Personal Experience at IITM’s Rural Technology and Business Incubator (RTBI), Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Why I have decided to do project at RTBI?

Being a student of Post Graduate of ICT in Agriculture and Rural Development, I wanted to study on ICT components in agriculture. As per my course instructor at my college also has instructed that fourth semester students have to work on ICT related project in any organization. I was searching via internet for any organization in India who was working on ICT components in Agriculture. Randomly, I found name of RTBI while searching on Google and fortunately RTBI involved with ICT component in agriculture. I wrote a mail to president of RTBI regarding winter internship project. He suggested me to write a mail to Vice President of RTBI. I wrote mail to VP and she accepted my winter project proposal. Another reason is that being a brand name of IIT Madras that is associated with RTBI regularly encouraged me to join as an Intern. Prof. Ashok Jhunjhunwala, a world renowned professor, was also one of my valid reasons to decide to join RTBI.

I understood ICT initiatives so far operational in Indian Agriculture. I got deep insight of knowledge and understanding at RTBI with RTBI officials. I got practical exposure after doing work with RTBI.

Experience from Chennai city

Now I have completed my winter internship project successfully at RTBI. I feel very happy and comfortable. I got lot of experience from both RTBI as an organization as well as Chennai city.

Few of my college friends told me that I cannot survive in Chennai. They said that there will great problem of food, language and certainly road traffic. I ignored him and thought I can survive and wanted to take this is as challenge for me. It had my first experience in Chennai. I had across through Chennai while going to Bangalore.

Language and food point of view, when I came to Chennai Central railway station, I was very surprised that no one can understand Hindi but they can bit understand English language. I was not able to communicate with anybody at Chennai Central railway station. Then I called one of my friends who was studying in IFMR, Chennai, he came and picked me to reach at St. Thomas Mount railway station where another friend stays .Initial few days at Chennai I was felt well because I stayed at my friend’s house and used to eat north India food and also communicating in own language. I got hostel after one week in Kandanchavti, near Perunguri. When I ate south Indian food (Rice, Kurma, Rasam and Sambhar), immediately I was in condition of vomiting. I felt the taste like food was cooked three or four days back. Then I ate by mixing salt with rice. I was not able to talk three old ladies who cooked food and also taking care of hostel. I was communicating to hostel’s old ladies via indication of hand movement or some language translator (from Tamil to English). Upto one month after joining hostel, I was used to eat bread with jam, biscuits, fried gram (Chana), only pickle mixed with rice,  salt mixed with rice, bit watery curd with rice during dinner. During lunch time, whatever hostel’s old lady put in my tiffin box I ate nicely. Some days especially in dinner time, I was not able to eat completely in hostel; I was forcefully requested to old lady for making Maggi (I purchased form market). Many times she refused to make Maggi. Some days I was also gone for searching north Indian food and I had bit similar at Bhartinagar.

My hostel room had four beds and after one month all four bed occupied. I was very happy that whoever came in my room, all was very nice human being and made closed friend with him. We all shared email ID, contact number, networking on Facebook and Orkut. I also learnt some Tamil words like Sapatia, Aayu yu, vonde, Tanni, Kurma, Rasam, readya etc.

Road and transport point of view, I really wondered about road traffic in Chennai. There are so much buses, cars, bike, etc. crowded much at every traffic in every 3-5 minutes particularly during office opening hours (after 7.00 am) and office closing hours (after 5.30 pm). I was very difficult with bus conductor. They did not understand people who are from outside like me. Once a day I had to go Kandanchavti to Tidal Park (fare of Rs. 3). I did not have change rupees. I gave a note of Rs. 10 to bus conductor. He angered and talked a lot on me in Tamil, I was not able to understand anything. I reached at Tidal Park and reminded to him about return of Rs. 7 but again he talked a lot on me. Then I left it and told him OK, you kept it.

Cultural point of view, I understood the life style of people of Chennai. Chennai have maintained his own tradition and culture. I understood the relationship, festivals and function such as marriage that is entirely different from north India by talking and discussing some Tamil roommates and other Tamil guy.

Infrastructure point of view, Chennai city is growing very fast and major hub centre for IT companies and other MNC companies. Other side due to entering of these companies, city became very costlier. First time I have seen that water is going to purchase for daily use purpose. I think all people of Chennai are using mineral water for their daily consumption use.

There are definitely lot of good and some of bad experiences but every experience is countable and helpful. Coming to Chennai, now I can understand that those people who does not know any any language or take example of beef person how these person able to communicate to others. I also understood what the impact of regional language and also geographic distribution of India.

Beach point of view, I enjoyed Marina beach that is very famous in India. I show from where border of india last.

Lastly, Chennai is really a very special and unique city in terms of maintaining his tradition and culture that differentiate from other Indian cities.

Thanks,
Anil Sahu