I buy a mirror departure, her sequestered life- from you anyway?” She was “Here you are.” all had blown over her while she amazed at the man’s barefaced stood firm like the rock. Only audacity. “Now listen carefully to what I recently were things being have to... No! Don’t open it!” different. “You will.” Mirabilis’ hands were arrested It had all started a week back. His terse reply left her baffled. in midair by the loud shriek of Mirabilis was returning after an How was the man so sure? the tramp. She had been trying invigorating walk from to get the thing out. Manakim Park in the evening “Show me your stupid mirror when she chanced upon the and let me decide.” She had “I told you its special.” He man. Not a man really, a tramp. nothing to lose after all. glowered at her for She noticed him because of his disobedience. steadfastly piercing look at her. “Can’t. You can only see it after Mirabilis was discomfited- you possess it. It’s special.” “Open it when you reach home. naturally. She would not be Not before that. The mirror isn’t stared at. Mirabilis made no The tramp paused for sometime ordinary.” He took a deep breath bones to hide her displeasure. before continuing. before proceeding. Fuming with indignation within, she started walking towards the “Let’s fix the price at seventy- “When you are alone and offender. When she was almost seven cents. You can’t get it thinking of people whom you in front of him, her fortitude cheaper than this. What say?” haven’t seen for ages, whose faltered. faces are just a blur in your It was true. Nothing today came mind, look into this mirror. The tramp hadn’t taken his eyes at the price of cents. The mirror Think of the person you want to off her. He was really ugly. It must be really useless or perhaps see, and the mirror will hold up

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CREATIVE & HUMOR the face of that person as it is on Only silence ensued. His eyes that day. If there is only “Let me think of my mom.” kept blinking. darkness that meets your eye, then be sure that the person is Mirabilis had been to her mom Mirabilis let out a sigh. She had dead. Never will the mirror only yesterday, and so she knew expected too much out of show you your face. There are exactly how she looked. She seventy-seven cents! It was a other mirrors to take care of couldn’t think of anybody else mirror after all and not a that.” to prove the veracity of the telephone! tramp’s claims. She shut her Mirabilis was still holding the eyes tight and opened it too “What about grandma?” Her package when he disappeared. quickly to peer into the mirror. grandmother had been dead a decade ago. Mirabilis wanted to It had been a week since that A most astounding thing see the darkness the tramp had encounter. She had managed to happened. Hazes seem to clear talked about. She was still throw the brown paper package from the mirror’s surface. A judging his statements. at a corner of her room without light illuminated the mirror from giving it a second thought. within. It was as if a bulb was This time the light blinked once Today was her birthday and lighted inside. Then her and then went off. The mirror there had been no one to wish mother’s visage floated up! It was enveloped in inscrutable her. Her son had forgotten yet was wrinkled and pale. The poor darkness. “Is death equivalent to again. Her mom was senile and woman looked very ill. Mirabilis darkness,” she questioned. “I am barely aware of herself to be felt a pang of guilt at having sent thinking too much,” she chided able to wish Mirabilis. Her her to the asylum. Maybe she herself. Her grandma was dead husband wouldn’t remember ought to visit her again. She was and the mirror was dark and her, leave alone her birthday! still looking at her mother’s both indicated to only one thing. She had no caring neighbors. In frailness when it hit her. The tramp had been right. short, she felt her loneliness acutely today. It was then that “The tramp had been right! My “Wouldn’t I love to see my she saw the mirror. God! I can see faces! What an husband now? I wonder if he extraordinary thing this is!” still keeps his mistress.” Mirabilis Meredith started licking her lips. Whenever she “Whom do I want to see now? Mirabilis looked immediately in was excited, she did it almost She mused. the mirror and there was a unconsciously. It had been an countenance squinting at her. embarrassment to her husband “Of course, Ron!” It had been She couldn’t recognize it. It was and son but she couldn’t help it. close to six years since she last repulsive. The hair had thinned saw her son. and stuck at the head in clumps. Her hands were trembling when Gray fuzz covered the chin in a the paper came out and fell on She again squinted at the mirror most unbecoming fashion. The the floor. She looked eagerly at to get a glimpse of her only head seemed disproportionately the mirror. What a child. large for the skeletal torso. His disappointment! The mirror she features had blunted in a way held was no different from the The same swirling haze and the that reminded you of hammer one on her table. Very common. sudden eruption of light strikes. Only the eyes were She was about to dismiss the occurred before her son’s face limpid and as piercing as ever. tramp’s words as stories of a floated up. He had put on demented mind when she weight. Maybe he had taken up With a shock Mirabilis realized noticed something peculiar. drinking. The eyes were puffy that her husband and the tramp She couldn’t see her face even and he had developed a second looked uncannily similar! No! though the mirror was at level chin. Her son looked so much They were one and the same! with it. Mirabilis moved it up like his father. He was looking and down, sideways and even at her with a vacant expression. “Oh my God! My husband a turned it over. Still no face. tramp!” The shock almost Maybe the tramp wasn’t “Ron, it’s me, your mom. Can bowled her over. No, I must be blabbering after all. She decided you hear me, dear?” wrong. to check for herself.

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CREATIVE & HUMOR

Gregor had been handsome in his youth, one of the reasons Mirabilis shut her eyes as tears Mirabilis couldn’t answer. She why Mirabilis had chosen him poured down. She saw herself wasn’t aware of the fact that her over other eligible suitors. Her cooped up for days in her house imagination was so fertile. The grandma had gifted them a with not a soul to talk to, with children had stopped playing to fortune in their wedding. no one to share her food with, get a look at what was going on. Mirabilis often blamed Gregor with nobody to shower her love Mirabilis was still in Manakim of marrying her for her money. on. She cut a sorry picture in her Park. Initially he had denied. Later he own mind. Without realizing, stopped refuting her incessant she opened her eyes and looked She got up to leave. accusations. Things became into the mirror. It was too late worse when rumors of his affair before she remembered the “I am… not feeling well. Excuse surfaced. Mirabilis Meredith tramp’s words. Never will the me.” was a woman of honor and mirror show you your face. adultery was a sin she would There are other mirrors to take She left hurriedly. I must see the never forgive. Gregor care of that. doctor. Get a grip on yourself. disappeared one day -- never to She rebuked herself. She never return. Until now. Mirabilis shrieked impulsively noticed when she had turned the as darkness enveloped the bend. She was jolted when her “Why didn’t you come to me at mirror’s surface. Immediately eyes met the steady piercing least once, dear?” His sorry and she became aware of her gaze of the ugly looking man. pale face made her forget the surroundings. People were The tramp. sorrow that he had given her. staring at her. Mrs. Johnson ♦ She was ready to forgive and looked disturbed. forget. “I will let bygones be bygones. Come to me. I need “Is everything fine, dear?” Her you. Come to me.” voice was trembling. ANURADHA GUPTA (’86 MMS) Lost ….in every which way This October in Delhi on my way to Faridabad, Looking for directions in the dark, I who had progressed from buses to cars with drivers at that… We knew we were lost! I didn’t know how badly I was too, And learnt that at a terrible cost… As the driver halted abruptly, A cyclist behind us bumped the car and fell off, He was obviously badly hurt, In a split second- No fighting, no threatening, just dusted away the dirt, Just picked up his cycle and rode away- I could have helped him, apprised him of his rights But fear for my child and myself made me hesitate It sure was dark- And he didn’t wait, He who was also somebody’s child. My hesitation left me feeling shallow and defiled. Anger I would have understood, I carry so much of it myself, But… the mute acceptance of a spirit that had died. The driver said, “Shall we proceed”, looked through the rear view mirror, Questioningly at the wreck who sat in the chauffeur driven car and cried. ♦

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Business & Strategy

BY PRASENJIT CHAUDHURI (’84 CHEMICAL) Hedge Funds Mathematicians, physicists, financial engineers, economics Nobel laureates, and even the occasional Field’s medal winner – the world of hedge funds attracts them all.

Today, Wall St. as we know it is anonymity in order to comply active management skills of the a virtual continuum tying four with SEC guidelines. fund manager. cities (collectively known as As a result institutional investors money centers - NY, London, Why are hedge funds and are increasingly adding more Hong Kong, Tokyo) together private equity so much in risk exposure through electronically, in a 24-hour work the news lately? investments that meet their long- day. Wall Street opens when The negative performance of the term assets growth goals. Hedge Tokyo is heading to bed, and stock market in the years 2000- funds and private equity funds preceded in succession by HK 2002 and its mediocre (which provide this opportunity and London markets. performance this year, as well as to increase risk exposure) have a regime of historically low therefore seen a marked increase Contrary to glamorous folklore, interest rates has created an in capital entrusted to them. The foundations for Wall Street’s uncertain investment business press naturally mystique were laid by environment for institutional followed. pioneering work from Black, investors in the traditional (also Merton and Scholes back in the known as “long only”) stock and Tell me about the various early ‘70s (winning the 1997 roles in a hedge fund Nobel prizes). The heart of Portfolio Manager: He/she it lives in a world not open makes investment decisions to public view or even the for the firm and implements business press. This is the the firm’s trading strategies. world of hedge funds (also They oversee research & see BITSians on Wall trading, and build and analyze Street) and proprietary new trading models while traders. Citizens include improving existing ones. mathematicians, physicists, Although their backgrounds financial engineers and the range from the arts/humanities occasional economics to the sciences, they tend to be laureate and even the numerate, creative and occasional Field’s medal thorough. winner. Trader: In some hedge funds, During a recent conversation bond investments. the “Traders” role is the same as with a Wall Street proprietary Traditional stock or bond funds a “Portfolio-manager”, while in trader and a fellow BITSian, I target relative returns and seek others it typically refers to had the chance to learn more. to outperform a specific execution traders (i.e., those Our friend graduated dual underlying market (defined by who primarily execute trades Maths. & CS from BITS and passive benchmark indices – within preset performance earned a Masters & PhD in such as the S&P 500 & the parameters). Mathematics from a well-known MSCI Barra). In contrast, hedge US university. He currently funds and private equity funds Quant: Their main job is to heads the proprietary (also called alternative carry out quantitative research, quantitative trading desk at a investments) target absolute develop and implement various major international bank. We returns with much of their quantitative models, and review respect his request for performance driven by the academic research. They work closely with traders and/or

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Business & Strategy portfolio managers, and are are times when they exacerbate will always be below average required to have strong liquidity problems as well. firms. Rigorous due diligence on communication skills. Typically the part of investors is therefore they would have an advanced Why do hedge funds critically important. degree in a quantitative charge higher fees relative discipline, solid computing to traditional long-only Where do you see this skills, some experience with a funds? industry heading in the statistical software package like Any investment’s risk can be future? S-Plus or Matlab and a very decomposed into market The hedge fund industry is strong academic track record. (passive) risk and residual rapidly evolving from one that’s (active) risk. As you know, the focused on a few niche Software Developer: They expected return of market risk is strategies to a much broader one develop research and trading called “beta” while the expected covering a wider universe of applications, integrate real-time return of active risk is called investment opportunities. It is and historical data feeds, build “alpha”. By definition active clear that the game is getting database applications and deploy risk is uncorrelated to market harder. Therefore older business quantitative models and risk. Investors in traditional models built around one or two libraries. They typically have funds primarily target beta while main trading strategies are some quantitative background, investors in alternative giving way to newer business good programming skills and investments primarily target models that involve multiple prior experience with financial alpha. The overall risk-reward businesses. It is a natural applications. Many quantitative profile of a traditional portfolio evolution from a simple traders even started their careers can be greatly enhanced by business model to a more on the software side. adding some active risk to it complex one where various without significantly increasing differentiated units (think of What makes proprietary its aggregate risk. them as imperfectly correlated trading different from other Any common investor can take revenue streams) interact and financial trading activities advantage of beta (by investing are integrated into one body on Wall St.? in a garden variety index fund) through an adaptive learning There are basically two types of paying a small management fee. process. traders: flow traders and On the other hand, achieving a It is not surprising to see hedge proprietary traders. The “flow” “real” alpha is very valuable to funds introduce new products refers to client order flow. Flow any investor looking for above- and forge into non-traditional traders trade on behalf of the market returns. It is here investment areas even for their bank’s clients with the bank’s that hedge fund investors pay taste. The obvious goal is to salespeople acting as skilled managers high fees for diversify their revenue streams intermediaries between the two getting exposure to what they and to create new ones. Those parties. They are primarily consider desirable active risk, who do not invest in their future concerned with market making for their portfolio. are not going to last long in this and hedging. On the other hand, space. proprietary traders trade on Hedge funds have often behalf of the bank i.e., they trade been labeled “high-risk” in Although this has been a the bank’s own capital. recent times. relatively tough year for the People tend to think of hedge industry as measured by the Are hedge funds serving a funds as risky schemes largely average performance of hedge useful purpose for financial due to negative publicity from a funds, this is part of the markets? few bad apples. From time to industry’s evolutionary process. Absolutely. They provide time, there have been firms that Below average managers get diversification for investors indulged in accounting eliminated from the business (their returns tend to have low irregularities or frauds. There and the bar is raised for the correlations with traditional are several publicized examples industry as a whole. funds) and make the markets of poor risk management. While on one hand the industry more efficient. Many will argue However, you shouldn’t expect is maturing, it’s also the kind of that they add liquidity to the all hedge funds to make money tough environment that usually markets, although clearly there for their investors. In any leads to major innovations and industry at any given time there break-through. There is still a lot

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Business & Strategy of creative energy in this space the same - investors should strategy consulting firm today and its changing old forms always bet on people and their ZeroDelta.Org. and shapes. In some ways, the businesses, not appearances or hedge fund industry is also business labels. Send comments to beginning to look as if it’s ♦ [email protected]. getting closer to the mainstream. Prasenjit Chaudhuri (“Prassy”) One thing however will remain is a consulting partner with a

BITSian Women in Business

Anuradha Parthasarathy (Anu), Founder, Global Executive Talent Anuradha (Anu) Parthasarathy is the Founder and CEO of Global Executive Talent, a senior executive search firm finding leadership talent for US-based companies going offshore and Asia-based companies making forays into the US market. Global Executive Talent is based in Menlo Park, CA.

Anu is an industry veteran in cross-border executive search and offshoring, and has helped build leadership teams for several succesful companies in the US and India. She brings to her clients a deep knowledge of the local markets, a strong rolodex of contacts, and sound judgment in the selection and hiring process. In the 1990s Anu founded and built Nexus Search Consultants as the No.1 Search Firm for the Technology Sector, out of Bangalore, India. Her clients at Nexus included technology giants such as Autodesk, Cadence, Compaq, CA, 3COM, Cisco, Epson, HP, IBM, Sanyo, SUN and Siemens, as also start ups such as Aspect, Aztec, Entevo, IDEA, Silicon Automation, Sierra and Talisma.

In 2000 Anu co-founded e4e in the US. e4e provides business process and engineering outsourcing services through its portfolio companies. As the Vice President HR at e4e, she helped find senior executive talent for e4e portfolio companies including Aztec, iSeva, iCelerate, Vinciti and Vigyanix.

Prior to founding Nexus, Anu was the Head of Marketing for Wipro’s International Operations Division. She has been an impressive speaker at Stanford and various offshoring Conferences.

Anu is a management graduate from BITS Pilani, India. She enjoys reading, and also spends time advising people in companies facing the offshore challenge. Anu lives in the San Francisco bay area with her husband and two sons.

BITSAA-Detroit chapter get-together, 2005

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Business & Strategy

BY SANDHYA KRISHNAN (’99 INFORMATION SYSTEMS) BITSians At India’s Best B-schools Life at b-schools is significantly different from that in Pilani. More night- outs, tighter schedules, stricter grades and fewer people on campus can make the transition tough. Amidst the deadlines, projects, case studies and presentations, how do BITSians cope? Does being a BITSian make a difference? We find out from students and alumni at India’s top B- schools: IIMs, XLRI, and the ISB.

Approximately 500 BITSians IIM-A has five in the first year your junior at BITS is your write the B-school tests every batch and seven in the second senior here! year. While most of these are year. The second year batch has final year students, the others a good mix, BITSians who ISB also is attracting a lot of are those waiting to take a break graduated in different years. All BITSian talent lately. This year, from corporate life. The number the first year BITSians at IIM A its one-year PG programme has of calls from the top colleges are from the batch of 2000. ten from the desert. It is possibly varies every year the only top b- but many of these school to have calls are converted married to final admissions. BITSians in Most successful class. students believe being a BITSian So what really has a lot to do with is the transition making it through to a b-school and the reasons student like? don’t just stop with One major the brand name. It issue every has more to do with BITSian faces the attitude, the is the adaptability and the attendance. personality that a From a life of BITSian carries out late mornings of Pilani. (who attended those common hours anyway?), Being a BITSian can also have At IIM B, BITSians are all over sleepy afternoons and zero its downsides. There’s a pretty the place. There are 21 BITSians percent attendance, B-school life big reputation to live up to. You in the first year- from the is a rude wake-up call. are automatically deemed to batches of 1996-2005. IIM C According to this author the 90 understand all complex has four BITSians in the first minute long classes were the mathematical problems and it’s year and only one in the second most difficult to digest- even tough to accept that you really year. worse than the late night ones. don’t. However, of course, it’s Life at Pilani has sure spoilt us not long before everyone forgets The number of BITSians at rotten. which college you are from. XLRI seems to be growing steadily. From none in 2003, BITSians don’t really hang out Of course, there are BITSians there were two in 2004 and this together in these schools. For everywhere - but how many year there are four, one from 97 one, most don’t have the time. exactly? batch, two each from the 99 and Another reason is we are a breed 2000 batches and one from the of people who easily gel in with 2001 batch. It can be odd when other groups of people – so we

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Business & Strategy

BITS & B-school A recipe for business success

CVL Srinivas, Managing (L to R) Rajesh (IIMC), Sandeep (XLRI), Vikram (IIMC) Director of Maxus India, and Sandhya (XLRI), BITS’ 99, came together at the manages the agency's XLRI-IIMC meet this year. operations across the Asia- meet in Kolkota, BITSians Pacific. A mechanical engineer who had never met at Pilani BITSians also tend to participate from BITS, Pilani, with a warmed up to reminisce days a lot in non-academic activities. management degree from from college. While the There is usually atleast one XLRI, Srinivas took charge of background reverberated BITSian who holds a significant Maxus India early 2004. Prior with slogans against each post in most of these schools.. to heading Maxus, Srinivas other’s B-schools, BITS They pass on games of purely was the COO, north & south at laccha happened with full BITSian culture like ‘Beg, Madison Media – an agency he gusto. Borrow, Steal’ and are often joined in mid-1998. found at the helm of organizing The hectic life maybe events. At times even the sacred He was part of the start-up another issue that can be a BITSian lingo is passed along team that set up Fulcrum in little difficult to take. In one packaged with the Pilani culture. term of three months we do The quizzing scenes at ISB and 1995, and spent a year before the amount of work which is XLRI are dominated by that at Lowe (then Lintas) done in two years at BITS. Ramkrishnan (Batch of 2006- working largely on brand Projects, case studies, PGP) and Lalith Krishnan Brooke Bond. Maxus is the assignments, and submission (Batch of 2006- PGDBM and media-buying arm of the WPP keep us perennially running BOB 2002) respectively. We Group and its blue-chip clients from the group to the seem to lead the pack in theatre in India in clued Titan, professor to the printer and too. At XLRI, three ex-EDC Britannia, Hero Honda, Hutch, all the way back. At ISB members are planning to do a and Walt Disney. things only get worse- the play they acted in while at whole two year course being Pilani. don’t really see the need of compressed to one. ‘But then we hanging out together. party hard too – with OTHER HARD- “Some of them I dont see them professional DJs and a lot of for days. It’s a tough place and booze!’ says Raghini Rajaram HITTING offers people no time for such (PGP Batch of 2006 at ISB). At REALITIES gatherings” says Kartik Laxman, XLRI too partying is taken very The mess food at B-schools is PGDBM Batch of 2007 at IIM seriously. Called ‘wet nites’, much better say some while the A. But, of course, there are they happen the night before others still swear by Sharma’s, always the few moments when every national holiday and last Nagarji’s and Sunday special everyone just comes together for till 6 am. In that aspect XLRI grubs. Hardly anyone has seen a few minutes of Pilani ‘psenti’. among IIMs is a lot like BITS the breakfast table at their B- At a recently held XL-IIMC among IITs. schools and the most missed

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Business & Strategy dishes seem to be kela rabdi and though the numbers are small – The big question at the end of dahi vada. maybe it’s the more equal the article – would these MBA distribution” smiles Sandeep grads prefer to call themselves The B-schools have relatively (Batch of 2007 –PGDBM). BITSians first or by the names less number of students. While Some others beg to differ. “Only of these prestigious B-schools? the IIMs have about 400 in each in IIMC did I realized the value Some paused and thought for batch, XLRI has just 180. As a of BITS girls” says Gaurav Shah seconds, some gave confused result of the various group (Batch of 2003 PGDBM) with a smiles and some rolled their projects and team presentations, distinct sigh. The BITSian eyes and looked at the ceiling. there is a lot of interaction women at these schools don’t Then, after a few seconds, they among the students in each seem to have an opinion on this all came up with the same batch. On a lighter vein – topic but I’m told that they keep answer- you can take someone according to the BITSian guys at a good distance from the out of Pilani but you cant take ISB, the girls are better looking BITSian men whenever Pilani out of them. there than at BITS. A view possible!. ♦ shared by men at XLRI too. “The choice is much better here

Life and work at IIMB – by Madhurjya Bannerjee (’01 Instru)

The transition from BITS Pilani to IIM Bangalore was never expected to be a cakewalk. But neither did I realize that it’ll be one of the toughest in my life. After all, how different could it be? I never knew that I was to face the biggest culture shock of my life.

The difference in the lifestyles at the two places is immense. First shock was the attendance. After four years in Pilani when you suddenly realize that this time your grades also depend on your attendance, things begin to seem scary.

The difference does not end there. The workload is something we haven’t faced even in our CDC year. The last month of the CDC semesters were always hectic with innumerable assignments, but that is the norm of life at an IIM. Deadlines come at all odd hours and here unfortunately they are absolutely non-negotiable. Professionalism is the buzz word and they begin with punctuality. And no one dares break the rule here for there is no second chance to rectify a mistake. Only the ‘learning’; so as not to repeat it again.

A huge difference is perhaps in the approach towards extra-curricular activities. IIM B perhaps boasts of the greatest thrust in extra curricular activities amongst the Big Three in the Indian Management Education. But the working here is starkly dissimilar to the way departments and clubs function at Pilani. At Pilani, I have seen students miss their classes in order to complete the work at the department. I would not say that I support it but definitely no one can deny the effect of the element called ‘heart’ in the way things function at Pilani. At the IIMs you see cool, efficient ‘managerial’ organizational skills. The time management is the first major achievement that a BITSian can learn here. Things get done and all glitches are smoothed out as efficiently as possible. But somewhere, the magic of working night after night at SUB seems to be missing.

The way the courses are handled is a study in contrast by itself. The importance is on the application of what we learn rather than what we can recollect from text books. The tutorials conducted by senior students are used to take care of all the questions that one might have regarding specific portions of the course. The effectiveness of the tutorials is any day better than the ones held at graduate schools across the country. But one thing becomes clear as the trimester draws to a close. The only reason that today we can say that we’ll survive the grind of a B-school is because at BITS Pilani we have learnt how to face any kind of adversity that might come our way.

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Business & Strategy

BOOK REVIEW BY PRASENJIT CHAUDHURI (’84 CHEM) Fedex Delivers How the World’s leading shipping company keeps innovating and outperforming the competition.

Warren Bennis, Dorothy Hutton, FDX Clay Christensen, Prahalad and (FEDEX CORP) Hamel have written volumes in papers and books about innovation, leadership, managing change, and customer orientation. As a BITS alumni, its therefore easy to pass up on newly published pulp, that appear to recycle yet another human resource concept or a management methodology lined with consultant-speak. Frequently the most innovative and successful companies run How did FedEx sustain its long As an insider at FedEx since its out of steam and leadership innings of leadership and early founding days however, inspiration, and turn into also- innovation? To start with, Fred Madan Birla (BITS batch of rans. And all too often, bright Smith (he founded the FedEx 1966) had a unique opportunity innovative minds that followed business from concepts to experience first-hand what the inspiration of their leaders developed in his Yale project one normally learns from into the company now follow thesis) continues his management books or business the pied-piper out towards the commitment to sustain FedEx’s school cases. His recently next new thing. success and culture even after 25 published book “FedEx Aggressive companies looking years. It was after all his own Delivers” became more valuable to survive without an inspired idea that gave birth to a new as I discovered he was a part of leader rush to implement industry. Yet he could have the same arena where the ideas innovation by rote, turning ideas cashed out his billions at any in his book played out, this of vision and leadership into time over the period. Having arena happened to be one of the topics for cocktail conversations proven that his model for most successful and innovative and words to embellish annual operational excellence works, companies in the world, and that reports, than to build long- Fred left day-to-day stuff found in business books are lasting enterprises. management to his team, and written not by insider veterans The good news about innovative chose to focus on ensuring ways but by external observers paid companies is that they always to make FedEx continues to lead for their efforts. grow and thrive. But the bad its field. Strains of this attitude news is that uninspired are reminiscent of founders at High-IQ employees don’t add companies don’t simply die and many successful mature up to become a high- IQ fade away. They continue to organizations – Microsoft & company. Its common linger on for years (consuming Wal-Mart, and more recently – knowledge today that the scarce financial resources best Dell & Infosys. smartest people gravitate allocated to new innovative towards companies that offer ideas and inspired leaders), until “Moment of truth”…is being them the best challenges, not they are euthanized via face-to-face with a satisfied necessarily the biggest pay- liquidation, a bankruptcy customer. All FedEx employee packet. There is no better place proceeding or sell-off at bargain checks have a phrase printed on to observe this in real-time than basement prices to salvage any their backs – “a satisfied the stretch of land between San remaining useful assets. Does customer made this possible”. Jose & San Francisco, we like to anyone remember Polaroid and call Silicon Valley. Xerox as industry-leaders?

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Business & Strategy

FedEx used this to focus its ship conceptual connections. culture to support and nurture towards the high goal -100% Sensitive leaders bring in new innovation. He provides several customer satisfaction after every skill-sets to a team charged with techniques to develop this. interaction & transaction, and an objective that expands the Write a corporate Permission 100% service performance knowledge base and ability of Statement, not a mission within the time commitment for the group as a whole. statement. A set of principles- the service selected by the Stage 3 – Secure people: Secure some articulated some tacit-that customer. Some of this came persona better handle rejection allows people to act on their from the realm of Six-Sigma of their ideas at work because own for the good of the practices where a 99% service they are not dependent on a company. It is vital that level would have resulted in career as the only source of self- employees feel secure in only about 95% of customers esteem. Development of loving expressing their ideas. Managers receiving their packages on relationships, spiritual life, and must in turn feel secure in time. With three million supportive social networks help accepting new and unfamiliar packages flowing through the in the process. Similar ideas ideas, especially if the ideas system every night, 99% would have also been reiterated by expressed are different from leave 30,000 unhappy customers gurus such as Stephen Covey theirs. everyday. earlier. Celebrate failed projects. Let Perhaps the best tribute to Stage 4 – Collaborative people: employees know that you fully FedEx was paid in an inspired A collaborative environment embrace the potential for failure line from the movie The ensures that individual as part of innovation. When Runaway Bride – “wherever knowledge bases are pooled into failures occur, managers in she’s going, she will be there by a comprehensive organizational innovative organizations 10:30 AM tomorrow morning” – knowledge repository. Ofcourse applaud the initiative and focus Julia Roberts hitched a getaway the biggest blocks to this effort on what was learnt, instead of ride on a FedEx van. are the egos and organizational casting blame. reward systems that reinforce a The five dimensions of an Enforce enterprise-wide silo-mentality in managers’ innovation culture. Madan collaborations. Given our minds. See below for more Birla’s thesis identifies five history of evolution in the about how companies are using stages that characterize cubicle culture, tossing new technologies to break these organizations with an innovation responsibility over the wall has silos and enable collaboration. gene, and five leadership been programmed in our DNA. responsibilities to build them as Stage 5 – Committed people: Collaboration is therefore easier well. People involved in accepting said than done. However, new and developing the idea will be practices and use of the newer Stage 1 – Engaged people: naturally excited about emerging technologies bring this Employees want to be valued implementing the change. closer to reality. members of a winning team on a Others kept outside the planning mission to make things happen. loop will be frightened and Where are the new enterprise Leaders need to support this by resistant on a personal level, technologies taking us? involving people and helping undermining all change efforts. Because the growth and them understand issues such as This reality has spawned a new productivity of organizations are “what is my business strategy?; industry in “change- more dependent than ever on “how do I relate this to my area management consulting”. effectiveness of human of work?; “what’s in it for me?; performance, corporations etc Where do we go from here? choosing to ignore this do so at a Stage 2 – Growing people: Madan Birla delves into many cost to themselves. The new Solutions derived from thought practices to ensure employees business measures to replace processes that the mind has used are eager and challenged to be return-on-assets are Return-on- for years are unlikely to help innovative. He was directly Ideas-&-Innovation; Return-on- create solutions to new involved at FedEx in creating Initiative; and Return-on- problems. New connections are many new practices such as - Interpersonal-Relationships. Its required for out-of-the-box possible to measure these today, Rewards and culture: Having thinking by making new and new emerging enterprise the right set of rewards and

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Business & Strategy technologies are embedding this deep into it to make memories at BITS, and how did into their newest products. adjustments, virtually. it influence your life? Here’s a sampling of a few: The single most positive BITS NetMeeting & Go-to Meeting: Epilogue: I recently asked experience that helped on day Leave the peanuts and Madan a few questions of my one in the US and continues to unpalatable airline food to wide- own to better understand his help even today was the study eyed tourists. Tired business favorite company. Here is an habits / academic requirements, folks are meeting online, making extract. (preparing for the second year decisions online, even dating Fred Smith (the founder) still exams meant refreshing the first online. works at FedEx. What are your year material also; the final year thoughts on the effectiveness of exams meant reviewing all five Social Networks Analysis : succession planning at FedEx? years' material. After that Often the contact sport of choice FedEx has a strong promotion- (grind,) going to the graduate for top executives and from-within policy. Most of the school in US was a breeze, just salespeople, its now the turn of senior management (as I studying for mid-semester product designers, simulation mentioned in the book) started exams. The other positive modelers, R&D white-coats, their career sorting packages or experience was the value of network-hackers and the entry level professionals. FedEx 'shared experiences' in building procurement and recruiting Corp is a holding company close relationships. departments to enter the game. managing 4 Operating _____ “I know something, or I know Companies. There is a rich pool Madan Birla (1966 batch) someone who knows of talent and there are often completed his Mech. Engg. at something”. Companies track management transfers between BITS Pilani. He went to the social networks (on Orkut and Operating Companies, e.g., the Illinois Institute of Technology Ryze) developed by employees Chief Operating Officer of (IIT) Chicago for his MS in and how they bring these to bear FedEx Kinkos was a Senior Industrial Engg. While working on problem-solving teams and Vice President in FedEx for RCA he continued graduate skunk-works. Value is placed on Express. work in Business at Butler employees forming the highest University. He moved to quality professional networks, “How did the dot-com era Memphis to join FedEx, and while easing out those spending influence FedEx’s view of the also added a MS degree in time exchanging knitting- business environment? Counseling from the Univ. of designs online. The dot com played a very Memphis under his belt. He is a positive and powerful role in recipient of the the highest Virtual Design: Large product expansion of business in FedEx. recognition for Leadership firms with distributed global The Home Delivery Service was Excellence at FedEx. Madan is design operations no longer specifically put in place for available to speak at executive have the luxury to fly in teams Internet shipments. The FedEx forums and reached at for weeks to connect design Web site was expanded globally [email protected]. “FedEx components of their concept to make it easier to do business Delivers” is available online at cars and create the latest with FedEx. Of course, lots of Amazon.com (Hardcover: 215 prototype. They see each other internal processes were pages; John Wiley & Sons; on a whiteboard window across streamlined and automated using June 10, 2005). 11 time zones, and walk around the web. their concept product in a ♦ virtual-reality theater often Tell me about your best reaching out

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GENERAL INTEREST

BY USHA RAJAGOPALAN The Writer's Market A guide for aspiring authors on how to get their works – books, articles, plays, poetry, short stories etc. published…an excerpt from Usha’s book, ‘Get published!’

Creative writing has always (Sometimes it won't. Some have to erase whatever you had been an unpredictable editors do not bother to respond written the previous day. profession. The uncertainty lies even after one has enclosed the Unlike other careers it is not as much in the writer's faith in all-important SASE-Self easy to make a living as a full- his or her continued ability to Addressed Stamped Envelope. time creative writer, at least not write as in the reception from a When you don't get an answer in in our country and not till you publisher to what he/she has spite of many reminders, the produce that phenomenal written. We have heard, tales of only alternative is to fish out bestseller or have a syndicated writers whose piles of rejection another copy of your piece and column in a few leading slips are higher than their piles try your luck with another newspapers. To be able to find a of manuscript. Then there are editor, keeping your fingers publisher willing to take on your also the success stories of those crossed.) manuscript or an editor willing who hit the bul/'s eye with the to support your regular column very first novel. We hear about Uncertainty is the name of the you need to establish yourself as publishers clamouring for the game. Only the strong can a writer first. A situation more manuscript and offering millions survive in this field. If you are vexing than the chicken and egg as advance. Examples of these the sensitive, delicate, nervous problem. are far too well known to be or weak-at-heart type then repeated here. The figures that creative writing is not for you. Publishing is a business like any are quoted by way of royalties, Not if you want to publish your other. The publisher will film rights, etc., are mind- work. Scribbling in a diary will obviously be interested in boggling and would tempt most do no one any harm and your keeping the maximum profit people to throw their hats in the ego will remain intact. The possible from a book to himself ring. moment you are willing to show since his firm depends on the your writing to someone, even income generated from There is no formula to write a your best friend, you should be publishing. At the same time, he masterpiece but it is possible to prepared for criticism. If you cannot survive without the offer some tips on how to ensure want to succeed as a writer then author. Royalties vary from that your typescript does not you need to develop a thick skin publisher to publisher, and may find its way to the editor's and the ability to remain be paid on net prices (published dustbin. The secret lies in the unruffled by rejection slips; be price minus discount) or work that you do after the optimistic to carry on writing published prices. The writer may writing. If, for instance, you despite all odds; be egoistic and get anything from 10 or 7.5 per have written an article or a short tell yourself that your writing is cent of the net or published price story, study a few recent copies good enough to be read by an on books sold though some of the magazine that you would editor (if you are beset by publishers offer a lower like to send it to. See what kind doubts about what you have percentage to first-time writers. of material they publish. Does written you will never send it If the cost of a book is Rs 100, your writing match theirs or is it out!); but also develop the as its author you may get Rs 10 better? Are they likely to be humility to think that you can from each book sold. If the interested in your subject? There improve as a writer and learn bookseller was able to sell 1000 is no point at all in sending a from the works of the masters; copies of your book then you powerful feminist story to a be hard to please about the will get Rs 10 x 1000, i.e. Rs conservative magazine. You will quality of your work; be 10,000. The rest of the amount, only be wasting precious ambitious; and above all, be i.e. 90 per cent (or more) is postage and time that it will take disciplined enough to write shared between the publisher for your story to come back. something everyday even if you who has spent his money on

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GENERAL INTEREST producing the book and the bookseller who is responsible for effecting the sales. The process of book publishing involves you, as the author, the publisher and the bookseller. Publications such as newspapers and journals have different rates for contributors. Two short stories of similar length may not fetch you the same amount from two magazines. The effort should obviously be to get the maximum for your work. One freelancer I know has her own ranking for the newspapers that she writes for based on what they written and give an honest little a role to play in creative pay. A prolific 'middler', she appraisal. Think twice before writing as it has in any other sends one first to the newspaper you approach an established profession. An actor may get a that pays the most; when it is author for this task. Without lucky break in films but a writer rejected she sends it to the doubt they will be extremely has to write in order to succeed. second paper and then the third busy with their own work and Indeed, more than luck, and so on till almost all her will not want to spare time to vet perseverance and discipline are middle column articles have the maiden effort of someone the virtues that cannot be been carried by some newspaper they don't ven know. If, by overemphasized for a writer. or'the other! The only some freak chance, you have Without a typescript or at least a exceptions are those which she written on the very plot that the book proposal, you cannot even feels are 'really not good author was contemplating then it approach an editor or publisher. enough'. can turn to be a potentially embarassing situation. However strong your belief that Another lesson to be learnt from your colleague got his or her my friend is to be honest enough Writers are touchy people and book published thanks to an to realize and accept when your editors, even more so. You uncle who knows the editor's writing is 'really not good'. It is obviously cannot mail any trash grandfather, the truth is : good often difficult though not to an editor hoping that s/he will writing will get noticed and impossible to be able to assess accept it but, at the same time, if accepted. It is really a question your own work. If you are truly your contribution appears to be of finding the right publisher. honest, you will read your work reasonably good then there is no The difference between you and as if someone else has written it reason for you to hold on to it. your friend is probably that of and feel free to criticize, think of Quite often, a beginner is too time taken to locate one. how to improve it, what to harsh on himself. By this you Diligent research and lots of change, what to delete and what are only denying yourself the patience will help. to add. Ultimately, your writing chance to see your name in print One of the first requisites for a should satisfy you, the critic. for it is likely that the editor was writer is not to wait for that Initially though, this will be looking for just the kind of divine moment of inspiration. It difficult and it maybe more article you did not send! Does is possible that a stray remark practical for you to get someone this mean that luck is a factor I overheard in a crowded bus (whose impartial opinion you have omitted in my list? Yes, stand could trigger off a chain of value) to read what you have because luck has as much or as thought resulting in a brilliant

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GENERAL INTEREST short story but if you hover Triumph, for a poet as indeed Screenplay writing is a more hopefully around large groups of for any writer, is publishing his difficult field, particularly for an people you are merely wasting first book. But, though there Indian English writer. The your time. The only alternative may be many poets in our midst, problem is compounded by is to approach this task of there are few publishers willing acute shortage of avenues. The creation methodically, at and for to spend money on a collection television boom has inspired a certain time everyday and of poems. This is ironic, hacks by the dozen as is evident attempt to write something even considering that poetry is read in the quality of the if you feel that your mind is a and written by a wide spectrum programmes. Almost all total blank. It is this discipline of people-from prime ministers programmes in our country are together with ruthless revision to bea,uty queens. School in regional languages and and craftsmanship which children may balk at writing the English has little or no chance at produces that one good piece of mandatory essay but not verse. all. This is what makes writing out of a worthless pile of If your intent is to publish screenplay writing even more junk. Inspiration may work-but individual poems then there are challenging: to be able to write a not always and not for everyone. more than enough avenues. script that will win over a Sunday newspaper supplements producer, and to write that Another friend is convinced that and general interest magazines unique screenplay which will if he ever got the time he could devote some space for poems. test the skills of the director and write a novel to beat all other My research revealed that poetry the actors. If you can do this, contemporary novels. This is magazines far outnumber any you will be encouraged by the like saying that you will bathe in other form, except those catering ever-so-slight change in the the sea when the waves have to general interest. Getting your trend for the big and small ceased. All of us have to play poems published in these should screens. We do have an different roles at the same time; go a long way in boosting your occasional soap opera in English that of a writer will just have to morale though it will not line and bilingual movies with an be fitted in somehow. Gurcharan your pocket. The idea that international cast. Das, before switching to full- poetry will not sell does not time writing, was a very match the presence of so many The theatre is more welcoming. dynamic, high-profile executive poetry journals. It is true that Compared to other genres of and a successful playwright (of most of them have a small writing, Indian English drama is course, he has also written a readership but a very committed not as well developed but it has novel and many articles!). and interested one. This is one grown from the nascent to the Shobha De is a mother of six of the unexplained paradoxes of budding stage. A few writers and has a line of best-selling Indian publishing. like Mahesh Dattani and novels to her credit. Sitakant Manjula Padmanabhan have Mahapatra and Upamanyu Short story collections stand a carved a niche for themselves as Chatterjee are busy bureaucrats much better chance than poetry. professional Indian English and prolific writers. Girish Several leading publishers such playwrights. The latter hit the Karnad's achievements are too as HarperCollins and Disha (an headlines by winning the diverse and many to be listed unit of Orient Longman) take on prestigious first Onassis here. shott fiction. There are many International Cultural periodicals too that carry fiction Competitions Award for If you want to turn professional regularly. Katha encourages the Theatrical Plays in 1997. Two or earn your livelihood from writing of quality fiction other playwrights, Dina Mehta writing, it may be necessary for through their annual search for and Abhijat Joshi, have won the you to branch into more kinds of excellent short stories both in first prize in the BBC's writing than just one. However regional languages as well as in international competition for the versatile you may be, it may still English. The other reputed best radio plays. Within the be a good idea to work in a anthologies such as Civil Lines country, regional language regular job for a while and build and Namaste are erratic. The theatres may attract packed up a bank account before turning Gentleman collection brought houses but there is an to full-time writing. Writing in out by Sterling Newspapers Pvt. unequivocal (and growing) place some genres, in fact, may not Ltd. is a comparative newcomer for theatrical pieces written even be easily accepted by a but one to be taken seriously by originally in English. The scope publisher. Poetry is one such. a short story writer. for these plays is expanding and

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GENERAL INTEREST now it is up to writers language literature. In the words must also inspire, according to themselves to take up the of Professor Satchidanandan, Professor Satchidanandan, , "... challenge and write better and Secretary, Sahitya Akademi, a whole new generation of urban meaningful plays for the more "Indian English writing alone readers who have by receptive audiences. To quote cannot cater to the needs of the circumstances been deprived of Dattani, 'There is a necessity for book market in India nor satisfy their languages and would like more playwrights operating in the sensibility of the Indian to be acquainted with their the English language to express readers of books in English. literatures." It is not just urban themselves through the theatre.' There is also an increasing readers within the country who English in India (and in many awareness of the literary value seek this 'acquaintance' but also other countries as well) is no of writing in the languages that readers abroad to whom people longer the 'foreign' language that reflects Indian life in its real like Arundhati Roy or Manjula opened doors. More and more depth and variety." In fact, the Padmanabhan are only speakers consider English their days when one took pride in representatives of a rich native mother tongue in addition to one knowing only English are over. culture and literature. or two regional languages. With In the coming years it may even a greater number of people be important for an Indian In the pages that follow, several turning to writing in an English English writer to have the same well-known authors have talked that is specially theirs, of an command and depth in at least about how they go about this all- experience that is universal, the one regional language. This important task of writing. result will be 'a version of the enables one to have access to the Remember that even the best English language that is as best of two worlds, two cultures. advice will remain mere words unique and potent as American on paper unless you are prepared or Australian or Afro-Caribbean A good translation brings out the to act on it. One cannot be called English,' says Dattani. essence of the original language a writer till one begins to write in addition to the meaning. What and keeps writing. This is not to imply that English the reader is looking for is not is the only language flourishing just the framework of a story or From Get Published! (Oxford in our country. Not at all. the gist of a poem but the feeling Univ. Press, 2001). Usha Writing in regional languages of words, their nuances and Rajagopalan is a writer and attracts a greater number of myriad associations. Although homemaker. After her MA in readers now than ever before. this may sound strange, in the English Literature from Kerala They not only want to read what final analysis, the job of the University, she has worked as is written in their own language, translator is probably more radio announcer and either in the original script or in crucial than that of the writer. programmer, teacher, executive translation but also masterpieces The task of bringing a work to assistant to the Chairman, in other languages. This has led life in another language is National Dairy Development to a spurt in the volume daunting because the translator Board, editorial assistant, and quality of Comparative Indian Literature translations. (a comprehensive work in two The apparently volumes) and editor at the insatiable Indian Institute of Management, demand Ahmedabad. She resigned from regular employment in order to bring up her two children and pursue her interest in creative from writing. publishing houses and ♦ readers indicates the gold mine in regional

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GENERAL INTEREST

BY PRAKASH MANLEY (’98 E&I) We who are not as others The average BITSian is mysterious to say the least… squirms out of bed at 11 AM, oozes into the nearest redi for unhealthy munchies, plays cricket, misses CDC classes, strips for public amusement once every year, smokes, gets sloshed, falls in love too quick, falls out of it faster, gets sloshed some more. It has to be more than just the brand name that motivates this creature to dream so big and achieve so much in the real world.

That day in October ’98 when from the IITs do better at the occasional insecure desi we got our fresher’s welcome at research… UNDER BITSian colleague tried to sequester Gandhi Bhavan, was the leaders (Anyone from the BITSians and IITians because of happiest in my life. The freshers Bits2bschool network will an “attitude problem” he/she had from all other Bhavans had vouch for me on this one). From found us to display. I don’t officially been declared first time to time I thought of know how many of you have yearites a fortnight earlier and allowing my academic alter ego been marginalized in this way we’d just about had it with their some intellectual stimulation, but I think we might be treated paedomorphic rodomontade. but he, for the major part, this way because we are My four years of dissipation suffered malnutrition. I had naturally more self-assured and began that night. It began with entered a vicious cycle of extra- confident, and sometimes this room ransacking, followed by an curriculars, entertainment, tends to get across as arrogance. intensely competitive water courtship, victuals, and whisky. Personally, my self-assurance fight. I understand that some And by choosing Art-n-Dee / comes from knowing that I can BITSian generations remained PAP as my department, I had survive anything if I’ve survived uninitiated with the ransacking ensured that I got the biggest a proper fresher’s period at tradition. It’s when the seniors’ possible slice of extra- Pilani and not squealed. get together to zap all your curriculars. When I occasionally I recently got together with ‘nerdy’ clothes and school paused for a breather amidst this some wingies of mine. I hadn’t supplies on the night of your sick cycle carousel, I always met some of them since May fresher’s welcome (and I, along wondered what I would be doing 2001. Now most of you will with at least 80% of you reading in four years’ time. This agree that in the years since this article were nerds before madness has to stop sometime. graduating from Pilani, you BITS). What happens then??? I carried mellowed out a little… Stopped The next stage of our this concern with me till that using the %&#* as frequently, at metamorphosis lasted longer. At immensely hot day in May ’02 least. I’m guilty of the same. that point we enrolled in extra- however, when I graduated and Yet, when a bunch of bums who curricular departments or sports watched ‘em shut the door on together lifted an inter-wing QT teams to ensure food and me. cricket tournament under freebies during Oasis, APOGEE That year was arguably the floodlights six years ago get or BOSM, but without even worst ever for campus together in a remote old cabin in knowing it, we were entering placement featuring the likes of the Shenandoah Valley, sanity is institutions that were to shape ‘Loharu Precision Screws’ and severely compromised. We our persona and soft skills over many of us second-sem-on folks sang, we swore, we laccha-ed, the next few years, through found our first jobs attending we barbequed, we played hands on lessons in human interviews outside BITS. The cricket, and we ‘combined- behaviour, teamwork, time/ BITSian fraternity was an crash’ed. A CC, where I live money management and leader- immense source of support and now, is mistaken for a gay ship. In my opinion, this stage of encouragement through these gangbang, but this has to be one BITSian metamorphosis is one trying times. Following this, at of the stronger BITSian of the reasons our colleagues our first jobs and grad schools traditions, especially practiced

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GENERAL INTEREST before tests, or in the Controlz (I’ll and Rec ‘n Acc booths and in probably Artndee’s M17 during Oasis and remember APOGEE. Some of my more these words famous D’s came about for as long following a night-out session as I live), before a winter test-series that “Machaan, first took me to ANC, and then I don’t transformed into a CC. But know how before I digress further, I must to tell your mention that a BITSian reunion buddies of this kind (when you’re still this, but it’s lucky enough to be bachelors) is not very really good for the soul and I cool to would highly recommend it. rehearse on stage There are so many great stories during the you tend to forget if not actual Prakash Manley & Co. during their laccha session refreshed periodically, like my program”. CoStAA body meeting with our My befuddled response was Like we’d been given play beloved GSu who blew a fuse “Ooo aah… They aren’t money and asked to do small when we suggested screening rehearsing, umm… ‘tis the real tasks that are represented in real- LD movies to raise funds for thing we’re seein”. He said “Oh! life at a much larger scale. There APOGEE ’01. He strongly uhh… wokay” before he were no real dangers if you suggested that we CoStAAns get skedaddled out of the Bhavan to made a mistake… If you were our behinds on the BITS cable save his dignity. This goes to all fired from a post, your life channel and do a cabaret the ‘98 batch folks who lived in didn’t come crashing down; if instead. I always admired him MB, Shankar, Vyas, Krishna, you were incompetent, the worst for making a single-handed Ram or wherever in the 1998-99 that could happen to you was effort at restricting a belligerent academic year… You will all verbal mayhem at GSu’s office; bunch of BITSians. Though we forever be undecided on which apart from it all, you had a lot of of your Bhavan’s nights was the fun learning. Please feel free to were going with the flow then, best that year, but we at Gandhi correct me if I’m wrong, but my and didn’t want to break the will confidently tell you that opinion is that the soundest tradition of screening LD ours was the worst ever, and we principles we maintain in our movies at the auditorium, quiet are proud of it. We even have lives are from lessons we retrospective thought tells me far more memories of it so there. enjoyed learning, or had hands that ‘American Pie’ and ‘Wild on experience with. This may be Things’ had no business echoing Each of us has actively why many of us have better down those Hallowed Halls participated in organizational human skills than Mech. Sol during a nationally acclaimed activities whether it was fundamentals, and it seems ‘Academic’ festival. The other Bhavan’s night or Music night, logical to me that once a person story we refreshed in vivid detail Sangamam, BOSM, Interface, has developed the core of a good at this particular get-together of Oasis or APOGEE. I have human being, he can add on ours was one of the worst discussed this with several other functions with relative executed Bhavan’s nights any of batch-mates and other BITSians ease, and is better equipped you have ever seen… Gandhi who graduated recently (class of overall, to handle the hurdles of night ’99 (‘Saturnalia… Beauty 2002 and later), and many think a world that’s predominantly amidst Chaos’ it pleased us to what they have seen of the human. call it). Now, I’m not being corporate world is on the same ♦ entirely disloyal… We had a lines as what we experienced at Prakash can be reached at smashing stage and backdrop Pilani. I always liked to think of [email protected] and a terrific common room BITS as a cocoon, or a play entrance, but when our first school, where we were delivered program began, one Bhavan a lot of life lessons in a senior stepped up to me and said comfortable, friendly setting.

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GENERAL INTEREST

BY BUVANA DAYANANDAN (’86 MMS) Confessions of a BITSian Woman Tips from a BITSian on making one’s career work while striking a work- personal life balance.

My name is Buvana Dayanandan and I am a 34 year old woman with a wonderful family and 2 beautiful children - 5 and 2. The past five years of my life have primarily been about being a mom. I am sure many women of my age can relate to that. Prior to having kids, I had a flourishing career in a consulting firm specializing in projects for Wall Street firms where I grew from being a Consultant to a Technical Services/Business development Manager with a portfolio of engagements at JP Morgan, JW Seligman, AIG, Chase etc. Subsequent to that, I made a conscious choice of taking a slow-down in my career upon having the kids, as well as Day by day, I evaluate my feed them dinner while he is working moving to the West Coast owing performance in each of these areas late at work. Bottom line, being the to my husband’s (also an and some days I can say I did spouse of a working mother, puts BITSIAN) job at Juniper wonderfully and some days pressure on the men folk too. Hence, Networks. Through all these life terrible at both. But these are a very good understanding of roles changes I had consciously put some of the realities of life. and responsibilities is imperative to my career in the back burner, Interestingly, I did try to be a stay- make it work. and took some consulting at-home mom but found that it assignments at Cisco Systems, a was not for me. So, for all those Be aware that being a woman does very family friendly place - young women out there- pose some real-life challenges working from home, flexible especially from BITS, we know especially with family, children and timings etc. we are as good as other men (and pure societal pressures. women) in their undisrupted I don’t regret my choices one careers. Here are the key takeaways from my bit. However, now that the child post BITSian life experiences that I bearing years are behind me, my How do I make it work? I work a would like to share with the women hunger and passion for self relatively short day at work- 9 to 6 as well as interested men: growth and achievement come and then catch up on some more back at me with a fury. Now, I work after the kids go to sleep. I „ If you have plans for graduate am a full time employee at a have also hired a nanny to help me studies, chalk them out clearly high tech firm trying to make a with the pick up of the kids from and take into consideration things mark and perform roles that are school and hence allowing me to such as education loans etc. It strategic and progressive. It is be late at work if there is a need to was not financially viable for my not easy, with the kids. The be on-site. My husband and I family to sponsor my education balance between trying to be stagger our work timings, I try to abroad so I took some education 100% at work and giving 100% leave early so that he can drop the loans. as a mom is not easy to achieve. kids at school and I come home to

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GENERAL INTEREST

„ Clear communication with plateau at that level and take „ Enlist the help of your spouse your family about your off from there after the child from the beginning (before and plans: This is so that they bearing is over. after kids): These are changing can consider those early on. times with more families where Setting expectations, even „ Pick companies carefully: both parents work. We need our with parents, is not a bad Try to choose companies husband/significant other’s idea at all; along the lines of around the time you are ready support. After all, child rearing is ‘I want to work for at least a for a family; try to be with a a responsibility of both parents. couple of years before company that is very family We are the first generation of getting married etc.’ I do friendly. Having said that, women who have these realize that it is not that now even Management challenges especially since many acceptable for some consulting firms such as Booz of us live abroad and do not have families that are very Allen Hamilton, are known the support structure of parents to conservative. Once you are for their women friendly help us take care of the kids and married, of course, you work policies. realize our professional goals. I have to work with your have a friend who has her parents husband about your plans. To Dos living with her and they drive to Make your husband drop and pick the kids from „ Communicate your goals: aware of your goals school and most of us know what Hope that he is aware of Be aggressive in your a luxury that is and one that most your long-term goals- pre-children years of us don’t have. So, for all you career, children etc. and you Know your key values men that are reading this article, are jointly planning your your support and understanding Enlist the help of your goals (just as he should plan spouse from the is paramount to the success of his). After all, if your career beginning your woman. Behind every takes off, he may have to be successful woman, is a man that Pick companies that a househusband taking care helps out and works at making value work-life balance of the kids! the whole work.-life balance

viable? „ Be clear on a long term „ Be aggressive in your pre- strategy and the kind of work children years: Then set One may ask if that dilutes both that you like to do. It is the stage for cruise control parties’ abilities to reach further since especially important for during the childbearing it is a balancing act. That may be true women, since if you are like years. Stick with the in the short term. What makes it work me, who like a sense of company that you had been is communicating clearly with each achievement both in their prior to having your other and it’s so much about splitting career as well as in their children so you could responsibilities 50/50. Life is a relay family. race where one partner makes up for

the other and hopefully, the team wins „ Know your key values: Very in the end. important – know what

motivates you? Don’t get „ Above all, realize it is not going swayed by what society to be easy but that you along with expects you to do especially your spouse and your support about your being a mother or structure (nanny, parents and a woman. As a mother, you whoever else) could make it will always do the right for work and make the best out of your child; be it a stay-at- your situation. home or a fulltime working

mother. You and only you Good luck! can know what works best for you. ♦ Buvana can be reached at [email protected]

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RESEARCH & INNOVATION

BY RAJ R RAO (’88 BIO-CHEM) Embryonic Stem Cells: Promises and Challenges Human embryonic stem cells have garnered a lot of public scrutiny primarily because of their potential for cell-based therapy for alleviation of different diseases. The potential is huge; however, there are enormous challenges for the research community. Interdisciplinary approaches are thus necessary for moving this field forward and for helping prove its potential.

The bioengineering of tissues, medicine, is fast emerging as a now called regenerative science and technology with the potential to revolutionize the for obvious ethical and moral specialized islet cells for use in future of biomedical therapies. reasons. diabetic patients. The diseases The hope is that specialized cell that can be treated are thus types can be obtained and used THE PROMISE OF endless. In addition to their to regenerate specific body parts proposed use in cell-based or organs. One of the critical STEM CELLS therapy, these cells constitute an issues is that of cell source and Stem cells have gained attention excellent in vitro model system this is where embryonic stem primarily because of their for understanding the first steps cells are stepping into the potential applications in the in development towards the limelight. treatment of different chronic formation of a human being. diseases and possible This model system also serves in EMBRYONIC STEM transplantation options. For understanding, prevention and example; one can produce treatment of birth defects. CELLS neurons that secrete dopamine Additionally, of specific use in These are cells that are formed for use in Parkinson’s patients. the pharmaceutical industry is in the first few stages after One can also produce the potential for these cells and fertilization, from which develop all of the 220 different About Raj Rao cell types that constitute the Dr. Raj Rao is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical human body. Stem cells are thus and Life Science Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University in vitro equivalents of cells School of Engineering. The work in his laboratory focuses on found in the developing embryo transcriptional profiling of human embryonic stem cells with the goal and have the capacity to divide of understanding pluripotency, early differentiation and genomic indefinitely in a laboratory instability. His work deals with the integration of basic stem cell setting. When subjected to biology and rational engineering design principles towards developing specific cues, they are capable the enabling technologies for stem cell research and applications. of producing different cell types, and this characteristic is Dr. Rao received a BE(Hons) Chemical Engineeing and MSc (Hons) classically defined as Biological Sciences degree from BITS Pilani (1993), MS in ‘pluripotency’. In the mouse, Biotechnology from University of Texas at San Antonio (1996) and these cells have also been shown PhD in Biological Engineering from the University of Georgia (2001). to produce offspring, experiments that cannot and More information can be found at www.egr.vcu.edu/ce/faculty/ce- should not be done in the human faculty_rao.html

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RESEARCH & INNOVATION derivatives to constitute cell- least important wish is that they forward. Technical advances in based assays in the identification be safe, when used in therapies. molecular and cell biology, of drug targets and testing of combined with bioinformatics potential therapeutics. FUTURE OF STEM tools is providing opportunities for greater biological knowledge THE STEM CELL CELL RESEARCH and understanding of stem cells. Recent studies have focused on Simultaneously, advances in WISH LIST identifying key genes and biomaterial and bioreactor For stem cell researchers, there molecules that define a stem technologies will aid in are some key questions that need cell. These will help in not only promoting applied engineering to be addressed and these can be developing methodologies for approaches to meet the needs of considered as a stem cell maintaining stem cells in their cell expansion, while preserving application wish list. Firstly, nascent state but also in the biological attributes of the depending on the application, it developing directed desired product. is important to make as many differentiation strategies for cells of the required type as producing specialized cell types. possible. Issues related to scale- Numerous studies over the past LAB RESEARCH up of manufacturing processes few years have demonstrated the The Stem Cell Bioengineering and preservation of biological proof of principle of deriving Laboratory is located in the products needs to be addressed. specialized cell types. An often School of Engineering at From a therapy perspective, it is overlooked area of study is the Virginia Commonwealth important that many of these genetic integrity of embryonic University. Research in my lab survive in an in vivo setting and stem cells. It is imperative that is at the interface of biology and more importantly not be subject this issue is addressed as one engineering, with the goal of to any rejection due to the host cannot use cells that are developing the enabling immune system. It is also genetically compromised in any technologies for stem cell important that they are stable in therapeutic setting. Our group, research. Systems biology culture and in vivo; and once along with others recently approaches are being used to injected into the body, they published data that highlights characterize and evaluate stem should continue with the natural the need for preserving the cells, so that we can develop differentiation process. From a genetic integrity of human appropriate step-wise processes researcher point of view, it is embryonic stem cell lines. for differentiation. Additionally, useful to have a stable funding, Interdisciplinary approaches we work on engineering micro- ethical and regulatory between scientists, clinicians environments to maintain stem environment. Lastly and not the and engineers are thus needed to cells or to differentiate them into move this fascinating field specialized cell types. ♦

BY KRISHNAN BALASUBRAMANIAN (BITS ’78) Computational & Mathematical Concepts in Arts & Sciences Summary of extramural Director’s lecture at IIT, Madras Aug 17, 2005

RD Burman’s mere nainaa ey Bhandon from the movie Ek song jaane kahaa.n gae vo din, saavan bhaadon, sung by Dhuje keliy were both hits of 1970 Raj Kapoor’s mera naam Kishore Kumar and a 1982 song their times and perhaps of all joker. Besides being great hits there mere beech main kaisa hai times. Then again, we have the do they have anything else in

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RESEARCH & INNOVATION

Krishnan Balasubramanian (BITS ’74) is a senior sculptural aesthetics of the Pallava Empire. A recurring computational chemist at Lawrence Livermore National mathematical pattern that Laboratory, a professor emeritus at Arizona Stat University, emerges from many of these an adjunct professor at California State University East Bay temple sculptures is the union of and an affiliated scientist of Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. concepts of symmetry, He received his MSc(hons) from BITS in Dec 1977, a MA and asymmetry and duality. For PhD from Johns Hopkins in 1980 and a post-doctoral example there is overall associate with Lawrence Berkeley national Lab. He has won symmetry of the flanking several honors and awards that include Alfred P. Sloan dancers and yet the niches have fellow, Camille & Henry Drefyus Teacher-Scholar, Fulbright some asymmetry and duality distinguished professor, elected member of International built into them as if there needs Academy of mathematical chemistry, and Lawrence to be a global balance beyond Livermore exceptional service award. An author of over 500 the usual symmetry. By duality I journal publications and 2 books, Balasubramanian lives in mean on one side you have an the bay area, CA and enjoys photography, music, poetry, image of a young person and the yoga, philosophy and hiking. other side an old. Some times you find the image of a demon For further info, see http://www.public.asu.edu/~baluk and the other side an angel. In a more general sense I explored the role of symmetry, common? Well they are all such as machine or cognitive asymmetry and duality in similar in tune or melody, as perception of music but also of India’s versatile and rich culture, they have a similar form in some pragmatic value such as in the religion and philosophy. While mathematical ways or they all field of computer aided drug we understand symmetry in derive from the same Hindustani discovery and molecular math as invariance under point Raga Shivaranjani. When we similarity. group operations such as tune our ears to these songs rotation, reflection, inversion, don’t we recognize a pattern or a Who said aesthetics is only for and improper rotation, concept mathematical form of melody artists and not scientists or and rhythm? This happens to be engineers? Is it not Number Theory the topic of my recent lecture at amazing that there could All numbers are created equal IIT Madras. be some latent Yet some are more prime. mathematical form in But then why some are real Professor V. Krishnamurthy, aesthetics? Is it possible And others are truly imaginary? retired deputy director and then that science and arts can a professor of mathematics had a really come together? Well All numbers are created equal strong early influence in shaping a part of my talk at IIT Yet all numbers are complex. my ability to see mathematical dealt exactly with that- the But then why some numbers and computational concepts in role of mathematical Are more rational than others? many fields, music, sculptures, concepts originating from movies, religion, Bollywood or symmetry, asymmetry and All numbers are created equal Kollywood music to all duality with examples of And many numbers are integral branches of sciences. ancient temples of Chola But then why some are positive and Pallava of Tamil Nadu And others are negative? One of the central themes of my to Orissa temples. IIT lecture was such Consider one of the slides All numbers are created equal mathematical and also that I used in my And many numbers have values computational concepts in arts presentation shown as Fig But then why there is a number and sciences as the first part of 1. This is from Kailasa That’s zero like an empty tumbler? my talk. Quantifying similarity Nadha temple located in as in patterns of nature is part of Kancheepuram, a temple Are there equal numbers? non-numerical branches of town about a 2 hour hop Or is it only in my slumber computational science such as from Chennai. The temple That I see transcendental numbers artificial intelligence. The field stands out as a And the eternal infinity? is not only of aesthetic interest monumental piece of

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RESEARCH & INNOVATION of duality will be developed as a How does one quantify such a landmark papers on relativity. juxtaposition of contrasting qualitative or aesthetic fetaure? As we keep discovering new images, as a flanking or union of One way is to develop a set of elements, many of them yet to images of “demon” and “devil” rules under which two species be named such as 114 and 115 or “fire” and “water” or “shiva” can be related or even 2 ragas discovered at Lawerence and “shakthi” so as to bring may become related. Once the Livermore National Lab, equilibrium or global symmetry. rules are in place one can define relativity becomes more and Euclidian types of distances more important as the speeds of Mathematical and computational between species or molecules electrons of these elements Ideas were introduced in music and then use statistical methods increase resulting in a parabolic Theory using mathematical And such as clustering and principal relativistic effect as the atomic computer generation of ragas. A component analysis. number increases. I showed raga as we all know is the some exciting new properties of Backbone of melody and it is The lecture showed that such very heavy species as a the most fundamental part of interesting amalgamation of result of relativity. Indian music. So how many concepts from computer science, Ragas are really there? And are mathematics, quantum Look at the breadth of topics there new yet to be discovered mechanics, and biology could that I was able to speak on, Ragas. The answers for these lead to some very unique aesthetics, sculptures, music, intriguing questions are in perspectives. For example, how duality, similarity, relativity, combinatorics of raga formation a complex proteome of a living quantum mechanics, and enumeration. This can be organism such as rat’s liver cell bioinformatics, and of course done systematically using can be characterized using quantum chemistry. How in the polynomial generating functions complex algebra and how we world did I manage to talk about called raga inventory by can develop algorithms for the theory of Hindustani and considering various kinds of characterizing such complex 2d- carnatic music to pallava arohan (ascent) and avarohan gel patterns of complex array of architecture to relativity to drug (decent) The coefficients of thousands of proteins in a cell. design-all in one lecture? As I various terms in the raga deeply ponder over this inventory polynomial My second and final part of the question, I transcend back in enumerate the various types and lecture considered Einstein’s time to India, to Pilani and numbers of ragas. Then a theory of relativity and the vividly recollect the beautiful computer code was developed to nature of chemical bond in very saraswathy mandir and the BITS construct various ragas. heavy elements and newly clock tower. That is the beauty discovered superheavy elements. and versatility of the education Finally it was shown that there Significant portion of my that we have received as are 262,144 non-vakra or non- research deals with applications students of BITS. The greatest kinky ragas. This means the of relativity to the chemical boon that one can get to face the ascent and descent have bonding of molecules containing modern world filled with such uniformly increasing and very heavy atoms. Well, we all plethora of interdisciplinary decreasing frequencies. We have heard that all that glitters if not topics is truly a created a list of such non-kinky gold, did you ever wonder that multidisciplinary and broad ragas. Good news is ragas like gold glitters because of education that Pilani offered to shivaranjani, Bhoopali, relativity! Yes, you heard it us and continues to offer. I Malkauns, charukesi, and so on right, but for Prof Einstein the ended my talk with a poem that I are covered by the enumeration. beauty of gold would have been published in the Journal of But still ragas such as darbari buried into a blackish or Mathematical chemistry that kanada and Sri would not be silverfish look. The yellow summarizes a unique included as they are vakra ragas. glitter of gold is attributed to interdisciplinary culture that relativity due to increased BITS cultivates. My lecture then explored speeds of electrons of the gold ♦ quantifying similarity in the atom. As you admire all that context of molecular glittering golden jewelry, pay a architecture and drug design. tribute to Einstein for his

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The Quarterly BITSian

BY ANURADHA GUPTA (’86 MMS), K JOSEPH (’74 ECON) AND SHANKAR ANANTHANARAYANAN (’81) THE QUARTERLY BITSIAN BITSUNAMI TEAM Our response to one of nature’s biggest calamities – The South Asian Tsunami of December 2004. Our attempt to make a difference in the lives of people in two hard-hit Indian villages.

A lot of people have forgotten December 26, 2004, some the horror of the tsunami but the members of the BITSAA The BITSunami Team BITSunami team has been Chennai chapter met at the toiling away – even before we office of Sudeep Jain, IAS chose them as Quarterly (former collector of BITSians, they have managed to Nagapattinam, the district worst get a lot of media attention hit by the tsunami in India, and a including our own cover story in BITS alumnus himself) in the last issue. Venkat, the Chennai. Project Coordinator, put it rather succinctly, “Our actions speak "Will we be able to raise funds for themselves. The extensive to adopt a few villages? I can media coverage that the project take the responsibility of has received in newspapers like executing the rehabilitation the Hindu, Indian Express, I- measures, restricted to Newswire and various websites constructing houses and Visionary: Sudeep Jain IAS (’86 EEE) is doing us (BITSians and providing for means of Alumni) proud.” livelihood, like catamarans, Trustees: fishing nets, etc. Each village S C Babu (’73 ME Chemical) WHAT IS will require roughly Rs. 20 lakhs Ravin Kurian (’81) for this basic help." This was the A Shankar (’81) BITSUNAMI? introspective modus operandi K Srikanth (’88 Chemical) BITSunami is a BITSAA project proposed to the BITS alumni on Joseph Antony K (’74) that aims at the long-term the Jan 4th 2005 meeting, and the rehabilitation of two villages, seeds of BITSunami were sown. Executive Committee Naaluvedhapathy and Rauf Ali (’72) Pushpavanam in the The enthusiasm of the BITSAA PP Narendran (’85) Nagapattinam District of Tamil Chennai chapter and Sudeep’s M Subramanian (Civil) Nadu, India. personal commitment to raise Rajesh Bhaskar (’90 MMS) local funds and steer the Bhasker Ayer (’77 MMS) After the disastrous tsunami of initiative through the Dilip D’Souza (’76 EEE) bureaucracy led to the creation of a project Project Co-ordinator: report. Funding K S Venkateshwaran (’80 Mech/MMS) support emerged from the top corporate Advisory Committee organizations R Nagarajan (’64 Telecomm) including Wipro, HP, R Parthasarthy (’86 EEE) WeP, and Infineon. The government a desire to collect clothes, in the formally approved the words of S C Basu, moved from BITSunami initiative relief to rehabilitation to in this development sustainable development, and effort. What started as

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The Quarterly BITSian

It was also observed that the girl The members meet students invariably dropped out once a week to of schools from 8th standard review the progress onwards due to the lack of of the BITSunami Integrated The 2,54,464 trees planted Development program and to by the BITSunami trust chalk out future created a new Guinness plans. Several visits World Record for the most Boats built with the fishermen’s involvement have been made to trees planted on a single villages to get a first day. lead to the formation of the hand report on the progress. BITSunami Trust. proper toilet facilities. Toilet ACHIEVEMENTS Blocks for girl students were Galvanized by these efforts, For the nine months ending constructed in each of the 12 Vice-Chancellor Dr. October 2005, the BITSunami schools in both the villages, Venkateshwaran urged that the team has made considerable while ones for boy students are effort be spread over a longer progress on a series of fronts on their way. period to facilitate "integrated and contributed to the overall 4. Housing: Many villagers transformation'" of the two development of the adopted living along the coast had lost villages. He gave real impetus to villages. their houses to the fury of the the initiative by making 1. Land Reclamation: 125 tsunami. The BITSunami Trust Nagapattinam a Practice School acres of agricultural land at is constructing 37 houses of 300 station and BITS, Pilani Pushpavanam, which were square feet each in the village of extended wholehearted support. rendered unusable due to the sea Naluvedapathy. muck layer brought in by the 5. Plantations: To decrease PLAN OF ACTION tsunami, have been cleaned up. the impact of future tsunamis BITSunami has charted This feat was accomplished in thousands of tree saplings were planted in the two villages on development plans for every less than a fortnight’s duration nd sector of the village economy, to avoid the onset of showers the 2 of October 2005. The starting with sanitation and that would have rendered the 2,54,464 trees planted by the water supply, and extending to entire land unusable. BITSunami trust created a new agriculture, fishing, education, 2. Boats: 10 fiber reinforced Guinness World Record for the et al. These plans will be plastic boats were most trees planted on a single implemented over a five-year manufactured by period. setting up a boat- manufacturing unit at Though BITSunami's formal the fishermen’s colony style of functioning is still at Pushpavanam. emerging, it operates at three 3. Education: The levels: Trustees, Executive infrastructure at Committee and Advisory schools in the two Committee. The Executive villages was grossly Committee is led by Venkat, the inadequate. The Endowments and scholarships created to (outgoing) Project Coordinator BITSunami project motivate students and teachers (Venkat is leaving for the US handed over one new school day. after doing some excellent work building at Pushpavanam, and on this Project and we wish him 39 more classrooms at the other ROAD AHEAD luck). Srikanth tells us that the schools are under construction. With most of the activity Committee is working out a Desks were arranged for the relating to restoration of model through which it will be approximately 1800 students in livelihood having been able to tap the resources of the the 12 schools. Tanks have been completed, the BITSunami team alumni as and when they can constructed, and linked to water is already marching ahead. On contribute with their skill-sets. sources in all 12 schools. the anvil are Village Knowledge

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Centers for both villages that without fail for will disseminate valuable more than 2 hours. information to the villagers. The Hats off to them!” team is also planning Dairy Farm Units, designed to be Rauf Ali, the Yoda alternate livelihood means for of the team with his the agriculture dependent experience in rural villagers at the villages. Ideas development jokes,” for the formation of self help For somebody who groups, creation and has been involved management of knowledge with NGOs for centers, institution of decades, the scholarships and endowments interesting part is BITS PA 1 Students in a are been looked at. working with a Women’s Development Center bunch of techie IMPACT businessmen who come into this Take the building of clean, The achievements of the world with no background. The usable separate toilets for girls, BITSunami team speak for perspectives are new and it has a huge pay-off; you keep themselves. Wipro, a corporate refreshing. Sometimes they girls in school longer. Or getting sponsor, which initially cannot understand why a boat builder to actually set up promised 100 lakhs, has now biological systems do not shop in Pushpavanam right on committed 250 lakhs to the respond to management fundas! the beach, and produce the boats initiative. The response of the But BITSunami is a start to and to modify the design to the villagers is overwhelming. Even something big.” specs his actual customers the BITS Pilani PS program has wanted.” been transformed forever. Dilip D’Souza and Anuradha Probably for the first time, Gupta are now on the team. The BITSunami team is a bunch BITSians are now involving Dilip sums up very touchingly, of perfectly ordinary middle- themselves in social sector “I don't know of any other class urban Indians, much like projects right from their PS alumni effort like this one. This us, and yet in some ways they days. really is a measure of how much are doing their best to the tsunami affected these understand their country. Not According to R Nagarajan, a Chennai folks, how much they necessarily thinking about it that BITSAA Sydney member on the wanted to ‘do something’. But way, but doing it anyway. There team, “The secret of this most of all, how carefully they is something about ordinary excellent progress is the thought through what it means people doing extraordinary contagious enthusiasm of the to ‘do something’. Not band aids things. And who am I kidding. core BITSunami team. While and then go home but take up This also touches me because of visualizing the project and its the challenge of the long term. the BITS bond. team I had never dreamt that ♦ they would meet every Saturday

BITSAA East Coast Event raises $4000 for BITSunami The BITSAA East Coast Event on 29th October 2005 at New Jersey raised $4000 for the BITSunami project. This included $2300 that were raised by Pavilionshop.com by the auction of elegantly framed score sheet of the India vs Pakistan 2nd Test in 1999 in which Anil Kumble took all 10 wickets in a single innings - autographed by Anil Kumble himself. The organizers were Venu Palaparthi and Renchy Thomas; the auction commenced at $101 with Paddy Padmanabhan and Venu Palaparthi priming the interested parties ahead of the auction. As the bids climbed beyond $2000, the people that remained in the fray were Satish Paul, Neetu Nehra, and Pragati Panday. In the end, Satish Paul of Wissen Inc. became the proud owner of the memorabilia and also the biggest contributor on the day towards BITSunami with his winning bid of $2300. Renchy's presentation about the BITSunami Project and Paddy's repeated requests helped raise an additional $2000.

There is still a shortfall of Rs 8M. To contribute, please visit www.bitsunami.in

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BY PUSHKALA VENKATARMAN (’95 MMS) THE QUARTERLY BITSIAN IAS TOPPER – S NAGARAJAN Topping the prestigious IAS exam is just the beginning for S Nagarajan. We wish him luck as he takes his integrity and his resolve to bigger and better challenges to improve India’s socio-economic stature.

S Nagarajan (’00 EEE) leaves less than the IAS. For the 2005 is right now in training at Mussorie. you with an image of a exam he went all out and was The training at the academy lasts for hardworking and persistent "pleasantly shocked" to realize about 10 months. The day begins with individual, an individual who that he had topped the exam. PT at 6.00 a.m. There are daytime has set his mind on a goal and is classes on subjects like law, walking towards it resolutely. He admits, "Foremost, I felt happy management and public for getting into a service of my administration. Extracurricular After graduating from BITS, choice, than particularly for the activities range from firing to movies. Nagarajan decided to follow his first rank. It took sometime to lifelong dream of becoming an realize that the first rank was After this, he will be posted as a sub- IAS Officer. Having grown up something special. " divisional officer below a district. He in a district town, Nagarajan was will spend the first few years working aware of the key roles that He had chosen Geography and at the district level after which he district officers play in social Sociology as his subjects and expects to be posted to the State development. Watching many of joined coaching centers to Headquarters and then to the Central these officers at work, gave him strengthen his fundamentals: he Government. Nagarajan is eagerly an insatiable urge to join their was to compete with people who looking forward to the array of ranks and help in India’s possibly had several years of responsibilities in store. development. experience in their fields. During his preparation, he met Sudeep Nagarajan cherishes the times that he He took the Civil Services Exam Jain (86A3), the Corporation had with his wing. Especially the right out of BITS in 2000. He Commissioner in his hometown, junior batch Chemistry and MMS did not take up a job and instead who indicated it would be a long guys at Gandhi. He remembers the doubled his efforts when he did walk. He steadfastly walked on. invigorating lectures of Dr not clear the exam that year. In Gurunarayanan (see ‘Back to 2001, he succeeded and joined Nagarajan strongly believes that BITS’) and Prof SS Ranganathan. the Indian Railway Traffic every Indian is at war – a war His extra curricular activities included Service. Though this was no against time - to make India a stints at the mess committees. mean achievement, Nagarajan developed nation. By joining the would not settle for anything IAS and by being able to get Nagarajan feels that BITS should add directly greater depth in the existing courses, involved in especially in fields like public service, biotechnology, microelectronics and Nagarajan hopes specialized programs in business to win this war. management. He says that BITS higher degree programs should be If preparing for able to attract international students. the exam was He urges the younger BITSians to tough, life has dare to experiment and follow their only gotten instincts. tougher with the ♦ strict academy schedules for Nagarajan who

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The Quarterly BITSian

BY BASHYAM RAMASAMI (’95 ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY) Civil Services in India A brief on the Indian Civil Services that includes its history, the responsibilities and the lives of its officers. The article also discusses the career prospects in the civil services sector.

Growing up in a District were restricted only headquarters, I have to mention to the ‘British the awe and respect I held Sahibs’ and the towards the District collector, a extensive selection member of the so-called process took place saahibdom created by the in London. The British rulers of Imperial India. exam was The collector’s name would completely in come up in many a different English and it context. Someone invited to required an hoist the national flag at the extensive district sports stadium on knowledge of both National holidays. The chief British Laws and guest of honor at the school’s Indian Geography annual sports day. He was just and culture. It was about everything – the celebrity, not until much later the administrator and the super that the selection cop – all rolled into one. exams were also The IAS receives a constitutional guarantee and is held in Allahabad capable of exercising its executive power without To put things into perspective, and it was not until fear of persecution. Sardar Patel, a strong the District collector is really 1922 when Indians proponent of this 'steel frame‘, considered this an like the middle management in a were allowed to be essential element in unifying the nation. (Source: regular corporation. He belongs a part of the civil Wikipedia) to the cadre of officers referred service. to as the Indian Administrative and the officers who make it to the Service or ‘IAS’ for short. The The IAS replaced the ICS and the All India Services, on appointment by IAS and the other administrative pre-independence structure of all- the government of India, will be wings of the Indian Government India services, provincial or state deputed to different States and are at is one of the features left behind services and central or Union the disposal of the respective State by the colonial administration. government services was retained. Governments. These services include Previously referred to as the Despite the initial resentment by the Indian Administrative Service, the Imperial Civil Service, and later Pandit Nehru and Sardar Patel Indian Police Service (IPS), the as the Civil Service of India and towards the arm of governance Indian Forest Service and the Central finally from 1911 as the Indian under the British Raj, at the time Service, which among others includes Civil Service, this group of of drafting the constitution, the the most coveted Indian Foreign officers was the tiny need for this arm was extensively Service (IFS). Running the administrative elite of the felt. Sardar Patel argued for this administration of a vast and diverse British. These officers were wing of the bureaucracy referring country like India requires efficient appointed under section XXXII to it as the ‘Steel Frame’ and management of its natural, economic of the Government of India Act proposed that this body should be and human resources and that, of 1858 in the post ‘Sepoy vested with the authority to speak precisely, is the responsibility of the Mutiny’ era when the out freely, without any fear of civil services. Selection to the civil governance of India transferred persecution or financial insecurity. services in India has still not lost its from the East India Company Article 312 of the Indian imperial charm. Tens of thousands of completely to the Crown in Constitution led to the creation of young graduates even today are England. Initially these positions the All India Services Act of 1951

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The Quarterly BITSian willing to rough it out and chalk reform in Delhi’s Tihar Jail. Ms pressure to the day to day work of a their way into the Indian Vijayalakshmi Bidari was the civil servant. Administration. topper of the Civil services exams in the year 2001. Dr P C With rampant corruption in India, Many distinguished bureaucrats Alexander and Mr. T N Seshan civil servants have to bring with them who have done well in the are other well-known IAS officers a lot of personal integrity to get services include foreign who rose to positions of through their job. secretary of India, Ms Choklia prominence. Iyer, an Indian Foreign Services I would speculate that my sense of (IFS) officer and the first Civil servants not only rely on awe and my respect for the District woman to occupy the post in the their intellectual ability but also Collectors are more than justified. year 2000 as well as Ms Kiran on their people skills to be able to Bedi, IPS, the super cop who deal with situations. A lot of ♦ mooted the concept of prison media attention adds enormous

NEWS Mission to Mars… abort? Kanna Rajan Quits NASA

Kanna Rajan has quit NASA and has joined the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute as Principal Researcher for Autonomy. The Sandpaper 2.0 team had the opportunity to speak with Dr Rajan about his decision as well as some of his prior experiences and about what lies ahead.

Why did you decide to leave NASA?

NASA is going thru some major upheaval currently. Early 2004 President Bush tasked the agency to return a wo/man on the moon by 2020 to build and ensure a sustained presence on the lunar surface in preparation to go to Mars by 2040. This is, in effect, the first time in 30 years that the agency was destination driven rather than looking around for a way to justify its large $16 Billion budget in trying fiscal times.

With very large tasks at hand, in a tight fiscal climate with two wars (Iraq and Afghanistan) to support and with a looming federal deficit, NASA will more than likely not be able to achieve some of these goals under tremendous budgetary pressure.

To cut a long story short, it seems to me, that in this climate any kind of basic research that NASA used to be doing (far less something like Autonomous Systems [my area of interest]) is going to get the short end of the stick. After a decade of service it seemed to me, I had run out of steam in having to depend on the whims of Congress to fund basic research like what I do, which was being cut across the board anyway.

How is the “Mission to Mars” program proceeding? What repercussions does this have for the broader society?

The robotic missions to Mars are going well. Spirit and Opportunity continue to (after 1.5 years in very hostile conditions) perform well doing excellent science and returning copious amounts of data. Future Mars missions might be in some jeopardy given the tight budgetary conditions. The next rover mission to Mars, the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) in particular is discussing ways to alleviate the financial strain with a potential 2 year postponement of launch (from 2009) by stretching out its monies. Beyond that period it is difficult to predict what the conditions will be like for future robotic missions.

For that matter, the President’s vision to go to Mars also appears to suffer from this monetary strain. While the implication of current designs for the CEV are to make ensure it enables a future human-rated Mars mission, the agency is clearly not even thinking of that eventuality at this stage and simply focusing on getting the CEV off the ground by the 2010 dateline. While this is doable, there is widespread disappointment that the agency is squandering

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The Quarterly BITSian its money in trying to do something that has been done before and perhaps even repeat the mistakes of the past in the process. Further, the new direction has come with large layoffs in the very able contractor workforce at the agency and is now eating into the civil service (or tenured) personnel. Imminent Reductions in Force (RIF’s) of civil service employees at the 3 research centers (Ames in California, Glenn in Ohio and Langley in Virginia) do not bode well not just for the people involved but for the long term health of the agency and its fundamental and applied research areas. The impact to flight centers (Johnson in Houston, Goddard in Maryland and Kennedy in Florida) have been somewhat less; however even the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) where I had an office while working on MER, has had severe impact with a 600 person contractor layoff and a more recently announced 7% layoff from its own employees.

So while the intent has been to focus on getting back to the moon, the process of doing has appears to be very self-destructive and it is not clear whether the manned Mars mission will survive the loss of talent.

What were your key learnings during your time at NASA?

Fundamentally, that one has to take risks to make an impact. By nature if you’re doing something that doesn’t bother (or more aptly ‘piss off’) someone that means you’re not making an impact. The objective function for me all this time was to have the agency do business in a radically new way, using (in my case) advanced AI based technologies. I am satisfied I’ve made that impact and I have the necessary proof of that in terms of the paradigm shift in mission operations I’ve seen over my tenure not to mention the two medals (the agency is pretty stingy in awarding individual awards; getting one is difficult in of itself).

Second, it pays to work with smart people and to work in small tight teams with small(er) budgets to accomplish complex tasks. The overhead of communicating and ensuring that there is a consistent message within a team that is under severe stress is simply untenable without a shared understanding that comes only when everyone’s not on the same page. Smaller budgets also mean one is more creative in approaching problems and under tighter constraints to deliver a usable end product not subject to laxity because of undue confidence in being able to throw money at a problem. While this is counter to the prevailing trend in industry, this approach has done wonders for me.

Third, doing something innovative implies a sound mix of theory and practice, which tend to drive one another. Finding interesting practical problems to solve drive interesting research problems that leads to further innovative research as a multiplicative factor. More importantly it ensures that what we as researchers and scientists do, is always exciting and on the cutting edge. Principle’s like these have what made NASA Ames the premier research laboratory in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics.

Looking ahead, what will you be focusing on?

Focusing my attention on the Oceans instead of in Space.

My aim is to build intelligent underwater robots that will be able to adaptively orient themselves to solve major puzzles in science on how the Oceans actually work. To date, Oceanography still works the way Darwin did it more than a 100 years ago. The Ocean scientist wants to observe a specific phenomena and builds or uses a science platform (like a tethered Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), an “Autonomous” Underwater Vehicle (AUV), floats, moorings and sledges) to troll the water world in search of natures secrets in the biological, chemical and physical domains. In the process s/he is able to get point data, which might be able to show how a specific phenomena in a specific region (say the Monterey Bay) unfolds itself to human understanding. But this in no way provides a larger understanding of large-scale phenomena with potentially global spatio-temporal scales. As a result there is a lot of

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The Quarterly BITSian scientific conjecture in how basic processes like nutrient flow in the mid-water column, or the flow of Iron and Nitrates from human impact in the littoral areas, or the impact on the oceans of large scale carbon-dioxide in the atmosphere due to emissions on land, are really well understood. So for instance, there is some consensus that CO2 emissions from the dawn of the Industrial age have resulted in a net increase in the pH (more acidic) of the oceans. However, what does it mean in terms of how the biological, chemical processes have changed over time? And what does it mean for the future of the planet?

What are the challenges in the science & technology arenas in the US given the rise of Asian powers?

Fundamentally, the US is (and will continue to be) lagging behind in generating more science and engineering graduates who will be in a position to make future advances in Physics, Chemistry and the Biological sciences. This coupled with the fact that fundamental research in science and technology is barely being recognized by this administration as well as Congress implies that the US is guaranteed to drop in terms of advances in this critical area. With increased restrictions on incoming foreign students post 9/11, it is already compounding the problems above only making things worse.

There was a time in the recent past, when the US could assume that foreign students would pore into US universities and stay to contribute to the economy here. However with all of the above (and other) issues which aren’t coming to the top of the stack of our lawmakers, it is clear that not only Asian (and perhaps European) universities are attracting very good talent, many of them expatriates who are returning to their home countries armed with the knowledge, discipline and a deep understanding of where the state of the art in science and technology is, it is quite clear that non-US universities are only going to become dominant at the cost of those in the US. This will have a direct and quite near term impact to their own economies.

This is not a hypothetical scenario; we’re seeing increased science/technology funding in European research laboratories with increased and innovative research especially in the biological sciences, including those dealing with Stem Cell research as well as pharmaceuticals where they’ve already had a traditional hold in advanced research. We’re also seeing the old “Asian tigers” like Korea increasingly flexing its muscles in this arena make huge multi-billion dollar investments in doing big science. Japan is once again the home of the worlds fastest super- computer used for Atmospheric modeling and China is increasingly attracting high-powered academics from top US universities like MIT, Cornell, Princeton back to their own universities.

The fundamental problem has less to do with dollar amounts funded (although that is critical); the issue rests with the vision of what the place of the United States is, in this world which isn’t solely based on how big a nuclear powered Navy it has or the number of smart weapons and soldiers it can deploy in the far reaches of the world. ♦

The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI)

Founded in 1987 by David Packard, the mission of MBARI is:

“to achieve and maintain a position as a world center for advanced research and education in ocean science and technology, and to do so through the development of better instruments, systems, and methods for scientific research in the deep waters of the ocean. MBARI emphasizes the peer relationship between engineers and scientists as a basic principle of its operation. All of the activities of MBARI must be characterized by excellence, innovation, and vision. For more information, please visit: http://www.mbari.org/

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CommunityService

BY PRASHANT MOHAN (’94 MATH-EEE) The diljales make a difference The diljale wing’s experiences with identifying and helping with meaningful social causes.

The Maths-Eco-Instru wing of every weekend the ‘94 batch, we call ourselves in the school – the diljales. Why diljale, you reading out ask. Well, that’s a another lessons to blind matter and not quite relevant to students this article. In 2004, we felt the studying their urge to do something significant B.Sc or B.A. as a group to make a difference in the lives of others. But, we Besides the knew that none of us had the funding part for time to give it our undivided the school, we attention. The best way to do also searched some community work was to for information find a suitable organization and pertaining to help them with their financial education of the Visually impaired children with their teacher needs. We had to evaluate the visually various organizations and the impaired. We went through Dehradun to contact the causes for which they worked; some of the course work for the National Academy for the Blind we had met people from an school and analyzed the gaps and send in some map aids for organization that helped to between teaching aids available the students. educate children in slums. We internationally and what could evaluated another organization be used in this school within the A year later, we visited the that worked for gay and lesbian budgetary constraints. We school to check the utility of our rights in India – we decided looked up on the Internet and donation. It was extremely there were much more burning found some useful but small satisfying to see our funding issues in India right now! steps that could be used to being put to such good use. The Finally, we zeroed in on a blind improve the lives of these kids were happily punching into school – the Shri Ramana students. The principal and their Braille slates; their Maharishi academy for the founder of the school, Shri T V innocence so overwhelming. blind. Srinivasan, was very open- minded and always encouraged The greatest lesson we’ve learnt Shri Ramana Maharishi me to talk to the children and from this exercise is that the academy for the blind in enthuse them into vocational poor and disabled people of our Bangalore is one of the premier education so that they could country don’t need our blind schools in the country. survive in the external world on sympathy – they need self- They are involved in training their own. All wingies from respect – we can create that and educating three hundred Bangalore visited the school to equitable society for them by visually challenged students study where our donations could just providing them with the every year besides a lot of work be best used. We narrowed tools they can use to achieve this in the rural side where they down our search to the use of goal. rehabilitate leprosy patients as Braille slates that the Principal ♦ well. also recommended as a worthy Prashant can be reached at tool. Within a month’s time, we [email protected] To test the authenticity of the were able to collect around fifty organization, I volunteered as a thousand rupees that was reader in the blind school. It enough to buy Braille slates for started as a small step of just every student in the school. We spending a couple of hours also contacted a friend in

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BITSAA Initiatives

BY THE BITS2MSPHD TEAM MIT, Stanford, or Caltech? On a Scholarship? Every year hundreds of BITSians apply to science and engineering programs at graduate schools outside India. And every year, BITSians wrestle with the same old problems and questions: To app or not to app. Which universities to app to? Which programs to app to? The BITS2MSPHD initiative offers advice to BITSians to help them get admitted to the world’s best schools.

The graduate school application alumni who have attended the the BITS brand in the eyes of process in BITS has never really top graduate schools. This MS/PhD admissions been coordinated with each new global network of alumni who committees. Ultimately, the batch of students at BITS having have gone through the grind of best grad schools should to re-learn the same things that the apping process are in the actively seek out BITSians as their seniors did years ago. This best position to offer help and graduate students; an applicant year, Abhishek Kamath (‘05 guidance. from BITS should immediately EEE, currently at Stanford stand out from among the University) – after going According to Prof Richard hundreds of other international through the harrowing procedure Newton, the Dean of the College candidates applying to the same of applying to grad school – program. founded a group called Greenmile to help future batches The BITS2MSPHD team has with their applications. This already made progress on group later became the several fronts. Apart from an BITS2MS/PhD initiative, informative website and an modeled after the similar active group, alumni have been BITS2BSchool initiative, which building the BITS brand at their has been very successful in graduate schools. Amol Bakshi helping BITSians get admits to ('97 CS, PhD USC) has been the best business schools in the working with the administration world. at USC to highlight top BITSians as possible candidates The main objective of the of Engineering at UC Berkeley, for the MS/PhD Program at BITS2MS/PhD initiative is to the number of Indian applicants USC. Recently, Dr.Raghurama ensure that more and more to top school in US has been (Dean, Admissions and BITSians are offered admissions coming down due to better Placements, BITS Pilani) visited to the world’s top graduate opportunities in India. In Dean USC and alumni in the Valley schools each year. The Newton’s words: “…more and and was apprised of the BITS2MS/PhD team includes more BITSians should apply to BITS2MSPHD effort. He has UC Berkeley” offered the use of his office to BITS2MS/PhD coordinate activities of the In the short term, the group. Website: http://bits2mpshd.net BITS2MS/PhD team plans ♦ on helping students with To join the mailing list go to: their applications, groups.yahoo.com/group/bits2msphd providing advice, Total Members: 448 (as of Oct ’05) answering questions, etc. and improving the value of

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BITSAA Initiatives

BY ASHISH GARG (’97 INSTRU) BITSAA Women’s Council BITSian women get-together to empower each other, lead and succeed.

BITSAA Women's Council is a fostering a healthy family and newly formed organisation that pursuing their personal interests. aims to provide a "platform of The motivation for the council is connections, resources and the prospect of creating a opportunities for BITSian pipeline of women to fill women." It believes that, with leadership positions in an appropriate support system, corporations. the BITSian woman can successfully achieve her family Planned Activities dreams and career goals. The fledgling organisation has already identified a number of activities: The mission of the „ Discussions on the e-group Women’s Council on topics ranging from is to empower work-life balance to careers for moms to women BITSian women worldwide BITSian women entrepreneurs. and so on. worldwide to „ Prominent BITSian „ Online Mentoring Cells for Women': A campaign to facilitating general and achieve their track down and give personal counselling for dreams through recognition to BITSian women. BITSian networking women who have excelled „ Facilitating business in their respective fields. networking. and leadership. „ An Online Resource Library to archive and Sign up at The idea shines stark in provide access to some groups.yahoo.com/group/bits relevance today, when women great resources- articles on aa-woc various issues, inspiring are faced with tough choices and ♦ challenges in everyday life in stories, personal balancing career aspirations, experiences, a directory of

BY ASHISH GARG (’97 INSTRU) BITS.aid Sudip Dutta (’95 Mech) plans to revolutionize how BITSians contribute to the community. An exciting new community focused initiative.

Sudip Dutta is alike most of us BITS.aid is a community to AID BITSians. Loves to laccha, all BITSian volunteering Sudip saw that somewhere deep gussed tons of classes at BITS activities. It is the global face of within, many of us have the urge and has done his time outside BITS volunteering program. The to do something that would the Meera Bhavan gate. vision of BITS.aid is to be a change the world but we don’t strong Alumni Volunteering know how to go about doing it. However, as a founding member Community leveraging the BITS That is the objective of BITS.aid of BITS.aid he wants us to Pilani alumni network and - to provide BITSians an “Think, Feel and Act” and volunteering activities through interface to interact with each here’s how. excellent management. other in an efficient way to

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BITSAA INITIATIVES

„ Shaping new projects from BITS.aid is already working ground up. with five different BITSAA „ Manage your activities with projects such as BITSunami at collective knowledge. BITSAA Chennai, „ Provide a robust platform Swadheen/Vigyan Ashram in for project leaders in New York and India, the Future reaching out to the BITSAA Focus Foundation at network to locate and enroll Bhubaneswar. volunteers. Sign up & More info If you would like to volunteer for BITSAA projects, BITS.aid www.bitsaa.org/BITSaid/ can help you by: „ Providing information about Sudip Dutta (BITS ’95) More information on projects ongoing projects in your can be found at: geographical area through www.bitsaa.org/BITSaid/proje take small steps together and our database. cts.php make a big impact. „ Finding volunteering activities that you may be ♦ If you want to start a community interested in. project, BITS.aid aims at „ Get in touch with other helping you by: BITSian volunteers in your „ Guiding you through new area. initiatives.

BY ASHISH GARG (’97 INSTRU) BITSAA 30 Under 30 Awards An award to be given to thirty BITSian students or alums under the age of 30 every three years. It is open to BITSians graduating from all campuses and distance learning programs.

Panelists for Thirty Under Thirty Awards

BITSAA believes that the All members of the BITSian feel free to nominate yourself if recognition that BITS Pilani accords community including students, you are a student or alum so we to its young rising stars will alums, faculty or staff members know of your accomplishments. showcase our talent and provide are eligible to nominate The awards are being given for them greater exposure, while deserving students or BITSian the following categories: serving as role models for others. alums for these awards. .Please „ Professional Excellence

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BITSAA INITIATIVES

„ Leadership „ Innovation To nominate someone for the „ Entrepreneurship „ Community BITSAA 30 Under 30 awards „ Academia/ Research & „ Sports go to http://202.65.140.53:4004/ Development or send an email to „ Arts & Culture The awards will be announced [email protected] „ Writers on November 15. ♦ „ A Culture of Winning

BY ASHISH GARG (’97 INSTRU) BITSAA Silicon Valley Elections BITSAA Silicon Valley becomes the first BITSAA chapter in US to elect executives through a democratic process.

BITSAA Silicon Ramankutty, the chapter Valley Chapter BITSAA Silicon Valley Chapter framed a constitution (aka (SVC) has come a by-laws) and received a long way since its Website: www.bitsaa-svc.org US Government non- inception about six profit 501c3 status last years ago. What To Join the Mailing List go to: year. The by-laws lay started out as a small http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bits-svc/ down the rules and gathering of the 1975 regulations for the batch and friends for Founded in: 2000 functioning to the chapter a Millennium Party in including the 2000 has now grown Current Members: 250 (Registered) administration of a to be one of the 802 (On mailing list) democratic process for biggest BITSAA election of new Executive chapters in the world. President: Chandra Bhople (’74 EEE & MMS) and Board of Directors. Silicon Valley being [email protected] the centre for Secretary: Ashish Garg (’97 Instru) Deepu Rathi (Secretary, technology and [email protected] BITSAA SVC) and innovation, BITSAA CFO: Amit Khetan (’94 Eco & CS) Nachiket Deshpande (’92 Silicon Valley is [email protected] Phy & CS) led the home to a number of Election Commission that highly successful and Board of Directors: elected the following well-known BITSians Jayan Ramankutty executive board for the like Vivek Paul, Prem Deepu Rathi year 2006-2007. Jain, Naveen Jain, Prem Jain Thampy Thomas, Roop Jain „ President: Chandra Prof Krishna Satish Gupta Bhople (’74 EEE & Saraswat and may Vinod Agarwal MMS) more. The „ Secretary: Ashish BITSConnect project Garg (’97 Instru) that started out as a project to also had its roots in the Silicon „ Chief Financial Officer: wire the BITS Pilani campus Valley. Amit Khetan (’94 Eco & and ended up becoming a Computer Science) movement that connected Thanks to the efforts of the ♦ thousands of BITSians around founding President of BITSAA the world for a common cause Silicon Valley, Jayan

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BITSAA INITIATIVES

BY BITSAA CHAPTER & EVENT ORGANIZERS PARTYIN’ AROUND THE WORLD

in Milpitas, CA, people met old The final and most awaited part, RECENT friends, made new friends, and engaged BITSAA in lachcha. About 180 BITSians and EVENTS spouses of all age groups showed up, from the batches of HYDERABAD the 50s and 60s Winning over ISB…in right down to the defeat: BITS Pilani lost the late 90s and beyond. Sierra Atlantic Cup 2005 match Prem Jain’s stylish 0 - 3 to ISB, but looked safari suit caught the outstanding in their new eye of several uniforms and gained enormous admirers, and the BITS-ISB Footer match respect from ISB Director and ladies were looking the students who showed up. It absolutely delightful in their of the evening was the Music was a great match, led by colorful saris and salwar Nite. The organizers did a Kaushik Mukherjee of Pilani. kameezes. terrific job in a getting a live VK Menon, ISB Director said it band – EasternWinds – to was the best showing of any After an hour of mixing and perform as it really got the event by ISB students. He was matching around the BITSian crowd on their feet and dancing. very impressed with the network, the alumni were Boy was it something! BITSians organization, the smart uniforms ushered into the banquet hall, and their spouses performed and mementos. There were over where the event started. Karan several songs on stage to the 50 BITSian supporters. ISB has Bhople, the emcee and son of immense delight of the whole organized and invited BITS-only ’74 alumnus Chandra Bhople, audience. Vibha, wife of exclusive events around in India, took charge of the proceedings BITSian Jayan, Kohinoor, wife USA, and Canada to by giving a mirthful and advice- of BITSian Srijit, and Shalini, substantially increase 2006 filled intro to the event, and then an Eastern Winds band member, admissions. handed it to Deepu Rathi ('73). sang some lovable slow filmi Deepu then gave a very songs such as “Yeh Hain Reshmi We are thankful to Sierra informative presentation about Zulfon”, “Aage Bhi Jaane Na Atlantic Chairman, Raju Reddy what BITSAA’s latest efforts to Tu”, and “Yeh Mera Dil” while for his generous sponsorship of improve the campus have Siva, the founding member of the event. yielded. He then introduced our EasternWinds, Jayashree, wife keynote speaker, Cypress CEO of BITSian Vijay, Deepa, wife TJ Rodgers. of BITSian Pete, BITSian SAN Bharat from the ’91-’95 batch, FRANCISCO The next speaker, Jerry Singh and the rest of the EasternWinds BITS Annual Dinner: It was ('64), presented his that time of year again. Instead plan to “make the of filing our annual income tax Rajasthan Desert returns on time, we BITSians of bloom.” He the Silicon Valley Chapter described CDDT, an decided to throw a regular five- effort to bring star Pilani bash – the BITSAA effective irrigation SVC Music Nite 2005. April 9th to the desert was a night none of us will surrounding Pilani. forget in a hurry. In the ground floor of the Crowne Plaza Hotel T J Rodgers, CEO, Cypress Speaker at SVC event

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BITSAA INITIATIVES

conducted in June, for which 52 golfers ARIZONA showed up. Rahul Chilling out at Cold Stone Banerjee took the Creamery: Fourteen people Outline Systems' showed up at the Cold Stone trophy for best Creamery. Among those that golfer with his showed up were Anusha, overall score of 82. Kunal, Ankur (from Tucson), Uday Mahtani (TiE) Naveen, Siddarth, Shilpa finished with 85, (whom we have to thank for BITSAA SVC get-together which won him the arranging this event), Vidya and Radiant Systems Sanjay, Satyajant, Shiyam, singers performed famous hits trophy for second best golfer. Ram, Gopal and Neelu. such as “Chaiyya Chaiyya”, “Dil The Wissen Inc. "Longest Dooba” and “Gori Gori.” Drive" award was won by Jon It was fun to have 'intros' and Anand, BITSian from the ’95- Hilbert (TiE). His drive cleared catch up on some laccha! ’99 batch, perfomed a stirring 310 yards. BITSians Sandeep Thanks people for making it a and magnificent rendition of Nalgundwar, Jatinder Singh, success. “Vande Mataram” to the Alladi Srinivas, and Senthil raucous applause of the Kumar won the Nuware prize A special thanks to Neelu, audience, and everyone got up for the second best team. The Sanjay and Sara for being a part on their feet and showed off PavilionShop.com "Best Lady of the event. Hope to see you at mad dancing skills to the tune of Golfer" was Sheila many more events in future. EasternWinds’ “Aisa Jadoo Kuchibhatla. Also thanks to Ankur for Dala Re”. Finally, everyone was driving down from Tucson! amazed that the best dancers Many thanks to BITSAA Hope we can organize the next were also the senior-most sponsors Radiant, Wissen Inc., event somewhere closer to guests: Satish and Sujata. NuWare and PavilionShop.com Tucson. and to TiE sponsors GCI, The event was a huge success, KaizenTek and Outline Systems This group was created with the and everyone walked away for their support. main aim to socialize, relive feeling excited and a little some of the memories and have overwhelmed by it all. BITSAA urges everyone to fun. Also to get together to do Naturally, none of it would have support our sponsors, without some social work, network and happened had it not been for whose help the event would not learn some new skills and have Gopal Garg and Ashish Garg, have been successful. fun in the process. It looks like the two main organizers of the we are well underway! event, Karan, the MC, and the many BITSian volunteers: Pethe, Mansoor, Sharvari, Shashi, Mayur, Gurpreet, Nachiket, Lakshmi, Krishna, the second Ashish, and Unni. Kudos to them for putting together undoubtedly the best BITSAA SVC event in the chapter’s history. What a night!

More pictures: www.bitsaa- svc.org/bitsaa-svc/photos.htm

NAGPUR BITSAA-TiE Invitational Golf: The BITSAA-TiE East Arizona chapter get-together Coast Invitational Golf was

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BITSAA INITIATIVES

Contact: Shilpa Gupta ([email protected])

SYDNEY Cricket at BITSAA, Sydney Picnic: The Picnic in Bicentennial Park turned out to be a great event, with an attendance of 48 persons: 15 alumni and their families, including 18 children from the age of 3 to 21 years. We had excellent sunshine, a lovely lunch, cricket, games, chat, tea and photos.

We had the usual BITS style cricket at the picnic - tennis ball, two teams with anyone who Everyone bowled - some short Meet Dean (Engineering), wanted to play. As you will see overs, some normal overs, some UC Berkeley, Om Prakash: from the scorecard below, the Australian overs and some extra That’s what a twenty-something nd size and makeup of the two long overs. group of BITSians did on 22 teams were unusual. October 2005 at the India No, we did not select the Man of Community Center in Milpitas. The game started around 12 the Match, though I reckon we OmPrakash, commonly known noon, with Team One captained would have selected Aditya as Dean Richard Newton is an by Atul Sood going in to bat Ganesh for his top score. Australian by birth. Dean first. We stopped for lunch when Newton was re-christened Om Team One were declared all out; Big thanks to our spouses Prakash by his host family their score was 34 runs, with (which alumni should please during his visits to Kishangarh, Bapi the top scorer at 16 not out. pass on) and kids for making it a a tiny village right next to Pilani, Team Two captained by Nandu thoroughly enjoyable gathering. Rajasthan. Thundatil batted after lunch; they scored the requisite runs, Contact: R. Nagarajan Dean Newton charmed his with a wicket to spare. Aditya ([email protected]) audience with stories like these Ganesh was their top scorer and his sense of humor while with 17 runs. Silicon Valley taking everybody down the road of memories to Pilani. The group also discussed ideas on how UC Berkeley and BITS Pilani can work closely on projects like the ones undertaken by the Center of Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) at UC Berkeley. He also encouraged more and more BITSians to apply to UC Berkeley stating that in order to make Berkeley the best engineering school, he would like to see more bright Indian students apply and get accepted. ♦

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ClassNotes

BY BATCH REPRESENTATIVES Selected Class Notes Notes listed by BITS batch (entering year). For a full listing, please visit the “Classnotes” section on the BITSAA Sandpaper website.

daughters who are 11 and 6 years Consultancy Services for Non-Stop 1976 old. Please drop an email Technology. We are not sure if he ([email protected]) or give can take a break from his work. After completing my BE in me a call if you are in the area, 508- Mechanical Engineering in 1981, 842-4624. got a M. Tech. in Computer Science

& Engineering from IIT-Bombay in 2000 1985. Decided to move into the area 1997 Sarat Chandra (ET) is working of IC Design in 1988 and joined with Infosys and has been doing a CEERI, Pilani and I am still here. Aarthi Prabhakaran (Bio-MMS) lot of blogging off late. He has been Raj Singh lives in Pilani, India is currently working at AdventNet overwhelmed by the responses he’s Development Center (I) Pvt. Ltd, received to his blogs. To read his Chennai, as a technical writer. She blogs, please visit has been with this firm for about 1984 saratspeaks.blogspot.com. He two tears. Aarthi lives in Chennai, recommends his most acclaimed Pankaj Jain (‘Math-EEE) After Tamil Nadu, India with her work ‘I Love you Grand Pa’ in graduating from BITS I worked for husband, Bharath Kandasamy which he also mentions BITS. about 4 years in India (mostly (‘95 Bio-Chem). Chennai). In Dec. 2000, I completed http://www.bitsaa.org/sandpaper/cla my MBA from Babson College ssnotes/class%20notes.htm (www.babson.edu). I also started 1995 ♦ the bitsaa_ne_us_group yahoo group in Feb. 2001 for BITSIANS Jayant Dani is now leading the in New England Area. I have 2 Center of Excellence at Tata

Kesava Mallela (BITS ’98) used Google Maps to map the locations of his batch mates. Wonder what this’d look like for all BITS alumni? Any takers?

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