Recently, I attended a talk on “Swatch Bharat” (Clean India) by Mr. Dangayech, MD of Sintex. As he is a pretty known figure in the entrepreneurship world of Ahmedabad, I figured it would provide me with an insight as to whats happening in the particular sector, and I wasn’t disappointed. Towards the end of the talk I was wondering how amazing the guy is and how open he is to new ideas and problems facing the waste management sector, and so I decided that I should go talk to this guy when he is alone since I am an aspiring entrepreneur and eager to work in the sector and have done quite a lot of research.
So I went up to him when the talk was over and thanked him for the talk, and told him about how I was also doing something along the lines of what he had just described and was waiting for him to look at me with the “Great work!” expression, however during the whole time I was thanking him and telling about my world changing ideas, he was glued to his phone and dismissed me by saying and I quote “Ha, good. Talk later”
This made me wonder if he actually meant what he said in that hour long talking session and if anyone at all, means what they say in these informative talks. So I started asking people (students my age) who attend these lectures and if they ever got a chance to talk to these big personalities. Well, most of them never even tried figuring that they had nothing to offer. Others assumed that these over-achievers would never have the time to entertain us.
That leads me to question, if the talks are at all genuine and heart felt or just arises out of some social constraints, obligations, public image, etc. I would still be attending these lectures to come across someone who actually changes my opinion about the people who have gone out there and achieved what they wanted to, and encourages me (read next generation) to do the same!
Krtibdewal 