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Dreaming Big: My Journey to Connect India
A young man from Titilagarh, Orissa, buoyed by nothing but dreams, boards a boat to America in 1964. There, in the land of opportunity, Satanarayan Gangaram Pitroda strikes gold in the burgeoning tech space to become the American millionaire Sam Pitroda. Armed with global patents and a vision supported by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, he vows to return home and fix India’s telephone troubles. Sam Pitroda became synonymous with the bright-yellow PCO/STD booths that sprang up across the country, and was dynamo in the Congress machinery in the 1980s. But his world came crashing down when he was dealt one blow after the other—a heart attack, false corruption charges and the assassination of his dear friend Rajiv Gandhi. To make matters worse, he realized that he had run out of money. This is the astonishing and heart-warming story of how one man at the top hits rock bottom—only to rise again and make a bigger dent in the world.
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First published October 19, 2015
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December 22, 2015All of us have a story inside us. Some write it as fiction; some write their own story as memoirs, because, I guess, we want the story to be heard, to inspire other stories too. There is a sense of fulfillment after we write the story, for in the words we pen, we leave a legacy, a piece of ourselves, and that piece of us can make a mark on people we want it to, as well as people in corners of the world we know nothing of.
So the question is, “Who is Sam Pitroda?” Sam Pitroda is an internationally respected telecom inventor and entrepreneur with more than fifty years of experience in Information and Communications Technology. He has been a leading campaigner to bridge the digital divide and he is credited with having laid the foundation for India’s telecommunication revolution. He has been the Advisor to the Prime Minister’s office on Public Information Infrastructure and Innovation, as well as Founding Chairman for five non-profit organizations. He also holds honorary PhD degrees, has close to a hundred patents worldwide and has published five books and numerous papers.
I’m a self-confessed lover of fiction. I had no idea of who this man was until a few years ago, and even have relied on his website for some of the information in the above paragraph. I knew some of his achievements. Very recently, he launched his book. When my office library had a copy of it, I took it immediately, to get an idea of what his life was like. Did I find his story to be interesting? Yes. From his childhood, to his schooling, to when he moved abroad, how he used the experience he got to propel himself to better opportunities, even when none seemed on the horizon, to the pursuit of his dreams, the book brings Sam Pitroda’s life to the forefront. I like that his memories are vivid, and doesn’t feel much embellished by the words. The parts where his work comes into focus, that didn’t leave a mark on me as I couldn’t relate to the terms used, but I think anyone in that field might follow it better than I did. I did however happily read the part about my own office, that part of his achievements quite familiar to me.
I agree with Nandan Nilekani’s words on the back cover of this book, for this story is one that is nicely written. From a purely genre perspective, it is not one that felt exceptional. Memoirs are, as I mentioned earlier, written to leave a legacy, not to be felt exceptional by every person. But I do appreciate that this book is meant as a legacy to his granddaughter, and the way it is put forth not only in the ending chapter, but a beautifully worded dedication as well.
So the question is, “Who is Sam Pitroda?” Sam Pitroda is an internationally respected telecom inventor and entrepreneur with more than fifty years of experience in Information and Communications Technology. He has been a leading campaigner to bridge the digital divide and he is credited with having laid the foundation for India’s telecommunication revolution. He has been the Advisor to the Prime Minister’s office on Public Information Infrastructure and Innovation, as well as Founding Chairman for five non-profit organizations. He also holds honorary PhD degrees, has close to a hundred patents worldwide and has published five books and numerous papers.
I’m a self-confessed lover of fiction. I had no idea of who this man was until a few years ago, and even have relied on his website for some of the information in the above paragraph. I knew some of his achievements. Very recently, he launched his book. When my office library had a copy of it, I took it immediately, to get an idea of what his life was like. Did I find his story to be interesting? Yes. From his childhood, to his schooling, to when he moved abroad, how he used the experience he got to propel himself to better opportunities, even when none seemed on the horizon, to the pursuit of his dreams, the book brings Sam Pitroda’s life to the forefront. I like that his memories are vivid, and doesn’t feel much embellished by the words. The parts where his work comes into focus, that didn’t leave a mark on me as I couldn’t relate to the terms used, but I think anyone in that field might follow it better than I did. I did however happily read the part about my own office, that part of his achievements quite familiar to me.
I agree with Nandan Nilekani’s words on the back cover of this book, for this story is one that is nicely written. From a purely genre perspective, it is not one that felt exceptional. Memoirs are, as I mentioned earlier, written to leave a legacy, not to be felt exceptional by every person. But I do appreciate that this book is meant as a legacy to his granddaughter, and the way it is put forth not only in the ending chapter, but a beautifully worded dedication as well.
March 6, 2021
It is story of a small Kid who was born in a very poor environment in a Small town of Orrisa State in India. He went to School then college and finally made it to Illinois USA for higher studies. He worked Hard in USA, Made fortunes then came back to India for Connecting over a billion people under the leadership of first Indira Gandhi then Rajiv Gandhi back in 1980s.
"A great story don't have to be sensational but real."
He went back to USA, Financially broke, Made fortunes again and came back to India under the leadership of Dr. Manmohan Singh. His life motto is, Connectivity, Technology and innovation can change the country.
His life is filled with so many Ups and downs but still he kept creating business and help community in connecting the world. First in USA then in INDIA and some other parts of the world.
He Simultaneously lived two life. He kept his one Feet in INDIA and one in USA. In his story you will experience Cultural diversity, differences in Mindset of two world's biggest democracies, Challenges felt during solving the most complex problems of the world.
Overall, I liked it. Story touched me to the core.
"A great story don't have to be sensational but real."
He went back to USA, Financially broke, Made fortunes again and came back to India under the leadership of Dr. Manmohan Singh. His life motto is, Connectivity, Technology and innovation can change the country.
His life is filled with so many Ups and downs but still he kept creating business and help community in connecting the world. First in USA then in INDIA and some other parts of the world.
He Simultaneously lived two life. He kept his one Feet in INDIA and one in USA. In his story you will experience Cultural diversity, differences in Mindset of two world's biggest democracies, Challenges felt during solving the most complex problems of the world.
Overall, I liked it. Story touched me to the core.
August 29, 2017
I wish i could add one more star to the rating . Very inspiring !
January 4, 2019
The best way to know the man who shaped India telecom and various endeavours, it took me almost a year to finish this book since I enjoyed every chapter of it. Being myself in the non profit sector I truly believe is a wonderful read to inspire you to do the best you can to shape your current reality.
June 19, 2016
Love... Work... Fulfillment is what make you content in life.
This is the amazing story of the visionary who revolutionized Indian telecom industry.A boy grows up in a small village in India turns out to be an entrepreneur,advisor and what not.Sam had focussed on how poorly the bureaucratic system works in India.While he took charge of changing the telecom industry he smartly adopted policy and procedures as per a private organization.This, in turn, was a huge success.Much of today's Indian telephonic network (The Internet too) foundation was laid out by him.He had criticized the Indian mindset to change.Everybody wants to enjoy his/her status quo.According to him to truly understand and appreciate India.It is essential to have the ability to view it from an outsider's perspective.
His story tells how he founded multiple companies which made him a millionaire overnight and how he ran out of money working for Re.1 a year during C-DOT program.The lack of money motivated him to start a new firm and even when few knew about telephones he had conceived the idea of Mobile wallet back in 1994.He is indeed work-a-holic but when he was running out of money he gets emotional and remembers his wife and family (as most of us feel when we fear something).
He had also pointed out how people in India buy anything when they hear something in media.Most of us feel the problem is with the government but according to him, it's their responsibility to get it fixed.I found commonality between his thoughts and Dr. APJ Abul Kalam's view of how in US they fix issues unlike us who suffer from problems and get used to it.He had devised a knowledge framework too along with specialist and generalist approach of improving government owned entities similar to Dr. Kalam.
Also, he praises the past government performance with 8% growth rate 8 times over the last 10 yrs.A point worth mentioning here is the current government enjoys on the fundamental framework developed under the leadership of Sam Pritoda , National Knowledge Network,Backbone for The Internet to name a few.Our present government is just working on the most visible layer which is easy to market to the public.The book reflects his view on Business Process Reengineering in administrative, judicial and political reforms as "We have a 19th-century mindset,20th-century process and 21st century needs".
Finally, he ends his autobiography with his connect to granddaughter "Aria" and how his next generation would see the values of his prior generation.
Go ahead and start reading as his story will keep you moving...
This is the amazing story of the visionary who revolutionized Indian telecom industry.A boy grows up in a small village in India turns out to be an entrepreneur,advisor and what not.Sam had focussed on how poorly the bureaucratic system works in India.While he took charge of changing the telecom industry he smartly adopted policy and procedures as per a private organization.This, in turn, was a huge success.Much of today's Indian telephonic network (The Internet too) foundation was laid out by him.He had criticized the Indian mindset to change.Everybody wants to enjoy his/her status quo.According to him to truly understand and appreciate India.It is essential to have the ability to view it from an outsider's perspective.
His story tells how he founded multiple companies which made him a millionaire overnight and how he ran out of money working for Re.1 a year during C-DOT program.The lack of money motivated him to start a new firm and even when few knew about telephones he had conceived the idea of Mobile wallet back in 1994.He is indeed work-a-holic but when he was running out of money he gets emotional and remembers his wife and family (as most of us feel when we fear something).
He had also pointed out how people in India buy anything when they hear something in media.Most of us feel the problem is with the government but according to him, it's their responsibility to get it fixed.I found commonality between his thoughts and Dr. APJ Abul Kalam's view of how in US they fix issues unlike us who suffer from problems and get used to it.He had devised a knowledge framework too along with specialist and generalist approach of improving government owned entities similar to Dr. Kalam.
Also, he praises the past government performance with 8% growth rate 8 times over the last 10 yrs.A point worth mentioning here is the current government enjoys on the fundamental framework developed under the leadership of Sam Pritoda , National Knowledge Network,Backbone for The Internet to name a few.Our present government is just working on the most visible layer which is easy to market to the public.The book reflects his view on Business Process Reengineering in administrative, judicial and political reforms as "We have a 19th-century mindset,20th-century process and 21st century needs".
Finally, he ends his autobiography with his connect to granddaughter "Aria" and how his next generation would see the values of his prior generation.
Go ahead and start reading as his story will keep you moving...
January 11, 2016
I am ashamed to say that I didn't even know of the existence of Sam Pitroda until my dad recommended this book to me. Pitroda is a remarkable individual and any one of his accomplishments should have earned him a place in the Indian halls of fame. But for some reason his name remains unknown to the average Indian household.
To all future readers, this book is at once a tale of overcoming incredible odds, of hard work, of dedication to a nation and ultimately the world, and above all a man's quest to explain his past and provide cohesion to his actions. The book is honest about what Pitroda got right, and what he screwed up, and it offers a refreshing set of opinions on how India (and the world) can progress in the 21st century. To those scholars of ICT for D (a term used frequently at college), this is a must read
To all future readers, this book is at once a tale of overcoming incredible odds, of hard work, of dedication to a nation and ultimately the world, and above all a man's quest to explain his past and provide cohesion to his actions. The book is honest about what Pitroda got right, and what he screwed up, and it offers a refreshing set of opinions on how India (and the world) can progress in the 21st century. To those scholars of ICT for D (a term used frequently at college), this is a must read
May 8, 2017
If you were born in the mid 70s, you've probably witnessed Indian transforming drastically. And we owe a huge chunk of the transformation to the belief and perseverance of one man Sam Pitroda. This book is inspiring and will touch your heart.
May 24, 2017
Good
Fantastic. Good book.
Learned so much from unique
Sam portada and rajiv gandhi really did bade work for nation.thanks again thanks
Fantastic. Good book.
Learned so much from unique
Sam portada and rajiv gandhi really did bade work for nation.thanks again thanks
January 29, 2019
This is the best biographical book on an Indian Person. Mr. Pitroda started his journey as a lower-middle-class person. On the basis of education.
January 19, 2019
After my 103 yr old great grandfather’s funeral, I went to Pitroda’s (dad’s uncle’s) house for a gathering. He gave me this book and I figured it’s better late than never to dig into family history.
Reading this made me feel more “connected” to my family :) Plus, I can relate to being chaotic, so I enjoyed his unique anecdotes.
Reading this made me feel more “connected” to my family :) Plus, I can relate to being chaotic, so I enjoyed his unique anecdotes.
June 13, 2020
A must read
An extremely inspiring story of a genius . Telecom revolution in India is due to the amazing journey of an extra ordinary man - Satyanarayan ( Sam Pitroda).This book is a beacon for today’s youth
An extremely inspiring story of a genius . Telecom revolution in India is due to the amazing journey of an extra ordinary man - Satyanarayan ( Sam Pitroda).This book is a beacon for today’s youth
January 6, 2021
How can i person, particularly a technical person do so many things in his/her life. Reading him was entirely different kind of experience. I can relate history of events and connect it to all social
changes happened in India.
changes happened in India.
January 2, 2022
The book is an autobiography of Sam Pitroda. I picked up this book to read mainly about the manner in which C-DOT was conceptual i Ed and formed to bring about the telecom revolution in India. Apart from this, the rest of the narration is quite mundane.
August 4, 2019
Awesome book
I loved it very much and read it many times
also gifted to my friend and suggesting to everyone
I loved it very much and read it many times
also gifted to my friend and suggesting to everyone
July 3, 2023
If you didnt read it yet, you read nothing
June 26, 2018
भारतीय टेलिकॉम क्रांतीच्या चळवळीचे उद्गाते सत्यनारायण उर्फ सॅम पित्रोद�� यांचं हे आत्मचरित्र प्रेरणादायी,स्वप्ननगरी अमेरिकेतील कार्यसंस्कृती दाखवणार आणि हि संस्कृती आत्मसात केल्यानंतर ती भारत��च्या अधुनिकतेसाठी खर्ची घालणं,हे करत असताना त्यांच्या वाट्याला आलेला संघर्ष,वेळोवेळी संकटावर केलेली मात,राजीव गांधींबरोबरचे ऋणानुबंध आणि सर्वांची अद्भुत सफर घडवणार वाचनीय अस हे पुस्तक!
November 4, 2019
From an underprivileged kid in a non decrepit town of Titlagarh in Orissa who once ran 7 miles with a friend just to see a steam engine ("aag gaadi") to a disruptive technologist with over a 100 patents and 15 honorary doctorate degrees to his name, Satyanarayan Gangadhar a.k.a 'Sam' Pitroda has come a long way in his life.
In this memoir the man who has been commonly acclaimed as the father of telecommunications in India charts out his phenomenal fairy tale journey that took him out of the bowels of sleepy Titlagarh to many a high echelons of power both in the private sector as well as in the Government of India. Narrated in a simple matter-of-fact manner the autobiography is inspiring, insightful and intuitive. A one sitting read, the book traces the triumphs and tribulations faced by this inveterate serial entrepreneur in his quest to bring connectivity to the second most populous nation on the Planet. The culmination of a dream and the conception of the Centre for Development of Datamatics ("C Dot") has the reader in a thrall. There are other equally fascinating episodes that leave the reader thirsting for more. Sam Pitroda taking on behemoth companies in a battle against patent infringement relating to his "mobile wallet" concept is a classic example.
Even though Pitroda's bias towards the Congress Party in general and the Gandhi family in particular is set out in an unabashed vein, this does not detract one bit from the passion nursed by him towards ensuring that India makes an indelible mark on the Planet in the capacity of an economic, social and cultural super power. In Chapters titled "innovation" and "At the Crossroads", Pitroda reveals a plausible road map for embellishing the humongous prospects that stare this splendid country in its collective face. He also warns against the possible obstacles that primarily take the form of insidious bureaucracy and the ubiquitous red tape. This book, in short is an essential must read for any India who has a fierce ambition to see his country take wings and soar high.
"Dreaming Big" - An instant connect!
In this memoir the man who has been commonly acclaimed as the father of telecommunications in India charts out his phenomenal fairy tale journey that took him out of the bowels of sleepy Titlagarh to many a high echelons of power both in the private sector as well as in the Government of India. Narrated in a simple matter-of-fact manner the autobiography is inspiring, insightful and intuitive. A one sitting read, the book traces the triumphs and tribulations faced by this inveterate serial entrepreneur in his quest to bring connectivity to the second most populous nation on the Planet. The culmination of a dream and the conception of the Centre for Development of Datamatics ("C Dot") has the reader in a thrall. There are other equally fascinating episodes that leave the reader thirsting for more. Sam Pitroda taking on behemoth companies in a battle against patent infringement relating to his "mobile wallet" concept is a classic example.
Even though Pitroda's bias towards the Congress Party in general and the Gandhi family in particular is set out in an unabashed vein, this does not detract one bit from the passion nursed by him towards ensuring that India makes an indelible mark on the Planet in the capacity of an economic, social and cultural super power. In Chapters titled "innovation" and "At the Crossroads", Pitroda reveals a plausible road map for embellishing the humongous prospects that stare this splendid country in its collective face. He also warns against the possible obstacles that primarily take the form of insidious bureaucracy and the ubiquitous red tape. This book, in short is an essential must read for any India who has a fierce ambition to see his country take wings and soar high.
"Dreaming Big" - An instant connect!
February 9, 2016
An excellent autobiography of an Indian technocrat. Well written and easy to read , it covers the rise and fall and rise of Sam Pitroda. I still recollect the tiny yellow PCO/STD/ISD popping up everywhere in the early 90s and making it easy to call back home town. I also recollect the previous era of travelling to the closest post office , filling up a form for trunk booking, paying Rs 50 as deposit, collecting a token and waiting for you to be called to make important trunk call. Sam and his C-DOT team did change it almost overnight !
We need more of such people in India for india to rise..
We need more of such people in India for india to rise..
January 30, 2016
Some people who were instrumental in certain revolutions go unnoticed in this modern day which mostly takes note of flamboyance, Sam is one such person.
The narration style is simple and easy, most of the chapters are candid except for 2 chapters where he is dwelling deep to explain the climate in Government.
The narration style is simple and easy, most of the chapters are candid except for 2 chapters where he is dwelling deep to explain the climate in Government.
September 7, 2016
Inspiring read on the legend behind the Indian telecom revolution. Had lost the pace a little towards the end, but overall a fine read. Amazed at the sheer number of things he has achieved, initiatives he triggered and collaborations he chaired.
July 27, 2016
good for a one-time read. The author gives a thorough insight of the Rajiv Gandhi era and the telecom revolution in India- how the challenges were tackled and political obstacles overcome. I don't intend to give out spoilers as every page is worth reading. Overall, this is a good autobiography.
December 13, 2015
A very nice book, specially for those oriented to do some thing for the society without expecting any return.
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September 2, 2016Location: GG7 IRC
Accession No: DL028453
Accession No: DL028453
September 11, 2016
Truly inspirational...
September 16, 2016
The inspiring story of a Gandhian Indian who strived hard to make his dream for India true.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews