Rare And Precious Pearls : Friends!!!...

I think it was just the day before yesterday that I'd said I wouldn't be writing another article for quite a while, but here I am at it again, energetically punching in the keys of my laptop! So, what's it about this time? Well, I guess the title is a sure giveaway!... 

Most of us get so entangled and preoccupied with this whole issue of living life - our careers, jobs, parties, night-outs, about being successful and making new connections, and a myriad of other seemingly important things; that we begin to get swept away from our very roots and from the most valuable people in our lives : "Our Friends!" So, I'm taking this time to step out of the shell of my own life, and focus on those very people who made it worth living!...

I really wish that I could pick out each one among the hundreds of friends I have, and personally sit down to have tea with every one of them, recapitulating everything that's gone down in the past, but alas, I guess such nostalgia is a far-fetched dream. Right from the friends I had in school and all the friends I had during our preparation for IIT-JEE, to all the friends in college now; it's like a vast, never ending treasure-trove of jewels!!!...

All the moments we had together; the casual discussions, the mind-blowing parties, the serious study sessions and of course all the little fights we had, on the silliest of issues imaginable; it all comes back in a flash, and I can only but smile, thinking of years gone by! All of us want to move ahead in life, but we can't really leave behind our past, can we?.....

But, there are some moments, which are really special, which get permanently etched in our minds! These memories come back to us every now and then, and give us a moment of heavenly peace and relief from the daily hustle-bustle of life. I've had such moments too..... I remember the time when some of us from our JEE coaching institute, went over to a friend's house and rain-danced, without a care in the world; and we had to attend that day's three hour session with the same wet clothes!... I remember erupting in a roar of laughter, on the stupidest of jokes cracked by some of my friends... Then there were also events, like the one outlined in the article "A New Lease Of Life", where all of us literally owed each other our lives, for managing to get out of that treacherous water fall alive!...

Such memories are all that remain, to connect us to a world gone by! But we must hold on to these threads of fond memories, as they may define our very existence! Although all of us have chosen different paths, and will probably end up in different places across the globe, I hope that we can always remain in touch! And who knows what might happen in a few more decades?....... Hehe, maybe someday I'll meet a long lost friend in some random supermarket, as they show in the movies!...

Well jokes apart, however things may turn out, I know one thing for sure and that is, I've been blessed with a bunch of the most amazing friends one could ever wish to have! It is said that "The most we can do for a friend is to simply be his or her friend!" And trust me, that's the only thing one ever needs to do! Isn't friendship divine?.....!!

So guys, let's all saver this one moment on 'Mahashivratri' in memory of all the rare and precious pearls we've ever had in our lives, in the form of friends, because some people may 'go to priests', 'others to poetry', but 'I to my friends'!!!...

CHEERS TO LIFE!!!...

  CHEERS TO FRIENDSHIP!!!...

  

Double Bonanza!!!!!

Now, referring to my previous article, if a "Project in SAIL" sounds great, then what would you call a "Project in SAIL + Summer Intern in Bharat Forge Ltd."!? Man!!! This year keeps on getting better! I know that this sounds like beating my own drums, but somehow I just can't resist sharing my excitement with some of my closest friends! Inspite of 2012 having the nickname of 'Doomsday Year', with the Mayan calendar ending on the 21st of December, 2012; this year has been anything but doom for me!...

Bharat Forge Ltd. :-

• The largest exporter of auto components from India.
• The leading chassis component manufacturer in the world.
• A technology driven global leader in the manufacture of a wide range of highly engineered critical and safety components for countless sectors including Automobile, Oil and Gas, Rail and Marine, Energy, etc.
• A customer base that includes virtually every global automotive OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) and Tier 1 supplier!
• A capability to offer front line design and engineering, dual shore manufacturing and full service supply!...

What more can I say about this highly esteemed organisation?! The statistics speak for themselves.

Doesn't it feel great when things turn out exactly the way you want them to? It's really ironical to think that the same guy who didn't have the slightest clue of what he was going to do at the beginning of this year, has got simultaneous opportunities to work for two of the biggest technical giants in India, SAIL and Bharat Forge Ltd.! Its amazing to think how far a little determination and perseverance, on your part, can take you; and how a bit of persistence can work wonders for you!!!

Another one or two dreams fulfilled, and this year'll mark the beginning of a new and epic journey in my life. Other than my personal efforts, I also feel deeply indebted to all those people who helped me grasp these opportunities, with a special reference to Ms. Shobha Ronimath (HR Officer, Bharat Forge Ltd.) and my father, Mr. T.K.Dev (Dy. General Manager, SAIL).

It always feels really great to know that your course of action for the next few months has been decided and your time will be well-utilized. Its a refreshing change for me, as its totally different from the monotonous college routine, and it will give me the exposure of working in a world class professional working environment. I'm currently completing my project with SAIL and I eagerly look forward to working with BFL! With college exams also approaching soon, it's going to be a busy but exciting time, and I'm not sure if I'll be able to write another article for quite some time now! So, until then, see you, take care and of course:-

                                                 

ALL THE BEST TO EVERYONE!!!

My First Project!!!

It's always exciting to do something for the first time in our lives. Compare that with an opportunity to do a project in one of the largest 'Maharatna' companies of India! Such is the situation in which I am in right now! I just received a project from India's largest steel producing company, Steel Authority Of India Ltd. (SAIL)! Although technically this isn't my very first project, as I have done a few minor short term projects in the past, including one under Megha Constructions Ltd., which is a recently formed private firm in Mumbai; the current project is surely the first major one I've received...!  

SAIL is one of the five 'Maharatnas' of the country's Central Public Sector Enterprises, with a turnover of US$ 10.71 billion! The company is one of the top 5 'highest profit earning' companies in the country. It is a public sector undertaking, owned by the Government of India. SAIL has more than one lakh employees, with an annual production of 13.5 million metric tonnes of steel, making it the 14th largest steel producer in the world.

Major plants owned by SAIL are located at Bhilai, Bokaro, Durgapur, Rourkela, Burnpur and Salem. According to a recent survey, SAIL is also one of India's fastest growing Public Sector Units. Besides, it has Research & Development Center for Iron and Steel (RDCIS), a Center for Engineering and Technology (CET), a Management Training Institute (MTI) and the SAIL Safety Organization (SSO), located at Ranchi. However, the main headquarters of SAIL are located only in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.

Well, that should be enough to give you an idea about the company. Now, coming down to my project, it consists of two phases! The first phase is based on SAIL's famous slogan : "There is a little bit of 'SAIL' in everyone's life!" Since steel is the primary alloy produced and marketed by SAIL, I have to prepare a project on the journey of 'steel' from ancient times to contemporary days, highlighting the properties of steel, the history of steel-making and it's modernization, the steel industry and finally, it's uses, all in great detail. The second phase of the project is a little bit tougher, to which I'll be introduced once I complete the first phase. It'll involve current marketing policies of SAIL and I'll be needed to give my own views on how to increase the production of steel and other similar issues based on study. The entire project would be integrated as a continuation of the work done by me in last year's summer intern under the Central Marketing Organisation of SAIL. But all that will happen in due course of time, after I first finish the task at hand.

All in all, I'm really excited! This year has been pretty good to me till now, and I don't want to jinx it by saying this. I've gone through a lot in recent times and I hope that this project opens new gateways for me, paving the path towards a happier and brighter future! I still have to get a confirmation from Bharat Forge Ltd. to finalize this year's Summer Intern and I have many things in mind. But for now things are looking good, and I only wish that they get better!!!... A special thanks to all those who have helped me get this far in my career, especially my father!!... Feels good to be saying this after a long time :-

    BE THE FORCE !!!...

'KASHI YATRA'

'Kashi Yatra', originally meaning "pilgrimage to Kashi", is also the name chosen for the cultural festival of our college, IIT(BHU) Varanasi. But, despite it's meaning, it's far from being any kind of 'pilgrimage'! Its a youthful and fun-filled event with competitions in art, literature and theatre; and it also involves dance, music and an electrifying fashion show!...

To give a short description of the events, 'Kashi Yatra' includes 'Toolika' (an art competition). Toolika comprises of 'pot painting', 'T-shirt painting', 'tattooing', 'face painting', 'sketching' and other such events. Its a great opportunity for artists to show off their skill and finesse. Then there are the 'plays', in which fine actors participate, displaying their fantastic theatrical skills. The fest also includes 'Samvaad' (debate, extempore, quizzes and other literary events), 'Kavi Sammelan' (the poets' get together), 'Crosswindz' (the rock concert), 'Bandish' (the singing competition) and 'Natraj' (the dance competition), where dancers put up an awe-inspiring performance every year! There are other major events too, but to give every detail, would take a considerably greater amount of time and effort.

But the thing which is the most awaited and looked forward to, each year, is the fashion show 'Mirage', which gives us the opportunity to look at regular college students in a whole new light, if you know what I mean to say! I must admit that the guys are mostly interested in the gals, who look like sizzling hotties, dressed in high voltage Indian and Western outfits! The professionalism showed by the Mirage teams is amazing, in that they can transform anyone, with the right attitude and average looks, into a gorgeous looking star!

On the last day of the fest, every year, a 'music guru' is invited, in an event called 'Antarnaad', who can enthrall us with his voice and mark the end of Kashi Yatra, with a high-sounding bang. All in all, Kashi Yatra presents us with a very high platform to hone our talents to such an extent, which can sometimes even surprise us ourselves. This year, I participated in the Quiz Competition and in Creative Writing, whose results are still awaited. The turnout increases each year and the number of people participating has increased exponentially in the past few years.

I hope that this national level cultural fest keeps on getting such a positive response in the coming years too, and the increasing number of sponsors, and the reputation of 'Kashi Yatra', can one day, transcend it to an international event! So, until the next KY guys:-

KASHI YATRA ROCKS!!!...