Life is, how you look at it!

Sometimes it so happens that, some incidences happens unknowingly and they get etched on your mind forever. It is not the incidence which you recollect, but the person who responds to that incidence remains so close to your heart, that’s the reason you get that feeling, “Yaar, iss Bande me dum he” For me this feeling is as old as almost a year, when I was in Kolhapur. I was with my boss, we were about to leave that place, and one little boy around 12 years old, ran towards us in School uniform, well combed hair, tidy dress, and good smile on face. Sir, do you need rag to clean your bike? I am having some good rags with me, only for 20 bucks. And he started to convince me to buy at least one rag from him, but unfortunately I already bought one just the day before, which I told him. Then he said it will be helpful if I buy that rag from him, as he needed the money to pay his school fees. Hearing this I got bit sentimental and I offered him 50 bucks and said I already have one rag with me, you keep this money for your education fees. He refused to take money and said he will only take money if I buy something from him. His self-esteem put me in an awkward position. My boss was behind me, he said, “Nikhil he won’t take money, until you buy something from him” as a result I bought the rag from him, he said thank you with a big smile, and went to next person for the same.

During our lunch time when we were having our meal, I asked my boss, why he didn’t take the money? Manager replied, Self-respect, he answered in one word. Because he was boss, I avoided further discussion, but my mind was battling with the thoughts that if his self-respect was that much important then why he told his need on the first place. From my point of view, if he is selling goods on the streets, instead of giving that time to study, how he could do justice to his academics. Sometimes you need to cut corners, to achieve your goals. That doesn’t mean you should do things which doesn’t fit to your values. But one should be wise enough to look the things from other perspective and there is nothing wrong in it. If he could have taken those 50 bucks as a scholarship it could have save his time of selling two rags less and he could have utilize this for his study. After all Life is how you look at it. You may say glass is half empty, or in other words glass is half full.

Pune Gold Rush!

It is said that when a company gives direct job to 10 people it means it gives 50 indirect job to others. Same is the condition happening in Pune.  A small city, a city with abundant greenery around, a city with historical importance, a city known as education hub, and of course a pensioner’s city. Of late this has changed a lot. The city which was known for its peaceful life is now experiencing a gold rush and life hasn’t been same since then as it used to be. It all started in the year Y2K. Initially nobody knew the potential of this thing. Yes, initially it was just the Thing now it has become the boom. Everybody wants to become a part of it. Right from a fruit vendor to builder, from an institution to the farmer.  Let’s understand why?

Software companies here, are mainly service base, they takes up the projects from developed countries complete it and supply to them. This is all happening because labor here is less economical, but skilled, and cost incurred is in rupees. That’s why IT companies are flourishing here. Basically we are doing someone else’s laundry work but in less cost. But  then the question remains  why people are still getting attracted towards it. The reason is MONEY! Because what is considered as less there, is consider more here. It’s a win win situation for both.  

Initially when this all was new here, People working it IT were limited, and companies were making huge profits. So a Software guy used to make 25-30 k at the start of his career. A guy who just passed out of college earning that kind of money used to spend also in a same way. Saturday Sunday pubs used to full of IT crowd.  Software engineers looked like rock stars and Software companies looked like rock bands to the society. Who doesn’t want to earn the money? So lot of colleges started coming up with different computer courses, Bcs, Mcs, BCA, MCA, BE in computer, BE in Information Technology and what not. Because of ‘Hinjewadi’ all western part of Pune Wakad, Baner, Pashan started to flourish. Then came the ‘Magarpatta city’ to the south east area of pune which flourished Hadapsar, Korgaon park and camp area, then it was ‘Talwade IT park’, the north side of Pune which flourished the Moshi, Chakan and Dehu road. Now with ‘Eon IT park’ at eastern part of the pune flourished the Kharadi, Nagar road and Vimannagar.

When we talk about “Flourished” what exactly it means? The real estate rate of these areas increased. These areas were nothing but the farms and barren lands of farmers. Today these guys are moving with nothing less than a Fortuner and almost half a kg gold on them. Every Dr want to settle his clinic in these areas. Every baniya wants to open his shop in these area, just because IT people spends like anything. So like I said “when a company gives direct job to 10 people it means it gives 50 indirect job to others”.  If this progress continues for even less than a decade then Pune and Mumbai will match up on financial level. I am sure that this gold rush will continue, because the real money is yet to come!