A big challenge came up, soon after I registered for my PhD.
I had grown up in Rourkela, then finished my early education and a MBA.
I was married for 3 years now. I worked for the IIPM school of management and wanted to study more. My husband and his family were all super supportive.
My would-be guides at Sambalpur University said, they were not considering women candidates.
Perhaps, they had already decided on my behalf that juggling work, studies, family and a 300 Km commute to Burla would be just too much for me.
I did not give up and 7 months later found a co-guide in Rourkela.
Prof Dr Sreekumar, even before he said yes, emailed me a list of 300+ research papers. "You will have to begin by doing some reading first!", he had said.
I did not know where to start, but I did not let that stop me.
Soon enough he began to guide me. First informally, then formally.
It took me 10 months to go through all of them.
With his additional involvement, Sambalpur University gave me a green light to do my PhD.
I can safely say that Sreekumar Sir has truly been a guide and well-wisher over the years. I owe him a lot.
During my PhD he would urge me to explore my potential further.
He pointed out that I was good with Structural Equation Modelling and the concepts came easily to me. I owed it to myself to not let it go to waste.
My daughter was so young in 2019 that it was heart wrenching to leave her with my husband and our joint family. They all stood with me, else this would have been impossible.
I had 2 options. I chose the one that involved Parsuraman Sir and came to Jagdish Sheth School of Management in Bangalore. Previously IFIM.
I knew I wanted to learn more about Service Quality Measurement from him. I did so in the next 2 years.
Sometimes you have to let go of your ideas of what is best for you. When I arrived at IFIM, they asked us to assist senior professors in class, instead of teaching directly on our own.
It seemed demeaning for someone who had become used to conducting her own classes.
Yet, I went with the flow.
In hindsight, I can say, I learnt enough and more in those sessions and would willingly accept the same tutelage today, if I was asked all over again.
I moved to CMRIT as an Associate Professor in 2021.
Goes without saying - I am not yet done exploring that potential thingy! :)