Name Adwait Kagalkar
Current Designation   Deputy Manager – Client Servicing, The Paper Products Ltd., New Delhi.
Education at the Institute  B.Sc. (Chemistry), MBA
Department at Sai Publications Member, Content Team
Duration at Sai Publications  2 years
On Sai Publications  “Working in Sai Publications was always exciting. The best part of the Department was that the work done was tangible. It would result in books which many people do worship and refer to during the most joyous and difficult times of their life. This was the most motivating factor for us all.

Also there is a symphonic harmony amongst all. The Department Head, seniors and juniors are always on friendly terms. It feels like a family that is harmoniously knit together, striving to publish good books. And that feeling made the work enjoyable - be it the shifting of books floor to floor or the night outs for giving the finishing touches. The Department had its share of fun and innocent pranks, all of which would make a teenager feel like he belonged to this family.

Would conclude by saying that that it has been an amazing and lively association with Sai Publications!!! ”

Name Siddhanth Chandrashekar
Current Designation   Scientist, GE Global Research, Bangalore.
Education at the Institute  B.Sc. and M.Sc. (Mathematics), M.Tech. (Computer Sciences)
Department at Sai Publications Member, Content and Sai Chandana Teams
Duration at Sai Publications  7 years
On Sai Publications  “I first joined the Sai Chandana team when I joined the Higher Secondary School for 11th grade. I used to digitize the articles submitted by students about their experiences with Swami and compile them into a magazine. This work also gave me my first experience with Swami as a student when I got the opportunity to present the magazine to Him for His blessings. When I joined the University, I continued working with the Sai Publications Department. Apart from Sai Chandana, I started to handle the Hostel Newsletter called ‘The Looking Glass’. We posted a lot of wonderful stories, quizzes and interviews as part of the newsletter. I also was part of the review team for the books published by the Department. Getting an opportunity to regularly read Sai literature was inspiring to say the least. The whole experience with the Sai Publications was both enriching and fulfilling and something that I will always cherish.”

Name Bharani Prasad
Current Designation   Business Development Manager, Choko La, Gurgaon.
Education at the Institute  MBA
Department at Sai Publications Member, Content Team
Duration at Sai Publications  1 year
On Sai Publications  “I was associated with Sai Publications for close to a year. Frankly speaking, I received a lot more from the Department as compared to my contribution. I learnt a lot just by observing our Department Coordinator who really brought out the best in each one of us. The way he inspired the team to work selflessly just to see that beautiful smile on Swami was something really commendable. Sai Publications truly inspired us to live up to the ideal of ‘each living for the other and all living for God’. I definitely cherish those wonderful sessions where humour and laughter kept the work alive. Thanks again for the wonderful opportunity.”

Name C. V. Jayachandra Shastry
Current Designation   Head, Creative Development, Global Delivery Center, InMobi, Bangalore.
Education at the Institute  MBA
Department at Sai Publications Member, Content Team
Duration at Sai Publications  2 years
On Sai Publications  “The two years at Sai Publications taught me numerous lessons for life. The most important was that if a leader believes in a vision and can inspire the team to aspire for that vision then anything can be achieved. To continue marching towards our goal, unfazed by even the greatest adversity has been another great learning that helps me daily both personally and professionally.”

Name Kundan Madireddy
Current Designation   Fellowship Member, Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vahini, Patiala.
Education at the Institute  B.Com (Hons) and MBA (Finance)
Department at Sai Publications Member, Content Team
Duration at Sai Publications  2 years
On Sai Publications  “As member of Sai Publications, I was aware that Sai Publications is a very powerful way of spreading Swami’s message. But I actually realised it when I visited some Sai Schools and interacted with so many people belonging to various Swami's missions. Sai Publications provided many of us with an excellent opportunity to use our skills and talents for spreading the message of our Master. The Department is verily a mini corporate setup, professionally run, whose aim is to spread Swami’s Love and whose profit is the joy it brings to people who are associated and benefitted by it.”

Name K. Radha Preetam
Current Designation   Business Analyst, Tata Consultancy Services, Bangalore.
Education at the Institute  B.Sc. and M.Sc. (Mathematics) and M.A. (Economics)
Department at Sai Publications Head, Creative Team
Duration at Sai Publications  4 years
On Sai Publications  “It has been a short yet sweet journey for me to be associated with Sai Publications, in bringing out some of the rare discourses given by Swami to His students. This sweet journey has taught me some of life's important lessons and left a lasting impact on me that would stay with me for the rest of my life. Those narrowing deadlines prior to a book going for print has taught me how well to manage time. Working on multiple projects at work and catching up with the academic pressure has showed the importance of striking a balance among the multitasking activities. It wouldn't have been at any place better than this, where I could have learnt upon how to pay attention to the minutest detail of work that I am involved in. Finally, when all the efforts that are put in manifest in the form of a hard copy book, it is taken to seek His Divine Blessings. With a beautiful sweet smile on His Divine form He would bless the entire working team on the day of Book release. It was that single most satisfying gesture - a sweet smile that motivated us as team to work and bring out all these books.”

Name Sairam Popuri
Current Designation   Deputy Manager, HDFC Bank, Kolkata.
Education at the Institute  MBA
Department at Sai Publications Member, Content Team
Duration at Sai Publications  2 years
On Sai Publications  “Service is an expression of gratitude to Swami. Am indeed very much grateful to Swami for giving this opportunity to serve Him spreading His message of Love. Especially thankful to our Department Coordinator for the guidance and trust he placed in me at every stage of the translation work. I cherish each and every moment spent at Sai Publications and look forward to a continued association.”

Name Ratheesh K.
Current Designation   Team Leader, Standard Chartered Scope International, Chennai.
Education at the Institute  B.Sc. and M.A. (Economics)
Department at Sai Publications Head, Logistics Team; and Member, Content Team
Duration at Sai Publications  5 years
On Sai Publications  “Truly a blessing to have been part of Sai Publications. I was involved with logistics and formatting/editing works for close to 5 years. It was an opportunity to identify my own potentials and strengths.

As part of Logistics work, I was given ample opportunities to learn how to work cohesively as a team to achieve collective objectives. The virtue of work, in its own way taught me the subtleties – leadership skills, logical thinking, and systematic, time bound way of work. I could not help smiling, when I see people paying money and attending training organised in five star hotels to acquire these soft skills, which were given to us free of cost and with Love.

All of these fade into shadows, when I think of the real learning that would help me shape the rest of my life - the Divine teachings of Swami. Having involved in activities such as listening, transcribing editing and formatting His discourses, the subtle but invaluable teachings of the Divine Guru got ingrained in our hearts. And even to this day, it is only those teachings that help me drive through any challenging situations in work or personal life. And for this, I am indebted to Him, for having given me this enviable opportunity to be part of a holy endeavour seeking to spread His message across the continents.”

Name Praveen Krishnakumar
Current Designation   Algorithm Engineer, Adobe Systems India Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore.
Education at the Institute  B.Sc. and MSc (Mathematics), M.Tech. (Computer Sciences).
Department at Sai Publications Head, IT Team
Duration at Sai Publications  4 years
On Sai Publications  “I was in-charge of IT Management for the Division and brought into place a number of structured systems and processes for the efficient functioning of the Division. Sai Publications is one group which is an exemplary example of what constant dedication, team work and excellent leadership can achieve.”

Name Dr. Shashank Shah
Current Designation   Post-Doctoral Scholar, Harvard Business School, USA.
Education at the Institute  MBA, M.Phil., PhD, Post-Doctoral Research
Department at Sai Publications Coordinator and Chief Editor
Duration at Sai Publications  6 years
On Sai Publications  “Sai Publications is not a Self-Reliance Department of the Sri Sathya Sai Hostel. It is a Mission; an eternal mission of His students, of spreading the Message of the Master. Hence, our tag line is ‘Messengers of the Lord’.

For aeons, it has been the most solicited opportunity for saints, seers, sages and scholars to compile and share the Message of the Avatars, Prophets and Masters. The word of the Guru is verily His form. To practice and preach it is indeed His veneration. We, at Sai Publications, are indeed blessed that we had this opportunity of collating and publishing the Message of our Revered Founder Chancellor, especially the Message for His students and the world youth. We are doubly blessed as almost all the series of books that were initiated and published by us were personally blessed by Him. There couldn’t have been a more satisfying opportunity for our team while at the University.

For its team members, Sai Publications provided a wide breath of activities to choose from. This ranged from designing cover pages, collages and greeting cards, to managing logistics and distribution for nearly 50,000 books; from editing and content management for nearly 30 books (both print and e-formats), to managing a blog and other social media interface for the Sai Students literature.

But the unique facet of the Department was its culture, which like the River Saraswati, was an under-current, not very visible, but yet very palpable. Our Team was a family, where each worked with the other, and all worked for God. It was a rare combination of brotherly love and professional commitment, of fraternal warmth and performance orientation, of dignity of labour and respect for ideas. The virtues of team work, cooperation, time management, mutual respect, blend of authority and responsibility, and making personal priorities subservient to the larger organisational vision and mission, which are all so sought after in the corporate world today, were imbibed by the students associated with the Department. Above all, they learnt the joy of selfless service without the sense of doership. And this is true in case of all other Self-Reliance Departments of the Hostel too. The ideals of the ancient Gurukul system come alive through this model as practiced in the Sri Sathya Sai Educational Institutions.

To sum it up, Sai Publications has played three major roles in the lives of its Team Members:
i. Developing personal competencies which stand them in good stead in the life ahead;
ii. Contributing to the society at large by publishing and disseminating noble and inspirational literature; and
iii. Connecting with the Master by developing greater clarity of His Mission while working on His Message.

To have had the opportunity of leading such a setup for six long years has been the most fulfilling opportunity of my life, hitherto. I shall remain ever grateful to Swami and to the elders of the Institution for giving me this noble opportunity to optimally sanctify my time and my stay at the Hostel. The memories of working with my Team members while at Sai Publications will remain the most cherished ones for a lifetime.”