Journey from the north east
I was born and brought up in Tinsukia—a small town tucked away in the eastern part of Assam. Now, you'd expect me to have some nostalgic childhood stories from those early years, but honestly, my memory seems to have taken a long vacation back then. So let's just say I remember… absolutely nothing.
What I do know (thanks to every family member reminding me, repeatedly) is that I was ridiculously fair as a kid—so fair that people weren't always sure whether I was a boy or a girl. Imagine a tiny baby version of me being admired like, "What a beautiful daughter you have!" and my parents awkwardly replying, "Uh… that's our son."
So yeah, my earliest "identity crisis" wasn't philosophical—it was purely based on my looks.
Elementary life
My school life began quite early—at just 2.5 years old in a little playhouse. At that age, my biggest obsessions were planes and cars (basically anything with wheels or wings). But destiny had other plans—because just a year later, my first school suddenly transformed into an all-girls school. And well… as much as I enjoyed the attention, it was time to change schools.
So, I did my KG and the start of Class 1 in another school. But due to some issues there, my parents decided to move me again. This time, I joined VKV Tinsukia in Class 1—and that's when my real school memories began. I still vividly remember my admission interview: I was asked to say the word "station." Easy, right? Nope. For me, it came out as something totally unrecognizable. The teachers smiled, and thankfully, my brother was already in the same school—so everyone knew me and gave me a pass.
Life in VKV was fun until Class 4—filled with mischief, memories, and all kinds of "adventures" that only a kid can come up with. Then came another big shift: Class 5 onwards, I moved to DPS, Digboi. I still remember going for the admission test with one of my close friends. We had a pact: if one of us didn't get in, neither would join. Luckily, we both cleared it—and that pact was never tested.
DPS was a whole different world. I made tons of memories, some crazy, some downright hilarious. I even became Class Captain in Class 8 (imagine the "power" of controlling a bunch of kids who barely listened). I threw myself into extracurriculars, played football, and once even won 3rd prize in a tournament.
School wasn't just about marks for me—it was about the friendships, the fun, and the stories. Some friends are still around today, while others exist only as online connections. But all in all, those years gave me a treasure chest of memories that I'll always carry.
Was moving to KOTA a mistake?
I didn't crack IIT. Let's get that out straight—no sugarcoating. But going to KOTA for JEE coaching wasn't something forced on me—it was my decision. My parents, like every parent, wanted me to stay in my hometown. No parent wants to send their child away. But me? I chose to take that leap.
And so began my KOTA journey.
Living alone for the first time hit hard. The silence of the room, the endless lectures, the pressure in the air—it was like stepping into another world. KOTA wasn't just a city; it was a battlefield. Competition was the air we breathed, and JEE was the only religion. Even the thelas selling kachoris threw in (a+b)² for free with chutney.
Teachers weren't just teachers—they were celebrities. Students followed them like fan clubs. And result day? Oh, that wasn't just a day—it was Diwali. Crackers, celebrations, tears, laughter… all in one street.
I found a few friends, some from Assam, who became my survival kit in that chaos. But honestly, the biggest challenge wasn't studying in KOTA—it was living in KOTA. You had to learn how to survive the pressure, the loneliness, the madness—before you even opened your books.
KOTA didn't just teach me formulas or equations. It taught me life. It taught me friendship. It taught me what hard work really feels like.
And yes, I might have left KOTA… but trust me, KOTA never left me.
The corona effect!
March 2020. The world stopped. A silent disaster rolled in—COVID. One day I was a student just promoted to Class 12, the next, I was back from KOTA on a short vacation… that never ended. The gates of KOTA closed behind me forever.
India went into complete lockdown. Streets emptied, schools shut, the world switched to screens. Suddenly, my classroom was a laptop, my teachers were thumbnails, and learning was reduced to buffering symbols. But in that chaos, something unexpected happened—I discovered business. While others were stuck in survival mode, I was experimenting, starting small ventures, dipping my toes into a whole new world.
Of course, studies took a back seat. JEE prep wasn't my full focus anymore, yet somehow, I managed to crack it. I even got an NIT offer—but the branch wasn't something I could see myself in. That left me standing at a crossroad—private universities.
The dice rolled between KIIT and MUJ. Sleepless nights, endless discussions, confusion. But destiny had its script. Finally, I chose KIIT, Computer Science Engineering.
The twist? My much-awaited college life began… but not on campus. The first semester was online. A digital beginning to what was supposed to be the grandest chapter of my student life.
Little did I know—the real story was only about to begin.
Was KIIT worth it?
Scene 1 – The Beginning. When I first entered KIIT, I was an introvert. The type who'd rather stay in the background than stand in the spotlight. My first interview? The KIIT MUN Secretariat. I was nervous, underconfident, and honestly thought I wouldn't make it. But destiny had other plans—the seniors saw something in me that I couldn't see in myself. I got in. And that one "yes" flipped the script of my story.
Scene 2 – The Rise. From there, there was no looking back. I discovered my love for creativity and joined the KIIT Digital Team under the Founder's Office. Imagine brainstorming 500+ ideas, curating content, learning the real game of marketing and storytelling. Under the guidance of legends like Mr. Arijeet Mohanty Sir and Mr. Sriman Pritiranjan Biswal (Lipan Sir), I wasn't just learning—I was evolving.
Scene 3 – The Spotlight. Then came the carnival of all carnivals—KIIT@25. The energy, the chaos, the lights. From covering celebrity shoots to ministerial visits, I was behind the lens, capturing it all. Soon, people started calling me, asking me to create content for them. That's when I bought my drone—because why just shoot, when you can soar?
Scene 4 – The Stage. Parallelly, I found my second home—KSAC. Guided by another GOAT, Mr. Roshan Thakur Sir, I stepped into the world of events. He wasn't just a mentor, he was a compass—always guiding, always supporting. KSAC wasn't just an office; it was family, fun, and freedom rolled into one.
Scene 5 – The Brotherhood. But beyond the events, the shoots, the campaigns—it was the people who made KIIT unforgettable. The friendships I built weren't ordinary. These weren't just classmates; they became brothers for life.
Finale – The Transformation. KIIT wasn't just about academics. It was about breaking out of my shell, learning to dream bigger, to create, to lead, to live. I entered as an introvert, but I left with stories, skills, and bonds that will stay with me forever.
In short, KIIT wasn't just a college—it was my origin movie.
Chapter 06 · career-start
First salary, first market, first taste of the real game.
Campus placement season. Five of us from KIIT got picked by Antino Labs, Gurgaon. One offer letter, one shared excitement, one big leap from college Wi-Fi to corporate Slack.
I joined as a Growth & Partnerships Intern. The role sounded fancy. The reality? I was sending cold emails into the void at 11 PM, hunting for decision-makers across the US, UK, Africa, and the wider EMEA — four wildly different markets, four different sets of rules, four different ways of being ignored.
I learnt how to write a subject line that didn't get deleted in 2 seconds. How to read a calendar across 8 time zones without breaking. How to research a company in 3 minutes flat. How to take a "no" and still walk into the next call grinning.
Six months. No big titles. No fancy wins to brag about on LinkedIn. But what I walked away with was something better — real-world reps. The kind you can't get from a textbook, a YouTube video, or a placement brochure.
That internship didn't just give me a paycheck. It gave me a craft.
Where the Builder-Seller was born.
August. New city. New role. Strategic Partnerships Manager at NxtWave.
Hyderabad hit different. Slower mornings, faster evenings, biryani on every corner, and that strange feeling of finally being in a city that fits. My college flatmate — the same guy I'd been living with for the last 3 years — moved in with me. We're still flatmates today. Some chapters refuse to end, and honestly, I'm glad this one didn't.
NxtWave is where my world cracked open.
I came in to run partnerships — GCCs, MNCs, enterprise programs, talent pipelines, CRMs. Standard playbook. But somewhere in between the Salesforce dashboards and Notion docs, I stumbled into something bigger: AI. Specifically, AI for GTM.
I started building tools. Small ones first. Then bigger ones. Then actual systems that my team uses every day. Pain-signal scanners. Intelligence platforms. Outreach engines. I wasn't choosing between selling and building anymore — I was doing both, in the same week, sometimes in the same hour.
That's where the Builder-Seller was born. The version of me that ships a tool in the morning and closes a partnership conversation by the evening.
Hyderabad isn't just a city for me anymore. It's the chapter where the story stopped being about what I studied and started being about what I create.
And the best part? This chapter is still being written.