SYNTEL: The Journey which I started alone but gradually with Pals/Colleagues/Friends it became a group thats called "SSADT"

Syntel’s outsourcing unit today is known as State Street Syntel Services Pvt. Ltd. Previously, it was known as Syntel Sourcing Pvt. Ltd. It is one SBU of Syntel Ltd. which is NASDAQ listed company running its business from the last 30 years, headed by Mr. Bharat Desai. I had joined Syntel in Nov 06. Before that Sagar and Shailesh had joined the company prior to date of 7/11 train bomb blast in Mumbai. Gradually, other guys like Prasad, Chirag, Ankush had joined the company. In true memories of our group, I would like to share some events which had we spend while working together.

Being the first job for me I was very scared with it, like a fish out of water. But, then soon I learned how to navigate the rough waters by taking a grip on the task related to my job and had gained a very good experience from it. 2 months after my joining date I discovered, much to my surprise that my co-workers will coax me into throwing a party for my new login id of CORP password and of KEY FOB. After working for around 10 months, a day came when I put down my papers as I was trying for MMS studies through management quota. It was 2-Aug- 07. Unfortunately, I didn’t get that opportunity and I came back to my department. During that notice period we had arranged our 1^st picnic @ Lonavala. It was really a great experience about this picnic and it is still unforgettable because we had enjoyed a lot @ BUSHI DAM and a WATERFALL behind it. The video which Subhash made of our snaps was fabulous.  That song rekindles the forgotten memories and made us emotional. The last day of mine i.e 31 August I was quite emotional as I was leaving such lifelong true friends. We cried on that night, we were thinking that somebody is leaving today and don’t know that whether we would be in touch or not. But when I returned back everyone was happy. In this duration my replacement Manish had joined the company.

Things were going as it were running previously. In the mean time a name was given to our group i.e. “SSADT”.  In the month of October we organized another big picnic @ Mahabaleshwar with a no. of 12 people. Again we had a bash there. 50% sponsor for this trip was from me, Shailesh and Chirag as our birthday had gone or was nearby. The most enjoyable moment was of playing cards @ full night where Prasad and Shailesh team had won 157 turn (includes three 52 PAANI COAT). It was the situation where Prasad was not able to view properly in night, but then too they won. He used to always say, “RAAT ANDHE KE SAAT HAAR GAYA”. And then dekhte dekhte 2007 came to an end. Till that time session of party was going on. In the year 2008, some new members like Rajaram, Rajan, Dhiru, Rajeev, Amit and Shreya had join the company. At that time it was their turn to give the treat. Again we enjoyed it and @ 25 May, 2008 we planned @ Lonavala outing. The journey was planned like 1^st day visiting to spiritual place and 2^nd day @ Kumar Resort. It was the 1^st for our group to go to the resort. We had faced some obstacles there, but we were able to manage it. 

Then the time came when I put my papers 2^nd time on 24^th July, 2008. This time I have decided that I will take the admission. I did it but I had done 1 mistake for which I am suffering till today because I haven’t learn any new thing other than what I have learned in BMS. But one positive thing work out from my side i.e. I got another true friend in college who had same degree and had worked with Syntel. Even his name is Saurabh (Saurabh Nagwekar). Prior to 8-10 days of my resignation our SSADT chief had also resigned from his duties. Soon after my resignation another member Pramod Singh had resigned. It was dark time when a, melancholic mood engulfed everybody . So on this occasion, we had arranged another outing @ Alibaug on 9^th Aug, 2008. We had also celebrated Manish’s birthday which was on 10^th Aug, 2008. It was great moment for all of us to enjoy this event as it includes 3 farewells and 1 birthday. On Sagar’s last day our team gifted him a photo of entire LSS UK Shared Services gang. But Sagar returned back to Syntel again due to retrenchment of employees and global economic crisis. Unfortunately, we were unable to celebrate Pramod’s last day as he had not served entire notice. Even on my last day Shailesh  told me to wait, but I was in hurry to take Ganpati darshan of Lalbaugcha Raja. 

When I resigned, a guy named Ravindra Maurya joined the company as my replacement. He was another member of our group. @ the initial stage he didn’t join the group when a picnic was arranged @ WEST PALM BEACH RESORT on 25^th Dec, 2008 and Kelva beach in the same year. But, in the next year when we arranged another outing @ Kelva he joined us and became a part of our team. We had visited twice Kelva i.e in 2008 and 2009. @ Kelva, Subhash and Pramod are intensively watching the “******” videos throughout the night. I had never seen such people whose hunger for watching was never ending. 

During this period, all the experts of ETD trade team i.e. Shailesh, Sagar, Chirag, Ankush, Rajan and Rajaram had moved to ETD PRICING TEAM. This was the worst team in Syntel due to the issues and claims. But cheers to our guys. They have managed it very well and around 7-8 months there was not a single claim received by this team. This team was supposed to be nominated as a best team, but nobody  granted it that status. And in spite of informing, these guys use to get big firing from their boss. Finally, their anger and frustration level had reached to maximum level and around 8 guys had put down their papers. This was history created in the life of Syntel. Nobody in the past had dared to think rebelliously like this, but these guys had done it. In order to move out from this sad occasion, another big outing was arranged on Dec 2009 @ Karjat River Touch Resort. This was biggest picnic arranged till date. On their last day everybody was emotional as nobody had looked for another job, but it’s like “HONNIE KO KAUN TAAL SAKTA HAI”. 3-4 of them suffered till 3-4 months for getting a job.

Life was running on and on. The guys who had left Syntel have adjusted themselves with their routine. Then in the year 2010 in the month of June another outing was organized @ Alibaug. This outing was like normal get together for the members. Once again we had a fun whole night. Further, guys who had left Syntel (including myself) had realized that job they were doing was having much more demand in the market. But the people who have resigned, @ that time their frustration level was @ MAX level. By the time in the month of Dec 2010 Sagar  recollected the past memories which we enjoyed @ Mahabaleshwar. So everybody was keen to visit again. So, we had organized outing @ Mahabaleshwar. But we got very less response this time as Shailesh was not there. But still we managed up to 6 guys and had a fun.

For all of us, it was memorable time we shared while working together. Still we are managing our self to get in touch with everybody so that bonding which we have does not  melt away. For this, we are planning outings, one day get together or visiting to any spiritual place. I hope that our friendship should continue like this because true friends stay together and it is difficult for them to leave…