I hail from the small city of Jamshedpur. Yes, that Tata city. I grew up in a joint family, which means I was surrounded by people to hang out with. While someone taught me kindness, and someone else taught me sharing, everyone believed in honesty and gratitude.
As a boy, I only enjoyed watching cartoons. My love for animation kept me glued to all those 90s cartoon characters. In class 8, I learned that people get money to make those cartoons.
I was overjoyed. I wanted to be an animator.
Luckily, I did well in class 12, enough to get featured in the local newspaper, and made my dad proud. He was the only one who supported me in pursuing a creative career.
Yet, after a lot of small town struggle, broke days in a bigger city, sleepless college nights, I ended up with nothing: I got no campus placement but all my friends bagged good jobs. I was away from home, alone in my hostel room, feeling like a disaster. Back then, my dad would call me to tell me inspirational stories, particularly about the Indian Army. He would say that the training period is supposed to be tough, and “a caterpillar takes its time to become a butterfly.” Finally, three months later, I got a job as an animator. But it was a sad stint.
I got my real break at Zomato as a designer. It changed my life. I finally understood what it meant to meet cool, amazing folks and fall in love with my work.
After spending 7 years at Zomato, I was looking for a new home, and that’s when Naina called. She asked if I’d want to be a part of another crazy adventure. I instantly said no. I was looking for a no-hustle “peaceful” job. However, after a lot of deliberation, I realized that it was actually the chaos I had enjoyed so far. I would rather run than walk.
So, I joined Grofers (later Blinkit) and have never been happier. Having tried my hand at design, I wanted to learn about Product. In the past year, I’ve designed several experiences on our app. After speaking to and observing tons of users, I’ve realized that people are looking for a good experience. They want things to work for them. If you solve their problem, you become their friend. Every day, I try to apply this while designing. It’s an incredible feeling to watch an idea become a living, breathing thing that solves someone's problem.
When I look back, I feel lucky that my dad continued to believe in me. More often than not, we just need one person to believe in us.
I was born in Delhi to a disadvantaged family. Later, my father left us when I was 15. He was a stonemason and with his departure, I couldn’t concentrate on my studies. I ended up flunking my 12th exams.
I was born and brought up in Chandigarh. Blessed with a flawless childhood, I enjoyed a lovely family, the finest of education and a sound social life. In school, I excelled in studies as well as extracurricular activities.
Before I share my story, I want us to remember that India largely resides in its villages and towns. There are a lot of people in our country who have a lot of potential, but they seldom get the opportunity to prove their worth.