I am a Chennai-born product of the 90s who was lucky enough to grow up right alongside the global technology boom. Like most Indian parents, mine had a very specific “Doctor or Engineer” flowchart for my future, but the joke was on them—I actually loved the physical sciences. I dove into the Science and Math stream in high school not just because it was the expected path, but because I was genuinely fascinated by it. This curiosity led me to a Mechanical Engineering degree where I spent four years secretly harboring grand ambitions to do something different. While those college years were more about finding my footing than revolutionizing the industry, they set the stage for the chaotic but educational adventure that followed.
My early career was less of a corporate ladder and more of a pinball machine. I bounced from telemarketing in the green energy sector to a brief stint at TCS—where I discovered an affinity for programming—and finally to a foundry environment that was hazardous enough to make me quit after two months. My true engineering breakthrough happened at ETK International Ferrites. There, I managed projects end-to-end, visited IIT Madras, and even got up close with rockets at ISRO’s facilities. That exposure reignited my academic spark, leading me to a fully funded Master’s program at the Polytechnic University of Milan. I left India in 2014 and spent the next three years earning my degree, traveling, and wondering if they’d made a mistake letting me in (spoiler: they hadn’t).
By late 2017, I had turned my thesis on machine learning into a job as a Data Analyst Engineer in Italy. Just as I was patting myself on the back for navigating the professional world, life threw the next major milestone at me: marriage. As an atheist, engineer, and generally private individual, I usually keep my cards close to my chest. However, meeting Hema was a plot twist I didn’t see coming but am infinitely grateful for. She has been one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. While I prefer to keep the rest of my personal story off the internet, I am happy to say that this chapter is my favorite one so far.