From serving my country to serving humankind
I can still hear the echoes of “Jai Hind” that ring throughout Rashtrapathi Bhawan. I can still hear the ear-splitting screeches of the wild monkeys that ‘share’ the residence, and I can still feel the happiness of having the privilege to walk those corridors. Just a few months ago, I traded my position as Lieutenant Commander of the Indian Navy for a position as Chief Taskmaster of SAANS Health, and I am fueled with excitement at the prospect of collaborating with this trailblazing team and serving humankind.
Throughout my decade long service, I was always asked, “Why Navy after IIT?”. Cheekily, I always answered, “Why not?” in an attempt to cut short what could be a longer story…this one!
Having graduated from IIT Kharagpur, whose motto “Dedicated to the service of the nation” is conspicuously enshrined on the main building, it seemed natural to ‘serve the nation’ by joining its armed forces. Besides the obvious satisfaction of having the chance to serve my country, I had the opportunity to spearhead a massive, mega manufacturing project: a warship. I had the chance to see it through from concept to delivery and observe so many aspects of engineering including marine, mechanical, civil, electrical, and electronics. In addition, I got a real-world MBA during my years in service and learned the intricacies of contracts, costs, project management, operations, supply chain management, vendor management, quality control, architecture, ergonomics, and safety.
There is no feeling quite like the one you get while heading the Naval Contingent at Rashtrapathi Bhawan and welcoming the heads of states of Canada, Brazil, and Iran; spending nights in a submarine; and standing on the bridge of a warship and seeing nothing but the horizon for days. I’m sure no corporate company in the world could offer the same experiences, which begs the question, “Why SAANSHealth after the Indian Navy?” And this time, I’ll proudly answer, “Why not?”
As I was gearing up for my transition from the uniform world to the corporate world, I was skeptical about being able to find something more fulfilling than the satisfaction and pride of serving my country. During this time, I was amazed to discover everything about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the way that AI and machine learning is being used behind the scenes to impact everyday lives. I decided to dig deeper and found that the foundations of machine learning are deeply rooted in algebra, calculus, and probability, which were (and continue to be) some of my favorite topics. This gave me the reassurance that I will be as good in this field as I was in ocean engineering since both subjects have such similar fundamentals.
However, I was still having some doubts as to how this field would fulfill my desire for that higher purpose I sought from my time in the service. As fortune would have it, while I was going through my own thought cycles, I was approached by Raju (CEO/Founder of SAANS Health) who seemed to have the answer to my question. I was swayed by his zest to address the problems being faced by the healthcare industry by leveraging artificial intelligence in novel ways, and I was convinced that he would be the perfect mentor for me in this new journey. As a bonus, I was also sure my dad would be pleased that I had chosen something in the healthcare domain as we would have more topics in common to discuss! (My Dad has a doctorate in bio life sciences.)
My journey so far trying to understand and contribute to two ‘new to me’ domains of human health and artificial intelligence at SAANS Health as Product Manager/ Data Scientist has been extremely satisfying. Every day is a new adventure, and I am sure SAANS will make a remarkable impact in the healthcare Industry by helping to solve a host of industry issues through the use of Artificial Intelligence.