The BGM Team is thrilled to present one of the many elite BITSians, Mr. Sabeer Bhatia as a speaker in the BITSAA Global Meet, Delhi 2011.  Sabeer Bhatia is one of the poster boys for the Indian success story at Silicon Valley. Known as the man who Cofounded Hotmail, he is famous for his negotiation skills with which he managed to break a deal of selling Hotmail to Microsoft for 400mn USD in 1997.

Sabeer Bhatia started his undergrad education at BITS Pilani, and after a couple of years he qualified for a transfer scholarship to California Institute of Technology. After graduating from CalTech, he did his MS. (Electrical) from Stanford (’89). After dropping out from Phd, his career started with a small stint at Apple and then worked for a startup company called FirePower Systems Inc. where he spent two years. He later quit to Cofound Hotmail along with Jack Smith.

After Hotmail, Sabeer founded Arzoo.com. His other entrepreneurial ventures include Blogeverywhere.com, Live-Documents.com and Sabsebolo.com. He presently is the Co-founder and Chairman at Sabse Technologies. His future plans include the development of a new city in India called Nanocity with an aim to replicate the vibrancy and eco-system of innovation found in the Silicon Valley.

Its an honor to have Mr. Bhatia as one of the speakers at BGM.  Mr. Bhatia is equally excited and said that he is more than happy to participate and be a part of the BITSAA Global Meet.

Welcome to the all new series of ‘Speaker Spotlight’, here on the BGM Blog. You will be introduced to the most eminent personalities and leaders from varied fields who will be the distinguished speakers at the BGM event in January.

To start off the series we have Mr. Rajesh Hukku. A EEE Graduate from the ’74 batch, he is currently the Chief Strategy Officer of Financial Services at Oracle Corp.  He previously served as the Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Financial Services Global Business Unit at Oracle Corp.  Chairman of the erstwhile i-Flex.

As the CEO (appointed in 1992), he was the architect of  the success story of i-Flex solutions [now known as Oracle's Financial Services Global Business Unit (FSGBU)], from a player primarily in the emerging markets, to India’s first global software product company and the leading IT solutions provider to the financial services industry in the world today.

Mr. Hukku is recognized as a visionary entrepreneur and has spoken at the World Economic Forum Summit, the Asia-Pacific Leadership Summit, Harvard Business School and various prestigious banking forums, including the World Congress of Bankers in Jamaica and the Latin American Business Convention. He has been the recipient of the Government of India’s most prestigious IT award – ‘The Dewang Mehta award for Innovation in IT’ in 2003.

We look forward for an incredible discussion with Mr. Rajesh Hukku and get to know him more through valuable interactions at the BGM.

Memory is the stuff BITSian legends are made of. We invite you to blog about yours and make them legendary…

The BGM is kick starting its blogging competition this week.
The contest is simple: Blog about anything related to BITS.

And don’t forget the difference pictures can make to the post.

The aim of the contest is to build a memory bank of Pilani experiences across batches and give them the visibility it deserves.

All that your post needs to do attract our judges’ notice is to tell a story, any story centered around BITS-

Let a collective secret out of the bag, talk about an incident that defined your time at BITS, chronicle your batch traditions, indulge in some Nutan nostalgia or make us laugh with zaniest antics your wing was up to at college. Simply put, relive your most memorable Pilani moments on paper.

Prizes:
In addition to getting featured in the forthcoming issues of the BITSAA newsletter, winners will get BGM T-shirts.

 Guidelines:
1. Post a link to your blogpost in the comments’ section of this page.

This is really important, for the link helps us track your blog posts for judging.
 
2. There is no limit to the word count per post or to the number of posts you can write.

3. The Judges’ decision is final and binding.

4. 2 winners will be chosen every 30 days.

Here are some blogging websites, in case you do not have a blog already.
WordPress, Blogger, Livejournal

Nostalgia is a two way street where hopeful visions run parallel to backward glances. In the first of a series of interviews with the BGM organizing committee, CS Goel (1979, MMS), CEO, BGM shares his memories of Pilani and his thoughts on the global meet.

At school I was an introvert with a somewhat pessimistic view of life. By the end of my first year, I had gained self-belief and was acquainted with almost everybody. I was a part of the Central Mess committee in my second year and went on to become its General Secretary. The mess workers remember me fondly after these thirty years. Whenever I go back they make my coffee exactly the way I liked it at college-right to the number of spoons of sugar!

When I reflect on my college experiences, I realize that life would not have been the same but for BITS. I manage my family business and what helps me in my interactions with people is the confidence I acquired at college. And of course, being known as a BITS Pilani graduate always works in my favour.

Classes apart, we spent a lot of time outside the campus gates, especially at Nutan for our ritual 2 am chai. Pity it isn’t being allowed anymore.

Before starting out on PS-II, I got married. In fact I took my wife along to Gujarat where I spent a semester working for Indian Rayon Corporation! I believe the PS programme is the biggest advantage that an education at BITS affords you.

When I attended the silver jubilee celebrations of the Delhi chapter, I was floored by its organization and started to participate actively. I have always looked up to Vinod Puri (Batch of ‘52) and seniors from the Delhi chapter as role models and they continue to motivate me to give back to my college. I coordinated the 25th year reunion of my batch and we managed a turnout of 110, a record participation at that time. The members of the Delhi chapter are family and we got so much closer during the 50th year celebration of the chapter. Our kids are as enthusiastic as any of us when it comes to chapter events!

Of course, living in Delhi makes it easier. I have visited campus more than ten times since I first left it. Everything feels the even though there’s a new library and there are so many more girls around. In my time there weren’t more than a hundred girls on campus. My batch could count only 15 women among its 400.

And the current crop has been so enterprising! Most of us looked the other way from business, preferring to take up a job or to study further upon graduating. Today, entrepreneurship has emerged as a viable choice among the student community. The administration should persist in encouraging start-ups.

Today the administration is keen on investing in Pilani to ramp up the infrastructure and develop research. The hostels could do with some renovation, the boys’ hostel are almost cell-like in their layout with the grilled windows and the restrictions.

I was quite impressed with the Goa campus, felt like a holiday resort!

BGM should go a long way in channeling alumni support for Pilani. We have met with excellent response from chapters everywhere. Indore, Poona, Jaipur and Nagpur especially, have shown a great deal of spirit.

In the past 4-5 years, the administration has welcomed alumni inputs and now they are supportive of BGM as well. Prof. Raman and Prof. B.R. Natrajan have been very helpful and I should say, the student volunteers have done a very good job with the web site.

The internet makes such a difference to our outreach efforts. I remember the days I used to circulate invites to members by post. It used to take 3 days and I had to keep the addresses continually updated!

I’m slowly finding my feet with online social networks. I created a Facebook profile because my BGM activities required it. When I changed my marital status to “married”, this update popped up- “CS Goel got married 54 minutes ago.” Gave my family a good laugh!

I would like BITSians across batches, especially those based in NCR to contribute to BGM. No part is too insignificant or too humble. Even registering at the BITSAA site and adding to the database counts. I expect the meet to be a success because teams are coming together so harmoniously to get work done. At the same time I would like to remind everybody that this meet is a first of its kind for BITS Pilani and as first attempts usually do, it will serve as a learning experience.

We all have seen our respective campuses transforming through the years, via updates from the on-campus people on social media, newsletters, etc. Wouldn’t it be wonderful, if there’s a central repository depicting this transition which could be supported by comments from alumni belonging to the particular vintage. We could walk through the pages any-time we want and also re-live,our own times at our campus in the process.

With the entire BITSian fraternity getting together at the first BITSAA Global Meet(BGM) this January 2011, we’d like to leverage this opportunity to create such a galleria of the BITSians, for the BITSians and by the BITSians. We call it ’iRemember’.

We urge you to participate in this initiative by sharing snaps or videos from your times at  campus on Facebook fan page of  BGM  and tagging as many of your batch-mates as possible. We are certain that this will kick-off a nostalgic discussion via the comments on the photo!!

A collection of the snaps shared on this wall, shall be used to create a photo-album (sort of BITS-Opus) and might be distributed as a souvenir at the BITSAA Global Meet 2011. The Opus will also help us look at the growth of BITS-Pilani through the years. Evolution of the ‘new-wings’,'T-wings’ ,’FDs’, ‘M,S,D,C lawns’ and then the new campuses at Dubai, Goa and Hyderabad. So, do remember to mention your batch and the location in the snap-tags. We look forward to an excellent response from all of you!

BGM Organizing Team

First post! Welcome to BGM 2011!

Everyone from the BITSAA Global Meet team would like to say a big ‘Hello’. With all the dialogue swirling around the atmosphere regarding the BITSAA Global Meet, we have a lot to say and keep you updated about the upcoming event through mails and a dedicated blog like this.

First things first, the genesis to celebrate BGM 2011 with our fellow BITSians sprouts from the following facts (although not an exhaustive list) -

• It has been 50 years since the 1st Batch enrolled at BITS
• BITS has grown into 4 fully functional campuses – Pilani, Dubai, Goa, Hyderabad
• Our alumni are spread across 15+ countries
• We need to take the ‘BITS’ brand to the next level
• We have to enhance inter-chapter and inter-batch relations
• We have never had a global meet so far

Before we start sounding dreary, let us get some basic FAQ(s) cleared in the very first post.

Q) Who are attending the event?

A) BITSians who are academicians, government officials, policy makers, entrepreneurs, CXOs & veterans from varied industries across different batches. We will shortly launch a ticker scrolling on the homepage to show the registered BITSians.

Q) What are some of the special attractions of BGM 2011?

A) You can expect a huge number of sessions/programs and definitely lots and lots of fun. A sampler of what is being planned is –

• Great minds speak: Keynote speeches, panel discussions, un-sessions
• Trip to Pilani: Down the memory lane
• BITSian style enthu: Mime, music, dance, contemporary art showcase

We will soon come out with a detailed description of what is planned for a productive & fun-filled 3-day conference in the Content & Agenda section of the BGM website.

Q) What is the theme of the conference?

A) ‘Transforming Society, Enterprises & Academics through Innovation’. We believe every BITSian irrespective of his/her discipline, profession, field and experience can connect with this theme and leverage from it. It truly captures the BITSian spirit and is pertinent in a global context too.

Q) When/Where?

A) 7^th to 9^th January, 2011 at Epicenter, Delhi/NCR

Q) Should I register for BGM and attend the meet?

A) We partially know the answer but believe it is a resounding ‘YES’. Please register by following the steps in http://www.bitsaaglobalmeet.org/registration.html. Please ensure you avail the early-bird discounts by acting soon.

Q) How can I help?

A) You can also help to make the event successful by -

• Your mere presence during the conference
• Volunteering to lend a helping hand
• Encouraging your friends and other BITSians you know to register
• Evangelizing the event in your company for sponsorships
• Donating funds and in many many other ways…
• Please evince your interest to help in any form by shooting a mail to bgm@bitsaa.org

Q) Who is organizing the BGM 2011?

A) The Global Meet will convene under the guidance and support of the Chancellor, Pro-Chancellor, Vice Chancellor along with Directors of all the BITS campuses. The BGM is being jointly hosted by  BITS Alumni Affairs Division, BITSAA International, BITSAA Delhi (anchor of the meet), BITSAA Chennai, Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad, Indore, Kolkata, Mumbai, Jaipur, Nagpur, East Coast USA, Silicon Valley, Australia, UK and many other chapters worldwide.

This meet is being chaired by Mr. Vinod Puri(1960-64), Founder-Vipko Engineers and former President and Secretary of the BITSAA Delhi Chapter. The co-chairs of the event comprise of Mr. Sudip Jain (1986-90), IAS Officer from Chennai known for his role in BITSunami; Mr. Prem Jain (1966-71), Sr. VP Cisco Systems known for spearheading the BITSConnect project and Prof. Arya Kumar (1972-1982), Group Leader Eco-Fin Dept. known for his leadership in the CEL. Mr. CS Goel (1974-79), Founder-Goel Engineers and former Treasurer of the BITSAA Delhi Chapter and Mr. Sarath Kolla (1993-98), Founder-Yugaa Solutions and former CTO of BITSAA Intl are the CEO and COO of the meet respectively.

Over time, you will hear from the other BITSian voices that are volunteering for BGM 2011. Together, we will share the updates and keep you abreast with the latest happenings about this Mega Event. We encourage you to comment and join this journey.

BGM Organizing Team