bitsaa-pune

BITSAA Pune Get Together on 14th August 2010

2010-08-10T09:27:00.000-07:00

It is quiet a while since we met at last Get together in January at
NIBM where the audience were treated with Music and Songs of
yesteryears and Contemporary by BITSIANS .

Now it is time again to meet and mingle around with the fellow
BITSIANS and families and catch up on the latest from the Campus and
Alumni Chapters and network .

BITSAA - Pune has been working closely with other BITSAA Chapters in
India and abroad to organize FIRST BITSAA GLOBAL MEET since February
2010 and the efforts have culminated in holding the meet from January
07 to 09 2011 at New Delhi.

All BITSIANS and their families are invited for Dinner Meet on August
14 2010 ,the details of the which are as follows.

Venue: SYLHET, BOMBAY SAPPERS, KHADKI

Date   :    August 14, 2010, Saturday

Time   : 7.30 pm onwards

Agenda

1) Welcome Speech.
2) Global Meet Presentation.
3) Presentation by Atul Sethi.
4) Call for Pune Task Force for Global Meet.
5) Global Meet Registration-
Registration for Mega Global Event "BITSAA Global Meet" (BGM) is being
organized from 7th to 9th January 2011 at New Delhi.

Contribution:
•    Rs 250 /- per head – Covers Food ( Veg /Non Veg )
•    Rs 125 or Children
•    Rs350 /- per head - Covers Food ( Veg / Non Veg + Beverages )

Please Confirm your participation by August 10 2010 along with
following information
By email – bitsaa.pune@gmail.com / rsvirdi@hotmail.com
1) No. of guests
2) Food Preference: Veg/Non veg
3) Cell Number (For SMS communication)

You can also contact –
Ms Anita @ 020 25561566 - 0930 - 1700 hrs – Weekdays
RS Virdi - 9326074581,
Pankaj Deshpande - 9423507619 ,
Nilendra Singhal - 9372707271
Shuvadep Chakraborty – 9881460851
Saurabh Sodani - 9987015028

BITSAA Pune Get Together on 28th Nov 2009

2009-11-08T07:50:00.000-08:00

Dear Alum,

We are pleased to announce that a family get together of BITSAA Pune chapter is organized on Saturday, 28th November 2009 over dinner at CPR Club, Pashan Road, Pune. Please mark your diaries and get your party spirit and gear ready. Details will follow shortly.

--
Thanks & Regards,
BITSAA Pune

2009-09-07T10:23:00.000-07:00

BITSAA Pune is pleased to announce a talk on: “Personal Wealth Creation and Risk Management (PWCRM)” by a renowned BITSian Mr. Anand Mohan Agarwal (1975-80 EEE Batch). Anand’s mission is to create awareness about PWCRM and help individuals to take stock of their present financial position, consolidate their gains and strive for higher levels of financial success. Anand has already made over 460 presentations to over 23,000 employees of a large number of Corporate all over India. Please visit:http://fitnessfundas.googlepages.com/home to know more about it.

The presentation organized for educational purpose covers following topics:

1. Creating avenues of passive income through investment in Real Estate, Stock Market, Mutual Funds, etc.

2. Creating wealth in a Tax Efficient manner

3. Managing the avenues of passive income created

4. Understanding the financial and other risks associated with various types of investment.

5. Consolidating gains and striving for higher levels of success.

6. Covering the personal risks that each person is exposed to so that they emerge victorious even in the worst case scenario.

To prepare for the presentation, Anand has suggested to download the Welcome kit from http://fitnessfundas.googlepages.com/welcome_kit_and_feedback_form .

Presentation Details:

Date: 13th September 2009

Time: 4PM to 6 PM followed by Tea/Snacks

Venue: DECCAN GYMKHANA, Talim pavilion, 759/2, DECCAN GYMKHANA, Pune 411004

Cost: Rs 100 per person

Please feel free to bring your family/friends along. To confirm your participation, RSVP along with number of guests tobitsaa.pune@gmail.com or call at (020) 25532566 between 9 am to 5 pm on weekdays.

PS: Please note that the seats are limited. So please confirm your participation ASAP.

BITSAA Pune Annual Meet Aug 09

2009-08-04T12:33:00.000-07:00

After a long search for venue, details for the event have been finalized. Here are details of the meet.

Venue: College of Military Engg, Khadki, Pune

Time: 7:30 pm
Contribution: Rs 225/- per head

- For PS Students & Kids: Rs 175 only

- For drinks an additional contribution of Rs 50/-

Agenda:

- Welcome

- Update on BITSAA Pune

- Update from Dr. LKM on BITS

- Update from Dr. Natarajan

- Dinner and Networking

Please send in your confirmation latest by 5 pm, 17th Aug either by email to bitsaa.pune@gmail.com or by calling up (20) 25532566 between 9 am to 5 pm, Mon to Sat. Please provide following in your confirmation:

- no. of guests (specify no. of kids, if any)

- meal preference (veg/non-veg)

- Drinks preference

- Cell no. (for SMS communication)

Important Note: For security reasons, CME requires every guest to carry a photo-id for entry in their premises. So do not forget to carry your photo-id during the event.

2009-08-02T05:42:00.000-07:00

You must be wondering what's cooking that we haven't yet announced the annual meet that is usually held in August. Well to be honest, we have been trying to sync up with calendar of very distinguished people from BITS to make the annual meet that much more meaningful. BITS Pilani VC Dr. LKM and Dean Natarajan (aka Nattu) are scheduled to be in Pune for Tolani Maritime Institute's convocation. They are going to be here for 2-3 days however their schedule is packed. So we were trying to get a slot so that we could have them for the annual event. Finally they have confirmed their availability for 21st August which is a Friday. Though it is a working day, we know members would usually not mind cutting few hours from their work to meet with VC and Dean. So plan your diaries. We are working to get a venue at central location and suitable for the event. If you have any suggestions for venue, you are most welcome. We will be finalizing the venue and programme details in next couple of days and communicate. You will find that the wait was worth it!

"The New World of Global Innovation - A 24x7 Knowledge Factory" - A talk by Suresh Sharma

2009-04-26T01:19:00.000-07:00

Please note a slight change in the program announced in previous post.
Date: Sunday, 26th April
Time: 3:00 p.m. (Pl. be there by 2:45 pm)
Venue: Conference Hall, Deccan Gymkhana Club, Pune

Talk will be followed by Networking and High Tea. Tea with light snacks would be served. There is not contribution for this event, however, a confirmation is necessary.

RSVP: Email: bitsaa.pune@gmail.com Or
call RS Virdi: 93260-74581
Pankaj K: 94225-26687
Pankaj D: 94235-07619
Nilendra: 93727-07271
Anurag: 98811-35987
Shuvadeep: 98814-60851

2009-04-20T08:15:00.000-07:00

BITSAA Pune is glad to announce a talk on "The New World of Global Innovation ... a 24/7 Knowledge Factory" - by renowned Bitsian Suresh Sharma, CEO Innovault Inc. Please find below some details about the talk. Venue is being finalized at the center of the city (nearby Shivajinagar) and will be commmunicated shortly. Kindly RSVP to bitsaa.pune@gmail.com or call (20)-25532566 between 9 am to 5 pm before Thursday 5 pm.

It is great opportunity to meet a successful entrepreneur and thought leader and get his expert perspective on changing dynamics of Global Innnovation.

Date: Sunday, 26th April
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Venue & Contribution: Being Finalized (will be communicated shortly)

Suresh Sharma - A brief Profile
=========================
Suresh, a BITS-Pilani alum & a former GE business leader, is internationally known for his thought-leadership, pragmatic vision, operational excellence, inventions and entrepreneurial successes.

Currently, he is President and CEO of Innovolt, Inc., with its HQ at Atlanta USA. The company was nominated as Top 10 fastest growing in Georgia USA. He is also a Managing Partner in an Enterprise Investment Fund focused on SMEs in Emerging Markets, especially in India.
Co-author of the best-selling book “Global Outsourcing: Executing an Onshore, Nearshore and Offshore Strategy” (www.mivarpress.com), Suresh, over past 15 years, has played leading roles in setting up and running major facilities in manufacturing, R&D, Engineering Services, IT, Retail, BPO (Business Process), and Healthcare in U.S.A., India, Mexico, China, Canada, EU, Eastern Europe, and Rest of Asia.
One of his well-known expert areas has been his outstanding hands-on experience of doing Business Integration of many Cross-border Mergers and Acquisitions - globally - thus translating inorganic growth into organic business growth.
His prior industry experience includes working with British Aerospace plc and Rolls-Royce in England, MATRA in France, and NASA at Hampton VA. He started his early career in India as Naval Officer.
An active community and professional leader, Suresh serves on the Board of Directors of several companies, including publicly-traded ones, universities, and other organizations

IUCAA Event: A bright star in BITSAA Pune cosmology

2009-02-07T09:10:00.000-08:00

What an event! At IUCAA event, we had one of the largest turnout ever for a BITSAA Pune event. The event was kicked off by Prof Naresh Dadich by giving everyone a brief about IUCAA campus and the design fundas behind its exotic architecture. We then had a session from Arvind Gupta who took everyone for a ride into a fantastic world of scientific toys.

With his session, everyone got a very refreshing perspective and a clear message: It doesn’t require expensive toys, coaching or an Ivy League school for solid education of kids, however, it requires inculcation of a scientific approach and attitude into them. And how easily this can be done was demonstrated by Mr Arvind Gupta through wonderful gadgets made using household trash and employing scientific principles making the science learning fun and easy.

The Future of Astronomy by Mr Ramaprakash explained the basics of astronomy research, the mechanics behind telescopes and revealed details of an ambitious international project aiming to build a 300m telescope. This was followed by a talk by Mr Ajit who gave a history of astronomy, the kind of computing required for advanced research and the IUCAA plans to upgrade their infrastructure to be able to carry out the advanced research. He also invited BITSians to join IUCAA part time or full time for contributing to the project.

Bitsians were much wiser and well informed on top notch projects in astronomy by the time they started indulging in gastronomy. Delectable food in a beautiful open setting by the poolside and Bitsians ranging from 1954 batch to 2009 was perfect setting for BITSian nostalgia. Post lunch kids and parents alike had fun with kite flying though the wind became spoilsport by either not giving clue of the direction or playing truant. A 10-10 over game of cricket was exciting and brought back the memories of QT cricket in BITS. Shuvadeep’s team was favorite but was trounced by Anurag’s boys in a thrilling match with several twists. Scores: Anurag et al 75 runs in 10 overs. Shuvadeep et al 60 runs in 10 overs.

BITSAA Pune Managing Committee would like to thank Prof Naresh Dadich, Mr Arvind Gupta and IUCAA folks to provide facilities and an opportunity to alumni to know their work. We would also like to thank members who showed up in huge number to make event truly memorable and successful.

IUCAA Event Details

2009-01-21T20:01:00.001-08:00

The key feature of the event is interaction with and demonstration by reknowned IIT Alumnus and scientist-turned-toymaker Arvind Gupta on making scientific toys from household trash
Brief Profile of Mr Arvind Gupta
Arvind Gupta graduated from IIT Kanpur in 1975. In 1978, he quit his job at TELCO to participate in science teaching program for children in tribal district of Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh. While there he developed several science teaching aids using locally available materials. Since Oct 2003, he has been running Children Science Center at IUCAA. He has:
- written 14 books some which have been translated into 13 Indian languages
- translated more than 100 popular books into Hindi
- conducted workshops for students and teachers in over 1500 institutions across India
- appeared in over 100 TV programs
- has won several national and international awards in the field of science and education

Other recreational features worth mentioning are:
- A 10-10 Cricket match
- Kite Flying, Carrom, Table Tennis

Details:
Date: 1st Feb, 2009, Sunday
Venue: Recreation Center, IUCAA, University of Pune campus
Time: 10 am to 4 pm
Contribution:
Members: Rs 175/-
Non members: Rs 200/-
Discounts available for kids and PS trainees

Entry: Due to security reasons, the entry would be strictly through entry passes. There are limited number of entry passes available on First Come First Serve basis. Please contact any of the following to secure your passes before 29th January:

Email: bitsaa.pune@gmail.com Or call
RS Virdi: 93260-74581
Pankaj K: 94225-26687
Pankaj D: 94235-07619
Nilendra: 93727-07271
Anurag: 98811-35987
Shuvadeep: 98814-60851

Schedule:
10 am - 10:30 am: Registration (snacks and cold drinks)
10:30 am - 11:15 am - A tour of IUCAA
11:15 am - 12:30 pm - A demonstration on Scientific toys by celebrated scientist turned toymaker Mr Arvind Gupta (Check below his profile)
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm Games (Cricket, Table Tennis, Kite Flying, Carrom)
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm Lunch
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm Games (ctd)
3:30 pm - 4:00 pm Tea and Closing

A Rendezvous with demigods of Astronomy and Astrophysics

2009-01-14T07:08:00.000-08:00

BITSAA Pune is organizing an exclusive rendezvous of BITS Alumni with Galileo, Copernicus, Einstein, Newton, Hawking and the likes! The venue of meeting with this illustrious list of demigods of astrophysics is a very special place called as IUCAA.

For uninitiated, Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) is a center of excellence for teaching, research and development in astronomy and astrophysics. IUCAA has an exotic premises within beautiful campus of University of Pune (see attached photo). There will be campus tour, demonstrations on astronomy, family games, lunch, and prizes.

This is to request you to mark your calendar for Sunday, 1st Feb 2009 for this event. Bring your family and friends along for this special day of fun and learning. Watch out this space for further details.

2008-11-09T02:57:00.000-08:00

BITSAA Pune is glad to announce a networking meet with Jayan Ramankutty. Jayan is no stranger to BITSAA community all over the world and BITSAA Pune had earlier organized a networking lunch with him in December 06 which was very well received. Due to short notice this time we are making it an informal get together over tea/coffee. If you would like to join please respond to me asap along with your cell number. The venue would be decided based on response and communicated by SMS to all those who respond. Venue will likely be in Deccan-Shivajinagar area. If you have a venue to offer to host this meet, you are most welcome.

Jayan is a serial entrepreneur and it will be great opportunity to meet with him esp. for entrepreneurs - current or aspiring ones - and get a peek into how things work at the Mecca of tech entrepreneurship i.e. Silicon Valley. A brief bio of Jayan is attached below.

Date: Sunday, 9th November 08
Time: 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm
Venue: Trak Enterprises, Symphony C Building, Range Hills Road, Pune

Profile of Prof. Naresh Dadich: Director of IUCAA, Pune

2008-10-05T02:42:00.000-07:00

D2D team had a chat with Prof Naresh Dadich over a cup of tea. A video clip of the chat can be viewed here:

This article is a reprint from D2D issue 3, dated 6th Sep 2008.

Prof. Naresh Dadich is a renowned physicist and heads Inter-University Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) at Pune. D2D team caught up with him over tea at IUCAA. A physicist, a poet, an academician with social concern - he is a very versatile person exuding energy and intellect yet carrying a calm disposition that is instantly contagious.

Born in a small village, Sarsali in Churu district in Rajasthan, he used to walk 3 miles everyday to go attend a school. He went to Pilani to do his higher secondary and some part of B.Sc. and that is how he is associated with BITS. “It was really a cosmopolitan culture which gave me a big opportunity to learn things and learn to live with people from different background and make friends with them”, he adds. He went to Vallabh Vidyanagar to do his M.Sc. and then came to Pune in 1966 to do his Ph.D.. After his Ph.D, he joined department of Maths in Pune university and taught there for 17 years.

Prof. Dadich has been associated with IUCAA project since its inception in 1988 when Prof. Jayant Narlikar took up the challenge of building a world class institute. “IUCAA is an institute for promoting Astronomy and Astrophysics teaching and research in universities. Astronomy was not a part of Physics or Maths curriculum in universities and hence the students were not aware of the exciting work being done in astronomy. IUCAA was setup as a common facility for all universities to promote research in astronomy”.

Prof. Dadich feels that institute such as BITS can contribute in much bigger way. His message for BITSAA - “If Alumni association has to do anything, it is to impress upon management to promote research and make a mark as a good academic institution”. He adds “One thing I have been very unhappy with BITS and that is it has never grown out of school mode. I don’t see many research papers coming out. Management doesn’t promote these things”. He asks pointedly, “In last 50 years, how many scientists have come out?”. He thinks BITSAA events should go beyond the dinner parties and really engage the intellectual capital of BITSAA community for larger good of the society. He quickly offers all the support from his side for any such activities.

Prof. Dadich lives with his family at IUCAA campus. He shares, “My wife is a Maharashtrian and a devoted social activist associated with social and environmental causes such as Narmada Bachao Andolan, Nari Samta Manch, rural and water health issues. I have 2 children. My daughter is a statistician and working for a software company. My son is interested in movies and is pursuing a career in production”.

Before we conclude our meeting, Prof. Dadich shows us a simple science model showing a levitating pencil, shares a copy of his address to passing out NDA cadet and Hindi poem written by him.

Desert2Deccan: BITSAA Pune Newsletter

2008-09-14T00:17:00.001-07:00

Desert2Deccan (D2D) is a BITSAA Pune newsletter published quarterly. The name was coined to denote the journey that begins in desert i.e. Pilani and brings a Bitsian to Deccan plateau where the city of Pune is located. Pune is also popularly know as Queen of Deccan. So far 3 issues of D2D have been out. All the issues are sponsored by either individuals or firms owned by Bitsians or their relatives. You can find soft copy of issues published so far at www.bitsaa-pune.org.

If you like to sponsor next issue, please drop an email to bitsaa.pune@gmail.com. The sponsorship money is used to print and distribute/dispatch about 300 copies to Bitsians registered with BITSAA Pune.

A Question of Convenience

2008-07-25T07:48:00.000-07:00

Every year, BITSAA Pune organizes 2 annual events - one on 26th Jan and another on 15th August. While 26th Jan is a picnic-type outdoor event, 15th August event is held in a formal indoor setting along with AGM and elections . National holidays are chosen so that every alum can participate as every industry and establishment has a holiday on these days. Why, not a Sunday, one may ask thinking it is a holiday for everyone? Well this is Pune and here Sunday is not a holiday or weekend for every industry. Pune is known for automobile and manufacturing industry since long before it came to be associated with new age industries such as IT, BPO and Education. And that old industry belt (Pimpri, Chinchwad, Bhosari, Chakan) has its weekly off on Thursdays. Popular belief has it that Thursday is weekly off for old economy industries because it has industrial power cuts on Thursdays! Why Thursdays for power cuts, would be the next question from an inquisitive Bitsian? Let us stop this inquest here as I believe we are now transgressing into the territory of Archaeological Survey of India (and also my own closely guarded ignorance).

Since a large number of alums in Pune, especially from earlier batches are associated with the industry that observes Thursday as its weekly off, an event on Saturdays or Sundays is not convenient to them. Hence, since early days the BITSAA Pune annual gatherings are held on national holidays. Many people have time and again wondered why Independence day and Republic day are chosen for BITSAA Pune events. So now you know it has all to do with convenience and nothing to do with any misplaced jingoism.

Welcome to BITSAA Pune blog

2008-07-25T07:30:00.000-07:00

This BITSAA blog is created to keep Pune alums aware about important information related to BITS, alums in Pune, events, visits, job opportunities, etc. Blogging is an effective way to keep people involved and up-to-date in a lively and non-intrusive manner. I hope alums will find it useful.