Perspective of Current Final Years and Alumni…

I feel quite grateful that I had the opportunity to walk this path, and that could not have happened without the help of many truly wonderful people. Landing my first job at ESRI India in itself was a stroke of luck – an opportunity afforded to me by my fellow friends and batchmates from IRS, Abinesh and Rajaram, who referred me and took me along for the ride.

I came across the opportunity at Swiss Re through a friend from school, Kavinaya, who contacted me because I was a “maps guy”.

My growth within Swiss Re is a result of the mentorship and trust relationship I have with my manager, Thomas, someone who gave me the opportunity to grow into a role in which I can drive change and lead. But most importantly, the exposure I gained during my time at IRS was what kickstarted this wonderful journey, and for that, I am forever indebted to every person on the staff. To me, that is the key – you do not undertake the journey alone. It’s only possible because of all the people around you who help you, trust you and elevate you. The only way to pay everyone back for their support is to give your 100% and more

I had an absolute blast during my time at IRS I have to admit, I was probably not the most serious, career-focused individual when I joined I still remember the day of the orientation program – that was the first time I actually understood the full scope of the Master’s program and was introduced to the world of GIS and Remote Sensing. Learning new concepts, having conversations with the professors, wandering the halls, and getting to interact with researchers gave me a very good knowledge base that I could later build on. Starting out with my thesis, I definitely struggled to get into “focus mode” and actually work on my project with commitment The conversation I had with Jayalakshmi Ma’am (my project guide) and Srinivasaraju Sir when presenting phase one of my thesis is one, I clearly remember – that was the point where I found the motivation to get “serious”. I carry that motivation to this day; it drives me to perform sincerely day in and day out

When I hire new people into our team, I like to tell them that they will find that up to 80% of what they do will be learnt on the job, and that can sometimes be shocking This is not applicable only to freshers but sometimes also to experienced professionals who are changing jobs.

That does not mean that you spend 14+4+2 years preparing for only 20% of the job, not at all Those formative years help establish who you are as a person, and give you the foundation and mental agility to scale that 80% sharply and quickly in a highly competitive environment.

I am honoured to be given this platform although I am not sure if I have the pedigree to answer this, considering all the illustrious alumni that IRS has contributed to the field! But if I have to convey a message to the current set of students, I’d ask all of you to first find your motivation. The only targets that you will find yourself attacking with full gusto are the ones that you set for yourself