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Index
Suhas
Patil - A Visionary
Patil
was born in Jamshedpur (Bihar) in 1944 and grew up with a strong
interest in technology and science. His father repaired radios
as a part-time job, and the young Patil worked with Mechano
sets and the like and learned English so that he may read Popular
Science magazine. He once burned his fingers while attempting
to set up a Bunsen burner in his backyard. Such was a passion
he displayed for science. Patil also acquired a passion for
photography from his father.
He went to the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur where
he earned a B. Tech (Honors) degree in electrical engineering.
In 1995, the IIT conferred an honorary doctorate degree on Patil.
Last year, Patil donated $1.5 million to MIT’s Laboratory of
Computer Science.
For years he was an assistant professor of Electrical Engineering
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and later
associate professor of computer science at the University of
Utah. He entered academia soon after earning his Masters and
doctorate in electrical engineering at MIT. But between the
two university jobs, he made a fleeting return to India in the
hope of serving industry there. In the early 1970s, India was
not only way behind in technology but also its companies conducted
no research at all. The companies that wanted to hire Patil
apparently wanted him to clone existing models, not undertake
original work or research. Disenchanted, he came back to join
the University of Utah, where he expected to continue research.
After five years there, Patil’s research reached a stage where
“either somebody had to adopt it and take it further, and that’s
what I was seeking,” he once told an interviewer. That somebody
happened to be General Instrument Corporation, which had also
funded some of his earlier research. With the funding, Patil
completed work on a software that automated VLSI (Very Large
Scale Integration) design.
Although
in 1981 Patil started Patil Systems, 3 years later he joined
hands with Mike Hackworth and found Cirrus Logic, a Semiconductor
firm in the Silicon Valley. The book 'The Making of Silicon
Valley: A 100-Year Renaissance', counted Cirrus Logic among
the companies that shaped the valley.
Patil has also stepped aside from the management of the company,
and holds the position of chairman emeritus. But he is now an
active “angel” investor in the valley and a mentor to many entrepreneurs
through the non-profit organization The Indus Entrepreneurs
(TiE). Known as a visionary, Patil is said to be flooded with
business plans from young entrepreneurs.
A national magazine once said Patil only accepted business plans
in the form of 20-minute videocassettes and set up meetings
with prospective entrepreneurs only if he likes the video. Patil’s
portfolio of companies includes RightWorks and NavinMail, in
which his wife Jayshree is a senior executive.
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Index
Sanjeev
Kapoor -
Of
Ladles and Spoons!!
A
well-known chef, host of popular cookery show; author of a cookbook
and an encyclopaedia on Indian food; a line of branded products
and a franchise restaurant “Sanjeev Kapoor’s Khazana”
in Dubai named after him.
Born in April 1964, he began his quest for culinary greatness
in 1984 when he completed a three–year diploma from the
Institute of Hotel Management, Catering and Nutrition, PUSA,
New Delhi.
A career in cuisines was not what he wanted to do! "I wanted
to be an architect," he says, "but I was waitlisted."
He enrolled in Engineering, but soon realised that it was not
his cup of tea. While thinking over the problem, a friend suggested
enrolling into Hotel Management Course. "I didn't think
it was good enough," he admits honestly.
Sanjeev has launched a multimedia CD-ROM on Indian foods. He
has also authored a National Best seller under the title Khazana
of Indian Recipes. The book has been well appreciated. Khazana
of Healthy Tasty Recipes, the second book, is promising to break
records as well.
From the tava to television shows, to a titled restaurant, he's
come a long way. And to think, this was a guy who never really
wanted to be wherever he wound up. Talk about being lucky. He
has also started his own Cooking School through a franchise
network to promote Indian food. Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor is
currently working on an encyclopaedia of Indian Foods and recipe
books for the Indian and International market.
It has been his dream to make Indian food the most popular food
worldwide. Needless to say that with the attention he is drawing,
his dream may be fulfilled sooner than he expects!
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Index
S.R
Nathan - Seasoned to be the best
Most of
us, make an attempt to remember names of presidents around the
world and especially if he is an Indian. S.R Nathan is no different,
the President of the City-State Republic of Singapore.
Born in
1924 in Singapore, he started work even before completing his
secondary schooling. Mr. Nathan graduated in social studies
with a distinction from University of Malaya in 1954.
His journey
to president hood began with the initial groundwork in government
departments, which led to a good amount of experience in the
civil service of Singapore, followed by significant involvement
in foreign affairs. All this coupled with high chair positions
gave the right image for him to succeed as a president.
He joined
the civil service in 1955. His initial appointment was that
of a medical social worker. Later on he went on to assume responsibility
in Seamen's Welfare and in Labour Research. In 1966, saw his
transfer to the Foreign Ministry where he rose to a Deputy Secretary.
In 1971, he became the Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry
of Home Affairs. That year, he was shifted to Ministry of Defence
as Director with the rank of Permanent Secretary.
1979 saw
his return to the Foreign Ministry as First Permanent Secretary,
the position that he held till 1982. He left that to join the
Straits Times Press as Executive Chairman. Alongside he held
'director' position to several companies. A key position he
occupied for 9 years from 1973 was as Chairman of Mitsubishi
Singapore Heavy Industries.
In 1988,
he became Singapore's High Commissioner to Malaysia, followed
by his appointment as the Ambassador to the USA. He was called
back in 1996 to be appointed as Ambassador-at-Large. Finally
in August 1999, Mr S.R. Nathan was elected President of the
Republic of Singapore for a six-year term that ends in 2005.
He has won
several awards for his contribution to the Singapore state like
the Public Service Star in 1964, the Public Administration Medal
(Silver) in 1967 and the Meritorious Service Medal in 1974.
It is the
kind of effort and service Mr. Nathan put into his work that
led to his President ship.
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Index
Sam
Pitroda - PARAMpita!
Putting
his multi million-dollar business in the back burner, Sam Pitroda
returned to the Indian soil to give a new definition to the
term "telecommunication". It took a while to convince
the Indian bureaucracy the need for telecommunications in the
Indian scenario.
Sam Pitroda
started off his mission to make India 'Telecom-abled' by developing
a digital switching system for a fraction of the estimated cost.
Within a period of 36-months, with the help of 300 recruits
he completed his project at C-DoT (Centre for the development
of Telematics). C-DOT opened offices at Delhi and Bangalore
with a staff whose average age was 25. As the head of the Telecom
Commission, he installed one rural telephone exchange in the
country every day in 1989. By 1993, the figures moved up to
25 exchanges on a daily basis. Pitroda met his target of connecting
all 600,000 Indian villages by telephone. Till date no other
Indian has been able to achieve success at such great heights.
Back
then, in the days of Uncle Sam!
Young Pitroda got his masters degree in electrical engineering
from Illinois institute of technology. However, he had to work
his way through by working part time in a physical chemistry
lab. Funded partially by the Orissa government designed the
electronic switch, which later on went on to wiping out solid-state
technology, which was making the cumbersome manual switchboards
a thing of the past. He acquired several patents while working
at GTE, Chicago.
In 1974,
he and two other entrepreneurs founded the Wescom Switching
Inc. Six years later, they sold out to Rockwell international,
only to become one of the few Indian multi-millionaires away
from home.
The birth
of a Messiah
Back home, Pitroda convinced Rajiv Gandhi's government of the
importance of telecom in India. Soon he was recognized as "Rajiv's
IT charioteer". At a time when telecom planners were obsessed
with increasing telecom density, Pitroda stressed improvements
in telecom accessibility. At a time when people were unaware
of the Indian IT potential, Pitroda enticed global companies
to use India as a software base. GE was the first major company
to do so.
Pitroda
also played a major role in setting up the Centre for Development
of Advanced Computing in Pune, which is famous for developing
India's first supercomputer.
A genuine
visionary, Pitroda was made ''advisor to the prime minister
on National Technology Missions' and also headed the Telecom
Mission set up in 1989. The main objective of the commission
was to set up five million telephone lines all over India. The
idea was to create accessibility and not density. The Commission
soon converted all long-distance exchanges to digital, connecting
the four largest metropolitan areas, Bombay, Delhi, Calcutta
and Madras. Four hundred district headquarters were converted
to automatic dialing, and direct dialing to over 120 countries.
Back
to the US
After
Rajiv Gandhi's fall in power and the added burden of allegations
of misappropriation of power, a disillusioned Pitroda moved
base once again to return to his US home. He now chairs WorldTel.
Currently, it is pumping millions into Internet projects, and
is keenly eyeing Indian projects too.
Pitroda
continues to draw a national agenda for India in which decentralization,
and political reform and a changed mindset play vital roles.
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Index
Shatabdi
Basu - Stirring up a success story
The area
of bartending has been perhaps, one of the most neglected education
disciplines. But not anymore. Shatbhi Basu, class of 1980, Institute
of Hotel Management, Mumbai, is all set to change the alcohol
service stream. So lets drink to that!!
Basu has
recently started STIR Academy of Bartending, at the Revival
Restaurant in Mumbai. The course consists of a graduate and
refresher programme on bartending, a corporate appreciation
programme, and an amateur appreciation programme. The academy
stresses on practical programmes because knowledge of various
spirits and wines alone is not good enough.
She is also
involved with the opening of Cocktails and Dreams, a new bar
at Hotel Sands and another called The Tavern, open shortly at
the Fariyas Hotel.
Associated
with the hotel industry for over 20 years, Basu is critical
that our society is completely blind to bartending as a profession
whereas abroad it's considered a high skilled job and the good
ones command a very high price.
Basu has
also ventured into writing cocktail books. But unlike most books,
which only give endless recipes, this book is extremely practical
and tells you everything, right from the basics. The book also
covers the various sensations of taste it opens up, how to present
it and the nitty gritty of various wines and spirits.
As a parting
shot, Basu has a few tips on how to cope with terrible hangovers.
Drink plenty of water to combat dehydration caused by alcohol.
So for those of you who love to be behind the " counter"
this may just the right profession for you.
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Index
Shiv
Khera
Shiv Khera,
founder of Qualified Learning Systems Inc. USA is a motivator,
prolific speaker and the author of the best seller, You Can
Win.
He inspires
and educates people, helping them to realize opportunities across
the globe. His common sense approach and deeply rooted beliefs
have motivated thousands to re-evaluate their attitudes. His
20 years of research, understanding and experience has helped
people on the path of personal and professional growth.
His clientele
includes amongst others, Lufthansa German Airlines, ANZ Grindlays,
Bahamas Quality Council, and Boehringer Mannheim.
In 1975,
Khera migrated to Canada He graduated in commerce with a third
division. He had no academic qualification to get himself a
good job, so he ended up selling life insurance policies. His
turning point in life came when his manager fired him saying,
"Shape up or shape out." Khera then started reading
self-help books by Napoleon Hill, Thomas Harris and Norman Vincent
Peale, and attended several seminars on motivation.
Soon Khera
realised the importance of honesty, values and integrity. By
1984, Khera moved into conducting motivational programs. He
worked extensively with inmates of maximum-security prisons
in America, restoring their faith in ideals and principles.
Khera is
also pioneer of the concept of 'Total Quality People' as opposed
to 'Total Quality Management'. He believes Japanese business
is the perfect example of quality management. "It's not
about kaizen or JIT (Just In Time) or any of those buzzword
things,'' he says. "It's about pride. The Japanese believe
that everything made in Japan carries the pride of the Japanese
people with it.'' That, he says, explains their obsession with
quality.
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Index
