UDYOG 2023 – Our unique career exploration program

“Work to become; Not to acquire”, the motto of Udyog, was etched on the hearts of over 450 high school children from about 25 schools from Chennai, by the five inspiring speakers, who adorned the stage of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Chennai on the 1st of July. As in the past years, each of the experts was, in their own filed, a striking example of the fact that a successful career is not measured by the fame or the riches but by the contentment in following passion underlined with purpose!

The first speaker Ms. Renuka Ramnath, Founder, MD and CEO of Multiples Alternate Asset Management, conveyed a powerful message that passion guided by a true purpose, can turn any challenges into stepping stones for success. There were several pearls of experiential wisdom that emerged during her enriching talk, which were great take-aways for everyone.

The second speaker, Mr. Siddharth Chandrasekar, Founder, Pencil & Monk, started with a vital point that a successful career need not just depend on high grades in school but a lot more like thinking out of the box, seeing failures as a means of learning and constantly grabbing and exploring every opportunity until it meets one’s inner calling. Mr. Siddharth also shared his interest in helping others to upskill and that the doors of his studio are open for anyone who would like to try their hands at designing.

The third speaker was Dr. GN Hariharan, Executive Director, M.S Swaminathan Research Foundation, who revealed that it was an intriguing thought ‘how to extend the comforts of the urban life even to the most rural areas of our country’, that inspired him to get into the field of Science, which he believed can bridge the gap. He wonderfully explained that Science can be exciting and challenging and how his team is working on linking Science with society!

Our next speaker, Mr. CKM Dhananjai, Former Analyst, Indian Cricket Team, Data Performance Manager for Mumbai Indians, started the talk with a statement of assurance that the fears and insecurities in choosing one’s career is quite normal and highlighted that sports and education can go hand in hand. Addressing the questions of the audience, he shared great insights on his role as analyst, on world cup opportunity for Indian football team and about cricketer MS Dhoni, with whom he has worked in close quarters.

The final speaker Mrs. Shubasree Thanikachalam, Creative Head, Ragamalika TV, asserted that predetermined goals are not necessary for success and more often than not, many end up choosing totally a different career that what they dreamt since childhood. Mrs. Shubashree shared her experiences and learnings in media, production, Visual communication, the combination of art and trade and much more. As a successful person in the field, she was able to throw light on what media means in today’s world and the advantages of choosing media as a profession!