Growing up in a quintessential Tarachand Badjatya-style joint family in Matunga, my life seemed destined to follow a well-trodden path. The family business flourished, but true prestige lay in academic achievement. Success in the SSC board exams was not merely encouraged; it was expected. From there, the blueprint led to an esteemed college in Matunga, a professional degree in medicine or engineering from Bombay’s top institutions, and eventually, a career in entrepreneurship. The ultimate badge of honor, however, was an advanced degree from the USA, preferably an MBA.
Like a dutiful heir, I followed this blueprint. I excelled in the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and earned admission to IIT, along with offers from other prestigious engineering colleges. But I longed for more than academic accolades—I sought new experiences. With this in mind, I chose IIT Kanpur’s well-established Aeronautics program over the newer offering at IIT Bombay.
The excitement of venturing into a new city, however, was short-lived. During my IIT entrance interview, held in the imposing main building, I faced Professor S.K. Ojha. With his Russian-like demeanor and incisive questions, he scrutinized my preference for IIT Kanpur over IIT Bombay. His probing left me flustered, and fearing I might lose my chance altogether, I reluctantly surrendered. In a swift motion, he crossed out IIT Kanpur on my form, replaced it with IIT Bombay, and motioned for the next candidate.
Dejected and conflicted, I stood by the red mailbox outside the main building, gazing across the iconic campus landmarks—the convocation hall, the bustling gymkhana, and the towering hostels. Instead of excitement, I felt unease. The thought of spending five years here, beginning with the dreaded first-year ragging I had heard about from my IIT alumni uncle, unsettled me.
I joined IIT Bombay, residing in H-5 for the first two years. With fewer than 20 students in our Aeronautics batch, we were grouped with peers from other disciplines like Mechanical, Civil, and Metallurgy. This fragmentation limited the bonding within our batch, leaving us as familiar strangers. To foster camaraderie, some of us Aero students relocated to H-8, a progressive hostel renowned for its lively atmosphere. It boasted the first TV on campus, hosted dance evenings with students from Sophia and Nirmala Niketan, and even served as a filming location for the movie Aap Ki Kasam starring Rajesh Khanna and Mumtaz.
The Aeronautics department, heavily staffed by Russian professors, sparked my fascination with Russian language and literature. I immersed myself in Russian culture, attending weekly film screenings and enrolling in language classes under Prof. Marathe for three years. My proficiency earned me an interview with Russian State TV during President Leonid Brezhnev’s visit to India in 1973. Despite an invitation from Prof. Moskolenko to pursue further studies at Moscow Aviation Institute, I politely declined.
My plans shifted again when Prof. Ojha approached me during my final year at IIT Bombay. By then, I had secured admission to an MBA program in the USA, but Prof. Ojha suggested I pursue a master’s degree in Aeronautics at the University of Cincinnati (UC) under a NASA-funded research scholarship. Unable to refuse his persuasive recommendation, I applied and was accepted without even taking the GRE.
Before leaving for the United States, I married Sheila Singh, a Medieval History graduate from Lucknow University. At UC, I was astonished to find that one of my professors would be none other than Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon. While I had no intention of pursuing Aeronautics further, my time at UC proved transformative. During my two years in Cincinnati (1974–1976), I launched a Hindi radio program, Swaranjali, inspired by IIT Bombay’s music club. Decades later, Swaranjali remains a cherished cultural fixture in Cincinnati.
The summer of 1976, I embarked on a long road journey in my $300 1964 Buick Wildcat convertible from Cincinnati to join Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas for an MBA. I spent a few days at Georgia Tech with Surjit Sen, Gulam Balaki and Rudramuni Majjigi. I then decided to make a detour to Columbia, South Carolina to explore the International Business Management program at U of South Carolina where I unexpectedly met Ramesh Advani, who still had an aura of celebrity for me from his Technik days. He graciously put me up for a few nights and in our conversations recommended I pursue my MBA at SMU. Taking his advice to heart, I reversed course and headed to Dallas.
At SMU, I pursued an MBA and later an MS in Operations Research. My passion for problem modeling and optimization led me to complete a Doctorate in Engineering Management, and I have since taught as an adjunct faculty member at SMU. Despite my pivot to business, I stayed connected to aerospace, teaching executive courses to Lockheed Martin engineers and managers since 2006.
In 1994, I embraced entrepreneurship and have since built a career in utility asset management solutions for the power industry. Beyond business, I am actively involved in the North Texas Indian community, with a particular interest in the cultural heritage of Hindus from the Caribbean, Fiji, Mauritius, and Holland.
Sheila and I are proud parents of two daughters, Natasha and Nandita, both accomplished doctors with degrees from institutions like Johns Hopkins, Columbia, Duke, and Harvard. Our IIT Bombay connection has come full circle, as Natasha is married to Rajiv Shenoy, son of IIT-B luminary Suresh Shenoy. From the red mailbox outside IIT Bombay’s main building to the thriving community of Dallas, my journey has been shaped by moments that truly matter. These defining opportunities have molded my life in ways I could never have imagined.
Nandlal Singh, B. Tech. Aero, H5/H8
IIT Bombay 1974 Reunion 