Interview with Chaitanya JV
Written on July 11th, 2020 by {"login"=>"jcbitshyd", "email"=>"journal@hyderabad.bits-pilani.ac.in", "display_name"=>"Journal Club, BPHC", "first_name"=>"", "last_name"=>""}In today's interview, Journal Club talks to a 2008 batch alumnus, Chaitanya JV, the first president of BPHC and the man behind the name "Pearl"
From the first president of the Student Union, to working at Tech Mahindra now, how did you choose between the options you had at every step?
I can’t say that the decisions were impulsive. It’s basically that at every point, my motive was to see if I can make any kind of positive impact. From my first semester, I was very clear about contesting in elections. Because there was great scope to create impact at that point of time. At Tech Mahindra now, I work with the healthcare team, on the Arogya Sethu app, and a portal for online medical services. I always make sure that I create an impact.
During your time at BITS Hyd, did you ever worry about where you would land after this?
I was never worried because I always knew what I wanted to do. I had a few things in my mind which I really wanted to do at some point of time. That might be too optimistic but I never had doubts about it. I did not even sit for campus placements, because I already interned with one of our alumnus from Pilani campus. I really liked the start-up focussed environment there and I just went ahead with it. I did not even think about the placements. That is probably something everyone can try, to look forward to what you want to do when you are lost or confused.
For the sake of nostalgia, can you tell us more about the first cultural fest of the campus? How did this name come along and how did you feel being the first president organizing it?
The first Pearl was in 2008 and it was an Intra-college fest. The student activities head wanted us to come up with a name. So, we put up a poll with the names we thought of, and all of them were in line with Hyderabad, I don’t really remember the other names. There was a poll again the next year when some people wanted to change it. But I made sure they did not change the name. It was a challenging task organizing a fest in campus with no precedent or experience but it was indeed, a lot of fun.
The buzz after the latest announcement about your wedding is huge. There were multiple polls and memes. Anything that you would want to share about this or Niharika ma’am?
I never imagined that I will find a perfect balance in my partner I am looking for. I found the balance in her and that is how I made my call. Yeah.
Afaik, you had a dream CV for yourself, everything being well planned. Do you have any suggestion for the students working on their profile?
Take wherever the flow takes you. But thinking five years ahead is a good way. A lot of things change, especially in the current generation. It is better to have a five-year roadmap ahead. Apart from that I don’t think anything is necessary.
With the announcement of Niharika Konidela and your marriage being one of the recent highlights, would you like to tell us something about the union?
It is not the actress, to be frank, it can be anyone. One can even marry the daughter of the president of the United States. You just have to cross paths with them at the right time and at the right moment. I just think it was destined and it happened yeah.
You were an UPSC aspirant. Is there anything you would like to share about that? How did ISB come into the picture after that?
As I said, I kept doing the things that I wanted to do. My father is an IPS officer. It was in my mind and I always wanted to give it a shot. However, somewhere down the line I felt that profession doesn’t fit me. I constantly need a change in my profession. Of course, being a bureaucrat is extremely challenging. And I felt that it was not the right decision for me for the commitment it needs.
I always wanted to be an entrepreneur and I also made a couple of small investments in startups. That's when I joined KPMG as a public safety consultant and the shift to MBA came into the picture.
As a president, was there any change you desperately wanted to see on campus? Were there any long time goals?
There was one thing I always thought about. How differently are you doing the fest and what kind of positive impact are you sending out? That is when I made a proposition to the general body about the business adoption program for Pearl where we spend 20% of the sponsorship towards adopting a village. Also, appoint another StuCCAn for this and make this a year-long process. This being a constant investment cycle. This was in my mind at that time.
Now that you are going to be married to an actress, would you call yourself a movie buff?
Yes. Pre-COVID, I used to randomly pick a movie on a Sunday with a frequency of one in ten days.
Here’s the typical BITSian question. Tell us about your attendance, CG, and how ‘lite’ you were?
The word lite was probably rediscovered after me. My attendance was in single digits and my CG was around 6.5! I don't remember my ID no. but I still have my ID cards with me, the normal one and the SU one.
What is that you miss the most about college?
The freedom that the campus gave me.
When was the last time you visited the campus and when are you coming back again?
It was in 2015 and it’s been a while. Maybe this year. I think I am supposed to be there for the 10-year reunion. I hope I’ll meet you guys soon.
Finally, what message would you want to leave to your juniors on campus?
BITS gives you a lot of freedom. It is all about how you manage it and when you are not able to balance it, use the freedom to build your character. I have seen students who balance their academics but waste the rest of their time and it does not add up to what you are as a person. Use that extra time and freedom to build your personality. The four years on campus are what made me who I am now. Be it my confidence levels, the way I can talk to convince people, the maturity in my thought process, I credit all of that to my time in college.
I’ll hopefully see you guys soon on campus. It was really nice to cherish my memories of BITS.