So, after the usual week long hectic schedule, I woke up
at 9 AM (this IS early by our standards..) and readied
myself for 'Samvit 09' -the Leaders' Conclave @ IIML
Our 'Samanjasya' was decorated quite elegantly, as if it
was about to hold some big fat Indian wedding reception.
The flowers, the tapestry, the welcome gate… all looked
quite awesome.
Taking a seat amidst students who had already arrived,
I sat and thought – will it be one of those Gyan sessions
that do not make any sense and are reminiscence of Shoaib
Akhtar’s bouncers that fly miles above the heads…
or is it going to be an enriching experience that our institute
takes pride in showcasing as one of those ‘intellectually gratifying’
sensations..
And to my lovely luck, it turned out to be the latter case…
As the big-shots started entering the hall, I could sense 'that' air of
corporate excellence that everyone loves to sniff....
All formalities duly performed, the honchos took the seats on
the stage, our Diro Sir sitting amidst them as well.
the conclave in his hands and laid down some basic rules
regarding the time limit for each of the six highly distinguished
speakers.
The talk took off from discussing various upcoming ventures
like green energies, services (IT / Non IT), finance, education,
infra to name a few…
Ms. Kalpana Morparia, the highly acclaimed CEO of J P Morgan
talked about the idea of women empowerment by usage of
‘money on the move’ – the idea of e-trading and e-commerce
using hand held devices.
Mr. Ajit Balakrishnan, the acclaimed founder of Rediff.com,
talked about the entrepreneurial spirit that is so critical for
the growth of any country.
The conclave took a different turn when our esteemed guest
Dr. Sandeep Pandey, Ramon Magsaysay Award Winner for 2002
talked about the negative role of MNCs in the bio degradation
of natural resources in India. He was all in for a public outcry
that should be done on the lines of ‘Non Cooperation Movement’
to oust such MNCs.
The high point of the talk was when Ms. Meera Sanyal,
CEO, ABN AMRO, challenged us to dare and take the road less
traversed – politics. The crowd too was quite reactive and
asked the leaders to share their thoughts on any road map
that they would like to suggest for taking up the idea of civil
involvement.
The conclave was a big success, and made me realise what
all it takes to become a leader in a land of promises, of hope,
of opportunities – India.
Hail India…
.
