The Peppy Y-PEP Diaries

“Life is nothing but creating a collage of memories”. These lovely words by Mr. Prakash Rohera, an eminent speaker at Yes Professional Entrepreneurship Programme, (Y-PEP) 2016, drove me down the memory lane. From a small closed world of mine, I have come light years away to a 180-degrees-different-world. As the phrase hit me, it triggered a trail of picture memories on my retina and an inadvertently created gantt chart in my head with events and timeline as its axis overpowered my imagination.

May 2, 2016 : The D-Day

My destiny had brought me to the land of dreams which I had once admired as a child. Mixed emotions viz curiousity , anxiety, expectations went heywire like  construction debris in my head while my taxi ran on Bandra-Worli sea link enroute hotel hilltop. I, very seldom, feel like this. When I stepped into the hotel, there was  plenty to please the eye (welcome standees) and entice the palate. I loved to gorge on unheard-of-gourmet-dishes. And the icing on the cake was- it’s just opposite to the sea face...just a ten minutes of walk on the sea face and all fatigue would vanish into the blissful surrounding. The waves lashing against the shore would send vibes of joy into me.

Two weeks of perfectly excuted induction with power-packed sessions had so much to offer. Every day had its own excitement. Despite heavy dosage of information that knocked over our minds, we came out fully rejuvenated every evening. Indeed, it’s a lifetime experience that will definitely find place in my gantt chart. Many firsts in my life have come just in these fifteen days. I have ticked all the boxes including Design Thinking workshop at Indian School of Design and Innovation, Watching ‘The Crocodile in the Yangtze’, Meditation session, Zumba Fitness Training, Walkathon at Worli sea face, Go-karting, Cricket, Bowling, Video making and Drum Cafe session.

 I feel too ecstatic to be a part of the proud-clan Yes Bank. I feel I am standing in the orchard of opportunities but can’t wait for the fruit to fall, so I am eagar to climb.

Your sight might catch hurried and harried people all the time but that’s what imbibes life into Yes Bank. Doesn’t it simply feel gratifying when the Chief Learning Officer, Mr. Warren Patrick, walks upto your desk and asks ,”Ashima, Did you get walkathon pics? Take my number, I will share the pics “?  Isn’t it heartening when Boss, Mr. Paresh Gandhi, President and Head,Rewards talks to you about bringing six-sigma to HR on your day1? This place is a connected little hamlet.

I will always remember the Group President, Human Capital Management, Mr. Deodutta Kurane’s closing address at Y-PEP induction. “You are family now and I reserve both a right and a duty to guide you. Remember humility is the key to success”, said he and then with an impint glint in his eyes he uttered, “India Bole Yes” and made us shout  in chorus after him.

They say the smallest of gestures have the potential to create the greatest impacts. Watching my parents brimming with pride, seeing their own dreams taking shape, unwrapping the gift pack received from Yes Bank  and reading the letter adrressed to ‘Mr and Mrs Sharma’ from Group President-HCM, was ,indeed, a visual treat.

In a nutshell, Y-PEP program has my 5-star rating. Thank you Yes Bank for being such a gracious host and treating us so royally. Thank you for giving us memories to cherish for a lifetime. Thankyou for bringing to us a plethora of friends. I shall be grateful, indeed.

Lo and Behold, the journey has already begun.

India Bole Yes!