Woh lamhe, woh yaadein, woh dosti — priceless!

After my journey at IIT Bombay, I joined DRDO with a wonderful group of young engineers from IITs, NITs and other premier institutes. We came from different corners of India — Kashmir to Kanyakumari, North-East to Rajasthan — and were barely 21 years old.

Our training at DIAT, Pune felt like the ninth semester of engineering — except this was the paid ninth semester! We were no longer students; we were scientists, beginning our journey of serving the nation.

That DRDO logo. Those tanks at the gate of DIAT. Woh Officers' Mess. Woh Pune ka suhana mausam. Woh 21 ki age. Our first AC 2-tier journey across India for training. Balasore beach. Wheeler's Island. Training bunked for Mood Indigo. Those training-time love stories. Army personnel calling us “Sahabji.” Sutli bombs in a tank during Diwali. Walking to NDA. CSD canteen. College batchmates calling us “Missile Men.” And being inspired by the legendary Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Sir.

I left DRDO after three and a half years, but I never really left the DRDO family. Today, my way of serving the nation is different: I am in a classroom, teaching young minds and passing on whatever I learnt from IIT Bombay and DRDO.

Many of my students have become IITians, NITians, BITians and engineers. Some are proudly serving the nation as Army and Air Force officers. Seeing a student you once taught wearing the uniform and serving the country gives a very special feeling.

In many ways, my journey has come full circle. DRDO gave me the opportunity to serve the nation as a scientist. Today, I contribute by creating and inspiring the next generation.

IIT Bombay and DRDO are truly among the best things that happened in my life. Both gave me knowledge, confidence, discipline and, most importantly, the courage to dream bigger. Whatever I received from these institutions, I try to pass on to my students.

Different role. Different classroom. Same purpose — to contribute. Twenty-two years later, looking back at these memories, it still feels like yesterday. Proud to be a part of DRDO, proud to be an IIT Bombay alumnus, proud to be a teacher, and immensely proud of the wonderful friends and batchmates who made those years unforgettable. Jai Hind!