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Let’s hear it from Suketu Satish Kohli
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness”- Charles Dickens.
Liberalization had swept across India; Information Technology was seen as the engine that would power the Indian economy. Software education institutes had sprouted like mushrooms and followed a franchisee model enabling the McDonaldization of software learning.
As a young salesperson, I had been appointed to lead the sales of a growing Software Institute. The sales play constituted a presentation that showcased the vast business potential, the investments required along with ROI numbers. City a Night was the sales plan. The big boss often proclaimed, Veni, Vidi, Vici- I came, I saw, I conquered, and he expected the template to be rolled out in every city across South Asia.
Winter was at its peak, and I was in a tier-3 town around the northern hills of India. An early knock at my door surprised me. Tara, with a bright smile, stood there wearing a worn-out brown leather overcoat. Her face had turned a rose pink with exposure to the morning winter air. She thrust her hand out and apologized for being early, “I wanted to be the first one to meet you as I am keen to take up your franchise”. My happiness knew no bounds, this town would be quick, and…
