The BITSAA Edition

EDITORIAL Sandpaper BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine [2.0] BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine, Winter 2008

 Quarterly BITSian: Raj Sisodia

 CEL Mantra Awards 2007

 Piping hot: BITSAA news

Web 2.0 – Angels & Demons

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EDITORIAL BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine

THE BEGINNING BY ASHISH GARG (’97-’01 INSTRU)

what, she has her id listed newsletter, lead on-campus T S five thirty AM on the for public view. Two seconds teams, wrote cover stories and I ’ later I am sending her an email hand-produced this entire issue Eleventh of December, Two asking her if she would like to from scratch. Little-boy-no- Thousand Seven. I am home. In meet for coffee later that day. more Dileepan is now ready. To Dehradun. I landed in India two take over the magazine to even days ago at the New Delhi This is Web 2.0 in action. Or greater heights. Airport and then took the that is what Sandpaper’s young arduous ride lasting two hundred editors Arun Maharaj and Uzma So here it begins. The wait, in and seventy one kilometers to Barlaskar will have you believe. suspense, for Sandpaper. For the beloved Uttaranchal. Now is In the cover story for this issue, next issue to appear in my when the jetlag is at its worst. “Web 2.0 – Angles and Inbox. Magically. And Demons”, Arun and Uzma unannounced. I lie in my bed listening to the educate us on what Web 2.0 is - [email protected] alarm clock go tick tock, tick and how it is changing our lives tock. I also hear bhajans from forever. Web 1.0 was about nearby temple, gurubani from . Web 2.0 is about the nearby gurudwara and communities. Online Ashish Garg in 2008 namaz from the nearby mosque. communities allow many more No, this is not a Manoj-Kumar- of us than ever to collaborate, Mera-Bharat-Mahaan- communicate and find long Bollywood-Movie script. These lost classmates. sounds are real and are the only things that have stayed the same As Don Tapscott, writes in since I left home ten years ago. Wikinomics, if you want to be Everything else has changed. a successful Internet Very rapidly. entrepreneur then replace with community in I like the change for the most your dictionary. The cover part. Just that I have no friends story itself is an excellent left in my town. Everyone I example of Web 2.0ish knew is either in America, collaboration. Arun (in Bangalore or at some call center Germany) and Uzma (in in Gurgaon. Actually all but one. Hyderabad) wrote the entire Aishwaraya Raina an old story based on interviews classmate is still in Dun. Why conducted (over email) with don’t I ping her and find out if BITSians all around the she is really in town. Good idea. world. The only problem is how do I get in touch with her. I don’t This also happens to be my have her phone number, or last editorial for Sandpaper. address. And it’s five thirty two Taking over from me is in the morning. Dileepan Narayanan. One of Sandpaper’s most prolific Brain wave! I log into the writers, little-boy Dileepan Cambrian Hall (my high school) has grown in our organization community on Orkut. Find over the past three years. He Aishwarya’s profile and guess managed the Sandpaper

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EDITORIAL BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine

The BITSAA Edition Sandpaper [2.0]

WINTER 2008 ISSUE CONTENTS

1 EDITORIAL NOSTALGIA 32 Lesson One COVER STORY: WEB 2.0 ANGELS AND 5 33 Bonded by the Train DEMONS

NOTES FROM DUBAI QUATERLY BITSIAN 13 Class of ’07 Convocation Ceremony 34 Dr. Raj Sisodia 14 Sarath Babu Visits BPD 15 TechnoFest at Dubai Campus CREATIVE & HUMOR 16 Interview with Dr. Ramachandran 38 Moral Policing 40 That Night NOTES FROM PILANI 18 Pilani BPO Pvt. Ltd. BITSian NEWS 20 Oasis ‘07 43 Mantra CEL Leadership Awards 2007 21 Mobile Medics 45 BITSAA News 23 Riding the Entrepreneurial Wave

NOTES FROM GOA 25 Giving Back to Society 27 Centre for Software Development 30 Snippets from Goa

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ABOUT SANDPAPER 2.0 BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine SandpaperOnline http://sandpaper.bitsaa.org

Issue Highlights  Cover Story: Web 2.0  BITSAA News  Quarterly BITSian – Dr Raj Sasodia

TEAM SANDPAPER – 4319 Renaissance Drive San Jose, CA 95134 USA

CHIEF EDITOR Ashish Garg JOIN THE TEAM EDITORIAL BOARD Anupendra Sharma, Dilip D'Souza, Sandeep Mukherjee Sandpaper 2.0 is created by ASSOCIATE EDITORS Abhit Kalsotra, Anjum Husain, Arun a global team with members Maharajan, Deeptha Ganapathy, Dileepan spanning seven countries in Narayanan, Meenakshi Chatterjee, Uzma four continents. It’s a great Barlaskar place to gain organizational NEWSLETTER Vishal Sanghvi (Editor), Gaurav Verma leadership experience, TECHNOLOGY Vivek Iyer network with the alumni PRODUCTION Satish Polisetti community and enhance your writing skills. GRAPHICS Satish Polisetti

COVER STORY Arun Maharajan (Editor), Uzma Barlaskar Please send your articles, NOSTALGIA Meenakshi Chatterjee (Editor), Anjum nominations for Quarterly Penwala BITSian, letters to the PILANI TEAM Sandeep Gangakehedkar (Team Lead), editor, feedback and Vernon Fernandez, Anindita Dutta, Arun requests to join the team Bhat, Nilanjana Bhattacharya to: [email protected] GOA TEAM Akriti Tibrewala (Team Lead), Shounak Sen, Ojas Mehta, Tanaya Srivastava, BITSAA International has Gowri Thampi, Sherin Kurian been granted 501(c)3 tax- DUBAI TEAM Vishal Hemrajani (Team Lead), Sakshi exempt status by the IRS, Vagela, Syed Faizal, Piyush Singh and is registered in New CREATIVE & HUMOR Meenakshi Chatterjee (Editor), Anuradha Jersey, USA. Gupta,

THE QUARTERLY BITSIAN Anjum Penwala (Editor) © All copyrights for these BITSian NEWS Rajesh Anantharaman articles belong solely to the authors unless stated.

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ABOUT SANDPAPER 2.0 BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine BITSAA SANDPAPER VISION

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

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COVER STORY BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine

WEB 2.0 –ANGELS AND DEMONS

BY ARUN (’99A8), UZMA (’03 A7)

A mixture of perspectives about a revolution undeniable.

this was as rustic as saying “I am If you think writing on people’s my dad 2.0”. Getting the drift? Web 2.0 refers to a perceived ‘wall’s is graffiti, ‘scrap’ is not a second generation of web- verb, or only birds ‘twitter’ed then There’s a lot more than meets the based communities and hosted you are missing out on a eye to this term. It also became services — such as social- revolution. This revolution (or clear that this cannot be clearly networking sites, , and evolution as some consider) is defined because there exist no folksonomies — which to silently but determinedly sweeping boundaries. Therefore, it was facilitate creativity, the web world and changing the interesting to ponder on how to collaboration, and sharing way we look at the internet. approach writing this piece. between users. After a million milli-seconds of - Wikipedia The chances that you are thought, we decided to get as viewing this issue of Sandpaper many viewpoints as possible, talk Web 2.0 signifies user on the Web are 9 out of 10 and to people, listen to what they have interaction. The emphasis in if not do check it out on to say and learn along the way. Web 2.0 is on the community. (http://sandpaper.bitsaa.org/). It is about providing the user It’s pretty clear that the internet So what you are about to read is a with a system with which she and the have modest but honest interpretation interacts along with other users changed our lives. But then of what this is, whether it’s a to create content. sometimes, the evolution of phenomenon, is it just a fad, how - Anand Morzaria, something so revolutionary can is it affecting our lives, how is it CEO, Pennywise go unnoticed especially when benefiting the common man, how Solutions, India it’s as ubiquitous as the internet. is the common man benefiting it Oh yes, it’s been evolving not (oh yeah, when it comes to Web Orkut/wikipedia/ajax  only in size, content, reach and 2.0, this makes sense), the - Ramu, Graudate all the other obvious way but entrepreneur angle, the big student, Computer then, it’s been evolving also in internet companies angle and of Engg, CMU (USA) its very nature. Atleast a part of course the BITSian angle in it all. it has been evolving in a very A bunch of bullshit. silent but powerful - Shashank, Software way…something which most of What is Web 2.0? engineer, Efficient us might have been unwittingly Frontier, California, acquainted with…Web 2.0. In the box to your right are some USA of the definitions that we came Any idea what Web 2.0 means? across and heard. Some of them I have no idea. It is very probable that you represent what Web 2.0 is - Ashish, Chief editor, would have heard of it imagined to be (so far) and others Sandpaper 2.0 somewhere but then what is it? represent what others think of it. When we sat down to write this Erm…yes…I mean…ob da article, some random ideas machan! (Man, am I clueless!) popped into our heads including - Arun, before doing his “oh yeah, Web 2.0…must be a research new version of the internet”. Only later did we realize that

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COVER STORY BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine

Anand Morzaria CEO, tolmolbol, Pennywise Solutions, India

Pennywise solutions and their latest venture tolmolbol (www.tolmolbol.com) ventures boldly into the Web 2.0 space. Tolmolbol is a portal that helps you find local service providers across a whole range of service categories be it a hospital, a restaurant, a dance school or any other business. Apart from local search for peer-reviewed businesses, it provides the residents of scores of Indian cities a forum to ask questions, share experiences, write reviews, post classifieds, discover events and connect to people in their locality.

What is interesting about Web 2.0 is that it is not a geek sitting in his cubicle that we owe it to. It is you and Venn 2.0: What Web 2.0 is mostly about. me who are driving it. The that you wrote about your funny encounter Ever since the word AJAX was tolmolbol.com a Web 2.0 startup with the lady at the book-store, the coined by Jesse James Garrett in says, “The emphasis in Web 2.0 is video that you posted on YouTube, February 2005, there has been a on the community”. Anand is a the photos of your vacation in Hawaii pseudo-revolution of sorts in the 2001 Masters in Finance passout last year shared on Flickr or your long internet world. Infact no one from BITS Pilani. He was the lost school friend that you scrapped gives credit to Microsoft for president of the students union in on Orkut - you and me are ushering it developing the technology that 1999. Currently, he is the CEO of in. As Anand points out,”Web 2.0 is forms the backbone for this wave, generally known as Web 2.0. This was in a way favorable for the nerds and Microsoft-agnostic techies as this technology would not have been accepted, the way it is now, if Microsoft had marketed it.

Pointy-haired bosses, consultants and MBAs (who constitute a majority of the venture capital/angel investor scenario) got caught in the bandwagon. Their love for jargons led to the baptism of what they imagined to be the new world wide web as Web 2.0.

Anand Morzaria, CEO of

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COVER STORY BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine about providing the user with a new website or a Web 2.0 based system with which he or she service. In the initial days of the Viral marketing refers to interacts along with other users Internet, people termed the Web marketing techniques that use pre- to create content. The real power as the bastion of nerds and that existing social networks to produce in Web 2.0 is in the hands of the which would lead to an entire increases in brand awareness, user. This is a shift from the generation becoming anti-social. through self-replicating viral earlier model where the creator Social-networking turned that processes, analogous to the spread of a portal served the content theory on its head and gave birth of pathological and computer while the users were the to monsters like MySpace, viruses. Viral promotions may take consumers. In Web 2.0 the user Facebook and many more clones, the form of funny video clips, flash is both the creator and the which have enabled people to get games, or even text . consumer.” closer and have also bolstered the way its users perceive the Web to unique Viddu.com is a social shopping be. page-views, in website. Srinivas Dangeti, a other words, traffic. But then hidden Bachelors degree holder from behind the scenes is the real financial BITS Pilani is a co-founder of But where’s the money? driver of everything in this field - Viddu Inc. This website is online-advertising. different from other shopping websites as it builds in the As the tagline of Yodle Inc, another aspect of sharing and BITSian start-up by Kartik networking into your shopping Hosanagar, Associate Professor, experience where friends can Wharton Business School, goes “Get share their experiences and ask Found” is really what businesses are others for their experiences. In fighting it out for. His new venture in addition to doing that Viddu also his own words: “Yodle provides a provides a unique way to see platform for local businesses to related reviews and deals from advertise online. We tell local popular review and deal businesses that consumers are no websites. The consolidation longer using yellow pages to locate provided by Viddu allows an them. Instead consumers use the web Love it or hate it, one cannot online shopper to find what they to locate local businesses. So, they ignore Web 2.0. The dynamics of are looking for at a central place should transition their ad dollars the Internet have rapidly changed instead of searching for the same online. However, online advertising is ever since. The stakes are too high item in a hundred different too complicated for local businesses and the enormous sums of money requiring them to participate in places. involved make it virtually auctions run by Google and Yahoo. impossible to overlook the buzz Gone are the days of viral and the hype. At the very We manage the complexity for them marketing. The blogging-era and beginning, there were the and provide a platform where they social networking gave an del.icio.us's and the Flickr's which can get the desired reports and output entirely new perspective to the laid the trend for a completely without having to worry about the back-end complexity”. way people were lured towards a new revenue model as far as Web 2.0 is concerned. The key-word is AJAX (Asynchronous traffic. Lay down the Kartik differentiated his startup from JavaScript and XML), or Ajax, infrastructure, get the traffic and other Web 2.0 companies, among is a web development technique then the users create the content other things, with having a solid used for creating interactive web for you, which ultimately spins revenue model based on detailed applications. money for you. It sounds pretty financial analysis. He is apparently simple but getting traffic and convinced that online advertising is Rich Internet sustaining the growth of traffic is here to stay judging from the nature Applications (RIA) are web a mammoth task in itself. of his new venture. But just how applications that have the important is online advertising? features and functionality of New economies of scale have traditional desktop applications. emerged. This implies scaling in Anand of Tolmolbol says “In India terms of people, the number of alone advertising spending is

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COVER STORY BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine projected to be around $40-$50 wished to remain anonymous) has is a form million. Given the availability a slightly different take on it “To Web syndication of syndication in which a of new formats of media I see a me Web 2.0 as a term does not section of a website is made collaboration of advertising refer to any business / revenue available for other sites to use. across media. Ads will be model as such. It’s an evolution everywhere and will be targeted of applications and usage of the based on people’s behavior. same in the internet space. The RSS is a family of Web feed Even people on the move, the applications and users have formats used to publish so-called transumers will be become more participative and frequently updated content such targeted. There will be ads contributing in nature, and that’s as blog entries, news headlines specific to them and their needs. what is taken advantage of here. or podcasts. If you like a particular brand you will be served ads based on Besides, the more a user with the your specific behavior be it on participates the more he or she is overall television, web or other media” benefited. For example suppose I experience of using have a profile on a social the website. But the problem with online networking site and if I perform a advertising is inherent search on that site for any term, I mentioned previously that Web 2.0 vagueness with its revenue the relevance would be increased is not a business model because it is model or simply said the lack of by picking up keywords from my merely an “enabler” for the business a lucid revenue model. But on profile and the social network models being considered for the the other side, one rarely needs which I created for myself. It website. Just being a Web 2.0 site significant upfront investment to could also depend on the kind of does not make it the core business setup a Web 2.0 firm. activities I am engaged in. rather there is no core business by Therefore, unless I participate, I being a Web 2.0 enabled website. If someone actually said that, it would However, the Product Manager don’t give any information to the be totally absurd because Web 2.0 of a Web 2.0 website (a BITSian application to help me later on who

Web 2.0’s own tag cloud

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COVER STORY BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine does not define the product or Venture-capitalists, angel the business or even the industry investors and funding agencies are involved. People could have pumping in money to tap these products (not websites but actual advertising dollars that are very commodities, goods or services) quickly moving to the Internet. which have websites dedicated The idea is to influence young blood, preferably college drop- Wall - Application on outs or recent graduates to create Facebook used to write new Web 2.0 ideas and then messages to your friends distribute the rewards in a seemingly fair fashion. Scrapbook - The equivalent Ycombinator led by Paul Graham of a Wall on Orkut is an example of a new type of funding-system Twitter - A social networking (www.ycombinator.com) that and micro-blogging service that funds software and web services allows users to send “updates" startups. According to their to other users who have signed website they, “.. care more about up to receive them. how smart you are than how old you are, and more about the for it quality of your ideas than whether and to you have a formal business plan”. these websites Reddit funded and later bought are added the elements of the over by Conde-Nast (wired 2nd phase of the internet publications) is a benchmark for evolution to make the product every new aspirant in this field. and site more effective. The mantra is to have an idea, develop it, get funded and pray to An example for this could be the be acquired or swooped up by a website which TATA motors bigger shark. recently opened for its new car, the Indica Xeta. (http://thexetashootout.com/) is oogle took the whole thing not the usual website which G showcases the cars features but very seriously and revolutionized it’s a micro-site which the already stagnated email encourages the public to take market with the refreshingly new part in a competition. This GMail and of course, not to forget concept would work and achieve Google Maps. Making the its goals only if user browser work like a desktop participation is sufficient application seemed to be the holy- enough. grail for people who wanted to get their hands dirty in this game, Another example in this genre which has led to the birth of could be the now famous applications over the Web like Sunsilk gang of girls.” document, spreadsheets and even operating systems. We got a scoop straight from the horse’s mouth (read an engineer at Google) on Google’s ambitions in the Web 2.0 space

“Many people say Google is Web 2.0 Startups. If three is a already Web 2.0. That may or crowd, then what is this? may not be depending on how one

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COVER STORY BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine looks at it. When it comes to With the burst of optimism around Kartik had the following to say Google’s aggression on and the number of start-ups that regarding the way a Web 2.0 acquisitions of companies in this have cropped up it suddenly looks company can benefit and differentiate field, yes, Google is doing quite like we have hopped onto a time a bit with YouTube and Writely, machine and are back to times of a big startup in the field of the dot-com boom and bust. So is Microsoft will acquire 20 browser based applications. there a similarity between the dot- companies a year for the next com boom and the current five years, ranging from $50 million to $1 billion. Tags are keywords. Analogous revolution? to sticking labels on physical - Steve Ballmer, CEO objects, you can use tags to label “Yes. There are several Microsoft Corp @Web digital 'things' such as blog similarities. It presents a new 2.0 conference, San posts, photos and web links. opportunity like Web 1.0 did and Francisco, USA few people fully understand which Folksonomy is the practice opportunities will be the billion and method of collaboratively dollar opportunities (like Amazon, itself from the rest of the crowd. creating and managing tags to eBay, Google from Web 1.0) and “What all Web 2.0 companies benefit annotate and categorize content. which ones will not be. Given this from are significant user involvement limited understanding, investors and strong network effects. User spray and pray, meaning that they involvement is important (e.g., Google fund a lot of businesses hoping YouTube does not need a large staff Base some of them will be the next to identify and upload good videos; (http://base.Google.com/) is also eBays and Googles of the world. Wikipedia does not need a large staff something new on the block So, one would expect that many of to create new content). Network which is pivoted on user these Web 2.0 firms will fade effects are where the value of the interaction. In Google’s own away. Nonetheless, just like with services increases with the number of words “Google Base is a place Web 1.0, there will be some new participants on it (e.g., more people where you can easily submit all winners in this Web 2.0 world and on YouTube imply greater volume types of online and offline I am sure they will have as much and diversity of content). Thus, these content, which we'll make impact as eBay or Google did. networks will grow automatically searchable on Google (if your One notable difference though is once they clear a certain threshold content isn't online yet, we'll put that the dotcom boom required size. it there).” significant investment in physical infrastructure (fiber optics laid by That’s the business side of the telecom companies). That was Opportunities for differentiation are things…making money and very expensive and also led to limited. The cost of setting up a Web being on top being among the some of the largest bankruptcies. 2.0 firm is low. There is rarely objectives of any competitive This time around, the significant IP (Intellectual Property) firm. infrastructure is available and web to prevent entry by competitors. So, 2.0 can ride on the infrastructure lots of me-too startups will spring up built out during the dotcom boom. and it makes it hard to separate the But there is another aspect to all Also, Web 2.0 companies are easy wheat from the chaff. So, the best this as well, the social side of to bootstrap and do not require the hope for a firm is to grow really fast things which truly benefit the millions needed to build an and use the network effect to compete public at times. For e.g. Google Amazon. So, on the cost side, against new rivals.” maps was used to mark areas there are several positives.” says affected by the hurricane Kartik objectively. Katrina using the “mymaps” We are still generating a lot of feature where users can annotate garbage. How long will the people locations on the map with Nevertheless bean counters have bear the barrage of advertisements interesting data. This is an played the game even more that are being thrown at them? There example of user generated cautiously this time. But there are is also a dearth of a killer-application content being used during times evidences to counter that as well. a la email for Web 1.0. The services of need. Also Google earth is 2% of the new Web 2.0 start-ups and applications available now take being widely used for hurricane provide something substantial to the concept of web-enabled a little relief” the system.

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COVER STORY BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine further by creating a fast and a that allowed websites to fetch data making the browser richer in more responsive interface. asynchronously from a web functionality and more responsive server. GMail and Google Maps ("pages load faster!"). The whole A Silicon Valley geek however were truly novel and useful web effort is akin to putting lipstick on a has a rather interesting view of applications. But we can't say the pig. But it hasn't stopped these the whole Web 2.0 hog. same for the efforts of the Webtards from trying anyway. inevitable shitstream of me-too companies that followed. “Web 2.0. The very mention of Let's not forget the dime-a-dozen these words make my skin Web 2.0 attempts to create websites crawl, like when you saw that Today, the Internet is littered with for managing to-do lists. I mean, creepy older relative from your retarded-sounding Web 2.0 efforts come on! The ultimate solution for childhood, who was a little too like wishlistr, twitter, etc., which managing to-do lists has already been fond of having you sit on his have no real revenue source, serve created - it’s called a sticky note. I lap. Its funny how very few no real purpose and make no don't need to login to a freaking people actually define Web 2.0, underlying engineering computer to remember to get milk but every two-bit scumbag advancements. Instead they from the grocery store. And then there company in the Silicon Valley is simply rely on what are . Blogs, per se, need not be ready to jump on the www.uncov.com appropriately Web 2.0, but the inevitable march of bandwagon. calls "loser-generated content", Web 2.0 progress is slowly taking tagging and "social networks". It over the "blogosphere”. I went to a reminds one of the business plans database conference recently where So, what exactly is Web 2.0? of the Underpants Gnomes in that someone said "Our mission is to Whence did it come to haunt the South Park episode: index every blog post ever written". "Internet"? Around 2004, a Oh great. They want to index every company called Google badly written, narcissistic and introduced two web-based 1. Build AJAX-y/Flash-y website ultimately meaningless outpouring of applications called GMail and "feelings" on the internet. Someone Google Maps. These 2. ??? didn't get the memo - It takes an applications felt richer and more *infinite* number of monkeys typing responsive than most web 3. Profit!!! on an *infinite* number of applications before. Google typewriters to produce anything worth resurrected a long-forgotten reading.

A discussion on Web 2.0 can't be complete without mention of the 800-pound gorilla of Web 2.0 efforts, the one site to rule them all - Facebook. Admit it, you have an account, and you have wasted at least an hour a day poking friends and stalking that girl from that party. There is now an ecosystem of parasitic companies whose raison d'etre is to build "Applications" for Facebook. Let’s look at one of the more popular Applications- “Superpoke". What, pray, does this application allow you to do? You can "throw a virtual sheep at", "grope", "spoon", or even "dry hump" that special Facebook “Gifts”. These images actually cost a dollar to send to someone! someone. If that doesn't woo her, one nothing will. Then, there is the browser/HTTP feature (the Gifts application. Let me break this Web 2.0 applications are supposed infamous "xmlHttpdRequest") one down for you. You pay to share a few common properties-

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COVER STORY BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine Facebook a dollar to send Although Kartik in spite of his two start-ups Pennywise and someone a fricking image file of success so far has a measured tolmolbol in his kitty gives his two such things as cakes, monkeys, view of the future, “In my mind, cents for BITSians aspiring to start- and champagne glasses. Web 2.0 will create a lot of up, “User interaction and retention is clutter. The democratization and the key in Web 2.0. A portal that can Web 2.0 is indeed changing a decentralization of the web is figure out what needs to be given few things around here in the great. But, it is getting hard to back to the community and can create Silicon Valley. But I wonder separate the expert contributors a system by going back to the user what effect it’s actually having from the wannabe experts. I think will emerge winners.“ on the people. Time will tell Web 3.0 will go to a hierarchical because the kids who use those setup with participants getting With Internet penetration on the rise, gazillion and one websites need rights and responsibilities based people are becoming more to grow up first! Amen.” on their expertise and in a participatory in nature and to all the meritocratic way. It won’t be the budding BITSian entrepreneurs, go centralized world of Web 1.0 but Though this dude would like to out and grab your share of the Pie it won’t be the flat world of Web paint a bleak picture of Web 2.0 (shown below). Yodle, tolmolbol and 2.0 either. I feel that the however, people like Anand are Viddu have already done it. You got a participants on the Web will get very optimistic. “I think the dot- cool idea, scrap one of us on Orkut. organized and people will take on com bust happened because the specialized market was not ready. It would roles. Another be wrong to draw a parallel. The aspect that I market is much more mature. believe will Web 2.0 is here to stay. emerge is the integration of In fact, Web 3.0 is supposed to search and be the next revolution (or recommender evolution) in the offing”. Anand systems. I sees Web 3.0 ushering in the think there will collaboration between be automated applications, between recommenders technology and media. “I see it all around us.” as a platform where content can be pushed from the web to any other format of media and vice ell, so versa .” W there you have it folks. The Google’s recently launched future of Web OpenSocial, a set of common 2.0, it’s BIG. APIs that application developers Collaboration can use to create applications and sharing that work on any social that have been the networks (called “hosts”) that spirit of Web 2.0 are choose to participate seems to be Web 2.0 Market Share here to stay. Anand paving the way. who’s a serial entrepreneur with

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NOTES FROM DUBAI BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine

CLASS OF ’07 CONVOCATION CEREMONY

BY VISHAL HEMRAJANI (’04 EIE)

The years roll by as another batch of BITSians from Dubai graduates. The BPD Alumni have now pursue higher studies found the The convocation ceremony started making their mark in BPD degree to be a significant for the Class of 2007 was held both corporate and academic asset in their admission profiles. on 29 August 2007 at the new circles. This has allowed the About 31 students have received campus located in Dubai graduating batch to secure better admission offers to Masters and International Academic City. jobs as well as receive more PhD Program at several His Excellency Ali Bin admission offers from top US universities including Stanford universities. The University, California Institute Campus Placement of Technology, Cornell Program that had been University, University of conducted for the California at Berkley, University graduating batch was of Pennsylvania, Texas A&M very successful. University, University of Texas, Austin, Georgia Institute of Top recruiters for this Technology and University of year were Maersk, J Ray Michigan, Ann Arbor. Mc Dermott, Emirates Group, Mott McDonald, Honeywell, Steinweg- Sharaf and Clipsal.

Convocation Ceremony for Class of 2007 at Dubai Students who wished to Abdullah Al Kaabi, Minister of Labour, UAE, was the Chief Guest for the event and presented certificates to 156 graduates. Degrees were awarded to 73 graduates in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, 43 in Computer Science and 40 in Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering. Awards were presented to the first and second rank holders in each discipline of specialization and to the best all-round achievers. Chancellor's medals were also awarded to the toppers. Graduating Class of 2007 BITS Pilani, Dubai

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NOTES FROM DUBAI BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine

SARATH BABU VISITS BPD

BY VISHAL HEMRAJANI (’04

Sarath Babu, the ‘Food King’ from BITS, Pilani, addressed the students of BITS Pilani – Dubai (BPD) on his life, universe and everything. The first time that he gave the best for their future endeavors. exam he did not clear it. For his a student of BITS, Pilani To subsequent attempt he prepared Sarath Babu needs no really hard and although he was introduction. From the slums of sick during the examination he Chennai to the hallowed portals gave the exam only to realize of IIM, Ahmedabad, Sarath's that the CAT paper had leaked. journey has been nothing short He gave the exam for the third of inspirational. Sarath Babu time and was accepted at IIM visited the Dubai campus on the Ahmedabad. When he graduated th 6 of May 2007 and addressed from there he turned down a job the students about his life story offer of 8.5 lakh rupees to setup and how he got to where he is his own catering business - right now. Foodking Catering Service. He feels that he should employ as Sarath grew up in abject many people as possible so that poverty, his mother used to earn they do not need to go through a salary of Rs.30 from her what he had to. government job with which she educated her children. When he Aspiring entrepreneurs among was young his mother used to the audience were especially make idlis and he used to sell eager to interact and learn more them on the streets. Though he from him. In his interaction with had a difficult childhood, when the students Sarath Babu Top: Sarath Babu addressing the he would often go hungry he did encouraged them to follow their not compromise on his studies. dreams. He said that he was students of BPD. Below: Sarath Babu He worked hard and always happy about the Dubai Campus with Dr. Ramachandran, Director, BPD performed very well in class. and wished the students all the and Mr. Riazuddin, Director, ETA-NET When he finished his schooling he joined the Chemical Engineering Program at BITS Pilani, thinking that it would help get him a job – his priority at that time.

Impressed with his organizational skills at the college festival his friends suggested that he do an MBA. Sarath Babu then decided to get an MBA degree from the best institute offering it – the IIM. After graduating he took up a job in a software company and was finally able to earn some money for his mother. He also started preparing for the CAT.

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NOTES FROM DUBAI BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine

TECHNOFEST AT DUBAI CAMPUS

BY SAKSHI VAGHELA (’05 CS) When the keenest brains in town get together to innovate, it can’t get better, can it! Technofest 2007 at BITS Pilani, Dubai.

depth of knowledge, platform BITS, Pilani - Dubai is manner and response to Exhibits like 'Water Level committed to providing questions. Monitoring system' - a working excellence in science and model, which as the name technology and to celebrate this About 23 technical papers, from suggests could sense water level creativity and innovation of its four categories - Computer, using probes and automatically students the Institute organizes Electrical, General Sciences and fill a tank up to the desired level, Technofest an annual science Mechanical Sciences were and 'Moviz4rent' a software and technology festival. submitted which covered topics system that served as a portal to ranging from the latest online transaction of media files Technofest is a platform for the technological discoveries like after verifying the security code, students to demonstrate their 'Quantum Cryptography' to the were among the various engineering skills either by basic fundamentals of the innovative projects that showed

developing something unique or sciences like 'Genome the genius of BPD students. by presenting a technical paper. Mutation'. Participants were The event classifies entries into given about 12 minutes for their three categories – Working individual presentations and model, Non-working Model and were then tested for their Technical Paper Presentation. conceptual knowledge and Every category has its own originality by the questions put judgment criteria and is judged to them by the judges. independently. Paper Presentations are further classified based on the field to which they belong and Software Systems are regarded as a separate class of working models. The event attracts sponsors who award prizes to the winners in each category.

Technofest 2007 was held from 26th April to 2nd May 2007 at the campus.

The judging panel comprised of faculty members - experts in their own fields who judged the participants and their projects based on proper sequencing, effective presentation, A student describes his project to the judges. ______WINTER 2008 | SANDPAPER | 15

NOTES FROM DUBAI BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine

INTERVIEW WITH DR. RAMACHANDRAN

BY SYED FAISAL ('06 EEE) AND PIYUSH SINGH ('06 EIE)

Syed and Piyush pick up some valuable sound bytes on various issues associated with BITS Pilani, Dubai in an elaborate tête-à-tête with Dr. Ramachandran, its Director. three sets of people - the Dubai Team Sandpaper sponsor of this reporters Syed Faizal and Piyush college, the parent Singh spoke to Dr. M. institute BITS, Ramachandran, Director, BPD Pilani and most about the growth of the Campus importantly the since its inception in 2000, the parents of my current goals of the institute and students. his views about the future of the Maintaining a campus and how the young proper balance alumni should be a part of it. here was one of my major Faisal: Sir, you have seen this challenges which I institute grow over its initial have successfully years, you have seen the managed so far students growing with this and will try to in institute. How does it feel to be the future as well. stipend and are also providing the nurturer of this prestigious Also this being a newly setup institute? institute at that time, I faced the placements for our students challenge of making this college Dr. Ramachandran: It was at par with the Pilani Campus. I Piyush: What were your goals undoubtedly a matter of honour just did not want to give away you set when taking over as the for me when I was asked to start degrees to my students; I wanted Director of BPD? What is it that this campus by the BITS parent to make them deserving you are thinking about the future? campus in August 2000. This BITSians of the prestigious institute started with two BITS degree over a course of 4 Dr. Ramachandran: The most mainstream courses which were years. important goal set was to EEE and CSE with a mere 150 convince the locals in the UAE students but over the years this One of the toughest challenges institute has populated to around was the introduction of Practice that this institute is an absolute 1500 students which is 10 times School stations, where it was replica of the Parent campus. It as it was when it started. I’ve very important to maintain our gives me immense happiness to had a very nice staff and of reputation, which was solely share the fact that now not only course remarkable students. dependent on my students as do we have students coming Indeed, my journey from 2000 they were the ones who from around the Middle East into our college but we also till here has been one with many represent the college in the have students who have secured challenges. stations. Even if one of the 95% and more coming from students makes a folly the entire India. Faisal: Talking about institute would have to bear the

challenges, what kind of consequences. However in this Another goal of mine is to get challenges did you face over matter I was very lucky as all these years? my students proved their mettle. BITS Dubai accredited by Now the PS 1 stations are ABET which is the most Dr. Ramachandran: Well, inviting students of our college powerful organisation which being the Director of this for the PS2 session with a accredits institutes. We have institution I was responsible to already had talks with them and

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NOTES FROM DUBAI BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine hopefully BITS Dubai will be Dr.Ramachandran: Indeed, as What more could one want from one of their accredited a matter of fact I want to prove students but to keep the universities. that BITSians of the Dubai college’s flag high? But yes if campus aren’t any lesser than there is something the alumni Faisal: What do you have to say the BITSians of the parent would want to do I would be about the international campus or any other campus for glad. For me the Alumni are like collaboration BPD has? Do you that matter. APOGEE gave me ambassadors to this college, the plan to increase the number of and my students a way to prove greatest thing they could do is to collaborations as well? ourselves and I am really proud recommend the name of college of my students for they proved which they had studied to Dr. Ramachandran: Again this to be triumphant in most events others. It is like a goal which was also a goal of mine: to have held there. I’ve met because it gives me international collaborations with satisfaction that my students are various institutes. We already Now we have our own campus so satisfied with my college that have collaborations with with a sports hall, a big they recommend the college to

universities like the Purdue auditorium and many more others as well. University of Indiana, SUNY, facilities and of course with my Buffalo and many more. very talented students. In my As far as the question goes as to Hopefully we will have a further college my students take the what I wish to do for them; there increase in the list. Once our responsibility of all the events, is already an alumni association university is accredited we too and I am happy that my students in which all my passed out will commence PG courses and make every single event a students are lifetime members. have many more ties with success, be it the Art Exhibition, We give them open invitations foreign universities. Dance Competitions, various to visit their college whenever clubs or just anything. Having they come by. We keep them Piyush: The institute was known so many factors to our credit we abreast with the happenings in as ‘BITS, Pilani - Dubai might surely organise an event the college; we are in constant Campus’, and has now been where we shall invite all touch with them. After all they renamed ‘BITS, Pilani – Dubai’. BITSians to participate. are our alumni. Can we expect any further changes? Piyush: Four batches of students have passed out. What Dr. Ramachandran: It was do you feel about these alumni? necessary for us to rename the Is there something you expect of college from BPDC to BPD as it them and is there something you was one of the criteria for our want to do for them? university’s accreditation. We will be an independent Dr.Ramachandran: I share a accredited college with support relation of love from our Parent Campus. and affection As far as the other changes are with all my concerned; Yes, if there is a students. I do need for a change we will not want my introduce it. I would bring in students to do any change as long as it favours something great the betterment of my Institute. for me. For me, the greatest Faisal: Last year a set of pleasure is felt students represented BPD at the when I hear APOGEE festival held at Pilani. people talking Do you intend to host such an good about my event where you would invite students, their BITSians from the other achievements campuses? and when I see them holding high positions. BITS Dubai Campus, 2007 ______WINTER 2008 | SANDPAPER | 17

NOTES FROM PILANI BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine

PILANI BPO PVT. LTD.

BY SANDPAPER PILANI TEAM

Born out of teatime table talk, BITS Pilani BPO Pvt. Ltd. is a noble endeavour committed to providing employment to those sections of the rural population who are educated but unemployed due to lack of opportunities.

equipped office housed according to work requirements The latest addition to the presently inside Goenka Vidya before starting full-blown township of Pilani is a Rural Mandir – a school in Pilani. operations, presently, training BPO, the Pilani BPO Private forms the most important part of Ltd. We spoke to the CEO of the What infrastructure exists work. Computer skills, typing company, Manoj Vasudevan, a presently? lessons to increase efficiency to 2002 batch BITSian. 35-40 words per minute, soft The office is currently designed skills and a basic knowledge of to provide English are the main focus employment to 54 areas. employees in 2 shifts of 7-8 hours So what are the services each. A computer offered? lab with all the necessary The company is on the lookout equipment and for Business Development internet Projects focusing mainly in the connectivity area of Image Based Data (BSNL 512Mbps) Capture. To cut a long story has already been short, its application is in banks, put in place. A 20 telecom, etc. where loads of KV UPS has also applications are filed each day Snapshot of Pilani BPO been bought to combat the and conversion of data from frequent power outrages in these hard copies to soft copies How it all began… Pilani. The company offers its can be a tedious job, which The Goenkas are one of the employees, twenty of them would be done for a much lower prominent business families in women, a flexible time schedule cost for these organizations if India, who are presently based for their convenience. Five out-sourced. Digitization of this in Mumbai but have their roots managers supervise operations technology is the focal point of in Pilani. Over tea with Dr. L. K. and report to the CEO. They are this operation and data entry into Maheshwari, the Vice also on the lookout for a CTO to existing databases based on the Chancellor of BITS Pilani, they handle the technical supervision. captured images of the written discussed about providing applications would be the employment opportunities in the The aim of the project: primary area of work this rural sector. Thus the idea of company is hired for. Apart rural BPO model was born. This BPO is aimed at providing from banking and insurance, With complete funding from the employment to those sections of educational, government and Goenkas and BITS providing the rural population who are health institutions are the other brand support and a five educated but unemployed due to industries being considered as member technical advisory lack of opportunities. Graduates target sectors. board, the idea was from local colleges hence are an conceptualized and launched on adequate choice for What are the challenges? the 15th of September 2007 in employment. Since these the form of a small but well employees need to be molded

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NOTES FROM PILANI BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine Pilani is synonymous with distance and connectivity issues especially in terms of internet connectivity and power supply; and this time too the situation is no different. Customer trust and market skepticism regarding quality of manpower is also another issue which they are trying to overcome. Also technology set up should be at par with other BPOs in the cities lest they fall back on business opportunities due to lack of adequate infrastructure.

Future Plans talents buried in the rural Maintaining this setup even for a population the long term vision day is quite an expensive would be to see this model of a endeavor. Currently the funding rural BPO being replicated and is adequate but the main aim is what originally started as to develop a self-sustaining ‘Source Pilani”(what they body as soon as possible. wanted to call the company) can Getting a chance to prove their be a widespread phenomenon value with a good project is also tapping the unchartered something they are waiting for. potentials of rural India. Apart from leveraging the FLASH!!! FLASH!!! FLASH!!! FLASH!!!!!

TN Prabhu chosen as COO, UTV New Digital Venture

BITS Batch: 1984 Earlier: Director, Walt Disney Internet Group. Prabhu was in charge of country specific revenue targets across WDIG’s businesses, including premium broadband services, mobile applications, interactive television gaming, and other potential emerging digital services. Prior to his association with Disney, Prabhu held the position of Vice President Strategy & Planning at Rediff.com India Ltd.

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NOTES FROM PILANI BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine

OASIS ‘ 07

BY SANDPAPER PILANI TEAM

Four days of tumult in the BITSian heartland couldn’t have been summed up better than by this one word: psychedelia!

The chief guest, Sunit Rikhi, hyphenating the celebration that Oasis - in the middle of this VP-Techology Manufacturing had just begun. Them Clones, desert we call home. Oasis - a group, Intel, was a huge hit with Thermal and a quarter (Three reprieve from the scorching heat the audience, refusing to be Mallus and a quarter Mallu!) of academic rigour that is a called guest as he was a and the much awaited Lucky Ali semester. Oasis - the ‘Thoroughbred BITSian’ in his were the professional bands culmination of every BITSian own words. He, instead, settled brought to Pilani by Arbits and emotion. Four days of insomnia, on being called just Chief. Jhankar to completely dazzle activity, music, madness; all Bathed in nostalgia, he audiences. The street plays were easily defined by sheer energy, and that one word: the stage was Psychedelia. brought alive by colleges all over. The Inauguration Quizzes that ceremony began perplexed the a day early, on quickest minds, the night of the while still keeping 15th of the audiences September, in enthralled. Choreo, what may be the dance event looked upon as a quickened pulses significant step in and Razzmatazz getting back to brought the roof the five day Oasis of yester- entertained us with some down on the audience. Vishal year. And what a start to Oasis reminiscences of his time here, Kanoi, eminent dance it was! This was touted to be the working as head of one of the choreographer had hordes of biggest Oasis yet, with a total many organisations that make two-left-feet swaying gracefully, sponsorship of 11.5 lakh INR Oasis. Then came the coup de and the outdoor dance floor kept and State Bank of India (SBI) as grace: a poem composed the hips swaying and feet the title sponsor. Much was to ‘between Loharu and Chirawa’, tapping. And finally, that which be new this time: Three which took us all back to a time turned every BITSian into a professional music shows when things where not so gourmet par excellence - instead of the usual two, different after all… Har Mandir Caffeine Partner CafÈ Coffee Paintball (a hugely popular and ke andar ghaas dhoondta Day ended the search for the upcoming adventure sport, that hoon… har chai ke dukaan me perfect cuppa, and Dominoes allows people to do in real life Nutan dhoondta hoon… har filled all the gaps of the limited as they would in counter- deewar ke peeche Meera menu we are used to, appetites strike!), Rolling Stone magazine Bhavan dhoondta hoon! skyrocketing, regardless of the to judge and cover Rocktaves in many holes in the wallet… their first ever India edition, and The fireworks, the music, the yes, those few precious extra drama, the quizzes, the dances, How can such a celebration of hours, to make it the biggest the food, the action, they were colour, noise and absolute lack Oasis in more than one way… all there, to blend the perfect of sleep be pictured in naught mix. The skies exploded shortly but pictures? So here it is, Oasis after the Inauguration, 2007, Psychedelia!

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NOTES FROM PILANI BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine

MOBILE MEDICS

BY SANDPAPER PILANI TEAM

An idea born out of Pilani that was embraced at B-plan competitions, Mobile Medics Healthcare has weaved through tough times and, on the brink of a merger with a corporate giant, it is now here to stay. qualified doctors, clearing legal subsequent visits and the cost of issues involved in medicines at MRP (Maximum the drug supply Retail Price). Speaking about the chain and gaining healthcare scenario in India, the trust of villagers Kavikrut says, “Rural healthcare were the prominent is a massive and profitable Last year, a small idea born ones. Currently serving 12 market waiting to be tapped. villages in Rajasthan with a total However, it is also among the in Pilani took the world by population of 40000, Mobile most difficult to break into. We storm. Weathering all odds, the Medics has treated 1500 people want to be the pioneers.” team known simply as "Mobile since their launch. The pricing Medics" romped home to model revolves around a Until now, Mobile Medics has victory at B-plan competitions consultation fee of 30 rupees for been operating on the prize from New York to Bangkok, a first visit and 20 rupees for money won at various thus emerging among the top competitions, most notably the social ventures in the world. Global Social Venture Headquartered at BITS Pilani, Starting your own company Competition (GSVC), New this healthcare startup has faced York (USD 25000). They umpteen challenges and right out of college is not recently won the Indian leg of hardships to get to their current only rare, it’s also supremely BiD Network’s prestigious position. However, as with any difficult. Support and Business in Development (BiD) activity, sustainable success is International Challenge B-plan rare and most exciting startups mentoring is vital as is self- competition and will pack their fizzle out after the initial motivation and patience – bags for Amsterdam later this brouhaha. The motive force year for the finals as India’s behind Mobile Medics, Mobile Medics Team official entry, competing with Kavikrut, MSc. (Tech.) Finance '02, took the BITS Pilani Sandpaper 2.0 Team through the developments in the past year, most notable being their association with Piramal Enterprises Limited, whose flagship company Nicholas Piramal India Limited (NPIL) is the country's second largest pharmaceutical healthcare company.

"We officially launched on 28 February 2007 and began operations on 8 March. So, it’s now 'Mobile Medics Healthcare, Pvt. Ltd.’ quips an enthusiastic, but weary Kavi. Among the hurdles they faced, finding

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NOTES FROM PILANI BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine teams from 7 other quarters when I developing countries for accepted the position, prize money of over USD I saw it as a clean way 100,000. This year, he out of the cash crunch managed to set up Mobile we were facing. In the Medics as a PS-1 station. end, the idea wins and Mobile Medics is also an that is important.” industry collaborator for While he is tight- the new ‘MPhil, Public lipped when it comes Health’ program offered to discussing the by BITS, Pilani starting details of PEL’s this year. healthcare initiative, we surmise it is very While everything appears much on the lines of rosy on the surface, the Mobile Medics Kavikrut lets us in on the real Mobile Medics Team Member with model, at least at the conceptual issues plaguing the future of Dr. L. K. Maheshwari level. Mobile Medics. "The current rural healthcare project on the business model is not profitable lines of Mobile Medics. They Starting up your own company due to low patient volume and is had the resources, capital and right out of college is not only therefore unsustainable. This network to implement such an rare, it’s also supremely prompted us to waive the idea and the infrastructure to difficult. Support and mentoring consultation charges altogether scale the business rapidly.” The is vital as is self-motivation and and expand our customer base missing link was a person with patience. “BITS was the pillar of over the past two months. Of on-field experience, something strength throughout the journey. course, our profits are nil from which Kavikrut had in Right from the incubation at TBI consultation, but we are working abundance. An offer was made to small issues, the around making higher margins and he is now Manager of administration was very from drugs and exploring Business Development at PEL. supportive. As a mentor, secondary sources of revenue. He will spearhead their efforts to Anupendra Sharma was Until now, we were operating get the idea up and running. invaluable. His inputs and solely on our prize money, but guidance helped Mobile Medics as the funds dried up, times So, does that bring down the sail through many rough times,” became difficult. At one point, curtains for Mobile Medics? says Kavikrut. While Mobile we were even advised to become “Certainly not, we are Medics may not get the same an NGO so that we could tap discussing a possible synergy recognition now that they are on into donations and government with PEL by absorbing Mobile the brink of a merger with a funding” he says. Medics through a merger, and corporate giant, they have still work on the mission of certainly avoided being The situation was grave when building a business model to obliterated by forces that the Piramal deal came to their deliver primary healthcare to threaten the survival of many rescue. “Piramal Enterprises rural India. Although there was startups. (PEL) was also working on a lot of criticism from many

Mobile Medics after its inception in Pilani

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NOTES FROM PILANI BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine

RIDING THE ENTREPRENEURIAL WAVE

BY SANDPAPER PILANI TEAM

BITS, Pilani is experiencing the surge of an exciting new trend as more BITSians are beginning to dabble with the idea of a new start-up. Are we truly going the Stanford way? service providers such a maids, B2B commercial enterprise has BITS Pilani has always asked drivers, milk vendors etc. Their already started operations in more of us than just being team was a Finalist in Raipur. CDS envisions itself as technically sound – focusing on VENTURA 2007 at IT-BHU the one-stop destination for all developing well-rounded and Epsilon 2007. academic and social needs of individuals. It is this culture that Another promising start-up is students with the use of e- is giving rise to a very intriguing Dhanax Pvt. Ltd education services. It also aims and exciting new phenomenon – (http://www.dhanax.com) based to act as an interface between the campus is flooded with new in Bangalore started by youth and industry through concepts, start-up ideas, and Abhishek Nayak, a third year radical strategies such as Core people raring to put these ideas student, Siva Cotipalli, BITSian Data service (CoDaS). Having into action. We are used to successfully implemented three juggling around many things at Startup ideas from the projects for National as well as the same time; until now the regional level institutions in a BITS Pilani campus students who were managing short period of seven months, clubs or departments with the start-up is set to soar high. academics now work on  Shiksha business plans with the dream to  Info Hub Vita Peracta, start their own venture by the  CDS (http://www.vitaperacta.com) a time they graduate.  Vita Peracta venture by Amruth B R, Sindhu Anand and Nakul Jamadagni  Jal Purification Tech What is quite impressive about generates curiosity by what it these ideas is that they are  Sparks attempts to do; mathematically strikingly creative solutions to  TechBazaar model the personality of an everyday problems. Take for individual to simulate human example, Shiksha, a business- behavior. With some renowned plan (b-plan) that won Epsilon psychologists and scientists in (the intra-BITS Business Alumni and IIM-L graduate. its panel of advisors the team Challenge) and was a finalist in Dhanax allows retails investors hopes to come out with the beta Conquest 2007 (International to invest in micro-finance version of its product soon. Business Challenge of BITS online. The start-up has three Their b-plan has been selected Pilani). It was also a semi- employees and the b-plan has for the second stage of IIT B finalist in Megabucks challenge won several laurels which of IIT K. It attempted to solve includes being a semi-finalist at problems of rural students who Stanford’s E-Challenge. The B- are taught by untrained and plan also came fourth in IIT M's under qualified teachers. Falling Genesis and second in in the same league is Infohub, Intellecap's Srijan. Times NOW which aims to bring a host of also covered this start-up on day-to-day services required by November 3rd. a typical household. It would be a one –stop portal which would A budding start-up in the act as an interface between the education sector is CDS city dwellers and the largely (Consultancy Development unorganized sector of small Scholars) by Lohit Sahu, this

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NOTES FROM PILANI BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine Business Challenge Eureka launch the product. The postgraduate on-campus 2007. participants would get personal programs at BITS guidance and funding from Pilani are eligible to apply. In the sector of technology Anurag Jain, technical Thus the BITSian scene is full based start-ups is Jal mentorship and a certificate of promise as far as the Purification Technologies, by from CEL on completion of the entrepreneurs of tomorrow are Pritwiraj Moulik and others that project. concerned. With so much will provide water purification happening and so many products based on indigenous, Epsilon, the intra-BITS business students making waves, patented technology. Neer- plan competition has been BITSians are all set to be a Amrit, their main product would designed for students to work on force to reckon with in the be a cost-effective, portable, their raw ideas and convert in corporate world. manually driven, modular, and into a full fledged B-Plan. As a membrane based purification testimony to the buoyant system. An Ex-technologist entrepreneurial scene on from a renowned organization campus, the competition has for membrane technologies in grown by leaps and bounds with USA, a pioneer in the area number of entries bouncing having many patents to his from 67 last year to 150 this credit in ultra-filtration year. Even the Goa campus, technology has expressed where the event was being held interest as the technology for the first time got a whopping mentor for the start-up. They are 65 entries. The number of non developing a prototype with participants attending the Cartoon Time – Blog Fever!!! field tests scheduled in Jan Business Plan Workshop (a 2008. component of Epsilon) has surged recently, contributing to Fueling this entrepreneurial the entrepreneurial buzz. explosion is The Centre of Entrepreneurial Leadership The latest activity by CEL was (CEL). Whether it is Sparks, Techbazaar, held in November Epsilon, Conquest, Techbazaar 2007. Basically a Business Plan or the Mantra Awards, CEL has Competition, Techbazaar been a constant presence on the included a two-day convention BITSian scene. where people delivered lectures on energizing entrepreneurship Sparks is an initiative funded by through innovation. BITS alum Anurag Jain, which aims to provide a platform for CEL’s latest venture is the students to validate the potential ‘Mantra Awards’ for of their ideas and work on excellence in the fields of developing them into products Leadership, Entrepreneurship, which can be of value to the and Social leadership. The industry and society. It provides awards shall be given by an opportunity for students to Mantra Capital LLC headed put their technical skills to by BITS alum Anupendra practical use while providing Sharma. Two awards, (male monetary assistance and and female) shall be awarded for incentive to take the idea to the the Leadership category and one next level. CEL collects project each for other categories in ideas from Alumni & recognition of achievements Entrepreneurs through an idea during education at BITS. The submission form, and the mode winner of a Mantra Award shall followed was ideate – get it receive a cash award of 5000 validated – build the product – INR along with certificates. All showcase the prototype – sell/ students in undergraduate and

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NOTES FROM GOA BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine

GIVING BACK TO SOCIETY

BY SHERIN KURIAN (’04 C6)

Budding denizens of tomorrow find ways of giving back to the society and surroundings.

same classroom where the experience to most of us since Abhigyan-“Knowledge students of BITS attended their we have never seen people who classes and it continues to be so don’t even know to hold a pen! for all” even today. A group of sixty Also an eye opener to 15 August 2005- a five showed up for the first understand the amount of class, which included adults as patience each of our teachers has memorable day for BITSians of well as children in the age group with us. Kudos to teachers all Goa. Dr.T.C.Goel (Director, of 3 to 12. The classes around the world! BITS, Pilani - Goa Campus) commenced with mixed feelings proposed the idea of starting a among the new students - some The last two years have seen Literacy Drive on campus while were scared, some were Abhigyaan growing and at times delivering the Independence day embarrassed, and yet another breathing hard to hold the spirits message. This was an section was restless showing of learners high. New plans are opportunity to serve the society their discomfort. To start being made to take it to a higher and the faculty and students of learning at the age of 45 is level so that BITSians will BITS Goa put in their best indeed a difficult task! continue to have an opportunity efforts to get the program up and to give back to the society. running. The program aimed at The teachers to these knowledge teaching construction workers aspirants are a set of enthusiastic and their children, the mess AASRA: a platform for students of the campus who feel staff, and the housekeeping social service the necessity for imparting staff. With an initial fund of Rs. knowledge to the 5000/- donated by the Director Since its inception, AASRA, a underprivileged. I, too, am one himself, the program platform for social service in among the teaching volunteers commenced. BITS Pilani, Goa Campus has at Abhigyan and extremely organized many programs for proud to be Once the funding was in place, so. It was a the next task involved acquiring Blood Donation Camp at BITS Pilani – Goa Campus new books and stationery for the students. These included story books, text books, exercise books, pens and pencils. A course handout was designed to outline the topics to be covered. Since most of them were new to learning, we started with alphabets in English, Hindi and Kannada according to their preference. Math and spoken English were also included in the syllabus. In a week, everything was ready and the small school at BITS marked its beginning. The venue of the program was decided to be the

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NOTES FROM GOA BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine community welfare. initiative of a campus cleaning common rooms and giving it to drive at the Institute. Once every “People for Animals”. Blood Donation Camp semester, the program is conducted to create awareness On 2 October 2007, AASRA Every year, AASRA, along with among the students to keep the was brought under NIRMAAN, Goa Medical College Blood surroundings clean. an NGO based in Hyderabad. Bank (in association with Blood Discussions are being held to Transfusion Council in Goa) “Save electricity & water, adopt two schools (one primary holds a blood donation camp at reduce wastage of food”: is the and one high school). the Institute. The camp is being new motto set by AASRA. held at the campus for the past The word is spread among the Ultimately, the worth of a threes years and BITS Goa has students with posters and human being is determined not had the rare achievement of presentations. Recently, by what he gets from the rest of being the highest blood donor AASRA expanded the the world, but what he gives among educational institutions cleanliness drive to outside the back to them. The tag of being a in Goa on October 2006 and the campus. Old clothes were BITSian is not just about what highest blood donor in Goa as a collected from students and we can get out of it in terms of whole in October 2007. faculty members and were given powerful posts and heavy to “Little Heavens”- an paychecks, but also about how Cleanliness Drive orphanage located near the we can show our real worth, by campus. Another activity taken helping the not so fortunate ones “Cleanliness leads to Godliness” up by AASRA involved the among us. is a famous quote. Keeping this collection of old newspapers in mind, AASRA has taken the from the library and the hostel

Literacy drive at the BITS Pilani – Goa campus. Faculty and students collaborate to teach construction workers, the mess and the housekeeping staff and their children.

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NOTES FROM GOA BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine

CENTRE FOR SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

BY ROSHAN SUMBALY (’04 CS), AALAP TRIPATHY (’04 EEE), AKRITI TIBREWALA (’05 C6)

With the addition of more batches and students, the CSD slowly spreads its wings in Goa.

website a different look over Centre for The time. Currently in its third Software version, the most attractive Development feature of the website is the (CSD) was formed BITS-Zone Network Services – by a group of a number of network services students of the first provided by the CSD like batch who joined CANVAS@BITS-GOA, BITS the new campus of StudentNet, BITS e-mail, and BITS at Goa. Since BITS-Buzz. the college was in its inception, it BITS-Buzz, the online campus required a group of SHOUTBOX is an online forum enthusiasts who for students and faculty which could group

together to help in its Dr D M Kulkarni – growth. The idea to form a Coordinator, CSD (top). team of such “like minded” Mr. Mangesh Bedekar, people struck two students from the 2004 batch, Roshan Faculty Incharge CSD Sumbaly and Aalap (right). Tripathy, while returning from a movie trip from Panjim. Under the guidance of Dr. D.M. appreciated in Kulkarni, the first task of setting media, especially up of the BITS Goa Website when the elections was delegated to students of the Student’s resulting in the formation of Body, called the CSD. CSA, was done using an online With the admission of the software – making second batch at BITS Goa, the our campus one of the first hosts interesting talks and CSD sprung into action to invite campuses to hold an online discussions. some of the best brains to join election in India. in. This resulted in the formation CSD is also working on of the ‘CSD Nucleus Members’ CSD Initiatives reducing paper usage by the – a team of dedicated students Institute automating several striving for software solution The CSD team has worked hard paper-based procedures into requirements of the new to deliver many successful software as per the business campus. Over the next year, the projects. The CSD abides by the requirements of the Institute. team worked on various projects motto - ‘we develop and stay These include Insurance forms, like the BITS Goa website, ahead.’ Hence, since its Railway concession forms, BITS Studentnet (Intranet Site), inception, it has continuously Faculty attendance form and Course Management Tools, etc. added features to the BITS Goa scholarship & vacation details. Some of the work was even website, thereby giving the

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NOTES FROM GOA BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine The ‘ID Card Generation by working on the Campus unflinching support of Dr. D. M. Software’ which generates Management Tool which assists Kulkarni (Chief, CSD) along identification cards for each Professors in day-to-day running with Mr. Mangesh Bedekar student with a bar code is of course work at the institute. (Faculty Incharge, CSD). It is another one of CSD’s This tool also calculates the amazing to see a small idea from brainchild. This base of this CGPA of each student. two undergraduate students software has also been deployed transform itself into a team of as a security card-reader to The CSD has started research dedicated students striving for allow automatic check-in and projects with Roshan Sumbaly’s the development of their campus check-out at the campus work on ‘Parallel and while honing their skills. Like entrance. Distributed Systems.’ they say, all big things have small beginnings. The CSD has been helping the In the three years of operation, academic division of the campus the CSD has received

Bygone days A BITSian Homemaker's honest dialogue with her ex-colleague, friend and husband

Dear Pankaj,

Today, you talked of Sarbanes Oxley And private equity As I struggled with our daughter's interpretation of the frog's lifecycle I can expound upon various theories too, But I must explain to her why the sky appears blue... You wear an urbane suit to work, Not a hair out of place I can barely get rid of the lip hair on my face Anymore...

Grab my five minute luxury bath while the baby sleeps But I do not, as yet, rest my case... We started out together The sky was the limit, we were both dedicated to our careers, Granted I made a choice - or eased into one, Despite your initial fears Now, we both read the Wall Street Journal everyday (Though you read it first, unlike the Economic Times that I monopolized years back)

I guess, for me, brain-dead is a state that is here to stay, And I fight not, for I may never apply anything I read.

I hold one baby and the other holds my other hand and a grocery bag is tucked under my arm Like the 10 odd years of past (working) glory I bask in, I hold onto both for dear life... For you lose some, and some you decidedly win... I recall a paper about why the Gross National Product should include us (I mean housewives but it is hard to say the word without a fuss- And use words like VP at home to soften the blow)

I recall a book called valuing motherhood As I confront my existentialist dilemma I do everything to make myself feel good, I always wanted to make a difference all said and done, One day at a time, one simple step at a time, I tell you, Pankaj, I have managed to comb my hair today, thank god changed the world through that one contribution.

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NOTES FROM GOA BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine

SNIPPETS FROM GOA

BY GOWRI THAMPI 05-ECO+EEE ,TANAYA SRIVASTAVA 05-EEE, SHOUNAK SEN 06-

CHEM, AKRITI TIBREWALA 05 INFOSYS, SHERIN KURIAN 04 INFOSYS

Wall Street in Goa BITSians Go G REEN DOSM & DOPPR

The Wall Street Club was Environment Protection and The Department Of initiat ed in Goa Campus on 23rd Awareness Club (EPAC) was set Sponsorship and Marketing August, 2007. The aims of the up in October 2007 to make (DOSM) and Department of club are educating the campus people aware of the present Publicity & Public Relations student community about stock, condition of the environment. (DOPPR) have been set up to sponsorship and publicity, The club aims to organize talks handle sponsorship, finance software development, stock and field trips, and show and publicity for Waves and watching, and organizing documentaries with a goal to Quark, the cultural and lectures. Wall Street Raider is spread awareness among the technical festivals of BITS, one of the most awaited event students on environmental Pilani – Goa campus. lined up for Quark ’08 (9th-11th issues. Feb).

BITS GETS SUN’NY FoodKing @Goa

Sun Microsystems associated FoodKing - the food catering service launched by Sarath Babu, BITS, Pilani – Goa Campus with BITSian (97'Chemical) and IIM-A alumni, came to Goa campus in the campus ambassador August 2007. The response from the students has been stupendous programme, as part of its Open with almost 70% of the students opting in favour of FoodKings Source innovation in college mess. FoodKings has outlets at Gandhinagar Secretariat, IIM-A and campuses. Abhishek Kumar Pilani campus also. (2005T6PS438), the campus ambassador, will be provided free training, which in turn will help the student developers to la connexion européenne take advantage of Sun’s high May be it’s the exciting PS station in France and the host of technical value and no-cost resources web literature in Germany. Whatever be the reason, language classes are based training, free developer now a rage in BITS. Courses are run on the lines of those in Allianz tools and Open Source Francais, and Max Mueller Bhawan, and therefore, lay equal technology. emphasis on listening, speaking, writing and reading abilities.

The 8th Workshop on Biosensors and Bioanalytical µ-Techniques in Environmental and Clinical Analysis( October 3-6,2007)

The workshop was hosted by BITS under the auspices of International Association of Environmental Analytical Chemistry (IAEAC) Switzerland. The specific theme of this workshop is extended to multidisciplinary fields connecting µ-systems, nano-biosensors, biochip, nanotechnology, MEMS, genomics and proteomics. The aim of the workshop was to provide a forum for discussion and exchange of knowledge about the recent advances in biosensor s applications in real life pollution problems, bio-analytical micro and nano techniques and clinical diagnostics. ______WINTER 2008 | SANDPAPER | 29

NOTES FROM GOA BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine

OASIS 2007 BATTLE OF THE BANDS

A 36-member team from BITS – Goa comprising of dancers, Aggression overload is probably the best way to musicians, artists etc made a long journey across the Thar desert describe the aura during the Battle of the Bands, to be a part of Oasis 2K7. Podium finishes in a multitude of Goa 2007. 15 semi-pro bands took over the stage events as well as the thrill of experiencing life on the mother in the distant district of Alva Mar in Goa. Two campus, made the journey worthwhile. The team representing rounds and 12 hours later, a group of BITSians BIT S - Goa finished second in the race. who call themselves ‘The Last Trace’ emerged winners. The even was sponsored by Furtado’s, a

national music shop with outlets in Goa and Mumbai.

The music ranged from the angelic rock of Evanescence to the in-your-face riffs of Rage Against the Machine.

This competition not only made ‘The Last Trace’ the rock pride of BITS Pilani Goa Campus but was yet another stepping stone in the growing rock culture in Goa.

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NOSTALGIA BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine

LESSON ONE

BY ANJUM PENWALA

An elderly figure went directly to the blackboard and wrote down a serpentine formula. He turned every once in a while and explained, and all the Greek became Ad-Cal!

the prudent advice of their in and squeezed in between two seniors. Unfortunately, this girls and squatted on the floor As soon as setting foot in piece of advice had missed this somewhere in the middle of the Pilani, everyone knows about beaver. classroom. The panic kept me priority numbers, time-tables rooted despite the overwhelming and getting to register for the I arrived ten minutes early only urge to run away. best professors. The first to see in vain, a sixty capacity semester is the toughest for all. class-room packed with 200. Now I waited for an exceptional The pressure to perform and Benches supposed to be seating teacher and an exceptional prove is high. The advice of two, had three. The not so lecture that would be a stepping seniors is sprinkled generously fortunate had already made full stone to realizing my future, my all around, “You need to attend use of the wall, and the truly dreams and my aspirations. this Professor for this subject unfortunate were simply Back to reality, and the else you will not make a good standing over any foot of ground professor trudged into the grade”, “Guss the registered space available to them. My classroom hardly casting a Professor and go for P Singh!” thirsty eyes looked everywhere, glance to the crowd. He started is among a few what made it to for the proverbial drop to drink. teaching, and it seemed that the my eager and willing ears. The gap between every bench only objects of his affection and I still vividly remember the also had a student sitting in attention were the chalk-piece, feeling that enveloped me, when between on the floor. I stood at duster and black-board! I attended my first AdCal Class. the door staring at the sight Some students had reserved when someone behind me urged I was overwhelmed and their seats in the classroom on me to get in. I managed to enter mortified. The thought struck the very first day of the class on me and I wondered if I was really studying in one of the best Institutions in India. But people grow on you, and so do Professors and their teaching ways. First impressions are striking but not always correct. Someone told me that P Singh was the best, and the crowd would get lesser and people lazier. And as events would unfold, and the story be told, I maxed my first test and immensely loved every class of ADCAL thereafter. And it wasn’t just the result of the first test

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NOSTALGIA BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine

BONDED BY THE TRAIN

BY ANJUM PENWALA

Friendships formed during train journeys compartmentalize themselves in treasured pockets in your heart.

During every holiday break when we went home, the tickets for the trains were booked by the student union in batches of six. Students going to a particular city made a group of six or less and gave their names for ticket booking. The first time my name was given randomly in a group as I knew no one else from my city. For every vacation the same group had to be formed no matter how many other friends we made or no matter what differences came up in this group. A friendship was formed on this train journey which was very different from all the other friendships I’ve made in life. For a period of 24 hours this train would be our microcosm, where all the events of the semester as well as our lives at home, about our childhood, relatives, good and bad times would be channeled into this model for discussion and analysis . The unique part of the relationship was that while I was so close to them on the journeys, yet I would forget them once I set foot on Pilani soil. I would get involved in academics and my other friend circles and so would they and we would just pass and give a casual smile. In spite of this no one had any regrets or never having to say sorry. The next time I met them on the journey it would be as if we met just yesterday, the microcosm, recreated and updated to the latest events.

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QUARTERLY BITSIAN BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine

DR RAJ SISODIA

BY ANJUM (’98 A8)

Anjum talks to Quarterly BITSian Dr. Raj Sisodia about his latest book, the Gita and a host of other topics.

something that is really world is changing at a very rapid Sandpaper 2.0: Your worthwhile – typically from a pace. fourth book; “Firms of societal perspective. What we Endearment” came out this In the book we talk about year and has become one of how we have evolved over the top 10 Business Books time. If we look at the 200 on Amazon.com. How does years history of market that make you feel? capitalism which started with the age of Dr RS: It is very satisfying empowerment where people specially given that I am the really had the freedom to go first author of this book and out and become this book is about a subject entrepreneurs. And this was which is very near and dear different than it used to be to my heart. earlier. Then we succeeded that with the age of Sandpaper 2.0: For the knowledge when we saw benefit of our readers, tell us massive breakthroughs in what this book is about? science and technology Dr Raj Sisodia. A 1979 graduate from BITS th Dr RS: It is really about which started in the 19 Pilani and author of critically-acclaimed century and continued till companies that somehow th figure out a way where they “Firms of Endearment”. Raj is a Professor is 20 century and we had tremendous material can not only balance but also a teacher-scholar at Bentley College, Boston advantage. align the interests of a lot of

their stake holders. There’s one use in the book is an acronym Around 1990 there was a school of thought that why do called SPICE which refers to collapse of communism and so companies exist. Companies Society, Partners, Investors, we had the end of ideology as exist to make money for their Customers and Employees and the world knows it and so there share holders and anything else we say that the best companies was only one market ideology that they do is normally treated out there are those that manage which was the economic as a misuse of the capital of the to align all these stake holders ideology. There were other share holders. together so that what is good for changes that took place like the one is also good for the others. Internet which opened up There’s a broader view that’s communication which was like emerging that companies are not And there’s no reason why you never before. It gave people just beholders to their share need to harm one to benefit access to information with an holders but there are multiple others. For example employees ease never imaginable and for stake holders. All the folks have and suppliers are often seen as free. Most of this applies to the a legitimate claim or interest in costs that have to be minimized. western society. Then from 1989 the company. Second thing is That ways of business used to the ageing population started to that the purpose of the company work earlier but we think that increase. What happened then is needs to be broadened and other this model is not going to work that people were driven by than just making money they in the future. This is because the need to be working to achieve different things. How they think

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QUARTERLY BITSIAN BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine about legacy and meaning of companies we analyzed do not infrastructure to some place like life. They looked for deeper say they are doing all these India and it has some employees things. So that impacted the things because its going to yield who lose their jobs. Does value system. them good results but they are Wholefoods end up not being a saying that they are doing these firm of endearment or is there If we combine all these factors things as they are the right some way to say its doing the then we find that for companies things to do and not worried right thing for itself and its now the old model doesn’t work about the outcome and that’s share-holders? as employees are not satisfied what karma is. That’s why a and customers are not satisfied. company like Costco can afford Dr RS: That’s a good question! Another thing is that there’s a to pay their employees a living I think companies like that who lot of transparency so anything wage, have low turnover, and can do it by finding other that’s done bad or anything *still* turn a substantial profit. opportunities for the employees negative is easily found out. So They have captured the hearts of within the company and people want to be associated their customer base, and that displacing them would be better with good companies. For base will go out of their way to off. example if a company is shop at Costco whenever dumping chemicals in Indonesia possible. Sandpaper 2.0: Tell us more the customers are going to come about your life. For starters, to know about it, the employees I gave this book to my professor what did you do/study at BITS in America are going to know in Bajaj and he said he really and which batch did you belong about it. loved the book but it’s all there to? And here’s something to in the Bhagwat Gita. So after tickle your memory cells! Do The world is changing that I’ve been on a mission to you remember your ID Number? dramatically, imposing new educate myself about the Indian requirements for success. To culture. Dr RS: My ID is 1974A3203 thrive in the future, companies (No guarantees!). In Pilani I will have to embrace the social Sandpaper 2.0: Can a startup stayed in Budh Bhavan and then transformation of capitalism. company, with an uncertain Rana Pratap. I worked in quality future and survival on the control of L&T Mumbai for Sandpaper 2.0: We read an be a Firm of Endearment around a month and meanwhile I article “Karma Capitalism” in (FoE)? Or is FOE a clique of had applied to Bajaj Institute Business Week where the author big corporations with and so I did my MBA in talks about how business predictable revenues, fat wallets marketing there and passed out thinkers are using Bhagwat Gita and massive marketing budgets? in 1981. I didn’t plan to do my to teach how corporations PhD but funny how these things should look at value creation Dr RS: Yes. I have seen happen. Some friends of mine beyond stock price. Did Hindu companies that start out with were going to pick up some philosophy have any influence that mindset. They have the GMAT forms from the US on your book? value system of the founder who embassy. I asked them why do looks at the world in that way. you need GMAT forms, you are Dr RS: The interesting thing But what do they do if they still already doing your MBA; they about this book is writing about don’t have the companies that were focused on resources for the the purity of means or purity of same. Then they actions. might postpone some of the The CEO of one such company implementation of says that if I pay my employees values till they are and suppliers better my business self-sufficient. will do better and bring my shareholders more money but he Sandpaper 2.0: If said that he would do that even a company like if that was not true because it’s Wholefoods wants the right thing to do. It’s a to outsource part tremendous value creation. The of their IT

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QUARTERLY BITSIAN BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine said they would probably go for Dr RS: I remember the Saturday Academia is way down in the list a PhD. I didn’t know we could lunches, the parathas, Sunday of career choices for the do that, so I went along with feasts, night canteens, going to brightest Indians. What can them. I casually picked up the C’not and the occasional sand BITS do to change that? forms and applied and forgot storms. When we are younger about it. five years seem so long. I Dr RS: It’s a huge challenge. remember my PS experiences Even the IIMs are facing the A few weeks later we got the too, one in Delhi and one in same thing. I think you have to results and it so happened that Mumbai. offer better pay and better out of the six people only I had One particular incident I benefits. At some point it has to applied and I got enter the global market for admission to Columbia talent. The problem a lot of University and did my institutes have is that they can’t PhD in Marketing from charge very high fees. I don’t Columbia. I was there know how they can solve this for around three years problem easily. Salary might not and after that I got my be the only thing and consulting first job at Boston opportunities would probably University. I taught at attract better faculty but quality BU for three and a half of life is surely something they years and then we would have to provide. moved to Washington where I taught at George Mason University for ten years. The highlight of the It was during that time I year used to be met Jag Sheth, who is a Oasis though, well known Indian academic in the considering the fact marketing area. that we were quite deprived out there! Jag and I met at a conference in Delhi and I started working with Sandpaper 2.0: Has the BITSAA Jag quite a lot. Most of network been helpful to you in the work that I’ve done your career after Pilani? If yes, subsequently is with Jag. In remember - there was a strike in then how can others get benefit 1998 when I was well settled in my first year and all of us were from the network? If no, then DC, by coincidence I came sent home. The students were how can BITSians build an across an ad in a magazine in striking for the cost of the effective network? my colleague’s office for this salaries of mess employees. The position in Bentley College Birlas wanted the students to Dr RS: I have maintained which at that time was trying to cover this cost in addition to the friendships and I meet some of become a Business School. The food cost and so all the students my friends but I’ve not been too position was for Business in IT were sent home for a month and active in the BITS alumni. I which was my work. The the loss of time was made up have gone to some of the events deadline had already passed but during summer. organized here and what I have I still called and they said they noticed is that there are people hadn’t found anyone till then The highlight of the year used to from 1957 too. There is such and so I was interviewed and be Oasis though, considering the variety in the kind of people we then got the offer. fact that we were quite deprived meet there. out there! Sandpaper 2.0: What are the Sandpaper 2.0: What would best memories of your time at Sandpaper 2.0: One of the your advice be to all the Pilani? biggest challenges facing BITS aspiring writers who are today is lack of good faculty.

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QUARTERLY BITSIAN BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine planning to write a book? Vivek by carriers, phone models and Paul said in an interview that Dr RS: It was definitely tough tariffs. Why is the world’s the Rol for writing a book just but writing a book for the first richest country a laggard in isn’t there. What do you say? time is more of a mental block. embracing wireless technology? Jag encouraged me as he had Dr RS: He’s in a different line already written 15 books and Dr RS: I think it’s an interesting of work. For a Professor it is said write it as chapters and question. They are a number of definitely worth it but not for an don’t think of it as a whole book factors behind it. One is the engineer or executive. In terms and that helped. update of wireless here was slow of the ROI as you mentioned, perhaps because the wireline from the executive perspective it Sandpaper 2.0: Tell us infrastructure was so well placed doesn’t make a lot of sense but something about your family. that the urgency for wireless from an academic perspective, I wasn’t felt. The second factor find that books have much more Dr RS: I have three children, could also be that we had life long impact than articles. one boy and two girls. One is 18 multiple standards like CDMA, Books get translated in other one is 15 and the last one is 13 GSM etc so I think that also languages and have influence on and they all go to school. slowed down the evolution more people. Sandpaper 2.0: Every time we because different people were travel to India we feel that promoting different things. Sandpaper 2.0: Was it tough wireless telephony in US lags writing your first book? with respect to services offered

Firms That Made the Final Cut Dr. Sisodia is one of the first of three teacher-scholars at Bentley College. Dr. Sisodia joined Bentley College from George Mason University, where he served as associate Amazon Honda Southwest professor of marketing and director of executive programs BMW IDEO Starbucks at the School of Management. His teaching, curriculum CarMax IKEA Timberland development and scholarly activities focus on digital commerce; technology management; technology as a Caterpillar JetBlue Toyota change agent; the telecommunications and information Commerce Johnson Trader industries; services; marketing productivity; and the Bank & Joe's impact of information technology on marketing strategy. Johnson His work has been featured in professional journals such Container Jordan's UPS as the Harvard Business Review, Wall Street Journal, New Store Furniture York Times, Washington Post and American Public Radio's Costco LL Bean Wegmans Marketplace. He co-hosted a monthly talk show on eBay New Whole business and management issues broadcast on National Balance Foods Public Radio. Dr. Sisodia received a BE (Hons) EEE degree Google Patagonia from BITS Pilani (1979), MBA from Bajaj Institute of Management (1981) and MPhil PhD in Marketing from Harley- REI Columbia University (1988). Davidson

KESAR KOTHARI’S ELFIT ARABIA WINS AJMAN INDUSTRIAL EXCELLENCE AWARD

Elfit Arabia was awarded the coveted Ajman industrial excellence award this year and Kesar Kothari, Managing Director of Elfit Arabia and BITSian, received the same from His Excellency Sheikh Ammar Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi the Crown Prince of Ajman. Elfit Arabia is one of the leading manufacturers and suppliers of Telecom and Electrical products in Ajman, UAE.

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CREATIVE & HUMOR BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine

MORAL POLICING

BY NAINA BHATTACHARYA

Sachin was everything Shyamali was not. They complimented each other beautifully. Could they co-exist? bhel puri for her. He was Sachin looked at her and his Shyamali sat on the always so thoughtful. heart melted. She was so bench and smiled to herself. pretty and nice. To him, she She liked coming to the sea Today they met for the last looked like an angel in her side. Watching the surf time. For the first time pink polka dotted salwar always made her happy. since she had known and ribbons in her pigtails. Her eyes went to the roof of Sachin- they were alone. He wished and wished the her chawl and she sighed. Amidst a crowd, yet alone. best for her. He extended She wished college could They could not meet in his hand and held hers. be residential. In just her college; her professors Shyamali put her head on first year of college she was would detain her for being his shoulder. in love with the place. It out with a guy. They could Suddenly, Sachin felt a wasn’t just the place. She not meet at his chawl or sharp pain in his thigh. He met Sachin there. hers, the neighbors would looked up. A couple of gossip themselves to death. policemen were standing Sachin, her senior by two Finally they decided to there. years was vivacious, meet at the seaside. talkative, and popular, quite "This is not a place for spreading obscenity...," said unlike herself. She had been After three months of brought up as a one hefty fellow, hitting quiet and demure Sachin again. girl. She loved his spontaneity. Shyamali was very scared. They Sachin was speechless. complimented "But, but… we… umm… each other er,” he stammered. beautifully. But she realized it "C’mon, let’s go to the was never to be. police station," said the Sachin was fine other policeman. They with the were shoved into jeeps. In situation, but her the meantime, television parents were not. exchanging letters and love crews appeared on the In fact her mother started notes and making phone scene and suddenly the press was there in full force. crying each time the talk calls from PCOs, their Pictures were being clicked veered to her marriage. relationship had to be at random and there was A scramble nearby grabbed abandoned. They had bedlam. her attention. She noticed a discussed this. Sachin had a

bunch of kids and an ice job and would not be Shyamali and Sachin were cream push cart. She coming to college anymore. so scared; they forgot to wanted to buy one; she And Shyamali would have cover their faces. They looked at the ice cream to go to college to keep her were shocked beyond longingly before turning busy. They would be away. Ice creams were not alright. They wanted to words. They sat far away for her. She saw Sachin meet once to bid goodbye. from each other. They were both feeling guilty. Their approaching. He had got parents told them this

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CREATIVE & HUMOR BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine "Love, Shove" was not for "Diabetes indeed!” snorted At 2pm, the inspector them. If only they had the inspector. "An 18 year- arrived and ordered tea. listened, they would not be old and diabetes! These Other parents and relatives in this trouble. kinds of excuses won’t let were all at the police station you go away. Lock them by now, all clamouring for The jeep rolled away from both up." attention. Finally at 5pm, the curb. RP was able to pay the fine * * * and get his daughter out. * * * Radha Prasad was worried. ...And rolled into the police His daughter had not come Shyamali came out of the station, five minutes later. home. He wondered where cell and collapsed into her Shyamali was. It was 8 in fathers arms. She had Shyamali was weeping. the evening and she was not fainted. Sachin looked like he was home. He absently switched * * * going to sob any moment. on the TV. The news was For all his bravado, he was on and he saw her with a At the hospital, the doctors just twenty years old. The group of miscreants. They declared that Shyamali had inspector summoned them. were at the Navy Nagar They stood in front of him, police station. eyes downcast. As he rushed out, he could The inspector asked Sachin, hear the sounds of his wife "What is your wailing. relationship?" * * *

"We,...we are friends sir," At the police station, he stammered turning red. Prasadji was denied entry. He was denied permission "Friends, what nonsense! to see his daughter. The What were you doing at the inspector had gone home entered Diabetic Coma. She sea side alone?" for the day; the others could needed to be at the hospital Sachin had no reply. not do anything. Prasadji for a week. "You have to pay a fine for could pay 1200 rupees fine * * * Rs. 1200," the inspector the next day and take her continued. home. At the college, Shyamali was expelled for the Sachin and Shyamali did Prasad’s anguish and anger disgrace she had gotten not have the money. The intermingled into rage. But herself into. Her parents inspector ordered them to there was nothing he could were sent a letter, be locked up in adjacent do. His eighteen year old explaining that the college cells. Sachin, with the men had diabetes. She could not could no longer enroll her. and Shyamali with the survive the night without * * * women. insulin, but no one listened At the chawl, there were all to his pleas! sorts of rumors. "She is a Sachin was dismayed. This * * * .....," whispered everyone. would never do. Shyamali At the end of the week, needed her medicine. For Even the next morning, the Shyamali returned home. She the first time he noticed the inspector did not make an was weaker; she had nothing to heat and the humidity. He appearance. He had gone to look forward to. spoke up. inaugurate some function. Her mother’s tears had turned Prasadji waited at the into wails. "Please sir, keep me here. doorstep of the police But let her go. She has station, looking into the diabetes. She needs her horizon, waiting for the medicine.” inspector.

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CREATIVE & HUMOR BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine

THAT NIGHT

BY RAHUL SINGH

“At that moment, I felt a very strong attraction for him. I wanted to touch him, to hold him, but he was just my best friend…” Damn. How the hell could I ever was my best friend. Sameer think of this guy to be my best “No aunty, there's no power so I It was uncanny to have a guy as friend? He has all his priorities am not feeling sleepy at all. It's my best friend, but there it was. messed up. too hot inside. That's why I Thanks to power failures and came out here.” “How about lonely nights, I had pondered God it is so boring and hot - you, how come you are awake?” long about this to conclude that "Stupid electricity department." 'Yes, Sameer is my best friend." I guess I vented my frustration a “Arrey nothing beta, Ramesh "Malini Mukherjee’s best friend little too loudly. Geethika aunty, had called from US and his is Sameer Agarwal." I said aloud phone got disconnected. So I to myself. was waiting for him to call back. Finally when he didn’t call, I I called up Sameer immediately, called him back. The power and as usual he was busy failure started to make me feel watching re-runs of Full House hot. So I came out. Your uncle is at 1am. sleeping like a log despite all this!” "Sameer, don't you have to sleep? Friday night, actually its “Heh heh. So how is Ramesh Saturday now and you have doing aunty?” nothing better than Full House to watch!!" “He is fine beta, what about your company? Are they not "Mallu, you know I can't sleep sending you onsite anytime unless I've watched Full House. soon?” Geethika aunty's son was I just can't get enough of this working for a top notch IT serial. I find it really cute. company based in the US, and Maybe someday I'll find my she never realized how difficult own Rebecca Donaldson, like it is for a fresher to get an Jesse does!! Sigh" 'onsite' opportunity in companies like ours. So I just “Ok stop yapping, there's no my landlady, heard me above. always brushed off the topic power here and my roommate is She is very sweet, except when instead of delving into staying with her relatives it comes to issues about the explanations. “Come up maa. tonight. Entertain me please!” building. Then she becomes Let’s banter for sometime till the demonness. power come back. “Oh shut up, let me watch this serial. You go sleep.” But thanks to her I finally learnt “Aiyyo I have to get up soon in the how to cook. My mom will be morning. Akshita has some “Pretty please, with sugar on it proud to see me cooking on my function at her college tomorrow. Sam. Can't you do this for your own. I don't even burn my Some convocation ceremony”, she friends?” fingers anymore. She called out told me. “She bought a new dress from above, "Malini, don't you for it. You kids nowadays spend a “Okay, you hang up; I'll call you have to sleep? It is already after lot of money. I am happy to see at back in a few minutes.” 1am!" least you and Sushmita [my

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CREATIVE & HUMOR BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine marriage why can’t she? Even your uncle is not “No problem, whenever you need bothered, so what can I help, just call.” say. I also have to become liberal.” “Thank you aunty, good night!” I got into my room and put on At that moment I got an whatever I could find in the light SMS from Sameer. It of my Nokia phone, and rushed read, "Look down your down. balcony" As I skeptically looked out of Sameer was standing there with the balcony, I could not his bike; he was close to six feet believe my eyes. Sameer tall, well built with chiseled was standing there with features. He never looked his age, his bike. He called me you'd still think he was in college, up and I answered now. but it was two years since he had “What are you doing finished his engineering. I walked here? I thought you were up to him and gave him my best watching Full House at smile. your flat.” "So where are you taking me “Well lady, you asked chauffeur?" me to entertain you and here I am. You are going “So Malini style! I miss my to have the best night favorite serial and come to take ever in this city.” you out and you treat me like I'm your driver. Ruthless Malini!!” roommate] are earning on your “And what do you mean by that own. I don't know what to do mister?” “Uh oh don't feel offended. Since about Akshita. I think she just you are being so nice to me, I wants to get married.” “Well put on some clothes and promise I'll be good to you all come down, I'll show you the night night. I'll listen to everything you “Ok aunty I am coming up, just a life of this city. Oh and please say.” second.” As soon as I reached carry your ID card in your purse. upstairs, my phone began to buzz. Just in case a patrol van asks for On hearing this he gave that It was that pigheaded Sameer ID. Come soon.” typical Sameer smile with his calling. The nerve of that guy, he head a little bent repeating my thinks a serial is more important I could not stop feeling thrilled. word "Everything?" than me. I was in no mood to talk Nobody had ever done that before. to him, so I just ignored his call. Sameer was so sweet; he came all “Oh shut up cheapo, don't push He kept trying but I kept ignoring the way just because I told him I your luck too much. C’mon lets the call. wasn't sleepy. I wish everybody go, where are we going?” had a friend like him. Actually no- “Who is calling you so late Malini, he’s too precious to be shared. “Just wait and watch madam, your boyfriend? That boy you go just wait and watch.” with on weekends?” “Wait I'm coming. Aunty I have to go now.” He started his bike and we went “No aunty, he is not my boyfriend. driving around for a long time. He is just a colleague from my “Hey Malini, you be careful, Are He showed me all the places that company.” you sure you can trust your friend he visited when he in college. here?” Somehow the city looked more “Oh you don't tell me, I know all beautiful at night and the roads about youngsters nowadays. I have “Yes aunty, he’s a very nice embraced you with all their Akshita, she also has a boyfriend. friend. Don't worry. I'll be back. love. It was perhaps the most She argues with me saying that if Any case I have your number, I thrilling ride I had ever had. Ramesh bhaiya can have love will call if I need any help.” Sameer and I went to a place

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CREATIVE & HUMOR BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine called the Secret Lake. I had “Sameer, if you have to flirt “Eeeeks! Eggs and bread…that been there before but never at with me, you'll have to change too at the railway station? Will it this hour, and surprisingly there that look of yours. You look like be hygienic?” were other people too. Sameer a villain when you make that and I sat there with a cold drink face.” “It'll be awesome, c’mon.” bottle, the whole city seemed to be asleep and the breeze was “Malini, I'm seriously giving up With that he got up and dusted cool. The moon’s reflection in on you. I thought you were his pants. I don't know why but I the water made it look surreal. supposed to be nice to me…. felt a very strong attraction to “This is so cool Sameer, you But you just can’t change even him at that moment. I wanted to must've come here often?” for one night. Get lost, next time touch him, to hold him, but he I'll come with some other girl was just my best friend. I don't “Yeah, I have been here a lot of and flirt endlessly with her.” know why but I extended my times. But this time seems to be hand and he helped me get up. the best.” “As if someone else will come That touch felt so different. It with you! Heh heh. Ok, sorry, I wasn't like he had never held my I looked at him; he had that was just kidding. Don't feel bad, hand, but the way he held it now devilish look that comes up on if it is any consolation what you sent a tingling down my spine. It his face which he calls his said is true. This has been so far felt like he held me as though I flirting look. the best night I've had in this belonged to him. As something city. But I'm hungry now.” he had ownership of. As I sat behind him not able to “What odd times comprehend what I was feeling you pick to feel at that moment I lost track of hungry! Where do what he was telling me. you expect to find “Sameer, I'm feeling cold, do food at 3am?” you mind if I hold you?”

“Won’t some 5-star “Sure go ahead.” He went on eat-out be open? with his yapping about his We can go have a project leader. I put my arms dosa there at least. I around him and pulled myself have money.” closer to him and pressed the side of my face on his back. I “Yeah, they know could faintly hear his heart beat that Mini madam is and his voice sounded funny. It going to come today felt like coming out of his back at 3am and they'll now. have dosa ready for you? You really are We reached the station and had stupid!” bread with omelette, perhaps the earliest breakfast I ever had in “Sam, just because I my life. It was also the tastiest. am being nice to Maybe it was the feeling of you doesn't mean eating at 3am gave it that flavor, you can pull my leg. or was it because I was with I just thought it Sameer, someone I have known might be open. I'm only for six months? Even the really hungry.” tea tasted great.

“Ok fine, we'll go “Mini, you feeling alright?” and have egg and bread at the “Yeah I am fine. Why?” station.” “You haven't spoken for a long time. So I was wondering if you

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CREATIVE & HUMOR BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine were feeling awkward. Before I realized, he had kissed How could he do it now, Everything’s ok?” me on the cheek! I was especially with me? He sped surprised, bewildered and away on his bike. “Yes. Why'll I feel awkward? dumbstruck! My mouth was It’s just you!” open and I couldn’t believe Sam And then what happens....I wish had actually given me a peck. I could write more, make this the “Let’s get back, it is almost To be honest, I was disappointed perfect love story...but it seems 4am. Your aunty will be that it was merely a peck. I worrying about you.” inwardly hoped that he would so nice to leave it at this look at me and kiss me. But he juncture...when the seed is sown “Yeah right, as if she has no didn’t. He just stood there. and the feeling is growing... other concern. I'm sure she must whether the plant grows or not, be snoring right now.” “Click click, hello madam.? whether they fall in love or not... Offended? I didn’t mean to We reached the apartment and I startle you so badly.” whether they end up together or got off the bike, Sameer not... it’s all irrelevant... because switched off his ignition. “Huh, no. I wasn't expecting a the best phase of love, is when peck from you. Never thought it’s just born in your heart. “So?” you would gather so much Truly it feels great, but most of courage. What if I slapped you the times the freshness is lost, “So, what? Now you go back or raised a ruckus?” up, unless of course you want to and what remains is just give me a good night kiss!” “I know you enough to assume curdled milk. “What? Why'll I kiss you? There that you wouldn’t do any such are so many guys better than thing. So how do you feel?” you.” “What do you mean? Was I “Well the night is not over yet, even supposed to feel anything? and you have started being It was just a slimy peck!” impolite again. Women I tell you…. They're all the same.” “Mini! I am going. Bye!”

“Shut up! How many women “Ok fine, sorry dear. It felt nice, have u been with Mister? You felt like we've finally entered the guys are all the same.” comfort zone.”

“I have had enough friends “Fine, I am sleepy… I am going. among girls for me to say this. Bye….good night!” How many guys have you been with fatty?” “No Sameer, not good night…Great night and good “What’s the point, they are all morning!! Thanks.” jerks... like you are being one Rahul Singh, the author of now...” He smiled; he had started his this stor y, in a suit. Rahul bike already. He turned back needs help in writing the “What? Whatever…so you are and shook his head mumbling perfect end of this story. not giving me a good night something under his breath. If you are willing to kiss?” Oh how I wished that he would collaborate with Rahul just stay with me some more and then email him at “Well, you should give me a not go. How I wished that the [email protected]. reason to give you one…it’s peck could become more than almost morning and if it has to just a peck. But I knew it wasn't be…” going to be that way. This was Sameer, a guy who hadn't All of a sudden Sameer got off touched a girl in an his bike and bent forward. inappropriate manner all his life.

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NEWS, MASALA & SPICE BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine

MANTRA-CEL LEADERSHIP AWARDS 2007

BY AMRUTH B. R. (’04 B5)

Mantra-CEL Leaderships Awards 2007 handpick budding entrepreneurs and leaders of tomorrow. rural India. Dhanax’s business at BITS Pilani) since its It was early last year that plan came in second at inception in March 2005. Her Anupendra first discussed the Intellecap's microfinance frequent visits to nearby villages idea of instituting a Leadership business plan competition have exposed to the bare and award for BITSians. It instantly “Srijan”, was a finalist at ugly realities of rural India. struck a chord- as at the Center Genesis, IIT Madras B-plan With a small group of ten for Entrepreneurial Leadership; competition, a semi-finalist at students, she played a major role our goal has always been to Stanford University’s e- in nurturing NIRMAAN as a create leaders through challenge and at Conquest 2007, vibrant platform for social entrepreneurial thinking. BITS-Pilani's international service in BITS-Pilani and business plan competition. elsewhere. She established The diversity and quality of the “Rural Employment Incubator” applicants for the first Mantra Dhanax launches in early 2009. which designs business models Awards was impressive: from Abhishek was also a speaker at for livelihood generation. people who’d set up their own the Fortune Global Forum 2007, During the summer of 2006 & companies, successfully run a premier summit for the world's 2007, she spread the concept of rural initiatives, to others who leading chief executives. As the NIRMAAN (registered as NPO had set up their own rock , only undergrad at the forum, he – non profit organization in July the applicants seemed to have talked about the aspirations of 2007) in Andhra Pradesh. She done it all. India's new generation. At BITS, also established a collaboration Abhishek serves as Vice with “Byrraju foundation” with The winners of the 2007 Mantra President at Center for a workshop on “Sharing of best Awards were: Entrepreneurial Leadership practices” to reinforce the work (CEL). He is also active in the efficiency. As Vice President, Entrepreneurship: Abhishek quizzing circle of BITS and was she has been successful in Nayak (’05B1A5) the runner up at the Brain of initiating new ideas like School BITS (BOB) quiz competition, Adoption Program, Spoken held in APOGEE 2007. English classes, and a major project on Solar Lamps. Hasa Social Impact: Krishna Hasa will shortly assume the position (’04B2A8) of President of NIRMAAN from Jan’08.

Innovation: Ankit Mittal (‘05A4)

Ankit has filed two sole inventor patents; one of which relates to making taps more accessible to the differently-abled. This innovation also won him the Abhishek was a key member of first place in Techbazaar 2006 the Dhanax www.dhanax.com (organized by CEL). His team that introduced retail innovations have also been investment in the microfinance Hasa started as a volunteer of recognized as the most industry and will soon make “Rural Development Unit” of promising in the “Industrial microfinance more accessible to MyINDIA (a student movement

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NEWS, MASALA & SPICE BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine Process and Applications” and from the metros and getting selected the winners: Prof. “Material Sciences” and sponsors was a mere game of Raghurama (Deputy Director, “Communication and chance. As StuCCAn for Sponz Academic), Prof. Sajeev Networking” categories in - Sriram and his team made Chandran, and Prof. Arya APOGEE 2008. A firm believer Oasis 2007 the biggest ever. Kumar (Head of the that successful innovation drives Projecting the previously Entrepreneurship Development commercial success, Ankit has considered constraints into and IPR Unit. Above all, I also won second position in strengths turned the remote would like to thank Prof L K ‘Epsilon2k7’, BITS Pilani and location of Pilani into a Maheshwari, the Vice- been the finalist of B-plan psychedelic, road-trip Chancellor of BITS Pilani, for competitions at IIM-L and IIM- experience, and the limited his generous and whole-hearted A. He is also the Coordinator of audience made Oasis elite entry- support. Having the inaugural Mechanical Engineering by-invite fest. He also served as Mantra Awards being given Association. Ankit will graduate the Vice President (Technology away by him is an honor for us in 2009. Domain) at the Center for all. Entrepreneurial Leadership, Leadership: Sriram V (’04 A3) where he led teams that worked We hope to grow with more of on initiatives to encourage similar initiatives touching technopreneurship on campus BITSian lives with the support by helping setup the Technology of faculty and alumni which we Business Incubator and events have shared since the beginning. like Tech Bazaar and Stimulus. Here's to the Mantra team and Sriram is also the co-founder of all the winners of Mantra Yofa (for Youth Factor), a web Awards – Stand Tall! initiative to enable the Indian youth, NGOs and community (Amruth B.R. is an ex-President welfare groups to network, float, of the Center for build and publicize activities. Entrepreneurial Leadership at BITS Pilani. He served as the Sriram believes his mission, as Many thanks to Anupendra student member on the Mantra Steve Jobs would say, is to Sharma for putting in all his Awards Panel. He is shortly create dents in the universe time and effort into helping starting up on his own venture around him. Sriram has caused a institute these awards. This at www.vitaperacta.com) 180-degree shift in the way experience has shown us how BITSians think about Oasis: fruitful a direct involvement of from deep resignation to the fact alumni in our activities can be. I that Pilani was disconnected must also thank the panel that

First-ever Mantra Leadership Awards ceremony at BITS Pilani. Four leadership awards, one each for Entrepreneurship, Social Impact, Innovation and Leadership, were given away by Prof L K Maheswari.

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NEWS, MASALA & SPICE BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine

BITSAA NEWS

BY RAJESH ANANTHARAMAN(’00 EEE)

BITSIAN IAS OFFICER GETS GOLD MEDAL FOR ATUL BHATNAGAR IS PRESIDENT & COO OF IXIA INTEGRITY Atul Bhatnagar has been appointed President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of IXIA, a leading global provider Khurshid Ahmad Ganai, of IP Performance Test Systems. Mr. Bhatnagar has over Principal Secretary, General Administration Department J&K, two decades of experience in the communications and computing industry, recently having served as Vice was presented the Gold Medal President and General Manager of the Enterprise Data for honesty, integrity, and Networks Division of Nortel, and worked close to 15 years meritorious service by the at Hewlett-Packard. He holds an MSEE from the University Governor of the State Lt.Gen of New Mexico and a BSEE from BITS Pilani. (Retd) S K Sinha. Khurshid Ganai (’74-’79 B.E Mechanical), who was the second rank holder in the IAS examination in 1982, has held various key positions in Jammu and Kashmir during his illustrious 25 year tenure.

EXPEDIA APPOINTS BITSIAN AS HEAD OF ADITYA BIRLA GROUP INDIA OPERATIONS SCHOLARSHIP WINNER FOR Sharat Dhall has been appointed by Expedia as 2007 head of its yet to be launched India operations. Prior Namrata Raman, from BITS Pilani, is to joining Expedia, Sharat Dhall, BITS alum, was the proud winner of the Aditya Birla vice president, eCommerce at Indiatimes.com. Group Scholarship for 2007. Namrata Expedia.com is a US-based online travel portal which joined BITS Pilani in July 2007 after offers online booking services for vacation packages, taking the online BITSAT examination, flights, hotels, car rentals, cruises and in-destination to pursue her first choice B.E. (Hons) activities. Chemical Engineering. She wishes to excel in the field of Environmental Chemistry in the years to come.

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NEWS, MASALA & SPICE BITS Pilani Alumni Magazine

BITS ALUM CONFERRED RAJIV GANDHI TECHNOVISIONARY AWARD FOR SHIROMANI AWARD 2007 DR. KRISHNA C. SARASWAT Sadachandram Kolandaivel Professor Krishna C. Saraswat of Stanford University has G, also known as GSK Velu, been awarded the Techno Visionary Lifetime Award by the founder and MD of Trivitron, Indian Semiconductor Association (ISA) and VLSI society of has been conferred the Rajiv India (VSI). Dr. Saraswat obtained both his MS and PhD in Gandhi Shiromani Award Electrical Engineering at Stanford after a Bachelor’s degree in 2007. Trivitron, one of the top Electronics from BITS, and is currently a Rickey / Nielsen ten medical technology brands Professor in the School of Engineering at Stanford. His work in India, is a familiar includes outstanding research in nano-technology, 3D ICs healthcare name in the Indian technology, single wafer manufacturing for a micro-factory market focused on providing and thin film technology for VLSI inter-connects. healthcare technology solutions. GSK Velu is BITS alum who obtained his BPharm degree in 1988. He was also the recipient of the Entrepreneur of the Year 2006 award.

BITSIAN WINS BEST FILM YOGESH AGARWAL TAKES OVER AS IDBI CRITIC AWARD AT 53RD CHAIRMAN NATIONAL FILM Yogesh Agarwal, BE Civil Engineering from BITS, has been AWARDS appointed as chairman of IDBI. Mr. Agarwal, previously Baradwaj Rangan won the managing director of State Bank of India, replaces V.P Shetty Best Film Critic award at the for this coveted job which has the rank of Secretary in the rd 53 National Film Awards this Central Government. year. Bharadwaj Rangan, a Chemical Engineer from BITS, is a freelance writer and critic whose work includes film reviews and other articles published in The New Sunday Express, The Economic Times – Madras Plus, Man’s World, Simplifly and Seminar. ______WINTER 2008 | SANDPAPER | 46