INFINITY FOCUSSED: The journey that never ends By: Vedant Shende XIB

INFINITY FOCUSSED:

                   The journey that never ends

                                                                                                                                   By: Vedant Shende

Many journalists are struggling to get a chance to interview my uncle, Mr. Surendra M. Vaidya. Thankfully, I’m one of the lucky few who did get this opportunity.

Mr. Vaidya is one of the most versatile and talented people in our country, with a meek face and a humble attitude. Mr. Vaidya is a living example that fame and glory aren’t always gifted to you by your parents but can be earned through hard work and sacrifice.

He had a very simple childhood, but from the early stages of education, he showed a spark in technology. He told me that he had been opening up alarm clocks and type writers from class 9 and continues to do so. It was this drive and passion for technology that made him study for the JEE. After 2 years of hard work, he secured a seat in the metallurgy department at IIT-Bombay. He passionately recalls his days at IIT-B and all the fun and mischief with his friends.

In the 5 year period after he had graduated, he got married and got a job at L&T and later shifted to the Godrej Aerospace Department where he is working till date. Most of us want to settle abroad after we graduate, so I asked why he decided to stay back in India. He said that in his own little way, he wanted to give something back to his country, and he has done just that throughout his career. His greatest achievements include the ‘Make in India’ defense project and the recent Chandrayaan-II launch.

Heading such large projects means sacrificing your personal life up to some extent. On this, he commented that throughout his journey, his family has extended rock solid support and understood when he had to work late at night.

Apart from all of this, he also has a lot of interesting hobbies. Most of his spare time is devoted to his family and the huge fruit and vegetable garden in his backyard, where he grows everything from eggplant to mangoes and jackfruit. He also loves doing household repairs and has never hired an electrician or plumber to do anything.

Most people look forward to retiring at the age of 59, but Mr. Vaidya is unlike any of them. He is still going strong at the age of 60 and has received a work extension from Godrej. Most people are shocked when they hear this, to them he says-“Find something to do in life that you truly love, so you don’t have to work for a single day of your life”.

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