Cover Story

Young and dashing Vijay Sakore is presently Senior Project Engineer, Honeywell Automation India Ltd. His story begins from a cowshed in his village home to becoming a part-time gardener in educationist Maya Thadhani’s home. It is from here that he sowed the seeds of ambition through education, as Thadhani played the admirable role of mentor and Godmother. Here’s his incredible journey as told to Corporate Citizen. Read and get inspired!

Vijay has been parented not just by his own parents but also his mentor who he refers to as ‘Mummy’. From both, he has inherited life lessons that are priceless. While his poor but resilient parents gave him the courage needed to take on life, his ‘mother’ in the city helped him to acquire certain values and soft skills that are so valuable for professional growth. While the former ensured he escaped the tentacles of poverty to make a better life for himself in the city, the latter made sure that his ‘learn and earn’ programme was a success. “One parent gave me life and the other gave me wings to my dreams,” he says.

Vijay’s story was first scripted in the remote village of Kendur, 15 km ahead of the pilgrimage centre of Alandi, in Pune district. Born into a family of modest farmers, it was a grim childhood by any standards: he had to lend a helping hand to his parents to make ends meet. From herding sheep to selling milk, he did it all, alongside his schooling. He loved going to the little village school, which despite its humble premises, represented a haven of learning, enlightenment and hope to little Vijay. “So great was his urge to educate and better himself at every stage, that he would have a book in one hand and a stick in the other whilst herding sheep,” reminisces his mother Anjana. “All of us stayed in one room, so the privacy and silence needed to study were hard to come by. But even here, he found a solution: he made a cosy corner for himself in the cowshed where he studied and slept with his cows and goats for company,” she says.

Without any formal tutoring whatsoever, he managed a respectable score of 75 per cent in his SSC board examination, after which he came to Pune to pursue an Electrician’s course at the Industrial Training Institute (ITI) in Aundh. It was hard and the money was woefully short. But that wasn’t about to hold him back. His mother Anjana sent him a tiffin every day by a State Transport (ST) Bus that came to Pune Station and Vijay would pick it up and sustain himself on that the whole day.

Subsequently, he realised that the only way he could subsist in the city was to learn and earn. Here’s where he met his mentor, the dynamic and affable Maya Thadhani, a noted educationist, in whose home he was first employed as a part-time gardener. From the outset, the family was impressed with this respectful teenager with impeccable manners and zest to get ahead in life. His initial association was with Maya’s late husband who helped him pay for books and egged him on to do his best. But his beloved Saheb’s sudden demise disheartened him. At that moment he decided to stand by his ‘Mummy’ Maya. From assisting with odd jobs to taking care of her home in her absence, this reliable Man Friday did it all. His penchant for learning prompted him to request her to speak to him only in English. Even while riding his bicycle to work, he would keep repeating a few words which he wanted to include in his limited repertoire. And that’s how with perseverance, he mastered the English language.

Vijay’s determination to study further led him to pass his Diploma in Electrical Engineering from the Government Polytechnic, Pune, after which, he graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering from Modern College of Engineering, Pune. This shows how admirably he made the most of the prospects that gradually opened up to him, even as Maya cheered him on.

But that’s not where it stayed. “He is pretty much my son,” says Maya. She further states, “Vijay not only takes care of his parents in the village but as I get on in age, he ensures that I am comfortable. He is an exceptional young man and has made the most of whatever life has given him. I am truly proud of him just as his parents are.

Today, even as he stands poised on the verge of a wonderful and promising future, he has two proud mothers watching his every move Anjana and Maya.

"My Zilla Parishad school had a tin roof, which would leak during the rains. History and Geography brought home the fact that the world was very, very big indeed”

Corporate Citizen: You grew up in a small village in Pune district. Tell us about your growing up years…

Vijay Sakore : I grew up in Kendur, 15 km from Alandi, 40 km from Pune. It was a small hamlet of around 100 families. My Zilla Parishad school had a tin roof, which would leak during the rains. There were hardly ten students in the class but it laid my foundation. Here’s where the world and its amazing vistas opened up for me. Mathematics with its numbers would help me build a future; Science showed me how things worked, while History and Geography brought home the fact that the world was very, very big indeed. I hoped to see it one day. As my mother had to work as well, my sister would take me to the school. I was always very interested in studies; the rest of the stuff hardly mattered. I started learning English from the fifth standard, always stood first in my class and gave my 100 per cent to whatever I undertook.

My parents initially worked as casual labourers to build an irrigation canal, earning Rs.10 per day as daily wages. They also owned around three acres of land but there was no irrigation facility. Those were tough days and the government helped us with the rations and kerosene. My childhood was thus spent in simple surroundings with bare minimum facilities.

CC: Your circumstances were indeed constrained. How hard was it to study, particularly since you had to help your parents out as well?

Where there’s a will, there’s a way. I started taking up responsibilities at an early age. We had some cattle at home. I would take care of them; milk them twice a day and sell the milk. I must have been in the fifth standard at that time. My day would start very early. I saw my father work really hard. He had picked up another job in the night where he would load heavy sacks of onions in the truck. He was paid one rupee per bag. So, to reduce his work, I helped my family in the mornings. After selling the milk, I would go straight to school even though it was still too early. Going home and coming back to school would have taken me over 30 minutes.

I did not have enough notebooks to study so, I would practice on the classroom blackboard. I thoroughly enjoyed this time. It was the best investment of the day. Up to Std X, I used only second-hand books. The only subject that was actually a challenge for me was English. I don’t like to blame anybody, but the fact is, we did not have good teachers. My parents were as supportive as they possibly could be under the circumstances. They realised I was a bright student, so they asked me to focus on studies. I would study under the light of the kerosene lamp as there was no electricity. But the fire in my belly to make something of my life was constantly alive and kicking. Village life is simple and everyone genuinely appreciates you when you do well.

The whole village would celebrate when I got good marks and stood first in the class.

"I was told that I would get a good job if I completed an ITI course. I came to Pune in 2001, taking some advance money from a dairy owner”

Vijay Sakore and Maya Thadhani

CC: So how did you progress after you finished schooling?

My knowledge about the prospects of higher education and its infinite possibilities was limited at that point in time. But I was told that I would get a good job if I completed an ITI course. I came to Pune in 2001, taking some advance money from a dairy owner. I enrolled for the Electrician’s course with the simple intent of understanding the science behind fixing things. This was one of those universally useful programmes that would open up a great number of professional possibilities. I could apply for a job and if I didn’t get one, I could always visit people’s homes to repair Electrical appliances etc. or start my own shop.

CC: So how did you manage to get by in the city?

It was critical to make enough to survive. I came to Pune with just Rs.600, out of which I had to pay Rs.400 as fees. The rest of the money was used to set up my hostel room. To save money, I came up with an idea to get my tiffin made by my mother and send it with an ST bus driver coming from my village to Pune station. Managing this feat was quite difficult every day but the ST driver was helpful. I would save the tiffin for the whole day. A total of six rotis with dry chutney was my usual repast. It kept my body and soul together.

CC: That must have been challenging.

Yes. I realised I should try and get a part-time job as I was free early in the morning and in the evenings. So, I went door to door looking for a part-time jobs in Pune’s upmarket Sindh Society in Aundh. Luckily, I found the job of a gardener in Mummy’s home (Maya Thadhani). As I used to work on farmland as a child, I had the basic knowledge about gardening how to remove the grass, how to cut trees in a manner that would aid its further growth and when to water them. This was basic knowledge but it proved to be very useful. For this, I was paid seven rupees per hour, which by the end of the month added up to Rs.500.

Around this time, my sister joined a professional Nursing Diploma course in Pune. I had to support her. I worked as an electrician along with other odd jobs in the evenings. It was tough and exhausting but it was important for me to help my sister as she had no funds.

My quest for learning English never stopped. I had no additional sources like a TV or newspapers to learn the English language. I would make it a point to listen to snatches of cricket commentary over the radio and that’s how I learnt a few words. The passion to upgrade my English-speaking skills was relentless. I would learn new words every day and memorise them. I knew I had to improve my vocabulary.

I stood first in my course in the ITI. Soon, I managed to get a job in a good company, near Swargate Industrial Estate. It was a small scale industrial set up. It exposed me to different ideas. I realised that I was interested in Design. I came to know more about the higher education programmes and I wanted to study some more.

"I stood first in my course in the ITI. Soon, I managed to get a job in a good company. It was a small scale industrial set up. It exposed me to different ideas”

Vijay with his parents, Anjana and Nanabhau

How did you decide what to do next?

I saw several engineers working above me and was inspired to go for higher education. Unto that end, I was looking for low cost and affordable options for a Diploma Course in Engineering. I came across the Distant Learning Program in the Government Polytechnic, Pune. The course was meant for students who were working and also wanted to study. The fees were affordable — around `3000 per academic session. It was a correspondence course but my exams were held along with other regular students. I had to prepare for my practical exams, present myself for them and then, get back to work. Sometimes I would take half a day off from work, give the exam and go back to the office. At times, I would study on the roadside to save time.

Tell us about your decision to quit work.

In the last year of my Diploma Program, I decided to quit my job. This was a tough call as I was supporting my family. I had some savings, having worked for some time, plus I was expecting my EPF money. This was quite a bit because I had worked for four years. I knew this would see my parents through. My father had a little idea of what exactly I was pursuing but considering he was not educated, he had immense confidence in what I was doing.

In the middle of the last year, both subjects and projects got a little tougher. I went up to the Principal and my teachers in the Polytechnic and requested them to allow me to attend some lectures. I was in class with some regular students to attend the theory lectures. I got good marks but missed the College of Engineering, Pune (COEP) admission target by eight marks. However, my name featured on the Modern College of Engineering list and I was admitted there. I bought a bicycle to go to college as opposed to the other students, who could afford motorised bikes. It was all I could afford but it made life easier.

Having received my Diploma in Electrical Engineering, I was admitted directly to the second year of my graduate program. Here too, I found my previous work experience to be of considerable use. I was now studying the theory of the work I had already done. The college noticed my aptitude and remarked that I had very good technical knowledge. This was the affirmation I needed. I graduated in July 2011.

"She’s my mentor (Maya Thadani) and Godmother. She helped me with learning English from the start and so many other things. As you know, I call her mummy. I would take care of her, be it by way of helping with medications, errands and the other odd jobs”

Tell us about your ‘mummy’s’ role here. What did you learn from her?

She’s my mentor and Godmother. She helped me with learning English from the start and so many other things. As you know, I call her mummy. She took care of me and I would take care of her, be it by way of helping with medications, errands and the other odd jobs. As far as possible, I took care not to disturb her unnecessarily. But when it came to studies, I would not hesitate to take my queries relating to English to her even if it was past midnight. I knew she kept awake till late. I would sit down right next to her bed as she explained the intricacies of the English language. What I find most admirable about her is her willingness to help people, especially students. As many in Pune know, she has helped scores of students with their admissions to US colleges for undergrad and graduate studies, free of cost. What’s more, she is extremely painstaking and meticulous in her approach to everything she does and will help you from start to finish as many will testify.

What next after college?

College was a wonderful experience. I got the chance to develop my interest in Robotics, even as I made Robots when I participated in various colleges events. I graduated with a First Class Distinction. During the campus selection process, I was selected by both TCS and Demag. I decided to join the first Company that called me, as I really needed to get back to work as soon as possible. Demag, a multinational German company interviewed me on June 26th, 2011 and asked me to report to work on July 1st. I was lucky to get a job as an Engineering trainee at long last and the experience was amazing. I worked there for around two years as a Design Engineer before moving on.

I was looking for more exposure, plus better pay because I had a student loan to repay. The next company I joined was Kone Cranes, a multinational company with headquarters in Finland. I worked with the Design team and won the Best Employee as well as the Best Performance awards. Here, I learnt about the Wasteway a process to convert garbage to electricity. I was sent to Finland on a work trip to learn more about it. I understood how to Design fully automated cranes for waste material handling. I also learnt the methods of solid waste management used in Sweden. They actually import garbage to feed their waste to energy plants. Quite an exciting exposure for me. I learnt a lot through sheer observation, came back and designed projects for Kone Cranes for their markets in Europe and America. Having acquired expertise in waste to energy cranes, I was also sent by them to the USA for their projects. Another exciting experience.

In 2018, I moved to Honeywell, a US based fortune 100 multinational company. I am in India right now, at their Design centre. I was recently in the US for nine months helping with projects that are designed here and implemented there. The company provides automation solutions, which are very important for e-commerce warehouse management. We supply the automation technology to major e-commerce and retail companies to make their supply chain more productive.

What advice would you like to give to urban youngsters including the generation of youth who get everything on a platter?

Decide your goal in keeping with your passion and work towards it. Don’t just restrict your knowledge seeking to studying before an exam, instead, achieve little things every day. This will build your confidence. Work towards perfection and doing the best you possibly can. It is natural for all parents to want to give their children the very best. To today’s youngsters, I would say: be mindful and grateful for what you have and make the most of the opportunities that life presents you. Appreciate the sacrifices your parents make for you. This is vital.

What have you learnt from your parents?

I admire them both. They did their best for us, given their difficult circumstances. My mother was always careful to point out the difference between good and bad, right and wrong. To that end, she made us read the Ramayan at night. As for my father, I have never seen anyone work as hard as he did. During the day, he would work on farms, do other odd jobs, walk back and sleep for only three to four hours. He really did as much as he could, to give me and my siblings better opportunities in life.

On the other hand, mummy who has versatile interests and is well connected has shared many of her life stories with me. Each has a lesson. I have learnt a lot from her.

What is your philosophy in life?

First comes honesty towards work as well as your relationships. Next, comes hard work because there are no shortcuts in life. Third, be simple and genuine and avoid showing off or bragging in any way. Last but not the least, help others all you can. I have tried my best to live by these tenets.

CC: You sure must be an inspiration to youngsters in your village.

Well, I try. When I was studying, there were goals to achieve and little time for anything else. But now when I go on weekends to spend time with my family, I make it a point to meet students and guide them with multiple options for higher education, both after Std X and Std XII. I also always visit the village school to assist them financially for whatever they need.

When possible, I put students in my car and give them a ride to the city. It’s an exciting, learning experience and great exposure for them. I have also helped them with college selections and admissions a cumbersome process but one that has given me tremendous satisfaction.

Mentoring a Dream

"When he was younger, he wanted to take these long and daring jumps up the ladder but as his mentor, I would advise him to go step by step and enjoy everything he did along the way"

Maya Thadhani has been Vijay’s strength and support in more ways than one. She did more than just provide him with the employment he needed to learn and earn his way through college; she nurtured his future by believing in him. Along the way, she scolded him and guided him, just as a mother would, asking him to guard against the pitfalls he might encounter along the way even as he strode relentlessly ahead.

Maya Thadhani tells us about the responsibility that is inherent to true mentorship.

CC: Please tell us about your association with Vijay and your part in his story.

Maya Thadani : This story is essentially about an aptly named young gentleman Vijay Sakore. He is from a farming family. His parents own a small piece of land where they make a living by growing vegetables and grains. They also have goats and chickens on their farm which provide their requirements of milk, eggs and food. That’s his background: down to earth and humble.

CC: How did he find his way to your home?

A lot of young boys from the mofussil areas surrounding Pune, come to join the ITI which is just next to my home in Sindh Society, Aundh. They need financial support in the city, so they go house to house looking for a part-time job to earn while they learn. Vijay was one of them. He came here to pursue an Electrician course and was looking for a job as well. Santosh, our gardener at that time, was completing his course at ITI and brought Vijay over as his replacement. He was profuse in his praise of this young lad. Indeed, my husband and I were both pleasantly surprised by his calm demeanour and manners. They bespoke of a good upbringing. He touched our feet and sought our blessings, unlike the others who we met before him. We both liked him a lot and hired him on the spot. Turned out that he was the right choice.

CC: What happened next?

All this happened 20 years ago. It has been a hugely rewarding symbiotic relationship that has strengthened year after year till today.

Life for me took a tragic turn when my husband Indur suddenly passed away on November 21, 2001. I was in a total state of shock.

CC: That must have been very hard to deal with…

Yes, Indeed. I was in the ICU for a month with the doctors doing their best. I didn’t know how it had happened and had no clue what was going to happen next. I have two daughters, Sharmila and Sonya who both flew in from the USA to look after me and attend to many important issues that followed Indur’s death. It was a real blessing.

Vijay was devastated by Indur’s death too. I realised what they meant to each other when I learnt that he had given Vijay money for books and encouraged this bright young mind to work hard and do well in life. These words were reassuring and comfortable. “Sahab to chale gaye, par hum aapko kabhi nahi chodenge,” (Saheb has gone but I will never leave you) he said, assuring me of a helping hand should I ever need one. That really touched a chord in my heart.

Vijay had worked for me only three months when Indur passed away. As I started getting better, my doctor recommended a change of scene. “Why don’t you take a trip to the USA and spend time with your daughters?” However, I was presented with a dilemma. How could I leave my old, trusted lady who had worked with me for 35 years, alone to look after my home? A long vacation in her village was not an option. She flatly refused.

That’s when the thought of asking Vijay to help out struck me. Though I hardly knew him, my instincts told me he was decent and reliable and would take care of my home and the old lady as well. It was the best and only solution available.

That’s how Vijay came to live in my home for six months in 2002. When I returned, he had no plans to leave for the hostel. I made him understand he was young and had his whole life ahead of him and staying with me would distance him from his friends and the outside world. He was shocked. “Are you asking me to leave? I am here to look after you”.

CC: What was it like to have him in the house?

He had an enormous appetite for hard work and studied hard. Always looking to improve himself. One of the first things he said to me was, “Ma’am humko angrezi sikhna hai.” I want to learn English, please don’t speak to me in Hindi or Marathi.”

I started talking to him in English. When I lapsed back into Hindi at times, he would quickly remind me, “Ma’am, only English, please.” It had become an obsession. I not only taught him English but in addition, how to speak on the phone, how to greet guests and etiquette for all occasions, something I am passionate about. Every day, I would add to his vocabulary. His dictionary was always with him.

At some point, he started calling me “mummy”. And I treated him like my son.

"There is a lot to learn from Vijay: “Where there is a will, there is a way. Fight all the odds that come your way and you will succeed”

CC: So how did he progress from then on?

Gradually, the ITI story came to its logical conclusion. Now, the question arose: What next? He said, “That’s not the end of my education. Now, I want to join the Government Polytechnic, Pune, and do my Diploma in Engineering.” He did it externally. However, he wanted to earn as well.

ITI students find jobs in a lot of manufacturing units. However, Vijay had no idea where to start. I had contacts and helped him find his first job. It was a small company where he worked after finishing his ITI. Later, he got another job in an Electronics firm, which related to his subject. He was the youngest but his work was highly appreciated by the management.

Vijay aspired higher: He wanted to become a Graduate Engineer and join Pune’s premier institute, the College of Engineering Pune (COEP), his first choice. I told him it was tough to get in but he had scored really well in ITI and had got high marks in his Diploma program at the Government Polytechnic. He stood a good chance. However, just to be sure, I asked him to apply elsewhere as well.

As COEP had limited seats for diploma students, Vijay applied to Modern College of Engineering, Pune and some other colleges as well. He missed getting into COEP but got admission to the Modern College of Engineering, which is a great college as well. He found his groove and shone there beyond his expectations. He graduated with distinction. And for every exam he appeared for, he gave his all. I have not seen anybody put in so much hard work as Vijay. He was an incredibly sincere student. It was amazing watching him burn the midnight oil. Fully invested in his dream, I too would stay awake until late at night during his exams, waiting to switch off the lights between 1-2 A.M. I made him chai sometimes. He deserved that kind of care and attention. It was such a sense of motherly feeling and pride.

CC: So what advice have you given him along the way?

When he was younger, he wanted to take these long and daring jumps up the ladder but as his mentor, I would advise him to go step by step and enjoy everything he did along the way. That was my constant refrain.

Vijay has always been a very confident young person. Today, he commands respect and my staff calls him “Sir” because he has that presence. I’ve invested a lot of time in him. I remember getting angry at times when he went wrong, just like any mother would have. I never shout but I would quietly and firmly explain the consequences of being overconfident and over-ambitious. Humility is most important at every juncture of life, as are compassion and respect. This is something I tell every young person to cultivate and have ingrained these values in my daughters as well.

CC: What would you say are his finest qualities?

His will, grit, determination to succeed, his spirit of family and community, his dream, his goals have already surfaced in this interview.

Coming from a humble background he faced many hardships, struggles and challenges since his childhood but he weathered the storm with courage and fortitude. It was his motivation, passion, perseverance and his high sense of achievement that helped him climb the Corporate ladder. Professionally, his competence, team spirit, popularity amidst his colleagues and adaptability to his work environment in India and the USA, have been amply acknowledged by Honeywell.

On the personal front, Vijay’s sense of responsibility toward all the people in his life is immense and heart-warming. He visits his family every weekend and caters to all their needs. One can only admire how he has extended and remodelled his village home and equipped it with all the possible modern gadgets and amenities. Amazing!

It is a miracle that Vijay is currently with me during the COVID-19 crisis. I am not alone. He was supposed to have left for the USA early March but didn’t as his trip got delayed. What a Godsend that he came to me instead.

There is a lot to learn from Vijay: “Where there is a will, there is a way. Fight all the odds that come your way and you will succeed.” I am sure, he will scale greater heights in days to come. That is my blessing.

From a Cowherd to a Senior Project Engineer in Honeywell truly a remarkable metamorphosis... What an exciting, exhilarating, empathetic and extraordinary story! I am very proud and happy to be a part of it.