500 DQs Ago

When I look back to remember my most memorable moments in Indian IT, I would
like to start with my own experience. For my recruitment test and interview, I
landed up at the small CyberMedia office with thirty people in a basement in
South Delhi. Frankly, that was perhaps the first time I was seeing a personal
computer. I now laugh about it, but the two questions in the test paper that
really stumped me wereName five Indian computer companies, and Name five
foreign computer companies. The only two Indian names I knew that made computers
were Hindustan Computers Ltd (now HCL), and Wipro. Amongst the foreign
companies, Apple and IBM were known names.

There were no mobile phones so that I could call a friend, though I am sure
none of my friends would have been of any help. Suddenly my eyes fell on a pile
of cardboard boxes. One of them said HP, and the other Siva Sterling. I took a
chance and added HP to the foreign list, and Sterling to the Indian list. So,
instead of five Indian and five foreign computer companies, I was able to give
only three names each. Later I was told I had done well, and was selected. The
future editor of Dataquest had been recruited. Except for Sterling Computers,
all others including myself survived.

I must also mention here another incident. Computer Society of India (CSI)
was the biggest and the most high-profile association of IT professionals. One
day, when I was still a cub reporter, the receptionist at my office informed me
that I had guests. About five or six professors from the Computer Department of
one of Indias premium science and technology college had come to invite me for
the CSIs Annual Conference, because Dataquest was associated with the event. I
thought CSI must be the most prestigious organization in the world!

What happened to CSI after that everybody knows. If CSI had changed with the
needs of the time, it could still have been the most important body.

Another interesting story I can recount is about a very prominent minister in
the UPA Government today, who used to be the Chief Minister of one of Indias
most tech savvy states. Indias one of the first Software Technology Parks was
being innaugurated, and the minister was the chief guest. The facility was
obviously inside the building, but the eager minsiter started rushing towards
the side lawns of the facility, when somebody informed him that its a ribbon
cutting inside the building. The amused minister remarked, "A software park is
inside the building". Today we have CMs who carry laptops and make Powerpoint
PPTs to industrialists and investors.

The last incident I would like to share is again about myself. I was standing
in a long queue outside the US Embassy for a visa interview, when a slightly
hassled man in front of me asked me what I did. I said I work for a computer
magazine, and therefore, will get a visa. When I aksed him the same question, he
replied that he deals in hardware. To pep him up I told him that he has a good
chance too of getting a visa since he deals in IT. What hardware, was my next
question. Brass and steel taps, T joints, hinges.....the list was long. My jaw
dropped, but luckily no one was watching.

Ibrahim Ahmad

ibrahima@cybermedia.co.in