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One day, while on the way to my hostel

from our lecture-hall complex, I saw an
advertisement on the notice board. It was a
standard job-requirement notice from the

famous automobile company, Telco (now
Tata Motors). It stated that the company
required young, bright, hardworking

engineers with an excellent academic
background. At the bottom was a line in
small letters: “Lady candidates need not
apply.” I read it and was very upset. For the

first time in life, I was up against gender
discrimination.

Though I was not keen on taking up the job, I saw it as a challenge. I had done extremely
well in academics, better than most of my male peers. Little did I know then that in real life,

academic excellence is not enough to be successful. After reading the notice, I went fuming to
my room. I decided to inform the topmost person in Telco’s management about the injustice

the company was perpetrating. I got a postcard and started to write, but there was a problem:
I did not know who headed Telco! I thought it would be the Tatas. I knew JRD Tata was the
head of the Tata Group; I had seen his pictures in newspapers. Actually, Sumant Moolgaokar

was the company’s chairman then. I took the card, addressed it to JRD and started writing.
To this day, I clearly remember what I wrote: The great Tatas have always been pioneers.

They are the people who started industries such as iron and steel, chemicals, textiles and
locomotives in India. They have always supported higher education in India since 1906 and
they were responsible for establishing the Indian Institute of Science. Fortunately, I am a

student there. But it is surprising how a company like Telco is discriminating on the basis of
gender.

I posted the letter and forgot all about it. In less than 10 days, I received a telegram with
the message that I should appear for an interview at Telco’s Pune office at the company’s

expense. I was taken aback by the telegram. My hostelmates suggested that I should use the
opportunity to go to Pune free of cost and buy them Pune saris.

I collected ` 30 from each of them who wanted a sari. When I look back, I feel like laughing
at the reason for my going, but back then it seemed a good reason to do so.

It was my first visit to Pune and I immediately fell in love with the city. To this day, the

memories of my first visit remain dear to me.

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