Name an instance where you wanted something and went out of your comfort zone to achieve it OR Tell us the biggest risk you have taken so far in your life.
I believe that every time we make a decision in life, we take a risk big or small, as we cannot predict the outcome but only hope for the best. Yet for me, one such incident where I went out of my comfort zone and took a big risk was during my summer internship at Asian Paints. Three days before my second dose of vaccination was due and while the country was battling one of the worst Covid waves, I had an opportunity to visit the field to conduct blind tests for the product I was working on. While there was no mandate from the organisation, I personally felt that a field visit would enable me to extract some rich insights that could help formulate our strategies. But it wasn't safe, especially knowing that I will be coming home to my parents, both of whom are senior citizens staying at home to avoid the Covid-wave. After weighing all the options, I took the decision of visiting the field and optimised my day to gather as much data in as less time as possible. Visiting the construction sites to conduct blind tests in the scorching May heat of NCR, wearing two masks, a face shield and latex gloves was not comfortable but the need of the hour and I was glad that I followed. I took extra precautions at home and at the same time presented my findings to the organisation for their benefit. This small yet significant incident came with a lot of learnings and reaffirmed my faith in the virtues of determination, grit, management and hard work. I am sure that many similar situations will arrive in life, and each time I will be slightly more prepared, thanks to previous learnings.
When was the last time someone relied on you? OR What did you do which was purely for someone else - a truly selfless act.
In the words of the famous Joey Tribbiani, there is no truly selfless act, we take back something from everything good that we do. While this might be true in most situations, there are some situations that test your character, intent and most importantly, selflessness. I faced a similar situation back in 2017 when the mother of my friend's friend was admitted to hospital, suffering from blood cancer. Even though I didn't know him or his family, I could only imagine the kind of stress and trauma they were going through. When a request for donating blood came up, I didn't have to think twice before reaching the hospital. The only thing I wished for then was a speedy recovery for his mother, and wanted to help in any way possible. The relief on his face really demonstrated how small acts of kindness could make instrumental differences in someone's life, no matter your relation with them. It is something that I have tried to stay true to in my personal and professional life since then, and hope to do so moving ahead as well.
Tell us about a time when you disagreed with an opinion/idea/decision. What did you do about it?
During my stint as a Business Development Executive in my previous organisation, I was responsible for identifying and qualifying relevant opportunities for my Regional Sales Manager (RSM), who was also the Vice President of Sales for the entire European region. Developing business for complex IT solutions required not only knowing the product well but knowing the right customer too, which raised certain subjectivities and points of difference between us. One such account was one of the leading postal services organisations in the Netherlands that I had been engaging for quite some time but my RSM was sceptical about. However, having done due diligence with the qualification, I nurtured the account, taking multiple presentations and conducting discussions with the prospects. Eventually, my RSM also witnessed the opportunity in this account and came on board to have it in the pipeline, thanks to the findings that I presented to him. He appreciated my perseverance and approach in this situation, which set the precedent for all subsequent interactions. On a side note, this account later transitioned from our prospect to our customer.
What is the one thing you can claim to have some level of expertise or depth of knowledge in - it could be anything - a subject, a sport, a hobby, a venture, an initiative which has led you to do deep work in that field?
Learning is an endless pursuit, but if I could claim to have certain expertise on one topic, that would have to be Sustainability. A term as wide as its interpretation, this is something I have been closely associated with from a long time. Wastage has always irked me and hence I made efforts to do my bit in reducing it. This word was introduced to me while watching a documentary by Al Gore called An Inconvenient Truth back in 2006, and thus began my journey of exploring how we could make this planet a better place to live, not just for ourselves, but for the future of humankind too. Throughout school, college, and most recently during my work experience, I was associated with NGOs working directly or indirectly in this field. In 2019 I joined LeadEarth Foundation as a Strategic Consultant under the social entrepreneur Ms. Sulaksha Shetty, responsible for further understanding and sharing with the world on how we could lead Earth down a sustainable path. Since then, I have really expanded my horizon with regards to how sustainability touches each one of us in its own different way, and how we could do our bit for the life around us, nature included. While there is still a long way to go, if I am ever required to share my learnings at Sustainability 101, I would be the happiest to do so.
If 10 Million Dollars (approximately INR 75 Crores) is given to you to use it any way you deem fit what would you do with this corpus?
If I were given INR 73.5 crores, my first move as an honest Indian citizen would be to pay the income tax on this earning, amounting to approximately INR 22.03 crores, leaving me with a corpus of INR 51.47 crores. Out of this, INR 1.47 crores I would put away for personal use, split between savings (50%), investments (30%), and expenses (20%).Of the remaining INR 50 crores, I would initiate a national drive with the help of certain NGOs, identifying few areas and institutions in every state and union territory of India that need immediate attention to drive a change. This would amount to approximately INR 30 crores.Of the remaining INR 20 crores, I would, with the expertise of bureaucrats, invest in building the education, family planning and technological development of the country. I believe these areas (education, population control and technological development) need immediate action to bring about fundamental changes in the way we operate, paving the way for a sustainable and adept future. This would also help governments tackle the issue of hunger in a more strategic manner. Of any remaining corpus, I would aim to setup a not-for-profit institute that would teach the younger population essentials of managing money, investing, stocks, banking, and other practical skills needs in life.
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