Meeting Ananya and Sayantani

 It was a great afternoon-met two friends who are in Kolkata, one an alum of IMT N, and another a Ph.D. scholar who I met at a doctoral consortium. Sayantani is from the 2012 batch of Nagpur, and with ICICI Lombard ever since. Ananya Ghosh is doing her Ph.D. at St. Xavier's university. 

We had fun driving to Axis Mall, and having lunch at German Cafe at the entrance. We discovered the food was more Italian than German, and feasted on Pizza and Pasta. It was Eid, Ramzan, and most restaurants were crowded. We couldn't get parking inside Ecopark, which was our first choice. 

Talked about Merchant Navy, Doctors doing an MBA, and life in Kolkata, NOIDA and Pune (where I will be soon), and retirement time pass.

Pics from the fun outing- we had a cake too, that they'd brought along!

Sayantani (left) and Ananya

The cake came as a surprise! Had mine and ate it too!

 

Exiting the City of Joy

 Much depends on how you view your stay in a place. Every place can provide you with joy (or sorrow) depending on what you do to get along with that place, and the people in that place.

Though I was a visitor to Kolkata regularly for admissions since around 1996 (I was with Kirloskar Institute then), I had not lived here. A friend, Ajanta Sircar, worked here (she's a prof. at VIT Vellore now), and during one of our visits, she took me around to visit places here, including Olypub. Oxford Bookstore too. I have visited both since I started working here last year, and a couple of other places like Tollygunge Club, thanks to Dash, who is a member. 

I did not manage to play Golf so far, but might do so before I move out. Did go to a restaurant at the Ecopark Golf Course called Club de Golf though, to meet a visiting alum, Navneeta. Also met Amit Gope, a student from XIMB long ago, who is a Golfer himself. 

And re-met Ananya Ghosh and Sayantani Saha. Ananya I had met at XLRI once before, and I helped her a bit with her Ph.D. analysis here. Sayantani is an IMT Nagpur alumna, and works with ICICI Lombard ever since she graduated in 2012. 

Made a few  friends in the JIS University too, among colleagues at both campuses - New Town and Agarpara. Tried some food specialities from here. and liked most. A couple of old friends also visited, one a prof. from my XIMB days- Banikanta Mishra, and another, a Ph.D. student from Indore-turned prof. at OP Jindal, Akansh Khandelwal.

Also met Suhasini Barman, my third favourite after SD and RD Burman. This one runs a marketing and communications firm named after her, located in the Park Street area. Also guest lectures in B schools. We met on Linkedin, I think, and met a few times after that.

I also represented JIS University at a few events in Delhi, Hyderabad and Kolkata over the last few months.

As I said, it depends on you too, whether you take the joy or the sorrow from a place..

Doubling the Joy- Unusual Meetup

 Sayantani Saha is an alumna from IMT Nagpur 2010-12 batch of MBA and works in Kolkata at present. Ananya Ghosh is a Ph.D. candidate at St. Xavier's University, whom I met at XLRI first in 2023, and then when I came here to work. I didn't imagine that they would know each other, but coincidentally, they do. And Sayantani spotted a pic of Ananya with me, and recognised me in it! So we finally met over a long lunch and conversation, at Cafe Miami in New Town. The ambience was great, and the food too, but the catching up and banter about their lives and mine, was the best. Some pics-

Happy 2026

 The new year is here. 2026. I am in Kolkata now, since this April, at JIS University.

I always find each year eventful, and so was this past year. We had a reunion of our MBA batch of 1982-84 at Goa to kick off 2025. 

Joined JIS University after a break. In between, met Annie and AJ, who were visiting Delhi from Charleston, USA. 

April 2025 onwards, settled in Kolkata easily thanks to Dash, my next door neighbour-almost! Met a few new people, and Ananya Ghosh, an acquaintance and now friend. Suhasini Barmaan, who I instantly bonded with- she happens to know Himanshu Manglik well. 

Visited Delhi on work a couple of times, saw Shashi Tharoor- not that I wanted to, but.. 

Met Ananya Nandi De at her place, and interviewed her for Chat Masala. Earlier, subjected Miskil also to that interview/chat on my Youtube Channel. Also Sheetal Garg, filmed by Kaushal, her hubby.

Neeraj Dwivedi, an old friend, became Director of IIM Kashipur. Now I know one more IIM director. 

Got some bad news as well. Dhanapal, old friend and colleague, passed away in May. Another old Golfer friend and ex-colleague Ravi Gadgil, passed away in December at Nagpur.

Spent a few good times. Shrabani and Karanjyot helped me celebrate my 65th birthday at office. Christmas Eve at Tollygunge with dash and Shreya, and a couple of get-togethers at Pune, and one at a farmhouse near Mumbai, thanks to Dipti Kane. 

Prarthana got engaged to Prathamesh on August 16th. Another highlight!