Tracing the Trajectory
The D-Block conference hall resounded with laughter, coming from the alumni of the batch of ’86, while they were chatting and sharing experiences with their former classmates. The joy and excitement they emanated lifted up the spirits of the entire hall, making everybody happy just to see them like that.
The event they all had gathered for was a book release. It was not just any book. The book was named “Tracing the Trajectory”. “A book dedicated to our alma mater and its current students, who are the future”, the caption read. The book has been written by the Class of ’86 themselves.
Before the book release, a panel discussion took place, aiming to give insights into the upcoming developments of infrastructure and technology in the industry. The panel discussion was very informative, exploring ideas like Internet of Things, Data Science and Robotics.

The book launch then followed. The Welcome Address was given by Mr. D Nandakumar, the President of Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Coimbatore. He joyously said that the ’86 has had 30 years of success, thanks to PSG. He praised PSG, saying that some of the finest minds around the world came from PSG. He also noted that the batch of ’86 was the first to publish a book of achievements and said that he hoped to achieve more and to give back to the society.
Mr. Surya Kolluri, Managing Director of bank of America, Boston, was then invited to say a few words about the book. He said that coming to PSG did not feel like coming back to an alma mater and that it felt like home, since his father had been the Head of the physics Department. He proudly said that the book was a 10-year journey, and it had all started from a Yahoo group. He said that the group had been an intellectual forum, from 2005.
He said that the book contained views on various topics including (but not limited to) Earthquake Engineering, Materials Science and Financial Services. He also asked students to mail them at tracingthetrajectory@gmail.com for any advice on career decisions. He also mentioned a mobile app called “LinkStreet” to do the same.

The book was then released by the Principal, who said that he was very happy that the batch had come back and with them brought a very useful book. Many special addresses were delivered after this. A few of them were by Dr. Radhakrishnan Nair (Director, PSG IAS), Dr. P V Mohanram (Principal, PSG Institute of Technology and Applied Research) and Mr. V Sriram (President, PSG Tech Alumni Association).
The special addresses lauded the batch of ’86 for such an initiative and also observed that they have such good connectivity, which helped them on their path to success. The Vote of Thanks was then delivered by Mr. Mohan Alapatt (Director, South Indian Bank), after which the Alumni Association President and some teachers were presented and honored with mementos and shawls.

Truly, it was one memorable day. If I, who just attended the event, found it bittersweet, I can only imagine how the batch of ’86 and their teachers must have felt. One thing is for sure though, the batch of ’86 will continue to flourish and will continue to inspire all of whom they meet. The Bridge wishes them all success in their efforts and endeavors.