Entertainment

Campus

Xavier’s Commerce Society learns how 2+2 = 5 on life’s pitch

Published 20.04.16

**Maestros:** (L-R) Venture capitalist Ravi Ranjan, men’s rights activist Amartya Talukdar, model-turned-entrepreneur Ushoshi Sengupta, theatre artiste Soumendra Bhattacharya and social activist Swati Gupta speak on the topic ‘2+2=5’ at Insignia 2016. Pictures: Sayantan Ghosh and Anindya Shankar Ray

Never give up, never give in, walk the extra mile — these were some of the inspiring takeaways from Insignia 2016, a two-day management convention organised by Xavier’s Commerce Society of St. Xavier’s College, in association with The Telegraph-You recently. With participation from seven city-based colleges, Day One hosted the panel discussion ‘Maestros’ on the topic ‘2+2=5’. On the second day, the headlining event was ‘Life’s A Pitch’, a talk by Jitendra Kumar and Naveen Kasturia of The Viral Fever, a popular YouTube channel. Here’s what we picked up.

5 things we learnt from Maestros

• Theatre is art. Who knew theatre is money? I got to know about the entrepreneurial side of dramatics from M.A.D or Mad About Drama’s Soumendra Bhattacharya.
• Through her personal experiences, Swati Gupta of Central Ladies Circle showed us that when mathematical formulas don’t serve your purpose, effort, dedication and perseverance will add that invisible 1 to make 2+2=5. The mantra? Never give up. Never give in. Everyone faces problems. Only the strong-hearted survive.
• From Ravi Ranjan of Nasscom Start-up Warehouse, we learnt that in the real world, 2 and 2 might not always add up to 4. It also takes more than what meets the eye to rise above the rest.
• Amartya Talukdar, founder-member of men’s rights organisation Hridaya, addressed a topic not often discussed on public forums — that “men have equal rights and are equally sensitive”.
• We thought the world of glamour had no association with hardcore business. Former model Ushoshi Sengupta, who now runs a brain-mapping company, helped change that mindset. A successful entrepreneur, she showed that you can be an all-rounder.

Pitch it right: YouTubers Jitendra Kumar (left) and Naveen Kasturia entertained and informed a packed auditorium with a talk on their journey to success — sharing anecdotes about the web series TVF Pitchers and how they pitched their life and experiences to make it big.

How to bat on life’s pitch

• Every big decision needs a lot of sacrifices.
• In life, we sometimes confront people who hinder our growth. We should outgrow them.
• Never back down and never give in. That’s the mantra.
• Struggles will test your resilience.
• Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They are always right.
• Chase passion, not money. Passion will get you the money.
• Your ability to take risks will make you different from others. Never waste that opportunity.
• A blind leap of faith is what matters. Take it.