She is simple, fair, cute and assuasive. She hails from Belgaum, and recently entered into main line Marathi movie in a lead role. We are talking about the gorgeous looking SAI LOKUR.

Sai was born and brought up in Belgaum and she commenced her educational career from Sunflower Nursery School and completed her schooling from Divine Providence Convent High School. She completed her Pre university from Gogte College and she is currently pursuing her BCom from Ruparel college Mumbai.

Sai was very interested in acting since she was a child and acted in many plays as a child artist. Not only acting she is a very good swimmer and was part of the Swimmers Club.

The little Sai, got great appreciation from all over and at an age of 8 when children just want to play, Sai was prepared to choose her career and she was firm that she wanted to be an actress.

She acted in a number of Marathi dramas, a few advertisements and films like Pakada Gaya, award winning -Mission Champion and Kuch Tum Kaho Kuch Hum Kahe with Fardeen Khan as a child artist.  After her 12^th in Belgaum she decided to go to dream land Mumbai and acted in Marathi plays.

Sai’s debut film as a lead was her recent movie Platform (Marathi), directed by her mother Veena Lokur along with co-artists Mohan Joshi and Sharad Ponkshe.

The movie is based on a social subject and in her first movie her character is impregnable. Sai had to work hard on the movie and her mother was getting the best out of her.

Sai’s mother Veena Lokur is a noted film maker and her Mission Champion (Marathi) has won many awards and was entirely shot in Belgaum.

Sai answers some questions put by AAB:

• 1. Do you feel that young girls are safe in filmdom?Sai —–> Not really. It depends on the way you carry yourself. You need to know what are your limits and what is right for you and what is not. People judge you all the time.
  2. How was it working with your mother?Sai —–> It was the best experience till date. As I told you it was very easy to co-ordinate. On sets we only used to look at each other and I understood what she had to say. She didn’t even had to tell me what it was. I really had a great time. I was at ease all the time. But I do wish to work with more directors.
  3. Are you planning to go to Bollywood? Or is it that you are already there?Sai —–> I am trying for it. I shall get in soon.
  4. Coming from a small city like Belgaum, did it help you in your career or hinder it?Sai —–> I have been in Belgaum for 18 years and have learnt a lot through the theatre that I did there. But now for my career I have to stay in Mumbai. I can’t stay in Belgaum anymore.
  5. Are you in contact with your school/college friends from Belgaum? Sai —–> I am in contact with some of them. Not many though. Everybody is busy in their own lives. And I hardly visit Belgaum these days. But I do make it a point to meet them whenever I come to Belgaum.
  6. Your tips to both boys and girls from Belgaum on how to approach the film industry?Sai —–> I am not so big to give tips. But if one is really interested to get in this field, attend different workshops and improve your acting. And then you may come to Mumbai and give auditions. But you really need to polish yourself before getting in here.
  7. Your future films?Sai —–> I am looking forward for more films. Let us see.
  8. What is the best thing you like about Belgaum?Sai —–> I love my friends. I really miss them here and I miss my house and my dog. The climate as well.
  9. What are your thoughts on this website?Sai —–> I like the site. It is a nice way to promote talent from our town.

     And I am glad I will be a part of it.

Anyone aged 24, would be flying high in his life enjoying his life either studying his PG or who has just got his first job. But how many of them will ever think that they have something to give back to the society at this age, not many for sure.

Meet Mahesh Jadhav, aged 24 who has seen a tough life all his years, has become a philanthropist at 24 by starting Mahesh Foundation a registered NGO.

Under the NGO he has just started “Aadhar” a home for the homeless kids at Kanbargi, Belgaum.

Aadhar will provide shelter to the homeless children along with education and skills of self employment. At this moment Aadhar has 23 family members as Mahesh calls them 11 boys and 12 girls all from Belgaum Taluka.

Aadhar has been set up with the help various industrialists who are like minded who have come together to provide shelter to the orphans. All orphans within the age group of 4 to 12 years will be accommodated to begin with. At this moment Aadhar has a capacity of 40 children and in future he plans to expand it to 200 children.

Aadhar has 11 board of directors including businessmen, entrepreneurs and social workers like Raju Malavade, Bhemu Jadhav, Shankar Pujari, Mrutunjay Hiremath and Renuka Bhosale.

About Mahesh Jadhav:

Mahesh is a diploma holder from Bhartesh and did his schooling from Siddeshwar high school Kanbargi.

He began his enterprising career from a small photocopying shop in Kapileshwar at the age of 20. After he was able to save a few rupees he got an idea of starting some other business and started Mahesh enterprises, a consumer durables shop. Later he started Mahesh Finance to solely finance the consumer electronics buying with his own capital of Rs.3 lakhs. He then started Mahesh Transport which now transports mid day meals to 54 schools.

Mahesh’s business is also unique. He sells all the consumer electronic goods majorly in the rural markets of Kanbargi, Honga, Sambra & Sulebhavi on finance. His 85% of the sales are under finance, and all this finance is done through his company Mahesh Finance.

Life for Mahesh was not angelical. He lost his father when he was a year old in an accident. His mother, a brave heart brought up Mahesh and other five children (3 brothers & 2 sisters). Now one sister takes care of his Photo copy shop and the other looks after Kanbargi consumer durables shop.

Mahesh told AAB that, bankers gave him a lot of support all through for his business and he fell into social service in 2006. From then on he has never looked back and he had decided then only that he would build a home for the homeless.

Aadhar is his first step towards fulfillment of his philanthropic dream.

All the best to him.

Aadhar currently needs your support and people interested can donate in kind or cash.

People who are interested in helping him in his venture could call him on 0831-242810/ 9164575327

Address of home: Aadhar, 792/1 Siddeshwar Nagar, Kanbargi, Belgaum – 15.

Email: maheshfoundationbgm@gmail.com

At the age of twenty when someone in his teens will be spending most of his time officially in college and unofficially outside the college with one’s friends, Shailesh Sharad Joshi had different fate infront of him. Untimely demise of Dr.Sharad Joshi his father, made him come into business and look after it.

2^nd of May happens to be Shailesh’s birthday and we take this occasion to wish him a very very happy birthday and success in life.

On the occasion of his birthday he has organized a blood donation camp at Mahveer blood bank. He has asked his friends and well wishers not to give him presents or bouquets or garlands but he wants Note books instead which he will distribute to the needy one’s the school starts. Shailesh is a simple person with a social responsibility of paying back to the society.

Amrut Pharma’s roots go back to a home industry venture by Vaidyaraj Ramchandra Joshi and Late Smt. Mai Ramchandra Joshi in the year 1938. They were well known practitioners in their time and were the inspiration for Dr.Sharad Joshi to carry on their good work. Dr. Sharad Joshi could foresee that Ayurveda would become a way of life again.

Dr.Sharad Joshi’s legacy and vision is now carried forward by the next generation. Mr.Shailesh Joshi, took over the reins of the business. Shailesh is well versed with the allopathic and ayurvedic disciplines. He has built a great team of experts in research, management and marketing, to champion the cause of Amrut. He has spearheaded the drive for innovation by adopting best practices, and has successfully introduced a suite of new products from the Amrut stable to match the lifestyle requirements of today’s world.

His mission is to build on the solid trust and brand equity that Amrut enjoys and take it to newer generations across the country and globally. He believes that customers have one positive experience with an Amrut product and then graduate to using other products from the stable. His vision is that in the next decade, Amrut must realize its potential of becoming the wellness brand of choice for every family, in every town, village and city in India.

He has diversified his business with keeping his core to Ayurvedic medicines. He is the Chairman of Amrut Social foundation, Amrut Advertising, Sara Herbals, Progen Research lab & Saffron ventures Pvt. Ltd.

Shailesh did his matriculation from St.Mary’s High School and his Pharmacy degree from KLE college of Pharmacy. He is very active socially and also an active member of the BJP. He through his foundation take up projects to help the needy students from the rural areas. He has been awarded with the Bhartiya Udyog Ratna award and various other awards for excellence in ayurvedic manufacturing. He also is the franchisee of a cricket team in the BCL namely Amrut Aqua Dolphins. He loves reading books and has a good collection of books.

A small interview with Shailesh Joshi:
1) You entered into business very early in life, how was it at the early stages?

Shailesh ——> Well joining business early was not chosen but the situation was such that there was no alternative. I had to struggle a lot, as things were not in place and was totally a fresher. Financial responsibilities particularly liabilities are very tough to handle but struggled and made it what it is today.

2) You have diversified into various fields kindly elaborate on each project? (Amrut Advertising, Sara Herbals, Progen Research lab & Saffron ventures Pvt. Ltd.)

Shailesh ——> Sara herbals is the new unit which we have started in Autonagar. We manufacture packaged drinking water AMRUT AQUA where in we have a fully automatic plant and the process is purely NO HUMAN INTEREFENCE thereby giving the purest form of water for drinking. We have started sales network in Goa , north Karnataka and west Maharashtra. Planning to expand further with new units in Goa and Satara.

Amrut advertising is our in house ad agency wherein we do ad releases and creatives.

Amrut social foundation is a trust where we provide educational facilities to the needy, and also medical facilities in the rural areas of Belgaum. The scope is very big and i can’t put it in this interview.

Progen is again an ayurvedic manufacturing company in Belgaum. Dr.Shrinivas Patil is the M.D and I am the executive director.

3) Your vision for Amrut in the future?
Shailesh ——> at AMRUT we are striving to be a global company in the years to come and our first export shipment is expected in the next month to Nigeria. We also are expanding our export operations to middle east and Kazakistan, Russia and so on. We plan to be a fully integrated health care company in the future.

4) Your view on Ayurdevic medicines and its importance in present life?
Shailesh ——> Ayurved is a way of life. It is very important to maintain the dhatus in one’s body. Ayurved is so vast that it will take years to study. Safe, natural, effective is our focus of ayurved. Its importance has been accepted even by modern science since the efficacy of the products are time tested and proven.

5) What is the best thing about Belgaum you like?
Shailesh ——> Belgaum, well what can i say about this beautiful city and the people who belong to this wonderful land. Amazing is the only word to describe our beloved belgaum city.

6) What are your thoughts on this website?
Shailesh ——> your website is the best site on Belgaum and the most interactive site I have seen. The response is truly excellent and I have become a fan of your site. If I can be of any help to you, please let me know. I will have the pleasure of being associated with a genuine site and a gentleman like you.

The art of communication and presenting oneself before prospective hirers/bosses is very important. You might be an all rounder when it comes to academics, but if you fail to impress your interviewer/boss with the right CV and the right words; your knowledge is of no use. Communication skills are very authoritative as they are required to go through the Group Discussion /Personal interview while chasing their dreams of landing at a leading business school of their choice. Directors, deans and professors of leading business schools, have reiterated the fact that one of the factors they see in GD/PI is how well a candidate can express himself.

Amit

Amit Soundalgekar is an entrepreneur adept on communications and soft-skills training. Amit has a Bachelors degree in Science from GSS college Belgaum and a Post Graduate Diploma in business management from Local self GOVERNMENT. He did his schooling from Oriental School Belgaum and has corporate training experience of over 9 years. An excellent motivational speaker with a specialization on communication skills, team building and body kinesics. In addition to training for ICMIS, he is associated as a corporate trainer with Kotak Life insurance, AKP Foundries, JP Foundries, Hewlett Packard, Goldman sachs, CRISIL, GeneralMotors, Duke University ,Goodrich, Convergys,IBM,Novell, Identified as the Training partner for Linfox of Australia & other organizations.

A Corporate Consultant with wide experience in corporate training and consulting with a range of industries, across levels and functions. Experienced in strategizing, pre-validating, designing customized training interventions and facilitating for development of skill and effective behaviors to help organizations meet defined objectives. Addressed areas of Sales Effectiveness, Customer-ism, and Behavior Management, using Classroom and Outdoor Adventure based training interventions.

Amit has previous manufacturing experience in water treatment equipments and sales experience in the pharma industry. Through his personal and professional experiences, Amit gradually became a specialist in Negotiation skills, Project Management, Leadership programs, Focused groups, Cross culture Communication, Communication skills, Presentation skills, and Team building

Amit has been part of c2c since its inception with other expert trainers at C2C Training & Consulting Pvt. Ltd.

He has experience working with clients in Europe, Middle east, Africa, Far east. He has made presentations in Netherlands for valve Manufacturers and Amit was invited for a Management talk show on Radio Mirchi and Radio Indigo.

Some excerpts of an interview:

What made you take up Corporate soft skill training was it an accident or you wanted to be one?

Amit —> It is a shear accident. Because before getting into training I was into manufacturing of water treatment equipments. I accidentally took up an assignment at the cyber college in Kolhapur. Their i met the branch manager of Kotak life insurance, who mentioned that they were looking for some trainers in Insurance. That was the beginning of a long and pleasurable journey. I always had a flair for public speaking but never did it cross my mind that I can make a career out of speaking to people. Because I started as a automotive paints seller then pharma sales and even toilet cleaning acid.

How important is communication in the field of management, according to you?

Amit —> I feel communication is a tool to inspire people.

I would say the more articulate, patient and assertive you are, the more you can gather information and make the best out of communication. To me communication is to achieve shared understanding At the same time I always say “communication is not what is said, but what is heard and understood”. To me in management communication is a very important skill and especially kinesics. I am almost branded in Belgaum as Body Language

How can an individual overcome their spoken English and bad body language?

Amit —> First is the willingness to better your speaking skills and then the resilience to keep reading and being bold to communicate in English. Not shying away at every learning opportunity and be willing to fail. Beyond that one technique that I suggest is that one should read a article and then try to speak out the gist of it into a recorder. Then play it for yourself,or even share it with someone whom you consider is better in language skills. Persoanly I have seen people finding amazing results for themselves.

And when it is about body language, we all are aware that a chunk of the meaning in communication is understood through body language. Be a good observer and a quick learner to adopt different postures and expressions or hand movements. I am a big fan of body language as a study. I am almost branded as Mr Body language in Belgaum. Every act or mood of an individual is easily reflected through body language. You can see through a person through his or her Body language.

Any idols that you admire?

Amit —> I definitely admire Gandhiji for the simple fact that he was able to inspire an entire nation singlehandedly and at the same time inspired some world leaders of his own generation e.g. Nelson Mandela,Martin Luther king. To me that is amazing, being able to inspire a whole generation of leaders.

You have given training in many corporates in India and abroad is there any difference?

Amit —> Culture is the biggest difference. Every individual from a different culture reacts in a different way to the same information. Thats one challenge which I usually cherish. I need not stereotype my experience but it’s a general observation. Because I get to train people from various organization and at different levels. To name a few would be ABB,CRISIL,LINFOX,HEWLETT PACKARD,IBM,NOVELL. Every organization throws a different challenge in terms or organization culture and national culture.

Do you think being in Belgaum is advantageous or otherwise?

Amit —> It’s a definite advantage. On a very positive note I am able to devote a lot of time for myself and my family. Not spending time in traffic is the biggest advantage and my sole purpose of being in Belgaum is that I wish to share my experiences with the industry or student fraternity of Belgaum, everything that I keep learning world over.

How was the Radio experience and speaking there?

Amit —> My radio experience was one of a kind. Going live on air was like”I cant go wrong”.I was nervous the moment I was introduced as a management consultant and a corporate trainer. But as we progressed through the talk I received a few compliments by the editor of the show and that eased my nerves. But honestly speaking I felt like a kid getting some well deserved gift.

How is the family support when u took this job?

Amit —> I cannot ask for more from my family. I personally believe that the biggest sacrifice anyone makes for your success is your family. Hats of to my wife and my parents for being exceptionally supportive. I need to make a special mention that my wife having worked for a multinational herself and studied in Italy as an Italian language specialist,Understands how demanding my profession is. The best part is everybody including my brothers and their family stay involved about what I am doing,where I am traveling,and feel proud about the small things that I have achieved till date.

You travel a lot how does your family take this?

Amit —> I sometimes come home only to exchange my baggage and leave for another destination.

I work hard and at the first opportunity I spend most of my spare time with my family. Though they don’t complain I know I am falling short in spending some quality time with my kid,wife and parents.

What would you say to other enthusiast trainers out there who aspire to be what you have achieved?

Amit —> Be passionate. Being ready to learn and not hesitant to accept mistakes,will ensure that you would go a long way in being a good trainer. I am at my motivated best the moment I enter the training room.

Your favorite place / food in Belgaum?

Amit —> Ramkrishna ashram and in particular the room where Swami Vivekanad stayed.

As far as food in Belgaum,it cannot be any better place than my own house as I am hardly home. I love home made food but if I still need to make a choice I would say Sun n Sand,and Rasraj (a small Savaji outlet near Ushatai Gogte Grils high School).

Your views on ITBelgaum group and its effectiveness?

Amit —> I see IT Belgaum group gathering momentum in their activities and It Belgaum becoming a brand.

In your view is this website(AAB) doing good for Belgaumites?

Amit —> I need to congratulate Uday on coming up with the idea of ABB. I first got to know about it through a friend of mine and then when I visited the site I felt it was worth. One other thing that I need to share is ABB has helped me know Belgaum better than ever before. I am sure most Belgaumites who visit ABB regularly share the same view.

Aditya Gajanan Vernekar has brought laurels to his town by winning the second prize in The Ideation Award at the recently held Malaysian International Furniture Fair 2010 (MIFF 2010).

The Ideation Award offers a platform for students to showcase their talent and innovativeness in furniture design. It is being held for the first time and is open to those studying design or architecture at a recognized Malaysian institution.

Aditya did his PUC from GSS college and his civil engineering from GIT. He won the 2^nd prize while he was facing tough competition from students from 22 countries. He had designed a multi purpose stool “QUBE”. Which has many uses. Currently he is pursuing his studies at the Limkokwing University of creative technology Malyasia.

THE IDEATION AWARD is held with aims to offer a platform for students to showcase their talent and innovativeness in furniture design, as it is only open to all students studying design or architecture at a recognised Malaysian institution. Besides that, the Organiser hopes that THE IDEATION AWARD will encourage newcomers to be involved in the furniture design industry and will help promote the development of the Malaysian furniture industry internationally.

Puravankara Projects Limited has appointed Jackbastian Kaitan Nazareth as its Chief Operating Officer (COO). Prior to joining Puravankara, Jack, as he is known among friends, was the Executive Director of Sobha Developers Ltd overseeing their International operations, based out of Dubai.

Jack did his schooling from St.Pauls high school (1983) has a Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering from Gogte institute of Technology Belgaum(1990) and an MBA from the Goa Institute of Management with a specialization in Marketing and Finance.

He started his career as an entrepreneur with M/s. Trinity Consultants and Engineers in Belgaum and Goa. Apart from handling International operations at Sobha Developers, he had also handled Sales, Marketing, CRM, Corporate Affairs and Facility management in the past. He was also associated with Tishman Speyer as Managing Director, Head -Sales & Marketing in their Bangalore office.

Acknowledging the new assignment, Jack said: “We need to create a vision whereby our name becomes synonymous with excellence, innovation, honor, integrity and outstanding quality and service. As COO at Puravankara, I am looking forward to all the new challenges that come our way and will draw on tried-and-tested experience as well as introduce new thinking and approaches where feasible.”

Jack told this blog that, “ he is one of those many Belgaumites who got the best education, climate and vegetables and all I needed was to pursue a dream to fulfill. I learnt languages and made friends in that place who are still close to my heart. And when you have what life truly has to give you, it becomes a passion to pursue perfection.
I am truly blessed to be what I am today and I owe it to my family, friends and above all my Alma Mater St. Pauls. The Jesuits turned around my life twice, once at St. Pauls and then at Goa Institute of Management, Goa.
GIT was just about 3 idiots, infact we were many idiots so to say. Am so glad that all of the students are doing well in life.
But all said and done there is no place on earth that gives you the language ‘kaay be’ or the chai of the railway station. From Mahantesh Nagar to Udyambag and from Ganeshpur to the Dhabas on Bangalore highway, Belgaum reckons me to be back there And I will maybe retire there in the company of the wonderful friends that I made there and the large family that still lives life to the full. Belgaum it is and I am a Belgaum boy!”

Puravankara Group began operations in Mumbai and has established a considerable presence in the real estate industry in the metropolitan cities of Bangalore, Kochi, Chennai, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Mysore and overseas in Dubai.

Whenever you see a movie, what is the first thing that strikes your mind, Actors, Story or Music. Music; most of the times. It plays a vital role for any movie, documentary.

Sagar Patil is a Freelance Music Composer based in the Belgaum and this man has great hopes for himself with his melodious music sense. Sagar aspires to bring Short Films/Documentaries, Ad/Radio Jingles alive by composing catchy and innovative music ranging from Indian Classical to Western/Fusion Music. He has worked with various Film Production Houses and Individual Film-Makers. He has worked with clients across the country and abroad. He is accompanied with a team of Lyricists, Singers and Musicians, delivering a complete end-to-end music package.

Sagar has been playing musical instruments since childhood. He started composing music from his college days i.e. 5 years ago. He has a mini setup at his home from where he creates those melodious tunes for the ears. Sagar makes the use of new technologies and works online through internet. This helps him to work easily with his clients staying in India and Abroad.

Music is his passion and also his career. Apart from music, he works at the Aptech Computer Education as an I.T. Trainer. He has hands on advance programming languages like C#, ASP.Net and Java Technologies.

Recently he composed a theme song for Nitin Shirgurkar’s
NASCO ROYALS Cricket Team, Belgaum Champions League 2010.

Listen to his songs:
http://sites.google.com/site/portfoliosagarpatil/my-music-works

Watch his Award winning short films:
http://sites.google.com/site/portfoliosagarpatil/my-short-films

A Small interview:

AAB –> When did you start playing percussion?

Sagar–> I started playing drums when I was in 4th Std. I used to play in School Gatherings etc.

AAB –> Who was your guru and did you take any formal education in music at the early stage?

Sagar–> Music has come to me by birth. Its a god’s special gift to me. I never took any formal education in music. I am a fan of A.R. Rahman and for me, he and his music is only my Teacher.

AAB –> Your parents/ family views on you taking music as a career?

Sagar–> I am always motivated and supported by my parents and friends, and that is the reason I am here.

AAB –> Did being from a small town of Belgaum anyway hinder your music career?

Sagar–> Well, Creativity has no barriers. One should always work hard to achieve his goals. Success follows itself. Being in Belgaum, there was a limited scope for music, but I could manage to get clients through Internet.

AAB –> Narrate some interesting incident good or bad during your career till date?

Sagar–> They are many.. One of the most memorable moment for me was the Music Launch of Drishti, The Vision. I had composed a song dedicated to our Blind Friends. It was my dream to dedicate my talent to the Visually Handicapped and thus, I created Drishti. We shot the video of Drishti at Maheshwari School for Blind, Belgaum. It was a great satisfaction to see the smile on the face of those innocent blind children, when they got to know that I have composed a song specially for them.

AAB –> With whom do you want to work with as a music director? (names)

Sagar–> Oh.. thats a tough question, there are many great names in our industry today. I would love to work with Ashutosh Govarikar, Mahesh Manjrekar. I would also like to assist the great A. R. Rahman sir.

AAB –> You teach at Aptech and how is that you plan your schedule for music?

Sagar–> As it is truly said, “Where there is a will, there is a way”. Its really hard to find time for both the professions at a time. But, music being my passion, I cannot live a day without music. I work on music at nights, usually from 10 pm to 3 am in morning. Thats the time when whole world sleeps, I can find peace. It is the only time when you can feel the lords blessings around you.

AAB –> You also have started MAKE MY GIFT portal, what is the idea behind it?

Sagar–> Well, its a different way of presenting gifts to your dear ones. Usually, people present Show Pieces, Greeting Cards and many such items as a gift, on any special occasions.

Make My Gift, provides you a unique way of presenting music tracks to your dear ones.

These tracks will be composed by me, which would include name of the person and is message. People are loving this concept and the response is good. This concept was suggested by one of my close friend.

AAB –> Any awards your way?

Sagar–> Many of my films have won awards at the film festivals. And.. nothing else is great than people loving your work. I have been getting complements for my work.

AAB –> You’re all time favorite song and music director?

Sagar–> The Mastreo A. R. Rahman sir. His every song is a new lesson for me. I have been learning and growing by listening to his music.

AAB –> Your thoughts on the upcoming talent in Belgaum how can one groom oneself being here.

Sagar–> Hard Work! I would say that the place and the location should never be a barrier. Talent can never be stopped or limited. Give your best and your talent will be rewarded. Collaborate with new people, share the knowledge and grow.

AAB –> What is the best thing about Belgaum you like?

Sagar–> I like the climate of Belgaum. It is very peaceful and soothing here. A perfect place for relaxation and peace.

AAB –> What are your thoughts on this site?

Sagar–> I would like to congratulate the team of allaboutbelgaum.com for their consistent efforts in creating such a great service to the people of Belgaum. I would say this is the best site, I have seen that provides such detailed information about Belgaum.

Contact:
Sagar Pradeep Patil
1st Floor, Raghavendra Apartment,
II Cross, Ranade Colony,
Behind Gogte Boys Hostel,
Hindawadi, Belgaum – 590006
Mob: 9242915668

Visit: http://sites.google.com/site/portfoliosagarpatil/

Belgaum is one such place where there is immense talent all around and people around do not know about it. Here is another such company, which makes Belgaum proud, Servocontrols. The next time you are flying in plane, it might be flying with the help of valves made by servocontrols. Servocontrols has also participated and contributed their bit not only to civil aircrafts but also to space missions like Chandrayan and many more.

Servocontrols was a small start up started by two youngsters Deepak & Dinesh Dhadoti in April 2002 in a garage in Bhagyanagar. Deepak has a vast experience of the global market and technology as he had worked in USA while Dinesh is well versed with the local Indian market and its requirements.

Deepak & Dinesh Dhadoti

Today Servocontrols is in the inimitable position to offer the position sensors these position sensors are successfully used by various hydraulic companies across the world. They also manufacture hydraulic actuators with inbuilt  position sensors used in civil aircrafts. They also supply level sensors for petrochemical, pharmaceuticals, biomedical, specialty chemical along with respective controllers & software. Simulators for aircraft flying. Servocontrols is one of its kind facilities India to assemble, test, qualify and evaluate the servo valves. Today Servocontrols has entered into the elite group of companies where under one roof it can offer both the close loop solution for servo hydraulics and also the electromechanical actuators and servo systems. They have the AS9100 B & ISO 9001 certification. They participated in the Sir shows in 2007 & 2009 held in Bangalore and in the Paris Air show in 2009.

It is the only company in India to have a Design studio. Manufacturing and testing all under one roof.

Servocontrols is one of the few Indian companies with AS9100 B certification backed by unparallel reputation for quality & extensive field experience. The company has the right combination of proven system architecture & high tech innovations that make it a leading company in the field of aerospace requirements.

Servocontrols has started its manufacturing facilities for manifold block system, Industrial, and mobile hydraulics market. Servocontrols has started servicing facility, assembly & test facility and getting converted into full fledge manufacturing facility along with testing qualification and calibration of electro hydraulic and servo hydraulic systems.

Deepak Dhadoti did his schooling from Swadhay Vidya mandir and BK Model, and then did his PUC from GSS and his engineering from KLE engineering college. His brother Dinesh completed his schooling from St.Pauls High school and he did his diploma in Mechanical engineering from Gomatesh.

Born to a middle class family where their father is a banker, the duo planned to start their own company and they started it from their house garage. From the garage to the present office, they have airborne themselves in the field of aerospace applications. It is still a mystery to their father as to how quickly they have tasted success.

Here is an excerpt of an interview with the duo:

1. What does your company make?

Servocontrols–>In simple terms we make many things, which are very small in nature but very essential. We make aerospace applications such as Engine control systems, Sensors, Servo valves, Actuators, Flight control systems, manifold systems for civil aircrafts and for space missions.

With all this, they are also present in other markets like Fluid power, Steel mills, Power generation, Plastic & Rubber manufacturing, Petroleum, material testing, mobile hydraulics, General factory automation, construction equipments, ground testing & test rigs to mention a few.

2. How did servocontrols start?

Servocontrols–> Deepak was working in the USA in the aerospace industry and his brother here Dinesh was keen to start something of his own, he did not want a boss on him. Therefore, he asked his brother whether they could start something. The call was right, Deepak had on his mind to come back to hometown Belgaum and do something there rather than be in the US. In 2002, Deepak came down to India and while coming back his colleagues in the US said, you go now and we are sure you will come back in 6 months. However, it was not so, both of them had a never die attitude in them and with very little money in hand they started servicing the servo valves and distribution of sensors from their house garage. Nevertheless, the brother duo was firm they had the knowledge and they can succeed and in 2005 we shifted to their new office in Udayambag.

3.What were the hardships you faced?

Servocontrols–> Hardships, from day one. We had little money and our father who is a banker was not so keen on our venture. However, some how we managed to convince him, we began, and now that we have reached here, he believes we have done something good.

Servocontrols was started in the garage with just two of us, we began servicing of the valves, and we never looked back.

We faced problems with everything but we were sure to overcome them and we did that. Numerous people have visited our office and site, which includes the scientist’s community from India and abroad, topnotch officials of the fortune 500 companies.

4.Why did you choose Belgaum for such a technical industry?

Servocontrols–> When we decided to start this we were told to start it in Bangalore, Hyderabad or Noida, but we said Belgaum, our hometown. We wanted to do contribute our bit to Belgaum and that is the sole reason for us to start in Belgaum.

5.Was it easy to start in Belgaum?

Servocontrols–> Easy to start in Belgaum, no not at all. We had problems from day one. People never knew where this Belgaum is. Clients used to think its near Bangalore and they used to call us in the morning saying we will see you in 1 hour and then we told them it is not so near its far off.

The air connectivity is the greatest hindrance to us. With no connectivity now we have to shuffle between Hubli and Kolhapur and get clients back and forth from there. Most people now days prefer to have a day visit with no over night stay, but the same cannot be done in Belgaum due to no air connectivity. A few international clients who took the Goa route to Belgaum said its better we land in Mumbai and come by road and when they are here we face hospitality problems as there not so good or star hotels.

We feel even if the Belgaum airport is not operational, it would be fine but the road to Goa should be improved. As Goa has international connectivity and if (this is a big IF) we have good 4 laned roads like towards Kolhapur people can fly to Goa and take a drive to Belgaum. However, here nothing seems to be working, nor the Sambara airport nor the Road to Goa.

No doubt, we are on the golden quadrilateral but we face countless logistical tribulations. The train frequency should be increased on both ways Bangalore and Mumbai.

This was one part another major part is the government regulations. In the budgets, so many exemptions are awarded to entrepreneurs but in real, we never get it due to lack of efficiency in local and inter departmental procedures. It is eyewash. VAT, Customs, Excise, DIC, ESI and so many others regulations in which most of our energy goes by.

Belgaum has lacked branding and even now we still need to tell people where Belgaum is and what it has in store.

6.How many employees?

Servocontrols–> At present we have 156 employees and all are from Belgaum and neighboring villages. We do not have very highly qualified employees but what we have is able persons who have been trained by us to get the best out of them.

We need engineers from all fields mechanical, civil, IT, electronics and B.Sc. Most pf our employees are not highly qualified but we train them in such way to get the best for the company. We believe that as we have started this company here there will be so many others with their roots in Belgaum who want to work here. We have many employees from neighboring villages that operate the computers, use the Internet, operate and when foreign delegations come over explain to them the whole procedure.

7.Your future plans.

Servocontrols–> Future looks bright even in this recession. In addition, as we are spread over a wide range of activities and industries we can expect a slowdown in one and an upward movement in another. We have finalized land for our new factory and we hope to begin work there soon. Revenue is equally divided in terms of Rupees and foreign currency we do not se much impact of the recession and appreciating rupee. In this kind of market, also we are exporting to China, which is supposed to be the cheapest in the world.

8.What is that you like about Belgaum?

Servocontrols–> Best thing in about Belgaum is its People, the environment, the cost and the talent. So many people have their roots in Belgaum, they all should come and start up here and pay back to Belgaum.

9.What would you say about this Site AAB?

Servocontrols–> Well this site has always helped recently to be in touch with Belgaum. I was recently abroad for a conference and I used to check the site daily so that I can know what is happening in my hometown. The job team AAB is doing is commendable. All the best!

ServoControls

Survey No. 683, Industrial Estate, Udyambag, Belgaum, 590 008.

www.servocontrolsindia.com

Dr.Vinayak Patil a dental surgeon has made Belgaum proud by getting the prestigious Harry W.F Dressel, Jr” Award of Clinical Excellence In General Dentistry and Concept of total patient care.

Dr.Vinayak Patil is a Belgaumite and he did his schooling from St Paul’s high school. He then completed his pre university course in science from GSS and did his dental studies from KLE Dental College.

In October 2000 he went to Australia for a couple of months to Adelaide Dental School (Australia) to attend the Dental bridging course. But he was not satisfied with this and he wanted to specialize. He further continued specialty training doing (FDS) fellowship In Oral and Maxillofacial from Royal College of surgeons England .Worked in Oral & Maxillofacial unit in London.

During his tenure in London Dr.Vinayak developed tremendous skills in Oral and Maxillofacial surgery, treating terminally ill Oral cancer patients, maxillofacial trauma, Oral and Maxillofacial reconstructive surgery and maxillofacial deformity surgeries.

After he wasn’t satisfied either and then he decided to specialize in Oral reconstruction with Dental Implants and related prosthesis, hence he applied in programs in USA, and got admitted at University of Maryland Baltimore Dental School on scholarship bases on my credentials, references and previous training from England.

During further training in USA, developed advanced skills in Dental Implantology, Cosmetic Dentistry and in advanced general dentistry.

During the specilaisation was awarded by the University Dean as the best clinician. Was awarded “The Harry W.F Dressel, Jr” Award of Clinical Excellence In General Dentistry and Concept of total patient care. After the masters was done, was offered Associate director post for residency program at University of Maryland and was also recommended for GPR program Director post at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He decided to work in Private Practice, and presently working at the Fairfax County in Northern Virginia.

When this blog asked him about his future plans he evidently said, “I will be coming back to India and open up practice there with state of Art Dental practice offering high International standards and changing the way dentistry is offered in India.”

When asked how his parents felt about his achievement, modestly says “ask them, I must have made them proud for sure”.

Tushar Patil is a young dynamic CEO of BTP InfoServe Pvt. Ltd. He did his Bachelor of Engineering in Industrial and Production Engineering from Gogte Institute of Technology and his Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas, USA.

As CEO, Tushar Patil is responsible for the vision, strategy and leadership that drive BTPI. After completing masters from Kansas University, he worked in the US for 3 years at Alpha Soft Services. During this tenure, he gained access to various service segments in the US including healthcare, insurance and finance. His experience also helped him identify the non-core business segments there and plan to outsource the same to BTPI. He has the task at BTPI to help business segments concentrate on their core strengths and to bridge the link that correlates clients’ expectations v/s BTPI deliverables.

Way back in 2002 Tushar started BTP InfoServe Pvt. Ltd. (BTPI) in Belgaum, which specializes in American medical insurance claims processing. This field is listed as one of the fastest job creators in USA.  BTP InfoServe Pvt. Ltd is the only company in entire North Karnataka & Goa that specializes in this area.
BTPI from Belgaum manages the payment flow of medical claims efficiently from insurance companies to various service providers.

With an Approx 0.4 million dollars in turnover and over 50 employees BTPI aims higher turnover in the current year. Today all the sectors are reeling under recession like Automobile, banking, Industries but healthcare is one such sector which has NO Recession.

Tushar Patil speaks out to Team AAB:

1. My first question why Belgaum for your BPO?

Tushar Patil –> Belgaum is ideally located between Bangalore and Mumbai and has perfect blend of rural and urban population. The quality of education is excellent. Plus the lower costs of land/infrastructure/living/manpower and also for the abundant talent available in and around Belgaum. The weather is pretty much like Bangalore and is logistically located with 2 airports (Hubli and Kolhapur) within 90 kms distance.

2. Could we have your outlook on the IT & BPO industry in Belgaum?

Tushar Patil –> As I said the abundant manpower available in and around Belgaum is a major advantage we have. There is many Medical Transcription company’s based in Belgaum and there is enough scope to accommodate other sectors related to BPO. Bigger cities has had enough IT and BPO growth. The cost of doing business in bigger cities is horrendous compared to the cost of the same BPO job which can be done from Belgaum or Hubli. With a little push from the Government we can get things moving at a much faster pace.

3. What kind of shifts do you see coming from the recession? If any.

Tushar Patil –> Well customers are definitely guarded about the pricing and the service providers are looking for an innovative modernization strategy to achieve lower running costs. Companies whose leaders look ahead for opportunities that will follow post recession will have a competitive advantage when it’s over.

4. Is it going to be too different from what we are seeing now in terms of kind of outsourcing deals?

Tushar Patil –> Customers will be looking for more range of solutions from the same vendor. Also there is delay in signing new deals so it’s more of a WAIT and WATCH situation.

5. Are we also going to see any changes in the kind of skills you will seek in potential employees?

Tushar Patil –> Not much when it comes to ITeS industry.

6. What kind of order pipeline do you have for the coming few months?

Tushar Patil –> We have 2-3 large clients in pipeline.

7. What is your competitive edge in the industry in which you operate?

Tushar Patil –> 6 plus years experience in US healthcare industry

· One of the early entrants in this sector

· It’s an untapped industry in India

· Highly trained manpower

8. How do you see the healthcare segment growing?

Tushar Patil –> The US healthcare is a 2.5 trillion dollar industry and is expected to grow rapidly over the next decade. The Obama government might just present an exciting growth opportunity for the Indian IT service providers. The US spends 16% (one of the highest in the world) of its GDP on Healthcare and still 40 million individuals are uninsured. So the government plan aims for universal coverage for every US citizen. There will be significant influx of “the newly insured” into the health system as well as tremendous pressure on insurers and healthcare providers to reduce the costs. So the ITeS industry has something exciting coming all the way.

9. But has the healthcare vertical been fully immune to the slowdown?

Tushar Patil –> As far as our business is concerned, yes. We have been signing clients every quarter. But off course the US has been reeling under recession and has never seen this kind of unemployment. This leads to less consumption of healthcare products and hence less volume.

10. Is it easy to start up a BPO in Belgaum? Your experiences

Tushar Patil –> When we started in 2003 it was nightmare for us. The biggest problem we faced was internet. All our work is online so we need to be connected to the internet 24 hours. The downtime was almost 40% can you imagine that. We used to run to the DOT office at least 10 times a day. We lost couple of clients just for this reason. But now it is much easier to start a BPO shop in Belgaum. We have choice of multiple ISP which was not there in 2003.

11. What are your thoughts on the human resource talent in and around Belgaum?

Tushar Patil –> Frankly speaking there is still a dearth of skilled manpower in this belt. Schools and colleges must create awareness regarding BPO as a career and must introduce in its syllabus. Right now I don’t see anything happening and also computers must be mandatory in all institutions. We still get graduates who are computer illiterates. There is enough potential in Belgaum but we need to do more in raising the bar higher.

12. Your future plans?

Tushar Patil –> Right now our primary focus will continue to be Healthcare because that is our forte. We want to ramp up our capacity to at least 300 people from the present 70 in the next 4-5 years.

13. Your thoughts on the ITBelgaum initiative?

Tushar Patil –> It’s an excellent vehicle for the local entrepreneurs to build a platform which can be used to strengthen the image of Belgaum and to get Belgaum on the Global IT map. There are lots of interesting things coming up through this group which will help the future budding entrepreneurs. All the members are whole heartedly working towards a common goal.

14. How do you foresee Belgaum’s future for the IT and BPO?

Tushar Patil –> Infrastructure wise we are still lacking basic facilities and also air connectivity is a BIG issue which most of the clients look for. If these things are taken care then we can definitely see a bright future for Belgaum. Hopefully the ITBELGAUM group can make some difference!!!!!

15. Your thoughts on this website and its usability?

Tushar Patil –> It’s an excellent databank to get news about Belgaum. Hats off to you who single handedly took this initiative and also promoted the ITBelgaum group through this site. I wish you all the best for all your future endeavors.

Aziz Hafiz hails from Belgaum and is the son of Dr. F.A. Hafiz, a renowned doctor of Belgaum. He completed his schooling from St.Pauls high school and his Pre University from RLS and he did his Civil engineering from Gogte Institute of Technology. At the  time when he was doing his masters in management, he was selected as a Gazetted Probationer in the Government of Karnataka and his journey as a Sarkari Babu began. Currently he is the Deputy Director, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Government of Karnataka.

Aziz is a Sarkari babu with a difference and since in college he was known for quizzing, debating, dramatics, organizing fests – the first youth festivals of the city were his doings! He loves sports, has a wide range of interests, virtually anything and everything!

He has authored a book “The Rising Sun Shall Set….” which is set in the Belgaum fort, and is a piece of poetry, with a philosophical outlook. His wife is very good painter and this also inspires him in his work.

He has worked in districts of Raichur, Bellary, Udupi, Bangalore Rural & in Bangalore City. He is also handling a project for the comprehensive computerization of the Public Distribution System as its Chief Informatics Officer (CIO). In addition, he was also Joint Director, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs & Additional Director, Procurement & Distribution. He is an authority on the Public Distribution System, Petroleum products, and Consumer affairs.

One of the tasks he is handling today may well change the way Government functions. He, as the CIO of a unique project, has collected the biometrics of over nearly 4.5 crore people which will be the basis of the unique identity for each person. In fact the UID (unique Identity card) that is being talked about is nothing but what he has done. His work is apparently being hijacked by more well known persons!!

What this will mean is - in future you can go to a kiosk and by giving your biometrics, get whatever document you want from the Government, avoiding all the touts, the delays, the transactions…… Imagine even if it happens 5 years from now, we would have taken tremendous strides towards a better government, where you would get what is meant for you, rather than someone else  making merry. We may even have voting with biometrics you never know!

And a person from Belgaum would have been the reason for its success.

His job profile is a story in multi-tasking  – while managing the entire Public distribution system ( the rationing system ) in Karnataka, covering 1.25 crore families, handling 2.25 lakh Metric tons of food grains & 50,000 kilolitres of kerosene oil every month, with an annual subsidy of over Rs.1500 crore and  an annual turnover of over Rs 5000 crore; Managing logistics, warehousing, transportation, retailing – with a network of over 500 wholesale & 25,000 retail outlets; Launching of new products; piloting policy changes, crisis management; enforcement of laws,  raids, legal processes; Managing the minimum support price operations for agricultural produce for farmers, monitoring the supply & distribution of petroleum products; maintenance of civil supplies; besides monitoring of market prices; Redressal of public grievances, consumer education & consumer guidance.

Interviewing Aziz was an experience of a kind and after reading his answers this Sarkari Babu is not a normal one for sure. Here are some excerpts of the interview.

1.       Why Sarkari Babu, you could have been in any private company and most probably by this time on a very good position and good booty.

Aziz —> I had this penchant for the IAS in school, and even in my engineering days, everyone knew that I had my eyes set there. I am in a very enviable place, which is powerful to say the least & although I don’t have the booty, I am fairly content.

2.      Who or what inspired you to join the KAS?

Aziz —> The state services were an after-day thought, since I didn’t make it to the Civil services. The Civil services were a fascination from school days, when we had DCs coming as chief guests and everyone looking up to them with awe…. maybe that caught my attention at an early age.

3.      Your father is a very well renowned doctor; didn’t he want you also to be one?

Aziz —> 3 of my brothers are doctors and very dedicated at that. I would see them reading those huge books and getting up at odd hours whenever there was a patient who came in an emergency. I guess in school, I thought this wasn’t what I wanted to do. Fortunately, people at home let me have my say early in life…. so I chose what I wanted to do. My father is 88 and takes pride when he hears from people about how I’ve touched their lives.

4.      You are handling a department which at this hour is the most important one as there is inflation and a scare of a drought. How important do you think this is and have you changed the way you work to tackle this situation?

Aziz —> Today, the situation is such that I am the department! Unfortunately this took a toll on my health and I was quite unwell since about 4 months…. but I’m back to the old stress-filled days. These are difficult times and the task that’s even more difficult is to balance between scarcity and inflation. Let’s hope that our inherent resilience to combat difficult situations gets us through this.

5.      As the CIO of the biometrics project, do you think this is the ultimate card for an Indian citizen?

Aziz —> The UID is not going to be a card but a number.

What we are doing is not the UID, but a biometric based ration card, which will be used in future for different activities. First, we will have better targeting. Second, we will minimize, if not prevent, diversions, misuse & what not… of facilities that the Govt. wishes to give the people. Suppose there are allotments of sites, why should a person who has already got one or 2 get another? He will be identified and some other person who deserves it will get it…. isn’t that something to look forward to? If this happens it can become the ultimate card, maybe having a chip, and even used as a debit/ credit card…. who knows??? The possibilities are immense!

6.      You have served in various capabilities and in various locations, your favorite location and why?

Aziz —> Since I have wide interests, it has never been boring. Raichur was an eye opener, after living all my life in the comforts of home. Udupi was beautiful — the beaches, the forests, Bangalore has been a growing experience where the proximity to the political class has been educative — to say the least!!!! Hey but  there’s no place like home!!!

7.      Some good and bad experiences you would like to share when at work.

Aziz —> There are many … I was conducting elections in Udupi when T N Seeshan was the CEC. In my constituency there was not a single banner, but when I came to B’lore the place was flooded with plastic. I felt that I had done what no one else had. Then, there was a school located where the sea water actually crashed against the plinth and the strong winds had blown away the roof tiles and broken the window panes…… the kids would sit in their class while the roof leaked and the gusts of sea water sprayed inside occasionally. This was supposed to be a polling booth. I ordered that it should be repaired; otherwise it would not be used in the elections. Everyone sneered that all the authorities come and make such promises, but this will never get repaired. I was adamant that it should be repaired immediately. Finally, it was set right and it gave me immense joy when I went back there again.

Bad experiences have been mostly when the press wrote something they partly understood or misunderstood. I have conducted some dramatic and daring raids and got many people arrested in different places. This is an unpleasant task where one invites their enmity all along.

8. What would you ask the young aspirers who want to join the administrative service?

Aziz —> To the principled, Govt. service is not as easy as it appears.  Getting in is also difficult. But if you have the inclination, choose your subjects carefully, study methodically and you’ll make it. Aspire to get into the IAS.

9.      You authored the book “The Rising Sun Shall Set….” What made you write it?

Aziz —> I guess I have a penchant for writing. I wrote a lot in my college days – plays, poetry, et al. This had to follow. I’m now looking for a publisher for my next book- short stories.

10.   What is the best thing about Belgaum you like?

Aziz —> There is so much. Having lived in the Fort, the past is nostalgic, the weather is lovely. But, I guess the many friends I have and many I came across all make it so much of a drawing force. …. Now I wonder why my 7 year old son likes it. What did he like????

11.    What are your thoughts on this website?

Aziz —> It is informative, and in a way makes us feel it’s ours!!! It has made me addictive and I’m busy trying to look up on old friends and trying to make a comment wherever I can…… & thanks for being a facilitator……

Rahul Deshpande is a freelance photographer based in Pune (originally from Belgaum), doing commercial and advertising work. He follows his passion of music by creating edgy promotional photos for established and upcoming bands and artists in Pune, Mumbai and Bangalore.

He is also actively involved in Pune’s live music scene, playing the guitar with his band, NH4 as often as his schedule will allow.

Rahul Deshpande

Other passions include actively seeking and documenting fast disappearing arts and crafts through his private project – Rare Earth Media. His most recent initiative, “Detritus” is the exploration of colonial bungalows in the city of Belgaum some of which are in a state of dilapidation. It is both a study of nature reclaiming what it gave up over a century ago and the possibility of conserving a slice of colonial history.

Educated in Belgaum and the US, he has worked as an engineer on merchant ships, a teacher in inner-city schools, a project manager in investment banks and now as a photographer in India. An extremely well traveled photographer, Rahul has experienced life on the streets of New York City, Tokyo, Amsterdam and in a village in Kenya.

Though having received no formal training in his craft, he has attended numerous workshops under highly experienced photographers in New York.

He relies on his natural gift of connecting with people through photography, so a lot of his work will feature portraits and character studies.

Rahul is also active in the community of new media artists and shares his process of creation through his blog. His work is inspired and woven together by cinema, music and the sights and sounds of the street.

Rahul did his schooling from St.Pauls high School, his Pre University from GSS College, Bachelor of Engineering from GIT and Master of Science from New Jersey Institute of Technology.

His Solo photo exhibition is organized at

The Global Tree Cafe Art Wall, in Bangalore

Saturday 12th September 2009.

Brief Background of projects:

Kenya Unplugged:

Rahul traveled to Kenya earlier this year and spent time on the safari circuit in the Masai Mara and in the beach resort of Mombasa. This series is the result of an active effort to connect with ethnic communities and doing exactly what a tourist is advised NOT to do while in Africa. On the “do not do” list were warnings against wandering off alone, traveling on the local “Matatu” buses and not socializing with the locals beyond small talk. Rahul did wander off alone, traveled extensively on matatus and even visited remote villages, sharing meals, performing in ritual dances and of course taking photographs.

The first part of this series was created in Masai and Samburu villages bordering the Masai Mara National Park, where he was witness to the daily life of the people and spent time trying to converse with them using hand gestures and the most powerful currency in the world – a smile! The portraits he created are a result of those interactions.

The second part of the series was created in the village of Bombo, some 35 km north of the city of Mombasa. After the usual jetski rides and snorkeling trip, the instinct to wander eventually got the better of him. Accompanied by a local “beach boy”, he visited the village of Bombo where he spent the day interacting with the children and adults, even helping them repair a hut which had collapsed in the recent rain, all the while observing and taking photographs.

Detritus:

Rahul is currently involved in a project to explore the process of nature reclaiming what it gave up when the colonial-style bungalows of the Belgaum Cantonment were built to house the officers of the British Army. Some of these bungalows are about a hundred years old and have not been regularly occupied or maintained. This has brought them to a state of dilapidation, reducing them to only vestiges of a once glorious past. These photographs are the first installment of the Detritus project.

A question to muse on while viewing this series is “Will glass, concrete and steel structures be as graceful in their twilight years?” The photographer hopes these photographs will plant the seeds of recyclable architecture.

An interview with the budding eye behind the lens:

1.What sparked your interest in photography?

Rahul —> Dad’s old camera was lying unused for a number of years. I put a roll of film and shot it, nothing came out cause I had not loaded it properly. Therefore, I looked up the right way (thank you, Internet) to load film into that particular camera model and saw a bunch of links to photography resources. Read up and got addicted to the craft!

2.Have you taken any professional training?

Rahul —> None whatsoever, but I have taken numerous workshops with very senior and experienced photographers in New York.

3.You are a MS in Information science then what made you turn to photography?

Rahul —> As the addiction got deeper; I began to think about doing photography full time.

4.Which was your first ever photo or photo shoot on a commercial basis?

Rahul —> Catalog for Quest LLC, an alcohol and spirits bottle printing and decorating firm based in New Jersey.

5.How many exhibitions have you done of your photos?(details)

Rahul —> This will be my first exhibition in India. I have done two exhibitions so far, both in Greensboro in the US.

6.What do you like photograph models, original facets etc?

Rahul —> Live models in a concept style set is my favorite thing to shoot. I specialize in music promotional photography, which means shooting pictures for musicians and bands that can be used for advertising and promotion.

I also like to shoot street life, which was my first passion when I began shooting.

7.Narrate one good and one bad experience during your photography career? Rahul —> The best experience so far has been shooting Agnee, India’s premier Indi-rock band, they are superb musicians as well as extremely warm and friendly people. We were laughing and joking throughout the shoot.

The worst experience was when the boyfriend of a model I was shooting showed up and started offering advice to me and generally distracting me. I had to pack up and cancel the shoot altogether.

8.Your favourite place for a photo shoot?

Rahul —> Anywhere I can bring a camera and a subject together!

9.What do you prefer out door or indoors?

Rahul —> Outdoor, definitely.

10.You love music and also perform in band and teach in school, how do u manage all these things at a time? Rahul —> All the above are what I am passionate about, so it does not seem like too much effort.

11.Do you like B&W photography or color is best?
Rahul —> Depends on the concept and subject, I like both but I am a tiny bit partial to B&W.

12.What sort of equipment and software do you use?

Rahul —> I use digital SLRs and also a nice digital point and shoot. I use Adobe Creative Suite software for processing.

13.What is your opinion on post-processing, especially enhancing pictures?

Rahul —> There’s a saying in Marathi, “Thodkyaat godi”. I live by that principle. I prefer to get the effect and feel I am looking for while shooting, so I can reduce the amount of time required to post-process. That way I can spend more time behind a camera and less time in front of a computer.

14.Any idols that you admire?

Rahul —> I admire Steve McCurry, David LaChappelle, Annie Leibovitz, Mike Peters among many others. Some of my friends are also awesome photographers; Nitin Joshi is one of them.

15.You settled in Pune, why did not you think Belgaum as a option?

Rahul —> Ultimately I want to be a full-time advertising photographer and Mumbai is the center of that activity. Pune is within a 2-hour drive and removed from the crazy life and weather in Mumbai.

16.One dream location you want to shoot and whom?

Rahul —> I dream of shooting Dream Theater in Ladakh, Porcupine Tree in Patagonia and Symphony X in Pompeii.

17.What do you love the most about your job?

Rahul —> I can go to work in shorts and slippers! Going on a shoot is like a picnic and I can stay at home the rest of the time, working on the pictures.

18.What would you say to other enthusiast photographers out there who aspire to what you have achieved?

Rahul —> See the final photograph in your mind’s eye before you shoot it.

19.Do u think Belgaum has good quality labs for printing of commercial photos. Your thoughts?

Rahul —> I have not yet found a better printing lab than Subhash Photos. They work with minimum fuss and quality is top-notch.

20.Your favourite place in Belgaum?

Rahul —> Ramdev Galli, my home; I enjoy wandering around Camp and Nanawadi as well.

21.In your view is this website doing good for Belgaumites?

Rahul —> AllaboutBelgaum is the only site I go to when I want to get news about my hometown.

See Rahul’s Photos:

Detritus: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rahuldeshpande/sets/72157622026437399/

Kenya Unplugged: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rahuldeshpande/sets/72157619400689539/