Interview with Koushik Sivasubramaniyam!

Interviewing someone is always fascinating since it is the best way to learn the premier points for your life from theirs. It can teach you more than a printed autobiography or a Bollywood biopic.

Doing something for the first time is always special and at the same time we need to take care of our nerves. I didn’t feel any sort of nervousness since I know this guy from kinder garden and his name is Koushik Sivasubramaniyam. An automobile engineer living his dream in Germany working as a Race car data & Performance engineer for Kfzteile24 APR Motor Sport has shared his interesting views for my questions.

Born and brought up in Ellapalayam (a village in Coimbatore) by a middle class family, this guy has shown people that hard work and commitment to your dream can take you anywhere you wish to be. He made me believe that luck favours for those who try and never give up.

I know him for the past two decades. Out of two sentences he speaks, at least one word will be there related to his passion THE CARS. He stood apart from everyone during his school days. To illustrate I can uncover some of my childhood memories.

Drawing competition for class 6 & 7 I guess. When every participant chose to draw on the classical topics like Nature and Mickey Mouse, this kid will be drawing a stylish car with the dark borders on the chart.

When we were standing in bus stop fighting for our favourite actor’s strength and weakness, this young champ was observing the Volkswagens which flew on the road.

When we were baffling ourselves to answer when asked about our ambitions, this guy stay focused on his target saying that he want to become an automobile engineer and he did.

Now when we are mocking at the education system blaming that it produces unemployed engineers every street, this guy has proved everyone wrong!

Here we go, my first interview with my childhood friend.

1. Where did you get inspired to become an automobile engineer?

It all started from toy cars in childhood. Over years I found that I have an intense obsession for cars. I grew up reading Business Standard Motoring and Top Gear Magazines at a very early age when I was doing my sixth grade. Then in my high school I was good in Physics, I loved the subject and was fascinated by mechanics. It was then I decided that I must become an automotive engineer.

2. Did your school education helped you in any way when it comes to cars and races?

Of course a lot. Though I cannot afford to study in a Top rated school in the urban area where pupils had a lot of exposure to a variety of events, I did my entire schooling from a Rural Area school and I made the best use of what I had. Some of the teachers were absolute gold. Knowing my passion, the school indeed supported me once to attend an auto expo in Chennai where Audi A4 was unveiled for the first time in Tamil Nadu. It was 10 years ago I guess. The encouragement they gave me was incredible. Since I did my entire 14 years of schooling from a single school without any switching, most of the teachers knew me very well. They were like second parents. They moulded a kid into a boy and into a man. They taught me basic manners, how to speak with people, how to respect people, how to do math, how to tackle adolescent phase and what not! They are the basic building blocks of my career.

3. Is it necessary for one to have the national identity or its better to globalise everything and live as a human?

There is only one race and it is the Human Race. Humans are humans everywhere, the only difference is their culture in which they were brought up. It is actually interesting to live and work in a multicultural environment. It brings all people together and makes living a better experience. Humans are the most fascinating lot on planet earth. But at the same time, it is essential to carry one's national identity by heart. Share happiness and love everyone.

4. Did you worry about not getting selected in campus recruitment?

Not at all. Because I very well knew where I wanted to go and I was preparing myself for that. In 2015, I got some offers from small commercial vehicle industries, but I knew that it is not my cup of coffee. I was actually brewing my own flavour back at home by burning the midnight oil. Spending even few minutes at the wrong work place is a potential waste of energy and resources both to the employer and the employee.

5. What you will change in Indian education system if given a chance. Say the best two changes you wish to do.

Indian Education System is absolutely well designed. A bunch of old women and men in their early fifties and sixties launches 20 satellites in a single launch vehicle and reaches moon and mars at ease. Do you think we have a problem in our education system? Absolutely NOT.

The problem lies somewhere else and everyone knows where it is.

But the changes I would wish to see are

1. I would like to see people thinking on a broader perspective.

2. I would like to see government providing all facilities for every stream of education without any bias and without reservation.

3. I would like to see government taking appropriate action against institutions that are absolute educational parasites.

6. One major difference between Indians and Germans when it comes to career and livelihood?

From what I have experienced so far, German parents do not make life decisions of what his / her child would want to become in future or whom his/her child should marry !

They have a very good Work - Life Balance but however I see a lack of family bonding and values.

But apart from these I see the same human beings I saw 8000 Kms away.

7. Split up the percentage for hard work and luck.

99 % Hard work, 1 % Felix Felicis

8. Pick one. Friends or Relatives?

It makes no difference for me.

9. Role model:

Leena Gade, First Female Race Engineer to win 24 Hrs. of Le Mans.

10. Advice you wish to give to the school and college going students.

I am not the experienced or enlightened to advice for others as I have a lot left to learn for myself.

I am just another brother, who follows his passion. Life will be happy when you follow your dreams.

11. How your family helped you during the preparation times?

Biggest support ever. Whatever I am today, it is because of them. I am privileged to have born as their child. When I explained my parents about race cars and I told them this is what I want, they just asked me to go for it and told that they are there always to pat me from the back, no matter what. Their love made me strong. Trying to become a motorsport engineer from a country where motorsport is not even officially recognised as a sport. It was quite an uphill task. To enter this sport, as an engineer, mechanic or driver. One needs immense amount of mental strength to face defeats while taking the first step. My family was there behind me all the time.

Thanks for your splendid responses macha! You rock.  The way you responded for my interview questions and the words you said to me after that showed how humble you are.

I didn’t expect this blog to be this much great. Thanks and best wishes for your future endeavours.

Stay vibrant and keep inspiring people especially us (Indians).

The unsettling dream of "Getting settled".

Time to read : 4 Minutes (Approx.)

“I will do this thing once I get settled.”

This is how we cheat ourselves and the society which expects contribution from everyone. This exists predominantly in the thoughts of middle class Indians right from the birth.

Career. This 21^st century invention is creating a drastic impact over the cultural and humanitarian values of people. We are forgetting the fact that humans did existed before this and most importantly there were many who lived happily throughout. I didn’t say that not to climb the ladder in profession but do that remembering the infinite length of the ladder.

If life is like a journey on road, there will be no definite milestone called “Settlement reached”. You need to build your own milestones and enjoy those little successes. If you wish to do something good for the society, start now irrespective of the kilometers you covered.

I know everyone has a list of problems to solve in their own vehicle but think of the fellows who don’t even own one. Think of others welfare too in this journey. Not all can help in terms of INR or USD but definitely everyone can spend something called TIME. Though we can’t freeze it and save, we can spend it as per our wish.

If you want to sponsor a kid’s education in future, do it now starting a network of liked minds. Just the denomination of amount will vary depending upon your team strength. If you want an Indian to compete Usain Bolt or other Jamaicans in next Olympics, build a training academy and nurture the talented lads. Stop blaming the government and think about the Olympics medallists who came from refugee camps and much more poor background.

With the modern technology, you can even teach a kid in Africa or make someone do that without getting out from your room in California or Coimbatore. Or you can state the reasons as follows.

I will do after getting settled, I am doing MS right now.

I will do after getting settled, I am a fresher in a MNC which provides business solutions and you know how the stress level will be.

I will do after getting settled, I am just newly married.

I will do after getting settled, I have 2 cute kids and the responsibility is high now.

I will do after my children get settled.

I will do after, sorry I can’t since I am too old to do that.

You will never do what you wished to do. Then we will start blaming the system and government without realizing that we are the creators of so called system. So if the system is wrong then it means there is something wrong in us that needs to be changed.

Even if you can’t do anything for the betterment of the human species, stop judging about the people who does something. Do you think they are blessed to have more leisure time to do something for others? No, they just know how to value and manage the time.

Do you think they don’t have any personal problems like you? No, life doesn’t show any special mercy to them. They get hit, they fell down and they are fighting back. They never give up this fighting spirit. They know that the vehicle has to run till the engine holds some calories to burn providing energy to do great stuffs.

This is a journey to live, love and spread happiness to our co-passengers but unfortunately we are not caring about the fellow mates since we are focused on the hypothetical scenario called “getting settled.”

Dream to do great stuffs and start doing. Remember, there is no particular scale for greatness.

Not all can create a foundation like Reliance to impact many but everyone can do something great with what they have. For me even if you make an under-privileged kid smile by gifting a loaf of your bread, you are already great compared to the billions.  Dream and do it as soon as possible.

Cheers and appreciations for spending your valuable time to read this. Keep inspiring others remembering that you are great already and you don’t have to care about the society’s definition of getting settled. Yes you are GREAT, so keep that wide smile on your face always.