Why India needs its poor
Well, this is a pseudo intellectual thought that I have been harboring for a few years now.
Well, this is a pseudo intellectual thought that I have been harboring for a few years now.
A two syllable word with a range of denotation and with each interpretation involving a fresh discourse, Merit has its own sphere. It’s an agglomeration of reasons and every action committed has its own rationale for Merit. It cannot be judged, for it is in connotation with perspective of an individual.
I have always had reservations about reservations. On the other hand, a number of my good friends are quota- beneficiaries. But that doesn’t make reservations go away.
My journey began with me landing at my favourite city of India, Bengaluru. Already excited about spending my summer in a much cooler climate, I geared up for my induction on the next day. 10’o clock sharp in the morning, I was there, standing before the open shutter of the Global Headquarters of Serendipity Infolabs Pvt. Ltd., popular as Taxi For Sure (TFS). Disappointed by the shutter-look of the entrance at first, I climbed up 3 floors, only to be delighted by the beautiful office space laid with vibrant colours and elegant interiors. The environment of the office itself made you feel all energetic and lively. The absence of cabin tradition, ensured your interactions with your colleagues and seniors, and highlighted the flat structure of the organisation. Not in every organisation you go, will the Co-founders and COO devote 3 hours of their busy schedule, just to invite you into the Taxi For Sure family with jokes, stories and life experiences of how the company was started 3 years ago. The Co-Founders Raghunandan G and Aprameya Radhakrishna, and the COO Ronald Rosario, familiarized us with the company’s culture and tested our understanding of their operations and strategies from a business student’s point of view. Post these interactions, our 2-day induction schedule continued with brief sessions regarding every other department and function the company hosted. I must say, these first 2 days were very enlightening about the various functions of the company and its ambition over the next few years. Along with understanding the company, we interns also got to understand each other and the culture and experiences of our respective institutes. We were a group of around 20 hailing from various IIMs and other premier B-schools of India. And to our surprise, on the 2nd day of our induction, Taxi For Sure completed its 1 million rides and hence we got the opportunity to experience the grand celebration and have a look at the balloon clad Jaguar, which was sent to the customer taking the one millionth ride.
Come March 31st, 2014 and Mumbai, the city of dreams was calling! As I boarded my flight with a glint in my eyes ,looking forward to a coveted internship with Mahindra & Mahindra, deep down nervousness had begun to set in. After all, it was my return to the office. (I have a prior work experience of 20 months with an IT major and as happens with freshers at large IT organizations, there are seniors always there to your rescue.)But this time around, there were added responsibilities –the challenge of completing a project within 2 months, a new fire within me and the legacy of IIFT.
This is an experience of a recently-finished first year student of IIM Indore PGP UAE batch of 2015.
My summer internship experience can be best described as a flux in which I transformed from a complete novice to someone who now has a little understanding of the corporate machinery. Most say that it is a stepping stone to a career that lies ahead, I would prefer to term it as my springboard.