Heard About Reverse Swing ...How About Contrast Swing ?

Just as the mysteries of reverse swing have begun to unravel, a NASA scientist — a schoolmate of Imran Khan — has come up with a new theory of what he calls `contrast' swing.

Dr. Rabindra Mehta, who is also a sports aerodynamics consultant, says that England's fast bowlers in India have made the ball swing towards the smooth side after learning the new technique from former England and now Australia bowling coach Troy Cooley.Troy Cooley has been working on this with the England bowlers over the winter. It was noticeable in Nagpur that Matthew Hoggard, not known as a reverse swinger, managed to get the old ball to swing.
This was contrast swing.

"Whenever an old ball swings, commentators label it reverse swing. Often though, it is not true reverse swing they are observing, but what I call `contrast' swing," writes Dr. Mehta, who has spent 25 years studying how a cricket ball swings, in the April issue of The Wisden Cricketer

"For conventional swing (away), the ball is released with the seam angled towards first slip or fine leg, spinning backwards along the seam and with the polished, smooth side facing the batsman. The ball will then swing in the same direction as the seam is pointing.

"For true reverse swing the ball is released in the exact same way, except with the rough side facing the batsman. In this case, the ball will swing in the opposite direction to that of the seam. But, if a sharp contrast in surface roughness is generated on the ball, so that one side is smooth and the other rough, the ball can be made to `contrast' swing with the seam positioned vertically (pointing straight down the pitch)."

Here’s a quick guide to the difference between contrast and reverse swing:

1) Contrast swing relies on an upright seam rather than the angled seam pointing away of reverse swing.
2) Contrast swing will work even when the seam is bashed in, and doesn’t rely on a prominent seam unlike conventional and reverse swing.
3) It’s called contrast because of the contrast between the two sides of the ball : one very rough and the other smooth.
4) In contrast swing the ball swings towards the rough side at less than 70mph and towards the smooth side at higher speeds. This one goes both ways.
5) If the seam is pointing down the pitch then it’s contrast swing.

Dr. Mehta says in the article that it’s easier to produce than reverse swing because it doesn’t require the bowling speeds and prominent seam unlike reverse swing. However, moving away from the article, it’s said that not all bowlers who have attemped to do it have been able to master the skill. Not mentioned in the article, but other things to look out for in contrast swing is that the movement comes very late and is unlikely to happen unless the ball is 40 overs old.

One Year of Chappell - Highs And Lows !

Pretty soon, Greg Chappell will complete a year at the helm of the Indian cricket team. When he goes home, to take a much-needed break from all this hype and hoopla, he will surely sit back and reflect over all the long days and short nights spent here. Somewhere along the way, he might just allow himself a wry smile. True, he hasn't transformed India into a champion side yet; but he has at least ingrained the ethos of a winner in some of the players. The tougher part, though, is going to begin now. All in all, it has been an exhilarating year, like the proverbial roller-coaster ride. He started off all excited, like a little kid waiting for the action to begin. Soon, he was hurtling at breakneck speed and, evidently, enjoying the attention and drama around Team India. Inevitably, the first dip soon arrived. Without warning or notice. India lost badly in the Tri-series final in Sri Lanka; worse, there were indications that he wasn't in total control of the team. He, however, treated it as a minor setback and fastened the seat belt for the rest of the ride.

India lost the Indian Oil Cup, Jul - Aug 2005 (SL, Ind, WI)

India lost the Videocon Triangular Series in Zimbabwe, Aug - Sep 2005 (Zim. Ind, NZ)

Just when things were improving in Zimbabwe, out of nowhere, came the next dip: this one was like a vertical fall, seemingly going all the way down with nothing to stop him. Chappell, however, hung on to dear life, with determination and courage.In the end, he emerged victorious. Sourav Ganguly first became a pawn at the altar of Board politics; then, he became its victim. Rahul Dravid took over the captaincy and a new chapter began in Indian cricket; the spectre of Ganguly, however, hovered menacingly over them all the while. Chappell (and Dravid) slowly introduced new tactics; he flirted with bold experiments in One-dayers, stressing on youth and looking for players with style, attitude and confidence. Not surprisingly, India's record has been impressive under his spell: 22 wins and 10 defeats.

Sri Lanka in India, Oct - Nov 2005 - Verdict 6-1 India
South Africa in India, Nov 2005 - Verdict 2-2 Honours Shared

India in Pakistan, Jan - Feb 2006 - Verdict 4-1 India

England in India, Mar - Apr 2006 - Verdict 5-1 India

India Vs Pakistan DLF Cup, Apr 2006 - Verdict 1-1 Honours Shared

He couldn't, however, extract similar results in Test matches. The absence of a reliable opening pair, lack of firepower in the pace department and the on-off form of key players hurt the team at crunch times. India collapsed in Karachi and Mumbai and need to find some answers quickly. At a personal level, Chappell infused discipline into the team, even shaking some of the seniors off their complacency. He underlined the importance of fitness among players and flexibility within the group; more importantly, he started treating Dravid as the captain of the ship and accepted his decisions. Even when he didn't agree with him.The only problem is that Chappell likes to talk. Hopefully, his one-year stint in the country and his little break will make him understand that India doesn't take too kindly to people who speak their mind. It's better to do things quietly here and win friends and matches; otherwise, he must be prepared for the backlash too.

'Einstein-Rosen Bridge' - Space Travel Anyone ?

I was inspired by the movie 'Contact' which I saw a few days back. I must admit that I was really intrigued by the concept of Wormholes being used in the movie for Space Travel. I started to dig up some information on whether such a concept actually existed or was it just pure hypothesis.

Here is brief summary of what I came up with...

A black hole is a region of space-time from which nothing can escape, even light. It can be said that black holes are really just the evolutionary end point of massive stars.

Black holes are the evolutionary endpoints of stars at least 10 to 15 times as massive as the Sun. If a star that massive or larger undergoes a supernova explosion, it can leave behind a fairly massive burned out stellar remnant. With no outward forces to oppose gravitational forces, the remnant will collapse in on itself. The star eventually collapses to the point of zero volume and infinite density, creating what is known as a singularity. As the density increases, the path of light rays emitted from the star are bent and eventually wrapped irrevocably around the star. Any emitted photons are trapped into an orbit by the intense gravitational field; they will never leave it.Because no light escapes after the star reaches this infinite density, it is called a blackhole.

A white hole on the otherhand is a blackhole running backwards in time. Just as black holes swallow things irretrievably, white holes spit them out. However white holes cannot exist, since they violate the second law of thermodynamics.General Relativity is time symmetric. It does not know about the second law of thermodynamics, and it does not know about which way cause and effect go.However we do. The negative square root solution outside the horizon represents another Universe. The wormhole joining the two separate Universes is known as the Einstein-Rosen Bridge.

The prediction of the existence of black holes did not trouble Einstein, but he found that the black holes contained a singularity at its centre; this is a point of infinite density where time comes to an end. At the point of the singularity, all the known laws of physics start to breakdown. For Einstein this was a very troubling thought and he did not like them, the idea that they were shielding from the outside world by the event horizon of the black hole was not enough for him and he did not like the concept that if you can not see it then do not worry about it.So he went to work with Nathan Rosen and in 1935 they produced a paper that produced evidence for a bridge between a black hole and a white hole, this was called the Einstein-Rosen Bridge.

The purpose of the paper of Einstein and Rosen was not to promote faster-than-light or inter-universe travel, but to attempt to explain fundamental particles like electrons as space-tunnels threaded by electric lines of force. However science fiction took the idea of Einstein-Rosen Bridges and applied it to moving spaceships faster than the speed of light through what was now being called ‘wormholes’.

So what Einstein originally theorised was now being used by science fiction writers to get around the problems with not being able to go faster than the speed of light that Einstein’s General Relativity had inflicted upon them.
However in the Einstein-Rosen theory the idea of objects larger than electrons being able to pass through a wormhole was not even considered and so the scenario that science fiction writers portray about the Einstein-Rosen Bridge is not correct.

The Einstein-Rosen work was disturbing to many physicists of the time because such a ‘tunnel’ through space-time, could in principle allow the transmission of information faster than the speed of light in violation of one of the key postulates of special relativity known as ‘Einsteinian causality’.

In 1865 when there was no relativity, quantum mechanics and modern cosmology Charles Dodgson wrote Alice in Wonderland a children’s story on the subject of parallel universes. There is a famous part of the story when Alice chases the white rabbit down a hole, this hole could now be described as an Einstein-Rosen Bridge. In Wonderland the laws of physics in this universe no longer applied and so strange processes could take place. It is however important to remember that Dodgson would not have known what type of mechanism would allow this to happen. In fact this idea,of using a ‘wormhole’ to travel large distances was used by Sagan in writing a novel ‘Contact’ in 1985. In his novel he wanted a method of moving a character faster than the speed of light though not in a manner violating Relativity.

Unfortunately, worm holes are currently more science fiction than they are science fact. A wormhole is a theoretical opening in space-time that is the mathematical solution to general relativity. If one day this was proven it could be used to travel tofar away locations very quickly. It has never been proven that worm holes exist and there is no experimental evidence for them (due to black holes being hard to detect),but it is certainly testing to think about the possibilities their existence might create.

For a more mathematical explanation please refer Einstein-Rosen Bridge

Eye Care - '20-20-20'

During a recent visit to an optician, one of my friends was told of an exercise for the eyes by a specialist doctor in the US that he termed as 20-20-20.It is apt for all of us, who spend long hours at our desks, looking at the computer screen. I thought I'd share it with you.

20-20-20

Step I:

After every 20 minutes of looking into the computer screen, turn your head and try to look at any object placed at least 20 feet away. This changes the focal length of your eyes, a must-do for the tired eyes.

Step II:

Try and blink your eyes for 20 times in succession, to moisten them.

Step III:

Time permitting of course, one should walk 20 paces after every 20 minutes of sitting in one particular posture. Helps blood circulation for the entire body.They say that your eyes are mirror of your soul, so do take care of them, they are priceless...

Sidhu-isms !

Collection of famous quotes by Navjot Singh Sidhu :

1. That ball went so high it could have got an air hostess down with it.

2. There is light at the end of the tunnel for India, but it's that of an incoming train which will run them over.

3. Experience is like a comb that life gives you when you are bald.

4. This quote was made after Ganguly called Dravid for a run and midway sent him back and Dravid was run out in the third test against the West Indies at Barbados."Ganguly has thrown a drowning man both ends of the rope."

5. Sri Lankan score is running like an Indian taximeter.

6. Statistics are like miniskirts, they reveal more than what they hide.

7. Wickets are like wives - you never know which way they will turn!

8. He is like Indian three-wheeler, which will suck a lot of diesel but cannot go beyond 30!

9. The Indians are going to beat the Kiwis! Let me tell you, my friend that the Kiwi is the only bird in the whole world, which does not have wings!

10. As uncomfortable as a bum on a porcupine.

11. The ball whizzes past like a bumble -bee and the Indians are in the sea.

12. The Indians are finding the gaps like a pin a haystack.

13. The pitch is as dead as a dodo.

14. Deep Dasgupta is as confused as a child is in a topless bar!

15. The way Indian wickets are falling reminds of the cycle stand at Rajendra Talkies in Patiala one falls and everything else falls!

16. Indian team without Sachin is like giving Kiss without a Squeeze.

17. You cannot make Omelets without breaking the eggs.

18. Deep Dasgupta is not a Wicket Keeper, he is a goalkeeper. He must be given a free transfer to Manchester United.

19. He will fight a rattlesnake and give it the first two bites too.

20. One, who doesn't throw the dice, can never expect to score a six.

21. This quote was made after Eddie Nichols, the third umpire, ruled Shivnarine Chanderpaul 'NOT OUT' in the second test at Port of Spain T&T "Eddie Nichols is a man who cannot find his own buttocks with his two hands."

22. Anybody can pilot a ship when the sea is calm.

23. Nobody travels on the road to success without a puncture or two.

24. You got to choose between tightening your belt or losing your pants.

25. The cat with gloves catches no mice.

26. Age has been perfect fire extinguisher for flaming youth.

27. You may have a heart of gold, but so does a hard-boiled egg.

28. He is like a one-legged man in a bum kicking competition.

29. The third umpires should be changed as often as nappies and for the same reason.

30. Kumble's bowling at the moment is flat as a Dosa.

And here is my personal favourite :

"Beauty is like Wine - It Intoxicates both the Holder and the Beholder"

From Idlis To IIM - Inspiring

From the slums of Chennai and selling idlis on the street, to an MBA degree from IIM-Ahmedabad, Sarath Babu's journey has been remarkable. He had a dream. Like millions of other Indian kids who grow up in abject poverty, he dreamt of earning enough some day to take his mother away from the one room hut they stayed in, to a life of comfort.

For most, such dreams remain stillborn. But Sarath Babu took life in both hands and looked fate in the eye. Last week, he emerged victorious. From the slums of Chennai to the hallowed portals of IIM, Ahmedabad, Sarath's journey has been nothing short of inspirational. Today with an MBA degree from the country's premier BSchool, Sarath knows his and his mother's days of poverty are over. "I had a tough childhood and till I joined BITS-Pilani for my graduation, I thought everybody had a similar life,"he smiles, sitting in his room inside IIM-A. "I was six when my father left us to face starvation. With a meagre salary of Rs 30 that my mother earned through a job in the state government's midday meal scheme, she managed to educate me and my siblings,"he recalls. But despite all her problems, Deeparamani (Sarath's mother) never gave up. "She would make idlis and I would sell them on the streets. My mother has been my biggest inspiration,"he says. But if the story of a poor idli seller's son making it to a B-School raises eyebrows, what he has done now, leaves one stunned.

Just last week, Sarath refused a tempting package of Rs 8.5 lakh per annum - to start his own catering business. "It would have been very easy to take up a corporate job and give my family all comforts they never had. But that's not my ambition. I'd rather have my own company and employ one person who can support four other lives,"he smiles. But why is the man who was offered a senior systems analyst's post in a software firm setting up a catering service as his business venture? "Serving someone food is an extremely satisfying feeling. The smile you get after giving good food to someone is an experience to cherish. Moreover, this industry has less investment and a high turn-over,"he explains. And when one's almost resigned oneself to believing that nothing is 'normal' about this genius, he surprises you again. "I love bikes and cars... and yes, I do have a girlfriend who's very supportive,"he reveals sheepishly. For the time being though, Sarath's working hard to negotiate offers he's received from different companies and individuals. After all, he still owes his mother a roof over her head.

Get Googlism-ed

Googlism-ed for Santosh and got a whole bunch of responses. Here are some of them...

Googlism for: Santosh

Santosh is cool
Santosh is a smart
Santosh is a great experience
Santosh is so keen to keep the matter a secret but you can guess the worst
Santosh is my name hunting is my game i'm always in the hall of fame
Santosh is now busy with the post
Santosh is a pleasure
Santosh is coming to america
Santosh is bliss
Santosh is one of those rare human beings who apart from being an absolute cinematic wizard is also an incredibly nice person
Santosh is responsible for directing new enterprise integration initiatives
Santosh is always the life of parties
Santosh is fit for his role
Santosh is a confident young man
Santosh is very comfortable to work with
Santosh is Ambitious
Santosh is understanding and is also an engineer
Santosh is currently working on a variety of platforms to assist the product development team
Santosh is running around
Santosh is like poetry
Santosh is a java programmer and unix specialist
Santosh is my friend
Santosh is all set
Santosh is right
Santosh is the most sincere person i have met in my life
Santosh is doing a superb job with timely investment recommendations
Santosh is here
Santosh is annoyed by the behaviour of taxi drivers

'The 90/10 Principle' - Stephen Covey

90/10 Principle - Stephen Covey

10% of life is made up of what happens to you. 90% of life is decided by how you react.

We really have no control over 10% of what happens to us. We cannot stop the car from breaking down. The plane will be late arriving, which throws our whole schedule off. A driver may cut us off in traffic. We have no control over this 10%. The other 90% is different. You determine the other 90%.

How? By your reaction. You cannot control a red light, but you can control your reaction. Don't let people fool you; YOU can control how you react.

Let's use an example.

You are eating breakfast with your family. Your daughter knocks over a cup of coffee onto your business shirt. You have no control over what just what happened. What happens when the next will be determined by how you react.You curse. You harshly scold your daughter for knocking the cup over.

She breaks down in tears. After scolding her, you turn to your spouse and criticize her for placing the cup too close to the edge of the table. A short verbal battle follows. You storm upstairs and change your shirt. Back downstairs, you find your daughter has been too busy crying to finish breakfast and get ready for school. She misses the bus. Your spouse must leave immediately for work.

You rush to the car and drive your daughter to school. Because you are late, you drive 40 miles an hour in a 30 mph speed limit. After a 15-minute delay and throwing $200 traffic fine away, you arrive at school. Your daughter runs into the building without saying goodbye. After arriving at the office 20 minutes late, you find you forgot your briefcase. Your day has started terrible. As it continues, it seems to get worse and worse. You look forward to coming home, When you arrive home, you find small wedge in your relationship with your spouse and daughter.

Why? Because of how you reacted in the morning. Why did you have a bad day?

A) Did the coffee cause it?

B) Did your daughter cause it?

C) Did the policeman cause it?

D) Did you cause it?

The answer is "D".

You had no control over what happened with the coffee.How you reacted in those 5 seconds is what caused your bad day. Here is what could have and should have happened.

Coffee splashes over you. Your daughter is about to cry. You gently say, "It's ok honey, you just need, to be more careful next time". Grabbing a towel you rush upstairs. After grabbing a new shirt and your briefcase, you come back down in time to look through the window and see your child getting on the bus. She turns and waves. You arrive 5 minutes early and cheerfully greet the staff. Your boss comments on how good the day you are having.

Notice the difference?

Two different scenarios. Both started the same. Both ended different.

Why? Because of how you REACTED.

You really do not have any control over 10% of what happens. The other 90% was determined by your reaction.

Here are some ways to apply the 90/10 principle.

If someone says something negative about you, don't be a sponge. Let the attack roll off like water on glass. You don't have to let the negative comment affect you! React properly and it will not ruin your day. A wrong reaction could result in losing a friend, being fired, getting stressed out etc.

How do you react if someone cuts you off in traffic? Do you lose your temper? Pound on the steering wheel? A friend of mine had the steering wheel fall off)

Do you curse? Does your blood pressure skyrocket? Do you try and bump them? WHO CARES if you arrive ten seconds later at work? Why let the cars ruin your drive?

You are told you lost your job. Why lose sleep and get irritated? It will work out. Use your worrying energy and time into finding another job.The plane is late; it is going to mangle your schedule for the day. Why take out your frustration on the flight attendant? She has no control over what is going on. Use your time to study, get to know the other passenger.

Why get stressed out? It will just make things worse. Now you know the 90-10 principle. Apply it and you will be amazed at the results. You will lose nothing if you try it.

'Paritrana' - Yuva In Reality

Seems like Mani Rathnam’s Yuva is getting off the reels. Five IITians, all in their 20s, have decided to take up mainstream politics. The youths, based in Jodhpur, have formed 'Paritrana', which was launched in Jodhpur recently."Giving up handsome pay packages, comfort of family and support of friends wasn’t that easy" says Tanmay Rajpurohit, the national president of the party and B Tech in aerospace from IIT Bombay followed by an MS from GeorgiaTech and double masters in arts."But my inner voice told me that I should invest my efforts in my country rather than making my pockets heavier" said Ajit Ashwalayan Shukla, vice president of the party."People think we are crazy so much so that our families have also failed to understand our motto, but we won’t give up" he added. The core team of 'Paritrana' comprises Rajpurohit , Shukla, Amit Beesen, also the vice president and a B Tech (Mechanical) from IIT Bombay and a LLB graduate, Chandrashekhar (national treasurer), B Tech (computer science) from IIT Kanpur, Bharat Sundaram, the PRO of the party and B Tech from IIT Kanpur and PhD in electronics from Melbourne. Paritrana means complete relief from the various causes of distress, and that is what we want to do for our people" added Chandrashekhar. Low funds have not discouraged them in their efforts of holding door-to-door campaigns in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and parts of Maharashtra."We strongly feel that the politicians of today are no longer the voice of the common man but instead they voice their own personal agendas through which they can fetch maximum votes" said Shukla."We are not here for the power game. We are here to deal with the grassroots issues of each and every small village that we come across" added Shukla. The zeal and burning desire of the five youngsters sounds sincere. "I believe that we are just five ordinary boys from the middle class family with no godfathers in politics but have dared to come forward and fight for our rights" said Chandrashekhar."And we will succeed in it" he added. After the launch of the party at the Suchana Kendra in Jodhpur, the party members, as a part of their promotional campaign will tour Jodhpur, Udaipur, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and Chennai.

NRN & Sudha Murty Love Story - Touching

Love Story of Narayana Murthy and Sudha (FromSudha's Autobiography)

It was in Pune that I met Narayan Murty through my friend Prasanna who is now the Wipro chief, who was also training in Telco.Most of the books that Prasanna lent me had Murty's name on them which meant that I had a preconceived image of the man. Contrary to expectation, Murty was shy,bespectacled and an introvert. When he invited us for dinner.I was a bit taken a back as I thought the young man was making a very fast move. I refused since I was the only girl in the group. But Murty was relentless and we all decided to meet for dinner the next day at 7.30 p.m. at GreenFields hotel on the Main Road ,Pune. The next day I went there at 7' oclock since I had to go to the tailor near the hotel. And what do I see?Mr. Murty waiting in front of the hotel and it was only seven.Till today, Murty maintains that I had mentioned(consciously!) that I would be going to the tailor at 7 so that I could meet him...And I maintain that I did not say any such thing consciously or unconsciously because I did not think of Murty as anything other than a friend at that stage. We have agreed to disagree on this matter. Soon, we became friends.Our conversations were filled with Murty's experiences abroad and the books that he has read. My friends insisted that Murty as trying to impress me because he was interested in me.I kept denying it till one fineday, after dinner Murty said, I want to tell you something. I knew this was it. It was coming. He said, I am 5'4" tall. I come from a lower middleclass family. I can never become rich in my life and I can never give you any riches. You are beautiful, bright, and intelligent and you can get anyone you want. But will you marry me? I asked Murty to give me some time for an answer. My father didn't want me to marry a wannabe politician, (a communist at that) who didn't have a steady job and wanted to build an orphanage...When I went to Hubli I told my parents about Murty and his proposal. My mother was positive since Murty was also from Karnataka, seemed intelligent and comes from a good family.But my father asked: What's his job, his salary, his qualifications etc? Murty was working as a research assistant and was earning less than me. He was willing to go dutch with me on our outings. My parents agreed to meet Murty in Pune on a particularday at 10 a. m sharp.Murty did not turn up. How can I trust a man to take care of my daughter if he cannot keep an appointment, asked my father. At 12noon Murty turned up in a bright red shirt! He had gone on work toBombay, was stuck in a traffic jam on the ghats, so he hired a taxi(though it was very expensive for him) to meet his would-be father-in-law.Father was unimpressed. My father asked him what he wanted to become in life.Murty said he wanted to become a politician in the communist party and wanted to open an orphanage. My father gave his verdict. NO. I don't want my daughter to marry somebody who wants to become a communist and then open an orphanage when he himself didn't have money to support his family. Ironically, today, I have opened many orphanages something, which Murty wanted to do 25 years ago. By this time I realized I had developed a liking towards Murty which could only be termed as love. I wanted to marry Murty because he is an honest man.He proposed to me highlighting the negatives in his life. I promised my father that I will not marry Murty without his blessings though at the same time, I cannot marry anybody else. My father said he would agree if Murty promised to take up a steady job. But Murty refused saying he will not do things in life because somebody wanted him to.So, I was caught between the two most important people in my life.The stalemate continued for three years during which our courtship took us to every restaurant and cinema hall in Pune. In those days, Murty was always broke. Moreover, he didn't earn much to manage. Ironically today,he manages Infosys Technologies Ltd., one of the world's most reputed companies. He always owed me money. We used to go for dinner and he would say, I don't have money with me, you pay my share, I will return it to you later. For three years I maintained a book on Murty's debt to me.. No, he never returned the money and I finally tore it up after my wedding. The amount was a little over Rs 4000. During this interim period Murty quit his job as research assistant and started his own software business. Now,I had to pay his salary too!Towards the late 70s computers were entering Indiain a big way. During the fag end of 1977 Murty decided to take up a job as General Manager at Patni Computers in Bombay. But before he joined the company he wanted to marry me since he was to go on training to the US after joining. My father gave in as he was happy Murty had a decent job, now.
WE WERE MARRIED IN MURTY'S HOUSE IN BANGALORE ON FEBRUARY 10, 1978 WITH ONLY OUR TWO FAMILIES PRESENT.I GOT MY FIRST SILK SARI. THE WEDDING EXPENSES CAME TO ONLY RS 800 (US $17) WITH MURTY AND I POOLING IN RS 400 EACH.I went to the US with Murty after marriage. Murty encouraged me to see America on my own because I loved travelling. I toured America for three months on backpack and had interesting experiences which will remain fresh in my mind forever. Like the time when the NewYork police took me into custody because they thought I was an Italian trafficking drugs in Harlem . Or the time when I spent the night at the bottom of the GrandCanyon with an old couple. Murty panicked because he couldn't get a response from my hotel room even at midnight. He thought I was either killed or kidnapped.
IN 1981 MURTY WANTED TO START INFOSYS. HE HAD A VISION AND ZERO CAPITAL...initially I was very apprehensive about Murty getting into business. We did not have any business background ..Moreover we were living a comfortable life in Bombay with a regular pay check and I didn't want to rock the boat. But Murty was passionate about creating good quality software. I decided to support him. Typical of Murty, he just had a dream and no money. So I gave him Rs 10,000 which I had saved for a rainy day, without his knowledge and told him, This is all I have. Take it. I give you three years sabbatical leave. I will take care of the financial needs of our house. You go and chase your dreams without anyworry. But you have only three years! Murty and his six colleagues started Infosys in1981,with enormous interest and hard work. In 1982 I left Telco and moved to Pune with Murty. We bought a small house on loan which also became the Infosys office. I was a clerk-cum-cook-cum-programmer. I also took up a job as Senior Systems Analyst with Walchand group of Industries to support the house. In 1983 Infosys got their first client, MICO, in Bangalore . Murty moved to Bangalore and stayed with his mother while I went toHubli to deliver my second child, Rohan. Ten days after my son was born,Murty left for the US on project work. I saw him only after a year, as I was unable to join Murty in the US because my son had infantile eczema,an allergy to vaccinations. So for more than a year I did not step outside our home for fear of my son contracting an infection. It was only after Rohan got all his vaccinations that I came to Bangalore where we rented a small house in Jayanagar and rented another house as Infosys headquarters. My father presented Murty a scooter to commute. I once again became a cook,programmer, clerk, secretary, office assistant etal. Nandan Nilekani (MD of Infosys) and his wife Rohini stayed with us.While Rohini baby sat my son, I wrote programs for Infosys. There was no car, no phone, and just two kids and a bunch of us working hard, juggling our lives and having fun while Infosys was taking shape. It was not only me but also the wives of other partners too who gave their unstinted support. We all knew that our men were trying to build something good. It was like a big joint family,taking care and looking out for one another.I still remember Sudha Gopalakrishna looking after my daughter Akshata with all care and love while Kumari Shibulal cooked for all of us.Murty made it very clear that it would either be me or him working atInfosys. Never the two of us together... I was involved with Infosys initially. Nandan Nilekani suggested I should be on the Board but Murty said he did not want a husband and wife team at Infosys. I was shocked since I had the relevant experience and technical qualifications. He said, Sudha if you want to work with Infosys, I will withdraw, happily. I was pained to know that I will not be involved in the company my husband was building and that I would have to give up a job that I am qualified to do and love doing. It took me a couple of days to grasp the reason behind Murty's request.. I realized that to make Infosys a success one had to give one's 100 percent. One had to be focussed on it alone with no other distractions. If the two of us had to give 100 percent to Infosys then what would happen to our home and our children?One of us had to take care of our home while the other took care of Infosys. I opted to be a homemaker, after all Infosys was Murty's dream. It was a big sacrifice but it was one that had to be made.Even today, Murty says, Sudha, I stepped on your career to make mine. You are responsible for my success.I might have given up my career for my husband's sake. But that does not make me a doormat.

About JRD Tata by Sudha Narayan Murty

An angry letter from a young lady made JRD Tata change his rule

Sudha was livid when a job advertisement posted by a Tata company at the institution where she was completing her post graduation stated that "Lady candidates need not apply". She dashed off a post card to JRD Tata, protesting against the discrimination.Following this, Sudha was called for an interview and she became the first female engineer to work on the shop floor at Telco (now TataMotors). It was the beginning of an association that would change her life in more ways than one."There are two photographs that hang on my office wall. Everyday when I entered my office I look at them before starting my day.They are pictures of two old people. One is of a gentleman in a blue suit and the other is a black and white image of a man with dreamy eyes and a white beard.People have often asked me if the people in the photographs are related to me. Some have even asked me, "Is this black and white photo that of a Sufi saint or a religious Guru?"I smile and reply "No, nor are they related to me. These people made an impact on my life. I am grateful to them.""Who are they?""The man in the blue suit is Bharat Ratna JRD Tata and the black and white photo is of Jamsetji Tata.""But why do you have them in your office?"" You can call it gratitude."Then, invariably, I have to tell the person the following story.

Itwas a long time ago. I was young and bright, bold and idealistic. I was in the final year of my Master's course in Computer Science at theIndian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore, then known as theTata Institute.Life was full of fun and joy. I did not know what helplessness or injustice meant.It was probably the April of 1974. Bangalore was getting warm and gulmohars were blooming at the IISc campus. I was the only girl in my postgraduate department and was staying at the ladies' hostel. Other girls were pursuing research in different departments of Science.I was looking forward to going abroad to complete a doctorate incomputer science. I had been offered scholarships from Universities inthe US. I had not thought of taking up a job in India.One day, while on the way to my hostel from our lecture-hall complex,I saw an advertisement on the notice board. It was a standard job-requirement notice from the famous automobile company Telco (nowTata Motors). It stated that the company required young, bright engineers, hardworking and with an excellent academic background, etc.At the bottom was a small line: "Lady candidates need not apply."I read it and was very upset. For the first time in my life I was up against gender discrimination.Though I was not keen on taking up the job, I saw it as a challenge. I had done extremely well in academics, better than most of my male peers. Little did I know then that in real life academic excellence is not enough to be successful.After reading the notice I went fuming to my room. I decided to inform the topmost person in Telco's management about the injustice the company was perpetrating. I got a postcard and started to write, butt here was a problem: I did not know who headed Telco.I thought it must be one of the Tatas. I knew JRD Tata was the head ofthe Tata Group; I had seen his pictures in newspapers (actually,Sumant Moolgaokar was the company's chairman then). I took the card,addressed it to JRD and started writing. To this day I remember clearly what I wrote."The great Tatas have always been pioneers. They are the people who started the basic infrastructure industries in India, such as iron and steel, chemicals, textiles and locomotives. They have cared for higher education in India since 1900 and they were responsible for the establishment of the Indian Institute of Science. Fortunately, I study there. But I am surprised how a company such as Telco is discriminating on the basis of gender."I posted the letter and forgot about it. Less than 10 days later, I received a telegram stating that I had to appear for an interview atTelco's Pune facility at the company's expense. I was taken aback by the telegram. My hostel mate told me I should use the opportunity to go to Pune free of cost and buy them the famous Pune saris for cheap!I collected Rs 30 each from everyone who wanted a sari. When I lookback, I feel like laughing at the reasons for my going, but back then they seemed good enough to make the trip.It was my first visit to Pune and I immediately fell in love with the city. To this day it remains dear to me. I feel as much at home inPune as I do in Hubli, my hometown. The place changed my life in somany ways. As directed, I went to Telco's Pimpri office for theinterview. There were six people on the panel and I realised then that this was serious business."This is the girl who wrote to JRD," I heard somebody whisper as soon as I entered the room. By then I knew for sure that I would not get the job. The realisation abolished all fear from my mind, so I was rather cool while the interview was being conducted.Even before the interview started, I reckoned the panel was biased, soI told them, rather impolitely, "I hope this is only a technical interview."They were taken aback by my rudeness, and even today I am ashamed about my attitude. The panel asked me technical questions and I answered all of them.Then an elderly gentleman with an affectionate voice told me, "Do you know why we said lady candidates need not apply? The reason is that we have never employed any ladies on the shop floor. This is not a co-edcollege; this is a factory. When it comes to academics, you are a first ranker throughout. We appreciate that, but people like you should work in research laboratories."I was a young girl from small-town Hubli. My world had been a limited place. I did not know the ways of large corporate houses and their difficulties, so I answered, "But you must start somewhere, otherwise no woman will ever be able to work in your factories."Finally, after a long interview, I was told I had been successful. So this was what the future had in store for me. Never had I thought Iwould take up a job in Pune. I met a shy young man from Karnataka there, we became good friends and we got married.It was only after joining Telco that I realised who JRD was: the uncrowned king of Indian industry. Now I was scared, but I did not get to meet him till I was transferred to Bombay. One day I had to showsome reports to Mr Moolgaokar, our chairman, who we all knew as SM. I was in his office on the first floor of Bombay House (the Tataheadquarters) when, suddenly JRD walked in. That was the first time I saw "appro JRD". Appro means "our" in Gujarati. This was the affectionate term by which people at Bombay House called him.I was feeling very nervous, remembering my postcard episode. SM introduced me nicely, "Jeh (that's what his close associates called him), this young woman is an engineer and that too a postgraduate. She is the first woman to work on the Telco shop floor." JRD looked at me.I was praying he would not ask me any questions about my interview (orthe postcard that preceded it).Thankfully, he didn't. Instead, he remarked. "It is nice that girls are getting into engineering in our country. By the way, what is your name?""When I joined Telco I was Sudha Kulkarni, Sir," I replied. "Now I am Sudha Murthy." He smiled and kindly smile and started a discussionwith SM. As for me, I almost ran out of the room.After that I used to see JRD on and off. He was the Tata Group chairman and I was merely an engineer. There was nothing that we had in common. I was in awe of him.One day I was waiting for Murthy, my husband, to pick me up after office hours. To my surprise I saw JRD standing next to me. I did notknow how to react. Yet again I started worrying about that postcard.Looking back, I realise JRD had forgotten about it. It must have been a small incident for him, but not so for me."Young lady, why are you here?" he asked. "Office time is over." I said, "Sir, I'm waiting for my husband to come and pick me up." JRD said, "It is getting dark and there's no one in the corridor. I'll wait with you till your husband comes."I was quite used to waiting for Murthy, but having JRD waiting alongside made me extremely uncomfortable.I was nervous. Out of the corner of my eye I looked at him. He wore a simple white pant and shirt. He was old, yet his face was glowing.There wasn't any air of superiority about him. I was thinking, "Lookat this person. He is a chairman, a well-respected man in our country and he is waiting for the sake of an ordinary employee."Then I saw Murthy and I rushed out. JRD called and said, "Young lady,tell your husband never to make his wife wait again."In 1982 I had to resign from my job at Telco. I was reluctant to go,but I really did not have a choice. I was coming down the steps ofBombay House after wrapping up my final settlement when I saw JRD coming up. He was absorbed in thought. I wanted to say goodbye to him,so I stopped. He saw me and paused.Gently, he said, "So what are you doing, Mrs Kulkarni?" (That was theway he always addressed me.) "Sir, I am leaving Telco.""Where are you going?" he asked. "Pune, Sir. My husband is starting a company called Infosys and I'm shifting to Pune.""Oh! And what will you do when you are successful.""Sir, I don't know whether we will be successful.""Never start with diffidence," he advised me. "Always start with confidence. When you are successful you must give back to society. Society gives us so much; we must reciprocate. I wish you all the best."Then JRD continued walking up the stairs. I stood there for what seemed like a millennium. That was the last time I saw him alive. Many years later I met Ratan Tata in the same Bombay House, occupying the chair JRD once did. I told him of my many sweet memories of working with Telco. Later, he wrote to me, "It was nice hearing about Jeh from you. The sad part is that he's not alive to see you today."I consider JRD a great man because, despite being an extremely busy person, he valued one postcard written by a young girl seeking justice. He must have received thousands of letters everyday. He could have thrown mine away, but he didn't do that. He respected the intentions of that unknown girl, who had neither influence nor money,and gave her an opportunity in his company. He did not merely give hera job; he changed her life and mindset forever.Close to 50 per cent of the students in today's engineering colleges are girls. And there are women on the shop floor in many industry segments. I see these changes and I think of JRD. If at all time stops and asks me what I want from life, I would say I wish JRD were alive today to see how the company we started has grown. He would have enjoyed it wholeheartedly.My love and respect for the House of Tata remains undiminished by the passage of time. I always looked up to JRD. I saw him as a role model for his simplicity, his generosity, his kindness and the care he took of his employees. Those blue eyes always reminded me of the sky; they had the same vastness and magnificence.

(Sudha Murthy is a widely published writer and chairperson of theInfosys Foundation involved in a number of social development initiatives. Infosys chairman Narayan Murthy is her husband.)