![Sandpaper [2.0] Fall 2003 Issue Volume 2 Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine](http://data.docslib.org/img/acbe681f989261274971a74bcea0e35a-1.webp)
PEOPLE OF THE MONTH: ADITI PANY ¦ DILIP D’SOUZA WHAT’S HAPPENING AT BITS ! ¦ BITSAA RAISES $650,000
The BITSAA Edition
Sandpaper [2.0] Fall 2003 Issue Volume 2 Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine
VIJAY CHANDRU When Academicians become Entrepreneurs
Top 10 Grad School Experiences
BITS Entrepreneurship Center named top five in India
BITSConnect Thank You
The State of the Vidya Vihar Campus
The Top 20 BITSian CEOs in India Scenes from a Pakistani (And their companies) Restaurant
A conversation with My thoughts on LEADERSHIP Lt. General M. By Vivek Paul Rajgopal, AVSM
Sandpaper [2.0] Fall 2003 Issue
CONTENTS
3 EDITORIAL GENERAL INTEREST 4 LETTERS 38 Skydiving...Of fear and fun 40 Alfa Alfa By Dilip D’Souza FEATURES 6 Sandpaper Online 41 NOSTALGIC NOTES 7 2003: The year that’s been 10 Business News EDUCATION & ACADEMICS
11 Masala & Spice 44 KM Dholakia – BITS Faculty Dean (1961-84) 45 Profiling Dr. Vijay Chandru COVER STORY Part 2 of series: When academicians become entrepreneurs 12 Top 20 BITSIAN CEOs in India 19 Thoughts on Leadership by Vivek Paul PERSON OF THE MONTH 47 July/Aug: Aditi Pany BITSCONNECT 49 Sept/Oct: Dilip D’Souza 21 Thank You Letter 23 BITSConnexion ALUMNI CORNER 51 BITSAA International Initiatives NOTES FROM PILANI 24 The State of the Vidya Vihar Campus MERA BHARAT MAHAAN 26 Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership 52 A conversation with Lt. Gen Rajgopal
IMMIGRANT SONG 54 SELECTED CLASS NOTES (1946-98) 28 Scenes from a Pakistani Restaurant 61 GIVING TO BITS – BITSConnect Pledge Form CREATIVE & HUMOR 30 Poetry by Anuradha and Vivek 32 Top 10 Grad Experiences 34 Writings from another time 36 The Date 53 Cartoons By Nikhil Adnani
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juniors to reach for that vast greatness that lies beyond most We all stand on the of us. I believe we all have it within us to achieve that greatness. To rise to and to reach, to experience the extraordinary. edge of a vast But if it hasn’t happened yet, if there is no light at the end of the tunnel yet, have patience. Spend time with leaders. greatness. Read about them. Talk to them. Learn what Vivek Paul says in his thoughts on leadership about that we must do. For the success that eludes us may be just round the corner. When I was applying to Harvard Business School eight years ago, I remember an essay question that genuinely got But if we achieve no greatness, leave no legacy beyond our me thinking: “Are you an ordinary person in extraordinary children, are not remembered by more than two generations circumstances? Or an extraordinary person in ordinary of our family members, we’ll all still be able to answer the circumstances?” HBS essay that stumped me eight years ago. All 30,000 BITSians could fill pages and pages of that essay . We That question stumped me. I was 26, living in London, would all write about being ordinary mortals yet having an hanging out at fancy watering holes, traveling to exotic extraordinary experience in a small village 200 kms from destinations within Europe. It was all amazing to me. But Delhi. That experience lasted for years. And we didn’t for most Londoners, my circumstances would be even know it then. considered ordinary. I don’t know what I wrote, but I must have made something up. HBS saw through it. I got dinged. During those years, we ate ordinary food in ordinary surroundings. Had ordinary GPAs (me anyway). Talked I have talked, met, read about leaders in all spheres during about ordinary things. Learnt from ordinary people (most the last ten years. Entrepreneurs. CEOs. Founders of anyway). Yet all those ordinary evenings, with an ordinary Charities. Millionaires. Even a billionaire. Most of them bunch turned out to be a pretty damn extraordinary started out quite ordinary. No child prodigies. Maybe a few experience. flashes that indicated they were destined for greatness. But, slowly, gradually, or sometimes suddenly, something So while you go about striving for the greatness, don’t struck. They succeeded. forget, that you’ve lived through the extraordinary. Stop for a moment and think about it. Better, pick up the phone I’m sure we can all relate similar experiences, where we and call someone. Re-live those moments. Remind met ordinary people living out extraordinary lives. And yourself. once in a while, we’ve even met the truly extraordinary person. Leading an extraordinary life. I’ve been fortunate Kya din thé woh. Those were the days. to have met a number of them this year. A number of Anupendra Sharma (’87) extraordinary BITSians. Chief Editor At the CEVC events this year, Chatter, Nesamoney and Hukku told their amazing stories. In each instance we came away marveling at their humbleness, their lack of egos, their gratefulness for having had one big idea that succeeded, their incredible sense of humor. However, none of them had illusions of this being their destiny, that they would do it one day. They all did have one thing in common. An unparalleled focus. A huge appetite for risk. The lack of pretensions about their achievements. But if you ask them, they won’t think it was a particularly amazing idea or a particularly outstanding quality they possessed that made things happen. I heard Deepak Chopra speak in Boston six months ago. He said that successful leaders all had one thing in common. These leaders called it Luck. Coincidence. Right Anupendra (left) with Prasad Thammineni (’86), place. Right time. Deepak calls this synchronicity. In his CEO of jPeople and CTO of BITSAA International at inimitable style he related this to quantum physics, the the East Coast USA Annual Event in October 2003. human body and ultimately, the soul. He talks about the greatness lying within all of us. This Sandpaper talks about 20 brilliant BITSians who run huge companies in India. All have achieved a measurable degree of greatness. The Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership hopes to sow some of those seeds within our
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Chitthi Aye Hai
Excellent material!! Please keep I read the Sandpaper online edition On the launch of up the good work. literally uninterrupted! Brought back loads of memories and made Sandpaper 2.0 Umesh Bhatia, '84 my day. I am urging as many people Only now did I read the final I know to get to read this. I can see the immense efforts that would have version of sandp. it is phenomenal. I am really blown away. great job. gone to produce such a slick magazine. Congratulations! Suraj Srinivasan, '86 Raja (Dr. K R V Subramanian), Congratulations to your team CEO, AnswerPal for publishing the Sandpaper magazine I really like what you guys are doing. I know first hand how Deepak, Sydney difficult it is to put together a Please accept my congratulations magazine. I used to publish a in bringing out the Sandpaper issue. It is great to see a revival of the campus magazine by name "Vahini" It is very exciting to see the names Sandpaper masthead! Brings back in Telugu, all by handwriting. some of my best memories. The of BITS alumuni doing so well. Krishna Vavilala, (1956-60) Many names are very fresh in my broken down letter press -- working memory. Wishing you and all other late nights -- NC chais ... alumni very best. Congratulations on a great job. This is very neat. Thanks to all the editorial staff to put this fabulous Abani, Editor Sandpaper '86-87 Professor L K Maheshwari, Deputy magazine together. Its a nice trip. Director, BITS Thank you for your mail on the Arun Lakhotia, University of It was nice to see a nicely "Sandpaper". The Inaugural issue Lousiana at Lafayette organized copy of the Sandpaper. has come up well and very The (e) SandP (2.0) seems to be Great work Team! Please keep the informative. I am sure BITSians and the best idea BITSAA has come up good work up! Whatever little help others will appreciate the way it has with ever since I graduated in 1999. can come from my end shall be come. Congratulation to you and to there. your team for this effort. It is inspiring to see folks putting in efforts to get us all connected Professor Rahul Banerjee, BITS, Dr. Motilal Dash, Chief, despite your personal / professional Center for Software Development Community Welfare Unit, BITS schedules. Pilani Kudos to the SandP team! Truly It was fun going through the wonderful job with the webzine. I I just came across the inaugural sandpaper edition. To be frank, I read it all in one go. Thanks so issue of Sandpaper 2.0. I greatly read it non stop (online) for 3 hrs much for bringing back memorable enjoyed reading the issue. It brought and really am down with a severe vignettes of those glory days back many memories I did not even bout of nostalgia. It was nice to through the various articles. I have know I had ! Congratulations on a read through the achievements of longed to go back there for a visit job well done, and thanks to the BITSians and the class notes are a but somehow it has not been editorial team for their efforts in good way to keep track of people. possible in all these years. Nice to putting the issue together. I remember vividly the changes that have a bit (actually a lot) of BITS PS: It might be useful to include the i had seen during my 5 yrs of stay brought to us instead, through the there, right from the changing of magazine. Keep up the great work. batch/year of the various authors in future issues -- helps the reader marks distribution from 100 to 200, Allalaghatta Pavan, 84A7PS041, know the frame of reference. to the change of malviya bhawan to Senior Principal Research a girls' hostel. I just hope Scientist, Honeywell Aerospace Nitin Vaidya (82A3...) everybody devotes some time in Electronic System updating the records, thereby contributing to its sprout in the long
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run. Thanks very much and keep up By having a different selection as it will allow meritorious and your good work ! criteria, we are getting the best competent students from all over the country to compete for the best Kannan P '99 talent out of one group. This group comprises those who are more institution in India. Going through the Sandpaper is focussed on the 12th standard Vishnu not just nostalgic but is full of exams. Best of any group is always emotions. So many memories keep worthwhile. If we get into the Whoever argues in favour of an pouring out. Great Stuff and let us entrance exam mode, we will be All India Entrance Exam forgets the keep the enthu going. One more fighting for the same group as other fact that these exams also do tend to thing, I see that BITSAA insitutes, amd may end up with be biased. A look at the finer international being a young body "Not-Best" inputs. aspects of the MHRD proposal has a lot of enthu. Can we Also, the system of entrance system shows that the exam is going to be contribute articles from India ? in itself devalues our education conducted by the CBSE board !!!!! system of 12th standard, if we Wouldn’t such an exam be biased Arjun Sinha Roy, '94, Head of towards the CBSE syllabus ??? Sales, PervasionOne suggest that it is not the best parameter to guage merit. Suggesting that we give in to such Thanks a lot for the honor. The proposals would at best be a case of Amit Jain “out of the frying pan into the fire issue is indeed full of very attractive !!! “ reading. Congratulations on a great first issue. Wish you all the best! If ghotooos will pour in through Today the MHRD would want us entrance exam.... we will become to follow their defined procedure Vinod Agarwal, CEO, LogicVision ghotoos and will be of no use to the for admission .. tomorrow it may th country. be the syllabus taught at the On 12 Class institute … the day after that they Entrance exam is something that may want to take over the Marks versus brings all and sundry on a common management. !!!!!! Entrance Exams platform for evaluation. That’s the crux of the story and it’s a good idea BITS has retained its status and for BITS to go for entrance examinations. grown into what it is due to its independence from government Admissions (and Baljeet Singh bureaucracy. A lot may be desired some hilarious … but to let the government concerns about It will be really good if BITS will interfere is not a solution !!!!! have an entrance system. It is really ghotus!) a true measure of one's hard work, Praveen competitiveness and intelligence in Entrance exams come with the 12th standard. In the current system every state does not has a extra “benefit” called "Reservations". If the entrance unique marking scheme and has a exam is administered by govt. then different syllabus. Lets say a Board the institutions are obliged to give distributes marks like carrots and 49% reservations (SC/ ST / OBC/ tomatoes. Majority of fellow get marks between 98 to 99.99% Girls, Ex-servicemen Children and I other assorted categories). I think marks by default. They are just strongly disagree on BITS having the only entrace test in India which born "ghutus". entrance exams. This will dilute one does not follow this is IIT -JEE but of the key features of our Institute At the same time in pioneer country they also MUST give 22% and going forward, we will just level boards, the difference between reservations for SC/ST. I think the have 'Ghotus' in the Insti. topper and other students is more. current system is anyday better Pushkar Nath Sen so even after normalization very few students (5 -7) are able to get Guru ¦ I feel the system of normalization into BITS. That too in some B or C so that there are representation from grad courses. all states is really unique. May be By this, it seems that.... in other we can develop a system so that states the students are either above every state gets a fair representation BITS standards or they are not even and the purpose of normalization is capable for BITS. So I strongly met. support government decision for the Ayusman Sarangi ENTRANCE TEST for BITS-Pilani
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SandpaperOnline www.bitsaa.org/sandpaper/sandpaper.html
UP TO THE MINUTE STORIES YOU WON’T FIND HERE This published version will appear twice a year. To access the latest news, stories, cartoons, humor, class notes and to find out the latest regarding the BITSConnect project, visit our website. In addition, find the Business News and archives of our past articles and news.
BITSAA Newsletter BITSians IN ACADEMICS Every month we bring you a newsletter At last count, there with stories about BITS and BITSAA were 191 BITSian through the Yahoogroups. In case you alums teaching as miss an edition, you can visit the professors at Newsletter archives online and go through universities and any issues and news that you may have research institutes missed out on. around the world. All details including BITSians IN BUSINESS research, emails and phone Download the lists of the Top BITSians numbers are to be Leaders in Business. Also read about found on the BITSian entrepreneurs who have started website. Contact over 100 companies in the US alone. these professors. Nominate someone to this presitigious list Start a dialogue ! by writing to us.
TEAM SANDPAPER
CHIEF EDITOR Anupendra Sharma The Sandpaper team is a GUEST WRITER Vivek Paul globally distributed virtual SENIOR WRITER Dilip D'Souza team in the United States and EDITORS Sandeep Mukherjee & Pushkala India. We continue to seek Venkatraman NEWS Venu Palaparthi, Mukul Chawla contributions from people all BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY Ashish Garg & Aanand Krishnan over the world. CREATIVE & HUMOR Anuradha Gupta, Sagarika Jaganathan & Vivek Misra Send your letters, comments, EDUCATION & ACADEMICS Vikas Chandra suggestions and articles by CARTOONIST Nikhil Adnani & Sabya Kar email to: CLASS NOTES Suraj Srinivasan [email protected] CONTRIBUTORS Prof Balasubramanian, TV Balan, Lt. General Rajgopal, Sayon Majumdar, Sandeep Dath, Manish Baphna & Nikhil Visit our website at: Tatwawadi www.bitsaa.org/ TECHNOLOGY & WEBSITE Pirasanna Venugopal sandpaper/sandpaper.html
OFFICE Sandpaper Magazine BITSAA International has BITSAA International, Inc been granted 501(c)3 tax- 34 Pierce Road exempt status by the IRS, East Windsor, NJ 09520 and is registered in New Tel: +1 (917) 930-1492 Jersey, USA.
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BY VENU PALAPARTHI (’87) 2003. THE YEAR THAT’S BEEN Valley constitute the second Distinguished Robert S. biggest chapter. Mulliken Award 2003. Krishna n 2002, BITSAA International Saraswat, Stanford has been I BITSAA had a busy calendar of selected to receive 2004 IEEE laid the foundation promising to events during 2003. Over 50 Andrew Grove Award for build a truly great alumni events were held worldwide contributions to silicon process organization. With small and ranging from a Golf Event in technology. Srikanth uncertain baby steps, we Princeton, New Jersey to a Krishnamurthy, UC Riverside embarked on a journey – a super-massive musical concert won an NSF Career Award from journey to reconnect and to give. in Bangalore! Small steps in the tradition of the Advanced Network guru dakshina. BITSian leaders. BITSians Infrastructure and Research around the world have a lot to division. Suvrajeet Sen has In 2003, those uncertain baby brag about this year. BITSians been appointed as Program steps became stronger and surer, continue to be world beaters in Director of Operations Research and as I write this annual anything they take an interest in. at the National Science review, we are already setting BITSians have won the Dewang Foundation (NSF). Sharmila C. the standard for alumni Mehta Award for IT innovation Chatterjee, Golden Gate organizations in India. The ‘ex’ for the second year straight! University won the first prize in in ex-BITSian must surely stand Rajesh Hukku took home the a nationwide competition for exuberance! There is a buzz, award for pioneering work in organized by the Interactive and in every corner of the world, banking applications. Rajesh Marketing Institute. Yashwant BITSians are stepping up, was also named one of the 25 Malaiya, Colorado State showing up or giving back. Stars of Asia. Rajesh Hukku University is the General Chair Connections are being made or (I-Flex) and Vivek Paul of the 14th IEEE International revived for business and for (Wipro) were also named as two Symp osium on Software pleasure, or quite simply, just of the hottest dealmakers in Reliability Engineering. And for old times’ sake! India by Business Today. Nilay Yagnik was awarded Best There are many achievements to Faculty of the Year 2003 at BITSians started companies, NMIMS, Mumbai. write about and numerous saw their companies get funded, challenges lay ahead. Here are acted and directed movies, a few milestones that you will produced some excellent music, BITS Pilani accomplishments. surely feel proud of on the eve ran marathons, went on Everest The 2003 of BITSAA’s second birthday – expeditions – in other words, India Today rankings Kicking up a storm! The BITSians enjoyed life as only BITSians can! confirmed BITSAA network is now 4,000 that BITS BITSians strong – up from remains one BITSians in roughly 2,000 a year ago. of India’s Academics. Ravi Globally, the number of chapters top engineering schools, ranking Ravindran, Penn with mailing lists and a schedule No. 5 overall. Work on the of events has doubled to 24! In State was named spanking new, fully a Fulbright addition, there are about a dozen airconditioned, state-of-the-art Scholar. Kumar cities that serve as BITSAA BITS Pilani Goa Campus nodes and have permanent Venkataraman won the Leo F. continues unabated in line for a Corrigan Jr. Junior Faculty BITSAA contacts. 1,112 grand 2004 opening. BITS Research Fellowship, at SMU. BITSians in India’s Silicon students worked with faculty Valley, Bangalore, are the Krishnan Balasubramanian of and alumni to be named one of the Lawrence Livermore biggest chapter in the world by a India’s top 5 university National Laboratory was the wide margin! Roughly 650 entrepreneurship centers by the BITSians in the original Silicon recipeient of the 2003
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Wadhwani Foundation. A 5- year is out? The Director asked doubt the best alumni magazine student team from BITS won the and the junta responded in style. in India - a labor of love of over IBM Great Minds Challenge thirty BITS alumni some of It is official, the IT boom is still leaving IIT-Delhi in second whom are real life writers and on! Leading the list of patrons position in a 100+ entry India - reporters. One Rediff from the front were the wide contest. A 2-member columnist was awestruck when technocrats - BITSAA Silicon student team consisting of he read the Sandpaper Valley and BITSAA Bangalore. Gaurav Mathur and Vishakha magazine! He had never seen a BITSAA Bangalore wrote a Gupta was chosen as one of 8 grander or slicker alumni check for Rs. 35 lakhs for finalist teams for the Intel India publication! He was even more BITSConnect and what fun they Student Research 2003-04 surprised to see that one of the had raising the money at contest. And three BITSians articles was by Dilip D’Souza, BITSConnexion - a music were amongst 10 recipients of his colleague at Rediff! concert that brought many the Aditya Birla Scholarships in generations of music clubbers Academic Initiatives. Efforts 2003 – only 7 IIT’s and BITS together! BITSAA chapters in are on to launch new PS stations students are allowed to all major Indian cities chipped in and sign MOU’s for participate for these with another Rs. 12 lakhs. collaborative research between scholarships. BITS and universities in the US, BITSConnect and other giving And now for a tour of BITSAA etc. An early success was the initiatives! BITSConnect, the activities. MOU that was signed between $1.5 million project to wire SUNY Binghamton and BITS in Stepping up to the plate! BITS, took center stage and the area of Electronics BITSians did not invent stands out as the biggest alumni Manufacturing Research and volunteerism but they surely initiative by BITSians to date. Services. This collaboration have redefined it with their In line with BITSAA’s charter, will include BITSians doing passion and loyalty! There are BITSAA also dedicated itself to their thesis under the roughly 250 alumni volunteers initiatives to help the society at supervision of SUNY faculty. worldwide, some devoting over large. One such initiative bore Five other US PS2 stations are 30 hours a week for their alma fruit when Rajasthan currently in discussions. With mater! Project BITSConnect Association of North America over 180 professors teaching at alone has over 75 volunteers (RANA) selected BITS Pilani as over 100 universities overseas, working in the fundraising, its partner for a $200K initiative we’d like to see a tremendous marketing, finance and project to create a model for water increase in international PS2 teams. conservation and rural stations. development in Rajasthan. Fun(d) raising! Who would BITSAA led by Dr. B.P. Agrawal facilitated the grant and Prof. LK Maheshwari flew down to New York to present the grant proposal. During 2003, BITSAA continued to fund two merit cum need scholarships to commemorate Vamsi Pendyala and SS Seshadri. In addition, BITSAA also launched the Leuna Harkawat Thamatur music award, a Rs. 5,000 annual prize that will recognize musical talent during Oasis, in memory Entrepreneurial Initiatives. have imagined that an of Leuna (class of ‘91). BITSAA launched the CEVC organization still in its second Sandpaper. Sandpaper's alumni during 2003 to promote year would be able to set itself a edition was launched in the first networking among BITSians target to raise $750K and then quarter of 2003. It is without with an interest in go on to achieve it before the
______FALL 2003 SANDPAPER 8 Business News Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazinee entrepreneurship. CEVC newly launched BITSAA Store Operationally, our goal is to organized networking events is growing in popularity with the shore up finances in 2004 so that with BITSians such as Mukesh t-shirts designed by Art&Dee the organization does not Chatter, Rajesh Hukku, and folks quickly becoming the best continuously rely on the Diaz Nesamoney (photo above; selling item. Also on sale here benevolence of a few. credit: siliconIndia) speaking to is the BITS CCTV production, a From an infrastructure angle, a small groups of entrepreneurial DVD (MPEG format) titled “A key deliverable for 2004 is to BITSians at Boston, Palo Alto, trip down memory lane.” offer membership benefits for and Princeton. Since once of Media Attention. Has the fee-paying. These chapter level CEVC’s objectives is to sow the media taken notice? Of course dues will be voluntary but seeds of entrepreneurship at it has! Thanks to the efforts of critical for continued success of BITS, CEVC launched the our marketing team, BITSAA is BITSAA. Member benefits Center for Entrepreneurial getting a lot of attention from will be similar to those enjoyed Leadership at Pilani, and then Indian media. Times of India by alumni of comparable US played a key role BITS’ winning was spellbound by the Mumbai universities like MIT. These the nationwide competition to kick-off event aptly called include career guidance, form one of five foundation “Time of your life!” Deccan mentoring, job board, enhanced colleges of the National Herald was bowled over by the networking opportunities, BITS Entrepreneurship Network standing room only alumni directory, photo albums, created by IIT Mumbai alum, BITSConnexion concert in travel center for BITSians Romesh Wadhwani’s Wadhwani Bangalore. India Abroad, visiting BITS, etc. In addition Foundation. BITS joins IIT Indian Express, Economic to this, members will enjoy Mumbai, IIM Ahmedabad, SP Times, The Hindu – in fact, discounts to any chapter level Jain and Institute of there has not been a national events. Bioinformatics & newspaper in India that has not Biotechnology in becoming the Another major milestone for written about BITSConnect! backbone for entrepreneurship BITSAA is to increase our Rediff NetGuide profiled education in India. membership to 10,000 BITSians BITSAA’s web-site! India worldwide. To that end, we BITSAA.Org. BITSAA.Org Tribune interviewed senior will launch a massive campaign went from a loose collection of alumni Prem Jain, Vivek Paul called “Reconnect” for pages to a portal for BITSians and Satish Gupta regarding discovering BITSians. From a worldwide - one that was BITSAA and BITSConnect. marketing angle, our goal will recently profiled by Rediff BITSAA is in the spotlight. be to generate the interest of NetGuide! BITSAA.Org has And this is only the beginning. mainstream press – the likes of tools and content for linking the Goals for 2004. The foundation Times or BBC. BITS community, for commerce is now firmly in place for a and for project management. But the most important goal of global, leading edge The Photo Gallery is the most all for 2004 is to continue to organization. But leadership is popular section of BITSAA – make BITSAA fun! A place not derived from position. It some photos have been viewed where people can relive those results from action. We cannot over 3,000 times in the last year! magical years of their lives! A rest on our laurels nor can we sit This is closely followed by the place where they can hang out back and hope that BITSAA will monthly Sandpaper newsletter with their friends, their wingies, continue to grow stronger. that is distributed to every their batchmates, and their PS Organizationally, our main BITSian on mates! A place where they can objective for 2004 is to create our mailing reconnect and through these democratic structures and list! connections, somehow inject processes for BITSAA so that some old BITSian sizzle into the organization benefits from their lives. That is the reason fresh ideas once the present BITSAA for our being! ¦ leadership hands over the reins Store. The to people with fresh ideas.
______FALL 2003 SANDPAPER 9 Business News Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazinee BY THE SANDPAPER NEWS TEAM BUSINESS NEWS October 27, 2003: Balaji of the Ratna Jyoti Award (1999) of raised $100 million in financing Krishnamurth the Indian Institute of Economic from General Atlantic Partners. y, Planar's 50- Entrepreneur Council and Man of June 27, 2003: Srinivas year-old the Year (1999) Award of the Balasubramanian, Founder of Chairman, American Biographical Institute. Infravio raises $6.2 million. president and Sept 9, 2003: CVL Srinivas, chief Infravio, a provider of Web Services CEO, was operating officer, north and south, integration and profiled in the Madison Media, has put in his management Wall Street Journal for exceptional papers. “At this point, I have a software, said it corporate governance. He discloses couple of options, though I have not has raised $6.2 to fellow top executives all of the frozen on any one of them.” He is million in a self-evaluation that he prepares for an engineering graduate from BITS second round of the board. Mr. Krishnamurthy has and XLRI MBA. venture overseen his company's fourfold financing from stock increase during his four-year Aug. 12, 2003 Harish Bhat (Class of 1984 and former G-Sec.) is new Walden tenure. In his self assessment for International and Crystal Ventures. the year ended Sept. 27, 2002, he Tanishq CEO. He was till recently Vice-President - Sales & Marketing Infravio will use the funding to also shared the following hard- broaden its product development, hitting observations (and BITSian at the Firm. He takes over the reins of Tanishq from Mr Jacob Kurian, sales and marketing efforts. The style grading) in giving himself an company intends to provide overall grade of B-/C+. who had, earlier this month, announced his decision to pursue integration solutions based on Web October 7, 2003: Rajesh Hukku, other opportunities outside the Services standards. founder of I-Flex Solutions wins company. Mr Bhat worked at TAS June 10, 2003: Sarvega Inc., a Second Dewang Mehta Award for for 16 years before joining Tanishq. maker of extensible markup Innovation, presented by the The August 8, 2003 ML Agarwal, MD language (XML) appliances, Ministry of Communications and announced raised a $10 million Information Technology, of Ankit elected as the “President” of “Asian Corrugated Case second round of funding InterWest Government of India. Hukku Partners, Bessemer Venture donated the money to I-Flex’s Association” at its AGM held in Singapore. Partners, ComVentures, and KB foundation for underprivileged Partners. Girish Juneja is Co- children. August 3, 2003: Baba Kalyani, Founder and VP of Engineering at Sept. 29, 2003 Bharat Forge and Rajesh Hukku, I- Sarvega. Talisma Flex, share the limelight of six announced the famous Indian companies such as appointment of Geometric Software, Apollo Hospitals, Divi's Labs and HDFC Vikram G. June 9, 2003: Rajesh Hukku, Shah, an Bank in Business Today's shortlist of Indian companies that could founder of I-Flex Solutions, India's industry veteran No. 1 Software Company, is named with over 28 become the next Infosys - a hot global stock. Bharat Forge is a Rs amongst 25 Stars of Asia by years of Businessweek. experience in IT, as Managing 690 crore Indian automotive Director, India. In his last components supplier. I-Flex is the April 24, 2003: Sharad Mehrotra, assignment before joining Talisma, world no. 1 financial services President & CEO of Fabric7 Mr. Shah was M D of Andiamo software company. Systems, Inc. completed a Series A Software in Bangalore. Prior to that, July 3, 2003: Anurag Jain, $14 million financing in early April. he served as MD of Novell. He has Founder of Vision Healthsource Fabric7 is focused on delivering an MS in Computer Science from sells company to innovative system solutions for UC Berkeley. Perot Systems for enterprise data centers. Investors in the Series A Round include New Sept 14, 2003: RK Arora, $10 million, including $3 Enterprise Associates, Goldman executive director of the Centre for million in cash Sachs and Fidelity Ventures, and Development of Advanced other investors. Sharad raised a Computing (C-DAC), has been and $7 million in a structured staggering $300 million in financing appointed as the Convener of the for his previous venture, Procket. CSI-Nihilent e-Governance Awards earnout. Anurag 2002-03. Arora is also a recipient previously founded Brigade, which ¦
______FALL 2003 SANDPAPER 10 Masala & Spice Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazinee Xoom, President & CEO of Supernatural Paralogic Corp. and also on the Board of Directors at The thriller University at Albany Rudraksh Foundation. ¦ premiers on Alter Ego, October 3 hits New York with Tom BITSian Vijay Stoppard's Vaidyanathan joins an increasing number of Indians Indian Ink. producing crossover films in the United States. This first venture produced by Vijay and his wife, Sheena (also a BITSian), and directed by first timer Bala Rajasekharuni, with recognizable Indian American actress, Purva Bedi, and Vikram Dasu, an actor that could pass for a BITSIAN (with kurta, jeans and no money in his In April 2002, a BITSian pocket), the story is a classic one EDC veteran, Anuraag about Murali, who comes to Agarwal, joined hands with Bollywood's new America, looking for a way to Bhavna Thakur and other theater generation directors are making get a green card and become an arduous effort of breaking enthusiasts in New York to legal. He becomes a victim of launch AlterEgo productions. away from the song-and-dance corruption, local politics and Almost all founders were desi movies of the 80's and 90's. racism. The movie, which BITSian Chemical Engineer lawyers, doctors, or investment received mixed reviews, bankers that had 9-5 jobs! After Mani Shankar's latest venture, contained excellent successfully presenting Girish Rudraksh, starring Bipasha performances, providing Karnad's Hayavadana at the Basu, Sanjay Dutt, Sunil Shetty romance, comedy and drama. Present Company Theatorium and Isha Koppikar, hovers between science and magic, and Anuvab Pal's Chaos Theory myth and reality. at the Here Arts Center, Alter Masala Ego is now launching its biggest production to date. Rudraksh is an unusual movie with mind-blowing seventy-five & As NYMetro.com aptly put it - minutes of special effects - the most ever seen on Indian "Tom Stoppard's 1995 play Indian Ink hasn't been done in cinema. Its spellbinding Spice narrative promises to keep the New York until now... It is how viewers enthralled till the end. ¦ it's coming to the city has people The performances certainly talking: Usually, Stoppard plays tugged at the heartstrings of debut on Broadway or at Greencard BITSians who could relate to Lincoln Center, but in this case, Fever is their first experiences in the first staging will be in America. Vijay sees NEMI as a Tribeca's little Walkerspace another convergence of his passions for Theater, in the hands of the one- successful Technology and Theater. Vijay year-old company Alter Ego." ¦ crossover was the Chief Strategy Officer of NBC Internet (NBCi), on the film Board of Directors and CTO of
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Cover Story
BY ANUPENDRA SHARMA (’87), SANDEEP MUKHERJEE (’95) & PUSHKALA VENKATRAMAN (’95) MADE IN PILANI : TOP 20 CEOS OF INDIAN COMPANIES This is the first ever survey of BITSian leadership in India, and what a remarkable collection of jewels we have uncovered ! This list of people represents generations of BITSians, showing examples of innovation, entrepreneurship, leadership and enterprise, in a wide range of industries. BITSian companies dominate in India’s leading arenas such as Software, IT and BPO to rapidly growing industries such as Pharmaceuticals and Automotive, consumer-oriented products such as jewelry, televisions, cameras and computers and mature sectors such as real estate and infrastructure. Most of these companies are public traded in India. Many companies are world leaders in their sectors. The CEOs are household names, are or have been Presidents of their Industry Associations, and have won many awards domestically and internationally. Collectively these companies account for over Rs 11,000 crores in revenes and employ thousands. Here follows the story of the leading BITSian leaders and the companies that were made in Pilani.
Revenues Rank Name Title & Company Sector (crores) 1 Vivek Paul CEO, Wipro Technologies Software & IT 2,500 2 Kuldip K Kaura MD, Hindustan Zinc Infrastructure 1,650 3 Sunil Duggal CEO, Dabur Group Pharma/Food 1,159 4 Gulu Mirchandani C&MD, Mirc Electronics (Onida) Electronics 907 5 Baba Kalyani C&MD, Bharat Forge Automotive 688 6 Rakesh Kalra MD, Eicher Motors Automotive 626 7 Rajesh Hukku CEO, I-Flex Solutions Software & IT 585 8 Harish Bhat CEO, Tanishq Jewellry 400 9 Ramesh D Grover CEO, CMS Computers Computers 306 10 BK Patodia MD, GTN Textiles Textiles 235 11 SN Zindal Chairman, STPI Real Estate 110 12 Anil Gupta CEO, Microtek Computers 100 12 JC Jain Chairman, Texplas Group Industrial 100 14 Deep Kapuria CEO, High Tech Gears Ltd. Automotive 89 15 Vijay Rao CEO, Epicenter Technologies BPO 80 16 RK Arora Executive Director, CDAC Computers 70 17 SK Garg MD, Eldeco Group Real Estate 33 18 Naresh Khattar CEO, Avalon Resorts Real Estate 30 19 Yogesh Vaidya Chairman, STG Software & IT 20 20 Anurag Jain CEO, Vision Healthsource BPO 15
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1. Vivek Paul, Wipro Technologies
Not surprisingly, Vivek Paul, Chairman and Vice President of Wipro Technologies, comes in at No. 1. Vivek Paul is arguably the most well known BITSian name and face around. In his role as CEO of Wipro's global information technology, product engineering, and business process services segment he is responsible for a segment that has a revenue run rate of $800m, with 20,000 employees and offices in 24 locations around the world and contributes no less than 90% of Wipro's overall profits, and a significant portion of its $7 billion valuation. Its amazing that he has created Wipro into a global powerhouse in only four years at its helm. He initially built a strong position as a low-cost outsourcing firm that could integrate closely with client teams. One of Paul’s first moves was to set up his headquarters in Santa Clara, California to be closer to his customers. He trained 7,000 employees in Six Sigma, moved the headquarters to Santa Clara, and has achieved 45% annual revenue growth and 50% annual earnings growth. His prior business experiences include stints at Bain & Co., PepsiCo Inc and, in his last job, he spent over 10 years at General Electric. He started GE’s initiative to source software from India and was a member of the very first evaluation team to visit India. In the early ‘90s he pioneered the joint venture between GE Medical Systems and Wipro and was soon appointed President and CEO of this joint venture. He took the venture from being a fledgling start-up to becoming a leader in the domestic Indian market. In 1996 he returned to the US to run GE's Global CT Scanner business, a business unit with over $700M in revenues. The business bestseller book Six Sigma mentioned his pioneering work with the application of Six Sigma techniques in high tech product design. He graduated with a BE in EEE from BITS, Pilani, after which he went on to complete his MBA from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He was one of 3 Indians to be named among Asia’s 25 Movers & Shakers by AsiaWeek in March 2001. He is a member of the Board of the California Chamber of Commerce, and Vice Chairman of its Technology Committee. He is also a member of the BITS Senate, on the advisory board of Stanford University's Radiology Department and a charter member of The Silicon Valley Indus Entrepreneurs Organization. He is also heavily involved in BITSAA alumni activities. 2. Kuldip K Kaura, Hindustan Zinc
KK Kaura ran ABB India as Managing Director till till 2001. ABB India had sales of over Rs. 800 crores when KK Kaura decided to leave to pursue other opportunities. When the Sterlite Group took a 26% stake in Hindustan Zinc in 2002, KK Kaura, who was then President of Sterlite’s copper business, was appointed as Managing Director. Hindustan Zinc is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of Zinc. KK Kaura holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering (1968) from Pilani. At a BITSAA Delhi event, he was presented with a memento on behalf of the association by Rear Admiral Arun Saxena in December 2000. 3. Sunil Duggal, Dabur Group
Sunil Duggal was appointed CEO of Dabur India Limited in June 2002 after just 5 years with Dabur. Dabur is one of India’s oldest and best known names with famous brands such as Chyavanprash (who can forget that !) and Vatika. Sunil joined Dabur in 1995 as General Manager (Sales & Marketing), of the Family Products Division. This Division spearheaded the spectacular growth recorded by Dabur during this period. Vatika was also launched during this period and is now the Company's second biggest brand. His meteoric rise in the organization continued when he became Vice-President and SBU-Head of the Family Products and subsequently, Division Director Sales and Marketing of Dabur India Limited. Sunil has spent all his working life in the FMCG sector. He had started out his career with Wimco Limited in 1981 as a Management Trainee after having completed his education in EEE at BITS and Business Management at Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta. Between 1981 and 1995, he worked in many different roles at Wimco, Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd for a short period, and Pepsi Foods as GM, Sales Operation.
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4. Gulu Mirchandani, Mirc Electronics (Onida)
Gulu Mirchandani is the Chairman & Managing Director of MIRC Electronics Ltd. – manufacturers of the third largest brand of color televisions in India - ‘ONIDA’. We all remember the upstart company – Onida, that hit the market with its outstanding and controversial advertising campaigns in the 80s – Neighbors Envy, Owners Pride – and the face of the devil that became the face of the company and made Onida one of India’s biggest consumer product successes. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of ‘KEC International Ltd.’, ‘Blow Plast Ltd.’ and ‘Shoppers’ Stop Ltd.’. In 1999 under his leadership, MIRC Electronics Ltd. also won the ‘Award for Excellence in Electronics’ conferred by the Ministry of Information Technology, Government of India. He holds a BE in Mechanical Engineering degree from BITS. He was the President of ‘Consumer Electronics and TV Manufacturers Association’ (CETMA) between 1992-94 and is a much sought-after industry spokesperson. He is currently the Chairman of the Bombay Chapter of the World Presidents’ Organisation (WPO), an International organization of more than 3000 CEOs with operations in more than 60 countries. 5. Baba Kalyani, Kalyani Group (Bharat Forge)
Baba Kalyani is the Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Forge, India, the largest auto components company in India. The Kalyani Group also has interests in specialty steels, infrastructure and IT enabled services. Bharat Forge is the largest forge in the world and the flagship company of the Kalyani Group. The Kalyani group has successful joint ventures with global companies such as Robert Bosch, ArvinMeritor and Sharp. It is one of the largest Indian exporters of engineered products. Infrastructure development in India and IT enabled services has been identified as new growth areas for the company. Baba graduated with a BE in Mechanical Engineering from BITS and an MS from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He is a National Council member of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and is involved in various philanthropic activities and projects including promotion of primary education for underprivileged children through the India Education Initiative and Pratham Pune Education Foundation. He is also Chairman of the Board of Governors, Indian Institute of Management, Indore. 6. Rakesh Kalra, Eicher Motors
Rakesh Kalra is the Managing Director of Eicher Motors Ltd. He joined Eicher Tractors Ltd. in 1980 in the Materials Management function and moved to Eicher Motors Ltd. at Indore in 1985 going on to take over as Managing Director of the company in 1999. He started his career with Bharat Electronics Ltd, Bangalore, a leading manufacturer of radar equipment for the armed forces in India. He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from BITS, Pilani and is an active member of the CII and is presently Chairman - Malwa Zonal Council. He is also a member of the CII - M.P. Council and CII- Western Regional Council. Eicher Motors manufactures and markets commercial vehicles and has a network of more than 500 contact points throughout India for sales, service and spare parts, backed by around 4500 private mechanics trained by the company. EML was incorporated in 1982 in technical and financial collaboration with Mitsubishi of Japan for the manufacture of 6 ton gvw LCVs. Eicher Motors currently has 23% market share in the 6-9 ton segment. The Eicher group is an established name in the automobile sector. For instance, after a spate of accidents involving school buses in Delhi, the company promptly launched a variant of its Skyline bus, which specifically addressed the safety concern of children. 7. Rajesh Hukku, I-Flex Solutions
With fiscal 2003 revenue of $134 million and 2,370 employees, Rajesh Hukku is founder, Chairman and MD of India’s largest software (not IT) company , also the world’s largest financial software company. Rajesh started out his career, not unlike so many of us, as a Trainee Programmer, he went on to be employed as a Software Developer and Designer with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) before he joined Citicorp Overseas Software Limited (COSL) as Project Manager in 1987. He left with a group to start I-Flex in 1988, The $1 million invested by Citicorp Venture Capital in the business is worth over $400 million today. Rajesh is an outstanding marketer. When an executive gave him a brush-
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off, telling him the bank's system was so complex that only God could figure it out, Hukku made a deft save. "Sir, we are Indians," he said. "We are very religious, and very close to God." He won the business. Rajesh holds a BE EEE from BITS Pilani (he graduated second in his class). and has also completed Post Graduate Research (sponsored by Tata Consultancy Services) in Local Area Networks from College Park, Maryland, USA. He is also heavily involved in BITSAA alumni activities. He has received two honors for his success story - the prestigious Ernst & Young, Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Information Technology in 2002 and the ‘Dewang Mehta Award for Innovation in Information Technology' conferred by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology – the second time the award has been given, and the second time it has gone to a BITSian. 8. Harish Bhat, Tanishq
Tanishq is one of the top five retailers in India, with 60 showrooms in 47 cities. Only six of these are owned by the company. The rest are run by franchisees. It contributes 40 per cent to Titan's business and is expected to account for 55 per cent by 2007. The firm is run by Harish Bhat who was Chief Operating Officer till recently been named to the top post. He also successfully led the sales, marketing and retailing efforts over the past two years, in his capacity as Vice-President - Sales & Marketing, and helped turn around the company from its three years of successive losses. Harish now has ambitious plans to grow the company’s revenues to Rs 800 crores in three years. Tanishq has tied up with a US retailing company and is looking to aggressively grow overseas. After graduating from BITS Harish went on to complete his MBA at the Indian Institute of Management (Ahmedabad). His diverse experiences with the Tata group began with the Tata Administrative Service (TAS) and, over a span of 16 years, his Leadership roles have included FMCG marketing, sales and distribution, and strategic planning. 9. Ramesh D Grover, CMS Computers
CMS Computers Ltd. was started 25 years ago as a computer maintenance company with two colleagues, and Ramesh has been key critical in the development and growth of the organization, which today boasts of having almost 2500 people worldwide. He graduated from BITS with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and while in college pursued electronics as his hobby. Our very own Michael Dell, he assembled radios for his peers to earn pocket money. Every weekend he would travel to Delhi to buy a radio kit and assemble it during the week – assembling, over a couple of years, no less than 200 radios! After a brief stint with Larsen & Toubro, Ramesh joined IBM where, over the course of a decade, he rapidly evolving from his initial role of Trainee Engineer to National Technical Support Manager, picking up several service awards along the way. A couple of years subsequent to the introduction of FERA (Foreign Exchange Regulation Act), in 1976, IBM developed its exit strategy for India and this paved the way for the founding of CMS Computers. Today, the core divisions of CMS encompass all segments of IT - from manufacturing, through software development to customized product development. CMS boasts of 70 engineers in R&D centers in Mumbai, Pune and Trivandrum, engaged in the design and development of innovative IT empowered products. Key R&D initiatives have included touch screen point-of-sale, time attendance, access control and traffic control systems. Ramesh is definitely well on his way of realizing his vision of creating an IT powerhouse. 10. BK Patodia, GTN Textiles
When Bill Clinton visited Hyderabad to learn more about the IT industry there, GTN Textiles ended up in the headlines. T- shirts made by GTN are sold under the top -end Cutter & Buck brand – the brand that Clinton wears (The shirts retail for $80-120). Clinton took back two Cutter & Buck golf T-shirts presented to him by the Chief Minister. An Engineering Graduate from one of the reputed Engineering Institute BITS Pilani, Mr.Patodia is the head of the well known G.T.N.Group . Of Companies, the Group has four export oriented Cotton Spinning Units. He is also the Director of Kerla State Industrial Development Corporation Ltd, Trivandrum, Committee Member Of Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Counicl, and Indo American Chamber Of Commerce & Industry, Branch (Kerla). GTN Group has Joint Venture with ITOCHU Corporation, Japan. GTN also has tieups with other companies like AM Player, Yves Saint Laurent, Lerros and Louis Estere. GTN was established in 1966, and is now the national leader in fine-count cotton yarn exports. It has won the Textile Export Promotion Council Award for the best export effort in fine-count cotton yarn since 1984.
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11. SN Zindal, STPI STPI, The Software Technology Parks of India is arguably at the heart of India’s software and BPO revolution, especially in key cities like Bangalore and Chennai. It houses the important software development centers of India and has some of the best infrastructure facilities in the world. But, Director General of STPI has global ambitions. A graduate from BITS Pilani and a post graduate from IIT Kanpur, he is making every effort to make STPI a world class player by forging important business associations with international players, opening many more centers and by increasing the inflow of technology and finance. Mr. Zindal is a senior member/fellow of many professional bodies like IEEE, IETE, and Broadcast Engineering Society. He previously worked in the capacity of Chairman and Managing Director ET&T corporation and is still associated with this company. As Director General, he is overall head of STPI having its presence at 21 centers in India and proposes to open more centers. He has about 29 years of experience and has headed major projects in government, private and public sectors. He is a senior member/fellow of many professional bodies like IEEE, USA, IETE, New Delhi, Broadcast Engineering Society, New Delhi. Earlier he was Chairman & Managing Director, ET&T Corporation Ltd., a Government of India enterprise, and is also presently holding additional charge for the same. SN Zindal says some companies, both Indian and foreign, have evinced interest to become STPI partner but the decision can be taken only after the government took the decision on corporatisation. 12. Anil Gupta, Microtek
Anil Gupta an Electronics Engineer from Pilani and the founder and director of Microtek, a company with 2,500 employees and 250 dealerships. Anil tried his hand at practically everything– From teaching, to manufacturing doorbells, to data processing, to computer education and to create a successful Rs. 400 crore computer peripheral business. A focused and a persistent mind lead him to move on from Televista where he was a service engineer to creating a company called Systems Technologies and Consultancies Services (STACS) which dealt with hardware and software design. Following several years of setbacks, diversification to other domains and pressure from international players, Mr. Gupta soon struck gold. He carefully analyzed the situation and decided to capitalize from the information technology industry which was still picking up in India. Some quick trips abroad and soon Mr. Gupta was completely into the business of selling monitors. Microtek was soon launched and became a big player in the monitors market. Mr. Gupta’s perceptive analysis enabled him to keep Microtek in the game despite the entry of huge multinationals. It is surprising that Microtek continues to hold on in a highly-competitive market, where even domestic players like BPL, Samtel or global giants like Viewsonic have not tasted success. Today, the company continues to be the only player in monochromes with average sale of about 5,000 units per month. While the sale of color monitors has peaked and fallen from 450,000 units to less than 300,000 units, the huge channel network has ensured that Microtek continues to exist in the MC market. It is using the same channels to pump in other peripherals like keyboards, UPS’ and motherboards. But the future doesn’t look bright for smaller monitor players. Samsung, with an installed capacity of over 4 million units, in a country with a demand of less than 2 million units, can use the extra capacity to push out players. 12. JC Jain, Texplas Group JC Jain has a career that is studded with awards and recognitions. A Master’s degree holder in Production Engineering from Pilani and Bachelor’s degree holder in Mechanical Engineering from Gwalior, Mr. Jain went on to establish Texplas (India Private Limited) in 1975. The company dealt with producing fiberglass based insulating materials for electrical equipments. At present, the company has graduated to become the Texplas group of industries that includes Texplas India (P) Ltd, Rishabh Velveleen Limited and Texplas International. He has previously worked in top management positions at Union Carbide India Limited and Hindustan Electro Graphite’s and Carbon Corporation. One of Mr. Jain’s most important contributions to the Indian Industry was to give the Total Quality (TQ) movement momentum and direction. He was responsible for several important developments in this area and has chaired many associations in this regard. Several companies have obtained his assistance in their quality initiative. For these efforts of Mr. Jain, he has received plenty of recognition both in India and abroad. He is one of the first approved from Registered Lead Auditors Accreditation Board (RAB), USA and an approved tutor by British Standards Institution, U.K. and RWTUV, Germany in India. He has been awarded the Udyog Ratn". "Udyog Patra" and "Samaj Ratn”. In addition Mr. Jain is a member of International Organization for Standardization Technical Committee and the Managing Director of TQM International.
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14. Deep Kapuria, Hi-Tech Gears As President of the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) and as Chairman and Managing Director of High Tech Gears, Mr. Deep Kapuria is an aggressive individual who sets high standards for himself. He has been persistent in his efforts of “upping” the auto industry in India by bringing in various collaborations and trade agreements. His efforts paid off when ACMA was conferred the ‘outstanding partner’ award 2002 by the Japan external trade organization (Jetro). He served as Vice-President of ACMA in the year 2001-2002 and, prior to this, was Chairman, ACMA (Northern Region) for four years. Mr. Kapuria holds an Honors Degree in Engineering from BITS Pilani and a management degree from Harvard Business School. He also undertook courses in quality control and processes and is today a certified Lead Assessor. In 1993 he held the position of Chairman of the Delhi Chapter of the Quality Circle Forum of India. High Tech Gears as the name suggests is a player in the auto ancillaries industry and manufactures automotive gears and shafts mainly for Hero Honda Motors.
15. Vijay Rao, Epicenter Technologies
Mr. Rao is considered a leader in the telecommunications industry in India with three decades of work experience in India and the US. As Managing Director (GBCS) at AT&T/Lucent, he was responsible for creating the market for call centers and voice mail in South Asia. As Executive Director and CEO of Escotel, an Indian Multinational cellular service company, he spearheaded his company to capture 67% of the market share in India. He has a Bachelors degree (B.E.) from one of India's best engineering institutes, BITS Pilani. and an MBA from the University of Colorado. Vijay has written articles on the telecom industry for the Wall Street Journal. He has also been on extensive lecture tours across India and the US.
16. RK Arora, CDAC The development of the supercomputer by India after being denied the supply of US-made Cray supercomputer had once and for all proved that the country would never give in to technological blackmail, the scientists said. This was achieved under the watch of Eminent Executive Director for the Center for Advanced Computing (C-DAC), RK. Arora is an important contributor to an organization that has always attempted to be ‘three up’ over the rest in the race for being technologically sound in the process becoming a highly specialized corporation. C-DAC - India’s pride that has developed next generation technologies like the PARAM supercomputer is where RK Arora spends most of his time at. The combined and persistent efforts of eminent scientists like RK Arora himself has lead to C-DAC making vital contributions in the domain of high performance computing thus giving India the distinction of being amongst the few countries in the world to have accomplished something so significant. C-DAC is now looking at developing A Grid Enabled Information Infrastructure for Next Generation High Performance Computing. Shri RK Arora is an graduate from BITS Pilani. (Note: RK Arora stepped down from CDAC after a very successful completion of his 5-year term at the helm of the group, at time of going to press) 17. SK Garg, Eldeco Group Mr. SK Garg, a Civil Engineer from BITS Pilani, taught engineering at his alma mater. That was when the entrepreneurial surge took over him and he went on to found Ekdeco construction Pvt. Ltd. in 1975 and Eldeco Housing & Industries Ltd thereafter. There was no stopping after that and Mr. Garg’s passion propelled him to build more and more ambitious projects. From mini cities, to group housing projects to commercial complexes, Mr. SK Garg has been there, done it all and done it to perfection. It was thus no wonder when the company won the Builders Excellence award and Award for excellence in construction. From a humble beginning of 18 thousand sq. ft, the construction experience of Eldeco Housing & Industries Ltd is an impressive 120 lakh sq. ft today. The company has already completed 45 projects in Lucknow, Kanpur, Agra and Ghaziabad with 18 more under-construction. The company went public in 1985 and is today listed on Mumbai, Delhi and Kanpur Stock exchanges.
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18. Naresh Khattar, Avalon Resorts
Naresh Khattar is a civil engineer from Pilani and has made his niche in the highly competitive construction industry. Having been around in the field ever since 1978, he has the credit of successfully completing hallmark projects like the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, Talkatora Swimming pool, Asiad Village, Hyatt Regency Hotel, Hilton Hotel, A. W.H.O. Som Vihar, Garden Estate and T.E.R.I. His prowess is visible not only in India but also many other countries including Germany, Argentina, UK and North America. Soon his untiring desire for ‘more’ overtook him and this time he set his sights on building resort hotels. Avalon Resorts, Mussorie the result of this latest venture has the 'Gold Crown' resort accreditation by RCI and is considered one of the most premium among holiday resorts in the country. Rita Khat tar, an interior designer is perhaps Naresh’s most valuable resource. Where Naresh builds, Rita adds the necessary ambience to make the project an impeccable piece of design. old Crown' resort accreditation by RCI and is considered the most premium among holiday resorts in the country. Besides, Mr. Naresh Khattar also owns Enaar Exports, an export house recongnised by the Government of India. 19. Yogesh Vaidya, Software Technology Group
With an extensive background in the corporate training and education markets, Mr. Vaidya guides eWebUniversity's focus as it addresses the high-growth e-learning market. Before co-founding eWebUniversity, Mr. Vaidya was founder and chairman of Software Technology Group (STG), one of India's top three IT software training and consulting companies. Prior to STG, Mr. Vaidya co-founded the HCL Group, one of the largest IT conglomerates in Asia. Mr. Vaidya holds bachelor's degrees in electronic and electrical engineering from Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS).
20. Anurag Jain, Vision Healthsource
Anurag Jain founded Vision Healthsource in 1997 to deliver end-to-end process outsourcing services to U.S healthcare providers. He functions as the Chief Executive of Vision Healthsource, Inc. He also co- founded Brigade Corporation, a customer support company, and managed the company's 700 customer support employees worldwide, as the Global VP of Operations that raised over $115 million from venture capital firms such as General Atlantic Partners and Mohr, Davidow, although the company failed. AJ was a management consultant with Gemini Consulting where he launched wireless operations for telecom carriers worldwide. He holds an MBA from the University of Michigan and a BS degree in Electronics and Electrical Engineering from the Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences, Pilani, India. Chennai- based Vision Healthsource is one of the leading Health care Business Process Outsourcing (HBPO) companies in India with a client base of over 25 US-based healthcare billing companies. A part of $1.3 billion Perot Systems of the US, Vision offers its services to the US-based medical billing companies, hospitals, payors and third party processors with specialisation in claims, administrative processing and revenue-cycle management. The company handles US$ 1 billion worth provider claims per year for physicians and hospital-based and physician specialties across the US and over 500 people process more than 25 million transactions from Chennai.
How we created this list: When we started working on this article, we “uncovered” so many successful BITSians in India that we didn’t know how to create this list. Finally we settled on two simple criteria – the company had to be Indian and the individual had to be the CEO. This eliminated at least 20 CEOs of Indian arms of International companies (many large and famous ones) as well as many powerful board members, business unit heads and other such individuals. In creating our ranking we used only one measure – revenues. Although this may appear rather narrow, this is the least controversial measure we could think of. Over time, we will also introduce you to many other sparkling gems. And of course, if we’ve missed anyone or made any errors, please email us. We hope to make this list a regular annual feature. ¦
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BY VIVEK PAUL MY THOUGHTS ON LEADERSHIP
a jigsaw puzzle player who sees the full picture the fastest. And be unreasonable in demanding from yourself and others the effort it would take to change the status quo.
“Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn’t have to do it himself”. This skeptical view has checked many a leader in his or her tracks. Leadership can only be successful by example. If you expect hard work from others, you have to work the hardest. If you expect breakthroughs, you have to show a few yourself. There is no room in the world for “empty suits” and never let a formal designation lull you into thinking you no longer have to personally contribute. So always balance your time between directing and excelling as an individual performer in whichever aspect you can do well at.
It is truly a source of pleasure and there are many threads in common All progress owes pride to all of us BITS alumni to for those that lead through all itself to the see how many successful leaders seasons, and I’ll share a few have been produced by BITS. through some key quotes. demands of the What made the BITS experience so useful was that was that BITS “All progress owes itself to the unreasonable did more than just teach us demands of the unreasonable man”. To be curriculum, it made us grow in man”. To be reasonable is to multiple dimensions as we accept the status quo, to accept reasonable is to emerged from our protective small gains. You must be familial cocoons to a melting pot unreasonable -- have a vision, a accept the status of the best and the brightest from change agenda, something that all economic strata and from all most people would not see or be quo, to accept parts of India. The list of willing to push. So look around small gains. successful leaders in this issue is a you – what do you see changing salute to that diversity. that requires a different approach. “If it is not important to make a Learn to pick up on the weak decision, it is important not to As I think about the essence of signals – change descends equally make a decision.” There is this leadership, the first thing that on everyone, but a few realize it stereotype of this macho leader comes to mind is that different faster than others. These few see spewing a barrage of decisions. circumstances sometimes throw a technology shift, a social shift, The reality could not be more the up leaders that are right for that an industry shift and seize the opposite. You have to learn to live time and situation. But even if you agenda. So go explore the with ambiguity for about as long hold aside the situational leader, boundaries of knowledge. Be like
______FALL 2003 SANDPAPER 19 Cover Story Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazinee as needed, able to balance the ground. I was told that as calves Chairman of General Electric. He action list with “no regret”, when they are tied to this stake, said that he loved international “hedge the outcome” and “full they try very hard to pull, but trips, because every time he got steam ahead” moves. There are cannot, and reconcile themselves on the flight on the way home, he only two ways to get this mix to being tied down by the stake. would pretend that he had just right. First, use a lot of data for But as they grow bigger and been appointed CEO, that this was every decision. Irreconcilable stronger, they are mentally still his first day at the office and that differences vanish when enough tied to that stake and do not even the guy before him was quite a data is mined. The disciplined try to break free. This then brings dud. He would come up with training in thinking we all get at me to the next leadership idea – scores of things he would do BITS is invaluable for this. have an infinite faith in yourself. differently as the new leader. And Second, is listen – respectfully The problem in being a leader is this brings me to my last and with an open mind to your that there is no one to say “well leadership idea – always reinvent team. And here the diversity of done”, no one t o reconfirm your yourself, never being afraid to your team is truly an asset. Foster agenda against the whirlwinds of challenge your own past and your the differences in perspective, and uncertainty you face every day. own success. this is one area where I now see There is only you. And the good how BITS truly stood out in its news is that just you is enough. So in a nutshell, catch the wave of encouragement of diversity in its change for therein lies population when I was a student. opportunity, be unreasonable in And since this is so critical, weed terms of your expectations, out yes men and foster people demand of yourself more than of who are unafraid to tell you the others, have an infinite faith in unvarnished truth. yourself, never be reluctant to change yourself and when success In the jungles outside Bangalore swoons at your feet “always take there are many elephant camps your job seriously, but never take where one can see huge elephants yourself seriously”. ¦ chained to a tiny stake. I Credit: Fox News wondered why the elephants do not just pull them out of the I will end with something I learnt from Jack Welch, previous
BITSian CEOs & MDs of Multinational Companies in India Agendra Kumar Ravi Sanghal
Atul Saran Sanjeev Khendry
Deepak Sharma Srikant Acharya
Dinesh Mirchandani BOYDEN Upinder Zutshi
K Ramachandran Vijay Yadav
K S Viswanathan Vikram Shah T A L I S M A
Lalit Ahuja Surendra Surana
Narendra Saxena Pradipta Sen
Rajendra Khare Hitesh Bhatnagar
______FALL 2003 SANDPAPER 20 BITSConnect Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazinee
Date: September 23, 2003
DEAR FRIEND OF BITS
BITSConnect has been an extraordinary demonstration of loyalty and confidence in BITS. A big thank you to all the volunteers and supporters of BITSConnect for your time, energy and monetary contributions. It is largely due to your tireless support and financial help that BITSConnect has transformed from thought to deployment in under a year! Many have asked us about the status of the project as well as the status of fundraising - how much was spent, which batch or chapter gave most money, etc. Here is a project summary as well as the answers to some of your questions while keeping in mind our donor’s requests for privacy -
ON TRACK AND BELOW BUDGETWe are happy to report that we have made excellent progress on Phase I of BITSConnect project implementation. Over $250K of equipment has been deployed in Phase I. The BITSConnect campus backbone has been fully laid out and the new core of the network is now live. Phase II equipment totaling $470K after vendor discounts has been ordered and is being dispatched by our suppliers. The cost of deploying these phases is roughly $300K. At the end of Phase II, BITS will have a fully functional network with all access points live and active. The project team is 100% confident that the remaining work too will be completed on time, below budget, and BITSConnect infrastructure will be fully deployed by year-end.
WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN? Over 15 kilometers of cable has been laid in Pilani and the core of the network is live. All hostel rooms now have voice-capable data network access points over a gigabit backbone. Staff quarters have been connected via Long Range Ethernet. The academic blocks are already on the new network. Wireless access points are being set up in the new library, the Senate Room and Sky. Configurations and ‘bring-up’ operations are progressing in full swing and the institute; hostel rooms and the staff quarters will all be on the network before the end of the semester.
WHERE DID THE MONEY COME FROM? Until BITSConnect came along, BITSAA International collected under $10K in its under 2 years of existence as a not-for-profit organization. The estimated cost of BITSConnect was $1.5 million. After substantial vendor discounts, the cost to BITS was $1.2 million. Of this total, BITS laid out $450K with BITSAA offering to raise the remaining amount of $750K. This was a huge challenge - this amount was 75 times the amount BITSAA had raised in a single year! What’s more, the $750K had to be raised in under 12 months! BITSians had to quickly build fundraising capacity and launch a mammoth marketing campaign to lift the profile of BITSAA in the US. BITSians rose to the challenge and the proof is in the pudding. In all, BITSAA has raised about $650K so far and here is an update on who gave how much and how can you help us in the last leg
THE US NUMBERS! Over 150 BITSians contributed roughly $550K to BITSConnect in the US. This includes about $58K from friends of alu mni and other non-BITSian supporters! With the Silicon Valley Chapter in the driver’s seat of the project, the two California chapters showed us the way – 90 Californians gave $300K to BITSConnect! Boston based New England chapter surprised everyone with the highest per capita contribution!
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Just 11 Massachusetts BITSians gave a combined total of $63K – an average of about $6K per person! Individual contributions ranged from $20 to $50,000.
MERA BHARAT MAHAAN! Chapters in India got into action only two months ago but posted an impressive total on the scoreboard! They contributed Rs. 45 lakhs or $100K to the project. Bangalore came on top with over Rs. 30 lakhs. The Bangalore effort was helped greatly by BITSConnexion – a BITS style music night that has been the talk of India ever since. BITSians in Europe and Asia (outside India) contributed about $2K.
BATCH WISE – STRENGTH IN NUMBERS! With memories of BITS fresh on their mind, the 90’s batches showed strength in numbers. More than 50 BITSians from the 90’s batches contributed roughly $20K to BITSConnect.
A ROUND OF APPLAUSE A handful of BITSian grad students gave about $200. For their unconditional love of their alma mater, they deserve the biggest applause!
DIGGING DEEP… It was the 60’s and 70’s batches that dug really deep into their pockets! Eight BITSians from the 60’s gave over $110K and roughly 40 BITSians from the 70’s gave about $160K to BITSConnect! One 60’s batch BITSian based in DC wrote a check for $50K! Only slightly behind their seniors, 35 BITSians from the 80’s batches contributed roughly $100K to the project.
THE LAST MILE The BITSConnect team takes this opportunity to thank all the contributors for your support. Thanks to your support, we are nearly at the finish line. BUT WE ARE RUNNING THE PROVERBIAL LAST MILE – WHICH HAS PROVED TO BE THE MOST DIFFICULT MILE. We are still $100K short of the $750K we committed. If you haven’t already contributed and would like to do so, or you would like to contribute more to this effort, it is not too late to join in. When BITSConnect is completed later this year, we would have funded and implemented a massive 4000+ node network costing $1.2 million in a little over 12 months! Thanks to your support, BITSConnect will provide a massive boost to preserve BITS’ position as India’s leading private sector university. Thanks once again for your help. Your BITSConnect Core Team Anita Agarwal, BP Agrawal, Sandeep Arora, Dr. Rahul Banerjee, Shyamoli Banerjee, Mukul Chawla, Rajesh Chelapurath, Ajay Chopra, Mythreyee Ganapathy, Satish Gupta, Krishnaraj Inbarajan, Prem Jain, Roop Jain, Brijesh Khanna, Amit Khetan, Prof. S.P. Kothari, Jay Krishna, Karthik Krishna, Vidur Luthra, Ajay Madhok, Prof. J.P. Misra, Venu Palaparthi, Jayan Ramankutty, Anand Rajaram, Deepu Rathi, Devesh Satyavolu, Anupendra Sharma, Manish Sood, Mani Sundaram, Satish Tadikonda, Prasad Thammineni, Yogesh Vaidya, Prashant Viswanathan and many other volunteers across the globe! ¦
We are still $100K short of the $750K we committed. If you haven’t already contributed and would like to do so, or you would like to contribute more to this effort, it is not too late to join. Visit www.bitsaa.org to get more information or email [email protected]
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BY MANISH BAPHNA (’98) BITSCONNEXION – THE LARGEST BITSIAN ALUMNI GATHERING IN HISTORY Date: 6th July 2003 Venue: Chowdiah Memorial Hall, Bangalore Occassion : A Musical Nite by BITSians for BITSians!
BITSAA-Bangalore organized The auditorium witnessed College". The event also brought BITS ConneXion-2003, a performances from the Batch of together long-lost friends, and scenes unique event geared towards 60s to the Batch of the new like "If I am not wrong you are Suri, raising funds for the BITS millenium. One was captivated by right ... ?" were common. Connect programme. the diversity kinds of songs, Towards the end of the show, the BITSAA committee members presented our Director with a cheque for Rs. 35/- lakhs, as the contribution from BITSAA Bangalore. This money was contributed by the sponsors as well as individual donors. The BITS ConneXion-2003 event was made possible by the contribution of time and effort by over 30 dedicated volunteers. What started off with a simple idea to do something different, soon evolved into a full- scale Music Nite. Various teams like Publicity, Tickets, Hospitality, Venue-Management teams were formed to handle the various aspects of the show. The meticulous planning and publicity ensured that all the tickts were sold well ahead of the date The chief guest for this which ranged from KL Sehgal's to of the show. It was a wonderful and momentous occasion was none AR Rahman's; and a generous well organized event directed towards other than the BITS Director, sprinkling of English Rock. The a noble cause. the favourite of all BITSians. songs belted out by the performers Also members of our HATS OFF to the BITSians who brought the audience to their feet. distinguished faculty like Prof. made it possible. ¦ R.K. Mittal, Prof. It was the typical AUDI scenario Gurunarayanan and Prof. revisited, where people danced Rahul Banerjee graced the their way through the aisles, in The BITSAA occasion. front of the stage and even on- stage, and nostalgia was written committee members The participants and the large on the faces of the audience had converged from all presented our DIRO captivated audience. Some of the parts of the country and even non-BITSian guests who attended from as far as Malaysia. This with a cheque for the show were all praise for the only goes on to prove the event and even termed it the Rs. 35/- lakhs. enthusiasm and attachment that "BEST performance that they had BITSians attach to their alma seen from any Engineering mater.
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BY NIKHIL TATWAWADI THE STATE OF THE VIDYA VIHAR CAMPUS A trip to Pilani and Nikhil came back with plenty of news and a lot of interesting observations. For those of you who have not been back for a while, here’s a virtual tour. Visit Photo Galleries at www.bitsaa.org to see a lot more photographs.
ones were removed. And to the important feature of this Audi is most important thing, Audi has the Fire and Smoke detector and been provided with A/C, if you Alarms, they are WORKING. ll the roads were re-laid A thought it was Air Conditioned, So, tough time to lot of people and all the roads have been you are wrong, it is Air Cooling who find thrill in smoking in the named. To add to all these, now and the effect is good enough. Audi. here are the new sign boards. All the side walls of the Audi They are neither big enough to have all been provided with The new shopping mall is yet to be seen from a distance nor false plastering and I doubt, if be completed but the sabzi shop small enough to be ignored. there would be any Audi Panels. from behind RBM has been They indicate directions to the relocated in the mall and it newly named roads. All Art n' Dee ites, please hold started functioning. All the your breath, hope things fall in BOGS in junior bahwans have And if you come across, Shiv place. The lights room has given been renovated. All of them Ganga market the next time you place to the A/C control panel have beautiful tiles. Two and the sounds room is intact. refrigerators have been provided All the in each bhawan (boyz) one for lights have each floor. 76 first yearites are been put in the new rooms between remo ved VK and RP. There were in all from the 780+ reported for admission and stage and lo behold 275+ were gals. they plan to Infosys, EEE, CS, Maths, Eco provide had almost full reporting. This better ones time there is a all time high of now. The 16 gals in Mechanical. It is sounds are supposed to be highest for Mech still the in BITSian history. 120+ ME same. ites and a good no. of Ph.Ds. Many The reception center was a hi- people tech one. All room allotment has were of the been computerized and I bet it come to Pilani... don't worry, it view that some speakers should was very professional. our very C'not Place. Audi has have been placed along the been TOTALLY renovated. The length of the Audi along with The banks opened counters just roof has been re-laid and a new the false plastering. Anyway, outside the reception counter. To false roofing was made. there is always room for top all these statistics is the fact Apparently to improve the improvement. And the most that there are nearly 450+ acoustics and I students from Andhra alone. A guess, it is still a small piece of info, there is this lot to be desired. Pratibha scholarship for students If you are a lover from AP, who were outstanding of the chandelier, in their 12th. This is given by do not worry, it is the Govt. of AP. The interesting still there but, the thing is, it seems the Chief other two small Minister of AP promised free
______FALL 2003 SANDPAPER 24 Immigrant Song Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazinee education to everyone who was first yearite and they would Diro's house. Now, all of them eligible for this scholarship and accept any punishment, the are complete and are occupied. joined BITS, Pilani. A worst of them being "getting wonderful way to encourage expelled" from the insti, "if There is also a change of guards students, indeed. The there was anything construed as ragging" as the Wardens of various this orientation, this time all the had happened. So, you know bhawans. Dr.Muralidhar Rao - reporting and admission was what is going on in the seniors Shankar, Dr. MS Das Gupta - preponed by a day. minds. The campus' political Budh, Dr. VK Chaubey -Ashok scene is hotting up. And now, and a change is expected at VK after all the boy TAs have been as well. All the shop keepers in placed in Ram Bhawan and C'not have renovated their some new admits in ME have shops. GD went a step further been put there, there is a debate and has introduced a whole new if a bhawan election has to be recipe of Ice Creams. He has conducted in Ram. Weird is the taken up a dealership for thought process of these people. Pastonji and he is doing a brisk
Some more...... Community business. He also introduced a Welfare Unit is now headed by whole new variety of packed sea Malviya Bhawan now for girls So, Dr. Suresh Ramaswamy and food and some have it was expected that 31st was an RAF has been shifted to SWD. complimented that the food is off-day for all the new admits, So, SWD shall handle the really great. Gem boys, next to however, it was not to be so. movies on camp us and the Annapurna, has diversified to The whole of the registration has committee is headed by clothing and gift articles from been COMPUTERIZED. There Dr.Mahesh. The prices of the electrical appliances, I expect were no more registration halls. tickets have been hiked to this to be seasonal. All the students registered Rs.75/- each for English and through the terminals available Hindi movies. ANC has now in all the 5 IPC rooms. And it The CEERI gate is open only for been totally renovated. Insti has pedestrians and cyclists, all finished of in time and it was taken over and SMC is running others have to take the road really smooth. Every student ANC. The wall is totally built was in for a surprise, as they besides the post office. The and the opening is the gate that security in the entire campus has could complete their registration was there towards Shankar. Now been beefed up and all the in no time with the help of the there is a huge and beautiful menu driven software. The long regular vehicles that come into entrance to our Gym grounds. It campus are now given a pass, a time dream of computerized looks great. The entire ground sticker on the vehicles. CEERI registration has been realized has been walled. It would have and the DTC cases have come also introduced a similar system. been better if the gym ground is As for campus interviews, 57 down by 60%. also totally renovated . companies have been listed in all. Dr. Raghurama had a talk There were orientation sessions Some news about MB, now with all the aspirants this for the 1st yearites and all the there is this 4-digit numbering to morning in the audi. Most of the seniors on the 31st of July and rooms in MB. This is for all the BIG companies were listed as believe me the response of all new blocks other than the oldest tentative. So, everyone is the students was amazing. It was block. so, if a number is 9345, it keeping their fingers crossed. a great personal experience for means 9th block, 2nd floor There may be no second job or me, conducting the presentation. (remember the ground floor is 1) dream job concept this time. It is a wonderful experience in and 45th room. The oldest block Hope everyone makes a good all. Then coming to ragging, still retains the old room nos. All job. On the GRE front, it is not well, this time the institute the gal TAs/PAs have been all that great, as of now only on authorities had to go a step accommodated in the Old TA 2400 has been reported and only further and take an undertaking quarters. In my earlier mails, I 2 2300+ have been reported, from all the students. All the guess I mentioned about the new many landed up in the range of students were given an flats being constructed near the 2000-2200. ¦ undertaking form along with TA quarters and behind the their registration cards, where in they promised not to rag any
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BY THE BITS CEL STUDENT TEAM The BITS Centre for Entrepreneurial Leadership: Named one of the Top 5 Centres in India The idea of CEL was conceived in 2003 summer vacation. BITS May 2003 and it kicked off with a faculty laid out the red carpet, For the first time in BITS splendid achievement within the 2 putting on an outstanding show. history , a significant effort has months that followed. CEL was Various Group Leaders and been made to institutionalize the one of over 200 applicants in The Faculty rallied around the students teaching of Entrepreneurship Wadhwani Foundation’s search The Wadhwani Foundation team through its newest and eighth for a team of 5 universities that went back impressed by the centre of excellence, the Centre would form the hub of the Institute’s programmes, in for Entrepreneurial Leadership. National Entrepreneurship particular the PS programme, the The idea was seeded by the Network (NEN) they wished to close links to the BITSAA alumni BITSAA Center for create, that would formalize the network, the number of women on Entrepreneurship and Venture teachings of entrepreneurship in campus and the enthusiasm and Capital (CEVC) with the vision India. Professors VS Rao, RK energy of the CEL team. BITS of promoting the spirit of Mittal, SB Mishra and Vijaya was shortlisted with almost all the entrepreneurial thinking among Ganesh worked closely with IITs, all the IIMs and a few other the BITSian community back in alumni Aashish Bhinde and schools for the final round. Anupendra Sharma, and in March this year. The students and Durng the final round, the the Institute shared this vision and conjuction with Vivek Pandita, Satish Gupta and the rest of the remaining short list of schools came together in record time to set were asked to put together a CEVC team, and the founding up the centre. In a short space of proposal for CEL, and a vision for six months, the vision, energy and CEL student team comprising Aditi Pany, Harsh Jegadeesan, the Network itself. Very pointed enthusiasm of a combined group questions were asked. As always, of students, faculty and alumni Venkatesan and Jimit Arora. The final product was bold design the alumni, students and and has resulted in a significant faculty in Pilani, Mumbai, New progress in this direction – and in for CEL. This was presented to the Wadhwani Foundation team York, Boston and San Francisco being named one of the Top 5 communicated extensively and put together an outstanding and visionary proposal for the Centre. BITS, Pilani was selected to be a member of NEN (National Entrepreneurship Network) along with four premier institutes in India. As a member of NEN, CEL will receive $40,000 for the first year, and a sum that could exceed $1 million over the next few years. CEL will belong to India’s top entrepreneurial think tanks, share its vision and will be guided by a world-class advisory board. With a fantastic beginning, the CEL team started out to create a well defined, sustainable Centres of Entrepreneurship that visited BITS Pilani in the organisation, structure the team amongst Indian Universities ! and plan out its activities, both
______FALL 2003 SANDPAPER 26 Immigrant Song Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazinee short term and long term. Over the ‘Meet the Entrepreneur’ Series 9 executive summaries that are in last two months CEL has has by far been the most the process of being evaluated. identified broad areas of focus: successful in terms of promoting Some of the ideas that we have Venture Partnership Programmes, the spirit. (Wow! We had no idea received are based on the BITS Rural Entrepreneurship, there were so many successful environment and we hope to be Entrepreneurship Curriculum, BITSian entrepreneurs out there). able to incorporate it into “Student Student Agencies, Technology/ Through the last 2 months we had Agencies” that we plan to start Business Plan incubation, and a number of ex-BITSian where students will have hands-on ‘Meet the Entrepreneur’ Lecture entrepreneurs who came down experience in running a self- Series. and shared their experience and sustainable organisation. learning with us and inspired us. In September we had Dr KRV Dr. VS Rao is the Professor In- charge of CEL and Director of the Subramaniam, CEO, Answerpal who had actually come to BITS Technology Incubation Cell. He is ably supported by a cross-section for recruitment!!! During the time he led a very interactive session of faculty members from all groups including Management, on his experiences as an entrepreneur which was attended Computer Science, EEE, Mech, Civil and Finance. In addition, a by over 200 students and faculty search is underway to bulk up the members. Entrepreneurship faculty at Pilani In the last week of September, the over the next year as the offerings CEL team was fortunate enough are expanded. to spend some time with few of Next semester, the first ever the “7 Generals” as they were called in their BITSian days- Entrepreneurship course will start at BITS. A “learn while you Vinod Agarwal of LogicVision, work” styled course, it will teach Sireesh Chinnoy among others and Rajendra Khare of the basics in entrepreneurship, Romesh Wadhwani, Founder of require students to come up with a the Wadhwani Foundation Broadcom, Bangalore,. The interview was video-taped during business idea that works in Pilani, Photo credit: Silicon India and allow visiting lectures, case which they shared with us the With help from the alumni, CEL significant role BITS played in studies and a number of team- based exercises. This course will is already working on a live their success, the importance of be rolled out to a large number of project from a US based Pharma believing in oneself and the company, as well as a software importance of entrepreneurial BITSians – and is expected to become the most popular course project too. A virtual thinking. communication network will be on campus in the next year. In October we had a series of 3 up and running soon to would Slowly but surely there is a help communicate with the clients lectures conducted by Ajay Chopra of Pinnacle Systems,. momentum building up and we of CEL and other members of the have a lot of ideas in s tore for the Satish Kajliwal and Shekhar NEN. Bhave . They spoke to us on what future. The vision of CEL, which is supported strongly by the In rural entrepreneurship front, it takes to be a successful CEVC, is clear; To sow the seeds CEL is in the the process of entrepreneur, about the current creating Self-Help Groups around environment in India for of entrepreneurship amongst BITSians, to foster an Pilani. An effort is being made to entrepreneurs, about ideas and commercialise the local execution, about leadership and environment of learning and to play a prominent role in leading ‘Bandhej’ craft that has over a creating value systems. This 1,000 women involved. CEL is session was also very well diverse entrepreneurial activities at BITS and around the nation. also exploring a possible attended followed up by a CEL is going to make a collaboration with HP Labs , discussion with the entrepreneurs. Bangalore which has a focus on significant impact on Indian The CEL team inspired by their entrepreneurship in the coming developing ICT products for the rural community. stories organised a business plan years. We are reaching out to all competition within BITS for the of you to join us and guide us.¦ first time ever. We have received
______FALL 2003 SANDPAPER 27 Immigrant Song Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazinee
BY ANUPENDRA SHARMA (’87) Scenes from a Pakistani Restaurant Sadly, everything you read here is true. Except for the name of the restaurant and the characters. section of Manchester. I turned was the Nigerian dishwasher. I was into the first restaurant I saw. The appointed assistant errand boy to all manager was there. I told him that three. eh Hindu hai. Yeh I was looking for a job. He asked “Y The next three hours went by pretty me for two bits of information. meat nahi kaat-ta”. (He is uneventfully. That is if cutting 3 Hindu, he doesn’t cut meat) “I am from India.” “I can legally sacks of onions and 9 sacks of green announced the Shere restaurant work in England.” From his peppers (simla mirch) can be manager with pride to the team stunned reaction, it appeared considered uneventful. As someone in the kitchen. unlikely that he had heard any job who had never cooked, and spent the prospect at his restaurant say last five years in Pilani messes, I was either of those things. I was hired unprepared for this ordeal. The hour I on the spot. At 2 quid per hour, I spent frying the onions to a golden had joined the ranks of the brown passed by more difficultly. gainfully employed. Every time one of his employees came into the kitchen, the manager “What do you want to do?” the would follow, and parade me like a greasy manager asked, his white newly acquired pet. “Yeh Hindu hai. shoes about as shiny as his bald Yeh meat nahi kaat-ta”, he would I had just started work one hour pate. “Waiter banega?” (Will you smile and say. I was an instant hit. ago, on a typical grey, wet be a waiter ?). Saturday afternoon in “Lets go shopping”, the restaurant I had been hanging out with the Rusholme, the Pakistani section manager said. Ten minutes later, we students from Manchester of Manchester, England. were headed back to the restaurant, a Business School, discussing high- 20 lb bag of flour on my head. It was Full of idealistic thoughts which falutin’ things like investment more dignified to carry it in my arms included supporting myself and banking, consulting, and the or on my shoulder, but it was so much taking no money from home, I changing face of Euro -driven easier on my head. Screw my dignity. set out looking for jobs as soon politics. I winced. Could I face I held it on my fast whitening head, as I stepped off the plane in the running into my classmates, and walked down the street, praying UK as a grad student at the dressed in the black and white that no one would know me. The University of Manchester. And garb of a waiter ? My un- manager walked a few feet ahead. I slammed straight into the middle Gandhian middle -class views on felt numb. of England’s worst recession. the dignity of labor made it difficult to risk this prospect. After being turned down by Hiding in the kitchen seemed the Ten minutes later, we everyone including McDonalds natural choice. But I had one (where I had included my condition – “Meat nahi katoonga” were headed back to current Masters, my two BITS (I wouldn’t cut the meat.) I cited the restaurant, a 20 degrees, my 38 days at Index religious reasons. The truth was I Computing and both PS I and didn’t know how. lb bag of flour on my PS II experiences, convinced head. that I would be a top hire), I He took me to the crowded room knew this called for desperate in the back. I was introduced to measures. I headed for Shahji – the naan maker, who had At 6:00 pm the hustle of the th Rusholme Road, the street lined stopped studying in 4 grade in restaurant increased in preparation for with Indian and Pakistani Pakistan and spoke no English. the 6:30 pm opening. Two waiters restaurants in the South Asian Khan Sahib was the cook. Nigel were there, young and fresh, their first
______FALL 2003 SANDPAPER 28 Immigrant Song Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazinee day on the job. They looked 17, female owner of the restaurant (a The story ends well. My local their fear-filled private-schooled real b----- if I ever saw one) guardian, an angry Thakur from faces a reflection of the leafy, would come into the back of the Rajasthan was furious when he heard air-conditioned, pucca restaurant and scream at everyone of my experience. He went calling the bungalows of suburban Karachi for no reason. Then she would same day, and no less than Kenneth that they came from – where the grab a fork and head over to the Clarke, then Home Secretary. After maid washed the laundry, the trash can where all the food was scaring the living daylights out of guard took the dog for a walk. being dumped. She’d poke Kenneth Clarke’s assistant, he was The fear in their faces strangely around. Every so often, she’d lift put straight through to the man gave me strength. I could get out a piece of meat, or paneer or himself. through this. chicken – sometimes half chewn, sometimes not – and wave it in Four months later, the restaurant was At 7:00 pm, the manager came Nigel’s face, screaming that he raided. Citing illegal immigrant looking for the two new waiters was letting good food go to waste workers and a series of serious health he’d hired. They were nowhere and threatened to dock his wages. violations, the restaurant was shut to be found. Unable to withstand Nigel never said anything. down and the owners were fined GBP the culture shock, they’d run 8,000. Almost two hundred times away. I felt sorry for them. And That first night, at 1 am, I tried to what the restaurant owed me. I stronger. leave the restaurant after it had celebrated. closed. The cook wouldn’t let me By 7:30 pm the dishes were go without eating. He fed me a coming back faster than Nigel good meal – good meat, good Every so often, she’d could handle them. As the chicken, great nans. I felt like I lift out a piece of dishes piled, I was added as was part of a team. Exhausted, reinforcement. My job was to numbed, and smelling of onions, I meat, or paneer or load the dishwasher with the had the best sleep of my life. chicken – sometimes dishes Nigel gave me, and to I went back the second night – to half chewn, unload a minute and a half later. a lot more onions, yelling, Simple. sometimes not – and screaming and chaos. The cook Nigel had another responsibility. stormed out at 9:00 pm – after wave it in Nigel’s He had to empty the dishes throwing a whole bunch of mixed- face, screaming that before they went into the up orders that had piled up on the he was letting good dishwasher. And ensure that no kitchen floor. Thankfully I did meat coming back from the not have to clean any of it up. He food go to waste. restaurant was wasted. came back at 10:00 pm. At 1 am, I went to the manager, to ask for I recently went to Manchester to Whaaaaaat !!! my money. Two days, twenty four attend a BITSian wedding. I drove hours, forty eight quid ! I was around to Rusholme to see the All the salad was recycled. bone tired, but I was going to be restaurant. It was another drizzly Stained bits of onions were rich. Manchester morning. The whole area washed and rearranged. And was deserted – things wouldn’t start most importantly, all the meat He handed me a twenty pound to hum till later that afternoon. and chicken left in the dishes note. “I’m keeping the rest of the was carefully extracted and put money or you won’t come back The restaurant was shut. The name on back into two bowls – one for next week.” Tears welled up. I the board had changed. Vivid meat, and another for chicken. pleaded but I was helpless. I memories flooded back, of walking At least the gravy, thankfully walked out and went home. down the road with the bag of flour was thrown away. My faith in on my head, of hundreds of onions, of I could not shake the smell of the amazing institution of Indian the first twenty quid I had earned in restaurants, shaken to its core. onions for a week – even though I England. was taking showers twice a day. At Shere, the most astounding I put my hands in my pockets and thing was the efficient meat The following week I got a job at walked back to the car. I stopped to extraction process. It involved a the library. At GBP 5.65 per hour, look back one last time, and felt a woman, a fork, and lots of shelving books, with breaks in calming sense of closure. ¦ screaming. Every half hour, the between. Thank heavens for British unions, I thought.
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Poetry by Anuradha and Vivek Plani! Plani! Plani! no matter Oh, we’ll never get used to not tonight alcohol, decimates minds living next door to all of U. BY VIVEK MISRA while watchers watch (Living next door to Alice) and smoke, their thoughts chaotic.... 3. When we came in the summer of 1986, a refrain floats Young and full of life and bouncy on chill air too, and musky breath There was ever so much for us to "...a brilliant red barchetta,...." do, floats away Now we wonder if it all was true, air-guitaring, gesticulating All the Oasis halloo and all the hop skip jumping Bhawan nites to samosas and tea And the many long hours in Sky, Credit: Eric Bellamy "aah ...giri!, All the trips in Connaught and all
White hot yellow sands goldflake! thanda! moda! the milkshakes too, dance, myriad mirages green chai!..." We couldn’t forget even if we try ! peacocks strut, colour riots 5 am high....¦ (Summer of ‘69) tribes coded saffron pink red orange 4. It’s been a hard four years, turbaned hardened warriors And we’ve been slogging every gaze from grey eyes day, at grey skies Now all that’s over, And we’ll be going on our way. rain of life pitter-patter pitter-patter But our memories will stay mops grey-blue And though we’re goin’ away, lustfilled sun's heat We hope you will miss us too clouds burst, sheet the land (It’s been a hard day’s night) with water cool, life anew Credit: CBS smell of earth, anklets tinkle The 1986-1990 MB farewell 5. All the groovy guys we’ve and muddy feet missed, arouse passions... song And all the pillows we’ve kissed, BY ANURADHA GUPTA (’86) All the Mills and Boons we shared, chillums smoke All the secret we’ve bared rings that dissipate “1. Where do we begin, the smoker thinks To tell the story of how great a life Now it’s all going to end the thinker smokes it’s been And , we don’t want to go, camels snort, spit Of how the years have slipped by Oh! We just don’t want to go. spittle tourists almost like a dream All the plays and Acoustic Nites, high heels, and fair skin Where do we start ? All the water fights, vs. smouldering dark eyes (Love Story) All the birthdays and parties full of battle won, the mirrors reflect fun, on life outside 2. For so many years, we’ve lived All the things we’ve done ! the red-orange veil... a BITSian life Now it’s all going to end There’s been a lot of laccha and And we don’t want to go cows the sentinels staying up till five - Oh! We just don’t want to go of night-time bus-stand Now we’ve gotto get used to not asleep standing, and circling living next door to all of U ! 6. Girls, we’re all BITSians, drunken We’ve lived thru many Comprees And that’s the way we’ll stay- reveling boys, tested and sure and lived thru mess food, Girls, we’ll be BITSians, or unsure But on the whole BITS has been Until our dying day …” rather good, (Bachelor Boy) ¦
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Goodbye to BITSian days Of a familiar song. Indomitable Spirit And my heart says, 'So long'. BY ANURADHA GUPTA BY ANURADHA GUPTA Am I very happy or very sad ? Endless cups of tea, I can't decide. I feel like a rudderless boat - Between unending classes. Sometimes - As a jest life set me afloat; Yesterday was so fleeting, I'd rather curl up like a hedgehog. But I love the thrill of the raging How fast time passes. In some corner of BITS and hide. sea, Now it is all over - Madness in the wing, I love the storm, the feel of being The trips to C'naught. The senti 4th year wing. free, The mornings in Sky. Images big and small, And if my ship be wrecked. I hadn't imagined - So mad, so special... I will assemble, bit by bit - How fast time would fly ! A countdown away from a world, With a million brilliant stars, Captured in a memory- Is it choas to pursuit, My skies will always be lit! ¦ or crayons to perfumes ? Time, why did you flit away, I sit and muse In such a dashing hurry ? ¦ About the lilting words, Glimpses of BITSIAN life: A 1987 Batch ID Card and 1987 waitlist letter displayed at the East Coast Event
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BY SANDEEP MUKHERJEE (’95) TOP 10 GRAD SCHOOL EXPERIENCES to prepare prospective graduate 9. Running students for the most important “Looks! Brains! grad school experiences that Determination! they’re likely to have. What else do you need? We live in a world where rankings mean everything and to conceive Grad School!” of presenting lists without ranking Several thousand grad student- That’s what the ETS brochure them would necessitate the hours have been spent attempting reads and I wonder… stretching of the mind in true Jane to identify any semblance of Fonda’s -aerobic video style! And “Looks!” It’s hard to argue rationality behind the average being completely spineless and westerner’s fetish for running. against the notion that we all having no stance on most issues of possess looks. After all, no claim The conclusion - Requiescat In consequence I’ll feebly acquiesce Pace! At any given time, in any is made to the effect of those to society’s demands by ranking looks on beholders. given season, anywhere in the the Most Important Grad School United States there is a healthy “Brains!” Here again, that each Experiences too. probability of spotting joggers. Do one of us actually possesses a 10. For here or to go? not stare at them as if to indicate brain is indisputable. And they are, as classicalists would absolutely no reference to the say, nuts! Merely understand that ability or usage of the brain is this is a valuable part of your made thereby making the education. Learning to appreciate statement indisputable. cross-cultural differences is integral to the graduate school “Determination!” I’m now in awe experience. of the astute conclusions that the ETS arrived at – determination? 8. Free Anytime! Never mind, what about! If there’s a single lesson that one absolutely cannot to without, it’s The logical conclusion – We all that nothing is ever Free. The absolutely need to go to Grad founding fathers of capitalist School! society would frown upon the notion. As a consequence, please The skill gap assessment that note that free DVDs, free Internet would cost you a pretty penny in hours etc. that you see so Career Assessment Specialist attractively advertised are as real (Yes! They do exist!) fees is A few years back a KFC cashier as the returns on Enron stock. effectively, and concisely, I might on Brigade Road asked me And, do note, that the free sex that add, addressed by a colorful whether I wanted to “upsize it”. you read about from your days in brochure from ETS. When I politely enquired as to what the devil he meant, he Pilani refers to a world that For the weeks and months that proceeded to give me a look that I existed more than 30 years ago. follow we dabble with the GRE, would have carried to my grave 7. Paper or plastic? SOP, CAT, GPA and a vast had it not been for #2 (see below). myriad of 3 lettered acronyms. After all, I merely wanted my On account of serious linguistic The process, not altogether darned food! differences a simple exercise like painless, is suitably interspersed purchasing groceries can, unless with 4 lettered non-acronyms too. I swore that never again would I carefully handled, become The resources on the subject are be cerebrally stumped by fast food traumatic exp eriences. At the nothing short of comprehensive. servers of this world or the next. I grocery store’s checkout counter, have since mastered fast food upon being asked “paper or Having rambled sufficiently, ‘tis parlance and can today, with pride plastic?” do not feel threatened, time to elucidate the purpose of and dignity, stare back at them do not panic. Go ahead and this elaborately researched and and confidently answer the “for choose one – they actually let you quantitatively sound treatise – i.e. here or to gos” that they throw at have the bags for free! The last I objective of the document being me.
______FALL 2003 SANDPAPER 32 Creative & Humor Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazinee checked these plastic bags were as India, that bankrupt) and getting a credit valuable as Enron stock. does not history, we have been rewarded qualify as finally with the credit card. For 6. You will hear silence at this dinner either. most of us this took 4-5 years time! after we graduated from college, 3. Drive - Humans, in sharp but once in a while for some throughs contradistinction to, say microbes, inexplicable reason, one of us has are characterized by the desire to The Central broken through. And that has continuously acquire knowledge. Intelligence been reason to celebrate with the Among the many centers of Agency originally introduced rite of passage of going out for undisputed academic excellence – these to experiment with drinks and making the holder pay Online Bill Payment hotlines lead quarantined communists from for drinks on the card to see if it the way! Zen Buddism being the ‘Nam who were frequently known really works. subject of discourse! To the to converse uninitiated, while making with telephonic payments you will themselves. “here silence at this time”. Do not Driving up to be flustered; merely marvel at the a seemingly infusion of knowledge during unmanned quotidian activities. box, speaking into it, and (it 5. Flirting with Customer never ceases Service Representatives (CSR) to amaze me!) That’s a No! No! The CSR may have it talk have a cute voice, a fake Spanish back to you accent, may even go to the extent can be a of asking you for your personal traumatic details, but remember that to stoop experience. to such depravity would be in You would be violation of the exemplary well advised to prepare yourself – Cartoon credit: Tikka Masala spiritual and moral conduct that is pep talks from roommates are 1. Matrimonial Proposals expected of you as a BITSian. effective – and then take the The only exception to the rule is if plunge. Do not attempt to make And finally, at restaurants, you’re certain the person at the prior appointments with the box. shopping malls and other public end of the line is not from And oh by t he way, don’t forget to places being addressed as outsourced call centers in take your car. “honey!” or “sweetie!” by the Gurgaon, New Delhi. attendants is not to be interpreted 2. Credit Cards ! as a proposal to contract a 4. Eating out All of us have suffered the matrimonial alliance with the There will be occasions where humiliation of receiving letter speaker. Many a brave BITSian your graduate student body will after letter of rejection on our soul has been slain on similar decide to “eat out”. You may then credit card applications, while our assumptions. Such interpretations be invited to express your broke American classmates are are often seasonal and spring and gastronomic preference. Do not, covered in enough plastic to summer are when you are most at under any circumstance, propose warrant a Greenpeace risk – what with the changing McDonald’s, Burger King or the demonstration. It hasn’t prevented scenery and dipping stock of the like even though these us from getting that t -shirt, apparel industry. institutions, may, in your opinion, Frisbee or whatever crap that the be at the cutting edge of the credit card sales rep was giving That, prospective graduate culinary cosmos. And although away for filling out those darned students, is a $50,000 grad school the Taco Bell tacos (with rice and forms. However, once we education in a nutshell. beans on the side) may remind understand the strategy of Remember them well ‘coz for you of the chapattis, dal and rajma acquiring store cards and actually these important, and potentially that you may have eaten back in making $2.00 purchases at life-altering experiences, there are Montgomery Ward (now no make-ups! ! ¦
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Writings from another time: Articles from The Cactus Flower Magazine of 1997 BY SAYON MAJUMDAR eyes and the hint of a smile. But I BY SANDEEP DATH never got an answer to my THE proposal. THE MAKING And now she is dead.... PORTRAIT OF For the first few years in Pilani, I OF A CACTUS saw her almost every day, serenely A LADY moving around noisy, boisterous FLOWER students. She was always there, a benign presence, dearly beloved by ARTICLE all. And yet, those were the days when we first heard the whispers - The circumstances were just right. "She's the last of her kind. There Yes, that's it. The circumstances. will never be another like her Just right. again." We knew then that the world was changing and one day I was in India, specifically in Pilani. I was, as the metaphor goes, she would be no more. totally vela in life and therefore In her long life I do not think she extremely susceptible to ridiculous ever made an enemy. We envied suggestions. That was why, when a how she made everyone her friend. bespectacled pimply youth asked Friend? No, they were her slaves - me to pen an article for Cactus slaves of her charm! The very Flower, I hitched up my trousers, mention of her name brought a pulled up my socks and fell asleep smile on everyone's lips. Her in his room. tranquility consoled gnerations of When I woke up, it turned out that students in their moments of sorrow. somehow he had conned me into signing on the dotted line and all The last year was painful to watch. that. In any case, I gave little or no Credit: Urbanposters She was in great pain. Her eyesight thought to the matter right away. I She has always been associated was dim. She was visibly ill. And mean, what's in an article? It's just with my earliest memories of yet, she would religiously do her a string of high sounding Pilani. Even in those days I was rounds, everyday, to be with the sentences. The only trick lay in enchanted by her poise, her grace students she loved. knowing where to put the punctuation marks. But I was and those lovely warm deep-brown And now Grass is dead. eyes. I've always suspected that it confident that with a little help was those eyes that enthralled me. Farewell, Grass! For a real bitch from Wren and possibly a teensy- you were quite a lady. weensy bit from Martin, I could In my first few days, I was cope with even this. comp elled to go down on my Rest in peace.... ¦ knees and profess my undying love A few solid weeks passed for her. One day I caught, or however, before I got down to the imagined I saw, a twinkle in her task ahead of me. I realised that
______FALL 2003 SANDPAPER 34 Creative & Humor Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazinee the whole affair was not, as I had important thing to do is to get the But the bespectacled youth kept believed, going to be a cakewalk. location right." reminding me gleefully of my There I sat, without a single idea commitments, throwing in phrases "Right. Location. Yes. Definitely popping; just sitting and staring like 'breach of contract', 'black important. Go on." I made a glumly at the chewed-up rear end eyes' and 'multiple lacerations' mental note of this piece of of a Reynolds Fine Carbure. effortlessly into the conversation. I information. It looked like I'd was in a dilemma, trapped between One wonders how the big rad picked the right person to ask. the devil and his secretary. My names like Hardy and Swift, not to "Then," he continued wingies steadfastly claim till today mention Scott, managed to churn knowledgeably, "you have got to that I was often found staring at out the stuff in tons. I figured that get your dimensions correct. That my wrists with a pained expression there must be a method to their is, if you want a garden, you'd on my face. radness. I, for one, was confident better get your dimensions correct. in my estimation of Mark Twain's I decided finally to brave the If you make a mistake, your work, that the chap started out by problem like a man and with a garden will look like it's part of deciding whether or not the butler calm, sophisticated attitude. your drawing room. And, of or the baby-sitter was to 'have course, don't forget elevation, "Mommy," I yelped over the done it.' As for Sartre, with his soil..." phone. "There is this article thing, characteristic flair for higher mom..." things, he functioned differently. My jaw dropped, catching me Something instinctive told me that halfway through a chewing session My words falling over each other, he used to plan out the best spot and grossing out three weak I explained the whole situation to where the body could be buried. stomached gentlemen at my table. my mother. Mom paused for a few Why, I had but to follow on I knew from experience that we moments on the phone, as if similar lines and the lads would were often served bilge of a most contemplating the situation. It was soon be drinking in every word I disreputable nature in the mess, either that or she was adding the wrote. but of all the bilge that I have ever word 'strait-jacket' to her shopping witnessed, this was bilge of the list. Finally she said, "Son, write But it was the plot that persistently highest order that my friend was about something that has affected eluded me. I recoursed to asking a dishing out across the table. I then you personally and profoundly. very close friend of mine for help. realised, way too late, that this And remember..." As I stood watching the seconds tick away on the STD meter, I let my mind wander. A swarm of ideas and images flooded my mind. I thought of all my 'profound' experiences... And then, suddenly, it all fell into place. My most profound, personal and harrowing experience. I knew what that was, and I could write volumes on it. Well, sort of. Anyway, that evening when I sat back in my room and lifted my pen once more, it was with deliberation and feeling that I penned the words, "The circumstances were "Hey Garg, I need a good plot. Got accursed BITSian was guilty of just right. Yes, that's it. The circumstances. Just ...." any ideas?" I asked him one having an 'A2' in his ID number. ¦ afternoon across the mess table. The situation was so trying that I A few moments later, when he had nearly gave up at this point. I ceased to masticate the better part could always have backed out of of a roti, he said, "The most my decision to write the article.
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BY ANURADHA GUPTA (’86) THE DATE
But on entering the gates of the about the mysteries of Higher Leela was from a strict surreal world of Pilani, some of Calculus or Modern Physics and upbringing and her folks did not those soon faded from Leela’s Relativity. Nothing was beyond believe in dating or prospecting memory, like the Photography his grasp and nothing eluded or any such thing. In fact, they Club prints that we purchased him or befuddled him, like it did believed only in following during Oasis when we were us. He held special classes for rituals, customs and traditions there. Leela’s roommate and me. We and sticking to the old age adage huddle together in the Library of ‘arranged marriages are best’. Leela got to know the guys a often, talking in hushed tones, or They were sanguine about new little. Motu belonged to a group in the Café, going over obscure trends as long as they just got to of guys that hung together. problems that made no sense to hear about them and gossip Motu was eminently likeable. either of us, but were crystal about them (and I don’t mean Short of stature like her. He clear to him. Sometimes, at his gossip in a virulent, malicious liked her shy, retiring, behest, we talked about Leela. form, but just harmless, good introverted, yet positive outlook fun gossip which we all indulge a lot and asked about her often. Then there was this one time in, to unwind, occasionally !). Whenever we would go out as a when she thought he would group of girls and bump into muster up the courage to ask her Motu’s group accidentally or by out on a date. But as the One fine evening, design, he would come and semester wore on, she realized it late evening, there inquire after her, and try and was mere conjecturing. Like make overtures of strictly the most evenings at Connaught, was a call, on the friendliest kind. He knew nothing exciting really happened conservative, shy Leela, and did and as the semester progressed; loudspeaker – the not want to scare Leela away. we forgot about it . public address Leela also liked his courteous One fine system in MB , for and considerate ways. She autumn Room Number eagerly lapped up everything we evening, told her about him - him, the one of those 124, Leela ! fact that he was from modest beautiful, means and knew only Telegu till cool Pilani So when Leela was preparing to his 12th standard, but learnt evenings come to Pilani, she was tutored English in a matter of months when we know winter is and lectured about her values and transformed himself and his coming, there was a call, on the and how she should not venture life and prospects considerably loudspeaker – the public address beyond the gates of the MB by applying to, and coming over system in MB, for Room other than to attend classes, or to BITS. Number 124, Leela ! visit the Computer center or attend some shows with girl She liked his funny, often Initia lly, she jumped out of her friends. No dating. No men. ungrammatical English and the skin, frightened and puzzled. Such things were strictly fact that he was brilliant ! But She had never been called on the frowned upon by the family and most of all she liked his microphone. Oh dear – the could bring nothing but dishonor magnanimous ways and that he whole bhawan had heard. What to the name. Leela promised to sometimes doled out scarce would the girls think. adhere to her family’s traditions. resources (of the monetary kind) and a lot of times spent a lot of time teaching us mere mortals
______FALL 2003 SANDPAPER 36 Creative & Humor Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazinee
When they reached Connaught, many bouts of laughing and our Leela waited for her Blue Moon wiping away tears from the Midnight Beauty and apprised efforts. He was a 9 something- her date from below her lashes pointer, a brilliant guy with a as he stood waiting for their soft corner for Leela. He had order. As he walked back, she never spoken to her, never met thought. He looked a little her, but had somehow gathered different. Maybe a new haircut. the courage to ask her out. I don’t remember Leela ever She thought it was time to break laughing about that experience the silence. Maybe she should when we were in Pilani. ask him about the health of his parents. ‘So, Motu…’, she Leela vowed never to go on a started to say, much to his abject date again. Her mother’s words horror ! came flooding back. She wanted to conform to her Then it struck her. This had to ‘I am not Motu. I am Srinivas !’ background and her parents’ be Motu. She recovered from he said with as much dignity as wishes. But we knew the truth. her state of shock, got dressed, he could muster. It was the shock of the first date hastily changing from her ! And the last ! Down in history, nightie into a nice looking suit recorded for posterity. chosen by her roomie powdered Leela was horrified. her nose, dabbed on a color Thoroughly, thoroughly lipstick (“just for confidence, embarrassed. This was one of He was a 9 not for effect” she told us). And life’s most embarrassing finally, finally, ignoring the moments that get listed as essay something-pointer, words of her mother, the honor questions. She regretted that she a brilliant guy with of generations of her family, she had never really looked tentatively stepped out of the carefully at Motu. Here she a soft corner for room, walked in an awkward, was, on a date with an unknown self-conscious gait to the gate species ! And worse still, he had Leela. and looked around. discovered that she thought he was somebody else. Leela is now happily married ‘Hi, Leela’, said somebody from into a very liberal background. the shadows and stretched out We had all often discussed how And just the other day we were his hand to shake her clammy, silly it is that people just flip for discussing how we should bring sweaty palm. She was so scared, each other’s looks up our daughters ! Strict her heart was beating, she was upbringing or normal or shaking like a leaf. Thank ‘I’m so sorry’, she stammered disciplined or permissive. Just goodness it was dark ! and hastily gulped down her normal, we decided, though Shake, trying desperately to find there are no definitions for ‘Lets go to Connaught and have a subject that was appropriate. normal ! And I slyly reminded a shake’, he said, setting the He sat in stony and dignified her about her first date. She agenda for the evening (no silence for some time and then spluttered with indignation and dinner ? Maybe funds were relented, talking about not-so- then laughed a lot, a whole lot ! scarce, maybe, it was too soon sweet nothings. The romance It’s a story that will go down in to spend the entire evening was no longer in the air. The the history of her family. I together!). This was a first date, magic was gone. Soon, in what really hope she can find the So they walked towards seemed like forever, they headed courage to relate it to her Connaught, she remained quiet, back for MB. Leela said a hasty daughters sometime ! And leave he chatted nonsensically about goodbye and ran through the them with a definite message - general platitudes, making no gates . Never be so shy that you don’t sense, she nodding, giggling notice what the guy you like sometimes, both quite nervous We learnt more about Srinivas’s even looks like! ¦ and shy ! later. Much later that is, after
______FALL 2003 SANDPAPER 37 General Interest Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazinee
Featured Article
BY SAGARIKA JAGANATHAN (’93) SKYDIVING…& OF FEAR AND FUN My passage from childhood to husband,” I made up my mind to water ever….or on a tree-top, or on a adolescence had one significant break the “fear” mold, slowly, yet bicycle, or in a place where the heat undercurrent—rebellion. Despite surely. made one’s nose bleed and the cold growing up in a not-so-conservative caused heels to crack…. suburbia of Chennai (then Madras) I At 15, I was the oldest in my school faced one obstacle to unfettered to learn to ride a bike. But I did -- But at 21, white water rafting childhood: fear. Not my own, but my over and above the din of dad’s seemed like a pretty cool idea to me father’s…indelibly scripted over any voice reviling senseless Madras (having learned to swim barely two tendency I may have developed on traffic--if only to fling myself out years ago…). Of course, I never told my own. there amid the chaos of trucks, auto dad until I got back in one piece -- rickshaws, and water tankers, and surviving to talk at length about the ride the “fear” wave. It was my first experience of a lifetime. Triumph “Ours was a triumph over fear since age five. number three! dad-daughter At 17, came the admission letter to Conquering imposed fears was fast BITS in faraway Pilani: “the land of becoming a norm I was getting tired relationship endless desert sands, bitter winters of. I didn’t want it to constitute a wrought with and unbearable summer heat that lifetime’s journey, despite being causes nosebleeds,” according to tremendously self-assuring at each tension so thick what someone had told dad. My instance. I believe each of us has myriad arguments failed to pack the inherent fears, which too must be one could cut it punch that would blow this fears dispelled during one’s lifetime. Mine away, instead, off I was packed to was of heights. Not that I was with a knife the cooler confines of a missionary paranoid about tall places but I often institution…an engineering college got the chills from imagining myself nestled on the banks of the Siruvani on an airplane and being required to Ours was a dad-daughter river -- the lifeline of the city of suddenly bail out. relationship wrought with tension so Coimbatore. It wasn’t long before thick one could cut it with a knife. the rebel in me escaped the clutches Having never been on a plane during Growing up in an all-boys of this academic ghetto -- which the first couple decades of my neighborhood, ‘fear’ was non- doubled up as a veritable nunnery -- existence, age 22 was a milestone of existent in my dictionary. My dad by virtually threatening my dad into sorts. Not only did it ear mark my found that out when I was five. submission. He reluctantly first flight journey, it also was my Having searched the entire colony accompanied me on the train journey first ever attempt at bailing out of for a whole Sunday afternoon, he toward my destination of choice – one! found me perched among the coolest Pilani -- to report for the winter and tallest confines of the backyard semester admission to BITS in Neem tree, with three of my pals — “frost-bitten January” (dad’s famous Five or six or even seven paragraphs devoted to this perception-altering all next -door boys. He ordered me words). Triumph number two! down and marched me to his study, event may still fall short of quietly fetching his wooden ruler. fathoming the effect it had on my Dad and his fear …there’s a story in With three resounding thrashes that psyche -- liberating it from the our family that explains his whims: day, he inserted ‘fear’ into my shackles of its own making. But it’s When dad was 22, he’d ridden a boat dictionary. definitely a worthwhile attempt, in with friends from college, off the my eyes, at underscoring the shores of Mahabalipuram--historical importance of overcoming one’s Spending the next decade of my life site of the Pallava temples. A sudden own fears and teaching oneself a in implicit obedience and strict turbulence had sent him flying into lesson or two on living in the conformity to parental “rules” the particularly rabid waters of the moment… intended at wresting every Bay of Bengal. “It was a miracle I tomboyish trait from a girl “who will even survived,” he often recounted. never otherwise find a good He never wanted me near a body of
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like...just wait and see." My mind be torn apart; only in my case, being "I'm on LSD," was awash with hope and fear and buckled to my instructor was a life- everything else in between. The saver. I had evidently blocked out he hollered, instructor, sensing my growing his instructions: lock your knees, discomfort, said: "It's time to roll draw ankles to your back, as close as splitting the now, and don't worry, I haven't had you can, and tumble out in as much as my morning puffs of somersault-like motion....I only steady drone of Marlboro today. We are going to remembered the word 'three' soar, but not on the wings of LSD. severing the last shred of my the Cessna with So just relax!" Pollyannaish hope that somehow, I will not have to jump. I was flailing cackling my arms laughter and legs, winds screaming As the airplane rose to 25, 000 feet-- in my ears a rusty, yellow Cessna, I looked in a ghastly around me. I was a novice rubbing mockery of shoulders with veteran skydivers every fear who would enthrall me within that was minutes by their expertly coursing choreographed mid-air calisthenics. I through my felt a knot in my stomach as my spine. instructor patted my stiff shoulder, "This is it," and sensing my rather uptight I thought, demeanor, said “You’re going to do "There’s no just great,” with a flashing smile that turning suddenly became my lifeline. He That was all I needed to hear; the back" -- a final moment of revelation was going to be right there with me, rest of his instructions were lost in that stripped me of all fears and every step of the way, and I had to the Cessna’s drone and the sheer opened my eyes to the panoramic trust his over-a-decade’s experience awe and excitement of watching view: endless mounds of snow-white jumping out of planes: a bizarre leap those six veterans ahead of me clouds…I was floating among them; of faith, quite literally! tumble out in a matter of seconds, mountain ranges, far below, soaring toward a formation, the likes curiously defining the margins of That early Sunday morning, there of which I'd only seen on RealTV. human territory beyond which was just one other novice skydiver Then my eyes fell on the guy ahead wilderness assumed a life all its on the Cessna; he was sitting, fingers of me, attached to his instructor: own...I was looming over them, high crossed and eyebrows knit, straight Siamese twins ready to be birthed above, like a bird, who, for the first ahead--instructor in tow. We were from the Cessna's comforting time, had learned to fly. each too absorbed in our own fears womb...Each of our tandem-jump and elations to waste those precious instructors had been doing just this Amid this drama of exploding minutes of ascent in small talk. But very thing for the past couple winds, the caressing clouds, and the my instructor was bent upon playing decades —taking novices like us colorful unfurling of the parachute the exorcist for his very own rib- down a wild dive from the skies: across the blue skies, while I was tickling fancy: "I'm on LSD," he dispelling fears, broadening horizons trying to take in as much as my eyes hollered, splitting the steady drone and, literally, altering perspectives, could hold in those fleeting of the Cessna with cackling laughter. changing, forever, the way we moments: the mountains, the rivulets I did an instant about face, a death- viewed the earth and the skies, and and streams, the ground fast gaining pale expression shrouding my face, our places in the sun. upon us….a certain realization masking the veneer of clarity I was dawned upon me -- It was really trying hard to portray ....are we At the count of three, we spilled out about fun, not fear. really going to jump to our deaths of the mouth of the Cessna—from today, I wondered. the warmth of her protective belly And as I floated above earth, I into the tantalizing arms of the realized ah! life is beautiful. But the six expert sky-divers, seated roaring winds in a death-defying 250 ahead of us, booed him into silence. miles per hour drop. I felt scared, Touchdown! ¦ "It's part of the rush," they said. vulnerable, like a prey clutched in "You have no clue what it's the mighty eagle’s talons, about to
______FALL 2003 SANDPAPER 39 General Interest Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazinee
BY DILIP D’SOUZA (’76) ALFA ALFA – THE NAKED TRUTH
spending years researching the they got the professor, now sporting a Party at a friend's place. patterns in "alfalfa", then revealing healthy tan and bulging eyes, fired. Last the secret to an adoring world: that heard of, he was heading for the beach, Several new faces there; I met it "follows the pattern 'x-y-z, x-y-z', determined to serve Science some more. most as the party went on. One repeated till infinity." Not quite was, I found at one point, Nude beaches and "x-y-z." I spent the Nobel prize winning research. But surrounded by a small group. As I what do I know? entire party batting these about in my strolled up to listen to what was mind. Eventually, inspired by these going on, I heard him asking, and The rest of the party went by in a noble research efforts, but also by my this is verbatim: "Which is the daze, and not just because of my vodka and karela juice, I decided to only word in the English language drink. With research on my mind, I make my own contribution. that follows the pattern 'x-y-z, x- remembered a professor I had read y-z', repeated till infinity?" about only days before. At an He needed many Illinois university in the US of A, Ignorance quickly got the better of the man spent years and great sums me. Reluctantly, I had to admit more long hours to of money investigating one of that I had no answer. The rest of Science's most Remarkable study many more the group, more persevering, Phenomena, a Field of Fundamental muttered on a bit. But they too nudes at many Importance to the Survival of gave up. Our questioner, pleased Mankind itself. to score a triumph of the intellect more beaches. over us, grinned triumphantly as Nude beaches. The group is still gathered around the he announced the answer. I am not making this up. Asimov Alfalfa man, still hanging on "Alfalfa," he said. Which is his every research-laden word. By now, produced, he said, by repeating You will agree: this was difficult, he has moved on to other weighty "a-l-f" till infinity. Though, I pioneering research. Nevertheless, Questions of our Times. I fight my way thought, it works better if you he stuck to it manfully, with to the front. Summoning up all my passion. He spent long periods on chop after the third "a". Who courage, and bolstered to no small wants to be saying said beaches, observing people extent by alcohol, I ask, parentheses there, noting the shape they were in, "alfalfalfalfalfalfalfalfa..." till the included: "What about 'tutu' (meaning a cows come home? particularly feminine shapes. ballerina's skirt)? Doesn't that also Months and years went by in this repeat till infinity except that it is But now I'm puzzled as well as endeavour to further the Frontiers of chopped short (the word, not the skirt ignorant. "So what?" I ask Human Knowledge -- your and certainly not the alfalfa)?" hesitantly. At least to me, "alfalfa" Knowledge -- but he got nowhere doesn't appear to have "a-l-f" near finished. He needed many I am proud of myself. Isn't everyone repeated till infinity, it's only more long hours to study many looking at me with new respect? seven letters long. Besides, so more nudes at many more beaches. Alfalfa man brings me quickly down to what? Aren't you glad that someone put in earth. In tones fairly dripping with "This is not my research", he says, the effort to conduct this research? contempt, he says: "'Tutu' is only 'x-y, curled upper lip firmly in place, Well, lots of people were as glad. x-y' repeated till infinity. There's "it's Isaac Asimov's!" This, it Including that university in Illinois nothing worth researching there!" seems, is the knockout punch. and the agencies that funded his Tail between shaking legs, I slink away. How can I possibly argue with the work. Oh, they were thrilled when I feel like I've been stripped naked. fruits of Isaac Asimov's research? this man's field of study was Research will do that to you. Or nude revealed, when they found out for I banish from my mind a fleeting beaches. Gotta remember not to step in the first time what their money had image of Asimov in a dingy lab, the alfalfa. ¦ been used for. Overcome with joy,
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BY PROF BALASUBRAMANIAN (’53), TV BALAN (’48), GEN RAJGOPAL (’47), DILIP D’SOUZA (’76) & ANU GUPTA (’86)
NOSTALGIC NOTES doubt are). Help from MIT in I am arguably the most ancient Cambridge, MA, BITSian in Hyderabad, if you go USA came in the by alumnal status. (Professor form of academic TSKV Iyer is of course the course planning, oldest Pilanian of us all in lab practices, Hyderabad, but then he taught, semester grade while we learnt!). In fact, my system, periodic claim to fame in this context is tests and earlier than even BITS came evaluation, and about, since I am an alumnus of practical training. the Birla College of Science, Thus, all you having gone there for my people can trace Intermediate in Science in 1953 your academic (as an innocent 13 year-old from DNA to my uncle!! And since he the tall walls of the Vidyapeeth. Madras), and obtained my M. had six daughters and I was his Happily enough most of these are still Sc. in chemistry from there in "son", trace it to me by proxy! extant, so that quality steel production 1959. I taught there for 1 year has been an ongoing enterprise at before I left for the US in When I look back BITS. August 1960. Those of you Of course, we should sing a requiem BITSians who are interested in at how I had to to Madanjee the great. Many copycat alumnal family tree should bark ride a camel back Pedawallahs have since sprung up, up my trunk, since I lay the and the last time I was in Pilani about claim to be the Jambawan or the from Loharu at 2 9 months ago, we could still buy Neanderthal of all alumni/ those delectables - but then Madanjee alumnae. AM all the way to was something else, he was to Peda I have a familial interest too. My Pilani right on my what KC Das was to Rossogulla. uncle was Professor V. first entry to Vidya Prof. D. Balasubramanian, PhD Lakshminarayanan, the Principal Director of Research of the Birla Engg. College, who Vihar…I can see L. V. Prasad Eye Institute Hyderabad in the early 1960s fused the how we guys were Birla College of Engg, the Birla College of Science, and the made of steel. Birla College of Arts and Commerce into BITS. Having When I look back at how I had to Soon after I joined Pilani in July stayed with him as a member of ride a camel back from Loharu at 1948, my Dad wrote a post card to the family during my years in 2 AM all the way to Pilani right say that i had got admission in Pilani, I had a ringside seat to on my first entry to Vidya Vihar, Benares also. I had paid at Pilani Rs. the goings on, and the evolution and that the only way you could 347 (a lot of money those days) and I of BITS- a process that started get to Loharu, Chirawa and then did not feel like throwing it away and as an idea, after the first of the on to the Evil World was through rushing to Benares for the course in IITs got started at Kharagpur- rickety unpunctual buses, I can combined mechanical & electrical into a comprehensive center of see how we guys were made of engineering. I stuck on at Pilani, and higher learning, where steel. The tempering of the steel when I graduated in Sept. 1951 and technology education will was of course done by the Pedas soon joined ACC. At the interview, comprise some sciences and the of Madanjee and the supplies of the MD Dr. RR.Hattiangadi asked me arts- in order that the graduate is Bagaria Stores at Connaught Place how good was the Pilani institution an all- rounder (as all of you no and the trysts with the girls behind and I said " I had an option to join
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Benares, and if I had joined very best sense of the word, peculiar Benares I might have been anyway. One incident summed up his (deemed) a better engineer, but outlook on life for us. Pilani made me a better man" In a long-forgotten test -- some 3rd And this was quoted by the MD year Maths or Physics course, I think of ACC on many occasions -- Bondo came home with half on when I went up the ladder in twenty-five. (I got a big fat zero, but leaps and bounds. Those days if that's another story). That's right, half one said "Pilani" it was assumed a mark out of a maximum of 25. that you never got admission elsewhere and so rushed to Still, that fraction alone was not what Pilani, where a South Indian was Tuesday night dinners? Always made this a special occasion. Good the principal and encouraged a little dreary: slopped into one of old Bondo picked up his paper and boys from South to join BEC. the compartments in our thalis streaked off to the concerned And we believed that he also was a concoction that, we were professor's office. To protest. But not, kept a watchful eye on the bright led to believe, started life as as you might imagine, that he had students as he had 5 daughters. kheer. been given an unfairly low mark. Or half-mark. "TIME lapses, When Dinesh and I sit down this "Half a mark is a disgrace!" he wailed TRADITIONS Change, Tuesday, that RPA mess servant institution, Girdhari, sports a at the bemused professor. "Please GENERATIONS pass troubled look. Before passing our reduce it to zero!" he pleaded. "At least then I can show my face to my But WISDOM endures; thalis out, he turns one over. "Look," he says. "The stuff stays VK wingmates!" The Future is built with the there." The kheer. It does. Stay The odd thing was, he was right. WISDOM of the past" there. So congealed, it won't fall When he returned with a resplendent It is 50 long years since I left out. zero, we looked at him with new Pilani after graduation, but at This is not something to take lying respect. Then we gave him bumps. every opportunity I fly Pilani's down, or even sitting there. We Dilip D’Souza (’76) flag high and mighty. summon the manager. I speak to
TV Balan (1948-51) him. Meanwhile, Dinesh lugubriously picks up his spoon, sticks the business end into the We’ve all been confronted with I remember, we had a column kheer, and thumps the other end with his hand. The small piece he payment options while shopping and for 'General fitness for shovels out of the once-kheer then even at work – of course we have. profession' carrying 200 marks Earlier it was barter, then it moved to in our annual mark sheet. This goes into his mouth. He drops the spoon. Thumps his head with one currency and then credit cards and was awarded personally by the hand, his chin with the other at the debit cards and what have you. The Principal, Prof. V. list is endless and mind-boggling. Lakshminarayan, who knew all same time. This way, he munches through the stuff. But BITS had evolved a wonderful the students by name! Of course payment system called Baad Mein. I we were only 150 students or so Lugubrious still. The manager think, esp. with the kiosks or rerun’s by the end of the second year. gets the point. as we called them, 80 % payment These marks were awarded to occurred that way. The interest option make us "COMPLETE MEN" Maybe not. Next Tuesday, the kheer is the same. must have been weighed against the and not merely technical opportunity cost of losing lots of graduates! Dilip D’Souza (’76) broke hostler customers and so on.
Credit ensured a steady stream of Lt. Gen. Lalgudi Rajgopal business. There was a write-off of bad (1947-50) debts as well, occasionally, when We called Nitin "Bondo" for somebody passed out (literally or figuratively) without paying up. no apparent reason other than it was one more of those peculiar But most guys (since the kiosks BITS names. But he was, in the flocked around the guy’s hostels
______FALL 2003 SANDPAPER 42 Nostalgia Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazinee mainly) survived on baad mein. Pooh calls his frequent snacks) the pinky fingers of eager baad-mein Till money from home arrived. and say, add it to our sub-account clients. in our Except that when the bills piled up, friends’ they were mind-boggling, running accounts - into hundreds. And one would ask for Panda’s an account, which was equally mind- baad mein boggling. I mean, how did I end up or Dev’s consuming 11 cups of tea and 13 baad mein samosa’s in a day. But I did. Over a or who- period of time, spread over the day. have-you’s Food expands to fill the hours baad mein. available. Which we would pay It’s just when they were ‘heading up later. home’ in filmi style that they went a- Because collecting. Once a year or maybe once everybody’s in two years, they went from Bhawan pockets to Bhawan, demanding, pleading and were empty. trying to raise money. They would have chai (a hot If ever anybody paid up in cash, cuppa tea) on baad mein. Nimbu And put it in my BM account is still everybody stared at him/her as if oft heard, oft repeated and paani on baad mein. Cutlets and the person had gone nuts. It was dreaded…Old habits die-hard. When samosas on baad mein. Even not done. As a student, it was ganne ka ras (sugarcane juice) we BITSian friends meet now, we try illegal to be anything but broke. and palm off things to the BM on baad mein. Or transact in anything but baad account…but we are now older and Baad mein being synonymous mein. wiser…and don’t get conned having with pata nahi kab… learnt the fine art of conning (and The wiser kiosk chalak’s realized hogging) – amongst other things - at And then some of us would take that and wound their way around Birla Institute of Technology and advantage of that and have a- that, wrapping themselves around Science Anu Gupta (’86) ¦ little-something (as Winnie the
BITSians Teaching Marketing at Universities (and you thought BITSians were engineers!)
Name Department / School College / University 1 Manoj Hastak Kogod School of Business American University 2 Joby John Chair of Marketing Bentley College 3 Rajendra Sisodia Director, Center for Marketing Technology Bentley College 4 Sanjay Putrevu Department of Marketing Brock University 5 Ajay Kalra Graduate School of Industrial Administration Carnegie Mellon University 6 Rajeev Kohli Columbia Business School Columbia University 7 Ashok Kapoor Department of Marketing Delhi School of Business 8 Prabakar Kothandaraman Bennett S. LeBow College of Business Drexel University 9 Ritu Lohtia J Mack Robinson School of Business Georgia State University 10 Sharmila C. Chatterjee Edward S Ageno School of Business Golden Gate University 11 Sanjay Singh Gaur Shailesh J Mehta School of Management IIT Mumbai 12 Shailendra P. Jain Kelley School of Business Indiana University (Bloomington) 13 Mukesh Chaturvedi Director - Amity Centre for CRM Infinity Business School, New Delhi 14 Banwari Mittal College of Business Northern Kentucky University 15 Alok N. Choudhary Kellogg Northwestern University 16 Deepak Agrawal Krannert School of Management Purdue University 17 Mohan Harsh Department of Marketing SP Jain Institute of Management, Mumbai 18 Puneet Manchanda Graduate School of Business University of Chicago 19 Ravipreet S Sohi College of Business Administration University of Nebraska 20 Rajagopal Raghunathan McCombs Graduate School of Business University of Texas at Austin
______FALL 2003 SANDPAPER 43 Nostalgia Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazinee
THANKS TO SAGARIKA JAGANATHAN (’93) KM DHOLAKIA - BITS FACULTY (‘61-84) Dr.K.M.Dholakia’s nearly 25-year-long love affair with BITS, Pilani, commenced in August 1961. He began as a lecturer in Civil Engineering, and became Professor in 1976 respectively. In 1973 he took over as head of the Civil Engineering Department and in 1981, was named Dean of Faculty Division-I. He also served on the Board of Governors of BITS for two years, while still in service, and another three years as Government of India nominee after leaving BITS in December 1984. He helped shape what we know as characteristics of Pilani – normalization, CGPA, BOSM and Oasis. Dr. Dholakia fondly reminisces about his days at BITS, a career steeped in the rich history that is now an integral part of the Bitsian heritage. The institute, he says, has always remained a part of him despite leaving it behind two decades ago. In his own words… including the start of the the stewardship of the legendary Professor y years at BITS were critical and M normalization process, creation of the Junarkar, the college needed definite exciting, and shaped the current CGPA system. In 1965, I was rejuvenation at the time. We revamped the institution. During this time, three appointed Chairman of the athletic academic structure, curriculum, former colleges were brought club which oversaw all sports examinations. The infrastructure was together to give birth to Birla including athletics and the swimming upgraded, as well as the skills of the staff, Institute of Technology and pool. The Bits Open Sports Meet which made tremendous improvements. Sciences...BITS. When three (BOSM) was initiated during my prominent colleges with eminent tenure, with the sole purpose of I retired from BVM on December 31, personalities come together for a making these activities popular among 1992. The overwhelming respect and common cause there are bound to be students and through them, breed affection from students, staff and others in problems of differences in work harmony, healthy competition and Vallabh Vidyanagar was my memorable culture, future perception and achievement. reward. This stint also gave me the personalities. Despite the start-up opportunity to work actively on important glitches, BITS developed as one On cultural front, I was involved in bodies Sardar Patel University like great institute with excellent open initiating the practice of inviting Syndicate, Senate, Academic Council, and forward-looking work culture, eminent classical artists – musicians Faculty of engineering & Technology, etc. and cordial cooperative and socialist and dancers – to BITS on the human relationships. The occasions of Founder’s day and the Since October 1992, I had served as transformation has required a lot of cultural festival, OASIS. We also Director of Gujarat Energy Development patience, foresight, tact, mutual established the link with SPIC – Agency (GEDA) located at Vadodara. respect and concern and of course, MACAY. These efforts brought some After retiring from BVM, I started of the greatest artists working as full time Director. In my short like Pandit Ravi term of little over 2 years I worked for the Shankar, Ustad Ali promotion of wind energy in Gujarat and Akbar Khan, Ustad development of regional rural energy Bismillah Khan, development center with the assistance of Professor Nihkil the planning commission. Banerjee, Smt. Sonal Since leaving GEDA, I have been serving Man Singh, Kumari as freelance consultant for the Yamini establishment and development of self- Krishnamurthy, financed professional institutions like Kumari Uma engineering and medical colleges, MCA Sharma, Smt. colleges, etc. in the Gujarat area, pursuing Sanjukta Panigrahi, my lifelong passion for perpetuating among other, to the education among the masses. BITS campus. Community BITS afforded an excellent opportunity abundant hard work. celebrations of Holi and Dussehra for my development as a teacher, through Mela-like activities and academician, administrator and organizer. I was Warden, Gandhi Bhawan in cultural programs was another area I In a more personal way, my tenure at 1965 and Chief Warden of the BITS helped promote. BITS richly rewarded me with lasting hostel system in 1969. Incidentally, relationships with a large number of I was the first Chief Warden who Leaving BITS in 1984, I took over as students, colleagues and the simple, was given charge of all the hostels Principal of the Birla Vishwakarma warm-hearted people of Pilani. To this of the former colleges.. Mahavidyalaya (BVM) – a well- day, my times at BITS are the most known Engineering college at Vallabh memorable in my life. ¦ I’ve had my share of involvement Vidyanagar in Gujarat. Established in and responsibilities in addressing 1948 as one of the first two aspects of this grand transformation, engineering colleges of Gujarat under
______FALL 2003 SANDPAPER 44 Education & Academics Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazinee
BY AANAND KRISHNAN (’95) PROF VIJAY CHANDRU: WHEN ACADEMICIANS BECOME ENTREPRENEUR; THE SECOND IN A SERIES OF PROFILES Inventor of India’s most famous PDA – The Simputer, Founder of India’s first VC funded bioinformatics company – Strand Genomics and Pico Peta – listed by MIT as one of the 7 most exciting university spinoffs globally, and recipient of the highest honor for Innovation in India, the First Dewang Mehta Award, Professor Vijay Chandru has some outstanding learnings for us all in this somewhat nostalgic, somewhat outspoken, gripping interview.
Let’s start with your memories of As far as extracurriculars were The Simputer grew from some soul BITS. concerned, I was captain of the BITS searching that Swami Manohar (IISc), cricket team and part of the swimming Vinay Deshpande (Encore) and I did in It has been more than 25 years team. I was also actively involved in mid 1998 about the nature of IT and its since you graduated from BITS. the English Drama Clubs and directed role in development. Manohar christened How do you recall your BITSian and acted in a number of plays. the concept and we expanded the team by days? bringing in colleagues from both entities Very fondly! I grew up all my life in (including another BITSian Shashank Chennai, though my mother was Garg from Encore). from Andhra and my father, from The Simputer is about to hit the market in Bangalore. In those days, BITS had two avatars. The IISc spinoff (PicoPeta - very few students from the south listed as one the seven most exciting and one had to get adjusted university spinoffs worldwide by MIT’s culturally. Technology Review in Sept ’01) has I didn’t like the basic courses in designed "Amida" Simputers which will physics, math and chemistry in the roll out from BEL and "Encore" first few semesters. I came to my Simputers which have been out but clearly in small numbers so far. We have about own after we started to concentrate Photo credit: Annanova on core discipline courses in 1500 Simputers in all out there now Electrical and Electronics. We used Name: Dr. Vijay Chandru (back) mostly used for pilot projects and in the hands of some developers. I believe the to share books that were loaned to Academic Positions: Professor of next 6-12 months will decide whether the us from the BITS library, because Computer Science & Management, device actually flies. The promise of books were so expensive in those IISc Bangalore, Honorary Professor, tackling the digital divide and other days. National Institute of Advanced developmental goals would follow only Three incidents during my BITS Studies after the device reaches some sustainable days are firmly imprinted in my Business Position: Founder & financial existence. memory. CEO, Strand Genomics Strand Genomics was the first bio- Listening to Stafford Beer lecture Entrepreneurial Ventures: informatics company started in India. about Cybernetics and Operations What prompted you and the rest of the Research - I ended up doing my · Founder Strand Genomics, a VC team to embark on this venture? PhD in Operations Research funded bioinformatics company As academics we (Ramesh Hariharan, Acting in Edward Albee's "The Zoo · Co-Inventor of the Simputer Swami Manohar, V Vinay and I) were Story" with JK on the Museum exploring the interface of biology and CS Lawns (Teaching/Lecturing has Awards/Recognition: Dewang Mehta Award for Innovation ; Asian by around 1994. In 1997 we started the always felt like being on stage) Innovation Awards Special Perceptual Computing Lab at IISc. After An evening of music in my hostel Mention, Rabobank Bio-innovator about two years of consulting, we were room with Dinesh Sharma (Panditji) of 2003 convinced that we could build world-class singing and playing the harmonium, technology and wrote to IISc and Ashok Pati playing the tabla. I Education: PhD, Operations administration asking for permission to recorded this session and have Research, MIT (1982), MS start Strand and PicoPeta. The goal in played the tape whenever I needed Systems, UCLA (1977), BE (Hons) both companies is to build world class inspiration. EEE, BITS (1975) technology products that we can proudly sell globally. After three years of toil, I We had three strikes during my time The simputer has been all over the believe we are poised in both companies at BITS, one in the very first year. news in the recent past. How did the with such products. Mayur, which later became Oasis, idea of the simputer come about was started during our time. and what does the future hold for There must have been many the simputer? intellectual, technical and logistical challenges to start such a venture ....
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The real challenge is to stay What are your thoughts on the The key is of course to attract enthusiastic completely focused on the ventures. BITS connect program and its and bright young faculty. For a young The rest follows. The metaphor of effort to link the whole of BITS professor to get a research track going parenting is particularly apt. through wireless access ? along with teaching responsibilities, the alumni could give a leg up by providing a Is Strand Genomics looking to Starting off with a very concrete startup grant - say about 10 lakhs - will recruit engineers as well as program like the BITS Connect allow the person a chance to hire a interns from Pilani ? Do you see a Program is a good way of getting the postdoc / research assistant and get a bioinformatics boom in India and alumni focused. Wireless access is small computing environment set up etc. abroad? obviously an appropriate technology This is routinely done at a place like IISc. focus. I was at MIT last week and it is Getting organizational help for grant Strand has recruited several a joy to be able to work almost proposal processing is also important. BITSians - not sure if we did anywhere on campus with a laptop, campus interviews though. There are a lot of grants given by DST, handheld etc. I would love to work Bioinformatics in the US is starting MCIT, CSIR etc within India and many with the team and take the Amida more internationally that can be a good to look attractive as a qualification. Simputer into the campus (we have The funding crisis in the biotech demonstrated WiFi/ WLL/ CDMA/ way of bootstrapping research. industry over the last 18 months or Finally, to create a great undergraduate so has slowed down the prospects GSM/ RF compatibility). institution you also need good research - but there is an undeniable case for You have studied or worked in such this is the lesson one has learnt from bioinformatics. Business plans for renowned schools as MIT, IISc, places like MIT and UPenn. Purdue, U Penn and so on. How has the You have been both a researcher and BITSian experience an entrepreneur. What separates helped you deal with research from the spirit of academic and entrepreneurship ? How do we business problems cultivate the entrepreneurial temper in and challenges? young students? I always claim that the I think one can be entrepreneurial in BITS experience was research as well. Building a team, getting the perfect annealing of your funding organized, sticking your a young body, mind neck out a bit by trying ambitious projects and spirit. With a - could very well define a research career temperature swing of track as it does an entrepreneurial one. 40-50 degrees Fahrenheit in a day we were certainly About cultivating entrepreneurial temper - companies in India that depend on I once heard Sabeer Bhatia say that bioinformatics as an outsourced physically annealed.;-) Stanford runs a seminar series where they activity have not been successful. More seriously though, I believe BITS invite alumni / entrepreneurs to come talk So I do not see a massive need for gave us a very good balance of theory to the students. By attending these, he felt bioinformaticians in india at this and hands on practice. There was quite confident about taking the plunge. point. According to some estimates healthy respect that existed between we need about 500 trained the two. The same theme continued at What are your future career plans - at bioinformaticians for the country MIT and Purdue and to a lesser extent the academic and entrepreneurial this year. This includes companies, at IISc. I was well prepared to study level? CSIR Labs etc. matroids (my PhD thesis) and roll up The two companies are now poised to BITS Pilani offers Pharmacy, my sleeves and work on CAD/CAM move into product sales, marketing and software - some of what I did at Biological Sciences and Computer management. I believe it is time for a Purdue. I owe BITS a great debt of Science as undergraduate degrees. founder (of my vintage) to step back and What would you suggest BITS gratitude for this balance. allow young professional managers to run should do to become better at BITS also gave me a sense of self- the show. It has been a riot for the last combining these resources to suit actualization without feeling three years and I have had a great time. the upcoming trends in competitive. I believe that the absence I will return to academics soon but with bioinformatics? of a "JEE" for BITS is actually a new visions now to drive research blessing as we did not have this It is best not to combine these agendas that are motivated by some notion of a "rank" that we carried as a streams. Students can pick electives experiences with the companies. ¦ to cross boundaries. At Strand we chip on one's shoulder all through life. have stuck to hiring computer What, in your mind, is the single scientists and biologists and made most important thing we need to do them talk to one another and get to improve our output, in terms of past the jargon and other cultural research? barriers to working together.
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Featured Article
INTERVIEW BY DILIP D’SOUZA (’76) (GO ONLINE FOR THE FULL VERSION) JULY/AUGUST PERSON OF THE MONTH: ADITI PANY (’01) (FIRST WOMAN STUDENT UNION PRESIDENT & FOUNDING PRESIDENT, CENTRE FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERSHIP)
Aditi Pany is 21 years old. Which means she was born soon after I graduated from BITS in 1981. Now there's a thought. So in one way of looking at it, you might say there's a full BITS generation that separates us. In another way, there's all kinds of changes at BITS that separate us: from the way we were assigned our disciplines to the student lingo to the great increase in the number of women students at BITS.
And, too, this interesting fact: On September 8, 2002, Aditi was elected President of the BITS Students' Union. The first woman ever to hold that post. I mean no disrespect to the fine young ladies of my time in Pilani, but I have to say I cannot imagine, for reasons they had little control over, any of them becoming President. That Aditi has done so is really an indication of what has changed at BITS, besides saying things about her. So I was very intrigued by the prospect of speaking to her for Sandpaper. In June, we met very briefly in Bombay. Briefly, but enough to get a sense of the kind of person BITS has elected as its President. Enough to look forward very much to this conversation.
Aditi came 9th in Orissa in her 12th standard exam. She wanted to study engineering, and thus applied to BITS and did the Orissa Joint Entrance Examination; but remarkably for a budding engineer, did not do the IIT-JEE. Excerpts from our conversation, conducted by Internet chat.
be much tougher and the classes election the two parties broke into a Lets start with a little bit about more exciting. But I also didn't fight; it was a nasty scene and the EC yourself. Where did you grow expect the fabulous amount of cancelled their nominations. Then there up, go to school? student activities, and the in-depth was uproar on campus, and a group of student involvement in them. us decided to give it a shot.We wanted I'm from Bhubaneswar and I to represent a neutral apolitical studied here till the 5th, after I'm intrigued when you say it participation. We believed we couldn't which I joined Welham Girls' wasn't as cosmopolitan as you win, but we wished to make a High School, Dehradun. I was expected ... I had the opposite difference, instead of just criticizing. So there till the 10th and then I experience. In the sense that for I filed my nomination, with four others. shifted back to Bhubaneswar, to the first time in my life I met It was a very short campaign. BJB College. people from every corner of India, including tiny towns I had Yes, probably my sex had to do with What made you choose BITS? never heard of, and more than students accepting me as apolitical and that, several of them started neutral. But there were many doubts Well, I had 3 options: OJEE beating the pants off me in our raised, because no woman had ever (Orissa Joint Entrance courses! taken even a STUCCA post. Yes, I did Examination), SAT and BITS get a lot of support from Meera Bhavan, happened later. I wasn't keen on Well, BITS was full of south but my victory was most unexpected! studying in Orissa, and I didn't Indians, mainly from TN and AP. And honestly, I didn't know then what it want to go to the US so soon. I The lingo, the food, everything was entailed. I think I won it because they had a chance to go to BITS and south Indian, and the rest were a wanted to see a change, and maybe the pursue both engineering and small minority. Audi-ragging also played a part. It gave economics, so I took it up. me confidence, and the students decided OK, moving on... What made you that I could be given a chance. Now that you're close to run for President of the Union? graduating, do you think BITS Had you been involved with You see, there were many issues then: turned out in any way different student issues before, either at Oasis deficits year after year being than what you thought it would school or in your first couple of billed to students, etc. So people were be like when you entered? years at BITS? disillusioned. The union had lost a lot of respect. It was eventful, it wasn't an Yes, for starters I certainly There were 2 major candidates from ordinary election, which is why I'm thought BITS would be more my batch, and lot of politics, a lot of giving you so much background. cosmopolitan, that courses would money. Anyway, a night before the
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you look back, you never know This Apogee had a new look, and the what influenced, or convinced, change was appreciated. This was, of people to vote for me! course, just the beginning. But after having been part of that experience, I Isn't it true that the majority of think BITSians will enjoy this initiation people who come to BITS have into entrepreneurial ventures. I think we earlier tried to get into IIT and need inspiration and a dose of failed, or failed to get their confidence. We hope to provide exactly discipline? Isn't that the Tier 2 that. We're working on it! perception we are talking about? What are you going to do after BITS? True, but for a lot of them, had they tried a second time, they would I have a dream to set up a unit here in have gotten into IIT. And we've Orissa. So I shall follow a course which Name: Aditi Pany experienced, in intercollege will help me achieve that best. And as I Position: Founding President, competitions, that we do as well. understand it now, I should work for That's where the confidence is from. two years, do my MBA (in the US Centre for Entrepreneurial Leadership, BITS Pilani and In- Of course they have a much larger because I want a global experience) and charge of Rural Entrepreneurship brand. But what's tier 1 -- the top 10 then go after my dream. Programs institutes in the country? Top five? We're certainly in the top five. If What kind of unit? Selected Achievements: tier 1 means the top two, then maybe not, but that would be a Hmm... Well, it's an idea: I want to take up a village and provide all facilities, First woman President of really small range for tier 1. Which from infrastructure to ideas and designs, BITS Student Union is why we want to ask ET what tier 1 means to them. to accessibility to international and national markets, all for promoting Focussed on Rural Orissa's textiles and handicrafts. We Entrepreneurship at BITS – Tell me about this have tremendous talent here, and I think working with a number of entrepreneurship initiative you we need to channelise that. Indian rural organizations to set this are involved with. Are the textiles are getting recognition in a lot up at Pilani students excited about it? of countries, and by top designers. th Well, the initiative came from an 9 in Orissa Board A little bit of nostalgia to (almost) Examinations alumni group called CEVC (Center for Entrepreneurship & Venture conclude: what's your favourite spot Capital) and we are working on the campus? Why? Very interesting. I can see it together to establish a "Centre for The Student Union Block easily! wasn't ordinary! Goings-on at Entrepreneurial Leadership" at Because I have spent most of my time BITS! I'm reacting to your use BITS. The objective is to promote of the word "apolitical": do you an entrepreneurial spirit among the there and we've had the most interesting discussions about BITS, its present and think there is such a thing as BITSian community. We have a lot being apolitical? Also, educate of activities planned; workshops, future there. And my 24 hr permission is valid in the SUB! this old-timer, what's Audi - venture partnership projects, rural ragging (I think I can guess, but entrepreneurship, student agencies, Finally, if some of us alumni come to tell me). guest lectures and more. We look to ex-BITSians to guide us and support BITS for this year's Oasis, can you assure us of an event we can Apolitical: I meant detached from us in this effort. BITS politics (mainly regional). participate in in which we will win lots of prizes? We expect you to use Audi-ragging is held one day And I've observed it during this your Presidential influence on our before the elections. A panel of Apogee. We tried to completely senior students is selected by the rethink Apogee. We wanted to behalf. make it one of the best tech-fests in EC and they grill the candidates Ha ha! OK, hmm... Yeah, I can promise on the stage in the audi, before a the country. So we were on this roll, influence in the Mr and Ms Oasis event. huge audience. They grill us on new ideas, new ways to do old Looking forward to seeing you this why we wish to stand for the post, things, focus on quality. And there Oasis. Except that I wont be Prez. But I what are the main issues that need was so much participation, think I could still cast some influence. ¦ to be addressed, etc. But when enthusiasm and creativity.
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INTERVIEW BY ANUPENDRA SHARMA (’87) SEPT/OCT PERSON OF THE MONTH: DILIP D’SOUZA (’76) (AWARD WINNING AUTHOR OF TWO BOOKS, REDIFF COLUMNIST, ENGINEER & PROMOTER OF SOCIAL CAUSES)
When I met Dilip in New York in Mid October, it was to meet him for the first time face to face, and to make a decision on which of our deserving candidates would we choose for the Person of the Month. Halfway through our conversation I realized that Dilip should be that deserving person. Here follows an interview with Dilip, conducted through conversations, phonecalls and emails.
been more widely read. But I job of it. The basic problem with the Tell us about your experience at suppose that's the way it goes. dam is that it will not deliver what it BITS. Do you have any fond Anyway. promises, especially to thirsty Kutch memories you'd like to share with and Saurashtra. us? My first book, "Branded by Law", is about our "denotified", or ex- The first lesson I learned, and very criminal tribes. There are about 150 quickly, was that my city boy of these communities spread around pretensions were just those: the country. In 1872, the British pretensions. At BITS I met guys passed the Criminal Tribes Act from every corner of the country, which actually listed ("notified") many of whom were not fluent in these tribes and therefore defined English, but who proceeded to beat them as criminal. That is, if you the pants off me in our courses were born into one of these tribes, nevertheless. A sobering, but you were automatically considered necessary lesson for me. It was from criminal. In 1952, independent India them that I learned the true meaning repealed the Act and thus they were of the word "cosmopolitan" -- for "denotified". But in real life, little this was a cosmopolitan place in the has changed for these people. They best sense. BITS was probably the are still seen as criminal, and treated first time I truly understood what my that way every day. country was about, and it's something I haven't forgotten. When I was done with writing that book, someone from Penguin Denotified Tribes There are all kinds of fond approached me to write about the memories! The joy of friendships, Narmada, an issue I've been writing I'd like to hear about your most the aching tenderness of first love, about for many years. It's an issue cherished moment from both the untouchable thrill of finding close to my heart, and I had a lot of projects. what you're good at (and bad at, for material anyway, so I said yes. Thus that matter) and doing well at it ... This happened in 1998, when I "The Narmada Dammed", in 2002. visited a tiny town called and then I ran for President of the Of course it's a book against the Union. Promised helipads in each Santrampur, in Panchmahals Dist in dams projects on the Narmada, but I Gujarat (an area that saw some Bhavan, promised to move the clock consciously tried to keep the tower to the Main lawns so the time horrible violence last year). I was at Narmada Bachao Andolan out of it a meeting of denotified tribes -- would be better visible from all over (even though I believe their the campus, and collected all of 17 Vagharis, Nats, and others. I got argument). The case I tried to make talking to one young man, Deepak, votes. I'm still trying to find out who in the book was simple: even if you the other 16 dodos were. and he told me: "These speeches are believe in dams, you should be OK, but if you really want to get an You have written two great books alarmed at the way this one, Sardar idea of our situation, come with me about two great causes. Tell us Sarovar, is being built. In other to our homes." I said fine. We about these books. words, the strongest case against walked through the whole messy Sardar Sarovar is not made by the town to the other end in about 10-15 "Great" is a word I quail from! But NBA or other dam critics, but by minutes. thank you nevertheless. I put a lot those who are building the dam -- into them and I think they are good because they are doing such a There, beyond a strip of black books. I'm dejected that they haven't shoddy, haphazard and half-hearted stinking ooze from a broken drain,
______FALL 2003 SANDPAPER 49 Person of the Month Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazinee beyond a huge pile of garbage and It was a truly inspiring moment on dissent. Kashmir is a sort of natural, set in some thorny bushes, were a many levels. I found myself wishing convenient place to examine those few thatched huts. I went with that more of us from BITS -- me, for issues, because what is happening Deepak to his hut, said namaste to one -- would choose to go do things there puts them in such sharp light. his wife and daughter, bent down to like this pair from Kerala had. I can't But my real intent is to examine look in and commented think of a b etter use of the education what these things are doing to India involuntarily on how neat his hut we were privileged to get there. as a whole, and to articulate was. That was all I did. something (I don't yet know what!) that will move us away from the Then we started walking back to the steady bloodshed of war -- to make meeting, because I had to meet my peace a patriotic pursuit, if you will. colleagues and return to Baroda. On I think peace is much the harder the way back, Deepak stopped thing to achieve than fighting a war suddenly and told me this: "Aap ke (war is the soft option), and I think dil mein garibon ke liye jo bhavna it's time we started doing that hard maine dekhi hai, use kabhi khona work. nahin." ("Don't ever lose the feeling for the poor I can see you have in So I am interested too in the your heart."). tragedyof Gujarat last year, or in Bombay in 1992-93, or the This is what I wrote in my book Name: Dilip D’Souza Northeast, or even of Sikhs in Delhi about this moment: "I was in 1984. Because all these have links speechless. Astonished, too, at how Books: The Narmada Dammed (2002) to our notions of patriotism and close to tears I suddenly was. It was and Denotified Tribes: nationhood, to our hostility with both a compliment I will always Regular Columnist: Rediff Pakistan in Kashmir. Whether we treasure, and the saddest thing I like it or not, our sense of who we have ever heard. All I had done was Education: MS Computer Science, are as Indians is now so intimately spend a few minutes with Deepak, as linked to Kashmir that it has some I might have with anyone else. Yet Brown University (1984), BE (Hons) EEE (1981) kind of bearing on much of what his few words told me just how novel happens around us. an experience even that much was You once wrote about 10 great for him." reasons why you want to live in Tell me something about your India. You have worked hard on family. Is your wife your biggest As for the Narmada: perhaps the critic ? experience I cherish most was about ills and injustices of the government. Do you think anyone visiting a small village, Bilgaon, on I met Vibha Kamat in 1992, about 6 the banks of one of its tributaries. is really listening ? months after my move back from Two young engineers from Kerala Listening to the 10 reasons or to the the States. (Meeting her is, of gathered the villagers, built a small ills and injustices? course, the best thing I've ever done dam -- small in comparison to in my life...). We were married in Sardar Sarovar, but still some 50-60 More seriously. Yes, I suppose some December 1993. Our son Sahir was m long -- there and blasted a people are listening, but not enough, born in June 1999. We are getting channel through rock to take water and not enough who are in positions ready to submit our application to to a tank from where it powered a of power. But that's the challenge adopt a second child. Vibha grew up turbine. So in a matter of 6 months every writer faces: to write in Bombay, teaches French at the or so, 300 families and a tribal effectively so that people will listen. Alliance Francaise. Sahir is in KG. school that had NEVER had It's my challenge too, and it's what electricity now had the stuff. drives my writing. There are times I On the face of it, I suppose I would Without any displacement, without fail, sure, but that only means I need have to say no when you ask if any submergence of fields (both of to try harder next time. Vibha is my "biggest critic". My which the Sardar Sarovar is mother is often far more critical. But Your next project concerns threatening Bilgaon with). Can you over the years I've learned to imagine that? After half a century of Kashmir. What motivates you to interpret Vibha's remarks about my do this. Hasn't enough been listening to government promises writing. So when she's sort of non- about providing electricity and so written already ? committal about something, I know she thinks it is pretty hopeless and I forth, they produced these things for The next project I want to work on themselves. had better get down to rewriting it! concerns patriotism, war and ¦
______FALL 2003 SANDPAPER 50 Alumni Corner Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazinee
Announcing: BITSAA Center The New BITS Centre for for Entrepreneurship & Entrepreneurial Leadership Venture Capital (CEVC) holds (CEL) wins the National events in Boston, New York Entrepreneur Network and San Francisco Competition by the Wadhwani Foundation Announcing: MOU signed The CEVC held three outstanding events featuring Mukesh Chatter, Diaz with State University of New Contacts: Nesamoney and Rajesh Hukku in the BITS Pilani: VS Rao (Faculty) York, Binghamton United States. T he CEVC, , founded in [email protected] November 2002 by Anupendra Sharma, USA [email protected] has a mission to foster entrepreneurship BITS and SUNY-Binghamton have India [email protected] recently signed a MOU that would amongst BITS alumni. It has quickly allow for faculty and student exchange grown into a core global team of 15 between these two institutions. In dedicated advisors and coordinators with Virtual Projects at BITS CEL addition, Binghamton will be a backgrounds in entrepreneurship, Practice School-2 Station starting this venture capital and private equity. The The alumni directory, being developed coming January. While this MOU is objectives are to: by BITSAA with the underlying data specific to the Department of Systems Nurture entrepreneurship amongst the from the current directory as well as Science and Industrial Engineering BITSian Alumni other information at BITS, is currently (SSIE) at Binghamton, it is expected Facilitate the creation of an eco- under construction, but will be launched this will get extended to other system that consists of entrepreneurs, in a month or two. This directory, based departments fairly soon. The whole venture capitalists, professionals, on benchmarking similar directories at process took less than two months. A academicians and the students of the world's top business schools, is testament to BITS reputation within BITS intended to be our most important the academic world in the U.S. In fact, “Sow-the-Seeds” for resource in keeping in touch with the here is the quote from Prof. Srihari, entrepreneurship on BITS Campus BITSian community. We will inform Chair of Dept. of SSIE "we are you when this site is launched. extremely interested in initiating and CEVC and BITSAA are working developing interaction with BITS that together to bring you events and would encompass student and faculty workshops around the world. The first Since we started encouraging people to exchange programs. We have had of these events is a meeting with Diaz post jobs on the yahoogroups, BITSAA numerous students from BITS in our Nesamoney in San Francisco on May 22. has been flooded with job graduate programs. They have The CEVC will be hosted shortly on announcements, which has been a boon performed very well at Binghamton. www.bitsaa.com , with tools, resources, to our students. To improve this process We are certainly interested in advice and lots of information for we are developing a board to easily post enhancing the participation of BITS BITSian entrepreneurs and venture job announcements for BITSians. alumni in our graduate programs. We capitalists. In case of any questions are also interested in reviewing the regarding the CEVC, please contact the If you would like to volunteer to help us potential for faculty from BITS to person listed below: in our technology development efforts, spend a semester at Binghamton. Our please contact our CTO. goal is broad-based interaction Contact: between our two universities. In Anupendra Sharma closing, I hope that this is the first step Global Coordinator Contact: in a long term multi-faceted [email protected] Prasad Thammineni relationship between the State CEO, jPeople [email protected] University of New York at Announcing: The Leuna Binghamton and BITS". In addition, BITS Pilani’s MMS Prof. Srihari will sever as "visiting" Harkawat Thamatur Annual Department ties up with faculty at BITS and in fact is visiting Music Club Award Pilani between November 4th and 5th. Cornell’s Johnson Graduate In memory of Leuna Harkawat, one of School of Management on BITS Music Club’s greatest voices, an We hope to extend this initiative to annual award of Rs. 5000 will be given Research Projects other Universities outside India. Please call to help us in this effort. to one member of the club for his or her contributions to the Club, every year. Contacts: BITS Pilani: Umakant Dash (Faculty) Contact: Contact: Venu Palaparthi [email protected] Santhana Satagopan [email protected] USA [email protected] PS2 Representative [email protected]
______FALL 2003 SANDPAPER 51 Mera Bharat Mahaan – Of lives dedicated to causes Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazinee
BY PUSHKALA VENKATRAMAN (’95) HEEDING HEART & RELENTLESS MIND CONVERSATIONS WITH LT GEN LM RAJGOPAL (’47), AVSM
choices at the time, he enrolled at about the newly independent and fast Presidency College, Madras for a changing India. Science Degree. His uncle was on deputation to the Government of The Breakfast in the mess of puris, Rajasthan, however had different potatoes, laddoo and a tall glass of plans. He had heard about a new milk was culture shock for the South Engineering college at Pilani, built Indian lad used to Madras coffee and by the Birla group and asked his Idli - Sambar. teenage nephew to apply there.
Name – Lt Gen L M Rajagopal Professor Lakshminarayanan, the (’47) The General belonged to the acting principal was a strict second batch of boys to join disciplinarian and Mr. Rajgopal still Awards – Ati Vishisht Seva Pilani. There were just two fondly remembers how the professor Medal, Government of India disciplines at the time - kept all the students in tight control. Mechanical and Electrical The General is reminded of another Education – Bachelors in Engineering. time, when while returning from a Mechanical Engineering, BITS vacation at home, there were no buses Pilani Getting off from the train in Delhi, and the students had to hitch a ride on a camel in Chirawa, to reach Pilani. Resident – Secundrabad, India the teenager was amazed by the hugeness of the city. Pandemonium reigned Associations – Fellow of Two violent periods are still vivid in Institution of Plant Engineers, everywhere. The station was full his mind. The political scene in India Member of British Institute of of Hindu refugees streaming in turned ugly and communal riots Management, Member of Institute from the other side of the border plagued every inch of the country and of Engineers, Retired Lt General and Muslims fleeing from India Corps of Engineering and spilled into Pilani. Fearing for their Mechanical Engineers, Founding alike. With his 10-strong group of safety, the two batches of 150 boys Committee BITSAA Hyderabad, Ex friends, General Rajgopal took the took turns at patrolling the campus in Member of National Cadet Corps rickety bus to Loharu and then the night. Then Mahatma Gandhi was another, to finally land in Pilani. shot dead some time later. Again, Lt Gen L.M.Rajgopal’s story is communal violence spewed tensions one of a wide eyed South Indian Krishna Bhavan, Gandhi Bhavan, and the Pilani boys took up patrolling boy who etched a place for a couple of thatched sheds and duties to maintain calm. himself in India by following his buildings completed the set up of heart. Of course, he worked Birla Engineering College as it The General graduated in Mechanical tirelessly to placate its incessant was then called. The sheds were Engineering with a First Division. demands. apparently used by the British as After graduating, Mr. Rajgopal camps for prisoners of war. The followed his heart again into the At 17, when the General had to General lived in Gandhi and was Indian Army after a short stint as an make the regular academic very impressed with the fact, that apprentice in HAL, Bangalore. He decisions it was a different time. each student was given a separate served in various command and staff In South India in 1947 general room! This was (and still is) positions in the Corps of Electronics anarchy pervaded the highly uncommon in other and Mechanical Engineers (EME) for atmosphere. There weren’t half colleges in India. The 1947 batch 36 years. Starting his career as a as many engineering colleges consisted of 75 boys. It was a Second Lt in 1952, he rose with back then. The General always cultural eye opener too – meeting distinction, to become a Lt General, had his heart set on joining the people from different parts of serving as the Director General of the army and at the same time India. The friendships grew Corps of EME. When the President of wanted to study Engineering. strong, and many joyful evening India awarded him the Ati Vishishta But with a lack of credible were spent in Shiv Ganga talking Seva Medal for “distinguished service
______FALL 2003 SANDPAPER 52 Mera Bharat Mahaan – Of lives dedicated to causes Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazinee of most exceptional order”, it experiences with young recruits and be a guide for youngsters in the was one of Mr. Mr. Rajgopal’s and officers and the General is Indian Army. greatest moments in his life more than thrilled to be doing this. dedicated to the service. Enthusiastic as he is, Gen. He regrets that he has not had a Rajgopal is one of the founding chance to visit Pilani since he passed Gen. Rajgopal is married to Mrs. members of the BITSAA out. He still plans to make that trip. Kamala Rajgopal and they have Hyderabad chapter and takes active part in organizing various 3 children. Two sons who live in But he often talks to people and events. the United States and one eagerly laps up all the information he daughter who has settled down can, about the changes taking place in in London. Mr. Rajgopal is so The Lt General, now 73 years of his beloved alma mater. He never attached to his life at the EME, age, looks forward to taking life passes up a chance to sit cross legged that when he retired he decided easy and spending time with his and reminisce the boisterous, youthful to settle down in Secundrabad- family, friends and grandchildren days at Pilani. Do call in on him when the home of the EME. He is and playing golf once a week. He you are in India and want to share invited to the EME wants to however continue some good old Pilani tales. ¦ establishments often to share his visiting the EME establishments
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______FALL 2003 SANDPAPER 53 Class Notes Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazinee
BY SURAJ SRINIVASAN & ALL THE BATCH REPRESENTATIVES SELECTED CLASS NOTES For a full listing go to the website
unfortunately and we met the Ravi Jain I was a member of We have two children: son Deputy Director. We had some 1971 bat ch joing in BSc first and Beeneet pursuing Triple Degree 1971 issues discussed and hot issue then moving to engineering Bachelors (2)/Master (1) degree In October 2001 the batch was on admission procedures. based on merit. Only in 4th year I from Wharton Business of 1971 entry celeberated There were also some was allotted the Electronics School/SEAS of University of discussions on future Batch branch and managed to pass out Pennsylvania - class of 2004 and with Silver Medal daughter Nivea pursuing after 5 years. Many of Bachelor in Business - class of our batch mates 2006. remembered me as "Mota" or "Kota Jn". I was not so fat at that 1978 time but I did come from Kota, a place in See Reunion Photo! Rajasthan. At prsent I Solomon Raj says: Our batch work at Mahindra was the first to experience British Telecom, Pune "Assigned admission" and was as Vice President the last to come out with a five- (R&D). My contact year degree. Apparently, we set details re: Tel: O - new records for grades in +91 20 4018287 R Complex Variables! Find most - +91 20 5885201 of us at - exclusing egroup for M - +91 98230 67181 78 batch junta. Friends call me Solo. Did Chemical Engineering the Silver Jubilee of our gatherings and participations. We while at BITS. Worked as a Batch graduation. We had then had a lunch at our usual Research Associate with CDS enjoyable three days hostels and were served a little 1972 Trivandrum, and then at NCAER together at the new Birla different delicious food. Some Navneet Kothari lives in with New Delhi. Later worked as Guest House (opposite old faces in waiters could be my wife, Beena Kothari in Dix Systems Analyst at ICRIER, Swimming pool) The seen. Not much change in hostels Hills, Long Island, New York New Delhi. Did Ph D in arrangements were and messes. In the evening there was a cultural program well since 1990 after having served Business from Florida excellent and all had good RSEB for more than 12 years. time compeered by Kalyan Swarup. International Univ, Miami. He really made the environment Navneet is currently CTO for Currently am a faculty at Texas The first day was the day of charged and we had some of our Telephonics Corp. among the Tech University, Lubbock. introductions with people old pals singing nice songs. Even Top 10 companies on Long Married to Chitra since 1990. arriving till late afternoon. the new BITS team sang some Island, New York. Beena is We have a 1 year old daughter We had the round of good old songs. Dinner followed working with IBM as a Chellam. Contact : introduction in the evening and then next day which went on for many was time to depart. hours and then had tea snacks. Later there was a Every one enjoyed dinner arranged for which the two nights no one was hungry as in three day stay and between all of us went to whoseover could Connaught and had our not make it did usual round of tea. It is miss a good time quite changed from our and chance of days of the seventies. The interacting with second day morning we old friends. We went for a round of the wish to make it a temple and got to offer the more frequent with prayers. It was voluntary of rotating host cities. course. Hope we can also Later we all went to Birla do it now on our Museum and had some golden jubilee photographs. After that a (2026) Hope many visit to Senate room and a of us are around meeting where a meeting and can join it. with Director was arranged. [email protected] He was not available Consultant for JPMorganChase.
______FALL 2003 SANDPAPER 54 Class Notes Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazinee
particular item on the Mess/Sarvi include Moby, Steinbeck and while on a stint with Thermax in menu. brewing his own beer!! Pune, she met and married Capt. 1987 Simu K.Thomas - I certainly Srinivasan Vedantham (Pettai) Vikas Chhillar. Currently, she Buvana Dayanandan enjoyed the glory days a little - The name was coined on manages her highly successful (second semite, MMS) and longer since I went back to BITS campus during Pettai's first year financial company based in Karthik Kannan (ET) live for my Masters and then worked (some say because of his attire!!) Calcutta besides acting in several in the California bay area. in a Pharma company in and it has stuck since then. Pettai movies, tele-serials and working They have a daughter Bangalore for a year. Moved to completed his PhD from UMass, behind the camera as well in called Anamika (June ‘00), Ohio long enough to get my MS MA and is now an Asst. Prof production. and a son Rohan (Dec,'02). (Research) at Emory University Ranjeet Singh Malhotra (RSM, After BITS, Buvana got an in Atlanta. Like most BITSians, Rasam, Surdie) - In theory a civil MBA, and Karthik an MS Pettai competes in the Atlanta engineer, but tronix got his juices in Industrial Engineering, cricket league besides checking flowing. BITS got a special MS from Lousiana Tech. They out every desi restaurant in the Electronic Sciences degree going spent a few years on the city. Srinivasan lives in Atlanta for him enabling him to augment East coast working for with his wife Manjula. his love for chips while he got various companies. Karthik Shivshankar (Shivri) - Shivri is Mu-P and the Robotics lab on is currently working for still the same garrulous guy he track. Dabbled in making the tea Network Appliance. was on campus. After graduation, industry in Assam techno-savvy, Buvana is taking a break he finished his PhD from Lowell but ditched all that from her Cisco due to the and is now employed by 3M in entrepreneurial jazz for a hi-tech recent arrival!Sanjay from University of Toledo and St. Paul, Minnesota. Shivri who job at Trintech Technologies, Anand (Alpha) married his then it was off to Baltimore for a was active in student politics on Dublin, Ireland embedding girlfriend Jennifer in Delhi PhD. in Pharmaceutical campus claims he doesn't really amongst other things, solutions Mani blessed with the birth Economics from University of miss it now though that's quite for point of sale systems. of his third daughter was Maryland. These days I'm with doubtful!! Shivri resides in Presently single and giving the promoted to Senior Vice Novartis Pharmaceuticals, New Minnesota with his wife Prithi. Irish a taste of his guzzling President at Lehman Jersey, taking care of health techniques as he downs his fav economics research for Srinivas Meenakshisundaram Guinness and Jameson while Brothers. (MSrini) - He was the "wired" Neuroscience and chasing pretty young things at guy in the wing who could solve Venu Palaparthi was Transplantation products. most of the pubs in downtown CT problems in three different promoted to Vice President Married Rebecca in Dec Dublin. ways while we all struggled to and Head of Risk 2002, she currently works find one solution!! He was also Amit Jain (AJ now) is the serial Management at Instinet for Aventis Pharmaceuticals. the "gazer of the stars" for being entrepreneur of the group and the Vidur Luthra was Nope we dont discuss drugs! BPO guru. Having founded and promoted to Director at actively involved in the Kumar Thiagarajan quit Bridgade, he only recently Microsoft and took astronomy club on campus. He (Bug/Andy) - He was among the completed his Masters from started Vision Healthsource and additional responsibilities quieter lot on campus except sold it for gazillions to Perot of the Desktop operations UMass, Amherst and is now when he was in the QT or the employed by Agilent at Santa Systems. He lives in Chicago and for Russia and Brazil in Gym lawns playing cricket. After commutes back and forth to addition to India and China. Rosa, CA. He is now a semi- graduating from BITS, he did his professional photographer and India. Uday Sareen visited the Masters from New Jersey and regularly contributes to National Last we heard Malini married United States recently to since then has been living in the Geographic. He and his wife her BITSIAN sweetheart, Sharat receive a global award for Northern Virginia area. Besides Vidya have just been blessed Dhall ('87) and has not been his retail bank’s focusing his energies on the with a son Lakshman. heard since. performance this year. USTA tennis league, Bug is also popular in the area for Rajesh Ananthasubramanium Vivek Mi sra (Misra) - After Anupendra Sharma (Rantha) - Initially he was a BITS, Misra did an M.S. in conducting and organising a bought a house in the terror to the freshers and they Comp. Sci. at Univ.of Southern number of activities among Princeton Area and moved would look for places to hide California, Los Angeles where he BITSians. He resides in South out to New Jersey when he was around. But later, as had a great time amidst Riding, VA with his wife other interests caught up with shootouts, muggings and Lakshmi. him, he really mellowed and let it helicopter searches in south- 1988 Rajesh Ramadoss (Kannadi) - be. He was also in BackStage central L.A. Worked for Citibank Rajesh was a regular fixture on Ganesh Sankaran (JB) – working on several plays and in L.A. and then moved to a the Bank Canteen circuit in BITS projects. After graduating from startup in the San After graduation, spent half and was also briefly coerced into BITS with an MMS, he has Francisco-Bay-area and rode out a decade in steel plants student politics before wisely automation before moving moved through several the internet economy wave. Still keeping away from it. After companies and is now in the Bay in sunny, stressed-out bay-area on to Wipro. Currently graduation, he completed his doing program area working for IndiaPlaza, a with Adobe, having an Masters from Rutgers and is now Satyam company, as the head. management for Optical employed by Agere in occasional good time with old Networking companies and He is married and has a daughter. BITSian buddies while Allentown, PA. Besides Anuhasan Chhillar (Anu) - reminiscing about the good times working with Ciena in San competing (and finishing!!) in Having a famous lineage didn't and riding his red barchetta – Jose. Got married to Sumati marathons here in New York, in 97 and has a 3 year old Boston etc, he has also been deter Anu from rolling up her well at least he thinks so. son Shashank. Nobody sleeves and toiling for various Currently single, but not ready to setting the NJ cricket league on productions in BackStage besides mingle! Ask him why… quite knows how the name fire with his batting and dabbling in music, art and the JB came up but it is said captaincy. His other interests Ashvin Subrahmanyam (Ash) - that it referred to a students' union. After graduating, An MBA from the University of
______FALL 2003 SANDPAPER 55 Class Notes Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazinee
Illinois at Chicago (94) beard was a pleasure to behold, the music room at the end of the ‘quality’ projects in Gurgaon. however returned to the when you didn’t trip on it. And auditorium pounding away at the Married to Rupinder and has a motherland to start work his erudition was a delight to skins. Philip followed his heart wonderful daughter named with Britannia, moved to listen to and read (he edited the and pursued Sound Engineering Jasleen. Mattel Toys India in 2000. Sandpaper), when you could at Film & TV Institute of India Diwakar Pingle - After BITS Ash then moved to Danone understand him. But strange are (FTII), Pune. Is currently at started with software, completed to join their business in the ways of fate – while he could Mumbai, working in the music my MBA in finance at Symbiosis China as Marketing hold forth on everything from industry as a composer /arranger Pune where I met my wife Manager for a portfolio in Shakespeare’s tomes to for ad-films, albums, film and Aparajita. Spent 4 years at ABB their biscuits division based Scotland’s brews (especially the television. Married with no kids Project Finance, 2 years as an in Shanghai riding out the latter), he was completely and his hobbies include Chemical Investment banker at NM SARS wave by planning a befuddled by two areas of human Engg!!! Hooks up with the boys Rothschild, was jobless for a holiday in India. Married in achievement, Chemistry and in Mumbai whenever he raises while and had a short stint with Sept. 2000 to Tenzin Chemical Engineering. Alas, his head out of the studio and his Standard Chartered. Currently Dolkar Aukatsang who is a those were his very two chosen wife is out of town – hmmn. work with a trading firm Tionale graduate of LSR and NIFT. degrees at BITS. This queer Baradwaj Rangan (Baddy) - Enterprises Pte Limited Currently waiting in wings anomaly played out its course Quit Chemical Engg., which is headquartered out of Singapore for their first kid. Congrats! over five mixed years – long what he did in BITS, to work as (but am based in Chennai). Priya Gopalen (Gopes) - periods of carefree abandon copywriter with J Walter Currently developing projects in This basketball champ from interspersed with the harrowing Thompson, Chennai. An the SE Asian region. Harsh BITS, moved to Manila to times of quizzes and exams. advertising scholarship to Pingle is the junior and is three do her MBA where she got Anyway the Mirchi that emerged Marquette University, years old. from BITS, naturally, had a much more than a degree. Milwaukee, led to his American Jyotsna (Comp.Sci) completed morbid dread of formal Came back with husband in stay, which then saw - for her MS in Computer Science tow (Ram) and stuck a nose education; but being a sucker for reasons too complicated to punishment, he went on to do an from the University of Delaware. up to the capitalist explain briefly - his becoming a She currently works for Oracle MBA in Mumbai and is now corporate world whilst software programmer, ending up Corporation and lives in the bay inching towards the completion starting to work in the NGO with Motorola in Schaumburg. area, CA. sector for the uplifting the of his CFA (Chartered Financial After some seven-odd years out Sandeep Dhar (Sandy – downtrodden in India. We Analyst). He is today an equity there, he's now back in India, Comp.Sci.) currently works for bow to thee O noble lady! research professional in an back to writing. You can find his Cisco Systems. He is happily Recently blessed with a kid, investment bank in Mumbai and movie reviews on SitaGita.com married and lives in San Jose, both hubby and Priya are his home by the sea is always as well as select newspapers in CA. currently making plans to open to any passing BITSian. Chennai. Old Man by the Sea, they call Dilip Varadarajan (Eco) went move back to a student life Vara Ramakrishnan - Is him. to graduate school in Oregon. He in the US. Priya will shortly married to Dinesh Ramanathan is currently working for Port era be at Columbia while Ram Arvind Babu (Pazham) - When (Danda, 87B4A7) and lives in Systems. He got married at MIT. All the best guys. we christened Arvind Babu, San Jose, California. They have a recently, and lives in Berkeley, Rajesh Chelapurath (C) - Pazham (Fruit) after the Gnana- daughter, Anjali, born in CA. After BITS, in 1993, went Pazham (Fruit of Wisdom) of November 2002. After BITS, to work for Larsen & South Indian Hindu mythology, Vara earned a Ph.D. in Computer NT Vikram (NTV – Toubro Ltd. in Bombay at little did we realise how apt the Science from the University of Chem/B.Pharm) is working with their Medical Equipment name would be in the years to California, Irvine. She works at Medfusion as a Project Leader. Division. Then, in 1996, come. After several years in the PMC-Sierra, a networking He is married and lives in North went to Tulane University, IT field outside India, he has semiconductor company. Carolina. metamorphosed into a New Orleans for an M.B.A. Nikhil Adnani (Nikki) - Left philosopher and has chosen to in Finance amid all that BITS after 2 and half years and live the Thinker’s life in Jazz, Mardi gras, etc. moved to Canada. Worked a 1992 Chennai. While it is heartening to Released from studies in number of odd jobs including a see one of our own st rike out on Anupam Gupta moved to 1998 and went to work for brief stint on a dairy farm (Moo! the road less traveled, one can’t London with Microsoft, where he Burnham Securities, Inc. in – source for his inspirations) but wish that he would be less has been for five years and was Houston, USA as an before graduating with an MSc in reclusive in his philosophical promoted to Director. Investment Associate into Electrical Engineering from the portfolio management. pursuits and share with us his Ashok Bhakkad (Bhakkad) experiences and discoveries. University of Manitoba. has been working as an Now he is an Associate Currently a research engineer and Managing Director (a.k.a. A. Arumugam (Aru) - After Oracle/DB2 DBA with i2 an independent (professional) Technologies in Dallas for the yuppie with a BMW). Got plodding through five years at animator/filmmaker (check out last 3 years. He is married to married in March 2001 to BITS and two years at B-school www.groovechamber.com for his Deepa Poduval - also a in IIM Ahmedabad, Aru joined Archana and is settled in Irving, flash films). Lives in Ottawa, TX. BITSian (99). Current AIG. He recently left to join the Canada with wife Alison, son status - DINK. Spends time $100 million StanChart ./ Nanik, two dogs and a big cat After completing his Information with Shyam & Basu living Merilion Fund. He is still on the named Otis. Systems degree in BITS, close by. lookout for his dream girl. On the Jagadeesh Sunkara (alias flip side, knowing full well Gurmeet Singh Sran (Nuclear Jaggu) moved on to the land of Pradeep Mirchandani Surd!) - After a bout with his Mirchi’s generosity, he never opportunities and is now in (Mirchi) - In his youth, i.e. knee, he is currently at GE misses an opportunity to take full Denver, Colorado working for when at BITS, Mirchi used Capital International Services. advantage of it. Baan as a Software Engineer. He to be a barber’s delight (on Maybe he should be called a can be contacted at home no: the rare occasions when he Vivek C. Philip (Philpot, knee jerk surd J. Gurmeet is a Six 303-256-9143 visited one). His flowing Philip) - Was mostly found in Sigma Black Belt handling
______FALL 2003 SANDPAPER 56 Class Notes Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazinee
Mohan Atreya (Fartreya) Vinod V (VV) moved to Infosys hear from his friends who can Kaarthik Sivakumar (a.k.a did his Masters in National Technologies after a 6 year stint call him at 91-040-23122600, Kash) graduated with an M.S in University, Singapore as a software engineer in the bay Extn: 2679. Computer Science from the followed by another area. He continues to captivate Sakthieswaran P (powerman, University of Delaware. He Masters in crowds with his thunderous sakthi) always had the motto - works for Ericsson IP Communications at laughter and sheer jovial self. He Lets make things better. Needless Infrastructure in Rockville, Nanyang Technical recently married Lalitha and is to say Phillips was an obvious Maryland. Congratulations to University. He is currently settled in Chennai. Look forward choice for him. From being a Kash who recently tied the knot working for RSA Security to hearing more from VV soon... valuable contributor at APOGEE with Ashwini ( ’97). in Singapore as a Manager Bhooma Rajanarayanan to group activities, Sakthi has M O Bhadrinarayanan (a.k.a. for their Systems (Bhooma) completed her come a long way. He recently MOB) completed his MSc in Engineering, Developer Pharmacy degree from BITS, and married Innahai and is based out Computer Science from Queens Solutions group. is now working for Indian of Eindhoven(Netherlands). University in Kingston, Canada. Ramesh Yadav, who did Immunologicals as a product Arvind Krishnamurthy (aravi) He works at the IBM Toronto his General Studies in manager in India. works with Synopsys out of Lab in Canada. BITS, went on to do his After completing his M.M.S Bangalore (India). After several Srikumar (a.k.a Sriks) M.E in Software Systems from BITS, Kausthub years in France and other parts of completed his M.S in Pharmacy and then joined Mascot Desikachar (Boing) decided to the world, Aravi finally decided at the National University of Systems. He is now become a full time yoga teacher, to settle in Bangalore. He is Singapore. He is pursuing a PhD currently in Kansas and can following the footsteps of his happily married to Anusha and in Pharmaceutics at the be contacted on his cell at Dad & Guru. He obtained a p.g. has a son Sundar. University of Florida, 913-744-1998. diploma in yoga from the Gainesville. Ramkumar Natarajan Krishnamacharya Yoga P. Chandramouliswaran (a.k.a (nrk, kozhai, ramku) Mandiram. Today he is a senior 1993 Kocha) completed his M.S in joined the PhD program in teacher himself, and globe Mechanical Engineering at Computer Science at trotting spreading the message of Smitha Menon is in California working on a state welfare Purdue University, West Purdue University after yoga. He lives in Madras with his Lafayette, Indiana. After working with IBM for 3 wife, Lakshmi and their 6-month project. Smitha is married to Shailendra Sadera (’92). graduation in 1999, he worked years. He is still the old daughter Sraddha. for Cummins Engine Co., ambitious person we used B.V. Anil Kumar (BV) went on Mathangi Gopalakrishnan Columbus, Indiana for about 3 to know and can captivate to finish his MBA in (a.k.a matha) is married to years. Kocha is now pursuing his any crowd with his baritone Pharmaceutical Marketing in Venkatesh Atul Bhattaram (‘90). M.B.A at the University of voice and energy. His Mumbai and is now into the Priya Ramachandran is Chicago, Illinois .He says “ I am interest in the field of Product / Brand Management pursuing MA in Film & Video at still on the lookout for eligible distributed computing is work. He is currently working the American University, mates”- Take a cue girls, this is matched only by his with Intas Pharmaceuticals, India Washington, D.C. Priya is one eligible bachelor! interest in the quest for his as a Sr.Therapy Executive and married to Tojo Thomas. better half!!!!!! Bhaskar Viswanathan can be contacted at 079-7458929. (a.k.a Mami, Byle) Mansoor Ali Khan (Mak) Mahesh Subramanian (a.k.a completed his Maters in moved on to Hughes Masu from the Eco group) Pharmacy at BITS,Pilani Software Systems for his worked in Bangalore for a coupla and a Masters Diploma PS-II and took up a fulltime years, completed his MS and is in Business position in their HR group now working for Intuit in Administration (of course not software!). Mountain View, CA. He is still (Marketing & Finance). He has now taken up a the ever enthusiastic best 5-year He now works as a marketing/sales position in planner in town & has recently Product Development their San Jose office & has been making waves in the Executive in Oral Care recently been quoted to be bachelor’s market (rumor is he Business with HLL, closing million dollar deals. has finally found his true love!). Mumbai, India. He likes taking trips with He would love to hear from Lakshmi Krishnan (a.k.a Lux) Vinodh Shankar completed his his wife (Tayba Sultana) friends at [email protected] works for GE Financial, M.S in Operations Research & and having fun with Hyderabad & Bangalore, India. Industrial Engineering from friends. Sriram Padmanabhan (Ponnu) went to MICA (Ahmedabad) Lux is as always the fun -loving, University of Texas at Austin. After graduating from after BITS and worked in market inquisitive, and experimental gal Vinodh and his wife Deepa BITS, Ravikumar (Hoku research from 1998 till 2001. As that we knew in BITS. Lux Nagarajan work for FedEx in – Honorable Kumar?...) if one master's degree wasn't writes in , “ I am having fun at the Memphis, Tennessee. worked as a Software enough, he is now in the second job, and it is really challenging Engineer in Mascot and rewarding!” She is soaring to Mukund Ramachandran year of his MBA at the NYU (MRC) moves to Yahoo! Hot Systems, India & PwC, new heights in her career and Stern School of Business, New Jobs, NYC to take up the Washington, DC. He is may well tie the knot soon! York. He likes bicycling, position of Assoc. Product now working as an swimming, being outdoors in Sharda Ramdas works for Marketing Manager. He has been eBusiness IT Architect for general... and listens to the same Citibank NA in London, UK. She working for Yahoo! since 2001 IBM in Washington DC & old music. is married to K. is pursuing his never after graduating from Lakshminarayanan (’89). Thunderbird University. Good ending search for a lifetime Ganesh Panchapagesan (PG), who did his ET from BITS, is Karthik Ramani (a.k.a Luck with your new job Mukund partner! You can pass on now working for Oracle in their Karamani) is pursuing his Ph.D and give us the insider on the any leads or tips to him at in Pharmaceutical Sciences at [email protected] India Development Center at best jobs before they hit the Hyderabad. He would love to SUNY in Buffalo, New York. market !! m
______FALL 2003 SANDPAPER 57 Class Notes Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazinee
Janani Varadarajan MBO is to master Telegu beyond Carolina and is currently working Hardik Chokshi: is a budding (a.k.a Jan) completed her some unprintable words. for Bloomberg, New York. business consultant with TCS Masters in Molecular R Ganesh (MMS) completed his Sushil Chetal (kalli): Has been after completing his MBA from genetics and Microbiology MBA in Finance from Arizona employed with Citibank and Indian School of Business (ISB), at the University of Texas, State Univ in 2001 and is working in New York City. He Hyderabad. Before taking up his Austin and is now pursuing working in Santa Monica, got married recently. MBA he was working with her PhD in Botany and California with a Mortgage Real Wipro Systems for 3 years. He is Plant Pathology at Purdue Visveish Ramanathan getting married in late Feb '03 to Estate Investment Trust in Fixed (kopine): Currently working for University. Janani says she his sweetheart, Padmaja, whom Income Analysis. Here is one CTS (Cognizant) based in and her husband he found 3 years ago at WIPRO. person who is REALLY looking Madras, but almost permanently Muthukumar forward to summer. in the US. [email protected] Anirudha Patil: is a consultant Balasubramaniam also a with Boston Consulting Group Dexter is working as a Hari Natarajan (hari): Did his doctoral student at Purdue (BCG) in Munich, Germany. He management consultant at Masters in Texas A&M, and after Univ, spend most of their completed his MBA from IIM-A. Deloitte Touche Tomahatsu India a brief stint in a startup company, waking hours doing He had a short stint with Pvt.Ltd. is working for i2 technologies in research! Reliance Industries after Rajneesh Raina is the latest Dallas. After a technical writing graduating from BITS. among the long line of our stint in the software field, batchmates who have tied the Sagarika Srivatsan (a.k.a knot recently. He was married on Sagi) is pursuing her M.S in Jo urnalism and Mass Nov 27th, 2002 to Rajashri. Congrats Rajju and Raj!! Need Communications. She any advice for a happy married writes “Out of the rat-race, life? I now juggle time watching my 2 year old, volunteering M.A. Ranjith (a.k.a MAR) at the community center works for Servion Global (teaching English to non- So lutions, Chennai, India. English speaking adults, writing material for a breast cancer awareness campaign 1994 in south east Asian Meenakshi Nagarajan countries) and studying for (Chikku), after a 2 year stint a master's degree.” with Infosys, Bangalore, she did Sagarika lives with her her MS in Management husband Srivatsan and Information System from UIC. Deepak A Kariyakar (kodi): Is daughter Vidusha in the Krishna Mamidipaka: is She is working with a marketing working as a consultant in i2 Bay Area. employed by IBM as a consultant and sales-force consulting firm, technologies (Dallas) after his in their Supply Chain Sayee Priyadarshini ZS Associates based in Chicago. Industrial engineering masters at Thyagarajan (a.k.a sayee) Management group. Presently he Subha Chandrasekaran, after PennState. [email protected] is pursuing her Ph.D in graduating from BITS, went on is based in Detroit, working on a Biochemistry and Janarthanan Venkataraman project for Chrysler Corporation. to XLRI to complete her MBA. (koja): After his Masters in Molecular Biology at the Joined CitiBank and right now He completed his Masters in University of Texas, Texas A&M, he got employed in Industrial Engineering from she is busy Corporate Banking Houston after completing Siemens, Orlando. One of the Texas A&M University. and juggling exports and imports very few that is loyal to his her ME Biotech at for her customers. Met the man Senthil C (Coop) is currently BITS,Pilani. She is married undergrad discipline. His is employed as a software engineer of her dreams in XLRI , Vinay married to Vidya of the same to Avinash Kalsotra (’95). with Verizon in Maryland Krishnan and now she is happily batch. Sayee writes in “ Avinash married and settled in Bangalore. [email protected] & I just passed our [email protected] qualifiers, and now can Deepa Poduval completed her Sundararajan Sowrirajan Srinivasan Venugopalan (Sundi): He joined the Tata devote our time to full-time Masters in from Dartmouth, New (Chinu). Pursuing MS (IE) from Consultancy Services at Chennai Research!” Congratulations Hampshire. She is working with Univ of Texas, Arlington. after graduation and worked with to Sayee & Avinash! Lukens Energy Group. She is srinivasan_venug@yahoo them for two years. Lack of job married to Rajesh of the 89 batch .com Jayant Dhotkar and they are based in Houston. satisfaction and a desire to learn (Chemical) worked with Anush Sundar (Ganush). more motivated him to pursue Satish Ramanathan (rsat) : Reliance after passing out Graduated in MS(IE) from graduate studies. He then moved from BITS, worked with After finishing his Masters in Virgina Tech, VA. He is Oklahoma state, he is working to California in 2000 to pursue Reliance Industries. He currently working for Qualcomm Masters in Computer Science at then completed an MBA in for Mainsoft in San Jose. Corp, San Diego, CA. [email protected] the University of California, Mktg from Symbiosis, [email protected] Irvine. He is one of the first Pune. Currently he is Subramanian Hariharan Samir Agarwal : is a software members of the newly formed working as an Area Sales (hsubs) : Completed his Masters professional at TCS, Calcutta. BITSAA Southern California Manager in Perfetti, an in Oklahoma state and is Presently he is in Washington chapter and is in -charge for Italian confectionery currently working for DC, USA on an assignment. He Sponz and company. Though he is Bloomberg, New York. is married to his school Finances.([email protected] based in Bangalore he [email protected] sweetheart and is happily settled m) covers part of AP Naveen Prabhakar (napra) : in Calcutta. (Telangana and Manoj Parthasarathy (DOS): Did his Masters in North After graduating in 1998, DOS Rayalaseema). His current
______FALL 2003 SANDPAPER 58 Class Notes Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazinee joined LearningByte at busy helping out Bill at cells. :-). Joined Seranova from Now Orbitech). Got an Hyderabad. After a couple Microsoft, our guys will have to campus to work in web- opportunity to work in Citibank of years there, he moved to do it without me. All the best technologies.....a brief stint with London and New York and now their US office, which was Sachin!!!!!!!! Orbitech and now the bread and currently helping out Citi to bought over by Manik Reddy P (95A5) is butter of yours truly is bein g manage its cash efficiently and DigitakThink. Currently he currently pursuing his Ph.D in borne by Infosys (Mangalore- effectively. is working with Medicinal Chemistry India). Kashmir still remains a Phaneendra Kumar V (phani) DigitalThink, an e-Learning (Pharmaceutical Sciences) at passion with me and so does B3A7: After my graduation from company based out of San Virginia Commonwealth bollywood and music BITS I worked in Synopsys - Francisco as a Solutions University. He is expecting to Sonali Vasekar (95A1): Bangalore for two years. Architect. He would love to graduate by the end of August Managed to crack some deals for Currently pursuing my Masters at get in touch with Bitsians in 2003. He could be the first Ph.D Wipro Infotech as a marketing State University of New York- the bay from the 95 batch. executive in Mumbai.Moved to Buffalo and getting freezed here area.(pmanoj007@hotmail. Jaydeep Naha: Passed out in Mahindra British Telecom to in Buffalo. com) 1999, with a CGPA of focus on software life cycles, and Yugandhar Dasari: I am 9.72.Presently I’m with Siemens ended up enjoying a paid presently working in US vacation in the UK for a year :) 1995 AG: Power Generation Division. Positioning, and whiling away Based out of New Delhi, I travel Am currently working with time playing around with Manjari Mehta: I finished frequently to Germany, U.S.A., Guidant - Minneapolis and satellites and doing my masters M.Sc. Tech in Information Holland, Austria and France. Job spending most of what I earn in from ASU, never moving out of Systems in 1999. I accepted involves Designing of Power watercolors, paintbrushes and phoenix. This MS never seems to a RA position at Plants. My previous projects skiing lessons! Hope it all pays end. Rest in peace. off someday. Washington University, St. have been in USA, China, Surjith Reddy G (95A1): After Louis in the Computer and Ireland and Israel. Currently, I Rajeev Reddy Tummala a successful role as STUCCAN Electrical Engg. am involved in a project in (95A1): Current working as of ‘Spec n Audi’ at BITS Surjith Department, to pursue a Cologne in Germany. I have also Senior Technical Member in joined IIM, Calcutta. He is now Ph.D. Within a year, I been appointed as the Corporate Wilco Hyderabad. Right after the COO of Contiloe films, moved to University of Communicator from this passing out of BITS in 1999 Mumbai. Contiloe films is into Houston and joined the location. I have to attend joined TCS and then in 2000 Nov TV production and he is Ph.D. program in MIS conferences and meetings, and moved to Wilco, Hyderabad currently planning to get into (Management Info. Sys.) at do presentations on Subodh A: After graduating movies as well. the Bauer College of Communications Strategy in from BITS in June 2000, I joined Business. In 2001, Aneesh Siemens as a Global Network of the ECE Dept. of the University and I got married (finally :) Innovation. Recently, visited of Illinois at Chicago to pursue 1996 and are in here in Houston Detroit and Orlando in the US for my Masters in VLSI Design. for the past 3 years. such purposes. I have also been After 2 years in Chicago, I made Dindi Kesava Rao (Chebbu) promoted to the Designation of a job in Intel and moved to works for iflex Mumbai. Was in Dokka Jagannadha Raja Malaysia for about 2 years on (95B3A4):is working with Senior Engineer in a record time Phoenix, AZ. That was a project work. Infosys Technologies of 3 years in Siemens. That is a welcome change from the cold straight out of BITS since part of the Technical plains of the north to the hot Kiran Kumar Jinka (Jinka, July 2000 achievement in Siemens. southwest desert. Astronomy and 96A1PS211) is working with Currently; I am also the Cricket Mahindra British Telecom, Anshika Bajaj:After friends are my favorite things in Captain for the official Siemens life. Mumbai. completing my B.Pharm side. Also, I am the Editor in P.V.U. Ram Sirish: Passed out Anand Bharadwaj(AB, Andy, and M.Sc. in Biological Chief for the Siemens Magazine as a B.Pharm (Hons) graduate in Andu, anything else?) finished Sciences I joined - SPEL-BOUND. One past his MBA from IIM Calcutta and University of Rochester,NY achievement: I was awarded 1999. But had something more to do at BITS: Joined M.E. is selling hair oils and edible oils for a Phd. program in (along with 7 other students) the (Software Systems) in 1999 as a to hordes of Indians for Marico Biochemistry and Eveready Scholarship as one of Teaching Assistant… Finished in Industries, Mumbai Biophysics. I am in my the brightest engineering students 2001 and joined Modena third year now .The first in India (national basis) from Rajarshi Chakravorty is Software India Pvt. Ltd., Delhi. two years in Rochester 1995 to 1999. working as a Management have been great . I got After 1 year of work experience Trainee at Reckitt Benckiser, Muralidhar G (B4A3337) married to Rahul who is a in Java, thought of exploring Mumbai after fin ishing his MBA graduate student in the Joined IBM after passing out something different and joined from IIM, Lucknow. from BITS and currently working Dept of Computer Infosys Technologies Ltd, Ranjith (96A2PS383) works for with GE India Technology Hyderabad where I am writing Science.Life has been good AmSoft Systems, New Delhi. all the way for me and I Centre, Bangalore. Another this from right now. hope the same for others Cricket freak.. Bhuvan Gupta, Deepak Vasumathy (95B2A8): I’m Nohwal, Madhav Vodnala are too. Subhash Balam (B1A3542): currently with Infosys After graduating from BITS working with Fiorano Software Srinivas Pullagujju (a.k.a Technologies Ltd. I'm working Inc., New Delhi. Deepak is PSR), 95C6: I generously joined Motorola India on the VOIP domain for Electronics Limited where I was working as Team Leader and accepted a Master's degree customer Cisco at the moment. looking to hire good-looking working for 2 years. Currently I’m married to Anantha Sankaran in Computer Science that girls for his team..:-))). (The guys Florida State University pursuing MS at University of on April 11th 2002. Illinois at Chicago. of his office are queuing up to had to present me. I could Radha Krishna Murthy join his team!). have been representing Rahul Koul a.k.a BUDDA (radha) B3A6, joined the then Indian cricket side at the (95B2A4): A dual degree from Kiran Chandra Z (Z aka Z-Ki, booming corporate world by 96A7PS037) is working as Sr. world cup, but since I am BITS was enough for my grey entering into CitiGroup(COSL,
______FALL 2003 SANDPAPER 59 Class Notes Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazinee
Member of Tech Staff at area of network security. He is Manager, Organization recently cleared his PhD Adobe, Noida. single and searching actively ;-) Excellence Group. qualifiers Ashok Inigo Roy and Anand Sudarshan (BBC) is Vipul Gaba is with Aditi Arvind Aiyar and Rengarajan Rishi Jhaver are doing doing his PhD at Mayo Clinic, Technologies Bangalore as a (both EEE) are at UMCP doing their Master’s in University their Master’s program. of Cincinnati at Ohio. Jeevanand (Ande) is at Oregon Ashok worked at Hughes State University pursuing the Bangalore for an year and Masters Program in is now doing his MS. Rishi Computational Finance. worked at Orbitech Deepak (day-scholar) is doing Chennai for an year, then his ME Software Systems from quit the job in Aug '02 just BITS Pilani and is also working after returning from as a TA at the CSD. Rohit Citibank, London and now Gupta and Vikas Mallik are doing his MS in Computer also at BITS. Science. Manish Bothra is doing These guys decided they did his Master’s in Material not want anything more to do Science at Oregon State with Heat Transfer and Digitial University, Oregon. Circuitry and so are studying at some of the best B-schools in Satyam Vaghani India graduated from Stanford a Department of Immunology, Software Engineer. Ashutosh Sharma (ashu- year ago and now works for Rochester Minnesota. A7056), Sravan Kumar ('97– a Palo Alto, California Sharad Kumar Somanchi is at gold medallist), Suhail Kasim startup called VMware. For V Prasanna Krishnan got a FSU doing his Masters in (suka) and B Karthik a month in summer, his Masters in Computer Science Chemical Engineering. Go (Poo/Beaker-A5) are having the alter ego drives him to from Univ. of Illinois at Urbana- Seminoles!!! time of their life in India’s best work at the Performance Champaign. She says : “Cham- Indira Muthumani (Chemical) is business school – IIM Center at Spartanburg, SC. bana is a lot like Pilani (with a with Cognizant Technologies, few more cars & a few less Ahmedabad. Juhi Mohan (96A3PS085), Chennai. camel carts), but it's a great Kunal and Rohit Kumar has started her MS in Engg KNR Praveen is working in school & I really enjoyed my Choraria are doing their post at San Jose State University Fremont, CA, while Murali work there”. And now working graduate program at IIM this spring. After BITS, she Koppulu is at Houston,TX and as a Program Manager at worked at COSL/Orbitech both of them are doing pretty Calcutta. Oops Kolkata. Microsoft, Redmond, Seattle. Mumbai till Jan 2002. Got good for themselves.Last heard K E Sriram (duck) who was married in Feb 2002 and Sagnik was doing an internship also with Orbitech for a year is has been at Santa Clara, for IBM. now doing his post graduate 1997 program from MDI Gurgaon California since then. G.V. Rangan is in University of giving Sharat Krishna (shark) Gurpreet Singh Sachdev (A3) - Georgia Athens doing his Mukund Adapala company. Last year, Shark spent (96A1PS294) works for After completing 2 years at Masters in Chemical Engg. Infosys at Pune. Novell, he decided to go back to about three months, enhancing V Rajesh (fundoo rajesh) who his management skills at the Rajesh Polimera (Big B, grad school at USCB in was at UC Riverside has Computer Science. Asian Institute of Technology in Bade), Ganesh Kumar transferred to UIUC for his Bangkok, on an exchange Gella(Gella, 96B2A4519) Samik Das (DJ) has crossed the Masters in CS. Ashish Garg is at program from MDI. and Jayaprakash Atlantic and is now at UC Santa UC Santa Barbara Vasanth Kumar Mehta (C6), Katari (96A7PS194) are Barbara. Shuvendu Dang is at UT who was teaching at the Kanchi working for the Storage Ashutosh Sharma has graduated Arlington pursuing his PhD in Kamakoti Mutt's engineering company of the world, from IIM A and is working with Computer Science and V college, is currently managing Veritas at Pune. Rajesh Adobe, Noida trying to ensure Pradeep (EEE) is also over Mutt's IT Center. works as Associate that your pdf documents don’t there doing his Masters ion Sumit Gupta who was Software Engineer. Ganesh get messed up. Computer Science is a Software Engineer and previously with SteelAge India is V. Sravan Kumar is at ICICI Shampa Kandoi is pursuing her is a core developer for now working with General Bank, Mumbai making sure your PhD in Chemical Engineering at Veritas "Netbackup" Motors, Baroda. money is safe in ICICI’s safe. the University of Wisconsin - product. Vignesh who did his Masters in (He is listed as still at IIMA) Madison. Her area of research is CS form Purdue is now looking Pushkin P finished his Catalysis and Surface Science. Adarsh Sreekumar (A3) is almost forward to work with Verizon Masters in Computer finished with his studies at UFL Networking from NCSU Malaiappan Srinivasan (malai- USA B4A2529) is doing his Master’s and has just started work And all set to join Microsoft. Shilpa Gupta, who was working in Water and Environmental with CipherOptics Inc at Shashikant Khandelwal (A7) - as a member of the TVS R&D Engineering at the University of Raleigh, NC. He is pursuing his masters in team at TVS MOTOR Surrey, Guilford Surrey, UK. Prashant(Pram, Computer Science at Stanford. COMPANY, is currently Pramila Rani is at Vanderbilt 96A7PS035) plans to Chintan Turki has been a real job pursuing her Masters in Univ doing her Masters in graduate by December hopper working for 3 companies Industrial Engineering at the 2003 from North Carolina in 2 years. Well he hopes to find Industrial Engg. Arizona State University. State University Raleigh, solace at ICICI where he is Asad Iqbal is at University of NC and make it big in the currently working as Assistant Arizona doing his PhD and has
______FALL 2003 SANDPAPER 60 Giving to BITS Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazinee
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¨ Please hand this to your BITSAA representative or mail or fax to +1 (917) 591 9182 ¨ BITSAA International Inc. (Federal EIN# 22-3835037) has been granted tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)3 of the IRS tax code as of October 12, 2001. ¨ You may mail checks payable to "BITSAA International” to Sandeep Arora, Treasurer, BITSAA International, 34 Pierce Road, East Windsor, NJ 08520, USA or donate online at www.bitsaa.org ¨ In case of any questions call +1 (609) 203-1117, or email [email protected] ¨ BITSians in India should send drafts payable to BITS and address it to Professor J P Mishra ¨ BITSians outside the US and Canada may pledge or donate online (if you have an international credit card), but should check their own tax laws for tax benefits or credits
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