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Two Truly Global Personalities visit IIM Indore

Mr. Sam Pitroda and Mr. Gurcharan Das

Saturday, 7th November 2009:

One evening, two great personalities and a spell-bound audience - that pretty much explains the atmosphere during the 2 guest talks at IIM Indore on Saturday evening.

Mr. Sam Pitroda, CEO, World-Tel Ltd., known by many as the man behind the telecom revolution in India spoke to the gathering about his journey through life and how he redefined himself at various points of time. Born into a Gujarati family settled in Orissa in 1942, Sam’s life is extraordinary to say the least. From Orissa to Gujarat to Chicago to Delhi, his life is an epitome of experiment, risk and dedication. A very energetic individual, Mr. Pitroda, spoke of the days when some of his life’s biggest choices revolved around his decision and commitment to marry the girl of his life.

Pitroda completed his Masters in Electrical Engg. from Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago and soon after founded Wescom Switching which was later sold to Rockwell International, where Sam was appointed VP. He explained how in 1980 a chance visit to Delhi prompted him to “fix” the Indian Telecom scenario. In 1984, armed with the support of the Indian Government, Sam set out to transform Indian Telecommunication. Working out of a Hotel in Delhi, he and his team were able to make significant achievements in a short span of 3 years. It was during this period that he shifted back to India with his wife. However soon after, the electoral loss of Rajiv Gandhi and subsequent politics forced Pitroda to go back to the US for a short span where he rebuilt his life.

On returning to India, Sam became an active member of The Knowledge Commission. He emphasized on the importance of Education for India and the need to invest in it heavily. Sam spoke at length about the changes which technology has brought about to the world and how it shall continue to do the same in the future. He also reiterated the necessity for the creation of a new model of Economic Development, to sustain the growing aspirations of the world’s population. On being questioned on the future of Communication in India, Mr. Pitroda said, “I believe Voice will be free in the future. The true future of Communication lies in Data and Applications.”

Mr. Gurcharan Das, Author, Columnist for TOI and ex-CEO, P&G, spoke to the audience about his recent book release – “The Difficulty of Being Good” (2009). He opened the talk by stating 2 qualities always seen in great managers – Determination & Humility. He explained that humility is required to be able to work for a company and not for personal reward and also to be able to work in a team. Das also pointed out that there is a thin line between self interest and selfishness. According to him, India has been able to grow at the 2nd fastest pace worldwide despite it’s government which was morally flawed in various ways. It was after completing his book - “India Unbound” that he became highly depressed and turned to the Mahabharata which he felt contained the essence of “moral reasoning”

“The Difficulty of Being Good” speaks about a person’s search for Dharma – a word which has varying meanings to different individuals. Das took instances from the Mahabharata and explained the reason to be good. He spoke about status anxiety – “All of us want to be somebody. Our own self-esteem is held hostage by others.” He also spoke about the most destructive element of envy – “If my neighbor succeeds, I’ll decline.”

The talk was truly enlightening and left the audience wanting for more. But as the saying goes, all good things have to come to an end, so did the talk. Everyone was delighted after the sessions and the toping on the cake was the book signing session by Mr. Gurcharan Das where students grabbed the opportunity to get the book signed by the great author himself!

* Media & PR Committee, IIM Indore
 
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