CybageTIMeS

Transcription

CybageTIMeS

CybageTIMES
★★★
Issue 14 | July 2015
Bringing life to work
★★★
News Magazine of Cybage Software Pvt. Ltd.
The
journey
of
twenty
years
You made
it happen
WE @ 20
From the
CEO’s desk
On behalf of
CybageTimes readers,
the editorial team
thanks Elston Pimenta,
Head-HR for serving
3
special edition
A retrospective in pictures
4
to mark Cybage’s
Cybage Timeline
6
Dream big–Arun Nathani 8
Live it up–Deepak Nathani
10
Reflections... Jagat Pal Singh
12
Debrief with our leaders
13
Impression & Expression
15
A rush of nostalgia 16
Trusted partnership
18
A concoction of memories 22
News & Accolades
24
Mentoring merit–Ritu Nathani
25
CybageKhushboo
26
as Guest Editor for this
20th anniversary.
1st of July 2015—Cybage
marked a milestone of 20
glorious years!
These 20 years have created a
momentum of positive change
with persistent achievement
of our goals to blossom into
a well-established and a wellbalanced organization.
Feeling happy and finding
life meaningful are both
important and related. Being
mindful of this delicate
balance and ever-changing
priorities in life, WE truly
thrive on enriching lives
and focusing our energies
on the WE factor of our
employees…W for Wellness
and E for Engagement.
Wellness: A healthy
mind, body, and spirit are
personified by the many
hyper-active hobby clubs,
health camps and super-active
CSR wings that operate
at Cybage.
Engagement: We pride
ourselves in Bringing Life
to Work. Our passion,
commitment, and enthusiasm
are the cornerstones
propelling every Cybagian’s
growth and encouraging
creativity, fostering
relationship, and instilling
responsiveness.
The WE factor is the pulse that
drives everything we do. It is a
natural outgrowth of a sense
of partnership we share with
all Cybagians, our clients, and
our stakeholders.
Yes, WE @ 20 have made
it happen!
Sincerely,
Elston Pimenta
Head–HR
Managed by Corporate Communications team, designed by Maithili Kulkarni (Visual
Communication team), content reviewed by Durga Godbole and Yomi Vinayaka
(Documentation team), photography by Sabyasachi Saha and Subhayu Chakraborti
2
CYBAGETIMES | July 2015
Contents
From the CEO’s desk
CybageAsha28
Hobby corner
30
A musical interlude 31
In the spotlight
32
Our sports champs
33
Looking beyond Monday
34
CybageTimes crossword
35
Who
Made It
Happen?
A hundred+ Indian IT companies.
A million+ IT professionals. A meagre
0.2% are recipients of this magazine.
Yet we believe we are special. The reality
looks different. If Cybage didn’t happen,
Cybagians would have alternate options.
Likewise, if Cybagians didn’t exist, Cybage
would have multiple choices. It appears
that neither Cybage nor Cybagians make
each other happen. It’s a partnership of
mutual opportunism.
Today, our alumni outnumber us. Many
used Cybage barely as a stepping stone.
Including our very first employee Rahul
Phadtare. There was nothing special
about Rahul. He was an under-confident
middle-class dreamer. Every time Rahul
interacted with the outside world, his
hands would shake and his voice would
crack. His lackluster foundation had not
prepared him for professional challenges.
By the end of his short tenure, Rahul’s
hands were steady and voice was
confident. He understood his strengths,
weaknesses, and potential.
Now read the above para one more time.
Just change the reference from Rahul to
Cybage. You see, Rahul’s first-year story
is also Cybage’s parallel narrative. Both
the entities helped raise each-other’s
esteem. And the story was repeated.
A few thousand times. Some moved on
like Rahul, some stayed back. Regardless,
each Cybagian’s tenure made Cybage
surer of itself. Now why did
that happen?
There are three types of beings.
The first is the lucky type—born blessed
with abundant wealth or IQ. They are
destined to run businesses or breeze
through IITs/IIMs and then rule the
professional world. For this type, there is
not much difference between dreams
and reality.
The second is the unlucky type—born
in adversity with a below par intellect or
support ecosystem. Overwhelming odds
are stacked against them to succeed.
For this type, the aspirations seldom
reach fruition. Hence, tragically, the
dreams usually remain a distant fantasy.
Then there is the third type—the
economic and intellectual middle-class.
This type has the balance to understand
what is possible and the will to pursue
an aspiration. Their dreams are neither
reality nor fantasy, only plausible goals to
conquer. Provided the opportunity is fair.
As it turned out, many ‘dreamers’
discovered an unbiased platform to
succeed in the Cybage of the 90s.
They, in turn, attracted more dreamers.
Slowly, Cybage’s core identity became
that of those who kept stumbling
upon it. Their collective aspiration—
intellectual stimulation, work-life balance,
parity, recognition, and so on—defined
Cybage. Gradually, Cybage evolved into
a matchless organization that neither set
growth goals, nor measured employees
on luck-laden targets. Its core mission—
to provide an even-playing field.
Has Cybage perfected this platform yet?
No. But the intent to pursue this dream
is sincere. It’s a trait that Cybage learnt
from its constituents. Cybagians may not
be perfect. But their intent to strive for
their dreams is perfect. It is this striving
for two decades that has made it
all happen!
Sincerely,
Arun Nathani | CEO & MD
www.arunnathaniblog.com
July 2015 | CYBAGETIMES
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Cover story
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11
2
1
13
3
15
14
4
17
5
7
6
18
16
8
9
21
19
1. The Clover Cascade office
2. Our cozy workplace
3. The winding stairways
4. The only and prized conference room
5. A carom break!
6. We always had great talent
7. Meera at the Clover Cascade reception
8. First ‘Annual Bash’ at the Residency Club
9. Arun with Mahesh GB
10. Fun moments frozen in time
4
20
10
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
22
A cake for every birthday!
A skit by Cybagians
Client visit at Clover Cascade
A decade ago: Arun and Deepak
Arun addressing the media
Lunches, meetings, interviews–all
under one roof!
17. Baba, the watchman
18. West Avenue bhoomipoojan
19. West Avenue: work in progress
20. Misha (Arun and Ritu’s daughter)
and Devika Menon (Meera’s daughter)
21. First press conference
22. The Salunkhe Vihar office
5
Cover story
From E-volving Solutions to Delivering Value Scientifically…
CyberAge begins
operations in a
3-bedroom apartment
at Army colony,
Salunkhe Vihar
Inauguration of the
5,000-seater hi-tech
Foundation of
campus in Kalyani
Nagar, The Cybage
Company
incorporated
as CyberAge
99
Moves to the first
Clover Cascade
bungalow in Kalyani
Nagar
CybgerAge
unveiled two
02
A web of wires
connects over
12 bungalows
in Hindustan
Estate, Kalyani
Nagar, housing
close to 300 IT
professionals
03
center in
Redmond,
USA
04
Certification
received
2006
07
08
09
office
becomes
operational
Cybage
Model of
enters Europe
Cybage
moves to
the swanky
First
CyberAge
Lease Line (dedicated Internet
5-storied WA
Raider and
connection) of 64 kbps
complex
CyberAge
inaugurated
Excellence
conceived
Cybage
scales up
with an
additional
Cybage
and sets
opens a
up office in
development
London
center in
Gandhinagar
4,000
presence in
USA with a
sales office in
Atlanta
2010 2011
ExcelShore™
Operational
Extends
mark
5,000
mark
mark
3,000
mark
ISO 27001
California
Cybage
browsers-
Surfer
2005
New Jersey
Employee count crosses the
development
its office in
Foundation of
with first
2,000
mark
1,000
mark
2000 2001
market
operations at
to Cybage
enters global
Commences
from CyberAge
Cybage
name changes
500
mark
200
Company’s
98
Towers
97
10
50
100
96
Employee count grows to
1995
Employee count grows to
First
4
Cybagians come on board
Our first
customer;
Farallon(now
part of
Motorola)
turns to
CyberAge
as an
offshore
partner
mark
DoubleClick (now Google) endorses Cybage
as their value-proposition partner
12
Global reach swells
with a sales office in
Austin, Texas and in
13
14
2015
Adds a new
office in
Singapore
Frankfurt
Cybage
broadens its
development
reach with
center in
new offices in
Hyderabad
Amsterdam,
Office set up
in Boston
Sydney, and
Tokyo
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7
Cover story
Q. What is more important: the journey or the
destination?
Dream big,
dream logically
“The trick,” says CEO, Arun
Nathani, "is to strive for balance
in all you do. There is never a
perfect situation, and that’s the
beauty of the challenge.” Simpler
to say than to achieve, but with
the right approach, possible.
A. It’s a balance of both. A journey without a
destination is meaningless, and a destination
without enjoying the journey, pointless! That
said, I do believe the goals you set out to
achieve have to be realistic enough to be
reachable and inspiring enough to make you
set course in the first place.
A. Responsibility is a superficial word,
unless backed by an executable plan.
I prefer to define it as accountability
instead. Accountability to self, to your
family, and to your professional space.
An interplay of these three dimensions
is what makes up your world.
To elaborate further: Accountability to
self means taking care of yourself by
committing yourself to healthy lifestyle
choices. If you can’t lead yourself, you
can’t lead others.
Then, there is accountability to family. For
instance, are you instrumental in shaping
the kind of people your kids are going
to be? Some people have a ‘chalta hai’
attitude to this, but in all humility, I don’t
agree it’s the right thing to do. Invest
time and effort in your loved ones, even if
some things are beyond your control.
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Finally, there is accountability in your
workspace. So, how do you handle your
team? Through delegation or micromanagement? Too many people rely
heavily on delegation. I believe it’s an
oversimplification of matters; you can’t
outsource a headache, even if you want
to! Everything is situational. You play it by
the ear; but either ways, the person at the
helm of affairs has to own the outcome.
all we need to learn in order to take
decisions. For that, you need data. Data
is objective, unaffected by emotion,
and hence, reliable. Though of course,
it has to be analyzed in context to yield
results! That’s where the leader comes
in—to champion systems that can make
decisions impartial, logical, uncluttered,
and ultimately, positive.
I also love to write. Organizing my thoughts
in a sequence is a creative outlet and lots of
fun. Apart from that, I love hanging out with
friends. Little things add to the big picture.
Q. What’s your message to Cybagians’ families?
Q. How do you de-stress after work?
A. First of all, a big ‘Thank you’ for sharing
A. De-stressing, to many people, would
mean letting go of routine, rising at 11 am and
generally lazing around. Good for them—but, it
doesn’t work for me.
I need order even to unwind! Holiday or not,
I get up by 7 am and work out; it makes me
happy! Spending time with my wife Ritu, kids
Q. Cybage has gone from strength to
strength in an eventful journey spanning
two decades. How do you handle the
responsibility of leadership?
Misha and Aneesh, and parents on either side
is another great stress-buster. Ritu and I are
great friends; I could spend hours chatting with
her and never get tired.
a valuable member of your family with us.
Next, I would request you to form an extended
social circle with other Cybagian families.
This way, you not only make new friends, but
also understand and connect with the world
that your loved one belongs to. It’s a win-win
situation both ways.
Rapid fire
My choice, my space
Favorite movie: Hands
down, it has to be
'3 Idiots'!
Favorite book:
'The Alchemist' by
Paul Coelho
Who would you like to
have dinner with?
Bill Clinton
If I gave you a plane ticket
to anywhere in the world
where would you go?
Capri, Italy
If you could be one
person in history?
Christopher Columbus
What have you always
wanted to do, but never
done? Make a movie
Arun with his friends at Burj Khalifa
With parents, from both sides
If you could be successful
in another profession,
which would you choose?
Musician
Q. What annoys you the most?
Q. What has Cybage taught you about
leadership?
an overhyped word. A person gets to a
position due to a combination of various
factors; it definitely does not mean he’s
the smartest. It sure helps to be aware of
this simple truth.
Sometimes, things don’t work out as
you thought they would…well, so what?
If everything were to go as per script,
where’s the challenge in life and business?
If you look at these so-called annoyances
as opportunities, you will surely grow
up faster!
I have learnt over the years that no
matter how accomplished or experienced,
people are never as brilliant as the
power of data. The human mind, on its
own, is an inadequate tool of learning
But as far as traits are concerned,
‘laidback’ attitude definitely annoys me.
I am convinced our race didn’t descend
on this planet to just laze and aimlessly
hang around.
A. The way I look at it, leadership is
If you could invent
anything?
Teleporting machine
A. Situationally, very little annoys me.
If you could ask God one
question?
“What are you thinking?”
A sentence that would
describe you best:
I am at peace with myself.
With wife Ritu and kids, Aneesh and Misha in Nice, France
9
Cover story
Life is short;
live it up
Deepak Nathani, COO, is a
man who believes in giving his
all—to life and to work. But
while he is at it, he is careful
not to mix the two.
Q. Almost 20 years into the business,
Cybage enjoys a strong brand presence
and a many-splendored persona. You’ve
been part of the journey from the
beginning. How do you handle all the
trappings of leadership—and the humility
of it at the end of the day?
A. It’s very simple actually. We ‘so called’
leaders, top-rung management—if you’d
like to call us that—are like any other
employees. When we walk into office, we
have a job to do. It is our responsibility
to do the best we can, just like any other
member of the team. The one thing I
have understood is, at the end of the
day, every human being, irrespective
of education, position, and status, has
the same needs as the next person: job
security, a happy work environment, and
above all, dignity and respect at his or
her place of work.
When you realize that, it’s easy enough
to stay grounded.
Q. Could you share a couple of personal
beliefs that also enter the professional
sphere of life
A. I believe that everything in life from
the personal to professional to matters
of religion and lifestyle—ought to be
governed by logic and rationality. Ask
why things are the way they are and
whether they are relevant to your times
and lives. Chances are when you question
the status quo, you will find a better way
of doing things.
Focusing completely on what’s on hand
is another strong belief of mine. When
at work, I am wholly at work. Once out
of office, I don’t carry my work pressures
with me. Both your organization and
family need you to be ‘all present’
when you’re with them.
Q. Any message for Cybagians?
A. I quote my favorite phrase at this
point—Live it up! Encoded within the
word ‘Live’ is a fundamental mantra for
a happy life.
L stands for Love. Love is religion for
Deepak and his family at Masai Mara
With kids Tina and Raj, and wife Sheena
me and the secret of a happy life. Try
loving everyone around you. None of
us is perfect; once we realize that and
start accepting people despite their
shortcomings, it becomes easy to love
everyone. Love your workplace, this will
help you give your 100 percent to your
work, and success will follow.
Rapid fire
My choice, my life
Favorite movie: PK—
for its propagation of
rationality as a way of life
I stands for Inspire. Inspire people
around you with both your conduct and
knowledge. Whatever be the subject
or project on hand, delve deep into it;
understand and research every aspect
of it and try becoming a ‘go-to person’
for your team mates. This is the path
to true leadership.
V stands for Values. A core system of
human values that define you as a person
and as a professional. When you stay true
to this core, life becomes pretty simple.
You sleep well at night, and enjoy a happy
and successful innings in every sphere.
Sure, some hardships may arise when you
stick to your guns; but in the long run, a
life lived with integrity and honesty brings
lasting happiness.
E stands for Enjoy the present. Way too
many people worry about the future and
brood over the past, thereby forgetting to
live in the moment. Don’t let that happen
to you! Include hobbies and passions
beyond work to maintain a balanced and
enjoyable life.
Favorite actor:
Amitabh Bachchan,
the timeless legend!
King of the jungle, indeed! Shot by Deepak at
Masai Mara
Skydiving in Australia
Q. Would you call yourself a head or a
heart person?
A. I would vote for the heart any day! But
even so, reason is a guiding force everywhere.
Q. You reflect a very cheerful personality;
however, is there anything that annoys you?
A. Over the years, I have calmed down a lot,
both in personal and professional life. However,
it annoys me when I see people not following
traffic discipline, especially when educated
people flout the traffic rules willfully.
Also, when I see people disrespecting or
ill-treating the less fortunate is something
that really bothers me.
Q. Tell us about your passions beyond work.
A. Oh, there are so many! I am a total sports
Favorite sportsperson:
Michael Jordan
all kinds of outdoor games. However, my
favorite is golf and every Saturday morning is
earmarked for a golf session.
Favorite cuisine: Chinese—
the authentic version
I look forward to family holidays with my wife
Sheena and kids, Tina and Raj. While movies
and dinners with friends and family make for
rejuvenating weekends, an occasional spin on
the bike with my Harley buddies gives me the
right adrenaline kick.
Favorite holiday: Masai
Q. Is there something you’d like to say to the
Cybagian families?
Mara in Kenya for its
quintessential wildlife
safari experience
Craziest thing done:
Skydiving in Australia
Favorite book: ‘Unbroken’
by Laura Hillenbrandt
A. A simple and heartfelt thanks best sums
My idol: Steve Jobs
up my feelings. Each member of the extended
family is instrumental in taking Cybage from
strength to strength, and I’d like to take the
opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude
and appreciation for their belief and support in
this journey.
Favorite quote: ‘Don’t
worry, be happy’, also a
song by Bobby McFerrin
Ultimate goal in life: To be
remembered as a good
human being
enthusiast, and enjoy playing and watching
10
11
Cover story
Cover story
Beliefs and reflections of
Jagat Pal Singh
Q. What is the stimulant that has
propelled you to work every day?
A. “Living life well, where you need to
do well in your work, thus gaining selffulfilment. If one feels he is doing well,
then he is happy,” says he.
To determine whether he has done
well or not, there is a consistent selfintrospection of the decisions he took in
the past, to validate whether they have
worked out or not. To help him get there
he has till date preserved his emails right
from the time he set foot in Cybage. The
intermittent validation and analysis of his
actions is his success mantra.
Q. What is that magical moment that you
experienced whilst being a part of the
transformation of Cybage?
A. “Action has magic, grace, and power
in it. For me, there isn’t any one moment
that has been magical. There are so many.
Every decision taken, every action taken,
has been instinctive. Immense common
sense used in situations when he
understood that Cybage has the potential
to change, proved right. “Change is
required for a company to grow.”
Jagat seconds the cliché, 'people work
for managers', clearly showing that Jagat
enjoyed working with Arun.
12
debrief with our leaders
CTO
Cybage's 20th anniversary draws out valuable takeaways from some members of our leadership.
Tiny letters and figures scribbled across
the white expansive board on the
wall are symbolic of his thoughts that
success is proportionately linked to
work and being true to oneself aids
you in the process.
The stimulant to work
Like anyone else, how long he would
be with Cybage was unknown to Jagat.
However, Arun’s willingness to bring in
change, to see Cybage grow is what held
him on to the company.
Along the way, Jagat played an important
role in influencing the growth of Cybage.
IT ALL WORKED! His instincts worked. His
common sense worked.
Q. How did you get acquainted with
Cybage?
being there in the list had to be a mistake.
They added his name.
By that time, Cybage had already
selected him.
The rule at CDAC—one should join the
company that has made the offer first did
not allow him to sink into a dilemma.
Jagat’s conscience did not permit him
to do otherwise, although the recruiters
from that former company had asked him
to join afterwards, outside campus.
A. Jagat joined Cybage in 2000, when
Message to Cybagians
Cybage was 35 employees strong. In his
words, “these are the moments when you
want to believe in luck, in destiny!”
If you want to be trusted,
His name was not shortlisted in a
renowned company’s list. He had
completed his B.E. in Computer Science
and Engineering, had worked as a
Product Developer for five years, had the
credentials the company was looking for.
Yet his name was missing. This led him to
go for an interview with Cybage. Cybage
had been given the first slot in the
campus interview. He did not want to risk
waiting for the second or third slot.
If you want to be honest,
He was shortlisted after the written test.
question to yourself, about yourself:
On visiting the earlier company after
lunch, he was told that his name not
The environment and the ecosystem
at Cybage was such that we felt we
OWNED every opportunity or challenge
that we faced. The feeling of ownership
in everything that we did was a very
strong stimulant. The freedom of
decision-making that our CEO and COO
provided, allowed us to follow through
with our plans in bringing to fruition the
opportunities we got, making every day
at Cybage very dynamic and challenging.
Magical moment
That one magical moment would
definitely be Google’s acknowledgement
(after their acquisition of DoubleClick),
after a three-day due diligence, stating
that they were happy with the quality
of service we were providing to them
and their permission for us to continue
be HONEST.
be TRUE.
If you want to be true,
be YOUR-SELF.
These lines encompass Jagat’s
thoughts and his message to all:
Amit Gajwani
BE HONEST TO YOUR-SELF.
Senior Vice President
Business Development
Such a day should never come
when you will be forced to ask this
'How do I face this person?'
I believe our personal and professional
lives go in parallel. At an early stage,
only exception they have made till date.
This was even more special because I was
the account manager.
The Cybage factor
Rajesh Kurup
Head–Media & Entertainment Practice
working on their flagship products,
remotely from Pune. Till then, they
had never allowed any vendor to work
remotely (only from Google offices) on
their key products. We were and are the
when you are a bachelor, there is no
major stimulant. But as you get married
and have kids, you want to do the best
for your family because you have taken
up that responsibility, though there is
no one asking you to do that. To me,
Cybage is like that—no one asks me to
do something and I have the freedom
to take my decisions, so it is a similar
situation where the responsibility and the
love for your ‘Cybage family’ becomes
the driver.
Magical moment
My magical moment with Cybage is
slightly longer than usual. It spans the
last 15 years and revolves around the
clear and consistent thought process
that I have seen with Arun. From the day
I joined Cybage till date, the philosophy
It so happened that in 2000 (I had
just returned from the States), Deepak
(COO, Cybage) and I lived in the same
apartment complex. I first met him in
an elevator and in that very short ride,
we got talking. I felt very comfortable
speaking to this gentleman and as
we introduced each other, we realized
that we were in the same field and he
mentioned that he ran a company called
Cybage and I should visit it when I can.
I did that and got introduced to Arun;
one discussion led to another and before
I knew it, I had been recruited.
remains the same—to build a robust and
structured organization based on data
and fairness. Hence, I do not believe
Cybage has transformed at any stage.
With its foundation remaining the same,
it just keeps evolving every year.
The Cybage factor
I knew Arun from a common community
group (both of us being Sindhis) and
he had discussed Cybage a couple of
times. I was with Infosys at that time. I
visited the Cybage bungalows during
Diwali in 1999 and the warmth never left
me. So when I felt that the timing was
correct, I approached him again and was
interviewed in February 2000. I joined
Cybage in April 2000.
13
Cover story
Cover story
debrief with our leaders
Impression
Cybage is predominantly an independent
software vendor (ISV)-focused company;
so the work is all about software product
engineering. And this really excites me.
Cybage is a very stress-free and lean
organization and I never really have to
worry about the administration or HRrelated functions. Nor do I take work
home. The only focus is the job at hand.
A strong ecosystem, a rich culture, and
excellent infrastructure filled with cheerful
folks are a major stimulant for me.
go on into the wee hours and this was
a regular feature. As for me, I was a Sr.
Project Manager back then. I was taken
out of my project entirely to focus on
the SEI CMMI certification process.
Cybage got it finally—SEI CMMI Level
3. It was a magical moment for me; a
major milestone. Being a part of the
groundbreaking ceremony for the Cybage
Tower 1 many years ago was another.
Debasis Ray
The Cybage factor
Technology & Product Engineering
In my previous company, a friend
briefed me about Cybage doing a lot of
technology and C++-based work. I was
interviewed by Rakesh Ramchandani,
Rajesh Kurup, Ramandeep Singh, and
Deepak Nathani. I felt I didn’t do well
in the interview and so gave up hope.
After a fortnight, I got a call from Meera
saying Deepak wanted to meet me. The
rest is history.
Magical moment
There are plenty. I have seen the company
grow from 200 to 5,500. In Cybage, you
are empowered to do what you like. Arun
has always created that kind of a fabric
where I have never been asked to do
something that I have not liked. During
the year 2004, Cybage was applying
for the SEI CMMI Level 3 certification.
And it was also during this year that we
moved office to the spanking new West
Avenue building. The team handling
the certification process was led by
Jagat. I recall him saying that we would
work on the certification process after
all client calls have been done, which
would be 8.00 PM onwards. Work would
& Expression
Creative explosions, lyrical beauty, ethical
depth—poems written by our Cybagians giving
their expression and ideas a great intensity.
An Ode to
H
Day after day thy genius doth enrich and nourish
Cybage-
O
My second home
The grand tree of Cybage, that thrive and flourish.
For you, challenge is sport, all hindrance, transitory,
With your iron-will, you turn ‘issues’ to victory.
Cybage ‘twas that raised thy worth paramount;
Like a gem on its diadem, you make it count.
h! That priceless moment. That special day.
With offer letter in hand that had its say,
- Ilya Faridi, Sr. Software Engineer
Welcomed into a big family,
where one can work and express freely;
1
Nurturing skills—technical and professional,
Technology and application bloom,
Jaikrishnan K
Magical moment
Vice President
Deliveries
We had a little event to commemorate
the QA department reaching the
headcount of 500. A feeling of personal
fulfillment enveloped me when an
ex-Cybagian met me while I was
watching an IPL match live at the Sahara
stadium. While he had to endure the
I joined Cybage in 1998 when we were
barely 30-odd employees. Cybage has
14
embarrassment of reintroducing himself
to me, he made my day by letting me
know that some parting advice that I
had given him worked well for him and
that I had made a difference to his life.
The Cybage factor
It was a different turn of events.
I was teaching C and C++ at ASTRA,
Pune, and Deepak was my student.
We shared a good rapport. One day,
Deepak called me and asked me to meet
him regarding a job opening at Cybage.
I did not go. This happened several times
and I finally went to meet him. I must say
this was not a typical interview. The offer
was made and I accepted it.
ail! Ye brains and wit of Cybage, incarnate,
Thy tireless toil, unrelenting, and zest, passionate,
Innovative, creative, where views are rational;
grown today and can look intimidating
and more like an ocean for someone
who joins today; but I still find ample
opportunities to make a difference to the
organization. In fact, I would be one of
the few who can say that I have worked
in almost every department of the
organization. The work culture of Cybage
imbibes the ‘make a difference’ motto
into the DNA of every Cybagian.
Cybagians
with sessions of etiquette
and of groom;
Fun, music and fine dine,
fill the bash with chime;
Education and development grew,
with Cybage Asha and Khushboo;
Then comes the musical night,
where talents flash,
here fellows of the pool and TT clash.
With passion and talent, high one can soar,
And achieve more and more;
A platform to one's dreams at a tender age,
this is my home where I belong—Cybage!
- Sneha Warrier, QA Engineer
I
Happiness
Inculcated
notice our security guards at the gate or the
guy who comes daily to clean my desk or the drivers
who take us to local official trips. I find one thing is
remarkably common in them; that is, a contagious
radiant expression. They never fail to greet
beamingly or stop for a pleasant chat. I realized,
though imperceptibly but so naturally, they spread
the cheer right at the beginning of the day. And all
we are to do is to pass it on.
It is really delightful and heartening to see how
the philosophy of ‘making the workplace lively’
has effectively permeated even to the grassroots
of this organization.
- Tirtha Dasgupta, Delivery Head
15
Cover story
Cover story
A rush of nostalgia
Looking
back with
fondness…
Through various phases of growth, these Cybagians have seen the company going from strength to strength.
We speak to some of our old timers about those vivid recollections they hold close to their heart till date…
Gurvinder Chhatwal, Vice President-Business Development
For Cybage, Kalyani Nagar, Pune, was, is, and will be the center point. Initially, Cybage
moved into the cozy confines of a row-house in the serene residential part of Kalyani Nagar.
Gradually, and as luck would have it, the neighboring row houses were added too. We
shared an amazing bond and incredible accessibility! To meet different teams, one had to
take a walk between buildings. As a QA Manager in those days, I recall the QA Group had
its own apartment. The living room and bedrooms were converted to house workstations
and the kitchen was the QA Manager’s office. Team meetings across Cybage used to take
place in the small private garden, which was a perfect setting for conducting interviews too!
With great affinity towards the
company and many recollections
that are endearing, Vinod Kale
and Anshuman Deshmukh speak
to CybageTimes of those early
days when connectivity was an
issue and how they linked Cybage
to the world.
Chirag Bindal, Associate Vice President
‘It has been a dream run’ was a phrase I heard Arun use often as part of his talks during
Cybage’s younger days. Cybage must have reached the end of its dream runway as what
followed was a soaring flight into the heights of success. At first, we all thought it was
an eagle’s flight within the earthly bounds of the troposphere. Lately, I have become
increasingly convinced that Cybage is more like a spaceship that will never land, but
transform into a timeless shining star of the corporate universe. On our splendid 20th
anniversary milestone, a huge shout of cheer to each and every crew member aboard this
extraordinary ship. We have come a long way… and have a long way to go!
Meera Menon, Head-Administration
Imagine reaching your office, ringing the doorbell, and a sleepy-eyed employee opening
the door to let you in. Back in those days, when Cybage operated from a row-house in
Kalyani Nagar, the office was also home to a happy few. Baba, the only security we had
then and who was already nearing his retiring age, was very enthusiastic. I still remember
his energetic salutes when the clients used to be around in Cybage. I was the only Point of
Contact for Administration, HR, and Finance functions at that time. With just one telephone
connection, each time the phone rang, the silence was broken. The name of the person, for
whom the call was made, would reverberate through the floors and the rooms.
Amit Mulay, Technical Evangelist (LAMP)
During Cybage’s bungalow days, Thursdays were fun days because of load shedding.
Everybody indulged in their favorite activities—playing TT, carom, galli cricket, or going out
to the movies. But this fun time was compensated by hard work on Saturdays! Another star
attraction in those days were the phrases ‘Okie-dokie!’ or ‘You are my man!’ This meant that
Deepak was around. Post lunch, we used to take long walks around Kalyani Nagar. There
was a particular tree in front of Kalyani bungalow, which was believed to grant trips
to USA to whoever sat under it!
16
Vinod and Anshuman
Vinod Kale, Associate Manager, IS
In those days, we had 64 kbps Internet lease line from MTNL
and connectivity through a telephone wire. The connectivity was
between our office (then operating from row houses in Kalyani
Nagar) to Mahadaji Shinde Telephone Exchange, through a
roadside telephone box near our office. Whenever the link
went down, we checked with the telephone wireman, whose
availability was rare. Gradually, we got on good terms with
the wireman and eventually got the key to the telephone box,
enabling us to resolve connectivity issues ourselves. Later, we
replaced that link with a 128-kbps wireless link from Gateway
Systems. For this, we built a tall tower on our building.
On a lighter note, during load shedding, which used to last
for eight hours sometimes, the entire office would go to the
movies. I remember all of us watching Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
on one such day. But then the employees would return once the
power resumed and work till the wee hours.
Anshuman Deshmukh, Sr. IS Analyst-Security
My journey with Cybage started in 2000, when it was called
CyberAge and operated from a rented flat in Salunkhe Vihar
with just four employees. Before I joined, Cybage had a BNC
network (a very old network technology), which used to go
down at times. To handle these issues, I had to come down
regularly from the company to which Cybage had given their
maintenance contract. One of my many visits happened when
the DoubleClick project was getting started in a new rented
building and things were getting set up day and night.
Ever since those days, social events are as much a part of
Cybage’s history as its business achievements. At the rented
bungalow, I’ve witnessed Sher-o-Shayari by Shreerang Mahajan
and a funny play by former employees Rajesh Moorjani, Lalkar,
and Aziz. I’ve seen Amit Gajwani walk the ramp as a model,
Rajesh Kurup present a catchy skit, and Chirag Bindal belt out
an English number for the grand opening of the West Avenue
facility in December 2003. The Cybage Annual Bash is also a
very old tradition. The special attraction of these bashes used to
be a dance by former Technical Evangelist, Mahesh G.B.
Table Tennis tables were a part of the company from its rented
bungalow days. Team meetings happened in the garden, which
was also our lunch spot. Would you believe that the bungalow
had only one conference room?
17
Cover story
Oscar Moreno
Trusted
partnership
Over the years, the bond between
Cybage and its clients has become
deeper. Hear our clients speak about
the value that differentiates Cybage
from other offshore vendors.
Donal
McGranaghan
GM CPQ, Global Support
and Cloud, PROS
Ed Park
EVP and COO,
athenahealth India
When we started
“
working with Cybage,
We have had the
good fortune of working
with Cybage consistently
for more than a decade.
Whether during our early
days as a startup, through
our IPO, or as we continue
to expand and grow our
business today, Cybage has
proven to be a consistent,
trusted, and flexible
three distinct things stood
out. First, we felt that the
people we dealt with were
genuine, trustworthy,
knowledgeable, and
flexible. We believe
people are what makes
PROS successful and
we want to partner with
companies like Cybage
that can help us extend
our team. Second, we were
partner. Indeed, it has
been the flexibility of our
partnership that has most
defined the success of our
working relationship. As
our requirements evolved
over time, Cybage has
always been responsive
to our business goals and
objectives. Throughout this
enduring collaboration, we
have enjoyed the steady
support of a loyal and
dedicated team with whom
we have been proud to
partner and with whom we
look forward to continue
working together.
impressed with the datadriven approach Cybage
takes for decision making.
This led us to believe that
Cybage had a sustainable
and efficient process that
would endure over time
and work for us to grow
and coach our teams. And
lastly, we felt that there
was affinity around our
alignment to the Travel
industry. We believe we
have a relationship built
on trust, transparency, and
partnership and we wish
Cybage many more years
of success!
“
Rimon Erez
Managing Partner, Head
of Engineering, GroupM
There are many
“
outsourcing companies
to choose from, some
will bring more value
than others. By choosing
Cybage over eight years
ago to help us with our
development needs, we
chose a company (which)
VP-Software Engineering
and Quality, Dealertrack
Technologies
Darin Bunker
Director of Engineering,
Domo
Cybage’s differentiator
“
is its accessibility within
the relationship. By
accessibility, I mean that,
as a client, I have the ability
to reach to Cybage at
multiple levels, even to the
very top, if necessary. At
each level, the teams are
flexible and receptive to
John Oberon
VP-Engineering, Cisco
Cybage has always
“
valued client relationship
over individual projects,
looking at long-term
In my 10-year
“
relationship with Cybage,
I have understood that the
company truly invested in
this partnership to help
us meet our goals. I have
always felt that they have
treated us like our business
Congratulations to Cybage for
building a great company and a
great team. WE thank you for being
a trusted partner with a keen focus
on our success.
"
18
we were confident will
bring great value. In
reality, we got much
more—we got a partner.
Cybage employees and
management team became
an integral part of our local
team, their employees—
many of them are still with
us from day one of the
engagement— became
members of our local team.
They take great pride in the
work they deliver and treat
it as if it was their own.
feedback. This accessibility
comes from the company’s
own introspection and
strong sense of why it
is in business and its
sense of community. An
additional depth is created
by blending team work
with an engaging friendly
interaction, and trusted
partnership which are
already a part of
Cybage’s DNA.
partnership as a key
factor for mutual success.
This approach provides
a durable advantage and
puts Cybage in a unique
position over others.
"
is their priority. They
have been professional,
attentive, and flexible in
getting the work done.
I am grateful for the hard
work and dedication of my
Cybage teams. Happy 20th
Anniversary, Cybage!
"
"
"
"
19
Cover story
Trusted
partnership
Balaji
Subramanian
Jeff Reihl
EVP and CTO, LexisNexis
“
We have partnered with
Cybage for a number of
years to support product
development for both our
UK and US legal practice
management solutions.
The Cybage engineers have
a very good understanding
of the software, work very
well with our teams, and
consistently deliver good
quality. With their help,
we’re able to deliver a
steady stream of portfolio
enhancements to
our customers at
affordable costs.
"
ED, Applications
Development, Technology,
FRHI HOTELS & RESORTS
First and foremost,
“
the main goal for any IT
services firm is not only
identifying and satisfying
customer needs, but also
adding value to the service
provided. Cybage does
this both strategically
and tactically. You can
see this at all the levels of
this organization and in
all kinds of engagements.
Second and more
important value is the
commitment and attitude
of people at Cybage who
make it happen. I have
interacted with many
people at Cybage and
absolutely loved working
with all of them.
A combination of these
two values is what
differentiates Cybage
from other vendors.
"
20
Jun Chen
Sean Nathaniel
Scott Willette
SVP, Infrastructure
Operations, Epsilon
SVP, Technology,
Upland Software
VP, Engineering, Iron Data
Solutions, Inc.
Cybage’s Executive
“
Management Team sets
Cybage has been a
“
great partner to us over the
The aspect of our
“
relationship with Cybage
great examples by actively
seeking feedback and
establishing collaboration
forums to drive continuous
last seven years. As Upland
has grown and changed,
Cybage has adapted to our
changing needs, and has
that I value the most is
the talented people and
their focus on successful
results. I see this in all areas
improvement and helps
gain new business.
Cybagians on the Delivery
team are well respected by
their counterparts in North
America; many of them are
also known by our internal
customers because of the
high quality of service they
provide. The partnership
mindset that Cybage
has brought to the 10+
years of relationship with
Epsilon is the key value that
differentiates Cybage from
other offshore vendors.
always been willing to sit
down at the table and work
out a solution. Cybage
has great people and they
invest in the growth of their
teams. Our Cybage team is
as much a part of our team
as those employed directly
by us. These two factors
differentiate Cybage from
any other vendor we have
worked with.
of Cybage’s business—
from executives who are
interested in my company’s
success to the many
dedicated team members
working to deliver
world-class software. I’ve
worked with Cybage since
2004, through multiple
companies. Cybage is open
and flexible to meeting
various business and
operational needs.
They are easy to work
with and provide
winning outcomes.
"
"
"
Shiva
Vannavada
Walter
Mastelinck
CTO, iCrossing
Founder and CEO,
Transics International
“
Transics, a WABCO
company, is associated
with Cybage since 2010.
Although a large private
company (more than
5,000 employees), Cybage
has a very open and
approachable management
team. For every challenge
we presented to them,
they actively and quickly
searched for a solution.
Cybage differs from several
other offshore consultants
in the way that they include
well-balanced teams
( juniors, seniors, architects)
with developers and
testers for their clients’
projects. This leads to
better results and longterm cooperation.
I value Cybage as a
“
true partner and not as a
vendor. The partnership
we have with Cybage is of
mutual trust and friendship.
Cybage is an integral part
of the iCrossing team; we
operate with common
goals and strive to make
every engagement a
success. The flexibility that
Cybage offers in terms
of skill sets, resource
engagement, and hours
of operations based
on the ever-changing
demands of our business
needs is Cybage’s true
differentiator.
"
Ali Dasdan
SVP of Engineering, Turn
Cybage has been a
“
key partner of Turn for
the last two years; it helps
us scale our Engineering
team effectively, both in
software development and
QA and NOC. We view
Cybage team members as
part of our Engineering
team. We believe trust
is the top value that
separates Cybage from its
competition because the
Cybage team has often
gone out of its way to
ensure that the
deliverables meet our
success criteria.
"
"
21
Cover story
A concoction of memories
From defining moments to the values Cybage instilled in each one of them, read excerpts from our
alumni on how the company has left an indelible mark on their lives, transforming them into
competitive and robust professionals.
“Once a Cybagian, always a Cybagian.” We speak to our alumni who are now Cybage’s clientele; they share
those special takeaways from their journey at Cybage, which helped them evolve and emerge successful.
Utpal Kalita
Nitin Shriram
Director of Engineering, MobiTV, Inc.
Vice President, Head of Engineering,
TREMOR VIDEO Media Solutions
CTO, Mediamorph
“
“
My association with Cybage as a
client is now almost a year old and I am
very pleased with the value that this
company continues to deliver.
I was fortunate to have had some really
good mentors when I started my career
at Cybage and the experiences gained
from those initial days are still extremely
valuable in the various aspects of my
technical career. The trust and exposure
I received during my fledgling days here
helped shape my future.
Cybage will always have a very special
place in my professional life. In fact, my
first set of colleagues here are now my
best buddies.
I wish Cybage and all Cybagians the very
best for their future!"
"
I had joined Cybage after a two-year
stint in Japan back in September 2001.
At Cybage, I got a chance to manage
and lead large projects. Starting with a
Telecom client, I got a chance to work
with DoubleClick, Electronic Arts, and
some other big names. I got a chance to
hone my skills in technical management,
make friends, and build strong
relationships with my clients.
My association with Cybage dates
back to 1998. I was quite apprehensive
about joining Cybage which had less
than 10 engineers and two clients
back then. However, all my concerns
evaporated in the first couple of
months at Cybage, where I got several
opportunities to learn new things,
interact with exceptional co-workers, and
shoulder various responsibilities.
I now work as the Head of Engineering
for a fast-growing video advertising
company in New York City. As I look
back, I feel lucky and fortunate. At
Cybage, I took the first steps towards
knowing the Ad Tech industry, which
shaped my future. I am happy to engage
with Cybage again while working on
challenging projects.
Within a short tenure of two years, I was
fortunate enough to work on various
technologies as a developer, participate
in the Sales process, help architect an
e-commerce–related solution for a USbased startup, and see the company grow
to more than 250 employees.
Congratulations to Cybage for
completing 20 successful years!
"
At Cybage, I was able to observe up
close that employee empowerment and
appreciation have a direct bearing on the
success of projects.
"
Cybage gave me…
“…a clear professional growth
path in a positive work
environment. The company
always provides the right
direction to motivate
its performers.”
“
Cybage has dynamic,
committed, dedicated, and
technically sound team
members, supportive peer
groups, and a motivating
management team.
"
(Former Delivery Head)
there are many; seeing the
company grow from a few
members to several thousand
professionals and becoming
a global empire, working
with highly motivated and
talented professionals.
Rahul led the initial
team of four at
CyberAge (as it was
then known as) in a
monumental task of
developing a 32-bit
browser on a beta
version of Windows 95,
called CyberAge Raider.
My defining moment…
was when we tested Arun’s big
ambition of building a unique
Internet browser—CyberAge
Raider. When our product was
ready for testing, we, including
Arun, went to my cousin’s
office late in the night so we
could get a dial-up connection
that would last at least a
minute or so!
The excitement of seeing our
product (Raider) render the
very first real web page is
something that we will never
be able to replicate.
Advice for Cybagians:
Mahesh GB
Shrikant G. Jannu
22
My defining moment…
The most significant one was
when I shared the stage with
client Greg Wiggins and Uncle
(Deepak and Arun’s father)
to light the ceremonial lamp
during the grand opening
ceremony of Cybage’s West
Avenue campus. This is a
memory that will never fade.”
Manoj Agrawal
“
Mahesh was recruited
by Cybage from CDAC
Pune as a Software
Developer in August
1996 before gradually
advancing to the rank
of Chief Architect.
Advice for young
professionals:
adtare
Rahul Ph
“Focus on understanding the
problem and providing longterm solutions. The approach
that you take to solve a
problem is very important.”
“
Cybage gave me…
During the Salunkhe Vihar
apartment days, Cybage was
no less than a family with
our ties going beyond the
office walls.
“
I felt empowered
to share my ideas with
just about anyone in the
company and knew that my
voice will be heard.
Going to work each
day was like going to see
your extended family.
Performance was
always rewarded.
Rakesh Singh
Suneel Bhimavarapu
(Former Technical
Support Executive)
"
"
(Former Delivery Head)
To all of you at Cybage and
others who have been part
of the long journey, it’s a
moment of pride. Cherish the
memories from the past and
look forward to what’s next.
“
Cybage’s outstanding
collaborative culture and
strong values allow its
employees to experience a
sense of belonging.
"
Swapnil Manthanwar
(Former Sr. Software Engineer)
23
News & Accolades
Cybage recognized as one
of the top M&E solutions
providers
Cybage, an emerging global leader in the
product engineering and IT services space,
has been recognized as one of the 20 most
promising providers of business-aligned,
scalable, and cutting-edge solutions for
Media & Entertainment companies by the
CIO Review magazine.
CIO Review reaffirms the strength and
ability of Cybage ExcelShore, the company’s
model for operational excellence. It is a
scientific and data-driven system that
focuses on various parameters such as client
relationship, project status, human resources,
and risks to help derive a faster ROI.
The model optimizes Cybage’s ability to offer
solutions at the best value per unit cost as
compared to its competitors. The company’s
deeply ingrained practices can be measured
by the success of its clients.
Mentoring merit,
the CybageKhushboo way
Welcome aboard!
Vivek Vig
Vice President–Healthcare
Vivek has more than 23 years of
experience in various domains and
across different levels of work ranging
from Legacy, Financials to Healthcare
Applications. His last 10 years at
DELL Services were focused on the
Healthcare domain as Global Delivery
Manager for EMR support for products
such as Cerner, MEDITECH, Epic, McKesson. Vivek has extensive experience in
managing global delivery teams.
He has built healthcare capability with leveraged accounts to streamline client
operations, deliver business values, and bring in cost advantages to the end
customer. Vivek holds a Master’s degree in Finance from University of Mumbai.
Shripad Inamdar
Finance Controller
Cybage shines at TECHGIG
Code Gladiators 2015
Four Cybagians—Sneha Majumdar,
Yogeshkumar Patel, Rushil Shah, and Amit
Kulkarni—were among the 102 contestants
to find a berth in the grand finale of India’s
biggest coding contest, TECHGIG Code
Gladiators 2015.
The battleground opened up on May 29,
where these finalists fought it out for six
intense hours. This year, more than 80,000
contestants participated in the event.
Code Gladiators is the biggest tech contest
designed to identify the best programmers
and tech enthusiasts across India.
24
Shripad has joined Cybage as
Finance Controller. He is a Commerce
graduate and a Chartered Accountant
with diversified experience in
managing business with a thrust
on financial discipline, compliance,
and efficiency.
He brings with him extensive
knowledge of accounting function in an international setup, budgeting or
business forecasting, regulatory compliances for domestic and international
taxes, corporate statutory compliances, audit liaising, systems for internal
controls or MIS, risk management, and foreign exchange management.
He has a strong consulting experience with KPMG and PwC of almost nine
years in India, the UK, and the US. Before joining Cybage, he was working
with a Swedish multinational, Concentric Pumps in Pune as their Finance
and IT head.
Effervescent, energetic, and dynamic, Ritu Nathani,
Director, Cybage, and Trustee, CybageKhushboo,
is many things to many people. A dentist by
training, a drama and elocution teacher by
inclination, and philanthropist at heart, Ritu
believes that education is a great leveler for every
child, irrespective of background. No wonder that
CybageKhushboo goes from strength to strength
in spreading the fragrance of professional
education through mentorship and
funding programs for deserving students.
Q. Six years and more than 650 students
later, CybageKhushboo continues to
explore assorted territory: from taking
new protégées every academic session
under its wing to funding and guiding the
existing ones—its outreach and scope
of responsibility seems to go up every
year. What has the journey, so far,
taught you?
A. Oh, so many things! For starters,
it has put me in touch with grassroot
realities. Reading about disparity is one
thing, but coming face to face with it in
the form of real people, quite another!
Even so, the years with CybageKhushboo
have taught me to be pragmatic. I used
to be quite emotional earlier; but today,
even though my empathy levels remain
the same, I have learnt to be clinical
and objective.
Merit rules every time; even though we’d
like to reach out to many more kids!
Similarly, we follow a stringent process
of fact verification. Our focus is primarily
deserving kids with more than 60 per
cent in their Xth and XIIth exams with an
annual family incomes of less than Rs. 2.5
lakh and that criteria must be fulfilled.
Q. What drives you?
A. Quite definitely the challenge
provided by the versatility of the roles
I have been required to play! From my
early days as a dentist to my years as an
elocution and drama teacher at St. Mary’s
and Primrose, from training students
for speech exams by Trinity College of
London to running CybageKhushboo,
each phase of my life has asked for
something new. But that works just
beautifully for me, since I am the sort of
person who cannot be held back by just
routine or structure. All the roles I play
add a different flavor to my life.
That said, if something is worth doing,
it’s worth doing with conviction,
passion, and creativity!
Q. At CybageKhushboo, you associate
with teenagers on the cusp of making
professional choices. Does working with
young minds come naturally to you?
A. Absolutely! I love dealing with
children of all ages, teenagers included.
Interacting with them is an engaging and
joyful process. As a mother of two, and
a teacher who has worked with school-
children, I feel strongly about the need
to expose them to different stimuli that
will help in their holistic development.
To that end, we have a team of four CSR
executives and other Cybagians who
help conduct training and development
workshops for our protégées’ throughout
the year. And the sense of gratification is
just phenomenal.
Q. What do you think is more important
for a youngster: hard work or high goals?
A. It has to be a judicious mix of both.
If you don’t have dreams, you won’t work
hard towards them. Similarly, there’s no
point in simply dreaming and doing little
to realize them. Thus, both hard work and
high goals are two sides of the same coin.
Q. What makes you angry?
A. In a word, corruption. It is at the
root of all ills: from socio-economic
disparity to injustice, lack of infrastructure
and development to the failure of
healthcare to reach where it should.
If we deal with corruption, we fill every
other lacuna in the system.
25
CybageKhushboo
‘Agents of change’ are our volunteers who teach and educate the participants on skills necessary to take on
new challenges in the professional world. The students value the annual scholarships that they receive; and
now CybageKhushboo has joined hands with iTeach to further the noble cause of education.
Elston Pimenta
Prajakta Albuquerque
Head-HR
Image Consultant
“
“
Think…most of your
participants travel by a local
PMT bus for over an hour and
half (not factoring the waiting
time), to attend a two-hour
session. Observe…the eager
smiling faces, the wholehearted participation, each
exhibiting a 'can-do' attitude. Feel…these amazing moments
spent with the participants make me realize that I am more of a
learner. It is not me who is doing them a favor. It is they who are
providing me an opportunity to share and enjoy their learning.
The gratifying feeling of being the source that meets their
intellectual needs is an enriched fulfilment.
"
I was privileged to educate
these students in English every
Sunday, for two months. Most
of the students came from
a vernacular background,
and were wary of speaking
in English. Marathi being the
common language between
us, helped to break the ice. I had a lesson plan in place to steer
the class and help raise their confidence. ‘Go slow to go fast’
was the mantra. Eagerness to learn and gratitude for what they
were learning was clear from the fact that they would attend
classes regularly every Sunday, despite a two-hour commute
both ways.
"
Jasbirkaur Kalra
Sarfraj Shigave
Atharva Joshi
Sr. Software Engineer and interviewer for
Sr. Software Engineer and interviewer for
Software Engineer and singer and musician
CybageKhushboo
CybageKhushboo
with MNC
“
As a volunteer interviewer, I recently
visited a promising student’s home for
assessment as per the Khushboo norms
for scholarships. I was saddened to see
this student staying in a tiny tin shed
space. In spite of these conditions, the
student still exhibited an exemplary
academic performance. I’m so happy to
know that the lifestyle and future of these
students and their families are going to
change for the better.
"
26
“
During the Khushboo home visits, I
was struck by the plight of the students
and their families. Despite all odds, these
students have a positive outlook towards
life. They are eager to study and secure
a robust future for themselves and their
families. This was a lesson for me. Now,
during my frequent home visits, I keep a
check on the students to ensure that they
are being guided properly, elevated, and
transformed into holistic individuals.
"
“
When I first got a call for the
Khushboo event, I was told that the
demography of the audience would be
CybageKhushboo-sponsored students
and their parents who come from socially
and economically deprived backgrounds.
I was glad that I was getting a chance
to do something memorable for them
through the medium I love—music. Each
hand-picked song that was performed
ended with loud cheer and tons of smiles.
The experience was overwhelming!
"
CybageKhushboo embarks on Annual
Scholarship Program 2015-16
Our scholars
Praveen Kithani
CybageKhushboo
announced its Annual
Scholarship Program
2015-16. This year,
the trust will award
scholarships to 80-100
deserving students
for pursuing higher
professional education. The total amount of scholarships
to be granted for existing and new students is ` 2 crore.
Ever since its scholarship programs commenced in 2010,
CybageKhushboo has sponsored more than 600 students.
Shruti Parmar
“
The CybageKhushboo
scholarship made my dreams
come true. It came to me at
a time when I was planning
to forego my chosen stream
due to financial constraints.
My father being the only
earning member, the family
income could not support a
professional course like BCA.
CybageKhushboo took me
under their wings and I sailed
through BCA, with the Best
Student of the Year award
and a distinction in the course.
CybageKhushboo not only
provides financial aid, but also
trains the students for all their
needs. Elston Sir’s session
on facing job interviews gave
me immense confidence and I
am now placed with the HSBC
Development Center today.
Once I’ve found my footing,
I wish to give back to the
community by sponsoring a
student in future.
I am truly thankful to
CybageKhusboo for shaping
my life and career.
"
“
I’ve been a
CybageKhushboo Scholarship
beneficiary since the last
three years. When I first
applied for this scholarship,
my family was going through
some difficult financial times
due to my father’s sudden
demise. I was considering
working part-time to support
my studies, but my mother
wanted me to focus on my
studies. The first installment of
my fees came from relatives.
Fortunately, I received this
scholarship through a college
tie-up. It inspired me to
achieve a first class through
all the three years of my
BBA course. I also bagged
the Best Student Award for
2014. The additional care that
CybageKhushboo takes to
help students develop their
skills make a huge difference;
for instance, English sessions
conducted by Monali ma’am
and Tejal ma’am taught us
how to face job interviews.
I’m now placed with TCS and
grateful to Cybage for steering
me down the right path.
"
CybageKhushboo partners with iTeach
CybageKhushboo signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with Teach For India’s alumni initiative, iTeach, on
May 15. This three-year association will be in the form
of a private-public partnership to adopt Pune Municipal
Corporation’s (PMC) Sant Gadge Maharaj School,
Kondhwa—a move that is expected to benefit 175 students
from eighth to tenth standard in 2015-16. CybageKhushboo
donated ` 32,33,332 for the forthcoming academic
year 2015-16.
With this venture, the students of Sant Gadge Maharaj
School, through the backing of free education, got the
opportunity to continue their schooling, which would have
otherwise come to a standstill after the seventh standard.
27
CybageAsha
Revival of life
Rewarding moments
Drought-stricken villages in
Rajanikaur Arora, Sr. Technical Support Executive
and around Pune are being
“
There is no happiness greater than making people smile and fulfilling their dreams.
I have been working with CybageAsha for more than two years and I am grateful
for the opportunity to work for social causes alongside my personal goals. I have
been volunteering in several campaigns such as Go-Green, De-addiction, Village
Upliftment, and Social Welfare. There have been challenging times, be it persuading
someone to stop consuming alcohol or visiting villages during peak summers, without
basic necessities such as clean drinking water and electricity. But support from the
CybageAsha team helped us sail through all our difficulties.
rejuvenated by CybageAsha with
support from local inhabitants.
As a pilot project, CybageAsha embarked
on an ambitious desilting project in
Mavadi, Purandar. Deepening of the
rivulet, building a small check dam, and
creating a reservoir were all part of the
project. Since 2013, every year, during the
months of April and May, desilting work is
carried out in the rivulet to ensure better
water storage.
Desilted rivulet at Mavadi
Restored water reservoir at Navali
Samrala-desilting in progress
28
Waghalkheda-desilting in progress
Desilted rivulet at Dahiwadi
"
Yogendrasinh Rajput, SQA
“
After the success of this pilot project,
it was replicated in two more villages—
Navali in Purandar district and Dahiwadi
in Shirur taluka. In Navali, desilting was
carried out at key areas. In Dahiwadi,
CybageAsha constructed a small reservoir
by desilting an area near the agricultural
fields. Both these villages face acute
water shortage every year due to
deficient rainfall.
Work in the
Soon after, desilting work was carried
out at other drought-prone areas
including Narla and Waghalkheda.
Currently, work is in progress at Samrala
in Dharmabad, Nanded. The area has
a small lake, originally created by the
Nizam, which has been taken up for
desilting. In Hipersoga in Ausa, Latur, an
approximately three-km stretch of Tavarja
river has been taken up for desilting.
drive and energy,
Desilting provides various benefits such
as the ability to sustain the groundwater
level, water harvesting, prevention of
droughts, revival of agriculture, and
renewal of drinking water supply. Above
all, the inhabitants are extremely happy
with the outcome and are now ready to
replicate this activity in other holding
areas too.
Through CybageAsha, I could reach out to needy people and
help them. My participation—majorly in de-addiction campaigns
and village visits—enabled me to interact with different types of
people, whose problems and backgrounds were also different.
Though understanding their way of life was challenging, I have
learnt to look at life differently. We often forget to appreciate
what life has given us and crib all the time; but when we come
across people who appreciate whatever little they have, it helps us
understand that joy comes from within.
voluntary
sector is both
rewarding and
"
fulfilling. Besides
other activities, our
volunteers have been
Sumit Patil, Sr. QA Engineer
working with great
“
Being a part of CybageAsha, I get to practice what I believe in:
'Giving back to our society, a little hope, a little smile’. CybageAsha
is like my second family. Village work beckons me each weekend.
Spending time with the village folks, understanding and helping to resolve their grievances, has been a learning experience.
The bonding and cooperation among the villagers amazes me.
All CybageAsha activities have left a positive impact on my overall
confidence levels and made me a better person.
making the lives of
many liveable.
"
Suhas Kasture, QA Engineer
“
I recall visiting an old age home in the city as part of several activities. The time
spent with the residents there was priceless. We talked, played, smiled, and laughed
together. I felt their pain and joy. I cannot describe the happiness I received in return.
The smiles on their faces made me smile. Another everlasting memory was the time
when I was a part of the content creation team for a book for blind girls. This book
was later converted to a braille version. I firmly believe that ‘only a life lived for others
is a life worthwhile’.
"
29
HOBBY CORNER
Cybage has encouraged employees to join various hobby clubs such as Trekkers’ Club, Bikers’ Club,
Bookworms' Club, and Photography Club. Latching on to the fitness trend are our running enthusiasts
who came together and formed the Runners’ Club! Cheers to more of their miles!
Talent unplugged: Trasha Gupta, Gurudatta Shelke, and Arnav Kasbi
A musical
interlude
Cybage Club
Runners’
To support the message ‘Stay fit, stay healthy’, the Runners’ Club
was formed. Cybagians enrolled in large numbers and this was
evident by a whopping response of more than 85 enthusiastic
runners for the inaugural run (3k/5k) held on 25th April.
This response makes the target of 20 employees running a 20k
marathon on the 20th anniversary of Cybage seem effortless.
MNC is a night at Cybage where
music not only entertains, but
also modulates emotions and
brings happiness to all.
The recent Musical Night @Cybage
(MNC) show was loaded with brilliant
performances and multi-lingual masala
mixes of foot-tapping Bollywood numbers
such as Maiya Maiya, Khamoshiyan,
Shukran Allah, Ishq Sufiyana, Aao Na,
Yuhi challa chal, and Dil se. Yellow, Wake
me up, Diamond, Time of your life, and
other famed English tracks made up the
rest of the performances. An impromptu
Puma Urban Stampede
Arun makes his singing debut at MNC
Performance by MNC
30
The spotlight turned to Deepak Nathani,
COO, who gave the perfect introduction
as a prelude to the BIG surprise which
followed next. Deepak also sang a few
lines of the song Baar Bar Din Yeh Aaye, a
song made famous by Mohammad Rafi.
The surprise, unveiled…CEO, Arun Nathani
took center stage for singing Hosh
waalon ko khabar kya, a ghazal by Jagjit
Singh and rendered a bespoke version as
a dedication to all Cybagians.
The tadka for the night was Radio Mirchi’s
celebrated RJ Sumit, who entered with
a bang and had Cybagians in splits with
his typical trademark ishtyle. Cybagians
who couldn’t make it to the event got the
opportunity to tune in to Radio Mirchi
98.3 FM for live updates.
The Runners’ Club aims at providing a platform for running
enthusiasts to showcase their passion for running. It will also
provide runners with information on the right kind of running
footwear, apparel, future events, and the overall conditioning
that would help them achieve their personal best.
Cybage fielded two of its teams to win India’s largest corporate
relay challenge–Puma Urban Stampede—in Pune on June 7.
Taru Mateti stood first among women participants in all
categories for 5 KM and Raghavendra V won the second
position in men. The winners, with a lead of 28 minutes, for the
Mixed category were Shishir Shrivastav, Taru Mateti, Vishal Patil,
and Raghavendra V. The second runner-up team for the Open
Men’s category included Jones Alapat, Ritesh Kumar, Deepak
Rajput, and Anurag Vishwakarma who were behind the winning
team by just 1.5 minute. They won by a lead of 3 minutes. The
National Finals are set for next year with the winners from seven
major cities as participants.
instrumental medley and original songs
received a welcome applause.
Deepak sang a few lines too!
Every year, MNC adds zing and
contributes largely to the overall lively
environment at work. Over the years, this
event has grown bigger, more vibrant,
and has provided a platform to fine
musical talents in the company.
RJ Sumit of Radio Mirchi at his ‘nautanki’ best!
31
In the spotlight
Our sports champs
Can physical stress relieve mental stress? Sports, a form of physical exertion, does just that. Be it a game of
cricket, TT, or badminton, sport exhilarates, stimulates, and calms the mind, Bringing Life to Work!
PUNE
Radio One ‘Clash of the Corporates’
Pune: A few lucky Cybagians won tickets to watch a live IPL match!
Badminton tournament
The star shuttlers of Cybage
put on a great show of
sportsmanship in the
intra-Cybage badminton
tournament. The Cybagian vs.
Cybagian competition spread
over a week and saw the
following players emerge
as winners.
Pune: Danzofit workshop
Men’s Singles:
Winner: Sudeep Tupakul
Runner-up: Ashish Doke
Hyderabad: Cybagians showcase their creative skills
Gandhinagar: Winners
of the Groupfie contest
Pune: Flower-making workshop
In a thumping victory,
Cybagians took home the
trophy of 94.3 Radio One box
cricket tournament, ‘Clash of
the Corporates’. The champs
defeated Tata Docomo by 4
wickets in a momentous finale.
Our COO, Deepak Nathani,
as the Chief Guest, batted
the first ball to kickstart the
tournament. The Cybage
team—captained by Pankaj
Goplani and backed by
accomplished players Rakesh
Shinde, Amit Palve, Devesh
Pal, Amit Hatwalne, Karan
Kapil, and Divyakant Singh—
revved up their performance
in multiple knock-out matches.
Women’s Doubles:
Winner: Taru Mateti
and Priyanka Singh
Runner-up: Ruchika Kalra
and Swechha Pandey
Mixed Doubles:
and Taru Mateti
and Shunila Kapoor
Rakesh was awarded ‘Man of
the Match’ and ‘Best Batsman’
trophies for extraordinary
performances throughout
the tournament. Amit Palve
and Devesh won the ‘Man of
the Match’ titles during the
quarter-finals and semi-finals,
respectively. The 6-a-side
box cricket tournament
organized by Radio One
witnessed participation from
18 companies.
Hyderabad
Gandhinagar
DLF Mega Tournament
Wolfpack Sportz Cricket League 2015
Our table tennis players participated in the DLF Mega
Tournament held in Hyderabad, which witnessed participation
from more than 16 teams. Team Cybage won the following titles:
Cybage emerged as a runner-up in the Wolfpack Sportz Cricket
League 2015, the 6-a-side indoor cage cricket tournament held
recently at Ahmedabad.
Women’s singles: Prudvitha G
Corporate Chess Tournament
Mixed doubles: Prudvitha G and Karthik R
32
Women’s Singles:
Winner: Uttara Wakhle
Runner-up: Taru Mateti
Men’s Doubles:
and Rajesh Kurup
and Sachin Bhatt
Ketan Bhojak competed with players from five companies and
won the Chess tournament. Kudos to him!
33
Looking beyond Monday
The
Big Red X
Anupama Ahluwalia,
Presales Analyst
The story of your life, if you let the world
write it, would be like…grow up, go to
school, learn the way others want you
to learn, get good marks, go to college,
collect more marks, get the damn
certificate, get a job you like or don’t
like, pocket a paycheck you do or don’t
deserve, take a loan, buy a car, buy a flat,
marry someone–love is not the criteria,
pay your EMI…hang on until you die like
everyone else!
Sound like a crazy race only to end up
with a sole consolation, “I have lived life!”
To copy and improvise on a famous
Munnabhai film dialogue: “What is the
standard procedure to live life?”
Why don’t we look at life from all facets?
Here’s a short story just to ponder on
an aspect of life. Last evening, I saw a
little girl with hands covered in paint,
sitting in her grandmother’s lap, and
narrating stories about her mom and
her school. She said how her mom made
her run to school, to follow her teachers’
instructions, to impress them for good
marks. How her mother pesters her every
time to follow traditional rules and colors
of ecosphere around them in her
painting assignments.
In the school too, the situation was
no different. Recently, her teacher
gave her a coloring assignment with
instructions which read, “Color the
house, trees, flowers, clouds, and the
sky with appropriate colors.” She told
her grandmother that after putting a
lot of work into her drawing, when she
submitted her assignment, she was
surprised to find a super big red ’X’
(cross) on it. She had failed! Tearfully,
she asked the teacher the reason.
The teacher explained, “I gave you
an ‘X’ because you didn’t follow the
instructions. Grass is green, not gray.
The sky should be blue, not yellow as
you have drawn. Why didn’t you use
normal colors?” The little girl answered,
“Because that’s how it looks to me
when I get up early to watch
the sunrise.”
This is precisely why life has become drab
and the enjoyment associated with it
has vanished!
Cybage’s 20th anniversary issue
1
It’s about finding multiple answers to a
problem, task, or a situation. And the
best thing is, there are no right or
wrong answers.
So just stop worrying about the big red
‘X’. Also, stop running behind nonexistent goals. Slow down, take your
time, listen to your heart, make your
own choices, find your purpose, set your
goals, fire up your passion, chase all
your dreams, and live a few. Repeat and
persist until you die as you, just a better
you. And if you are lucky enough, die as
a legend...
2
July 2015
crossword
4
3
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
14
13
15
Moral
Everyone is born creative.
Stop worrying about being
right, some ‘wrongs’ are better than
many ‘rights’!
Live life creatively and better
than yesterday. 
Seeing the M&B initiative grow into an 800+ member club is a humbling experience. It
“
empowers, transforming my thoughts into words with sheer ease. Thanks to M&B’s highly
anticipated weekly articles, Cybagians have a platform to pen down personal experiences with
the optimism that these articles will brighten up somebody’s day. It’s a great HR initiative and
one of the most looked-forward-to activities every week.
"
CYBAGETIMES
One reason why people stop being more
creative when they grow up is that we
haven’t been taught to be that way. Our
education system is an elaborate game of
‘guess what the teacher is thinking’. Most
of us have been taught that there’s only
one right answer. Whereas creativity, like
life, is ambiguous.
Leticia Bell, Manager–Presales
Across
Down
1. An ex-Cybagian from the early team of four.
2. In 2009, Cybage entered Europe with an office in this city
6. Venue of the first Annual Bash.
3. “Live it up!” Whose quote is it?
8. Cybage’s first overseas development center opened in 2004
4. Cybage was earlier known as
9. “The trick is to strive for balance in all you do”, says who?
5. Cybagians won ‘Clash of the Corporate’ organized by
11. The central theme of this edition of CybageTimes
7. Cybage’s first office
12. The name of our new VP–Healthcare
10. CybageKhushboo’s latest tie-up is with
13. The story Beliefs and Reflections is on
14. Who said “Cybage…, transform into a timeless
shining star…”?
15. The first village adopted by CybageAsha for desilting
Hint: Have your read this edition of CybageTimes well?
To subscribe, write to M&[email protected]
34
35
You made it happen
Celebrating twenty remarkable years and counting!
With passion, commitment, and enthusiasm towards
Bringing Life to Work.
Cybage Software Pvt. Ltd.
HQ: Cybage Towers, Survey No 13A/ 1+2+3/1, Vadgaon Sheri, Pune-411014. Tel: 91 20 6604 4700 | Fax: 91 20 6604 1701
Pune | Hyderabad | Gandhinagar | Redmond | New Jersey | San Francisco | Austin | London | Frankfurt | Amsterdam | Sydney | Tokyo | Singapore
www.cybage.com

CybageTIMeS

Transcription

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