It was December of 1979, Avery India was looking for apprentices. I applied and got hired. Little did I know that this was the industry with which I’ll be continuing my journey for over 40 years. While working with Avery India, I completed my part-time diploma in electrical engineering and finished my training in the next four years. I was with Avery India till 2002 and was lucky enough to travel throughout the country and get involved in almost all the challenging projects of the company. These projects were challenging and hence helped me enhance my knowledge and build up experience. Whatever I am today is because of the experience given by Avery India. With Avery, I got the chance to travel and work in countries like Canada, Tanzania, Indonesia and Guyana. If I had to choose I’d say my favourite was Indonesia, what a beautiful country.
A lot of things have changed since I joined the industry. For example, when I joined Avery India had a monopoly over the market. But after the year 1990 new competitors started entering the market, the competition grew. Even within the company, people began leaving to pursue their ventures in different parts of the country. Even as of this time, our industry is going through many changes and reforms that include industrial automation. To me, the future of our industry looks bright as the weighing industry is a part of every other industry. Because of so many competitors, the companies need to adapt to changes as quickly as they can to stay ahead.
To all the young professionals joining the industry, I would say don’t rely much on your educational background. Once you have entered the industry as a fresher you will need to keep your eyes, ears and brain open to learn. You will find unexpected sources from where you can absorb knowledge. To learn efficiently, keep any ego aside and get your hands to work. Practice, Practice and Practice! I recall the time when computers were getting integrated into our systems. I did not know anything about computers whatsoever. It was when people used to carry floppy disks around. The user interface was not so user friendly. We had a computer installed at the working site. I remember I used to go to the computer room after my shift and played with it to understand how it worked. It was an exciting experience to teach myself how to operate it.
The current most exciting experience for me is to have my own business by the name of Mass Industrial Solutions. Even after working with a company for more than 20 years, starting a business is very challenging. But I am trying to learn every day. I believe that whatever may be just be in the field and learn things with your own hands.