IIT + IIM= I

Being just one of the multitude who have degrees from both of the Indian institutes, yet being considered elite just because of the game of proportion that works only in the unique and humongous crucible called India, yes, let me just elaborate on how I feel life differs at IIT and IIMs. Stating the obvious: professors in IIM are well off. They visit Europe on a regular basis, they have big cars with drivers and they dress well. But they have smaller offices sans any laboratory, smaller office desks and much smaller egoes. They love to treat students as their friends, also as facebook friends, they joke with students attend their marriages and occasionally also call them in their own. They appreciate the elimination of distance. They like to be friendly and close. The culture of IIMs is aggrandisement: that is to make everything bigger and better. Therefore, everyone enhances the self respect of each other and everyone feels as a future CEO. Every idea is not just an idea, it is the next big thing. How does it matter if most of them are actually wrapping the soap in black colored foil instead of a white one or renaming stayfree as livefree. They come after segmenting and sub segmenting the target segment and then letting thoughts fly to again arrive at the target segment. And hasn’t it been all about presentation since times immemorial…even Mahabharatha is an intra family dispute for a couple of villages. Let’s now hop into the IITs. The ideas in vogue are brilliant. Be it machine learning, or making rechargeable batteries or designing the new electric wheel chair. But heart is where the hurt lies. Big egos and less than affable personalities. It percolates from the top to the students and to administration workers. Unending hassles , undue flexing of muscles at every opportunity and the tale just goes on…till the grind cuts through your ego and diminishes your spirit. The question is, does doing both mean tying the ends so that life comes full circle? May be, life does come to a full circle , but the radius diminishes to arrive to a point , that is right on oneself. Anything outside is either redundant or out of focus.

B to B

Drifting through the lanes of life, never have I been as baniya as in the last couple of years: Be it in staying among thorough baniyas, or valuing investment options or perhaps, engaging the right brain much more than the left. An unintended consequence of it all is the absence of rant in this public diary. But, why am I again putting up new posters in a decaying wall? So that I can test whether writer’s block really exists. Also to explore the contrast between a bong and a baniya. A baniya is a B2B player, B2B as is commonly used which is Business to Business. A bong is also a B2B player, but B2B here referring to Business to Baniya. A baniya thrives in confusion . A bong faced with confusion creates a flutter, takes the next shuttle out of it into a place he strives to make more beautiful. A baniya thrives on calculations. A bong has clairvoyance but concedes to his emotions and lets go of all calculations. A baniya thrives,but for each other . A bong is a convivial chatterbox priding himself on being impartial. A baniya knows calling a spade a spade is a bad idea really, when learning Chinese, French, German and MBA talk is so easy though not cheap. A bong understands but can’t internalise. So what makes a baniya tick and a bong speak? May be, partly nature but also nurture. Have I changed? May be….