A Year in Infy

Exactly 385 days have passed by since I have joined Infosys. Thought long back to write a blog about the time I had in Infy in the last one year but didn’t get the time to do so. Awesome, it was in many senses, making wonderful friends, learning the so called corporate etiquettes, professional life and also the intermittent bench periods. It wasn’t quite professional the way the word would suggest but the training time fun, formation of a wonderful group called “Chocogang” and the fun that I had in Chennai are hard to forget.Thanks to all Chenfoscions for that. I was in Bangalore and Chennai for almost equal time during the last 1 year.

There wasn’t much euphoria or a sense of excitement within me when I joined Infosys as it is considered a company for all and sundry and for those who consider Infosys as their last resort. Nor it was noteworthy the way selections happened. The bulk was recruited I was just a part of that bulk. But the life it offers, the time to you get here to pursue your interests and hobbies is what the employees of other companies envy. Surely the hard core tech geeks wouldn’t agree to my point as the type of work offered is the only criteria for them to judge a company and by that parameter Infosys has miles to go. Though Infosys is looking beyond the maintenance and production support projects it will take some time for it to set standards in other domains.

I was in a training batch of approximately 350 trainees divided between Internet and Mainframes stream. I, Lalit, Atul, Tanmay, Shankar (Appa), Sourabh, Khan all from Ramaiah used to be together, be it lunch time, coming to office or going back to the home. It was this training time when we had friendship with Cummins lot and the popular “Chocogang” was formed. The name Chocogang, because lots of chocolates used to be exchanged within the group. Really had a ball of time when the entire group was there, be it going to disc, hanging around in the Infy, having Lassi in Udupi Garden restaurant, Chats and Pani Puri in Ladoos, gossiping in transit which are just few of many things that we did.

After the training, the entire group got fragmented as all were posted in different locations (Pune, Chennai, Bangalore). But there are still few wonderful pals in the group who put a lot of effort in keeping the group together through mails. A reunion in Chennai was possible only because of the efforts of these breed of folks…. Robin Sharma says-“Every person you meet in your life has a story to tell and a lesson to teach”. I have made a specific reference to the choco group because I have learnt a lot of things from all the members of the group.

Gone is one year and need to look for the year ahead….If all goes well then hopefully this will be my last year in Infosys as a Software Engineer. I don’t mind coming back to Infy as I love the company, love the life it offers and many more things. People say you shouldn’t get in love with the company but with the work you do. It’s not exactly the case with me. I think the aesthetics and the beauty of Infy has taken a toll on me.

What it really means to be "free" and "independent"?

India celebrated its 58th independence day on 15th august, 2005. Two words that were juggling in my mind that day were “free” and “independent”. There was a vigorous debate going on in my mind about what it really means to be free. The oxford English dictionary meaning of free and independent is “not imprisoned or enslaved, being at liberty” and “free from the influence, guidance or control of another or others” respectively. But can an individual really be free and independent, acting on his will every time without caring about others. Very difficult, right….??? Yes it is….!!!

Some say freedom, independence etc…..are just states of mind. Some say they are manifestations of the state of mind and the circumstances around. Whatever the connotations and the meanings are, in simple words it means an individual or the state is not controlled by the obligation or the will of another. I was just trying to correlate these thoughts to one’s personal life and also to larger context of state. Freedom is also a function of responsibility. The more responsible you are, the more free you would consider yourself to be. A person who violates rules and regulations, flouts laws will always find himself in shackles.

A simple example in this context would explain the nature of freedom. A small child is free to do whatever comes in his mind. That is the only phase of your life which truly adheres to the literal meaning of the word. One is not bogged down by the weight of responsibilities. But as he/she grows old he has to take care of many facts, take his dependents into account to ensure things happen in a harmonious way, and here his wishes and ambitions are sometimes curtailed. Rousseau has rightly said,” Man is born free but everywhere he is in chains”.

India attained its freedom and became independent in 1947 but were the subjects of this nation immediately out of that colonial mindset after freedom. It took a lot of time for Indians to come out of that feudal mindset and fulfill their own ambitions and aspirations. Almost after 50 years of independence they started thinking that they can be world-beaters. But thinking freely and being independent are completely different things. The press briefing our honorable PM gave after coming back from his so called historic US visit illustrated the difference.

Supposedly, the visit was a great breakthrough in terms of nuclear and high end technology collaboration. But at the same time I had the feeling that India had compromised a great deal for this bargain. Immediately after the visit our PM said probably there would be no international consortium funding the much talked about Indo-Iran gas pipeline. Uncle Sam had hit the right target. But does the nuclear alternative answer India’s energy needs?

According to several international surveys, India and China are going to be the largest energy consumers by 2020. Nuclear energy cannot cater to the growing energy needs of the Indians. Furthermore, India will have to switch to conventional energy sources to ensure energy security sooner or later. Secondly the cost per unit of nuclear energy will be 1.5 times the cost of the energy harnessed using conventional sources.

Our politicians indulge themselves into rhetorics, also ensure that India will never be a supplicant state. But do their actions conform to what they say? Quite a moot point to answer. And these facts support the underlying message that “To be free” is completely different from “To be Independent”. Hope India will soon be independent.