Can you enjoy driving when your back is aching? — this was the question posed to the students of Chennai Business School, by Anand Sundaresan, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Schwing Stetter Pvt Ltd, at the school’s ninth graduation ceremony held last week at the TAG-PS Dakshinamurthy Auditorium, PS Senior Secondary School in Chennai.
Sundaresan’s question was to drive home a simple point — that financial freedom is not the only purpose in life. The point was further undergirded by another thought-provoker: what fun was getting a promotion on the day you break-up a relationship?
Balanced success
He told students to strive for a “balanced success” in life, giving sufficient weight to good health and mental peace.
Sundaresan stressed on the need for a proper ‘work-life’ balance and told students not to get too bogged down by ‘work’. The essence of his message was: “Don’t get too serious about work, but be sincere in what you are doing. Life is of limited validity, like a pre-paid SIM card. It is okay to bunk a few classes, goof up in a few interviews, fall in love, make mistakes… After all, we are human beings and not programmed devices,” Sundaresan told the students who listened in rapt attention.
He urged students to start something of their own. He said that in his younger days, “Enormous opportunities came my way, but I did not have the guts or family support to start something on my own.”
Also speaking on the occasion was Ramesh Kymal, Chairman and Managing Director, Gamesa Wind Turbines (P) Ltd, who stressed that prosperity was not all about possessing a meritorious degree, but being the ‘change agent’. “Never let your education speak for you, but let your actions reflect your true learnings — so behave and act accordingly,” Kymal told the students.
Make in India
Both Sundaresan and Kymal spoke about the ‘Make in India’ spirit that pervades the country today and the opportunities it presents.
Sundaresan pointed out that there was still a huge demand-supply gap. Speaking from his experience in the construction industry, he said, “Builders are finding it extremely difficult to get good quality products at reasonable prices. They are therefore forced to resort to available materials, or import from low cost countries like China.”
Kymal agreed with him and stressed that the country needs more educated and learned individuals to “stay in than opt out”. “The moment you chose to give up, you have lost an opportunity to innovate,” he said.
Speaking about the renewable energy industry that he represents, Kymal wondered, “Why are we acknowledging the power of the wind and sun only now, when the potential has always been there since the birth of civilisation?” By way of explanation, he added, “Only when we feel cornered or trapped do we think of innovative ways of liberating ourselves.”
Both Sundaresan and Kymal gave away awards and certificates to 48 students across four programmes and four specialisations, who had completed their courses.
S Sowmya and Shilpa Lakkanikki won ‘Best Outgoing Student’ awards for summer and winter semesters. Both Sowmya and Shilpa, as well as Shruti Sharan and K Giridharan, spoke at the function, outlining their experiences. The Dean, Sridhar Natarajan, received a lot of praise from the students for his helpful attitude and composed manner of tackling problems.