Back to Bhilai Institute Of Technology - Walk down the memory lane

In general, I ask my peers to fall back on their experiences to reflect and pave a stronger way forward. This time around, I was the one who got the opportunity to fall back into an ocean of memories with my batchmates for our 25th reunion at the Bhilai Institute Of Technology. Originally, our reunion was supposed to happen in 2020, but for obvious reasons we had to move it to 2023. Nevertheless, it was also an honor to share the dias and interact with my batchmates, some of whom have taken their work to new heights. From leading Indian Aerospace to driving innovation in the business they run and heading big corporations, my interactions with them left me in awe of their success, and I will always remain proud of their achievements.

My first and most obvious observation was that college had changed quite a bit and obviously for the better. Back in my day the college’s capacity was around 180 students, today it writes the future for about 800 every year. A testament to the institution’s vision and passion for education. I was also fortunate enough to be invited to deliver a guest lecture to the current batch and it was an absolute delight to engage with the bright young talent. I took this opportunity to share my experiences of over last two decades which have shaped me into the professional I am today. One of the students, who attended, has aptly articulated my views which I am sharing below:

• I strongly believe that life is nothing but sum-total of our experiences, the people around and is a matter of Choices and Chances
• Success for me is all about 3 C's Capability, Character and Consistency and we need equal measure of Ambition, Resilience and Humility during our career lifespan
• I have always promoted healthy competitive rivalry to deliver one’s best performance while fueling a positive attitude
• Starting something from scratch is most difficult thing but that gives the most pleasure
• The very purpose of existence is to learn. Learning should not end in campus. We need to take every opportunity available to us to learn something new at every life stage

Like any other student, the campus had its own unique charm. Little known fact is that our campus was built by Russians commissioned to build the Bhilai Steel Plant. But the space they created for themselves while building the steel plant became our college once they left - it is still one of the most iconic locations of the town. The campus sported big rooms, corridors and even attached washrooms, something no college offered 27 years ago.

It’s great to see our campus evolve and grow with the same spirit it had back in the day - the new auditoriums and buildings resonated with the institution's intent.

I thank the teams in charge of the events, my alumni network and my college for efforts to make this happen. Thank you for the fond memories and thank you for taking my down memory lane to where it all started for us. The college is where we left our cocoons at home to take on the world that lied ahead of us, and it’s because of this experience so many of us lead successful lives today! Nothing but gratitude.