Story of enterprise and courage
M. S. S.VARADAN
GO KISS THE WORLD: Subroto Bagchi; Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11, Community Centre, Panchsheel Enclave, New Delhi-110017. Rs. 399.
This is a delightfully written autobiography of a successful executive in the IT sector who rose to the top of the ladder through a combination of early parental grooming to face life equitably, sheer will power and a combination of fortuitous circumstances. Contrary to what one would imagine as the background of such a person to be a brilliant software engineer, he was neither an engineer nor a software developer, but had a political science background.
The book begins with Subroto Bagchi’s early years in the backyards of Orissa. With his father being in the state government service and shifted around periodically to various districts, displacement was the order of the day and the author connects it with the self- confidence that it helped to create in him. He states, “When you are continuously displaced, you make friends easily. You have low expectations from the unfamiliar; hence you are more pleasantly surprised than frustrated when faced with life’s many ups and downs. You explore everything around you, develop curiosity — new lands, customs, food, and ways of doing things begin to draw you in. You learn to survive on the strength of who you are, just for this day, today.”
Corporate reality
The next part deals with the making of the young professional starting with his working life as a clerk in a government office and finally ending up co-founding MindTree – India’s first venture-funded IT services company to get publicly listed. Interesting incidents are narrated from his early life in dealing with organisational politics in traditional Desi companies such as DCM, modern Desi outfits like HCL, emerging IT giants like Wipro and in multinational companies like Lucent setting up shop in India.
The genuine accounts given of various instances and personalities help the reader get immediately connected to the Indian corporate reality in its various shapes and forms, whether of older vintage or of modern origin.
The third part deals with the author’s journey in his Forties which he calls the “defining period.” As he puts, it is alluring, and ruthless in its ability to weed out most contenders while pushing up the chosen one. The experiences narrated while trying to set up an office-cum-residence of MindTree in the U.S., is amusing as well as interesting.
Utilising the talent of the spastic society of Karnataka for MindTree is portrayed very touchingly. Every MindTree facility designed is a museum of art produced by the children of the Spastic Society of Karnataka. The values of MindTree, known by the acronym CLASS (caring, learning, achieving, sharing and social responsibility) are noteworthy.
Lessons
The author has drawn some lessons from his life which have been conveyed in simple terms: it’s all in the mind; the power to receive; to get, you must first give; connect with people; life is constant negotiation; the slippery slope of overachievement; the marginal person is important; passion is what passion does; the power of resilience; the key to happiness is not money; look beyond yourself; real men say sorry; learn to forgive yourself and self-doubt is positive. Each of these is backed by his own life experiences.
The author has combined factual narration of events in a spicy manner with humane touches of personal reflection and his own dilemmas from time to time and how the events shaped themselves. He took life as it came, without ever complaining. The title itself is derived from what his mother told him at her deathbed.
For many young professionals it could be a real eye-opener. It is a very welcome story, particularly as it is from one who is home grown and has reached the pinnacle of a coveted field. The Indian ethos is well reflected in the book. For the emerging “global Indians of today” it will be fascinating reading of the kind of effort that contributes to success internationally.
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