Wednesday 9 March 2016

an Entrepreneur

Saturday March 5, 2016. Indeed, it was a day that I will remember for rest of my life. 

Dr Jayant Patil, Principal RC Patel Institute of Technology is connected with me on Facebook. He is an IITian and Doctorate. I am lucky to call him friend by virtue of social media connection. Dr Patil called me two weeks back and said "I read your blogs. Why don't you share your experience on entrepreneurship with final year students of mechanical engg of our college?" I happily nodded positively only to feel later, if I have made mistake by saying "yes". I also felt as if some one is asking Ashish Nehra to coach budding batch of batsmen.  

I kept aside all negative vibes and reached Shirpur at 8:30 am. And believe me, I was taken a back with the prosperity this college and town possess. The huge college building, properly maintained lush green lawn, air conditioned class rooms, thousands of computers placed in many labs, workshop equipped not with education models but actual machines, king size play ground, library filled with books of all the topics under the sun and I could sense the positive energy all around the premises. 

And what a town it is! Widened concrete roads, no signs of water shortage despite we are on the blink of summer, municipality with under ground drainage system all across town, water table which once went down to 350 ft has come back to 30 ft because of numerous water conservation projects, a textile park offering jobs to thousands of young people and also offering ready market to cotton producer who were otherwise sending cotton to other states, gold refinery. Ya! you read it right, a gold refinery. Yes, my friends, I am talking about a town which is very much located in our nation, in our state called Shirpur. I was watching this whole development process led by visionary Mr Amrish Patel. 

Exactly at 11 am, I started my speech on entrepreneurship development in front of 110 young engineers with 15 professors. I just asked them, if I can speak in Marathi. There was big sigh of relief in me when all of them agreed. I know, I can better express myself in my mother tongue. Within no time, I could hold grip on audience. There was time when laughter erupted and many a time they clapped. This was my first experience to hold interactive session with so many young people. I do not know what students and professors thought of it, but I thoroughly enjoyed those 120 minutes. Yes, I was talking for good 2 hours. I have opened many cards, principles on which I nurtured this business. And believe me, I received standing ovation and big round of applause. No wonder, I would hear that clapping sound for many years to come. The two girls were reading thanks giving speech and I was mesmerized with the experience I had some minutes before.  

I know Rajesh, who has once traveled inter cities across India by every known mode of transport and now a frequent flyer. I also know Rajesh, who once commuted on M 80 for sales calls and now commutes in air conditioned car to attend business meetings. I like him. No doubt about it. But I love Rajesh, who at the age of 12 could not speak even for 3 minutes and today could hold his feet for 120 minutes with extempore talk. I admire this Rajesh than other two cases. Indeed, I consider it as an achievement. 

Normally, speaker leave that flower bouquet on the stage once function is over. But I carried it along with myself. I wanted to carry those 120 minutes along with rose aroma which was practically spreading over my brain, my heart and in fact every part of my body. 

To my utter surprise, Dr Patil offered me a packet with money. In fact, we never spoke of it and so I denied. But Dr Patil saw to it that I accept it. I could have same joyous feeling which I had while taking my first salary when I was 21 or for that matter same joyous feeling which I had when  I received a cheque for column writing in Dainik Samna, last year. The amount was never important, the key was deep satisfaction feeling at the bottom of heart. 

I just distributed the amount among employees who completed 5 years in my company. They are responsible ones for what I am today.......an Entrepreneur.  

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