Hello
As promised, and as reminded by M.Singh, I shall launch the recap section.
I did what the rest of the bachelors did in Mumbai from 1996-99 - trudged along the locals from Andheri to C'gate, hopped onto share-a-cabs to N.Point and slogged my butt off for somewhere between 2-4 lakh rupees (different matter that the headlines in pink dailies today scream out salaries of 2 lakh $). All three years were diligently spent at American Express Bank (my campus offer). KD and Charnail were my partners-in-crime but I consider myself fortunate to be in Mumbai as opposed to their far off postings! :-)
Somewhere in 1998, I wanted to get out to S'pore/HK - to get moving on structuring and trading fancy derivatives - what my job in Mumbai introduced me to but never delivered on. The Asian crisis had other ideas for me and left me itching to get out and see the world - the tech route was not an option and, thus, began the 2nd-MBA exodus. I was in the first group that did it in '99 along with Kaul, Papa and Harini (though the latter two were for a nobler Ph.D). [That was also the last time I was on campus - to get recos from Sundi]. I think 10 others followed to the US and Europe. 2 years at U.Penn (Wharton). More importantly, I met my wife - Aditi - at the U.Penn campus. She was there for the same 2 years completing her Masters in Fine Arts (easier to spell out - in every conversation that I mention it, they hear it as a 'Masters in FINANCE'!!!! Imagine that). Well, she's an artist i.e. paints and draws, professionally (her studio is now in Mumbai - moved back to India with me after 12-13 yrs in the US). She's working towards her shows in the next year and if there are shows in cities where batchmates are, I'll be sure to send invites.
(btw, no kids....yet...and the glam photo above is from my brother's wedding this August)
Graduated in the Mother-of-all-Bust years - 2001 (some contend that '02 was worse in the US). Moved to San Francisco to ABN AMRO Tech Banking. The division was let go months after 9/11. Moved back east to DC - 6 months at a start-up - and finally to my home of 3+ years - New York - in late 2002. Bumped into many batchmates here. All of that time was spent in Proj Mgmt and Biz Dev at Instinet (a Reuters co that was spliced and diced by a PE shop and sold to NASDAQ and Nomura). I had been contemplating moving back to India to pursue media/telecom opportunities for a year by then and the sale provided the catalyst. 6 months later - media jobs didn't work out - but came back to run Media/Telecom at SSKI I-Banking in Mar '06. Got hired by one of my clients as recently as last month - Deccan Chronicle (www.deccan.com) - and will continue to work here in Mumbai. My card says SVP - Strategic Planning - and who better than MBA's to know what that really means ;-)
Anything more interesting? Hmmm....well, I've bungy-jumped in Bali, started an indie film streaming site and put it on the back-burner (for now), have seen the Alhambra in Granada (its magical at night), snorkelled in Jamaica and Mauritius, wooed my wife over La Boheme (the opera) in Philly, had season tix to the Philharmonic, proposed to her in her studio, got married in Lucknow over 4th sem spring break, had a sword as an accompaniment (imagine this Chennai-bred, Andhra-born dude doing the Rajput thingey) to my wedding attire, trekked in the Lake District in England, walked the entire Left bank of Paris........hope the next 10 years are more fun.
Love to hear more interesting stories.
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