"A BABE IN THE WOODS!"
This phrase best sums up my mindset after I earned a Master of Science from the University of Texas. The year was 1997, roughly seven years since the Indian economy broke out of the socialistic cocoon that had spun around it for 44 years by the post-colonial rule political leadership.
The nation was rubbing its eyes and waking up to the combined dazzle of IT and a globalized economic environment. It was clear that I had only two options: I could get a “9-to-5” gig at a multinational company or become an entrepreneur and ride the crest of the econo-tech wave that was sweeping across the country. While the first choice was a safe bet, the second came with a mix of fear and fascination. I decided to take the plunge as an entrepreneur.
As for choosing my business, there was no dilemma or difficulty. India was waking up to the infinite possibilities of IT, so I settled for IT-enabled services, which embraced an awesome array of opportunities. After several vigorous brainstorming sessions with friends, the services were short-listed to include multimedia e-learning, software development and business process outsourcing (BPO). My company was well-equipped in the first two domains and had already registered significant growth. BPO was an up-and-coming business.
At the time, we had plenty of technology but no clue where to apply it. There were mixed opinions about it within the organization, but we all agreed on one thing: We should select a domain where the application of technology was least expected. We believed our venture should be seen as something unique, a “never-before-seen” business in India. A casual conversation with a customer led us to develop a new, unplanned business model that brought tremendous success and individuality.
As we began to launch our business, we happened to meet a classical dancer who, in the course of a conversation, complained about the absence of quality tools in the dance-teaching market. Of course, there were a number of textbooks on the subject, but they were inadequate as instructional material for a visual art form. That triggered an idea: We could create a CD-ROM as a learning aid for students of Bharatanatyam, the Indian classical dance stream.
My organization’s collective multimedia and e-learning strengths were put to optimum use. And the dancer who provided the initial spark provided us with reams and reams of material on Bharatanatyam. It was a classic example of how technology could work successfully with art and create a tool that would aid students in need. Out of this wedlock between technology and art, the “Bharatanatyam – The Essence and Essentials!” CD-ROM was born.
What started as an experiment for the e-learning division has grown into an impressive array of products that teach several thousand students – all around the world – a beautiful art form. Thanks to this process, the tech team has become dance critics and the dancers have become tech savvy. It was a joyous union that wouldn’t have happened had I not taken a leap of faith and leveraged technology to follow my dreams.