Magazine of military veterans in the corporate

October 2025, Volume VII, Issue 10

Interview With the

Ex-MD, ECHS
Maj Gen Manoj
Natarajan, SC, VSM (retd)

Indian Veterans in

NIGERIA

Col Awadesh Kalia, Col Hemant Rana, Director,

ex-CTO, Airtel Nigeria Dangote Cement,Nigeria

Col Akash Ghosh, CTO,

Globacom
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MESSAGE
from the
EDITOR Iqbal Singh
Greetings, Esteemed Veterans, and Corporate Leaders,
As we usher in a new month, we turn our gaze towards a continent of immense opportunity and a nation
rapidly establishing itself as an economic powerhouse: Nigeria. This month's feature theme, Indian
Veterans in Nigeria, delves into the compelling proposition of West Africa's largest economy as a prime
expatriate destination for our community, one where high-paying roles are not just available, but actively
seeking the unique skill set you possess.

The transition from military service to corporate life is a journey of continuous adaptation and growth.
Having successfully navigated the rigours of service, our veterans bring to the corporate world an
unparalleled combination of leadership,integrity, and complex project management expertise. Today, the
global economy is their new theatre of operations, and Nigeria, with its dynamic represents a 'high-gain'
posting.

Nigeria is a continental giant, driving substantial growth in sectors critical to its future—infrastructure
development, telecommunications, oil and gas, finance, and increasingly, security and risk management.
This robust, diverse economic landscape is precisely where the Indian veteran's expertise translates into
exceptional value and, consequently, high-value remuneration.

The demand is not simply for managers, but for leaders who can deliver results under pressure, establish
robust logistical chains, ensure high standards of discipline and governance, and manage multi-cultural
teams effectively. This is the Veteran Advantage. Companies operating in Nigeria, including numerous
Indian MNCs and major global players, recognise that the inherent traits of an Indian armed forces
officer—strategic thinking, crisis mitigation, and unwavering professionalism—are the cornerstones of
successful operations in a rapidly developing, often volatile market. We have interviewed five Indian
veterans working as expatriates in Nigeria. Read about their inspiring success stories.

A Special Feature an Interview with the ex-MD Of ECHS: In this issue, we are proud to present a Special
Feature Interview with the recently retired Managing Director (MD) of the Ex-Servicemen Contributory
Health Scheme (ECHS).The former MD shares deep insights into the structure and organization of
ECHS, the complex mechanism of its funding, the challenges it currently faces in scaling its services, and
the remedial measures and reformative steps being undertaken to enhance its efficiency and outreach. We
encourage you to read this essential feature to stay informed about a scheme fundamental to our post-
service life.

Whether your next 'posting' is in the bustling corporate corridors of Nigeria or contributing to the reform
of veteran welfare in India, your service continues to be a powerful, sought-after asset. We wish you
success in all your endeavours and look forward to hearing your stories of global achievement.
Jai Hind

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100
Moment in
Time

11 80
CONTENTS

Theme Section Author of the

Month

10 ForceNet E-Zine Humour

53 Mission Accomplished

59 Interview with the Ex-MD, ECHS

71 Women Power

89 Veteran's Affairs Dialogue

103 Noel Land

TABLE OF

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ForceNet E-Zine Humour

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Theme Section
Indian Veterans in
Nigeria 11
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Theme Interview
Col (Dr) Akash Ghosh

Col (Dr) Akash Ghosh was commissioned

into the Corps of Signals in Dec 1985.
After taking premature retirement from
the Army in 2007 he served in several
telecom companies in India before moving
to Nigeria in 2011. He is currently the
Chief Technology Officer, Passive
Infrastructure of Globacom, Nigeria.

Q You come from an army background. Regions. This exposed us to a great amount
Please tell us something about your of self-discipline and built a great deal of
childhood. What motivated you to join the competitive spirit amongst us.
Indian Army?
Any senior IAF dignitary visiting Ambala
I was born in Ambala and studied at K.V. Cantt used to be invited to our school as a
No. 2 (Air Force), joining Defence services special guest apart from AOC’s like
was an obvious choice as the school had Dilbagh Singh & Katre , Air Cdme MS
instilled discipline and all our small Bawa of Longewale fame used to interact
achievements and completions were with us as students, we as school kids were
celebrated. We had a childhood where we impressed by Pilots in their overalls and
played and were equally exposed to the Rayban shades. Army officers too visited
actual defence environment as most of time our school and all this motivated us to join
the interaction with the Air force officials the Armed forces. Armed forces always
were close. . When the school was having projected to me to be disciplined and
water issues the water tankers used to come uniform always inspired me a lot.
from the Indian Air Force, the IAF Pipe
band used to be a regular affair at our Q What was the trigger for your decision to
school functions. We as children had a take premature retirement from the Indian
balanced approach in the school where Army in 2007?
studies, games and sports were part of the
daily curriculum and we all participated in I was posted to NSG and after a year I was
it actively at all levels starting from Inter- moved and side stepped to HQ NSG
Class to Inter-House and Inter-School and Communication Directorate. With just 9

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years of service I got involved with the Q You worked briefly in the corporate
upcoming mobile revolution and sector in India before embarking on an
transformation from the classical telecom expatriate assignment to Nigeria. Tell us
to more advanced telecom equipment and how did this assignment come about? Tell us
services like Radio Trunking, they were something about Globacom your current
state of art and international companies employer and your current role?
were just setting up their business offices ,
one such company was Motorola, meeting As I was already working in the Telecom
the initial set of corporate leaders, I saw a space and had successfully launched 2G
gap and huge head space, the new greenfield GSM in NESA & J&K for
processes of emerging international Vodafone and Idea Cellular and 3G in
corporate practices were being evolved, MPCG, Rajasthan , H.P. while working
certifications were considered as a way to with Ericsson I got a chance for the
go up, I realized that all these processes managed services in telecom, this prepared
were very much part of the Indian defence me to handle the future telecom expansion,
forces and there are no certifications for growth and managed services, thus I was
these, for we in the Army it was daily prepared to handle future techno-
process. I was involved in major revisions managerial challenges in Telecom domain
of the specific part of the procurement globally. I was also monitoring projects
document elaborating the procedures. I had remotely from India for other customers
a sufficient exposure towards the defence across the globe. I must mention here that
industry R&D and manufacturing. This in my earlier job with Tulip Telecom & IT
gave me an insight to work in the head services the then second largest VPN/
space and be a part of the economic MPLS operator in the country after
growth of the industry, the journey was so Reliance I was not only involved with the
structured that I had to balance postings Projects but also in Presales and after-sales
both with soldiering and with support, I was providing the pre-sales
establishments like DRDO & DGQA. solutions documents and getting them
implemented for the enterprise customers,
this involvement helped me in getting my
technical knowledge updated as I had to
brush up and also obtained my
certifications like CCNA & PMP.

While I was with Ericsson my senior from

Army Col Satish Nigudkar who had been a
Vice President with TATA Telecom in
Mumbai had moved to Globacom in
Nigeria. Self and Col Satish Nigudkar had
a great working professional relationship
since our NSG days. By then my name was
in circulation in the telecom circles in India
including in the CII & FICCI. . I was
Corporate Avatar approached by him one fine day and asked

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At the Indian Embassy in Nigeria

if I would be interested as Network Quality As Globacom is a multinational Nigerian

Head, for a GSM operator I told him that I telecom company and is indigenous to
am already into managed services so all the Nigeria, It is owned by the second richest
telecoms tech KPIs are what I am driving. Nigerian who has other businesses like oil
He asked for the CV and after a brief and gas, real estate & banking. Globacom
professional discussion both with tech has just completed 22 years of its
team and HR I got on board. I was on operations and I have spent 14 years with
board Glo as the Head of Network this company.
Quality based on my telecom experience,
the role primarily involved driving the Globacom is also called as Glo and the
customer experience on Glo’s network company employs telecom professionals
nationwide. However to my dismay the across the globe. After my joining and I
network availability posed a major single handedly managed the sites
challenge and the discontinuity of the infrastructure, this was a classical example
network nation-wide was a major of “a the corporate leader without a
challenge. Hence I focused on the designation and authority but yielding
availability gap nationally to first ensure results”. This convinced the Chairman of
that the sites are available at least in 99.5% Globacom that if we get few more
of the areas, hence this led me to convince veterans the model should work, so the
the owner of the business that we need first set of veterans who joined were from
strong people who can anchor the regions the telecom industry with industry
and ensure the sites availability by pushing experience except one. Hence the “Brand
the vendors to attend to the sites. This led Veteran” was born in Glo.
to the creation of an organization where
now I could pitch in Veterans from India This veteran led model was successfully
for site infrastructure. working , however some cracks developed

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when we got additional veterans straight though in a difficult environment. Hence

from the military. This happened when I it’s generally offering a great opportunity
was on a sabbatical for a year. The to the businesses to grow. When the Oil was
experienced veterans took up jobs back discovered French and US companies were
home in India and the non-industry the first ones to set up oil rigs and other
exposed veterans were a big let-down, as ancillary setups. Later when the cities were
they were not exposed to the concept of expanding other businesses like hospitality,
internal customer satisfaction, the upward real estate, service industry, started growing
delegation became the norm and thus offering businessmen from Israel,
deliverables , business. KPIs were at the Lebanon, France and India to move in and
rock bottom. So in the competitive market invest. So Nigeria has great potential in
with very thin operating margins the skill Trading, Service sector, Oil and Gas, Power
sets were not there and they were unable to generation, IT and manufacturing.
match the industry requirements, these
veterans are being replaced by the younger Q Having worked in both the Indian
lot from the industry. It’s very important corporate world and that of Nigeria what
for the Veterans to constantly upgrade are the striking differences. How does one
their skill sets. adapt to them?

Q What is it about Nigeria that attracts a Well one must understand the country and
horde of expatriates not just from India but the culture, unfortunately most Indians
also the western world? come without deep study and
understanding of the country. Let’s first
Nigeria is a populous country and is a talk about the positions which are required
booming economy with35% of the to be filled up in the companies by
economy being driven by Telecom presentl expatriates, these are basically at the

With Colleagues at Globacom, Nigeria

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ground level jobs which are driving the reach out in the field. Travelling needs to
business. But at that level when you apply be planned carefully due to the security
the companies don’t get the work permits, concerns on the road and in certain
the permits are basically provided by giving communities it’s a total “NO GO Area.” So
higher positions but one has to actually to sum up while the defined parameters of
perform the basic ground job which is very the businesses are the same, in execution,
demanding and requires 24x7 active there is a big gap and one has to take extra
monitoring of the sites and pushing the efforts and focus on Monitoring, Controls
contractors to do the job. So there is a and leakages, in far more greater detail
dichotomy in the minds of the veterans than you do it in India.
that they were so senior in the Army and
now they are required to do this job , this is Q Globacom has always had a history of
not the case with the industry experienced employing Indian Army officers especially
veterans but more so observed for the from the corps of Signals. What are the
veterans straight after retirement from the reasons for that ? How many Indian ex-
military. veterans have the habit to stick to officers are currently working in Globacom,
the offices while what is actually required is Nigeria? In your span you seem to have
to ensure boots on the ground to attend to offered technical/ semi-technical roles to
the issues so that the telecom network is Indian Army officers from even non tech
up and running. Veterans need to be more arms like Armoured, Infantry, Arty, etc.
mobile and reach out to the teams and be What awas the thought process behind the
readily available 24 X 7 this is the key to same and how are the results?
success in Nigeria. Glo is the only
company now in telecom employing Glo is a telecom company which is into
Veterans from India at a large scale. It’s GSM Network. Initially the Indian telecom
important for the person to be mobile, sector was led by Indian Army Signals

With the Locals

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officers, few IAF officers and DOT customers and the regulator. Nevertheless,
officers/staff, as they initially rolled out and we have Infantry and Arty officers who
laid the foundation of the Indian Mobile have done exceptionally well and are rated
telecom Sector. So the initial team which outstanding in the internal rating much
joined before me were all from the Corps above the technical Corps officers. They
Of Signals and were experienced from have been appreciated by the top
Indian Telecom Market with experiences management and are rock solid team
from companies like ESCOTEL, Reliance, members both in operations and telecom
Airtel etc. Later once I joined we too were projects. This dispels the fact that you need
from the telecom industry and had a technical degree to manage telecom
experience in GSM roll out and their operations, what you need is solid
Managed Services. Once I created the commitment and hands-on work on the
power and infrastructure vertical in ground.
Globacom whose mandate was to
primarily ensure the uptime of the cell sites Q Other than Globacom what are the other
through vendors I thought that I can bring high-growth industries, sectors and
in officers from Infantry, Armed Corp, companies that Indian veterans can aspire to
Arty, IAF for this role, which I actually join ? Typically what are these roles about
did. and what kinds of skills are needed to
succeed in them?
It must be brought out the role was highly
demanding and only those who have Other growth Industries are Oil & Gas,
worked under pressure of time and Real Estate, Hospitality, Manufacturing,
completing their tasks survived. Some Trading and Service Industry & IT Services
veterans just abandoned the position by for banking. In Oil & Gas there is a great
either quietly running away without opportunity for a veteran as they are
informing the company or going on leave required for control units in Oils and Lubs
to India and not coming back. They were manufacturing distribution operations of
officers who have commanded units, IAF PMS & AGO ( Petrol and Diesel) and
officers and Army officers. Later on they SCM for distribution of Oil and gas. We
again approached us after 1 year that they have reached out to ASC & AOC officers
want to come back. This led to a very bad as and when the vacancy arises, there are
reputation of veterans here and became a many such officers who are employed by
joke with the top management and the Oil & gas few companies are CONOIL,
board of Glo. STERLING OIL, PINNACLE, Green
Energy etc. Indians are looked upon as
The reason for such actions seems to be very hardworking, honest and always ready
that they were not baptized in the highly to complete the task within the time frame
demanding services market and were not with full integrity. Therefore many
sensitive to the Telecom customer Nigerian business houses reach out for
satisfaction and good Customer Indians as employees. We have also seen
experience. The telecom industry runs veterans in some Nigerian companies.
under stringent SLAs and KPIs and these
are constantly monitored by the internal Advise to the Armed forces members

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is that they should have requisite Don’t be in the habit of writing long
experience and certification in the industry content in an e-mail, no one has time to
they want to apply. As the competition is read long mails. Business communication is
very high for that they should have a good an art and employees must sharpen the
Networking with those in that industry set same to meet the business objectives.
up. LinkedIn profile must be well made
and constantly updating he same is Q Can you share some insights into the
important, as it’s the one used by some financial benefits (e.g., tax implications,
companies to hire. Veterans must unlearn savings potential) and lifestyle
certain rigidity and cultivate a culture to considerations (e.g., cost of living, housing,
adapt , forget their rank the service and be leisure activities) of being an expatriate in
open to be a part of the team they join. Nigeria? What are the common pitfalls
Rigidity of thought and actions is very prospective expats be aware of?
much counterproductive, so show adequate
flexibility, meet the delivery timelines and When I joined Glo, by then I had already
never indulge in UPTASKING ( giving had a fair amount of seasoning in the
tasks to your superiors). unstructured and structured domains of IT
and Telecom from companies like Tulip IT
Veterans must also have the following & Telecom to Ericsson India and Ericsson
important attributes, keep the customer at Global. I had not done the due diligence
the epicentre of all that they do. This is on Glo, it was only once I landed that my
applicable for both Internal & External struggle to survive in the company started
Customers. with no office and no support from the
Crises will be there handle them calmly but fellow Indian peers. Whatever I
with urgency. Be able to find a solution to experienced back then in 2010, I rectified
the issues raised by his team with speed it to a large extent. Today veterans who
and clarity. join the company have a proper place to sit
Translating Business challenges into robust and work, good accommodation etc. To
solution both tech/non tech, that serve me it appeared that the company wants
customer better faster and safer. Veterans you to prove yourself with boots on
must also learn to influence without ground and make your impression with the
authority, earning trust by listening, management first. There is no automatic
aligning and delivery consistently. authority as stated on your appointment
letter that will make people in the company
Remember there must be zero compromise respond to you, you are viewed as an
on integrity and compliance, because trust outsider till you yourself hit the ground
is built in small, unseen decisions. and show results.
Winning with teams, aligning diverse
experts around clear outcomes, creating Patience is another quality which veterans
trust and ownership, proving that collective need to exercise, this is true not only for
execution beats individual brilliance every Nigeria but other countries in Africa as
time will be helpful and rewarded. well. Veterans should be able to plan to
Keep your e-mails relevant and concise. complete one year in his appointment to

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earn his first leave in Glo, however in case in India. Keep your pension account as
of emergency travel the leave is granted NRO. Any income in NRE account will be
against the deduction of monthly salary non-taxable. The salary is paid partly in
(the Dollar salary) not the local salary. local currency and balance in US dollar in
India.
Not all companies provide you air tickets
for you and your family, such companies Financial Benefits: Salary is paid in USD in
have a higher salary package and the same India, while part of the salary is paid as
is compensated in the yearly salary. local component in the local currency. The
tax is deducted in local currency so the
Initially one should plan to come alone Indian part is your pure saving.
and acclimatize with the ecosystem before Drivers: Drivers allowance is not part of
taking the decision to bring their family. the salary, however some companies
Education is another area where one has provide you drivers, while Glo asks you to
limited opportunities. CBSE School is only hire a driver and salary of the driver is
available in Lagos. While one can stay credited to your local salary account, and
with the family in cities like Abuja, Kano, this is not taxable.
JOS, Benin & Ibadan however children One should spend his local component of
education will be a challenge in these cities, his salary to make himself comfortable and
good education in international schools is should not focus on saving the local
very expensive and companies rarely look component, this will make quite
after this aspect. comfortable.
Cost of Living: Housing is very expensive
Mostly, companies provide in Lagos and Abuja and thus one must
accommodation but one needs to stay in a insist on company’s accommodation, if
safe area. One must ask for and ensure that posted at these places. However the
you ask for an independent vehicle, salary accommodation allowance for other cities
of the driver to be borne by the company across Nigeria is sufficient to get a decent
before accepting the job offer. House helps accommodation. Electricity is a major
are available in plenty and are well challenge so one has to ensure that the
conversant in cooking Indian food, selected accommodation has power backup
especially south Indian food, however and security is available. Try to stay with
North Indian food is available in multinational communities/ Indian
restaurants and house help also learn fast if community, especially in an estate rather
taught. than an independent bungalow.

One should balance their social life as At a senior level one hardly gets time for
excessive socializing leads to health issues, leisure activities. Nigerian owners make a
medical facilities are limited and very special note if one is having regular
expensive, carry the Indian doctor’s outings. I have seen people being laid off
prescriptions when bringing the Indian by the Nigerian owners this included many
medicines to Nigeria. Veterans from Glo who have been laid off.
Actually as they fell short of the business
Before leaving India open an NRE account expectations of the owners they had to be

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Fun With Company Colleagues

laid off. One has to show demonstrative sincerity towards his work through his actions.

Q Are there any entrepreneurial opportunities for Indians in Nigeria ? Please share more
details about the sectors.

There are many such opportunities both in service delivery, Logistics, IT sector system
Integrators Telecom site build, electrical and Electronics devices repair workshops especially
sophisticated high end equipment repairing like telecom power modules, rectifiers, UPS, IPP
power is a growing sector and has attracted FDI. IOT , HR recruitment services, software
development, hospitality and trading are the sectors where one can look at starting small like
a pinch hold, make a hand hold and then take a foothold. However you need to have a
Nigerian / local partners as this brings security and confidence amongst the local companies.
Data analyst and internal audits opportunities are generally not open to expats.

Q What are your future plans? Will you continue to work in Nigeria or return to India ?

Future plans is to relocate back to India, presently, I am deeply involved in stabilizing a larger
growing network of Globacom. So that keeps me more than fully occupied.

"America is still a land of promise,

especially during a political campaign."

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Theme Interview
Lt Col Sameer Chaturvedi

Lt Col Sameer Chaturvedi was commissioned into

15 JAKRIF in Dec 1987. A second generation
officer he served in several operational roles while in
military service. He was also awarded a Sena Medal
Gallantry . He took PMR in 2008 and joined a
manufacturing unit at Baddi, Himachal Pradesh. He
later moved to Bangladesh for a year and after that
he moved to Nigeria in 2013 with Globalcom.

Q Please tell us something about your finally graduated from Allahabad

background prior to joining the Indian Army University before joining the Army at the
? What motivated you to join the Indian IMA, Dehradun.
Army?
Well, I was fascinated by the ‘flying
My father was in the Air Force and I grew machines’ being an Air Force officer’s child,
up in the Services environment. From the I grew up seeing the Iconic MIG’s so I
very beginning we got used to the lifestyle dreamt of flying these machines. I cleared
of the Forces and I really enjoyed every the Air Force SSB from Varanasi, however,
moment of it. I got an opportunity to life had other plans for me and I joined the
travel the country from the very Army and in the Army it had to be ‘The
childhood. I loved seeing places and Infantry’ and I have no regrets of being
meeting people from varied cultural part of such a wonderful organisation.
backgrounds having their unique customs
and way of life. Living in the Air Force Q Tell us about your career in the Army.
stations was like living in mini India having You were a gallantry award winner in the
people from all parts of the Country, it was Army. What did you decide to take
the extended family. premature retirement in 2008?

I started my schooling from Barnes School, I got commissioned on 19 Dec 1987 in

Deolali and then all over India from St Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, one of the
Joseph School, Pathankot to Coimbatore finest Regiments of the Indian Army (in
to Delhi to Bombay, in the most popular fact all the Regiments are the Best I would
school KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA and say). From mountains across Pir Punjab to

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As a GC at the IMA Loved the Life of Infantry

high altitude to super high altitude to of that exposure?

plains of Punjab to deserts to North East, ,
I have served in all types of terrain, like On completion of the course from IIM
most of us in the Army would have done Indore I was selected by ACME Telepower.
so.The most challenging and satisfying The company was a leading service
tenure was when the unit was deployed provider of Passive Infra in the
along the LC in Poonch. It was here our Telecommunication Industry, involved in
Unit got the Chief’s Unit Citation for manufacture of Green Shelters, Power
successfully achieving zero infiltration by Interface Unit, Integrated Power
the time the unit completed the tenure and Management Unit and other passive
eliminating up to 100 terrorists without any equipment for Telecommunication
fatal casualty. Most of the Officers during Industry. The company later diversified
this tenure, too, were awarded a gallantry into Solar and today is leading in the field
award, I too was amongst them. A proud of Green Energy.
moment for the Unit and self.
I started my corporate journey in Jun 2008
I decided to move on and take premature as Admin Head of manufacturing plant of
retirement mainly because I did not see any ACME Telepower Ltd in Baddi, Himachal
future for myself in the Organisation. I did Pradesh. I was in Baddi for about 3 months
the IIM course from Indore and I have no and shifted to Delhi in the same company
regrets having taken the decision. to be relocated to Indore as the Circle
Head. However, again there was a twist in
Q Tell us about your corporate career, the the plans, a new Defence Vertical was
companies you worked for and your role? created just then and I continued in Delhi
How did the opportunity in Bangladesh as part of the Defence Vertical. My job was
come about? In hindsight what do you think to explore opportunities with the Forces.

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Just about the same time there was an course at IIM together) who was
initiative to boost the Defence instrumental in me taking the assignment
infrastructure along the border areas along at Globacom. I am grateful to him for
the LC and LAC to include improvement pushing me hard and the rest as they say is
in living conditions of our troops along the history.
LC and LAC. We executed several projects
in Sikkim and J&K Well, I never look back in life, past is done
and dusted. Always work towards
In 2011 I was asked by the CEO of the improving today and tomorrow will, by the
company whether I would be interested to grace of God, things have fallen in place.
take on an assignment in Bangladesh in the However, having said that, one needs to
Telecom vertical, I just went ahead with continuously keep making efforts to
that, despite having no experience in that upgrade on professional level and, also
field and not having a Techincal another very important aspect in life,
background. This is where our experience which we tend to ignore, is to improve and
in the Army gives us the confidence that refine on our inter personal relationships,
we can just about do anything. The at work and, socially as well.
Company was building sites and
maintaining the same for Airtel in Q You have spent a long time in Nigeria.
Bangladesh with Huawei as Managed Tell us a little about Nigeria as an expat
Services operator. This was challenging for destination. What are the high growth
me, however, my job was made easier by sectors that attract expatriate talent? What
Col Iqbal Singh, the founder of Forces has made you stick around in this country
Network and a very dear friend and course for so long
mate. He shared the training manuals and
encouraged me to take on the assignment. Nigeria is a one of the biggest countries in
I never looked back and it is because of the Africa both in terms of land mass and
exposure in Bangladesh the doors were population, with a significant youth
opened for an opportunity in Globacom, population. It is a country rich in minerals
Nigeria. and having fertile land, agriculture being a
major contributor to the GDP and Africa’s
Q Did you choose to work in Nigeria or largest oil exporter. The Country offers
Nigeria chose you ? In hindsight how would immense business opportunities for the
you view that decision? expatriate community to explore, since it is
an import driven economy. For an
Nigeria chose me, for sure. There is individual with an Entrepreneurial acumen
another story to narrate of how good the Country offers significantly in fulfilling
friends, contribute in your journey in life economic potential in various sectors.
and encourage you to explore the
opportunities which come your way, Telecom is one of the key growth sectors in
because the opportunity never knocks Nigeria, being the backbone of Digital
twice.Col Mandeep Singh Vij (Mandy), economy apart from Agriculture,
another dear friend and a course mate, Information and Communications
(IQ, Mandy and self, did the 6 months Technology and the Financial and Banking

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sector, manufacturing and Technology are background, it was more of on the job
potential sectors which can be attractive. training and then soft skills based on team
One of the ForceNet E Zine magazine work, communication both written and
editions has covered extensively on verbal with internal and external clients,
Agriculture, this sector has an opportunity ability to analytically trouble shoot and
here in Nigeria as well, which can be ensure timely resolution of issues for
explored, sesame seeds, ginger cocoa are smooth operations, which was not a
some of the products exported from challenge as it is what we as Veterans bring
Nigeria. on the table.

Nigeria has a vibrant global expat Q What was your greatest fear or concern
community. The Indian community too is about moving to an alien country and how
very active, in fact there is a sizeable did your experience in Nigeria prove or
number of expats from the Armed Forces disprove it?
as well. Well, I have been able to continue
here for the better quality and higher I had apprehensions while moving to
standard of life and of course the Bangladesh, having an Army background,
monetary benefits and saving potential it however, the experience there was quite
offers. pleasant. Moving to Nigeria there were no
major concerns as I had members of my
Q What is your current role? Share with us family working in Africa, in fact my cousin
a typical day at work. What are the skills was born in Lagos. There are concerns of
required to succeed in this role. How did you safety and security, risk of kidnapping and
acquire / hone them ? mugging in this part of the world. I guess,
one needs to be vigilant, aware and
I am working for Globacom for the past 12 conscious of security environment, take
years in the Passive Infra vertical. I am adequate precautions and be aware of the
responsible for maintenance of power situation around the area one is living.
assets and ensure availability of power at Nigerians are friendly, hospitable,
the site which entails many other activities respectful people and welcome expats. It’s
to meet the SLAs, in short. Operations and like any other country having some
Maintenance in Telecom is very demanding unsocial elements in the Society, it’s all
and 24x7 job profile, typical day starts as about perception. We have been hearing
early as 0530 hrs and we close by 2300 hrs. about shooting incidents in schools and
malls in one part of the world, however, it
Varied set of technical skills is required to is safe there! My experience in Nigeria has
satisfactorily fulfil the requirements of this been extremely good, I would recommend
profile. Technical knowledge of electrical Veterans to be open about exploring
systems, understanding the mechanics of opportunities without any inhibitions. I
functioning of power assets and to have known people who have left and
understand the RF Technology, Fibre come back to Nigeria and some who have
optics and network architecture is helpful been here for over 45 years.
to perform in this role. For me, it was a
challenge, being from non-technical

24
 OCT 2025

With My Globacom Colleagues

Q What are the key differences in living It was difficult for me to understand what
costs, quality of life, and social people meant by ‘you need to unlearn and
opportunities in Nigeria compared to what then learn the nuances of Corporate
you experienced in India? culture’. That was the most difficult phase,
to make adjustment to your behaviour
It will not be fair to compare, however, it is patterns, to feel the pain when you felt
more comfortable to be in this part of the insulted by the behaviour of your
world, as an expat. The cost of living varies colleagues younger in age, who probably
between different cities, however, it is are more qualified, and yet, you as a leader
higher in Lagos and Abuja. The quality had to handle the perceived humiliation at
and standard of living, for an expat, here in the hands of the youngster, and carry the
Nigeria is much better. Life is both team together to achieve the set goals.
challenging and exciting. Socially there are Nobody talks of these issues and no
many avenues with good restaurants with training can actually prepare you for this,
different cuisine to suit your palate. but we from the Services have to realise
that the Corporate is result oriented.
Q Looking back, what is one thing you ‘Forces Network’ has been having these
wish you had known or prepared for before Transition seminars, inviting speakers from
making the transition and moving to various Business background and leaders
Nigeria? What advice would you give to in their own field, even Veteran
other Indian armed forces officers who are
considering a career move to Nigeria? Entrepreneurs being invited to throw light
on their experiences; having Resume
Transition from Armed Forces to the writing seminars etc I am sure has helped
Corporate world is not easy for most of us. many. We did not have any exposure to all

25
 OCT 2025

Having Fun in Nigera

this when we took the decision to venture savings potential) and lifestyle
out to join the Corporate world. One considerations (e.g., cost of living, housing,
should always be open to learning and leisure activities) of being an expatriate in
upgrading skills to be competitive and Nigeria? What are the common pitfalls
grow in the Corporate. prospective expats must be aware of?

Nigeria is a growing economy offering Working in Nigeria as an expat can be very

many opportunities in sectors like rewarding experience, with huge saving
Telecommunications, Agriculture, Oil & potential. There are two components of
gas, construction providing job salary, one which is repatriated to a choice
opportunities for expats. The work culture of your country, which is tax free, though
in Nigeria is different than what we have in the tax is deducted on the local component;
India. It is more relaxed and lay emphasise and second component is paid in local
on having strong relationships in Nigerian currency. Some of the companies pay
business environment. There are some salary in local currency, one then has to get
areas having security concerns, one needs it exchanged to dollars and repatriate the
to be aware and stay informed of the safety amount back to home country, one tends
conditions, avoid high risk areas and take to lose out because of exchange rate
adequate precautions. Another very fluctuations. Housing and transportation is
important area is health care facilities. taken care of by most of the companies.
Major cities have better health care
facilities but still there is lot that still Though the cost of living is high, however,
remains desired. since basic requirements of housing and
transportation are taken care of it is an
Q Can you share some insights into the attractive proposition to take up an
financial benefits (e.g., tax implications, assignment. Some of the companies do not

26
 OCT 2025

After Running a Marathon

offer family status because the company golf courses, Ibadan, Kano, Enugu, Port
does not want to bear the cost involved in Harcourt to name a few. You have a
the getting the Cerpac (Resident permit) vibrant global expat community in these
for the family. So the family cannot stay two cities, organising cultural events spread
together, and when they want to visit the over the year which are attractive to attend.
expenses are borne by the individual, this The Indian community too is active during
could be a challenge for many of us. One the festive season, organising musical
should also take care and check what nights by inviting singers like Daler
amount of salary is being given in local Mehndi, Alka Yagnik, Sonu Nigam, Amit
currency, because if that component is Kumar, over the years, to name a few.
higher then what is repatriated directly by Nigeria is a safe country with peace loving,
the company to your home account you friendly people who welcome expats, yes
tend to lose a substantial amount. Some there are safety issues, like in any other
pay salary in dollars, however, to wire the country, for an expat, however, the overall
amount is your responsibility, there again experience has been very pleasant.
one loses out. These are a few things which
an individual needs to consider while Q What has been the most fulfilling personal
planning to take up an assignment in this achievement you've had since becoming an
part of the world. expatriate in Nigeria?

Q What are the recreational facilities in Well, we all are here to gainfully fulfil our
Nigeria for expats? Is it a safe destination desires, which to a very large extent one is
for families and children? able to achieve with ease. It affords you to
meet your child’s aspirations of studying
Facilities vary from city to city, however, abroad, not that it is not possible to
Lagos and Abuja offer good golf courses, otherwise fulfil these desires, what I am
club facilities, movie theatre and sports trying to convey here is that one has the
facilities. There are other cities too with financial flexibility; so yes it gives you the

27
 OCT 2025

kind of financial freedom which may be rather difficult for a Veteran to achieve after
superannuating or taking premature retirement from the Services.

Q Tell usabout your family. If they are not in Nigeria how do you stay connected to them?

I have a son and a daughter. We have picked up a villa in Goa and my family is staying there.
We have been able to manage to meet every 3 to 4 months since I have been at Nigeria I have
been visiting India twice a year and in between my wife joins me for a couple of months twice
a year. Kids we meet them at any third country when we take a holiday. So we have been
travelling extensively the past decade. So far so good as they say.

“In the middle of every

difficulty lies opportunity.”
-Albert Einstein

28
 OCT 2025

Theme Interview
Col Awadhesh Kumar Kalia (Retd)

Col Awadhesh Kumar Kalia (Retd) is an alumnus of the National

Defence Academy of India. He was commissioned in the Indian
Army as a Signals officer in 1986. His qualifications include B
Tech (Electronics and Communications), M Tech (Computer
Science) and Telecom Business Management from INSEAD.
While in uniform, when posted in PMO Plan Aren from 2002-
2005, he played an important role in planning and
implementation of the first Mobile network of Army- the CDMA
network from Jammu to Rajouri.
On shifting to the Civvy Street in 2007, he joined Airtel as CTO,
Bihar and Jharkhand, Circle following later in 2010 to Nigeria
when Airtel began Africa Operations.

Q Please tell us something about your taking off in India in the first decade of
background prior to joining the Indian Army this century. I felt that I could put my skills
? What motivated you to join the Indian to good use at that time. It was a
Army? combination of family needs and the fact
that mostly, only the ITS and the Signal
I am from Sainik School Tilaiya. And my officers had any significant experience of
maternal uncle is a decorated officer from 3 project managing and operating large
CAV. Because he is a veteran of 1965 and networks, it afforded an opportunity.
1971 wars, joining the Army was a fond
wish. The motivation was natural. The Q After a brief stint of 3 years in the
school gave it an impetus and a direction to telecoms in India you decided to move to
prepare for the NDA exam. The exam was Nigeria as an expatriate. What made you
held half way through class XI. The call to choose Nigeria as your destination country ?
join came while we were still in class XI. In hindsight how would you view that
So, there was no doubt or second thoughts. decision?

Q What was the trigger for your decision to Managing Bihar and Jharkhand Network
take premature retirement in 2007? for Airtel afforded me exposure to set up
and operate large commercial networks in
I was fortunate to get opportunity to gain civil environment. Managed services
technical qualifications as well as an network operations were evolving. The
exposure to commercial technologies. terrain at the time was relatively tough, law
Mobile telecom networks were just about and order wise. A lot of telecom activity

29
 OCT 2025

G/68 Course, In Front of the Squadron after POP dress rehearsal, 4th Semester, June 84

was greenfield and attracted attention from gates. Locked steel gates and sand bags
inimical elements. All this, combined with saved the MSC but the neighbouring
many years in the military, kind of administrative building was fully gutted.
prepared me for what was to follow. When The military experience of safeguarding
Airtel acquired Operations from Zain in ASCON Nodes in J&K also came in quite
Africa, Nigeria was the largest Operation handy during the tenure.
of Airtel outside India. Airtel
management, in their wisdom offered me I also recall the time when our MSC in
the opportunity. I simply accepted the Abuja was attacked and significant
challenge and endeavoured to live up to it. equipment destroyed by an unruly mob
protesting about jobs and job losses. The
I had experienced and combated theft of effort to bring up the network in record
diesel, generators, batteries in Bihar. There time was like bringing up a complete
were some areas which were inaccessible at Comncen during war times over a day
night. In Nigeria all this was 2-3X more at /night work, with all hands on the deck,
the time. I believe the experience of Bihar under the threat of attack, yet we were
came in extremely handy. motivated to deliver communications in
record time.
A few months into Nigeria and Boko
Haram became very active in NE and It is also relevant to mention that once, the
North Nigeria. In fact, a significant MSC ( vehicle I was traveling in with some
Mobile Switching Centre) in Kano in colleagues was fired upon by armed
North Nigeria bore the brunt of a full- robbers. The fact that the car was bullet
fledged targeted attack. A team of two proof and our escort car engaged the
suicide bombers rammed an explosive robbers with fire, saved the day. We drove
laden jeep into the building breaking two away to safety.
consecutive

30
 OCT 2025

GOC Visiting Black Cat Signallers- Summer of 2000

I was offered Nigeria and I accepted the the West Africa alliance. Over last decade,
challenge. Airtel Nigeria team was terrific, the Chinese have proliferated in all parts of
the support from the HQ was complete and Nigeria. Chinese now have presence in
the work, despite the challenges, was fun. almost all major businesses, including
construction, mining, telecom, logistics etc.
Q What is it about Nigeria that attracts a So abundance of oil, a growing and large
horde of expatriates not just from India but economy is a magnet of expatriates.
also the western world?
Q The work culture in Nigeria is quite
Nigeria has a great mix of expatriates. different from India. What are the major
Lebanese are the largest expat community. differences. How did you adapt to that?
They are big time into construction and Which are the booming sectors in Nigeria
real estate development. Indians are the that are suitable for expats for a rewarding
next big group, mostly in and around career?
Lagos and in Kano. Indians in Nigeria are
industrialists, hoteliers, traders, bankers Nigeria is the largest country in Africa, in
and other professionals. Indian government terms of population and economy. There
had helped setup schools, colleges, are36 states. There is diversity of cultures,
factories, railways and telecom in the last languages and religions. Abuja is the
quarter of the last century. After oil was political capital, almost in the middle of the
explored, many western nations set up nation. Lagos is the commercial capital and
exploration rigs and oilwells. There are a is the largest city. Lagos commands 30%-
number of oil companies. There are 40 %of the national GDP. It’s a crucible of
upstream and down-stream professionals Nigerian and international talent driving
servicing the oil industry. Then there are a the Nigerian economy. . The young in
significant number from West African Nigeria are ambitious, hardworking, keen
nations under to develop and hone skills.

31
 OCT 2025

Political Map of Nigeria

They are not only the back bone of helped during the transition period?
Nigerian economy but are also keen to
explore international opportunities. There are many Indians who have stayed
andworked in Nigeria. There is a treasure
Nigeria attracts expats along with of Indians with Nigeria experience. When
international investments in many fields one is exploring an opportunity outside, it’s
like Oil, real estate, telecom, health care, wise to tap into such resources- whether to
shipping, logistics, etc. Nigerian talent is find out more or to confirm/dispel doubts.
supplemented by international talent in While personally I had no inhibitions
these and other businesses like banking, about Nigeria, there were misgivings in the
trading, manufacturing, Agri products etc. family.
There are opportunities at mid, senior and And there are many who doubt wisdom of
C suite levels. such a move. Fortunately, I have a close
friend, whom I hold in great personal
Q How did you prepare for your move to regard, he had spent about 5 years in
Nigeria, both personally and professionally? Nigeria earlier. His advice was to take
What support systems (family, networks, opinion of someone who has lived and
veterans, friends, etc ) worked there. It dispelled doubts.

32
 OCT 2025

We were part of the leadership team when Cost of living in Nigeria is high. Most
Airtel acquired Operations of Zain telecom items of use are imported. Indian food has
in Nigeria. There were 10-12 families in to be imported and is premium. These are
two apartment complexes. It was a closely realities and must be understood. As an
knit team. There was tremendous mutual expat, one needs to be extra careful about
trust and professional and social security. Threats of kidnappings are real
interdependence. We were a beautiful and extra caution must be exercised.
extended family and remain so to this day. Tourism is yet to develop to any significant
Apart from Airtel Nigeria family, there was extent. So, opportunities for holidays are
and is a large Indian and other expat limited save a trip to the beaches along
community. With children studying in Lagos coastline or perhaps a very short
international schools, a great social cruise in Lagos Lagoon. What one misses
bonding developed with other parents. really is a free drive outside the city, street
food and very well developed along the
There was a significant number of veterans highway eating places like in India.
in Nigeria at the time. They were in pretty Support system for families is quite
diverse domains like in Telecom, real estate evolved. House help and drivers are
development, Oil-companies, Trading available and are good.
companies etc. I felt greatly welcomed and
at ease with veterans around in a foreign Social life has to be inculcated. There is
land. It was a great social bonding. There good and visible bonhomie amongst expats
was a regular veterans 4 ball in Ikoyi Golf of Indian subcontinent. Apart from
club and in Ikeja Golf clubs in Lagos. Indians, we had many good friends from
Though most have since moved to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
the bonding endures. Children get an opportunity to make many
international friends.
Q What are the key differences in living
costs, quality of life, and social opportunities There are some good cinema halls. Indian
in Nigeria compared to what you movies are screened frequently. There are
experienced in India? also many social groups which exercise

33
 OCT 2025

initiatives of arranging concerts of considering a career move to Nigeria?

Bollywood singers and troupes. For the
sporty kind, there are many and ample Going to a new place with an open mind is
opportunities. Most apartment complexes a good idea. Exploring a new place and
have swimming pool, tennis and squash people slowly without expectations leads to
courts, Gym and club house. It is socially a a friendly break in into the new cultureand
very rich life. There are many Indian place.
families in Nigeria for over 3 generations
now. They have done schooling, grown up, I had an advantage of knowing some
married and settled in career. Many have veterans from Signals who were already in
since spread tentacles to London, Dubai, Nigeria. Team Airtel was very mature and
Singapore etc in pursuit of better quality professional. Settling into the new
of life and better opportunities for the next environment was made easy by these two
generation. facts. One needs to learn skills of shopping
and daily market interaction. There are
Q Looking back, what is one thing you many new aspects of daily conduct, all in a
wish you had known or prepared for before day’s work. People greet you in lift and on
making the transition and moving to pavement when walking even without
Nigeria? What advice would you give to knowing you from before. It is a very
other Indian armed forces officers who are civilised and pleasing conduct.

Three ball, three Signal Officers, Ikoyi Golf club, Lagos. Oct 2017

34
 OCT 2025

GOC Visiting Black Cat Signallers- Summer of 2000

Q Can you share some insights into the Q What are the key leadership or
financial benefits (e.g., tax implications, professional lessons you have learnt from
savings potential) and lifestyle your Nigerian colleagues and subordinates?
considerations (e.g., cost of living, housing,
leisure activities) of being an expatriate in Colleagues, whether senior or junior are a
Nigeria? What are the common pitfalls great source for professional, human and
prospective expats be aware of? leadership teachings. It is a team, ie,
presence of colleagues that actually makes
A stint in Nigeria affords you an one a leader. Nigerian youth are ambitious,
opportunity to add to your retirement dedicated, given to multitasking. Most are
kitty. While life itself as an expat is responsive to instructions, expectations and
materially comfortable, one gets an orders. There is a system of compulsory
opportunity to earn in dollars directly into national service for one year after
Non Resident External (NRE) account, graduation. All Nigerian youth are then
which is tax paid in Nigeria but tax free in members of “Youth Corps”. It instils
India. Plus interest earned in such an orderliness and discipline which are of
account in India is also tax free. great value in the following years.

Most companies pay Salaryin US $, an off There is amazing resilience in the face of
shore account and an allowance for local personal hardships. There is a happy
expense. Mostly, a comfortable house, a car informal relationship once you go past the
with driver, an allowance for children’s initial barriers of human interaction. I have
education in Nigeria, medical insurance some amazing friends and professional
and home travel tickets are part of the leadership relationships from my days
package. House help are good and there.
dedicated. It adds to quality of life.

35
 OCT 2025

Q How did you build a social support system for yourself in Nigeria as an expat ?

Breaking into an existing Veterans’ network is a great head start. Having family along is a
great support. Families build a network around colleagues’ families, Children’s friends
parents, with sports partners and with many other interest groups like music, art etc. Social
amalgamation just happens. Remain open and approachable. Many a time, I thought it was
like being in a large cantonment- all facilities, friendly neighbourhood and a rich life, all
within a limited area.

Q Tell us the role played by your family in supporting your professional career?

We experienced during the Service days importance of family support. The Indian social
system till a few decades ago had a system of extended family. It moved to nuclear family as
we were growing up. Thereafter, it’s the nuclear family around which our social system grew
to support us emotionally .
When you move out as expat, work pressure is usually quite high. One is expected to deliver
in a competitive and demanding environment. It’s the family which secures your social and
emotional needs.
It is not only at times of fun and socialising, but there are also times ofpersonal grief where
presence of family is most valuable.

With your spouse

36
 OCT 2025

Theme Interview
Col AV Kiran Kumar

Col AV Kiran Kumar (Retired) is currently working for

Globacom Ltd in Nigeria. He is from from the 90th Course of
NDA and 100 Regular of IMA. He was commissioned into 95
Field Regiment, Regiment of Artillery in June 1997. He had
attended the Long Gunnery Staff Course (LGSC) and Defence
Services Staff College (DSSC) and had a tenure as GSO1, Media
in ADGPI. He also had the proud privilege of commanding 138
Medium Regiment for over Four and Half years in 3 locations. He
opted for Pre Mature Retirement (PMR), in July 2021. Before
opting for PMR, he decided to plan for a smooth transition by
undergoing the Executive MBA (PGPMAX) from Indian School
of Business (ISB). Immediately after PMR, he joined Amazon
Operations in Chennai and in 2022, he joined Globacom Ltd in
Nigeria.

Q. Please tell us something about your with my dreams and I was fortunate to
background prior to joining the Indian Army realise my dreams when I was selected for
? What motivated you to join the Indian 90th Course of NDA.
Army?
Q Tell us about your career in the Army.
I joined Indian Army through selection for Why did you decide to take premature
National Defence Academy (NDA). I retirement in 2021?
joined 90th Course of NDA in June 1993
and later passed out from Indian Military I was commissioned to 95 Field Regiment
Academy (IMA) with the Centurions of Regiment of Artillery in June 1997. I
course, the 100th Regular Course to be joined the unit at Jammu. I was fortunate
commissioned into 95 Field Regiment, to have been groomed early on in the unit
Regiment of Artillery in June 1997. I came by offices, JCOs, NCOs and OR to
from a typical civilian background and my maintain the highest standards of
family had no connections with Armed professional excellence. The focus in the
Forces. No one, either from paternal side or unit on every aspect of soldierly life was to
maternal side served in the Armed Forces maintain highest standards of professional
before I joined NDA. However, from the excellence. Whether it was aspects of
very beginning, I was quite keen to join the Gunnery and other operational issues,
Indian Army. My passion to join NDA was games or even administrative and training
within me since I was 12 or 13 years old. matters. I was extremely fortunate to have
My parents encouraged me to follow on the guidance from extremely professional

37
 AUG 2025

I served as GSO1 (Media) in ADG PI and

later as Deputy Commander in an Artillery
Brigade and Col A in a field formation, as
part of a Strike Corps.

However, the essence of military leadership

of handling manpower, training and
operational challenges were refined when I
had the extremely proud privilege of
commanding a Bofors unit, 138 Medium
Regiment. I had the good fortune of
commanding the unit for over Four and
Half years. 138 Medium Regiment is an
exceptionally good unit with extremely
As the CO of a Medium Regiment
strong bonds of camaraderie not just
between officers and men but also between
set of officers and men since from Day 1 of
the veterans and serving personnel. For as
my military career. That set the tone for me
long as I served in the unit, I was witness to
to remain professional throughout my 24
very constructive guidance provided by the
years of military career till I opted for Pre
veterans. This form of guidance was never
Mature Release (PMR). The learnings in
intrusive and thrust on any of the serving
the unit were to adapt to every kind of
officers and soldiers. The highlight and
terrain & operational challenge in the most
high point of my tenure in the unit as
professional manner and with that as the
Commanding officer was when a
datum, I never faced serious challenges to
detachment was selected to participate in
serve anywhere.
the Republic Day Parade in the year 2017
along with indigenously developed gun
I was fortunate to undergo the prestigious
system, Dhanush Gun System. I felt that
career training courses like Long Gunnery
this was a true testimony and reflection of
Staff Course (LGSC), Defence Services
the highest standards of professionalism of
Staff Course (DSSC) and Senior
the unit over many years, carefully
Command Course (SCC) apart from
nurtured by many Commanding Officers,
mandatory training courses like YOs,
officers, Subedar Majors, JCOs, NCOs and
Advance Gunnery Course and Junior
men.
Command Course (JC).
In the year 2021, I felt I had passion,
I had exposure to Counter Insurgency (CI)
capabilities and fire in my belly to explore
Operations, operating along LC, High
the varied challenges in Corporate World.
Altitude Area (HAA), newly raised
That was when I decided to opt for PMR.
formation etc. I was fortunate to have
participated in active firing across the LC
Q How did you decide to move to Nigeria?
while in J&K, posted in the formation
Explain to us your fears, apprehensions and
which was in the eye of the storm during
aspirations. What made you confident?
the standoff with PLA at Dokalam etc.

38
 AUG 2025

Immediately after I opted for PMR, I was commerce seemed to be less demanding
fortunate to have been selected in technically than Telecom. Many fears were
Operations vertical of Amazon. While I put to rest by one phone call to Col Akash
was working for Amazon, I came across a Ghosh. I was fully prepared to embrace the
mail on FORCES NETWORK posted by challenges of unfamiliar industry,
Col Akash Ghosh (Retired) regarding an unfamiliar company and unfamiliar
opportunity in a telecom company in country.
Nigeria. I must thank FORCES
NETWORK and Col Iqbal Singh to have Transition was also smooth for me as I
connected so many military veterans so came across many veterans in the company
painstakingly over the years by letting who took on the typical role of subalterns
Forces Network truly offer the widest in the Armed Forces and let me adapt to
network amongst the veterans’ community. the new country and new company.
I reached out to Col Akash Ghosh through Following a smooth transition into the new
mail and WhatsApp. The role was related country and company, the experience of
to Project Management and I had the good over two decades of military service gave
fortune of adding Project Management me wonderful platform to express myself
skillset before I opted for PMR. I was and deliver to the best satisfaction of all
extremely fortunate to have Col Akash my peers, subordinates and superiors in the
Ghosh hand-holding me before my company. Ever since I joined in Feb 2022, I
selection process regarding the have never looked back at delivering at
requirements for the role, the company what was expected of me. So, it is fair
culture and life in general in a faraway enough to attribute to this wonderful
country like Nigeria. opportunity which exposed me to work in
different geography and industry to
The biggest challenge which also added to FORCES NETWORK, Col Iqbal Singh,
the apprehensions was to give up on a Col Akash Ghosh, the many military
promising career in one of the best brands veterans who helped me settle down in a
in Corporate World, Amazon and opt for foreign land and the great lessons of time
a very different kind of industry, namely management, man management and
Telecom. Added challenge was to adjust to resources management picked up in the
Telecom industry coming from a non- Army.
technical background having served in the
Artillery. There were butterflies in my Q If you were given a choice to switch to
stomach and apprehensions galore. What another African country today as an expat
if, if I was unable to adapt to the needs of which country would you choose and why?
Telecom industry. Was it wise enough for
me to have given up on a very good and While Nigeria as a country and Glo as a
hard earned placement in Amazon and company & employer has given me many
take up a role in an industry which was wonderful moments in my life to
completely unfamiliar. Not that e- accomplish professional and personal goals
commerce industry was familiar when I and I would not for once want to leave
was selected for role in Amazon. E- either Glo or Nigeria. However, to answer

39
 OCT 2025

this question purely as a means to identify Most Indians are seen as thorough
places apart from Glo and Nigeria those professionals who take their jobs very
can add to repertoire of skills, professional seriously. They are also somewhat famous
and personal growth, I would look at for good at multi-tasking. All these
Kenya or Ethiopia as next favourable qualities put together generalise a
places to work. These are fast developing community in a very positive way for HR
economies with some wonderful professionals of companies to look for
opportunities. Like Nigeria, these countries opportunities to hire more Indians.
are also known for being open and
welcoming to expatriates. Q What is your current role ? Share with us
a typical day at work. What are the skills
Q In your opinion why do companies in required to succeed in this role. How did you
Nigeria hire expatriates? What is it that acquire / hone them ?
these companies seek in expatriate
employees? Telecom industry world over is racing
ahead to get into better technologies. They
This is an understandable point of want to improve the customer experience
consideration for any expatriate who is of calls and data services. So, one
looking for similar kind of opportunities in important vertical in Telecom companies is
Africa in general or Nigeria in particular. Rollout Function which rolls out physical
Nigeria has one of the fastest growing infrastructure and thereafter integrates
population in the world and a big economy electronic infrastructure give better density
in Africa. There are plenty of business of telecommunications within the country.
opportunities in Nigeria because of young I am in such a vertical which has the task
profile of population. There is an ever- of adding physical infrastructure and
growing demand of FMCG products, thereafter integrating the electronic
immensely competitive telecom market, infrastructure deployed at these places to
thriving real estate market and many such add to telecommunications network for
sectors expanding at a very rapid scale. better speeds of data and quality of phone
Businesses are attractive because of the calls.
attractive profit margins and therefore
there is rising investments in various I had equipped myself with PMP
sectors. Rising investments lead to greater certification prior to opting for PMR. I
employment opportunities. had also undergone Executive MBA
through ISB enabling me to appreciate the
Indians as expats are considered to be business needs of Company’s Management
honest, hardworking, sincere and yet better.
fiercely loyal to the organisations they work
for. They are never looked down upon in There are multiple infrastructure projects
this country as trouble makers. They are in undertaken simultaneously at any given
fact they are looked up as law abiding point of time across the country. My role is
citizens who add wealth and value to the to implement the Project Management
country where they work. methodologies and practices to deliver the

40
 OCT 2025

On-site visits – places of civil works construction with team members

best quality infrastructure within the Logistics Department, other verticals

defined scope of time, quality, finances, involved in the execution of project for the
stakeholders management etc. There is entire duration of the project or part of it
never a dull moment at work on a any and maintaining a tight control over the
given day and the skills of project execution of the project.Like I mentioned
management have to be handled as deftly before, there are multiple projects at
as the skills of risk management. It is different periods and lengths of execution
always better to stay one step ahead of the at any given point of time. An appreciation
risk curve to mitigate the risks before the of the needs of project teams for each of
risks harm the delivery of projects these projects is needed and the projects
successfully. Adding skills on Excel, VBA, guided or handled accordingly. The basic
Power BI etc have enabled me to never let role is more of a facilitator in the quick
my tasks overwhelm me. To that extent, I execution of each of these projects with the
would urge every veteran to keep adding best quality specifications.
skills in a manner that these skills let the
jobs be undertaken smartly. Q What are the key differences in living
costs, quality of life, and social
A typical day at work would involve opportunities in Nigeria compared to what
interaction with Project Managers of the you experienced in India?
Civil Contractor companies working for
our company, interaction with our field Though I had very little experience of
staff of qualified Civil and Electronic having worked in Corporates in India
Engineers, internal stakeholders from Legal (worked for less than a year with Amazon),
Department, Finance Department, the experiences of working in Nigeria are

41
 AUG 2025

different. The expectations and demands of to Nigeria? What advice would you give to
timely delivery as an employee are similar other Indian armed forces officers who are
to working for any Corporate in India with considering a career move to Nigeria?
focus on meeting the stringent deadlines of
project delivery. Frankly, I never had any such issue which
made me regret of not being adequately
I have been lucky to have been in a place prepared, had I known earlier. The country
which is comparable to Mumbai. The place is extremely welcoming to expats and
where I spent maximum time in Nigeria is people are very friendly. Probably, the
a city by the name, Lagos. Lagos is the closest I can think of is to add some skills
Financial capital of Nigeria, very in cooking. There is nothing more serious
cosmopolitan in outlook with good than this small handicap I faced. However,
physical infrastructure. The city is a beach there are plenty of house help available to
city and has the highest density of cook delicious Indian food. They are really
Corporates of all industries. People are great in cooking authentic Indian cuisine,
very friendly and the mode of courtesy the large Indian diaspora.
communication is English. It is easy to Probably one can think of adding some
adjust and lead a peaceful life in Nigeria. cooking skills apart from some basic skills
Most of the places have grocery stores in Excel (this aspect is more applicable to
catering to Indian groceries and even as a military veterans who have limited
vegetarian, I have never faced even a slight exposure to MS Excel).
challenge in Nigeria. While the cost of
living due to inflation is higher than India Q Can you share some insights into the
but the local salary does support expats to financial benefits (e.g., tax implications,
lead a comfortable life. There ae many savings potential) and lifestyle
hotels and restaurants to socialise and keen considerations (e.g., cost of living, housing,
sports lovers can hone their skills in the leisure activities) of being an expatriate in
many sporting facilities available including Nigeria? What are the common pitfalls
playing Golf in the Golf courses across prospective expats must be aware of?
various cities.
Most expats working in Nigeria as
The major challenge I faced is the limited professionals are paid in US Dollars in
availability of vegetarian food in smaller their Non Resident External (NRE)
towns and when I visit smaller towns on accounts in India. For local sustenance,
official assignments, I face limited there are two models. Some companies
challenges. However, none of these look after all the needs of employees to
challenges has made me ever think of include housing, transport, food, travel to
leaving this place. People are warm, India while there are other companies that
friendly and extremely helpful. My stay so provide a local salary. This is apart from
far has been very good. the monthly salary in US Dollars as
remittance into Indian NRE accounts. This
Q Looking back, what is one thing you salary credited to NRE accounts in USD is
wish you had known or prepared for tax free and therefore, most Non-Resident
before making the transition and moving Indian (NRI) employees get tax

42
 AUG 2025

Get together Wth other Military Veterans to Celebrate Social Occasions like Birthdays

relief which adds to their financial well- for Indians, are the common leisure
being. One additional benefit is that the activities. There are places where Indians
stay in Nigeria is either taken care of by can participate in sports activities, though
these are slightly limited.
the company with all facilities provided
or through local sustenance salary paid
One piece of advise is to be aware of risk
and hence some expenses which would
of getting caught on the wrong side of law
have cut into monthly savings is further and order. There are some pockets in every
reduced. town and city where the anti-social
elements indulge in anti-social activities
Now, if a company pays local salary to like kidnappings and thefts. Such places
maintain a self-sufficient lifestyle, the should be avoided. Any expat should make
standard of living is as per the taste of early enquiries of understanding such
the person. However, it should be noted pockets in the places where they are going
that the rental amounts are paid as an to stay and strictly avoid such places.
advance for one entire year and not
Q What are the recreational facilities in
monthly amounts like in India. Cost of
Nigeria for expats? Is it a safe destination
living is slightly more as compared to
for families and children?
India. People get adjusted to the cost of
living quite soon. Socialising within People go to some places as groups of
Indian community, visits to temples on expats like sea beaches, temples, movies,
festive days as part of larger Indian restaurants etc to socialise. There are

43
 OCT 2025

thriving Indian communities in every Nigerian town and city. Indian diaspora is active and
communicate through social media platforms.

There is a network of Indian Cultural Association in most major towns and cities. Planned
cultural activities like festivals, Independence Day celebrations, Yoga Day celebrations etc are
centrally organised by these Cultural associations and people look forward to meeting each
other and developing bonds on such occasions. If expats are mindful of their safety as in any
other country, it is a safe place to stay.

Q What has been the most fulfilling personal achievement you've had since becoming an
expatriate in Nigeria?

Most fulfilling experience has been a visit to Masai Mara reserve in Kenya. The joy of visiting
this reserve and see the famed big cats and large number of animals with family has been the
most thrilling and joyful experience.

Q Tell us about your family. If they are not in Nigeria how do you stay connected to them?

Its been over three and half years since I have been in Nigeria. Its only couple of months
since my wife has joined me. For the most part, I have stayed single. As long as I stayed single
or even staying connected with parents, children, relatives and friends, social media, especially
WhatsApp has been such a boon. I stay connected with all of them virtually on a daily basis
through video calls. I get to visit India twice in a year.

"The only thing we have

to fear is fear itself."
- Franklin D. Roosevelt

44
 OCT 2025

Theme Interview
Col Hemant Hoshrangdel Rana

I am a retired ASC Officer currently working in Nigeria. I was

born in Nainital district and did my schooling from KV BEG, KV
AA & KV SC in Pune. I graduated from NDA Khadakwasla and
passed out from IMA, Dehradun. I served in the Indian Army in
ASC for almost 23 years and have a strong background in Supply
Chain Management, Logistics & Transportation. I am currently
working in Dangote Cement PLC which is the largest cement
producer of Africa having operations in 11 African countries with
its HQ in Nigeria. I have a Master’s degree in Management, a
Master’s degree in Science, and an Executive Post Graduate
Diploma in Logistics & Supply Chain Management. I have also
earned Project Management Associate certification and Lean six
Sigma Green Belt certification.

Q Please tell us something about your sports activities in the Academies. I was
background prior to joining the Indian part of the Academy Swimming & Water
Army? What motivated you to join the Polo team in NDA and the Academy
Indian Army? Football Team in IMA. There were
tremendous learnings in both the
I was a student prior to joining the Indian Academies, and I could become Battalion
Army. I am a third generation in Indian Appointment in both the Academies,
Army and my father was from OTS (SS- before passing out in the Super Block from
10). So, growing up, I always had many IMA.
army kids as company. My father retired
early too, and we settled in Pune. Being Q Tell us about your career in the Army.
from Kendriya Vidyalaya, most of my You were doing well in the Army. Why did
classmates were giving the NDA entrance you decide to take premature retirement in
exam during our 12th class. After my 12th 2020?
exams I gave the NDA entrance exam and
I cleared it. In fact, that was the only I got commissioned in December 1997 and
admission form which I filled that year as it was a few months short of 21 years of age
was the only exam which accepted 16.5 at that time. I had a very good experience
years old applicants. My motivation for during my 3 years attachment with 12
joining Army was always there from MAHAR in J&K and fought the enemy
childhood days having grown up seeing my during Op Vijay in Mashkoh Valley in
father and growing up in the Fauji 1999 with the paltan. I filled in my Para
ecosystem. I participated in almost all Volunteer form after my ASC YOs Course

45
 OCT 2025

During our NDA final term with Capt (then DCC) All set for our jump in the Para Hanger at Agra
Amit Semwal, KC(P) in the centre who was a
during the Para Dinner Celebrations
dear friend and Brajesh who is a pilot with Indigo
Airlines now.

and cleared my probation when I went to your fears, apprehensions and aspirations.
Agra. I have served two tenures with the What made you confident?
Parachute Brigade, besides serving a UN
tenure in Sudan in the Sector Transport I agree that for most army officers
Company. I had cleared my DSSC entrance transitioning to the corporate life is a
in Competitive Vacancy and served as the daunting task and a challenge which looks
Raising AQMG of a newly Raised Brigade difficult to decode. I was set to join a large
in Eastern Theatre. I have commanded a Indian business group as part of my
Supply Depot at Jabalpur, a second line transition into the corporate world.
Transport Battalion at Jodhpur and an However, COVID 19 related challenges
Army Base Supply Depot at Narangi. meant that hiring in India had almost
After completing the HDMC course I was frozen in the time frame I was looking to
posted to Kolkata as Col A of HQ Eastern transition. I came across many serving
Comd. officers who were withdrawing their PMR
applications due to the job situation in the
It was then that I realized that my days of civvy street. But just then, I came across an
Command were over and in future opportunity in Nigeria in the logistics
whatever rank I may get, I would never be department of an Oil Company. I thought
commanding a field outfit again. I had that since I am taking the plunge outside
lived my dream of commanding a the Army, why not go all the way outside
battalion, so I decided to take PMR to India too. And so, I landed in Nigeria.
pursue dreams beyond all that I had known
till then. Nigeria was a country which I had known
for the wrong reasons during my army
Q Most people find transitioning from the days. Tales of internet scams, phone linked
Army a challenge. You seem to have taken a payment frauds, Boko Haram, etc etc were
double challenge by also simultaneously all that I had mostly heard of and
taking up a job in Nigeria? Explain to us understandably I was apprehensive.

46
 OCT 2025

However, it was my family members who opportunities for career growth.

were more apprehensive. The foreign
opportunity came tied to an attractive Q You have switched a few companies in
package too. My aspirations to live a better Nigeria. Tell us what you find exciting
life & provide better opportunity in future about working in Nigeria and 1 thing that
to my school going children were factors you did not like? What is it that these
which tilted the case in favour of the companies seek in expatriate employees?
overseas opportunities.
Two factors gave me courage and My first role was of a Manager of Supply
ultimately helped me make my decision. & Distribution for white oil products
First, I had two course mates working in a (Petrol, Diesel, Aviation Fuel & Kerosene)
sister concern of the company I had got across Nigeria for a major oil marketing
selected for in Nigeria and Second, I am a company. I am thankful to God that I had
paratrooper, we are used to jumping out in started working within 15 days of bidding
the thin air with just faith in God and a adieu to my uniform (in the middle of
hope that everything will work out as it COVID 19).We had a large veterans group
was meant to. in the company (including sister concern)
which I joined, and those two years were
Q If you were given a choice to switch to memorable as we would celebrate festivals
another African country today as an expat and new joining/ farewells together almost
which country, would you choose and why? like Officers Mess functions. After my two
years in the oil company, I switched for
This is a difficult question to answer growth as I got an opportunity to lead a
because it depends on the priority. My vertical of Inbound Logistics for my
company has presence in 10 other African current company as a General Manager.
countries, so I do get to interact with staff After about two years in that role, I got
from those countries. I am a member of the promoted to a Divisional Director of
Indian Veterans group in Africa and a Transport. I am currently in this role since
Country Ambassador for Nigeria of the the last about 10 months.
Global NDA Alumni Association. I get to
interact with officers or other colleagues in Most of these companies hire expatriates
other countries too. I have realized that the as they come with important skillsets not
best compensation packages are in Nigeria available locally, a strong sense of
(personal perspective), although quality of commitment to work, sincerity, a high level
life, peace, law and order maybe better in of integrity (very important factor) and
certain other regions. If I were with my very good people management skills.
wife and children here, probably I would
have chosen Ghana, Mauritius, Namibia or The only thing I do not like here is the
Senegal. All these are peaceful, current law and order situation. Even in
economically developing countries and cities like Lagos, most of the areas are not
offer a good quality of life. Since I am safe to walk around without armed
alone, I would like to continue in Nigeria security, due to kidnapping for ransom
where I can earn better and get bigger being rampant. I stay on site at the Largest

47
 OCT 2025

Cement plant in Africa. We live in well- I have engagements with the local
fortified compact colonies and move with community chiefs, the regional heads of
armed police or military escorts every day Federal Agencies, Regional heads of
from home to office and any other place. National Organisations, our Head Office
teams, every week. From 5 PM to about
Q What is your current role? Share with us 7.30 PM, I attend a series of review
a typical day at work. What are the skills meetings first with my Heads of
required to succeed in this role. How did you Departments, then with sales, production
acquire / hone them? and operations leaders at national level and
finally a smaller review meeting with the
I am currently a Divisional Director of Group MD. I wind up from the office at
Transport looking after Transport about 8 PM. At my home, I have dinner
Operations of cement dispatch with about and watch TV for about an hour or two. In
4300 articulated trucks and about 5900 between I keep a check on my dispatch
employees (including drivers) in my team. volumes and resolve any contingencies that
We are responsible to ensure that the may arise before I sleep at around 11 PM.
budgeted cement dispatch volumes are I would say that people management,
achieved on daily basis so that we achieve decision making, domain knowledge about
our annual volumes. My division operates logistics/ transportation, advanced excel
trucks carrying bagged and bulk cement to sheet mastery, strong financial
customers/ distributors/ depots across 30 understanding for P&L aspects and a high
out of the 36 +1 states of Nigeria with level of energy would be essential skills for
average trip turnaround distance of 1600 this role.
Kms. I feel being Veterans, we are inherently
My typical day starts with me waking up at good with people management & decision
6 AM and going through the various WA making. Domain knowledge is also our
reports to check that all activities across strength in case we come from that stream
various Loading lines were normal. I have in the armed forces. However, I feel where
to check that our dispatch volumes are we lack is in our knowledge of Advanced
achieved. I reach my office by 8 AM and Excel and Business Financials. These two
then go through my mails over the next skills can easily be acquired through
hour as the pending mails pile up over the various online courses available, mostly
night. By 9 AM I attend the National free of cost.
Management Meeting with Sales, Plant
Production & Operations leaders. The rest Q What was your greatest fear or concern
of the day till 5 PM goes in scheduled about moving to an alien country and how
online meetings, visits to any of our five did your experience in Nigeria prove or
workshops, or Tyre Retreading Plant, Tyre disprove it??
fitment bays, Safety briefings halls, our
CNG & Diesel Refuelling stations. In To be honest, I had no fears or concerns
between these I handle mails and financial about coming to Nigeria. I was coming on
approvals. . Typically, I get about 400 a flight with three other veteran officers.
mails a day out of which at least 25-30 % Two of them from ASC were also joining
require action from me. Invariably, the same company and the third one was a

48
 OCT 2025

During Annual Long Service Awards presentation to our staff with some Chiefs of local
communities in attendance.

Para SF veteran who was joining the sister The law & order situation is bad and
company. I was already in communication kidnapping for ransom is very common.
with my two NDA course mates here who However, in Lagos & Abuja, there are
had given me detailed briefings on what to certain localities where the security
expect and what to bring along. Frankly, I situation is good and the quality of life
was looking forward to coming here as it there is very good. We have a very strong
was the first time I travelled business class. and vibrant veterans’ community in
Our reception was well organized and all Nigeria. Especially in Lagos, socialising
of us could move into individual well- amongst Indians/ veterans is very common
furnished flats within three days of arrival. over the weekends.

Q What are the key differences in living Q Looking back, what is one thing you wish
costs, quality of life, and social opportunities you had known or prepared for before
in Nigeria compared to what you making the transition and moving to
experienced in India? Nigeria? What advice would you give to
other Indian armed forces officers who are
I find that the cost of living is cheap when considering a career move to Nigeria?
we look at local vegetables and food.
However, all other branded items, I was preparing for my transition for more
imported fruits & vegetables are costlier as than two years before I left. I took time to
compared to the same items in India. This upskill myself in Supply Chain
is because of the USD & Naira exchange Management and Logistics related
rate being unfavourable. The overall certifications. I feel one very important
quality of life in general is mostly lower as skill which most of us lack is knowledge
compared to India and costlier too. and mastery of advance excel.

49
 OCT 2025

Europe or for that matter Middle East you

are not judged because of where you come
from. Stay humble, put in your best, have a
lot of patience, you will be amazed at the
love and respect you can earn here.

Q Can you share some insights into the

financial benefits (e.g., tax implications,
savings potential) and lifestyle
considerations (e.g., cost of living, housing,
leisure activities) of being an expatriate in
Nigeria? What are the common pitfalls
prospective expats must be aware of?
Evening walk along the Atlantic Ocean during my
two years stay in Victoria Island, Lagos I feel financially it is relatively more
rewarding to work in Nigeria. Most
Nigeria is one of the largest economies of companies have a system of main salary in
Africa. As global consumer markets are USD which is directly paid to your Indian
getting saturated, Africa has emerged as NRE account (100% tax free) and a
the new frontier. I feel that the next two smaller local salary. Most of the companies
decades will see very good growth in in Nigeria offer fully furnished
Nigeria as its people march forward to accommodation, two set of flight tickets to
economic growth. If you are okay to live hometown per year, 30 days paid vacation,
with the law & order challenges (most army medical insurance, work visa, and
veterans are used to such life), there are transport with driver. I work in a company
good opportunities for you to grow. I which follows MNC standards for
would also advise you to plan for a career employees’ perks (Annual bonus, data &
rather than a job, if you are still below 45 talk time allowance, Office beverage
years of age. Choose a specific domain and allowance, steward allowance etc.)
then stay in that line gaining experience. I
would also advise you to upskill yourself Nigeria has a large diaspora of Indians
once every few years by gaining that and it’s very easy to get Indian restaurants
industry specific certifications. Officers in Lagos and Abuja. There are
from Signals and Services have good supermarkets and stores where all Indian
opportunities due to the rapidly expanding food items are available. The house helps
Telecom and Supply Chain industry. here can cook the Indian food very well,
Officers from other arms having experience something they have learnt after years of
can also choose to pursue a career in these cooking for Indian families. Other than
fields. Lagos, and to certain extent Abuja, the
opportunities for leisure activities are very
Africa is a geography where people respect limited. To be honest there are not many
you and look up to you for your options for leisure activities except eating
knowledge and attitude. Unlike the US & out

50
 OCT 2025

Enjoying the day out on a beachfront restaurant with fellow veterans in Lagos

Q What are the recreational facilities in & Port Harcourt. Mostly they live in
Nigeria for expats? Is it a safe destination estates with good security arrangements in
for families and children? place.

Recreational facilities for expats are Q What has been the most fulfilling personal
limited. However, there are some beach achievement you've had since becoming an
facilities, restaurants, clubs and nightlife in expatriate in Nigeria?
certain areas which are amongst the best in
the world. I know of colleagues in Lagos I was reasonably young (43 plus) when I
who play golf, play squash and go for took my PMR. I was very clear that I have
riding. left my family behind and come here so I
There are very few avenues for family must make it count. For me it is a career
entertainment, picnics, entertainment hubs, with a clearly defined path which I must
etc. There are a few good schools in Lagos pursue. I have been able to make progress
& Abuja including CBSE Board Indian from a Manager to a General Manager to a
Language School (ILS) in Lagos, but the Divisional Director in the last five years.
schooling for expat children at other places Getting recognition purely based on your
is average. merit and capabilities is indeed a very
fulfilling. The financial aspect also keeps
My family has never visited Nigeria as we pace with your rise, so that’s a bonus.
don’t find it worth the risk. I mean even if As I pause to look at the past five years, I
they come there will be very few activities feel fulfilment in what I have achieved so
they will be able to do. However, there are far. God has really been Kind, and I have
families and children who live here, mostly always been grateful. I look forward to
in certain localities in Lagos, Abuja, Kano continuing the path I have planned.

51
 OCT 2025

Q Tell us about your family. If they are not in Nigeria, how do you stay connected to
them?

Diya, my wife is a home maker and a part time professional astrologer. She is in Kolkata
along with my two school going sons. She also looks after her old father whose house is
opposite our house and battling health related issues. Dhruv my elder son is in Grade 12 and
is preparing for his JEE next year. My younger Son Aarav is in Grade 9 and remains busy
with studies and football, as he is in the school football team. I get to visit India twice every
year (paid vacation). I generally time it with their summer vacations and the Diwali/
Christmas-New Year break. Data packages in Nigeria are almost as cheap as in India, so I
speak to my wife every day on WhatsApp. My mother is in Pune along with my younger
brother and I speak to them every week.

A family vacation to Dubai- Abu Dhabi with my wife and sons

52
 OCT 2025

Mission Accomplished
Navigating the Corporate World After the Military Sharing My Learnings
This is a new feature where we request a veteran who is retiring after his
post military corporate stint to share his corporate journey and share the
Lessons Learnt. The aim is to have a learning curve as a community.

About the Author

Lt Col Vivek did his schooling from KV,
Sector-8 ,RK Puram, New Delhi andjoined
the NDA thereafter. He was commissioned
in Dec 1986 into the Corps of Signals. He
did his ME from the IISc Bangalore. He
took PMR in Sep 2007. He recently
superannuated from Nokia on 31 Jul 2025
after a 18 years corporate career.
My Journey : From PMR till my decision making for PMR. The PMR
Superannuation application got approved in Mar 2007 and
the date for release communicated was by
Pre-release Phase 10 Oct 2007. I confirmed 30 Sep 2007 as
my date of superannuation.
It was in 2006 that I took the decision to
put up my papers and move to the civil Now, the reality hit and the clock started
street. I was approximately 42 years old. It ticking. I had a good technical exposure to
was a tough decision, tough not because I few major projects involving new
was scared to take on the new challenge telecommunications technologies in the
professionally, but, there were other services. Being a part of technical team for
responsibilities which till then were not a the aforementioned projects, I was under
concern, started weighing heavy on my the impression that the industry is waiting
mind. One major one was that my two for a person like me. The industry reps with
daughters were in their formative years - whom I was interacting always seemed to
elder one had just gone to class 7th and the be impressed by my technical acumen. A
younger one was going to class one. Others few of them went to the extent saying that
were significant for me personally, but may the industry would be greatly benefitted if I
not fit into the universal frame. Luckily ,I joined them. Though with a pinch of salt, ,
had a roof of my own, a house built up by I also got entrapped into this fallacy which
my late father in Noida long back and one was to manifest in the time to come ahead.
of my factors that contributed positively to . From my side, I was preparing for post-

53
 SEPT 2025

retirement phase by communicating to provided me my first job. A senior officer,

people in the industry and trying to under whom I had fought the technical
showcase my strengths in the technical negotiations, found some hope in me and
arena. upon his recommendation, I was hired.

Let me keep summarizing the lessons For first three to four months, I was
learnt stage wise: helping the company to design a composite
field equipment. I was leading the
My Assumption : Age was still on my side, development and technical testing. The
good exposure on projects technically, product made by our company stood first
good industry exposure, a steely grit to do amongst the five competitors, out of which
well in the civil street and also many well- two were PSUs.
wishers who wanted to see me successful in
the new phase of my professional life. Management was happy with the results.
Now came the sales pressure, which was
Reality Check : Most of my thoughts were not my forte and I started looking for non-
a misplaced. In civil, the age at which I had sales avenues.
planned an entry is the time when the
senior leadership is shaping up. The metric My Assumptions : The company which
of success in industry is the conversion of employed me saw a bright candidate in me
cases into orders, the well-wishers were and needed me for the technical assessment
pure at heart but majority of them were and development. I was aware of the field
not in a position to influence the gap and the product developed would be
companies to absorb a veteran. acquired as hot cake since all five stages of
quality validation were successfully
Release on PMR completed. Since the business was with
Defence and Para Militaryforces for this
Finally, on 30 Sep 2007, I was released product, it was assumed that I would be
from Services. I headed towards the able to make a dent and provide them with
industry stalwarts with whom I was good business.
interacting during the course of my
professional journey while in service. I spelt Reality Check : Location and salary could
out my requirements as minimal with not be dictated when one was looking for a
location specification and expected salary. foothold in the industry. From company’s
Soon, I realized that the same industry reps perspective, the translation of every penny
were though still respectful to me, were not spent into business was the actual
of much help in getting me a job. The performance. The Defence and Para Mil
struggle turned out to be totally a Forces were constrained on budget for
soloindividual effort. procurement even if the product was fit for
purpose.
Luckily, one of the companies which was
interested in defence business expansion Transition to a Big Mobile
Telecommunication Company

54
 OCT 2025

This was in Nov 2008 that I took the

contact training for the certification and on
23 Feb 2009, I cleared the exam thereby
achieving the required PMP certification.
Here, I must mention that Col Sandesh
Sharma was of immense help and his
guidance helped me to get the required
certification in the given time frame. Later,
I came to know that Col Iqbal Singh was
instrumental in guiding Col Sandesh in
getting his certification. To cut the long
story short, I reached out to the same
senior again and informed him that I had
achieved the requisite certification.
Promptly, I was directed to visit Patna
Vivek In His Corporate Avatar where the Circle Head for Bihar and
Jharkhand Circle interviewed me and I got
Soon I decided to move on, I came to my appointment letter as Operations
know of an opportunity in a big European Manager for Bihar and Jharkhand Mobile
telecommunication company in project Telecommunication Circle.
management. It was a great solace to learn
that one of my seniors in the Service life So, the irony was that this time, I got an
was hiring the teams. I thought that, with operational role with Project management
my old credentials, I would get this certification. But, by virtue of our military
opportunity hands-down. In the interview, training and tenets, I firmed-in into the
I made it till the penultimate level and was new role. Now, the personality traits
waiting for the confirmation of my imbibed during our military training came
selection. When there was no positive into play . So, it was almost after one and
outcome for a week, I called up this senior half years, the recognition and requirement
to understand the ground situation. . He of military traits came to the fore and
informed that my profile was lacking the thereafter there was no looking back.
certification needed for the role. This came
as a surprise to me but when I interacted Then came an opportunity in Aug 2010 for
with civilian peers, they were of the view a Global Program Manager(IT) within the
that certification was a parameter by which same company at Noida. I was selected for
HR gauged the competence despite one the new role and got promoted as well.
was having adequate ground experience. By
now, I had understood, that the industry My Assumptions : Industry would be
has its own parameters and for smooth yearning for me since I was an ex-
sailing, I must get the required serviceman and would roll out the red
certification- PMP. carpet to welcome me given my old
credentials.

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Personal acquaintances would make a transformed into my decision to acquire

material difference in getting a new job. I minimum one certification per year. By
was already a Masters Degree (MTech) 2015, I had many industry relevant
holder from one of the top research certifications which not only helped in
institutes (IISc) nd that combined with my improving my professional delivery and
military service and professional experience also helped in showcasing my edge. By this
in defence projects qualified me for a time , I was seeking growth by lateral
Program/ Project management role in the movement to another company. . I moved
industry. to another mobile Business company, as
Operations Head but this time in UP West.
Reality Check: Acquaintances still have to And Murphy’s Law struck again. This
pass through the filters of Industry company sold its spectrum and licences to
parameters. Industry has its own ways and another Telecom Major and owing to
means to sift and validate the tenets of overlap in the jurisdiction, the company
military attributes for their relevance. Once which acquired the spectrum and licences,
an ex-serviceman has established his terminated our services in May 2018. In
utilization, the senior management, peers May 2019, I was back with the telecom
and the juniors start seeking his/her Major where I had served earlier but in a
guidance and fruitful utilization of the new role. Thereafter, it was a routine
military tenets which come as a bonus to journey with its own mixes of ups and
them. To be in the location and role of downs till superannuation.
choice, one has to wait for an opportune
moment with good situational awareness My Assumptions : Tough times were a thing
about various openings. of the past as I was enjoying steady state.
By virtue of my experience, I had learnt
Steady State and Averting Turbulence enough to sail through the rest of my
professional journey.
I was well saddled now and was enjoying
my life - as per my perception I had Reality Check: Learning should never stop.
achieved Steady State. But, life keeps The onus of keeping oneself industry
changing its course and unknown to me my relevant is one’s own responsibility. Being
first experience of corporate restructuring sincere has its own dividend and it is only
was just round the corner. In 2013, the work and outcome that brings its
understood the meaning and the harshness rewards.
of RESTRUCTURING. Going to a new
set up with parallel hierarchy is Superannuation from the Corporate
challenging. Frantic attempts to keep The place and level one achieves in the
sailing in turbulent waters brought another corporate depends on one’s hunger to
lesson in life - keeping oneself self-relevant grow. There is no place for complacency.
by continuing study for added The growth pyramid is relevant here as
certifications. This well. I happened to interact with few ex
fauji

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friends who are now running successful ventures. Even their lives are full of learnings where
they slogged to remain market relevant. There is no escape from hard work. What industry
needs is what is relevant to them, military attributes further the journey and not vice versa.

In my case, by this time, Providence and sheer luck matured me to the age of 60 years on 31
Jul 25. I superannuated for the second time and this time from the corporate. Learnings I
have tried to share in the running narrative are the ones which were experienced by me, but,
each ex fauji’scorporate story / entrepreneurship story is different and an individual learning
maybe different based on his lived experiences.

In Summary My Lessons Learnt

One should be absolutely convinced about the reason to venture outside military service
as the impact is felt by your family as well.
Be very clear that the journey in the Corporate/ entrepreneurship can be quite uneven
and jerky.
Do not get carried away by the sales pitch of the vendors you are interacting with while
in service.
Military training prepares you for the military profession, the skills required in
Corporate are more business/ technical oriented.
Acquaintances do matter but not without relevant qualifications and industry
certifications
One has to keep striving for betterment and improvement, both professionally and
academically. Always keep oneself relevant.
The requirement in corporate is quite dynamic as regards the market needs. Be alive and
be agile to adapt to that.

"Who says nothing is impossible?

Some people do it every day!"

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OCT 2025

58
 OCT 2025

Special Feature
Interview with the Ex-MD ECHS

Maj Gen Manoj Natarajan, SC, VSM

Ex-MD, ECHS

Mah Gen Natarajan is from the 71st Course

NDA, commissioned inDecember 1987 . The
General had an illustrious career in the Army. He
was awarded with a gallantry award Shaurya
Chakra during his stint in the J&K, he has also
held the prestigious post of the Adjutant of the
NDA, Khadakvasla. He holds a master's degree
from NDU, Washington D.C. In addition he has
been the Commandant of Bihar Regimental
Centre, MGOL Eastern Command, Dean
Faculty of Studies and his last role was that of
the MD of ECHS from where he retired on 31st
August 2025.

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Q Thank you very much for accepting the about, you know, less than 200 polyclinics,
invite and sharing your knowledge and which were set up across the country.
insights with the Forces Network community.
So I think to begin with, I would request you And there were about 200 empanelled
to tell us about the mandate of ECHS. How hospitals. However, from 2003, till the time
did it come about? What is the organization I have relinquished my appointment, it has
structure? What is the funding pattern? How gone into becoming one of the largest,
does, as they say in a budget, how does the government sponsored schemes in the
rupee come in and how does it go out? So if country. And maybe it is one of the largest
you could just cover that and things like are schemes in the world. While we cannot
there any sovereign guarantees from the compare with the Pradhan Mantri
government, etc. Janarogayo Yojana, because that has a
huge magnitude.
Right. Coming to the topic of the day, it's But as far as government sponsored
always a pleasure talking about ECHS. It is schemes are concerned, this is one of the
something which for me and my colleagues largest in the world.
serving in the ECHS is, like being in a
combat unit and commanding your subunit As of today we have about 30 ECHS
or unit. So way back in late 1970s, it was Regional Centres which look after the
realized by our hierarchy that the military policy part and the hospital empanelment
hospital dependency of the ex-servicemen part. We must understand that there is a
and their dependents is not working out. mix of uniform personnel and contractual
Because in those days, like today, there were employees which run this organization. So
about 120, 130 of them, mostly the Regional Centres and the central org,
concentrated in the northern regions. So which I headed as the MD in ECHS, is
the eastern part of India, the central part mostly comprised of uniformed personnel.
of India, western part, and the southern Regional centres are headed by all
part got mostly left out. And then, there colonels, selection grade.
was nothing covering the ex-servicemen
and their families and medical costs had And in case of the Navy, they have got
started to rise in those days. three Regional Centres with them. They
are commanded by commodores. The rest
So by 2003, the entire effort fructified into are Group Captains or Colonels. The
setting up of the ECHS. So the whole country is covered under these. The
government sanction came in December lowest tier or I would say at the cutting
2002, and it was implemented in mid 2003. edge is the Polyclinic.
It basically took care of the needs of the
ex-servicemen and their families. The polyclinic is the place where primary
health care is delivered to our beneficiaries
It started with a very small budget of less and this is the first point of contact.
than rupees 500 crores. And there were

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 OCT 2025

ECHS Setup in Nepal: So these 450-odd And 80% of it and more was spent on
polyclinics that I am talking about are paying the bills of the hospitals, almost say
those based in India. We have another 9,000 plus crores. The other major head
setup in Nepal, which has got about eight under which the expenditure is done is the
Polyclinics and the Defence Attache (DA) medicines which are dispersed through the
there acts as the ex officio Director Polyclinics. So about 1,400 - 1,500 crores
Regional Centre. It is run from the DA's there. And this is given to the office of the
office itself. So that is a separate entity. In DGFMS. And through the DGFMS
India, we have 30 regional centres and channels that the medicine procurement is
about 450 polyclinics. done today.

So these polyclinics are the place where the Do Veterans Pay an Annual Subscription
beneficiary goes first or the dependent goes Towards the ECHS ?: While everybody
first and this is where the point of contact knows about the one-time contribution
is. So as of date, we have about 60 lakh you people are making it is based on
beneficiaries, 63 lakh bills are generated as category Officers pay 1.2 lakhs and there is
of last year for payment to hospitals, a sliding scale for JCOs and ORs and
amounting to more than 10,000 crores. equivalent. This amount comes to about
Rs 270- 280 crores annually. Out of this
So that is the kind of work that has gone 12,000 crores that we have spent last year,
behind to reach this scale from a humble 280 crores have come from the one time
beginning in 2003. It is a tri-service effort. contribution of the beneficiaries who have
recently joined the system. But there is a
And in 2003, we just copied the rules of the larger component which remains hidden
CGHS and put them here. It's a carbon and not very well talked about. And you'll
copy. The subscriptions are the same, the be surprised even in government circles
hospital reimbursement rates are the same, and the highest echelons, people have
the packages are the same, and the generally forgotten it or they find it
operations are similar. Basically CGHS convenient not to remember it. That
have Wellness Centres and we have got annually, there is a component of our
Polyclinics and they have about 1,800 pension called the Fixed Medical
empanelled hospitals while we have about Allowance (FMA).This amounts to Rs
2,900 empanelled hospitals. They are 12,000 rupees a year. And as you would
slightly ahead of us in terms of Ayush guess, this was enhanced somewhere in
Centres. We are catching up now. 2016 in the last Pay Commission and is
woefully inadequate. But Rs 12,000 (for
I believe that the Ayush policy is also going all ranks) into 20 lakh primary
to be rolled out very soon. So many of the beneficiaries who are drawing pension
Ayush centres, that is Ayurvedic centres amounts to 2,400 crores of inflow into the
are going to be established very, very soon. ECHS. So Rs 2,400 crores of our FMA ,
Just to give you an overview, the spending which is a part of your pension is being
last year was about Rs 12,000 crores. subsumed into the Consolidated Fund of
India (CFI) every year.

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 OCT 2025

Yeah, I think this is an important point that

all of us need to understand that we are scheme like ours, which reaches into the
actually paying annual premium, de facto, length and breadth of this country.
right? Like any other health scheme, Although we are not there everywhere, but
because a lot of us are not and we need to 450 districts out of about 780 is a very
probably articulate it better to the good thing.
environment. At a high level, ECHS has
nearly one and a half billion dollar
expenditure ie Rs 12,000 crore and Rs
2,400, which is the annual subscription, is
the inflow and then around 300 crores is
from the one-time payment.
So around 9,000 crore is the shortfall,
which is made up by the government.

Are there any Sovereign Guarantees from

the Government?: You see, although it is
not articulated like this in the GSL of 2002.
But I think it' a covenant, which doesn't
have to be written down that the state will
take care of the soldier and their
families.Yeah, the state has the right to send
the soldier into the harm's way. Then it also
needs to take the responsibility and give a Speaking at a Forum on the ECHS
sovereign guarantee to look after the
soldier and the family, whether he's there or So mostly about 70- 80 percent of our ex-
not. So that's the way I look at it. servicemen are covered by these
polyclinics. So that's one big difference
Q There is a perception amongst some between us and them. And that has its
veterans that CGHS is a better scheme than own challenges.
the ECHS.What are your views on that? Delivering things at a rural level where
connectivity is not so good, people don't
General Natarajan: The ECHS is a carbon want to go, you know, there are HR issues,
copy of the CGHS. There are two very there are delivery issues. So that's a
important variations. The first one is that commitment which we must accept when
the CGHS is mostly an urban based we are running a scheme like this.
scheme. So they are limited to about 70
odd towns or cities in this country. Their The second big difference is the manner in
empanelled hospitals, I think there are which the ECHS and the CGHS are
about 1,800 or something in total vs 2900 staffed.
of ECHS. Half of them are in Delhi. And The CGHS is mostly run by government
the rest of the half are in most state employees who belong to the Ministry of
capitals.So it is not a semi-rural, rural Health and Family Welfare.

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Org Of ECHS

And a very minuscule shortfall which they And it's a very unique system. There are
have in government employees is made up no hierarchies here. It's a collaborative
by contractual employees. While the function of the three verticals which are
reverse is true in the case of ECHS. running the ECHS.

The polyclinics are solely manned by So this was the way it was conceived in
contractual employees in our case. So we 2003. Probably that was the best method
have in our system about 9,000 contractual then. I would honestly admit that this may
employees, starting from the OIC of the not be the best method to run an
Polyclinic, who, you know, is a organization with an annual expenditure
commissioned officer, and down to the of billion and a half dollars. There is
receptionist or the ambulance driver. And serious thought being given to
contractual employees, while most of them restructuring it.
are as dutiful and honest as, you know,
they come, there is a, you know, On the left of the diagram is the first
management issue which comes into place vertical that isDGFMS. The provide a a
with contractual employees. So there is, at little bit of technical support, supervisory
places there can be an issue of efficiency functions, inspections, things like that
and things like that. \ through the 139 senior medical officers
who are in the system. In most cases, they
Organization of ECHS are commandants of smaller hospitals. In
So you would notice in this chart, there case of bigger hospitals, zonal hospitals,
are these three verticals. If you look at the you know, base hospitals, etc.
centre vertical, the biggest stakeholder is A point to note is that a very important
not the MD ECHS. The MD ECHS plays function of the DGFMS is to provide
basically a facilitative role. medicines to the Polyclinic.

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 OCT 2025

In the diagram the second vertical is that of MD ECHS and his superiors come in. The
the Service HQ. Please understand that this MD, ECHS reports to the secretary, DSW
service headquarter, that is the Army ( Department of Sainik Welfare) ,
Commander downwards, the Sub-Area normally an IAS officer. Presently, he
commander and equivalent in the Navy and heads the Department of Ex-Servicemen
the Air Force, like the Chief Of Staff of a Welfare. The Department of Ex-
Command, these two-star or three-star Servicemen Welfare also has two other,
officers are the ones under which the verticals, so as to say the Kendriya Sainik
Polyclinics are functioning. . The entire Board (KSB) and the DG Resettlement.
human resource management means hiring So here it is basically about policy, budget
and firing and looking after them, allocation, and various some sort of
infrastructure, running it efficiently, safety sanctions and waivers. MD ECHS can
and security, development, you know, all sanction Bills up to Rs 15 Lakhs. Bills
those issues which we face, our beneficiaries above Rs 15 lakh are sanctioned by the
face other than medicines in a polyclinic. Ministry and not by the MD, ECHS. So
Very nearly is the responsibility of the you would notice that the MD, ECHS has
station commander. Or in case of the Navy no direct lien over the first or the second
and Air Force, the Base Commander or the verticals.
shore establishment. So they play a very
pivotal role. And I am very happy to tell all As you can see the Polyclinics are
of you that over the last two and a half independently functioning under their
years that I've been in the chair, I have seen respective commanders, so there is little
a sea change in the way that our diffusion of responsibility, personality
commanders up the chain right up to army issues, because 139 SEMOs can interpret a
commanders, C-in-Cs, have taken so much policy given by ECHS in a different
of interest and a lot of improvement has manner. And so there are 174 station
happened in two and a half years. commanders who are responsible for these
448 Polyclinics. So this is where probably
And I say this as ECHS MD it is purely the dissonance comes in understanding
and purely because we just write letters, we and execution, which probably is also
go and meet them, we facilitate, we get the partly because our communication to
best practices from other Polyclinics. We them has not been very effective.
tell them that this is the way to be done.
But the implementation has been done by But because you can't run a big
these commanders on the ground. So I'm conglomerate like this, you know, based on
very glad to tell you that there is a lot of peer group relation, there has to be some
interest now reawakened in our hierarchy. accountability in the system. So that is
And this is a system which is going from where, when I'd say that there is a serious
strength to strength. thought being given on restructuring the
organization going forward.
The third pillar in the diagram is where, the

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Q Explain to us this concept of Primary

Heath care and the function of gatekeeping
that needs to be done at various levels
especially at the Polyclinic level.

Well, I'll try and answer your question. This

has been picked up from the National
Health Policy of 2017.This is in consonance
with what the World Health Organization
also puts across, that 80% of those who
require medical attention should be treated
at primary health centres. There is no Primary Health Care and the Gate
requirement for these 80% to go to Keeping Model
hospitals or for specialist appointments or It's the secondary and tertiary where this
for interventions which, you know, are gatekeeping thing comes in.
needed mostly for the 20%. So this is a
statistical analysis over a period of 10-15 Second payoff of this is the revenue
years. expenditure. So the lesser number of
people who actually require going to
So we should take it as gospel truth. So if 1 secondary and tertiary, your hospital bills
lakh people go to various polyclinics, 448 will drastically reduce. So these are two big
polyclinics in a day, 80,000 of them should payoffs of actually following this model.
be treated at the primary health centre.
That should be the efficacy. That's an ideal It keeps the population healthy and it also
model. And only 20% who actually require reduces your costs as an organization.
specialist care or visit to specialists or some
kind of advanced diagnostics or lab tests or Q Now tell us about the most common
even treatment should go into secondary challenges being faced by the ECHS and
and tertiary, which is what the hospitals are what are the measure to resolve those
empowered to undertake. issues?
Now, there is a huge, big band there which
says gatekeeping. And this gatekeeping Alright the challenges can be broadly
serves two purposes. One, it saves the classified into two groups.
beneficiary from unnecessary medical
interventions which are not required. 1.Challenges at the Polyclinic level.
2.Challenges at the Empanelled Hospitals
So please don't get an MRI done or a total level
knee replacement done because some
commercial interest is driving it. . So it's Challenges at the Polyclinic Level
very, very important that primary
healthcare is primary in our system.

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 AUG 2025

Overcrowding: This is a big challenge the situation to some extent

that we are facing which arises
primarily because of the infrastructure Challenges at the Empanelled Hospitals
not being able to keep pace with the Level
increase of the dependent beneficiaries.
To illustrate the point the Polyclinic at The problem here is that for the hospitals
Sohna Road, Gurgaon had 30,000 serving the ECHS is a function of the
dependents 5 years ago today that commercial viability. The ECHS in flow of
number is well above 1 Lakh. This funds in not smooth and that causes cash
could be attributed to urban migration flow management problems. As a result
where even families of JCO/Ors are ECHS is in a chronic debt with around Rs
now migrating to the cities and the 5,000 cr payments outstanding for the
ECHS as an org is playing catch up. hospitals. Consequently, some hospitals
Lack of Funding: After 2010 there has especially in the South India like Apollo
been no major increase in the number hospitals has dis-empanelled ECHS. Some
of Polyclinics. It was only in Nov 2024 hospitals keep a threshold limit say Rs 2
that after the efforts of al and sundry Cr when the outstanding payments cross
that 23 new Polyclinics were approved. this they dis-empanel ECHS. The macro
Dwarka, Dehradun, etc get new issue is the lack of funds to pay the
Polyclinics. However in another 5 years hospitals.
we would be overwhelmed again.
Brick Based System: As a result the In North India I have found that the
ECHS has proposed a brick based Directors of Regional ECHS Centres are
system where in the manpower and the very proactive in interacting with the
plinth area of a Polyclinic hospitals and resolving the issues. These
automatically gets approved once Directors are the ones who empanel
certain dependent thresholds are hospitals and pay them so they have some
crossed without going to the leverage over the hospitals. So in case of
government for approvals. The an issue with a hospital the Director
Secretary DWS is aligned with this Regional Centre should be your first port
proposal and he has gone on ground of call. In most cases he will be able to
and visited many Polyclinics personally. resolve the issues.
Lack of Medicines: This is an issue I
will address in the subsequent part of Frauds: This is another issue the ECHS is
my talk. trying to use technology to detect and
HR Issues: These are issues like staff reduce fraud. Measures are underway in
not having been trained, lacking in soft this regard.
skills. ECHS had been taking measures
to improve these. The salaries have been Hospital Rates. Since are tried with the
increased by around 20% recently. The CGHS for the rates there is very little that
ECHS Salaries bill has gone up from the ECHS can do to change the rates. The
the earlier 300 Cr to now around 500 rates were last revised in 2014, today is
Cr. So, hopefully this should ameliorate 2025.

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Polyclinic the Cutting Edge of the ECHS Organization

Cost of medical treatment has been rising well. ECHS has been taking a lot of
at a rate higher that the consumer inflation. measures some which are as enumerated in
In the last two years there has been a slight the below paras:
increase of around 20% rates. For whatever
reasons the government seems to be Strengthening Vigilance: You may have
dragging their feet on this issue. We are heard in the news recently that an
having an outstanding payments towards official of the Polyclinic were arrested
hospitals in excess of Rs 5,000 cr ( more by the CBI for accepting a bribe. Now,
than half a billion $). Added to the lack of these things take a lot of effort and
a smooth funding from the government can planning maybe upto 6-8 months. I
prove to be a death knell to the system. can say that a lot of cleaning up has
been done in the last 2-3 years and I
Leadership and Stakeholder Management can take some credit for it.
Issues
Bill Processing Improvements: With 63
While we can keep blame each other. We Lakhs invoices being generated every
need to face facts. Why were no Polyclinics year it is humanly impossible to scan
sanctioned in 14 years? We clearly seemed them and detect fraud. ECHS has
to be lacking in vision and strategy. And I entered into a partnership with IIT,
would not hesitate to say that this lacking is Kanpur to launch an AI based fraud
both at the level of uniformed officers as detection system in the invoices. The
well at the level of the MOD. This seems to project is driven by the Army Design
be the bane of the system. This needs to be Bureau and I am confident that it shall
fixed. see the light of the day soon.

Remedial Measures Being Undertaken Infrastructure Upgradation: This

includes the upgradation of IT as well
Alright let me give you some good news as as the physical infra at the Polyclinic

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·from their Welfare funds, non-public ·Legal Support. Nowadays, there are
funds, Station funds, etc to improve infra increasing cases of consumer cases and
like the set-up of labs and physiotherapy other litigations. ECHS is dependent on
centres at the Polyclinic levels. Other infra the stations to light the legal cases,
like seating, sprucing up the Polyclinic are however the ECHS has hired a Law firm
also being done. to support in this regard. The credit for the
same goes to my predecessor.
Medicine Sourcing: Unlike the payment
of hospital bills I can say that in the Q I now have the most popular and perhaps
case of medicines we do NOT have any the most important question that a veteran
budget issues. The sourcing of asks about the ECHS. Given the state of
medicines is done under the aegis of the ECHS do you think that a veteran
the DG AFMS. Annually, around Rs should also buy a supplemental private
1500 Cr worth of medicines are health insurance cover ?
procured through 139 Commandants
of Military Hospitals. This system is You are right when you say that this is a
very archaic and out of tune with the popular question. I get this question most
current day world. This way we lose out often in the Retiring Officers Seminar. The
on the economies of scale by procuring answer to this I would say is a personal
centrally and obtaining large discounts choice of the veteran.
as is done in the Jan Aushadi Yojana
where the medicines are procured at In the ECHS system the role of the
nearly 1/4th of the MRP. It is an ultra Primary Health Centre the Polyclinic
modern system, completely paperless cannot be over-emphasized. It performs an
and nearly Rs 100 cr worth of important function of gate keeping. If you
medicines are bought on a daily basis. wish to visit a Specialist directly instead of
The DGAFMS needs to make similar first visiting the General Physician and do
arrangements. not have the patience of visiting a
Polyclinic then this would not be possible
Modernizing Polyclinics: It is important for those below 70 years of age. If you
to strengthen the facilities at the have the patience I would say ECHS is
primary health care level. The whole fine, else you may look at supplemental
focus has to shift towards a preventive private Insurance.
health care from the current costive
system. We are trying to have Secondly, it also matters where you are
polyclinics with their own labs, staying. If you are staying in a large metro
physiotherapy centres and more. When like Delhi which has a large number of
we send out a beneficiary for a simple ECHS empanelled hospitals then most
blood test we are making him likelihood ECHS should be fine. However,
vulnerable to manipulation by the in case you are staying in a remote place
external environment. It Is not in the where we may not have ECHS empanelled
interest of either the beneficiary or the
ECHS.

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 OCT 2025

hospitals then most likelihood ECHS should be fine. However, in case you are staying in a
remote place where we may not have ECHS empanelled hospitals then one should look at
supplementing it with private health insurance.

So, basically there is no one size fits-all right answer here.

Concluding Commentary
Quoting from the Podcast

Iqbal: “As we conclude this profound discussion, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude
to the Managing Director of ECHS for their valuable time and for shedding light on the
intricate workings of this essential scheme. Your dedication to the welfare of our ex-
servicemen is commendable and deeply appreciated.
To our listeners, thank you for your attention and for your continued support of our veterans.
The health and well-being of those who have sacrificed so much for our country is a collective
responsibility, and ECHS stands as a testament to our nation's commitment to this cause.”
For more information, please visit the official ECHS website at www.echs.gov.in.

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SEPT 2025

70
 OCT 2025

Women Power
PALLAVII WAALIA RAJ

About the Author

PALLAVII WAALIA RAJ is the world’s first Radiance Architect
— an award-winning communication coach, multi TEDx speaker,
author, and celebrated emcee. From hosting the ICC Cricket World
Cup for ESPN STAR SPORTS to Milan Fashion Week for ZEE
Trendz, she has shared stages with iconic leaders across the globe.
As the founder of The Radiance Academy and Charizmatic
Communicators Hub, she empowers professionals, coaches, and
leaders, to master Presence, Power and Profit and to build a lasting
Legacy. Through her flagship programs, people learn to unmute
their voices, radiate charizma, monetize stage & screen presence,
and create movements that outlive them.
Her mission is bold: to transform 1 billion souls with
communication and Radiance that inspires action, income and
impact. Her philosophy is simple: Radiance is your most valuable
currency. It’s not just about being seen; it’s about being
remembered, respected, and richly rewarded while impacting lives.

Q Please tell us something about your early Watching my parents train players and
childhood and your family prior to your pour their soul into the game left a deep
marriage. Your father was a renowned imprint on me. As a little girl, I saw how
hockey player and coach at the India level they carried themselves with dignity, how
Satinder Pal Singh Walia. How did that they never gave up no matter the odds, and
have an impact on your personality? how they believed that greatness flourishes
in the unseen hours of practice. That spirit
I grew up in a home where the smell of of resilience, that love for excellence,
hockey sticks and the sound of whistles seeped into me very naturally.
were part of daily life. My father, Satinder
Pal Singh Walia and mother Leela Walia, Even though I chose a very different path,
were not just renowned International the drive to push boundaries, stand tall
hockey players, my father was an with pleasure under pressure, and keep
International Grade 1 Umpire and the showing up no matter what to carry
coach of the Indian Hockey Women's forward the legacy of Radiance and
National side. He was a man of immense Impact in my chosen field — that comes
discipline, fun, and quiet strength. straight from my parents and my early
childhood.

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 AUG 2025

Communication Coach, media personality,

author, and entrepreneur. The ability to
walk into any room, whether a naval
gathering, a global corporate summit, or
an international stage, and connect with
authenticity comes from those years of
learning to adapt and radiate, no matter
the backdrop. The Navy gave me a
mindset of discipline and courage, and
that’s exactly what propels me today to
help others unmute their voice, radiate
charizma, and lead extraordinary lives.

Q3. Your profile highlights a remarkable

ascent from a beginner to a "Bankable
Arun during his first posting in Assam area Brand". Please share in chronological
order the story of your professional life.
Q As the wife of an esteemed Indian Navy Could you share a pivotal moment that
officer, Commander Bimal Raj, your life first ignited your passion for inspiring
undoubtedly weaves through the unique audiences and empowering individuals to
tapestry of the armed forces community. own their voice??
How has this foundational aspect of your
life shaped your perspective and propelled My professional journey has been nothing
your extraordinary journey as a globally short of a magical evolution, from raw
celebrated communication coach , a media beginnings to becoming a “BANKABLE
personality, an author and an entrepreneur? BRAND.” I started out with pure
curiosity and a love for expression.
Being married to Commander Bimal Raj Hosting my first radio shows, live events,
and living within the armed forces and TV programs as a beginner, I quickly
community has been nothing short of realized that these platforms weren’t just
transformative. The Navy doesn’t just stages, they were mirrors, reflecting my
shape officers; it shapes families. The energy back through the audience’s eyes,
values of strength of character, their letters, their responses, and their
adaptability, and service-before-self loyalty.
became an inseparable part of my own
journey. Every posting, every challenge, Every opportunity sharpened my skills,
every celebration in the Forces taught me from anchoring small gatherings to
how to stay grounded in uncertainty, build eventually commanding some of the
meaningful connections quickly, and lead world’s most prestigious stages like the
with grace under pressure. ICC Cricket World Cup and Milan
Fashion Week.
That life became the bedrock of my career
as a Radiance Architect, Charizmatic The pivotal moment came when I felt an

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Q The path to building multiple multi-

crore ventures was, by your own admission,
not without significant hurdles, including
rising from two bankruptcies. Can you delve
into the emotional fortitude and strategic
pivots required to transform such adversity
into a springboard for your subsequent
triumphs?

The path to building multiple multi-crore

ventures was anything but linear. What
most people see today is the success, but
what they don’t see are the two
bankruptcies that nearly broke us. Those
With the Big B weren’t just financial setbacks; they shook
entire audience lean in, not just to my the very ground beneath us as a couple, as
words, but to the ENERGY I brought into parents, as dreamers. I remember nights
the room. That moment was electric! I when Bimal and I would sit across the
realized then that true communication is table with nothing but silence between us,
not about speaking at people, but about wondering how we would rebuild, not just
creating an invisible bridge of connection our bank accounts, but our belief in
that can inspire, heal, and move them into ourselves.
action. That clarity ignited my passion to
empower others to own their voice and What got us through was choosing
radiate their presence, because I had courage over despair. We made a pact: if
witnessed how a single voice, spoken with life had stripped everything away, we
authenticity, could transform the energy of would still not let it take away our spirit.
an entire room. Instead of pointing fingers or drowning in
regret, we asked, ‘What is life trying to
From there, my journey unfolded into teach us here?’ That simple question
many dimensions, as a Radiance Architect, shifted everything.
Charizmatic Communication Coach, media
personality, author, and entrepreneur. Yet Practically, we began small again; one
the core remained the same: to help people client, one opportunity, one step at a time.
unmute their voice, light up every stage and Emotionally, we leaned on each other like
screen, and turn their story into impact. never before. When I crumbled, Bimal
That journey is what metamorphosed me became my rock. When he faltered, I
from an uncertain beginner into a brand reminded him of our bigger VISION.
that audiences don’t just love, trust and Together, we rebuilt not from ego, but
celebrate, but turn to for inspiration. from authenticity and alignment.And
I'm filled with deep gratitude for this strangely, those painful bankruptcies
blessing. became our greatest gifts. They stripped
away the excess, taught us humility,

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 SEPT 2025

sharpened our strategy, and made us super to see India and the world filled with
courageous. We realized that true wealth communities led by Radiant
isn’t just in the balance sheet, it’s in deeply Communicators, people who elevate
knowing our true worth, in unity, and the conversations, industries and impact while
ability to hold on to our Vision with building sustainable wealth.
absolute FAITH and GRATITUDE We are gathering a tribe of visionaries,
despite the appearance. Those very creators, and leaders, people who are ready
setbacks became the springboards that to stop hiding, start shining, and change
catapulted us into building ventures with the game.
purpose, presence, power and profit.
Our promise is c lear:
Q Your co-founding of Charizmatic “We will not just teach you to speak. We
Communicators Hub (CCH) and The will teach you to command a stage, to lead
Radiance Academy (TRA) represents a a movement, to turn your voice into
monumental effort to create a global wealth, and to create a ripple of
coaching ecosystem. What core vision drives transformation so strong that your name
these academies, and what were the most becomes your legacy.”
significant challenges you overcame in
establishing them? What is your vision for The most significant challenge we faced?
the future? Starting with nothing more than
conviction and lived experience. After our
When Bimal and I co-founded Charizmatic bankruptcies, resources were limited and
Communicators Hub (CCH) and The self-doubt was real. We faced skepticism,
Radiance Academy (TRA), our vision was
crystal clear:

Pallavii – the Ted X Speaker

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 SEPT 2025

people questioned if we could truly build For me, excellence and radiance are not a
something at this scale. Technology was destination, they're a state of being, a
another hurdle; moving into digital frequency. It means showing up fully,
ecosystems felt like stepping into uncharted whether as a coach, an emcee, a media
waters. But every obstacle became an personality, an author, or an entrepreneur,
opportunity to grow sharper. and refusing to settle for mediocrity in any
role I play. I define excellence as the
We leaned on continuous internal work consistent pursuit of growth, authenticity,
with the help of our coaches, adaptability, and impact, no matter how challenging the
and the service-first values we had carried circumstances.
from our parents and the armed forces.
Resilience has been the foundation. Rising
CCH became the heartbeat, a vibrant, from two bankruptcies, navigating the
living community where professionals, unpredictability of Navy life as a spouse,
coaches, trainers, and entrepreneurs learn, and constantly reinventing myself have
grow, and shine together. TRA became the taught me that excellence and radiance are
lighthouse, building global pathways of forged in adversity and the desire to live
Radiance and leadership that transcend my Greatness fully. Creativity has been the
borders. Together, they are not just fuel, finding fresh ways to connect with
academies; they are ecosystems of audiences, designing transformational
excellence, impact and increase. coaching experiences, or turning setbacks
into innovative opportunities.
My vision for the future is bold: to create
10,000 Multi-crore Champions and to I continuously focus on excellence and
transform the lives of 1 billion souls radiance by setting aligned higher
worldwide through communication that standards for myself, taking devoted
inspires, heals, and ignites transformation. action and constantly learning from my
I see The Radiance Academy becoming a coaches and life. Most importantly, I keep
global powerhouse of charizma, presence, reminding myself that true excellence is
and radiance — not just teaching people not about being perfect; it’s about being
how to speak, but showing them how to authentic, radiating presence, and
monetize, lead, influence, and leave a inspiring others to discover the best
legacy that outlives them. version of themselves. That pursuit keeps
me moving forward boldly, no matter how
Q The "Women Power" feature celebrates multifaceted the journey becomes.
resilience. Your story embodies "resilience,
creativity, and the pursuit of excellence". Q You are renowned for your "signature
How do you personally define and energy, gravitas, and stage presence",
continuously strive for excellence in your captivating audiences from the ICC Cricket
multifaceted roles?

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 SEPT 2025

World Cup to Milan Fashion Week. What

does it truly mean to "radiate" your Truth
on such grand platforms, and how do you
cultivate
that magnetic authenticity?

To me, radiating your Truth means carrying

your inner alignment onto the outer stage.
It’s not about performing a role, it’s about
letting your energy, your story, and your
values shine so brightly that the audience
feels you before they even hear you. You're
like the sun, you don’t ask permission to
shine, you simply do, and in doing so, you
ignite others.

Whether it was the ICC Cricket World Cup

With the legendary Kapil Dev
or Milan Fashion Week, the stage was
never just a platform; it was a space to venture in that space? What are your views
transmit energy, confidence, and on this? How does one identify one’s
connection. passion?

Cultivating that magnetic authenticity takes Understanding your own passion and
discipline and inner work. I prepare my expertise before venturing into any space is
presence as much as my content, through absolutely critical. Passion gives you the
breathwork, dimension shift practices, and fire to start, but expertise gives you the
rituals that ground me before I step on credibility to sustain. Without passion, the
stage. I remind myself: “I am expressing, journey feels like a burden; without
not impressing. I am His vessel, appointed expertise, the world won’t take you
for Higher work.” When I stop trying to seriously. When the two align, that’s when
prove and simply choose to serve through you create impact and magnetism.
the Divine in me, the radiance flows
naturally. I believe passion is not always loud or
obvious, sometimes it hides in the things
And that’s the secret, true gravitas isn’t you lose track of time doing, the topics
built on perfection; it’s built on presence. you can’t stop talking about, or the
When you walk on stage aligned with who problems you feel compelled to solve. To
you truly are, audiences don’t just watch identify it, you have to pause, reflect, and
you, they experience you, they feel seen and ask:
understood. That feeling is what lingers ‘What makes me come alive, even when no
long after the lights go out. one is watching?’

Q How important is it to understand your Equally important is turning that passion

own passion and expertiseand then decide to into expertise. Read, learn, practice, fail,

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 SEPT 2025

rise, and keep sharpening your skills until Profit -> Legacy, or The Torchbearer
your passion is no longer just a personal joy Framework™ is this:
but a professional value you can share with They realize that communication is not
the world. just about speaking, it’s about becoming
visible, first to themselves and then to the
Marry your passion with your profession rest of the world.
and expertise, and watch yourself create
unfathomable influence, income, and Here’s what happens, in sequence:
impact. 1.Presence: A shy student who once
shrank in rooms finally sees themselves in
the mirror and says, “I am enough. My
voice matters.” That internal presence is
the ignition point.

2.Power: As they practice stagecraft,

tonality, and storytelling, the external
confidence follows. Suddenly, people lean
in, teams listen, clients nod. The revelation
here is: “I don’t need to become someone
else, my authenticity IS my power.”

3.Profit: They go from undercharging or

doing free gigs -> to closing their first
high-ticket client or commanding a
premium stage fee. The revelation here: “I
Family Fun Time am no longer begging for opportunities. I
am creating them.”
Q Your proprietary frameworks, such as
The Visibility Code™, Presence -> Power -
4.Legacy: This is the deepest shift. They
> Profit -> Legacy, The Torchbearer
stop chasing applause or money and start
Framework™ and others, aim to transform
building communities, messages, and
individuals into "confident communicators,
movements that will outlive them. The
magnetic speakers, and impactful change-
revelation: “I am not just a speaker, I am a
makers". What is the most profound
torchbearer. My voice will echo long after
revelation you've witnessed in someone
I’m gone.”
applying these codes to unlock their fullest
potential?
The single most profound “aha” moment
is when our students discover that their
The most profound revelation I’ve
voice is not just sound, it is a currency, a
witnessed when someone applies
responsibility, and a legacy tool.
frameworks like The Visibility Code™,
Presence -> Power ->

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 OCT 2025

I’ve seen people break down in tears when You become unshakably magnetic.
they realize the fears that kept them That’s the real key: communication is not
invisible were never about skills but about about transmitting data. It’s about
self-belief. And in that moment, they stop transmitting state. When you master the
seeing communication as a “soft skill” and art of making people feel seen, heard, and
start treating it as their life’s superpower. moved, doors open automagically - clients
pay, teams follow, audiences remember.
Q In a world increasingly saturated with
information, you help individuals "get paid To sum it up in one line:
to Radiate". What, in your expert opinion, is Information informs. But Radiance
the most overlooked aspect of transforms. And only transformation gets
communication that, if mastered, can truly you paid and remembered.
elevate one's presence and unlock
opportunities? Q For the readers of ForceNet E-Zine,
many of whom are military spouses or
In a world overflowing with information, veterans, what empowering message would
the most overlooked aspect of you offer about navigating their unique
communication is not what you say, but challenges while pursuing their own
how deeply people feel you when you say it. aspirations and leadership potential?
Most people chase perfect words, polished
slides, or clever strategies. Presence is not To every military spouse and veteran
built on information; it is built on Energy + reading this, your life has already been a
Intention + Attention. masterclass in discipline, adaptability, and
service. You’ve stood strong in uncertainty,
When you can align your voice, body, and led quietly behind the scenes, and carried
energy so that your words don’t just land in responsibilities many will never
someone’s ears but ripple into their understand.
emotions, you stop being forgettable. And here’s the truth, the very qualities
you’ve honed in silence are the same ones
that can make you extraordinary leaders in
your next chapter. Leadership is not
reserved for boardrooms or battlefields; it
begins when you choose to step into your
own Radiance, own your voice, and let
others feel the power of your presence.

Your journey so far has never been a

detour, it has been powerful preparation.
Whether you choose to build a business,
step onto a stage to speak, or lead a
community, remember this, ‘your right to
The Majestic Pallavii
shine is already yours’. You don’t need
permission,

78
 SEPT 2025

you’ve already earned it, and proven your Q Tell us about your family including your
strength. Now it’s about directing that spouse. How did they shape your value
strength toward a future where you’re not system? Also share the role played by your
only part of missions, but also the one family including spouse in your successful
inspiring and leading them. transition to a successful media personality,
author, coach and an entrepreneur?
Q To conclude, if there is one overarching
philosophy or a single piece of wisdom drawn My family is my anchor and my North Star.
from your rich tapestry of experiences –your Growing up, I was shaped by a home that
struggles, triumphs, and transformations – valued excellence, discipline, resilience, and
what would you impart to those seeking to compassion. My parents instilled in me the
truly radiate in their own lives? belief that strength and kindness can, and
must, coexist. Those values are the
If there’s one truth I’ve learnt, it’s this, foundation for everything I do today.
‘Radiance is not about being the loudest
voice in the room, it’s about being the most My husband, Commander Bimal Raj, has
authentic one’. When you stop hiding, when been my greatest partner in both life and
you speak from your truth with presence, purpose. With his years of service in the
power, and love, the world doesn’t just notice Navy, he embodies integrity, discipline, and
you, it remembers you. My philosophy is courage; qualities that constantly remind me
simple: don’t chase the spotlight; become the to lead with clarity and conviction. More
light. When you do, opportunities, than that, his unwavering belief in me gave
recognition, and impact will follow, and your me the courage to transition from media to
life itself becomes a legacy. coaching, authorship, and entrepreneurship.
He’s not just been my support; he’s been my
co-visionary, my sounding board, and the
one who challenges me to aim higher.

And our daughter, Giaa, is my daily

reminder of why legacy matters. She keeps
me grounded, while also inspiring me to
create a world where her generation, and
every generation after, can speak, shine, lead
and RADIATE with confidence.

So, if I stand today as a media personality,

an author, a coach, and an entrepreneur, it’s
because my family stood behind me, beside
me, and often in front of me, holding the
torch when I needed to pause and breathe.
My success isn’t mine alone, it’s the story of
all of us walking this journey together.

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 OCT 2025

Author of the Month

Aneeta Sharma

About the Author

Aneeta Sharma hails from a family steeped in military traditions.
She is an educator by profession with 28+ years of teaching
experience across the country. She has contributed to International
& National anthologies and her work has been published by
Kitaab International (Singapore), Indian Periodicals, Om
International, Visual Verse, The Aleph Review and Setu
(Pittsburgh) on their platforms. She was a guest speaker at AWWA
Lit fest Pune(2022) and her books featured at the WBF at Delhi
(2022 and 2025). Her short story titled Making Music was the
winner of the contest held by House of Harmony (2025). She is
currently a member of the Council for Global Education, Women's
Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WICCI).

Q Please tell us a little about yourself.

Your early childhood, schooling and
subsequent moves in the army post marriage.
Was writing always a hobby ?

I have the privilege of being born and later

married into the olive family. Travelling
across this amazing peninsula and
interacting with people from all walks of
life was part and parcel of life. Together
with the extensively stocked libraries to
which I was exposed by default (thanks to Early childhood
living in the cantonments), it became
graduated and post-graduated from
ground zero for an author-to be. From
different universities and got my
viewing Pakistani prisoners in POW camps
professional degree from a third. But I
in Udhampur at the age of four to being
loved living through it all and given a
one of a dozen scholars in Gangtok at the
choice I wouldn’t trade a single day for
age of fourteen, there was never a dull
anything else. With my husband, my most
moment We rode to schools in monsters
cherished tenure was at Leh where I
called Shaktimans and studied by the light
worked with the KV school and hosted
of petromaxes in places where electricity
programmes for the All India Radio.
was yet to make an appearance. I changed
seven schools in twelve years,

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 OCT 2025

books. . It was my husband who told me

to compile everything and brought them
together in the form of a diary. Though
my mobile’s notepad has taken over, I still
have that hard-bound diary he presented
me almost three decades ago.

As for prose, we used to get a lot of essays

and stories to write as English assignments
and I remember my teacher appreciating
one little story and asking me doubtfully if
I had written it independently. She went on
to say that I had a flair for writing. I was
in class X at that time. But that was not
the Eureka moment. A lot of tempering
was still needed and it came from being
Q How did you get into writing? Is assigned to the editorial committee of
writing a mission for you or a passion or a every single institution that I worked with.
hobby or a release? To top it, I became the unofficial script-
writer for annual events and programmes.
Writing wasn’t really a hobby at first but But the real awakening came when Mrs
reading was. I was passionate about Anita Shah, the then principal of APS
reading. Frankly, putting pen to paper Noida was browsing through something I
began as a reluctant response to the had scripted and out of the blue
enforced demand for the annual school sheremarked that I ought to write a book
magazine. I started off with poetry simply and added that when I did, I shouldn’t
because it was easier and quicker to turn forget to mention that she hadbeen
out verse than prose but gradually the instrumental in it happening. And I took
appreciation I received made me take it up her seriously. The idea of a book had been
a little more seriously. And I dabbled in niggling somewhere at the back of my
both languages. I personally feel that Hindi mind for quite some time and I decided to
lends itself far better to an overflow of finally get going.
emotions.
But that was just the starting point. In the
Yes, poetry was definitely a release of sorts. next seven years I did not get beyond four
I was an introvert and whenever there was chapters. And then suddenly, I lost my
an emotional upheaval, I would pour out sister. Apart from the dent it created in
my heart on paper. Initially I scribbled on my life, it made me realise that life was too
anything that was handy; the blank space short and I didn’t have all the time in the
on a newspaper, sometimes even a tissue world to pursue my dream. So, I quit my
and then I would push them into random job and started chasing my passion.
drawers or stick them between the pages of

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Q Many congratulations on having events. Which we all know is nowhere

published your book in 2025 “ Cantonment near the truth. I felt that the real picture
Chronicles“. The book is trunkfuls of had to be put out there. I reconnected with
nostalgic memories of life in the Mrs Nakra and interacted with more army
cantonments. What was your motivation to wives and many interesting tales came
write this book? tumbling out; someof grit and fortitude,
others of humour and determination. And
before I knew it, I had enough stories for
not just one book but a sequel as well !
Thankfully, Brigadier Rajender and his
teamat Sabre & Quill backed the idea and
the book was born.

Q Your earlier book published in 2024 The

Dalhousie Murders seems to be of a
different genre. Tell us about this book.
Why did you write a thriller ? The
characters in this book are very strongly
described so much that they almost seem
real. How did you manage to do that?

The Dalhousie Murders (TDM) isa very

special baby. When it got accepted by
Readomania, I was ecstatic. Dipankar
Mukerjee, who heads the publication
Book Cover house and Indrani Ganguly, my editor,
adopted and groomed it to perfection. My
The very first story in the book is
favourite genre as a reader has always
attributed to Mrs Ritu Nakra, who was the
been murder-mystery but at the same time
Head of Department (English) at APS
I abhor unnecessary violence, bloodshed
Noida and once in a conversational mood
and gore. I also realised that there are
she narrated the harrowing incident of how
many readers out there whose first
her son was bitten by a snake in Nagrota.
preference is a good thriller which has a
He was just a toddler and as luck would
nice investigative plot. That became the
have it, the menfolk were away on exercise
USP of my book. The murder would be
at that time.The way she tackled the
just 10% of the story and the rest would be
situation left a deep impression on me and
the suspense and the race to expose the
I felt thatthe courage of the army wives
culprit.That is how TDM happened and I
must also be written about. A lot is being
like to call it an investigative-thriller.
published about the heroes in uniform but
Another thing I focussed on was language
the general impression amongst the non-
because I believe that a good book goes a
military fraternity is that the lady-wives
long way in instilling a love for the
have nothing to do but drape stylish sarees
language.
and oscillate between parties and social

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As an educator, I have had many dressing styles……one doesn’t have to fall

parents approach me for reading back on imagination, the characters are all
recommendations for their children and around us.
I would invariably recommend the old
Q You now have so much experience
classics and authors I was familiar with
training and coaching people.While it is
because I was confident about their
a clear that the power of a positive
content. That thought became my
mindset is a differentiating factor for
guiding light and I made a
those who are successful. Why is it that
conscientious effort to keep the content
some people lack this power of a positive
clean and linguistically appealing for
mindset?
young readers.

This was the easiest book to bring out and

The characters came out as they are
it happened in record time. All the poems
because I have such a rich cache of real- had already been penned down over the
life models to draw from. Like I said, years and I just had to work out an index
our army life-style ensures that we meet and sequence them the way I wanted.
more people in a span of two years than Even the images had been clicked and
most people meet all their lives. saved initially in real albums and later in
Nuances, gestures, idiosyncrasies, virtual folders. For one of the poems, the
newspaper clipping of the image and the
words it inspired had been tucked away in
one of my school-journals. Thankfully my
dear husband discovered it and entrusted
it to that diary he created for me and I
had no trouble accessing it and turning it
over to the publisher. The oldest poem in
the book dates back to the year 1982 when
I was in school and the most recent ones
are of 2021, the year of the pandemic. The
rest were born in the years in between.
Most of these poems were inspired by
strong visuals which left a lasting impact
on me. They have a raw, commonplace
flavour and I guess that is what makes
them relatable.

Q In 2021 you also authored another Book

“ Home Run”. This book is a complex
exploration of relationships and varied
Book Cover characters separated in age and
background. It seems like a very tough task
to know and document the emotions

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 OCT 2025

of such widely varied characters in an but the last as well. Or so I thought. But
evocative manner. Tell us what is your fate had other plans and I just fell in love
with the writing experience. Now, I just
secret sauce?
don’t want to stop!

Yes, the range is prolific because I don’t

want to get stuck in any one genre. I feel
that it might lead to repetitive or
predictablecontent. So, I deliberately make
forays into different genres.

I am happiest when I am tapping away on

my keyboard. And when I am not doing
that, my mind is already running ahead to
what should happen next in whatever
book I am scripting. Frankly, now that
my children are walking their own roads
and I have taken a voluntary sabbatical
from my job, the major part of my day
revolves around writing. Completing a
book gives me the kind of kick which
mountaineers must be getting when they
scale Mount Everest.

Book Cover Q What is your writing or the creative

process? Do you make a list of points then
of such widely varied characters in an create a draft and then refine it or do you
evocative manner. Tell us what is your have long sittings to pen the book? Do you
secret sauce? also use AI- Artificial Intelligence tool in
assist mode to write?
Well, it isn’t exactly as mathematical as
one book per year. The poetry book was I havea clear starting point and that is all.
more or less done before 2020 and as for As I pen the first chapter, the story starts
Cantonment Chronicles, the narratives unravelling in my mind and Ikeep
expanding it. That does not mean that
were there and it took just a few
everything gets sorted in the first go. Often
months to weave those awesome stories
I have to go back and tweak what I have
into my own words. The other two took
previously written. At times, I have
a lot more time. When I started, I had scrapped entire chapters or reworked the
envisaged writing just that one novel characters. Especially while working on a
and certainly didn’t see myself as an mystery or investigative plot, one cannot
author of multiple books. Home Run underestimate the intelligence of the
was to be not just my maiden venture target reader base and that is pretty .

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challenging. When I read the first draft, I Q Tell us about your family. What has
see so many flaws that I literally go into been their role in your writing journey? How
depression. It takes many sessions of do they handle your absence when you are
editing before a decent manuscript emerges busy writing, reading and researching your
and is presentable enough to pass the books?
scrutiny of the publishers. These days,
when an idea strikes me when I am not at It may sound cliched but family is what
my work station, I save it on my mobile and holds you in there. The education and
refer back to it later. And that happens exposure to literature which my parents
quite often. gave me has been the foundation to all my
endeavours. My father, a veteran Colonel,
As for AI, that is an absolute No No! I would gift me and my siblings books and
have never used ChatGPT or any similar discuss the classics with us. That whetted
tool simply because I am conceited enough my appetite for books. My husband, Col
to believe that they can’t turn out anything Dinesh Dutt Sharma (Retd), is not
half as good as I can! But seriously, AI particularly fond of reading but he is a
content will never clear first base with any pillar of support and encourages me to
publisher worth his name. attend every festival or meet that I am
invited to. When I made up my mind to
Q Writing can require a lot of discipline quit my job in favour of writing, he didn’t
and routine. Is there a specific routine you once rub in the cons of the decision and
follow while writing a book? even insisted on financing my first book,
which I self-published. He is my unofficial
I personally don’t follow schedules or PR manager. In fact, it is thanks to him
routines. The building block in this field is that I am here on the Forces Network
creativity and that is something which can platform.
neither be disciplined or boxed into a
routine. There are times when I write for six
to seven hours at a stretch and then weeks
go by without penning a single line. It may
sound erraticbut for me there has to be
someintrinsic inspiration….that little voice
from the gut which urges me to get going. It
just cannot be a mechanical and time-
tabled process. There are spells when we are
travelling or the children come home and
then I don’t write for days on end. To the
extent that when I finally get back to my
manuscript, I have conveniently forgotten
the names of my protagonists! But it gives
me the advantage of reassessing whatever I
have written till then from a fresh POV. With Husband

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 OCT 2025

My son, also a Major in the army, is my

on my system. I have also co-authored a
best critic andgives me interesting insights
book with my husband. It is a non-fiction
into my plots but it is my son-in-law, a
which should be released by this year end.
Colonel, who I turn to when I need some
If all goes well, there will be sequels to The
practical and non-judgemental advice.
Dalhousie Murders and my dear detective
Indraneil will resurface.
And most importantly, there are these two
fantastic young women in my life; my
Q How can our readers keen to pick up a
daughter and my daughter-by-destiny who
copy of your book do so ?
are my floats and my bouncing-boards.
Whenever I feel that I am going under, they
All my books are available on amazon.
just haul me up and make sure I keep
The links are:
going. The former has become my self-
appointed counsellor and therapist while
1. Cantonment Chronicles:
the latter has taken on everything from
https://amzn.in/d/07nGUFJ
social media presence to book launches.
They are proof that women are a woman’s
2. The Dalhousie Murders:
best friends.
https://amzn.in/d/9vvao2S

Q You have been an army wife, a teacher

3. A Handful of Dewdrops:
and an author. Which one of these is the real
https://www.amazon.in/dp/9354462286/ref
Aneeta and why?
=cm_sw_r_wa_api_glt_fabc_6TQJF53YR
R4N3XX005F2
I am all of them and more. Each one of
them is the real me. And I have thoroughly
enjoyed every role that came my way.
4. Home Run :
Apart from my books, I blog; I like to
https://www.amazon.in/dp/1639047670/ref
create audio-visual content, attend poetry
=cm_sw_r_wa_api_glt_fabc_MEJXQQD0
meets and love experimenting in the
A5395VZS805Y
kitchen. I don’t turn down a single
opportunity to interact with young
Q Any advice to fellow veterans, military
children. Currently, I conduct free-lance
spouses who wish to become professional
workshops for students and teachers-in-the
authors ?
making. The daughter, the wife, the mother
and the teacher have shaped the author in
For anyone who wants to write, my
me.
suggestion will be that always keep in mind
the readers you want to reach out to. My
Q What are your future plans regarding
first book was appreciated but also
writing?
brought me a lot of critical feedback about
the vocabulary being too tough. Though I
I have many ideas bubbling in my head and
had not deliberately planned to use high-
I wish I can see them all translating into
flung words, in my subsequent books I
books. Currently, two manuscripts of mine
are with the publishers and the next two are

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 OCT 2025

consciously made an effort to use simpler language and replace the more complex words
which came to my head with toned-down alternatives. And the reviews of TDM and
Cantonment Chronicles validated the move.

Secondly, don’t be in a hurry to reach out to publishers. Refine your writing as much as you
can so that there are less chances of rejection. And wait patiently forsome traditional
publishing house to pick up your labour of love. It is quick and convenient to self-publish but
the thrill of knowing that someone out there believes in your story as much as you do and is
willing to back it, is indeed worth the wait. I waited almost three years before Readomania
accepted TDM and it has been the biggest game-changer for me. Lastly, think with your head
but write with your heart. And if I can be of any assistance, the pleasure would be mine.

We can connect on:

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/2703anitasharma

Instagram:

http://instagram.com/aneetasharma27?igshid=NjZiMG14OTY=

You can also access my work on :

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@aneetasharma27

TOI blogs: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/readersblog/random-musings/

Bloggers spot : https://www.blogger.com/blog/posts/4010997058251462462?bpli=1&pli=1

And before I sign off, I must put on record my gratitude to Col Iqbal Singh and the Forces
Network for this interview.

With Family

87
SEPT 2025

88
 OCT 2025

Major General (Dr) Harmandeep Singh Chatha (Retd) is an Ex-

NDA officer who after a distinguished career spanning over 36
years of unblemished service to the nation, superannuated as
Additional Director General Corps of Electronics and Mechanical
Engineers , from Army HQ. The officer has held various important
appointments at all levels and has impeccable academic
qualifications in technical and management fields. Prominent
ones are BTech,MTech, MBA, MMS and PhD in Management. He
has done prominent career courses including TSOC, HDMC and
APPPA. Post retirement, the General Officer was selected by Punjab
Government as the Managing Director Punjab
Ex-servicemen Corporation (PESCO), an appointment which he
currently holds. PESCO is a Punjab Government autonomous body
which provides post-retirement employment to ex-servicemen of
Punjab in various departments of Punjab Government.

Q Please tell us something about your A whole lot of our cousins brothers were in
background prior to joining the Army. the army and cousin sisters married into
the army. Now the next generation has
I come from a family where joining the taken over, though with opening up of
profession of arms has been a tradition. other professional avenues, their
My late father was commissioned in 1957 participation in the forces is a lot muted.
and retired after commanding his bn. We
are two brothers, both joined the army I studied mostly in convents in the early
through NDA.My elder brother retired as years and thereafter in KVs (Central
a Brigadier. My wife is also an Army Schools as they were known then) wherever
Officer’s daughter. my Dad got posted.

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 OCT2025

Journey of 40 years: NDA Cadet to a Major General

After studying at Chandigarh, Jammu etc, I DAA&QMG of an Infantry Brigade,

did my Matric from KV Jodhpur and then GSO-1 at HQ Andaman & Nicobar
joined DAV College Chandigarh. I was Command and as the first Col FP, raised
doing Pre-Engineering when I got selected the Financial Planning Cell at HQ
for NDA and shortly thereafter, I joined Northern Command I was also the Brig
NDA in June 1984. Adm of 101 Area, looking after various Q
and A aspects in the North East. I also
Q Tell us about your army career? Take us had the opportunity to serve in the United
through some of your tenures, the highs and Nations Mission in Lebanon.
the lows. Being an EME officer you have
strong technology knowledge. What was it As regarding tenures, I firmly believe that
that you learnt from the Army that helped it is the people, especially under whom you
you in your current profile ? serve, who make a tenure high
(memorable) or a low (forgettable). A
I am fortunate to have had the experience good boss can make the worst of places
of having served across the expanse of the memorable and a bad boss can make your
country, in all types of terrain, from tenure in the best of places forgettable.
Siachen to Port Blair and from Kibuthu to Probably the tenure which I had at Fazilka
Kutchh. as DQ of the brigade was the most
I commanded a frontline EME RAPID memorable. The place itself was nothing
EME bn, served as Brig EME of 2 Corps, much to talk about, but being a small
MGEME of Southern Command and military station, everyone knew each other
Additional Director General at Army HQ. I well. There was a lot of bonhomie and
had the experience of being an instructor at interaction and support within the small
MCEME as a Lt Col and later was HOD community. The locals also held the army
of Computer Systems Department. On the in high esteem and respect. The tenures at
staff side outside the Corps, I have been Dehra Dun, Ambala and Secunderabad

90
 OCT 2025

Paying Homage to our Immortals

were also memorable. Innovativeness, technical acumen and

selfless service of Indian troops in the
I would like to mention a little about two conflict was par excellence and something
more tenures where I saw disaster and to be proud of. We modified the revolving
destruction at close quarters. The first was flashing lights on the roof of a recovery
at Port Blair, where I was posted at short vehicle to operate through generator so
notice, in the immediate aftermath of the that UN Post stands out from the air,
Tsunami. The destruction caused was provided water supply by running a
appalling and stupefying. There were vehicle engine to power the water plant ,
posters of missing individuals pasted restored electricity supply using salvaged
everywhere. ANC was deeply involved in transformers and many such innovative
providing succour and rehabilitation measures as part of the succour to the
activities. I saw unimaginable damage due hapless locals.
to the nature, a grim reminder that we
should not tinker with it. Q You superannuated from military
services and joined as the Managing
The second was at Lebanon, when the 2006 Director Punjab Ex Servicemen
Hezbollah-Israel conflict took place.The Corporation ( PESCO). Tell us a little bit
UN was deployed in between the warring about PESCO, its mandate, history,
factions and there was death and organizational structure, revenue,
destruction all around. Apart from being operations and some major milestones?
the Maintenance Officer, I had the unique
experience of being an independent Post PESCO was constituted in 1978 by an act
Commander also . When Israel mistakenly of Punjab Legislative Assembly , and
targeted the neighbouring UN Observer received assent from the President of
post at Khiam, we were the first responders India. Hats off to our founding forefathers
for the rescue.The experience of being at who almost 50 years ago, came up with
the receiving end of an air strike in the the concept of this organisation. PESCO
immediate vicinity was numbing. was formed to provide welfare to retired

91
 OCT 2025

ex-servicemen (ESM) by providing second In addition, we have officers in the field

career employment opportunities. looking after various smaller PESCO
projects, with each officer responsible for
As part of this role, over the years, PESCO 3-4 districts. We follow all statutory
has been undertaking various activities for guidelines of the government, including
employment of ESM. Gradually, over the those on labour, EPF,ESIC, GST etc.
years, PESCO gravitated to providing
outsourced manpower to various Q What was your motivation to join this
departments of Punjab Government. role ?

Today, PESCO has more than 20,000 Post retirement from the army, I had a
employees deployed in various departments couple of offers from the corporate which
(Called PEs -Principal Employers) of GoP. I did not explore as I preferred this role of
We are also registered with DGR and on Managing Director PESCO. I think and
GeM. Maximum of our employees are strongly feel that at this stage of life, the
employed as Security Guards, Gunmen and satisfaction of repaying back to the
Security Supervisors. However, we also organisation which nurtured and brought
provide Drivers, Data Entry Operators, us up far outweighs the lure of heftier pay
Helpers, Chowkidaars etc to the PEs. packets of the corporate. It brings me
immense peace and satisfaction to
PESCO is financially autonomous and spearhead an organisation which is solely
receives no grant from the government. We focussed on one issue-the welfare of our
also operate two vocational training community of ESM.
Institutes at Bhatinda and Mohali, where
we train on security course, Fire Fighting
courses and computer courses. The USP of
PESCO is that our penetration into the
rural areas of Punjab is excellent. We have
jobs to offer in every village and cranny. We
have also employed more than 1600 JCOs
as Campus Managers in various schools
spread in all Districts and Tehsils of
Punjab. Campus Manager like an
administrative aid to the Principal of the
School and looks after the cleanliness,
security, repairs, discipline etc. In some
projects in which we have a large number of
employees, we also provide an officer to
oversee and control them. For example, we
have provided Security officers at Dams,
Thermal Plants, Hospitals etc.
Interacting with PESCO Staff

92
 OCT 2025

Our raison d’etre is to improve the socio- Q What are the top two or three strategic
economic status of ESM by ensuring jobs priorities as an MD that you are currently
are made available at their doorsteps. After focussed on to improve the lives of veterans?
many years of separation from families
which our soldiers endure due to the
different tenures all over the country, an
ESM desires stability and wants to
contribute to the family in terms of looking
after aged parents and participating in
bringing up children. So they prefer local
jobs which permit them to stay occupied ,
earn some welcome additional
renumeration and yet allows them to stay
with family. It is my job therefore to ensure
that jobs are made available to them in
rural and urban areas. Punjab Government
is doing a lot for the ESM and hence we are
PESCO Logo
able to offer decent jobs in banks, schools,
hospitals, Electricity grids etc which are
My topmost priority currently is to
today available in vicinity of most villages.
improve the renumeration by enhancing
the wages of PESCO ESM. The salaries
Further, hailing from Punjab, I am proud
we pay are based on the Punjab Labour
to contribute something to our wonderful
rates, which are much lower than, say the
state and for its large community of ESM.
DC rates of Chandigarh. These low
My motivation comes from the rustic,
salaries are a matter of concern and we are
simple and hard working jawans whose
trying to get these enhanced by 25% . In
interest is always in the background when
fact, salaries standardised by DGR is what
we try and negotiate better deals for them
we would ideally want from all PEs. That is
from PEs. Any extra allowance, any
why we seek other ways of compensating
additional perk and any additional measure
our employees ie negotiating allowances or
which can improve their financial or socio-
some perks.
economic status is what we at PESCO strive
for .
We are also trying to enhance the
retirement age of PESCO ESM from the
In some of the projects where we have
current retirement age of 58 years. Private
substantial PESCO employees at one place
Security Agencies Regulation Act
ie Dams, Thermal Plants etc, I am
(PSARA) of Central Govt permits a
privileged to take Sainik Sammelans and
security guard to serve up to 65 years. But
receive a guard of honour from PESCO
since PESCO follows Punjab Govt
ESM when I visit! The pride and
guidelines and the retirement for Punjab
satisfaction one derives from such events
Govt is 58 years,, we too are following
on getting such great respect even after
same. Some other state ESM corporations
post-retirement, is difficult to express in
have already enhanced it and we also
words !

93
 OCT 2025

hope to get approval soon. Actually the

length of service available for an ESM to
serve post-retirement is rather narrow-from
about 42-45 years to 58 years only, and
there is need to exploit their talents for
alonger duration.

One more focus area is the employment of

wards of ESM, this is being given higher
emphasis by us and I feel this is the best
form of welfare of ESM.

I am also deeply engrossed in our ERP

project. Actually, automation has been a
weak area and now we have conceptualised With the Honourable Chief
a project, right from the basic foundation Minister of Punjab
of data upwards. This project will usher construct a house, help in the education of
efficiency and bring the entire corporation kids etc….and then think of taking another
on one common platform unlike the job. For some this decision may depend on
present limited and compartmentalised how long the retirement corpus lasts!
automation initiatives. Since I am M Tech
in computers, it brings me immense Whatever type an individual is-seeking
satisfaction to contribute and drive this immediate employment or later-PESCO is
project to fruition. there to help. We urge all ESM to register at
the earliest with us, either online through
Q For service members transitioning back our website or offline when they come for
to civilian life, the period can be fraught with getting ESM I card from District Soldier
challenges. What resources and support are Board. Registration is free and we do not
you offering to help with this transition, charge anything for placement from
specifically regarding employment, and individuals, being a welfare organisation.
educational/ upskilling opportunities?. Our offices and staff in the field facilitate
this. We also record the personal choices of
As brought out earlier, PESCO is focussed the ESM-where he desires a job, his trade,
on welfare of ESM by providing post- technical qualifications etc. Thereafter we
retirement employment. You are right, do skill mapping of existing job options
retirement time appears a little daunting to with individuals and try to arrive at the best
most of those in service. I guess it stems fit. In some districts there is a waiting list
from uncertainty about the future and of ESM for jobs and at others vacancies are
leaving the warmth of our comfort zone of always existing.
the services environment. Our data shows
that most ESM on retirement prefer taking Our two vocational training Institutes offer
some time off… you know, maybe many courses in subjects like security, fire

94
 OCT 2025

fighting and IT. The fabric used for many years was not
breathable, was not anti-sweat and prone to
We charge very nominally and provide well fading. Based on the feedback, we got
accepted certification. The best part, of better quality fabric which is has been much
course, is that we also provide employment appreciated by the staff. Similarly, we
to the students getting trained. So it is a introduced good quality Bata shoes as part
win-win for all. of the uniform, based on adverse feedback
of previous model.
Q How does your department actively
solicit feedback from veterans and Veteran Q The government bodies cannot do this
Service Organizations and what is the work alone. How do you work with Veteran
process for using that feedback to make organizations, community organizations, and
tangible changes to policies and services? private sector partners to augment the
Any illustration of a feedback which upon services and support available to veterans?
implementation had a profound impact?
Our job is to reach out to ESM and offer
At PESCO, we feel that feedback is a very them placements. For this, we have linkages
important tool for any dynamic with many organisations like CPYTE
organisation, it spurs the organisation to (Centre for Punjab Youth for Training and
evolve and take continuous , remedial Employment), Directorate of Resettlement
improvement measures. We continuously (DGR), Rajya and State District Soldier
get feedback from our employees, from the Board, Maharaja Ranjit and other
principal employers and the environment. Preperatory Academies and of course
Our field officers regularly interact with various other departments of GoP. At
PESCO staff deployed in the field in times, private security agencies are also
various locations, about their service involved . PESCO is also playing a role in
conditions, attitude of PE Staff towards providing financial assistance to students
them, etc. Based on feedback, we interact studying in the GoP preparatory institutes
with PEs and resolve issues. I frequently of Punjab
interact with staff in various projects to get
first hand , untutored feedback also. Thus Q On a personal note, can you share a
we have so much presence at grassroot specific story or a moment from your time in
level that feedback is immediate and true. this role that made you feel proud of the
work being done and reinforced your
Our Board of Directors has a number of commitment to serving veterans?
senior ESM Officers who also by virtue of
their background, keep getting feedback During one of the field visits to some
from their unit/regimental ESM. One projects in villages, during interaction with
particular area where we brought out some PESCO employees, I learnt about
improvement based on feedback was the about the problems they face regarding
quality of cloth used in the summer their children, as most of them get inspired
uniform. from others to go abroad .

95
 OCT 2025

The financial burden on the parents for visualisation built in, will provide valuable
such foreign travel and stay is substantial. insights to the management and usher in
That set me thinking, can we not do efficiency in all transactions.
something for wards of ESM so that do not
have to travel thousands of miles in search Q What message would you like to give to
of a better future? Enthused with that , we transitioning military officers who wish to
started compiling data of wards of ESM make a career in the government bodies
and explored options of placing them also. related to veterans’ welfare and affairs.
I am very happy to inform that now we
have placed quite a few in jobs. However, Firstly, I would recommend to all serving
this is only the tip of the iceberg. Once our officers that they start preparing for
automation project is implemented, we retirement minimum 4 to 5 years before it
shall have better data of their qualifications happens. I know some officers, especially
to do skill mapping and provide even better senior officers who were into an almost
jobs to them. denial mode, as if they will never retire.
Some of them land up in depression when
Q If you could achieve one major milestone it happens. Retirement is inevitable…enjoy
for veterans in the next year that would have the service while it lasts, but start preparing
a lasting, positive impact, what would that be for retirement. Conditioning your family,
and how would you measure its success? deciding where to settle, what facilities like
clubs to join, what to do after retirement –
I have always believed that the hallmark of these are issues which need careful
a committed individual is how well he is deliberation. Those who leave their rank
judged by his successor and the healthy behind, are the happiest post-retirement !
legacy one leaves behind for others to
emulate/follow up. For an organisation like Secondly, equip yourself with the necessary
PESCO, the one lasting contribution I qualifications and certifications. Experience
would like to complete to usher efficiency is of services counts, but contemporary skills
the automation project, which is a vital and being in touch with latest trends is
need of the hour. We have all the verticals essential. Knowledge about various central
of an ERP-Recruitment, HR, Operations, or state welfare schemes regarding ESM
Projects, Finances, Training, Payroll and comes in handy. Many a times when we
Accounting Inventory management, interview officer candidates, we find their
Procurement, Legal etc functioning on a service qualifications good, but poor
manual system with very limited civilian qualifications. Pre-retirement
automation in silos. Legacy problems are management courses are available in
always there due to lack of an automated reputed institutions, these are very good in
checks and balances system. In the long quality and prepare an officer well for the
run, I am sure that this contemporary changed environment.
project which will have adequate modern
tools like AI and data Q Don’t you think that it is timeveterans’

96
 OCT 2025

welfare and affairs to be reimagine and it needs a paradigm shift as the times have changed from
when these bodies were founded.
For example some of the training courses being imparted may no longer be relevant. What are
your views on this topic?

What is most important is to constantly evolve and change as per the requirements of the
environment. For veterans, administrative processes can be better streamlined, technological
innovation can be better utilised and community integration made easier.
I recently perused the list of retirement courses offered by DGR and found these to be very
wide in variety and many of these are from premier institutes. So veterans will definitely
benefit from these.

Q Tell us about your family. You may also share the support rendered by your family in your
professional growth.

My wife has been a teacher for many years and left her career midway to support mine. She
has been a pillar of strength in my professional growth and life. We have two sons, both are
working in the corporate field.

Ever Grateful to Almighty: The General with his better half

“Live in the sunshine, swim

the sea, drink the wild air.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson

97
OCT 2025

98
JULY 2025

99
 SEPT 2025

Moment In Time
We have started with a Photography section “ Moment in Time” to provide an
outlet for creative side of our esteemed members. The rules for submission are
as under:-
1. Forces Network members, spouses and their wards can submit images for publication.
2. No Nudity or Porn.
3. No mention of Mil establishments or unit identity or tac numbers or tail numbers.
4. It’s a photography section so no images of various get togethers and social functions
will be published.
5. The longer side of image should be 2048 pixels.
6. Maximum 5 images will be published every month. The images must be submitted by
20th of every month.
7. Mention your Instagram ID.
8. While submitting the following details be submitted along with the suitable Title:-
a. Aperture
b. Shutter speed
c. ISO
d. Camera used
e. Lens
f. Focal length.
g. In case of a mobile click, the same may please be mentioned.
All Photos may please be sent to [email protected] by 20th of every month.

Mystical Meghalaya - By Col Ranjit Singh

100
 SEPT 2025

Mystical Meghalaya - By Col Ranjit Singh

Mystical Meghalaya - By Col Ranjit Singh

101
SEPT 2025

102
 SEPT 2025

NOEL LAND
Dedicated Section for the Star
Author of Forces Network

LT NOEL
COL ELLIS

We welcome Col Noel to the folds of

the Forces Network .
We have decided to devote a Section
to his writing every month in the
ForceNet E-Zine .

103
 OCT 2025

Sayonara My Friend
By Lt Col Noel Ellis
In my life I have written so many Once you poured out what was there
obituaries for the people I have loved and within you, she would just hold them tight.
were very close and dear to me. Bidding You could use them as memories or when
them the final farewell is very heart you remembered something. She would
breaking but that is what destiny is all willingly let you retrieve them. You even
about. No one can stay forever! left the room unlocked; she never divulged
them to anyone.
She came to my life almost forty years ago
when I had started my life as a 2nd Lt in the Every two years she would be given a new
Army. Life in the army gets quite lonely coat. Mind you, she loved ‘black’. Your
sometimes. You need friends who can keep name and rank were etched in white on it
your secrets and give you company. Let me with a number. That was like a ‘dhobi
confess, there are no personal secrets number’, very distinct and very personal
between good friends. He/she would keep for ease of identification, lest she got mixed
everything deep within her/his heart. up in the crowd.

Saying Sayonara
Image Source: AI generated

104
 OCT 2025

Sometimes, you requested her to open her A slightest bruise was taken very seriously.
heart out. You would be reminded of a few She would be treated like how a lady
old books which you read over and over should be treated and even given a fresh
again. She was their custodian. She would coat. She knew, she was always cared for.
tell you stories of your NDA sports
stockings with holes and squadron With age, she started to deteriorate. Still no
coloured shirts which you also loved as complaints. She would bear the hail, the
dearly as you loved her. winds, the sun, and storms with ease. One
day she even tumbled off a moving 3 ton
She was the silent guardian of all the truck, which was often a mode of
naughty books and magazines that a fauji transport. Not a word was uttered.
keeps. Darling would hide them under the
pleats of a bed cover. I am sure she would Then one day she fell in love with plants. I
have read all the love letters which my even left my gardening and other tools with
fiancée wrote to me. She definitely would her. She would keep them clean and safe.
not be interested in reading army precis. Once in a while she would allow me to take
out those tools for use. How dare I return
Songs which played on your tape recorder them back dirty!
were there with her, organised and neatly
stowed. At a glance you could retrieve Her legs started to give away. It was a very
them. She would sing along while you painful sight to watch. She became
hummed in your grotesque voice. immobile and difficult to carry. Because
she was kept on a flatbed, she continued to
My lady never complained. You stayed in a live but we knew that she was going away.
room, which was shared with many fellow There was no treatment we could do.
officers. You kept her in a MES house or a
bunker. A tent was where she stayed quite She now became a pure vegetarian.
often. In the open desert, to high altitude, Anything green and fresh would bring glee
to insurgent infested areas of the North to her eyes. She would munch on them but
East, to active militant areas is Kashmir. digestion was becoming an issue. Her
To the plains of Punjab, Op Parakram, Op condition kept failing. Last evening she
Vijay, you name it, she was the most passed away peacefully. We were sad but
faithful of all my friends. happy. After all these years of trails and
turmoil, she finally would rest in peace. My
Sometimes you would leave her with your wife loved her as dearly as me.
buddy to look after. Sometimes, she was
mishandled and mauled when travelling by Yes friends, she is my black Army trunk
train. She didn’t mind travelling number 14. She still wears the locks like ear
unreserved or in the luggage compartment. rings. Before her funeral march we brought
Afterall, that is what good friends are for. her down to the garden. She was laid

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between the plants which loved the food she made in her belly. The Champa tree showered
flowers to make the scene more touching.

Farewell my dear loyal friend! You served us so long and so well. Thank you for your service.
You deserved the medals I wore and often left them with you for safe custody. Sayonara, my
black Iron box.

Can you, my friends, relate to my story? I wonder!!!!!!!

JAI HIND
©® NOEL ELLIS

The Black Lady

About the Author

Lt Col Noel Ellis (retd) is an ex-NDA officer from
66th NDA course. He was commissioned in June
1985 into the Mechanised Infantry. Col Noel is a
very vibrant writer. His articles relate to his
deep experiences which he had as an Army
officer. During his service he has interacted
with numerous types of people, be it his
colleagues, his seniors or his subordinates and
each of his articles portrays that how vivid
human nature is and how different their
reactions to situations are. He is heavily into
reading and leaves no opportunities to pen down
his opinion about what is going on in the country.
You can read his Blog here

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