My Tryst with C-DAC

About seven years ago when she walked into C-DAC as a project student pursuing her MCM, Jyotsna Chauvan could not have dreamt that she would stay on in C-DAC as a full fledged member of GIST. ‘My association with C-DAC goes back to 1993 when I came here as a project student. I could feel the synergy in which the members were working here towards achieving their mission objectives and felt like being a part of this organization and contributing towards the mission. I joined the C-DAC family in 1994 as member in GIST’.

‘ When I joined C-DAC, GIST, which is known for its language technology mission, was at the very early stage of commercialization. My role was that of providing marketing support. The work involved all kinds of activities from addressing queries, making manual invoices, handling correspondence, participating in exhibitions and much more. Despite the multiplicity of responsibilities, the work culture and commitment were motivation enough to me, to put in my best. The R&D team in addition to their R&D activities was handling the LIPS subtitling commercial activity since 1993. In 1996, the need for a dedicated person to coordinate this activity came as a challenging opportunity and I took on this responsibility.’

‘Presently, my work involves chasing movie telecast deadlines all the time for which I have to keep interacting with freelancers who assist us. The challenge is immense because, on an average we subtitle around 100 movies and programmes every year in 30 Indian and foreign languages and our services are extended to channels like DD, Zee Cinema and Star Movies to name a few.’

Despite these challenges, which Jyotsna, now takes in her stride, the one, that she relished the most was when, GIST offered its multilingual expertise in 1995 for the ID-Card project. ‘A field trial was arranged and the entire Pune city residents were invited to get their ID cards made. Imagine the rush and the speed at which the work must have been carried out since we handed over their ID cards instantly with their photographs scanned on it. The entire team worked day and night to meet the deadline’.

Since then, there has been no looking back for Jyotsna. ‘C-DAC, is a very prestigious organization to be with, since it has succeeded in its supercomputer mission followed by the GIST mission and many more. The best thing about being in C-DAC is that it aims at providing solutions for a national cause and solutions aimed at the common man. The interaction level with the outside world is vast and one gets the opportunity to explore his or her own ideas to a very good extent’.

However, the flip side in working in a technology driven organization, such as C-DAC, is that there is a natural outflow of talent. But, according to Jyotsna, ‘CDAC is rich in its resources as well as in the manpower it has. So, it is a matter of right utilization of these two invaluable assets within set deadlines to catch up with the fast pace of the changing IT scenario’.

As for her own plans, Jyotsna is very clear. ‘C-DAC is my first job. I have only heard of and seen the work atmosphere in other prestigious organizations but not experienced it. I feel C-DAC is a unique organization to be with, for many reasons. Every member is given a lot of breathing space to operate (except the working space). One has enough scope to explore his/her potential. Members are self-motivated. Interpersonal relationships are cordial and most of all, the friendly and open atmosphere is very conducive to put in ones best’.

Having been with C-DAC for a reasonably long period of time, Jyotsna has some observations to make ‘I love to see all my colleagues handling their responsibilities whole-heartedly but I expect this to happen uniformly throughout the organization so that we all sail smoothly. Even a small glitch sometimes spoils the whole show. Some of the bureaucratic procedures should be avoided. At times, it affects member performance very negatively’. She adds in a lighter vein, ‘If there is one thing I could have changed about CDAC, it would be the recently put up roof of our terrace canteen’.

A post graduate in Computer Management from the Pune University, Jyotsna is the youngest of three sisters. She enjoys watching movies, shopping, gardening, outings and sightseeing.