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Manish Chopra
Manish Chopra

Manish Chopra

IT Consultant

Independent

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My role model
Each individual is a unique personality. I draw inspiration from those people who have demonstrated optimism for life. Some of the great personalities who have inspired me are Mahatma Gandhi, Narayana Murthy, Charlie Chaplin, Amitabh Bacchan, and many more. In 1993-94, I used to go for walks on MG Road in Bangalore. There was a beggar without any arms and legs who was brought in front of a bus stop and he lay there from morning to evening. Whenever I looked at him, He would be in a deep state of meditation, as if to have attained Moksha in this very life. Remembrance of this man also serves as a role model to me. I am a follower of few spiritual leaders, who often show us a new path to wisdom.
More about myself
Having worked inside and around data centers, a time has reached when Data Center carbon emissions are poised to surpass that of the Airlines industry. This fact has turned my attention to solar energy which is one of the only promising energy sources of our future. Further, as I switch off lights, machines and the power mains in the office, a realization blossoms. The way we get electric energy from a source, our universe also has boundless energy, where we come from. Thus one must adhere to our karma, and never forget our duties.
Degree that I recommend
Degrees with specialized skills will definitely add value.
Important lesson learned
Life is precious and long for a human who lives here. As the saying goes, "take time to live, as the world has so much to give", and thus I have learnt to remain satisfied within. One may see extreme ups and downs, but there is always a day after the night. After any setback or failure, I have struggled to get back the momentum, and every new start is better and more rewarding. Achieving goals and setting new ones has been my continuous endeavor. I share all my experiences with my elder brother, who is running 40 and is the best preacher to me till date.
Influenced by
Several personalities have been influencing in my life, my mother being the prominent one because she has always stood with me in good and bad times. My wife too is an optimist, encouraging me often. When my father passed away in the year 2000, he said to me," Bunny, you will have to struggle a lot in life". And my straight answer to him was, "Absolutely, I will daddy". A younger cousin brother of mine who died in a road accident also reminds me of life’s uncertainties. A few teachers, professors, and elders who have bestowed guidance have been influencing too.
Important decision
Taking calculated risks. Working some extra hours, both at office and home has always been a motivating factor. Decisions made in consent with family have also been fruitful. After spending 9 years in the lap of Bangalore, having shifted to Gurgaon in 2010 brought a good fortune for family and professionally.
Couple of years from now
Owing to the current growth prospects, I am working towards establishing an innovative education ecosystem, clubbed with IT consulting and market research. Having laid out a plan for these, solar technology is at the core of our growth strategy. Let us see the outcome of this in a couple of years.
Qualities needed to become a successful leader
A successful leader may or may not be righteous. Leadership does require courage, vision, confidence, patience, understanding and integrity among other traits.

We can draw a comparison of leadership from Indian epic "Ramayana", on a leader and a follower. Lord Ram is depicted as a leader and Hanuman a follower or loyalist. But both are regarded supreme in their own respect.
My family background
We are a small family, but a large extended family of relatives. My father was a doctor in Indian army and mother is a religious homemaker. She is an artist by nature and has taught painting to many-a-students. My wife is a home maker, simple, yet emotionally a strong lady, and has managed to handle the house nicely whenever I had been on official trips which were often between 1 to 2 months long. My elder brother is also married and well settled.
My achievements
The first achievement that brought a natural smile on my face was winning an inter-school chess competition along with a team, held at Bishop Cotton School, Bangalore in 1994. Later in 1998 I won medals in swimming at district level and got selected for Haryana state. In 1992, I had been selected for junior National swimming in Delhi but could not compete due to typhoid fever. Getting the first big break in career was absolutely challenging. While in the final semester of M.Sc. in late 2003, it was a difficult time due to the dot com bust still prevailing. After having applied and interviewed for many jobs, getting selected in Infosys subsidiary, when 77 candidates out 3000 could make it, was the biggest achievement. There are several professional achievements including visits to more than 10 countries ever since. I have felt extremely nice when some associates have sent goodwill messages on achieving their certification, completing a project, getting best prize or a job.
Initiative to develop a country
Some characteristics of developed countries today are a strong economic framework, limited and limiting population, infrastructure, and futuristic goals based on past performance. Still some of them are not in the best shape. Not all the countries of the world are as historic as India, in terms of civilization, and that is the reason we face a tough challenge to become a developed nation. We have traditionally been an agricultural economy, and have seen progress in many other sectors after independence. There is huge potential for improvement. As Gandhi ji said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world", we must do our level best possible. As the origin of number "0" dates back to India, we are an intellectual lot capable of spreading light. Let us change our perception, from trying to become a developed country, to being called as a leading country for the world.
Ensuring success
Having viable alternative plans in case of failure in one. Task parallelism was one trait that my college mates appreciated. Time management thus is an important factor for growing. I devote substantial amount of time on learning about an area of interest. Collaborating with associates constantly gives confidence to ensure that a project is successful.
My strongest skill
My professional strengths include a strong dedication to work, flexibility in learning, thought leadership, architecting and implementing solutions, and consulting with associates and customers. Information technology in the last few decades has worked as a catalyst to other industries, and I am happy working along with it, innovatively.
Thoughts on Education system of our country
All knowledge is created by us, humans, and it is ever expanding. Education system in India is good as compared to other countries. I believe that emphasis on both content and quality should be given equal importance. At the higher level, partnerships between enterprises and universities can make a big difference.
Brief description about me
Being a thoughtful, creative man filled with curiosity, I have learnt to move on with life confidently. In childhood I was playful and adventurous, and one would often see me on trees. Class 6th onwards my interest increased in creativity, and hobbies included working with friends on card board airplane models. Chemistry was my favorite subject in class 10th and I would read through books of classes 11th and 12th and master chemical formulas. Destiny having its own plans, sickness with typhoid in grade 10th never allowed me to have science stream in senior secondary school. The journey went on as I later gained M.Sc. in information technology. It has been more than 10 years working in the IT industry globally, doing systems integration, infrastructure management, corporate trainings, resource development, and consulting. I like reading, and knowing more about our present and past. Meditation comes to me naturally and it becomes an inspiration for performing duties peacefully.
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