Branding India

I read this book The IITians, by Sandipan Deb, who is currently the managing editor of Outlook , and [my chest swells at this] an alumnus of my institute, my hall RK Hall.

The book is a tribute to the greatest post-Independance brand India has ever produced: IIT. A lot of alumni come together to discuss how the IITs have made them what they are [and they are real achievers]. Sandipan has toured the whole world meeting IITians, and finding how IIT has changed them, made them successful, and spawned new friendships [and in some cases relationships] that will last a lifetime. Almost all are unanimous that they entered IITs as boys, and graduated as men.

Besides, most alumni are not confident about how much they learned in academics. However, what they learned outside the class, slogging it out in the gymkhana, conquering the sports complexes, revelling in the auditoriums, winning and losing the elections, zealously suppohas left more of an indelible mark on their personality and character. These extra-curriculars were the mainstream for many successful IITians, and studies took a backseat in the intense competition and inter-hall rivalries. Even people like Nandan Nilekani confess that they learnt all they know about management while organizing Mood Indigo, the cultural festival at IIT B.

Most IITians can identify with the innumerable memorable events described in the book, from Inter-IIT Sports meets to the Inter-Hall Social and Cultural events like dramatics and literary events. In fact, there is a chapter RK Ka Tempo, which will make any IITian nostalgic. It speaks about the intense inter-hall rivalries, the victory processions, the sleepless nights spent preparing for the events, and even using unscrupulous ways of making your hall win.

In fact, most IITians believe that IIT did not just provide them a sound grounding in physical concepts and technological primers but gave them a well-rounded education. The most important thing IIT gave them, feel most alumni, is the confidence, the street-smartness, and the practical problem solving skills. Add to that the tough living conditions, and you had a person who could not just stay anywhere in the world but ace any competition there, if he so wanted.

Sandipan has also tried to profile some IITians who stand out in their fields. Prof. Ashok Jhunjhunwala at IIT Madras, who is striving to revolutionize rural telecommunication in the country, Aravind Gupta, who is trying to change the way children are taught science by making it experiment based, Dunu Roy, the political environmentalist, who was involved in the Shahdol experiment, Susan Chacko, a female IITian [what's that ???] besides the more famous and known names in Indian and International Business.

However, I do feel, the book remains a tad biased about the ones who have made big in business and are frequently showcased in the media like Arjun Malhotra, Rono Dutta, Victor Menezes, Nandan Nilekani, Vinod Gupta and many others. However, I feel it was really silent about many other successful IITians who are hitting the roof in Universities in India and abroad, and doing some wonderful and path-breaking research work. These section of IITians have been left in the lurch by Sandipan and I feel he should have done some more research on them. Even Sandipan's list of successful IITians shows hardly any scientists or professors, and believe me they flock there in large numbers. Just have a look at the faculty page of any top American university, Harvard, Stanford, MIT: and you will notice that the biggest ethnic minority is Indians.

All in all, the book was an awesome read, and the first thing that comes to my mind after having read the book is pride.

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"I have a dream" --- only when i'm sleepin'