Pune: Advising students not to fear AI and continuously learn and adapt themselves, Sanjeev Rastogi, CEO of the Adani Global Capability Centre at Adani Corporate House, underlined the importance of avoiding job hopping due to dissatisfaction and instead asked students to try switching roles within the organisation and extract learning from each role.Rastogi, along with Vinayak Pai, managing director and CEO of Tata Projects Limited, were the chief guests at the annual convocation ceremony of Christ (Deemed to be University), Pune Lavasa Campus, held on Saturday where 492 students received their degrees in different disciplines. Rastogi also advised students to ignore salary or brand comparisons with peers and focus on building fundamentals and capability.Recommending to always have a three year plan even if it changes or fails, Rastogi asked students to be willing to learn beyond their degree or role and to develop ability to speak clearly, create an impression, and articulate ideas. Emphasising on the importance of reaching out, Rastogi said, “When you are in trouble, always have open communication. Mental health is becoming an issue. People sulk, people don’t talk. Please talk. Your best friends or your parents or your teachers,” he said.Pai, who addressed the convocation in the morning session, instructed students not to box themselves or their capabilities especially by academic scores. “I can tell you, all the Indian executives at the top of the IT heap, Satya Nadella and others, they were never at the top of their class. They never let a marksheet define what their capabilities are. So step out of the box of what you think you are capable of,” said Pai, adding that “degree opens doors”, but it is “character that defines how far you go”.Calling profession, self, family-friends and society as the four pillars of long-term fulfilment, peace and happiness, Pai asked students to keep skilling themselves while always doing the right thing, to focus on physical and mental health, to give time building a support ecosystem and relationships with family and friends and to give back to the society and contribute in its development.
