• This trait of silence: Does it come from that?

I think so. It’s a very cultural way you grow up in an institution where you silently do things as a professional and the outcomes are to be seen by the public at large, including the satisfaction that comes from within, rather than projecting it at all the forums. Having said that, as we went public in 2004, we needed to be visible, that’s what people tell me and initially it was the most difficult thing but today it’s a lot more comfortable.

• I believe your company even hired senior journalists to teach people like you how to open up to the media...

Yes, we hired some really good journalists who added value to each of us personally as well as to the company. I think their takeaway is tech inputs, how does a technology company function, how does an average age profile of 23 (today it’s 26) perform, the dynamism and the intellectual challenges.

• As a journalist I’m very interested in this process whereby you decided to come out of this silence into the public domain. Tell me something about the debate and discussions.

I think we prepared for a year to go into the public domain as a listed company. The preparations that went in were internal: three years’ financials, the submissions, the IPO document which was going to be scrutinized by everyone. That was the easy part; the most difficult part was with regard to the image during the roadshow where you were going to be meeting the media people, what you stood for, how you communicated, what were the challenges. Coming from a very shy organization to one in the public eye, when you change your behaviour, you see a lot of internal conflicts which are coming out.

... contd.