Exhausted with a day full of stimulation around business, technology, academia and government, the audience needed something different. The banquet session did very much the same. Studded with the likes of Kiran Bedi (Retd. IPS Officer), Sudha Murthy (Chairperson, Infosys Foundation), Shashi Deshpande (Writer), and Raj Kumar Khatri (Commissioner of Industrial Development, Govt of Karnataka) the stage was set for some different strokes. Moderated very well by Kris, the panel was the highlight of the day.
Narrating instances from her wee days at police, Kiran Bedi stressed upon the need to generate resources without complaining. She urged the audience to focus on what's available and what you want to achieve. Calling policing as 'legal social engineering', Kiran mentioned about galli schools that have evolved to become Navjyoti Community College, recognized by IGNOU. Another being Safe India e-Complaint which allows citizens to file police complaints over the internet. Yet another being India Police which aims at providing education to the children of cops. She appealed to the youth to add something before and something after money, ie. Ethics before making money and a purpose after. And then making money is not bad. In her highly inspirational and candid talk, she said that courage is the single most important element of success. She maintained that Business Schools for the Poor, Community Colleges, and Home Care Industry have a huge potential for propelling future growth.
In her down to earth style, Sudha Murthy confessed that being impractical is her greatest strength and biggest motivation. This impractical approach has helped her build compassion. For her, discipline and creativity aren't opposite, but one drives another. She urged youth to run after passion and not money, as life is a colorless picture and you can color it as you wish to. Having quizzed on work-life balance, Sudha said that one needs to lead a balanced life and discipline helps in doing so. Sudha opined that telling stories and giving real life examples are the best ways to inspire people. While doing so, never be judgmental, let the students derive conclusions.
Shashi furthered the sentiments by narrating her early career struggle as a writer and how persistence helped her reach to this level. She said that writers have a rather tough life owing to little social dealing and often one is left alone. It's only the self confidence that helps sail through. To her, being true to oneself and working for no external reason are important to a satisfying life. She also said that having a compartmentalized approach, one for work and one for family, has helped her largely.
Raj added his experiences too on how vital it is to be driven by the concerns of clients (citizens of the country) while sighting instances from managing the Global Investor Meet at Bangalore. Raj complemented the panelists very well and one could see the sparks flying on the stage.
A brilliant finish to a very insightful day. Thanks CII and all the organizer for such a fulfilling gift.
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