Report - Colors of Freedom: PES University’s Independence Day Celebration - 2024

PES University celebrated the 78thIndependence Day in a lively event, bringing together faculty, students and alumni to honor our Indian spirit. The amphitheater served as a collective gathering ground, and the festivities commenced at 8:30 am, with the flag hoisting followed by the rendition of our national anthem. The flag was hoisted by the Chief Guest of day Mr. Kishore Purohit, alumnus of PES (graduating class of 2000) and a technocrat, in the august presence of Prof. D. Jawahar, Pro Chancellor PES Institutions.

Dr. V. Krishna, Dean Student Affairs, presented the welcome address while also introducing the Chief Guest for the day – Mr. Kishore Purohit, alumnus of PES (graduating class of 2000) and a technocrat with a wide ranging experience of over 25 years in building startups & working in large Billion-Dollar enterprises.  After finishing his engineering in 2000, he worked in Eximsoft on their VOIP product and then joined Infosys where he worked in the fintech sector both here and extensively in the USA. His entrepreneurial dream came calling. He started an analytics firm in 2011, much before the analytics became the buzzword it's today which went on to win the Economic Times, Power of Ideas Award and gave him a lot of exposure not only building companies from scratch but also working with Venture Capitalists and fundraising. Mr. Kishore presently is a co-founder for Abell Ventures and the CEO of Beginest Coworking Spaceswhich he was instrumental in growing it from a garage idea to over a $1 Million in Annual Recurring Revenues.

Mr. Kishore spoke about his early days in PESIT (as it was known then) and how he became part of the magazine Clarion which Prof. Jawahar helped to found. He spoke about how he learnt about money-flow, business models besides technical expertise. He remembered that there were only two buildings and a workshop complex and he was overwhelmed to see the phenomenal growth in infrastructure besides the number of programs and stature of the University.

Prof. D. Jawahar, the Pro-Chancellor, emphasized the institution's progress over time, reflecting on the challenges encountered and the commitment for continuous improvement. He emphasized the importance of effectively communicating vision and mission, highlighting the medical school's progress toward becoming a top-ranked institution. The speech emphasized the spirit of progress, innovation, and community support, aligning with PES University's vision of fostering excellence and nurturing the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs. He added that the best nation-building activity that one can do is to do the best we can in whatever field we are in.

The formal program concluded on a warm note with a heartfelt vote of thanks byMr. Harsha Chaturvedi, the Chief Technology Officer of PES Institutions.

This was followed by a cultural program by the students of PESU. The Department of Performing Arts presented a solo performance by Monit Roy with the song "O Desh Mere." Following this, Rithya performed "ImayamMudhal Kumari Varai," and Ashwin & Lavanya presented the song "Chunar." From the IRA Club, Shreyas G Joshi delivered a patriotic song titled "Aakashkkeddu Ninta". Ninaada and Music Club's performance included several sets: Set 1 by Kruthika TS (Bio Tech-4th year) featured "Vande Mataram" and "Ye Mere Watan Ke." Set 2 saw vocals by Satvik RK and tabla by Srirama V Swamy (CS, 2nd year). Their set included "Jayati Jayati Bharata Mata" and "Raghupati Raghava." These performances provided a diverse range of musical expressions across different clubs and individuals, promoting cultural enrichment and artistic talent within the university.

The day closed with breakfast at GJBC Food Court, leaving everyone feeling proud of their Indian identity.

The Independence Day celebration at PES University was more than just an occasion; it was a striking illustration of our common history and the unwavering spirit that unites us as a country.

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