Podcasts & Interviews

Podcast with Niyati Ojha, Legal Counsel at HP India

Join us for an insightful conversation as Avinash Tripathi sits down with Niyati Ojha, Legal Counsel at HP India. Niyati shares her remarkable journey from being an Associate at law firms to her current role as Legal Counsel at HP Inc. 🚀

Key Discussion Points:

From Associate to Legal Counsel

Niyati reveals the twists and turns that led her from law firms to her current corporate role. How did she navigate this transition, and what valuable lessons did she learn along the way?

The Transition Away from Litigation

Despite her initial dream of pursuing litigation, Niyati made a bold move. What prompted her to transition away from courtrooms and explore other legal avenues?

Language Challenges in Chennai Courts

Niyati candidly discusses the linguistic hurdles she faced while practising law in Chennai. Which languages is she comfortable with, and how did she overcome these challenges?

Relocating for Legal Practice

Given hindsight, would Niyati have chosen to relocate from Chennai to another region where she could continue her legal practice in Hindi or English? Let’s explore her perspective.

Journey into Intellectual Property (IP)

Niyati shares her experiences and insights after transitioning to IP law. What motivated her, and how did she thrive in this specialized field?

Career Change Advice

Making the leap from IP to General Corporate Practice isn’t easy. Niyati imparts valuable advice for aspiring legal professionals seeking similar career shifts.

Most Profound Legal Challenge

Discover the case or project that profoundly challenged Niyati’s understanding of the law. Her reflections are enlightening.

Academic Dalliances and Legal Love Affairs

We delve into Niyati’s college years. Which legal niche made her heart flutter, and has her legal passion evolved since then?

Controversy Unveiled

Is there truly a hill that ILS has captured, barring Symbi people from crossing over? Niyati shares her perspective on this intriguing controversy.

Rapid Fire Round

  • Best Book Ever Read: Beyond Black’s Law Dictionary, Niyati reveals the book that left her saying “Wow!”
  • Life’s Mantra: What saying does she turn to when faced with challenges? Is it “Hakuna Matata” or “YOLO”?
  • Can’t-Live-Without Item: Niyati shares the one thing she absolutely can’t live without.

Best Professional Advice

Niyati leaves us with the most impactful advice she’s received during her legal journey.


Tune in for an engaging discussion that combines legal insights, personal anecdotes, and career wisdom! 🎧📚


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Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to another episode of LexDiscuss Cafe, where we dive

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into the fascinating world of law with some of the sharpest minds in the legal industry.

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Today, we have got a special treat for you.

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Joining us is somebody who is not only a powerhouse in corporate law, but also an intellectual

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property expert.

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Please give a warm welcome to the legal counsel at HP India, the incredible Niyati Ojha.

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So Niyati, thanks a lot for joining us on podcast today.

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Thank you so much.

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It's always my pleasure.

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Thanks for calling me here.

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I'm so excited.

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And I don't know what's in store, but I think it's going to be a fun conversation.

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We hope so.

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So first up, can you share with us your journey from an associate at law firms to your current

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role as legal counsel at HP?

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So I'm not going to start from my journey as an associate, rather I'll take a little

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more of a back step.

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Let's go a little bit back.

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So I always wanted to be a lawyer.

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So for me, I think I was in the seventh standard when I decided I wanted to be a lawyer.

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I had told my parents and everybody, and this is the thing, I'm not really like that, but

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sometimes when parents would be like, you're not a doctor, you're not an engineer, why

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are you getting into law?

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So my parents were really supportive and they said, okay, she's decided she wants to be

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a lawyer.

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Let's just help her with whatever she wants to do.

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I start and that was the time they did not have class, we had independent examinations,

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it's only a test for the entrance exam.

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So I wrote all of those entrance exams and missed a few by some marks and then eventually

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everything worked out the way that I got into ILS law college where I did my graduation

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inquiry.

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So that was actually the way we started, that gave me my landing page and that's how I started

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the entire career.

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Now being a first generation lawyer, you're very clear of the fact that you go on most

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of the things, right?

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Whatever your college teaches you, this is what it is.

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Nobody in my family was also a lawyer.

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So it was a big shock even for my family that they'll be getting a lawyer in my family,

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but that's how it started.

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So imagine ILS law college is a legacy college, right?

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And you have all your legal legends who are there and they used to come and they used

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to give us speeches.

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Imagine this first year, second year law student with starry eyes, you're being so sure that

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she's going to be like, you can get a lawyer, she's going to be one of them there.

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Because law at that time was never a corporate lawyer person, you walk away, you're down,

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you walk away, you're blind and that's what you are.

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So I was also on the same journey that this is what's going to happen with me once, right?

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Very clear.

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It's so ironic that I was actually the head coordinator of my colleges place myself, right?

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So getting people to get a job in public office is what I used to do, but I did not pick

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the place.

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My mother used to be like, you are so stupid, why aren't you doing this?

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I didn't pick the places I wanted.

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I want to be a lawyer, I want to be a litigating lawyer, that's my thing.

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So it started off then there, I graduated and then I obviously interned at a lot of

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places, I understood things.

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But internship, I have been at that time also, you don't know what's happening, right?

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You're just like, it's just going on.

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So internship happened and then I finished college and then I joined law firm.

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And that was where it was the most surprising part for me, right?

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So I joined the law firm, the litigation department for sure, right?

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You will not believe after a while, I was just like, this is not made for me.

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I have not made the doses at all, right?

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And I used to come back home crying in the evening and I used to be like, why did I pick

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this position?

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So for me, the biggest problem or I would say, such a shock was the fact that imagine

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this girl, 7th standard, has flagged that she wants to be a lawyer and now when she's

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actually reached that stage, it's just not working out.

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And I was so desecrated and it was really difficult.

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And then at that time, I was working in a law firm beside other departments, like litigation

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and I spoke categorically to my manager and I was like, I can't be on litigating law.

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I cannot go to court every day.

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This is not happening.

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And he was like, now what next?

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I had one plan in my mind.

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I had zero planning.

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Now I can do what we need to do, right?

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So it was really helpful.

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And he said, OK, let's go to another department.

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Let's see how we'll figure out.

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We'll take it from there.

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Yeah, I said, give me something that I can say, because I was not expecting what

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that another such a shock was.

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So I think he had a vision, which I think then he said, oh, let me put you on the IP department.

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And I think that was in 2013, it was good.

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It was very upcoming.

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There was a lot of potential.

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Obviously, it still is, but imagine that time.

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And so I went into the IP, too.

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Absolutely no knowledge about IP, because in college, I've never taken an IP.

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I've not taken anything.

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All my options have also been taken to litigations, only because that's what I wanted to do.

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So I got into IP, and as I was doing IP, I started learning from the basics, got a lot of experience.

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Obviously, then I realized that, yes, I do have an interest in continent law, in intellectual property law,

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that side of the blocks, the litigation side.

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But then back then, I said bye, a very sad, tearful goodbye to my gowls and everything.

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And I said, OK, I'll come back to you later, if it's going to ever happen.

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So my journey has been like from starting from there, I could become a law firm lawyer,

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like an associate was so dramatic.

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So then life happened.

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This happened. I was being a part of really good intellectual property.

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What was the exact cause?

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What was the cultural shock in the litigation?

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Nobody knows, in the college, we are not aware of what it's going to be like in litigation.

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We have seen in the movies that there's this Katgara, where the people come in,

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and you'll rarely find Katgaras in the actual courts, especially in the NIST.

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So that's definitely is there.

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But to a person who, from the seventh or eighth class, had just one plan that I was going to be a litigator,

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what happened that, you know, you got so congested against litigation?

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So I've got a lot of time to think, right, from the time I left litigation till now,

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to actually pinpoint what the exact reason could have been.

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At that particular time, I wasn't able to determine it.

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But when I got a lot of time to think, I would say, personally, I was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

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And that was one very big looming that I had.

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So let me explain.

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So I've been born and raised in Chennai, but I am not a South Indian.

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So I do have a language barrier.

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But everybody would say that, literally, I've been born and raised there.

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The least you can do is learn their language.

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But Pahal is very difficult.

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Let's not even try to understand that.

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So while I was in the school, I never had that kind of exposure in school,

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because I was at a cognitive school, and they needed only English to be our depending language.

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So I never got influenced to learn Pahal the way I was supposed to.

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And so the only thing I knew was my domestic help and my driver was there.

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Of course, they don't have good music.

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You were practicing in Chennai?

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I wasn't, yes.

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So I finished college and I came back to Chennai, where I was born.

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So I decided, when you start, let me start from a home ground.

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I at least have a lot of, it's a comfortable environment, right?

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So that was my intent.

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I don't deny that high courts have English as their primary language,

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but imagine an associate is not going to go and argue with the high court on the first day.

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She's going to do registry works, she's going to go into the lower courts and all.

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And there, the primary language was coming, right?

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So for me, language barrier became such a huge deterrent to be able to go there the next day.

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So they would, like, they asked from the associate that the other company would have been very simple.

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She'd go get that micra listed for the next day.

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It would be as popular as that.

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But for me to go to the registry to explain to them that I need to be listed on the other day,

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I need all of these things, that became a little problematic position for me.

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So that was one big learning, which I also found by students when I teach them, like, you know.

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So I would look for places which had more inherent comfort.

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And language is one very important thing.

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Now, imagine something from Delhi and going and working in the Calcutta High Court to make it.

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And so that kind of a divide, it was very difficult for me at that time.

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And the second thing is, I also believe if you do not have a good senior, right,

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or somebody who is actually willing to forget the money part of it or anything,

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somebody who's not willing to teach you, somebody who still believes that an associate is just

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freshly graduated, an associate is somebody who has to carry your bags or carry your file, you know.

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And no, you're just taking an adjournment.

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So if you have that kind of a senior who puts themselves over you,

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I think that would have, that's always a decision.

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And while I don't blame any company or anybody from where it started,

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but unfortunately, I've never had those kind of seniors who would have guided me to say that,

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OK, listen, your work is just not to carry your bags, right.

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Your work is more than that.

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And of course, it takes a longer duration to reach where he's standing,

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but there's a path to it.

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So that was a huge problem for me at that time.

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And I feel if I would have been at a more conducive place,

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like even for example, even Mumbai or Bombay High Court for that matter,

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like Pune, I studied in Pune, so Mumbai would have been a better option for me.

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So even a Bombay High Court may have been a better decision.

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But I think at that time, you're so young, you're so like me,

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you're very shy, you're so funny, you just want to go back home.

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You just want to stay at home ground.

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So probably that's the reason when I shut it, I'd be shut.

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So that's what happened with me.

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Kind of makes sense.

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You know, I can completely relate to your story.

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You and I share a lot of commonalities when it comes to career trajectory.

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So I also graduated from Pune, just FYI.

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I was partying with their page.

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Yeah, it's very true.

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It's like both of us are from the same place.

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Exactly.

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So that's pretty much.

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And you know, I completely agree with the lack of having seniors,

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especially in the early part, right?

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Who are willing to kind of teach you or who are willing to kind of guide you.

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And you know, probably both of us lack that.

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That's where we are so enthusiastic about educating the next generation.

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Yeah, you get it, right?

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But I'll give you a caveat over there, right?

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A difficult boss is a different thing.

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And a boss who is not willing to teach you is a different, right?

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So I would say having a first difficult boss, like, you know,

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it's a really good thing, like in the hindsight.

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So in the hindsight, what I see, like, you know,

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the first couple of years when I was working in the law firm,

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it was really difficult and they were really demanding.

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And, you know, there were so many things, right?

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But that kind of initial exposure groomed me to tackle so many great things

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in the later part of my life, right?

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So if you are unhappy with the boss, that is not a bad thing.

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But at the same time, make sure that, you know,

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that the boss is making your life difficult,

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but you are also getting learning out of it, right?

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The boss is willing to teach you or at least tell you,

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OK, go and read these things, then come back to me, right?

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So that's definitely true.

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So, yeah, litigation is a tough part of story.

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Not knowing the language definitely was a big barrier.

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So what about other local languages, like, you know,

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are you comfortable in Marathi, Hindi or something of that sort?

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So, language, it's always English and Hindi.

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Hindi is what we speak at home and English is of course what we discuss.

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So that said, I can speak Tamil.

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It's not that I cannot speak Tamil at all,

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but the Tamil would always have a slang attached to it.

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00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:49,240
Most of the times, my colleagues and peers in Chennai would never understand

214
00:12:49,360 --> 00:12:51,000
that they would make so much fun of it.

215
00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:54,440
You know, when we were working, like when I was working in Chennai,

216
00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:55,960
the plan was stable conversation.

217
00:12:55,960 --> 00:12:58,720
There used to always be a segment where the team will speak in Tamil

218
00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:01,760
so that all of us can have a good laugh and unwind our day.

219
00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:05,640
And I would be like, OK, and they would speak in Tamil that time.

220
00:13:05,640 --> 00:13:09,200
So it's not that I cannot speak, I cannot understand.

221
00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:11,520
It's just maybe it wasn't so fluent.

222
00:13:11,520 --> 00:13:15,840
And especially that time, then I stayed in Chennai after graduating.

223
00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:17,960
That's when I picked up a lot more Tamil.

224
00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:20,320
But at that time, it was very bad.

225
00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:22,840
But let me ask this question.

226
00:13:22,840 --> 00:13:27,320
Do you think like switching from litigation to other fields

227
00:13:27,600 --> 00:13:32,800
instead of switching your region, moving from Chennai to say North, right?

228
00:13:33,240 --> 00:13:36,760
Was that the right move in your opinion in the hindsight?

229
00:13:37,880 --> 00:13:42,200
In hindsight, I would have done better if I had moved regions for sure.

230
00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:44,680
See, I'll tell you something.

231
00:13:45,240 --> 00:13:48,120
And with time now, experience teaches us a lot of things, right?

232
00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:49,800
With time, I've realized something.

233
00:13:49,800 --> 00:13:53,680
If a person has a passion for something, they will surely excel at it.

234
00:13:54,160 --> 00:13:56,000
OK, it's just the word of passion.

235
00:13:56,000 --> 00:13:58,280
Now, law for me was a passion.

236
00:13:58,280 --> 00:14:00,840
It was not something that somebody forced me into it.

237
00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:04,200
And there's a very close to a heart reason or a reason for me

238
00:14:04,200 --> 00:14:07,360
to actually join law, even in a certain standard, right?

239
00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:12,040
So when that caused the person to me and I had a passion for it,

240
00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:13,680
I would have surely excelled at it.

241
00:14:13,680 --> 00:14:16,800
I know, like I'm being in all modesty and humility.

242
00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:19,360
It's not in a way that I'm being really funny about myself.

243
00:14:19,360 --> 00:14:24,520
But the fact is, I know that I didn't do it out of being forced.

244
00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:27,480
I had the right amount of support.

245
00:14:28,080 --> 00:14:29,680
I had a great family support.

246
00:14:29,680 --> 00:14:31,960
I had a lot of friends who were very supportive.

247
00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:35,440
So I had every all the boxes were ticked for me.

248
00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:37,960
So if I had actually changed my location

249
00:14:38,520 --> 00:14:42,600
that wasn't changing the field itself, I think I would have done better for sure.

250
00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:47,600
And I would have continued to stick in litigation if that was the situation.

251
00:14:48,160 --> 00:14:52,520
The thing was, again, it's I don't blame anybody extraordinarily.

252
00:14:52,520 --> 00:14:55,560
It was still so important to me that I've said, OK,

253
00:14:55,560 --> 00:14:59,960
I see five years away from home and I left when I was very 17.

254
00:14:59,960 --> 00:15:03,480
And now I'm coming back at 21, 22, a proper grown woman.

255
00:15:03,480 --> 00:15:06,560
And then probably I need to stay at home a little more. Right.

256
00:15:06,560 --> 00:15:10,760
So but to the other generation now, I always tell them that

257
00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:13,000
don't find comfort in your house.

258
00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:15,200
You know, it's always easy to have that comfort.

259
00:15:15,200 --> 00:15:17,320
But with struggle, it comes.

260
00:15:17,320 --> 00:15:19,840
So I see the younger generation doing that.

261
00:15:19,840 --> 00:15:20,960
So I feel that that's good.

262
00:15:20,960 --> 00:15:23,960
You know, you always have that option to stay at home,

263
00:15:24,320 --> 00:15:26,440
stay in the comforts of your house, all of those things.

264
00:15:26,440 --> 00:15:28,280
But they are trapped with struggle.

265
00:15:28,280 --> 00:15:32,200
It just doesn't work if you're not struggling. Right.

266
00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:37,040
Again, I was saying that people struggle is very personal to everybody.

267
00:15:37,600 --> 00:15:41,160
Like somebody with a chipped finger nail,

268
00:15:41,160 --> 00:15:43,320
that could be a struggle for them, you know, for them.

269
00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:45,040
It's like, oh, my God, I did my way.

270
00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:45,920
I wasn't talking.

271
00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:49,320
And for somebody who's getting like or make me live a struggle.

272
00:15:49,320 --> 00:15:52,760
So I think struggle as a word is very personal for everybody.

273
00:15:52,840 --> 00:15:56,760
But the success comes when you have to get to that.

274
00:15:57,040 --> 00:16:00,480
So if I would have changed the reasons for sure,

275
00:16:00,480 --> 00:16:02,720
I would have stayed back in litigation.

276
00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:05,840
But no regrets, because

277
00:16:05,880 --> 00:16:09,200
I feel what I've reached here and what I've achieved here

278
00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:11,440
is something that I predict a lot more.

279
00:16:12,080 --> 00:16:14,920
It suits in blends with my personality.

280
00:16:14,920 --> 00:16:19,600
I feel I don't think that I am merely doing law.

281
00:16:20,120 --> 00:16:21,920
It just seems like a single entity.

282
00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:26,440
So for me, that is a comfort zone that I've achieved with this experience.

283
00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:28,360
So no regrets.

284
00:16:28,360 --> 00:16:29,480
Happy to hear that.

285
00:16:29,480 --> 00:16:30,440
So please continue.

286
00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:31,680
You're done with litigation.

287
00:16:31,680 --> 00:16:33,520
You move to IP there.

288
00:16:34,120 --> 00:16:36,520
So I practice IP for a really long time,

289
00:16:36,520 --> 00:16:38,960
because there's just so much potential in that field.

290
00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:42,680
And I had really good mentors and loved IP.

291
00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:46,240
OK, and I think every not eight years, I practice IP.

292
00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:50,320
I would I would actually make fun to say that I became so good at IP

293
00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:51,720
that I can do it in my sleep.

294
00:16:51,720 --> 00:16:55,360
Well, people ask me anything about gridmas, populoids,

295
00:16:55,720 --> 00:16:57,960
and designs, whatever that I would have to do.

296
00:16:57,960 --> 00:16:59,120
I could speak in my sleep.

297
00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:03,200
So IP was good. IP was interesting.

298
00:17:03,520 --> 00:17:06,240
But IP became a comfort zone for me after the law.

299
00:17:06,600 --> 00:17:08,880
And I was like, this is good.

300
00:17:08,880 --> 00:17:10,000
Everything was good.

301
00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:13,680
There's money, there's some sort of power, there's anything.

302
00:17:13,680 --> 00:17:17,560
But I always kept feeling that I am not lame.

303
00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:19,120
So there's something more.

304
00:17:19,120 --> 00:17:20,440
I need to do something more.

305
00:17:20,440 --> 00:17:23,600
And again, this is so very personal, because, you know,

306
00:17:23,760 --> 00:17:27,640
it's not that I'm going and making a change in the society as of now.

307
00:17:27,640 --> 00:17:28,720
That is all of those.

308
00:17:28,720 --> 00:17:31,840
But I kept feeling that I can do something more.

309
00:17:32,040 --> 00:17:36,160
I always had this nagging thought that you should never stay in your comfort zone.

310
00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:38,920
You should always try and break your comfort zone.

311
00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:42,240
I think that something that would be raised would that's the whole.

312
00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:45,960
My parents have always believed that life lies beyond your comfort zone.

313
00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:48,200
So I knew I was in my comfort zone.

314
00:17:48,200 --> 00:17:51,240
But that was the time that I had actually taken up teaching as well,

315
00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:52,760
because I think it was comfortable.

316
00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:55,040
I had a lot of good free time in my area.

317
00:17:55,040 --> 00:17:58,760
And so what I used to do during weekends, I used to teach students

318
00:17:58,760 --> 00:18:01,880
who are interested in doing the law and that's right.

319
00:18:02,120 --> 00:18:05,120
So I would teach them law, not just law per se,

320
00:18:05,120 --> 00:18:07,320
I would also give them a little bit of life lessons.

321
00:18:07,320 --> 00:18:10,360
And so my kids, I would always tell them, you think I'm giving you a gap,

322
00:18:10,360 --> 00:18:11,840
but tomorrow you should go there.

323
00:18:11,840 --> 00:18:13,920
Well, that works. It's not just yarn.

324
00:18:13,920 --> 00:18:17,120
So my children, other kids used to really adore me.

325
00:18:17,120 --> 00:18:19,360
And I had a good time.

326
00:18:19,360 --> 00:18:21,920
So weekends used to be difficult, right?

327
00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:25,120
So weekends used to be a week of working, Monday to Friday working.

328
00:18:25,520 --> 00:18:27,960
Saturday and Sunday, I used to start my day at eight.

329
00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:30,600
The sessions are in it and with multiple sessions,

330
00:18:30,600 --> 00:18:32,840
I used to actually work till seven in the evening.

331
00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:36,600
So I actually absolutely had no personal life at all.

332
00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:40,360
It used to always be just either I'm working or I'm teaching.

333
00:18:40,360 --> 00:18:45,080
But the kind of happiness you get, I would never trade that for anything else.

334
00:18:45,080 --> 00:18:49,520
So it used to be frustrating sometimes, but I just didn't want to give that up.

335
00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:52,680
So when I shifted from Chennai and I came to Gurgaon as well,

336
00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:54,040
I continued teaching.

337
00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:58,120
I was affiliated with the same institution that I used to teach.

338
00:18:58,120 --> 00:19:02,760
And that was really good, which I think I have been teaching

339
00:19:02,760 --> 00:19:07,960
for the last six to seven years now, with a lot of passion, a lot of happiness.

340
00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:10,360
So that started to grow in the C.A.

341
00:19:10,360 --> 00:19:13,200
You know, that's it, I will be doing this forever.

342
00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:17,440
Isn't there something you need to know more about happiness?

343
00:19:17,440 --> 00:19:21,040
And this was the problematic part, because you are a specialist.

344
00:19:21,080 --> 00:19:24,520
It's like, you know, they say grades don't pack out in schools,

345
00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:26,680
but eventually when you get somebody, you'll see, OK,

346
00:19:26,680 --> 00:19:28,360
your grades are the most important thing.

347
00:19:28,360 --> 00:19:29,840
So it's something like that.

348
00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:33,160
So I was like, OK, I'd be a knowledgeable lawyer.

349
00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:35,760
I don't think I'm a real senior inspector.

350
00:19:35,760 --> 00:19:40,880
But I would just never, I would never go into a company.

351
00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:44,520
So I think my next venture should be to get into a company.

352
00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:47,480
Probably then leave the department or whatever.

353
00:19:47,480 --> 00:19:50,080
But that should be my next venture.

354
00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:54,040
I'm not joking, I'm not making it up, but I've applied from

355
00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:59,440
I've ordered 200 companies of it and I have gotten rejections from all of them.

356
00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:01,240
All of them, literally.

357
00:20:01,240 --> 00:20:03,200
So yeah, you're so so good.

358
00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:07,200
And I, first rejection, second rejection, you're like, whatever.

359
00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:09,760
By the 50th rejection, you're OK.

360
00:20:09,760 --> 00:20:12,560
But the thing is, I would just be like, you think I've got a rejection,

361
00:20:12,560 --> 00:20:13,960
you might like, but I would never care.

362
00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:16,280
At least you wouldn't say it's about the same, that rejection.

363
00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:19,840
I know the reason, I know the reason, it's very simple.

364
00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:24,800
I'm a specialist, I'm doing IT and I have enough walls of work experience.

365
00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:28,400
So my PQE is really high, it's a good eight to nine years of work experience.

366
00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:29,680
But it's all at IT.

367
00:20:29,680 --> 00:20:34,400
A company is not going to inject at somebody at such a high level of experience

368
00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:36,040
to do something genuine.

369
00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:39,120
So that was a really unique touch.

370
00:20:39,120 --> 00:20:45,120
And I think I feel that that's one of the most challenging parts of my career

371
00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:48,280
when I had to shift from a specialist to a journalist.

372
00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:52,400
And it's also a big blow to your confidence.

373
00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:54,880
I wouldn't say ego, but your self-confidence, right?

374
00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:58,880
You know your work, you know you think you're fine.

375
00:20:58,880 --> 00:21:02,080
But those rejections, I would have to speak to you at night.

376
00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:04,520
I had a job, it's not that I did not have a job.

377
00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:06,480
I had some money, I didn't.

378
00:21:06,480 --> 00:21:10,520
It was just not something, it was just not what I wanted.

379
00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:13,560
So that shift happened.

380
00:21:13,600 --> 00:21:18,400
I applied at HPE and I got in and I went to the conference interview

381
00:21:18,400 --> 00:21:21,000
that I was managing up front.

382
00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:23,560
And I said, I have IP experience.

383
00:21:23,560 --> 00:21:26,920
And the funny part of HPE, and that's what he told me,

384
00:21:26,920 --> 00:21:30,280
and so there was a lot of speculation, he told me,

385
00:21:30,280 --> 00:21:33,040
that we don't do IP in India at all.

386
00:21:33,040 --> 00:21:34,800
IP is hanging there for worldwide.

387
00:21:34,800 --> 00:21:36,360
We don't patch IP in India.

388
00:21:36,360 --> 00:21:38,600
I was like, okay, thank you.

389
00:21:38,600 --> 00:21:41,040
I got an issue and then he's like, whatever.

390
00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:46,280
He said, you know, and I said, you never done it before.

391
00:21:46,280 --> 00:21:47,280
That was what?

392
00:21:47,280 --> 00:21:49,560
It was really challenging.

393
00:21:49,560 --> 00:21:53,200
I don't know if he saw what he identified, what he did.

394
00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:55,920
I got the job with HPE.

395
00:21:55,920 --> 00:21:58,560
And then looking on looking back after that,

396
00:21:58,560 --> 00:22:01,200
because HPE has been like a roller coaster.

397
00:22:01,200 --> 00:22:03,960
And it's like, you know, you see those highs and lows

398
00:22:03,960 --> 00:22:05,600
over every single day.

399
00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:10,040
So it's an absolute pleasure to know

400
00:22:10,080 --> 00:22:12,800
that I'm in an organization where,

401
00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:15,480
one, I was identified, you know,

402
00:22:15,480 --> 00:22:17,040
I wasn't taken as a specialist.

403
00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:19,240
I was identified in the family.

404
00:22:19,240 --> 00:22:22,360
And the second part of it was the fact that

405
00:22:22,360 --> 00:22:25,200
every single day I have so much to learn.

406
00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:27,440
So for HPE and the organization,

407
00:22:27,440 --> 00:22:29,520
it never shies from teaching, you know.

408
00:22:29,520 --> 00:22:31,760
Like they say, I think it comes from the leadership itself.

409
00:22:31,760 --> 00:22:33,440
They say, there are no stupid questions.

410
00:22:33,440 --> 00:22:34,840
Ask whatever you want to.

411
00:22:34,840 --> 00:22:36,960
There will just be an answer, right?

412
00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:40,080
So that's the only thing that I see on.

413
00:22:41,280 --> 00:22:43,560
But I did stop teaching for a while

414
00:22:43,560 --> 00:22:46,080
because too pressurizing, you know.

415
00:22:46,080 --> 00:22:47,760
You're trying to figure your own things out.

416
00:22:47,760 --> 00:22:50,480
You're trying to learn new things that you don't have.

417
00:22:50,480 --> 00:22:53,080
And I didn't want to do an injustice with the kids, right?

418
00:22:53,080 --> 00:22:55,360
If I'm not giving my 100% there,

419
00:22:55,360 --> 00:22:57,840
then it's no point, you know, even being there.

420
00:22:57,840 --> 00:22:59,720
So that was the need.

421
00:22:59,720 --> 00:23:02,200
That's been like a period of trajectory of mine

422
00:23:02,200 --> 00:23:04,480
from litigation into a third year

423
00:23:04,480 --> 00:23:06,880
to work today when you get down to it.

424
00:23:06,880 --> 00:23:09,160
Wow, thanks for sharing that story.

425
00:23:09,160 --> 00:23:10,240
It was really enlightening.

426
00:23:10,240 --> 00:23:12,400
And you know, making that transition from IP

427
00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:16,280
to general corporate practice is really difficult, right?

428
00:23:16,280 --> 00:23:19,680
And you know, you shared your struggles for that, right?

429
00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:22,560
But anything specific that you want to say,

430
00:23:22,560 --> 00:23:26,280
like if somebody wants to make that transition from IP

431
00:23:26,280 --> 00:23:29,720
with the, you know, five to six years of PQE, right?

432
00:23:29,720 --> 00:23:31,200
What should they do?

433
00:23:32,160 --> 00:23:34,400
I think my students said two, three things.

434
00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:36,360
One is your professional side, right?

435
00:23:36,360 --> 00:23:38,640
Even if you are an IP lawyer,

436
00:23:38,640 --> 00:23:40,760
while, yes, you need to have in-depth knowledge

437
00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:43,160
about the area that you specialize in.

438
00:23:43,160 --> 00:23:44,000
Yes, that's a problem.

439
00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:45,720
That's the least they'd ask about it.

440
00:23:45,720 --> 00:23:47,640
But don't ensure to be deluded

441
00:23:47,640 --> 00:23:50,040
about anything else that's happening, right?

442
00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:51,520
So we actually stayed like, now,

443
00:23:51,520 --> 00:23:55,520
everybody's up for AI and being this one to talk about AI.

444
00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:57,160
I cannot mistake myself to say,

445
00:23:57,160 --> 00:24:01,000
okay, I'm going to read about AI because I'm an IP lawyer.

446
00:24:01,760 --> 00:24:04,320
So I am paying for copyrights, for patents,

447
00:24:04,320 --> 00:24:06,360
even if they are also connected, right?

448
00:24:06,360 --> 00:24:07,640
Well, for that matter,

449
00:24:07,640 --> 00:24:12,240
India is at such a geographically or politically,

450
00:24:12,240 --> 00:24:14,800
India is at such a crossroad.

451
00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:18,360
So it is very important to read about India's

452
00:24:18,360 --> 00:24:21,440
funding at the world level, to be well aware.

453
00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:22,680
I was saying, go in depth

454
00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:25,600
and go bring out your constitution law bookfully.

455
00:24:25,600 --> 00:24:27,840
Obviously, college has taught you basics, right?

456
00:24:27,840 --> 00:24:31,240
But to be well-informed about things

457
00:24:31,240 --> 00:24:33,840
which are apart from your specialization.

458
00:24:33,840 --> 00:24:36,440
That's what I recommend to anybody

459
00:24:36,440 --> 00:24:38,600
who's intending to do a transition.

460
00:24:38,600 --> 00:24:41,960
Today, I may not know exactly the process

461
00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:44,240
of Section 138 of the negotiable instruments.

462
00:24:44,240 --> 00:24:46,320
I may not know exactly how I'm supposed

463
00:24:46,320 --> 00:24:48,000
to know that application.

464
00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:51,000
But I at least know that this kind of process exists,

465
00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:52,880
which is what I'm supposed to be aware about.

466
00:24:52,880 --> 00:24:57,200
So being well-informed is a word rather

467
00:24:57,440 --> 00:24:59,720
than to be saying very well about everything.

468
00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:02,800
So I already clearly told everybody around me

469
00:25:02,800 --> 00:25:05,120
that I don't want even something

470
00:25:05,120 --> 00:25:07,000
similar as a consumer protection law, right?

471
00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:08,960
I don't know the details about it.

472
00:25:08,960 --> 00:25:11,000
Yes, of course, I know what are the rights,

473
00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:13,800
what are the variables, what are the forums, et cetera.

474
00:25:13,800 --> 00:25:16,200
But for me to get into the depth

475
00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:18,160
I can do it only if I'm working about it.

476
00:25:18,160 --> 00:25:21,440
But to be well, nobody can say, I shouldn't be practical.

477
00:25:21,440 --> 00:25:23,560
I have to be like, what is the principle of protection?

478
00:25:23,560 --> 00:25:25,640
How is that even applicable and all of that?

479
00:25:25,640 --> 00:25:27,880
So they should be well-groomed.

480
00:25:27,880 --> 00:25:31,080
And the company for going there to make that interview,

481
00:25:31,080 --> 00:25:33,520
they should surely read about that company.

482
00:25:33,520 --> 00:25:37,040
I feel that is such a underrated activity

483
00:25:37,040 --> 00:25:40,360
that people, and especially our generation, belong to.

484
00:25:40,360 --> 00:25:43,840
Yet you excellent science to read about the organization

485
00:25:43,840 --> 00:25:48,840
to see the environment, to understand what they exactly do.

486
00:25:48,880 --> 00:25:51,240
Every company has a vision.

487
00:25:51,240 --> 00:25:53,920
You can show your others their vision

488
00:25:53,920 --> 00:25:55,560
and fit yourself in that vision.

489
00:25:56,480 --> 00:26:00,240
So don't you think from the professional side

490
00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:01,280
it's very important?

491
00:26:02,560 --> 00:26:05,000
Personal side, I think there's just one word

492
00:26:05,000 --> 00:26:10,000
which is called as, should be determined to do it, right?

493
00:26:10,240 --> 00:26:13,480
200 companies can reject your application that you just won

494
00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:15,360
and that one will be the right one for you.

495
00:26:15,360 --> 00:26:19,000
So hold on, don't ever feel that, okay, I'm not worth it

496
00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:21,440
because 200 companies rejected me.

497
00:26:21,440 --> 00:26:22,800
That doesn't matter.

498
00:26:22,800 --> 00:26:27,800
So determination is so important at this crossroad, right?

499
00:26:28,600 --> 00:26:29,840
Where you're looking at the fact

500
00:26:29,840 --> 00:26:31,360
that you need to make that transition.

501
00:26:31,360 --> 00:26:33,520
If you both have that confidence in yourself,

502
00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:35,680
it's just not unbelievable.

503
00:26:35,680 --> 00:26:36,840
Makes sense.

504
00:26:36,840 --> 00:26:40,000
So moving on, in your vast legal career,

505
00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:45,000
which case or project challenged your understanding of law

506
00:26:45,080 --> 00:26:46,760
in the most profound way?

507
00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:51,760
So again, now with this, I cannot pinpoint it to say

508
00:26:51,760 --> 00:26:54,640
that this is the one thing that's challenged me firstly

509
00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:56,840
because now that you've thought about by swapping,

510
00:26:56,840 --> 00:26:59,640
the entire transition has been so challenging, right?

511
00:26:59,640 --> 00:27:02,200
So today if I say that, okay, this one particular thing

512
00:27:02,200 --> 00:27:04,720
that I did was challenging would not be justifiable

513
00:27:04,720 --> 00:27:07,120
because the other six years that I have done

514
00:27:07,120 --> 00:27:09,120
while they may not have been challenging firstly,

515
00:27:09,120 --> 00:27:10,480
it is still being new for me

516
00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:12,840
and something that is very new to my team.

517
00:27:12,840 --> 00:27:15,600
So I would now point out the biggest challenge

518
00:27:16,560 --> 00:27:20,240
is the whole role of transition,

519
00:27:20,240 --> 00:27:22,080
how I have done the transition.

520
00:27:22,080 --> 00:27:23,880
And I teach that, okay?

521
00:27:23,880 --> 00:27:26,120
So let's just look at a real life situation,

522
00:27:26,120 --> 00:27:27,240
talking new concept team

523
00:27:27,240 --> 00:27:29,440
when you have absolutely no idea how to set up.

524
00:27:29,440 --> 00:27:31,200
So first you go back to the joining board,

525
00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:33,440
you read, you'll try to understand,

526
00:27:33,440 --> 00:27:35,320
you speak with people who have an experience

527
00:27:35,320 --> 00:27:37,440
and try to gather some knowledge.

528
00:27:37,440 --> 00:27:39,400
The entire process itself,

529
00:27:39,400 --> 00:27:43,160
to deal with that answer is so challenging.

530
00:27:43,200 --> 00:27:45,400
And then we let's be very honest about this,

531
00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:46,840
I always remember this story,

532
00:27:46,840 --> 00:27:49,360
I don't know, it's a very well-known story, right?

533
00:27:49,360 --> 00:27:51,680
Like there was a ship with an issue

534
00:27:51,680 --> 00:27:54,520
and then got all the biggest engineers

535
00:27:54,520 --> 00:27:55,840
to come and get the data,

536
00:27:55,840 --> 00:27:57,240
nobody wanted to get the data,

537
00:27:57,240 --> 00:27:59,360
suddenly they got this old man

538
00:27:59,360 --> 00:28:00,920
and he tapped that one day,

539
00:28:00,920 --> 00:28:02,880
the thing got fixed.

540
00:28:02,880 --> 00:28:05,480
Apparently it's a day of 10 million dollars or something

541
00:28:05,480 --> 00:28:06,320
and he was like,

542
00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:08,200
and the people can just wait two minutes, right?

543
00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:09,280
What, why 10 million?

544
00:28:09,280 --> 00:28:11,320
And he said, it's not the students I had

545
00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:12,960
because I knew by the time.

546
00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:14,640
You know, it's a very long story,

547
00:28:14,640 --> 00:28:16,040
but it's so relevant also.

548
00:28:16,040 --> 00:28:19,600
So for us the challenge to reach that situation,

549
00:28:19,600 --> 00:28:20,840
to gather that learning,

550
00:28:20,840 --> 00:28:23,680
to be able to deal that way,

551
00:28:23,680 --> 00:28:25,880
like it's so important.

552
00:28:25,880 --> 00:28:27,760
So I would not actually take it in one,

553
00:28:27,760 --> 00:28:29,480
I would obviously take it in all.

554
00:28:32,440 --> 00:28:34,200
Great diplomatic answer there.

555
00:28:36,320 --> 00:28:39,400
Okay, alright, spill the beans.

556
00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:41,640
Who was your heartthrob back in college?

557
00:28:41,640 --> 00:28:44,240
We don't want to know about your personal life,

558
00:28:44,240 --> 00:28:47,560
but we want to know about your academic dalliances.

559
00:28:49,000 --> 00:28:50,520
That's an interesting question.

560
00:28:50,520 --> 00:28:53,520
So you could have asked me about my personal life,

561
00:28:53,520 --> 00:28:56,000
that would have been so much easier to ask, right?

562
00:28:57,160 --> 00:28:58,400
But I can, no, yes.

563
00:29:01,320 --> 00:29:04,400
Right, now that you've tagged me as a diplomatic person,

564
00:29:04,400 --> 00:29:05,720
I'll give you diplomatic answers,

565
00:29:05,720 --> 00:29:06,560
it's a little difficult,

566
00:29:06,560 --> 00:29:08,560
but again, like I want to tell you,

567
00:29:08,560 --> 00:29:09,880
during college or so,

568
00:29:09,880 --> 00:29:11,520
again, getting back to INS

569
00:29:12,440 --> 00:29:14,440
we have such a great alumni,

570
00:29:14,440 --> 00:29:16,480
and they get, they do,

571
00:29:16,480 --> 00:29:19,480
the college itself really invests in their students,

572
00:29:19,480 --> 00:29:22,480
to get them that experience, that exposure, et cetera.

573
00:29:22,480 --> 00:29:25,200
Well, all of the legends used to come and speak, right?

574
00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:27,640
In the fall, we used to ask kids just to sit like this,

575
00:29:27,640 --> 00:29:28,720
with those starry eyes,

576
00:29:28,720 --> 00:29:32,040
and say that we're going to be that person someday, right?

577
00:29:32,040 --> 00:29:34,560
And each of them had such a unique offering

578
00:29:34,560 --> 00:29:36,160
from their experience, et cetera.

579
00:29:36,160 --> 00:29:40,480
So I never felt that I really idealized one person

580
00:29:40,480 --> 00:29:41,520
in the profession, per se,

581
00:29:41,520 --> 00:29:44,160
and also because I always wanted to have a mark

582
00:29:44,160 --> 00:29:45,760
of my own in this profession.

583
00:29:45,760 --> 00:29:48,680
So I never was able to idealize somebody,

584
00:29:48,680 --> 00:29:50,520
or to say that, okay, he's my crush,

585
00:29:50,520 --> 00:29:52,200
or he is somebody that I like.

586
00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:55,160
I would rather say, let the profession be my question.

587
00:29:55,160 --> 00:29:56,000
Why?

588
00:29:56,000 --> 00:29:57,440
Now, because I've always wanted to be a follower,

589
00:29:57,440 --> 00:29:59,040
because I know what I want,

590
00:29:59,040 --> 00:30:00,920
I would say it's just the profession.

591
00:30:00,920 --> 00:30:03,480
So I can't think of one person to say,

592
00:30:03,480 --> 00:30:05,760
okay, this guy, it's like something, or did something,

593
00:30:05,760 --> 00:30:07,520
which has really made me like it.

594
00:30:08,480 --> 00:30:09,320
Yeah.

595
00:30:09,320 --> 00:30:11,080
Younger ages was like, I used to,

596
00:30:11,080 --> 00:30:13,120
and I remember we used to stay in the hostel,

597
00:30:13,120 --> 00:30:14,680
and I'm sure anyway, all of my parents,

598
00:30:14,680 --> 00:30:16,280
you've seen my college friends listening,

599
00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:17,880
they would also relate to it.

600
00:30:17,880 --> 00:30:21,760
We would, and hostel girls had like the advantage,

601
00:30:21,760 --> 00:30:23,120
because we were just staying there, right?

602
00:30:23,120 --> 00:30:25,880
So we would just go running to get the first seats,

603
00:30:25,880 --> 00:30:27,600
and ensure that we're listening to them,

604
00:30:27,600 --> 00:30:28,520
and all of those things.

605
00:30:28,520 --> 00:30:32,160
But, yeah, no, no such thing.

606
00:30:32,160 --> 00:30:33,080
Makes sense.

607
00:30:33,080 --> 00:30:35,880
Asha, I always wanted to get this controversy cleared.

608
00:30:35,880 --> 00:30:39,880
Like, is there a power that ILS has like captured,

609
00:30:39,880 --> 00:30:42,800
and they don't allow some people to come there?

610
00:30:42,800 --> 00:30:46,160
Is that some truth to this statement?

611
00:30:46,160 --> 00:30:48,360
So I guess it does have a hill of its own, okay?

612
00:30:48,360 --> 00:30:49,960
Now, I don't know if in the reality part,

613
00:30:49,960 --> 00:30:52,000
but we know we have an ILS Hill,

614
00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:55,440
and in fact, the girls hostel is so strategically placed

615
00:30:55,440 --> 00:30:58,120
that from our, the windows, the backside,

616
00:30:58,120 --> 00:30:59,960
the hills are all visible.

617
00:30:59,960 --> 00:31:03,080
So yes, ILS does have a hill for itself.

618
00:31:03,080 --> 00:31:04,600
It's called ILS Hill.

619
00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:06,200
We've checked it a lot of times.

620
00:31:06,200 --> 00:31:08,640
It used to be like the weekend thing to do,

621
00:31:08,640 --> 00:31:09,880
you know, go check the hill,

622
00:31:09,880 --> 00:31:11,920
and used to go have a small picnic on top,

623
00:31:11,920 --> 00:31:13,200
all of those things.

624
00:31:13,200 --> 00:31:16,320
Did we not allow Sindhi people to come?

625
00:31:16,320 --> 00:31:17,160
Asha.

626
00:31:17,160 --> 00:31:19,160
I mean, we are very possessive about our stuff.

627
00:31:19,160 --> 00:31:20,920
We can't hill at the end of the day.

628
00:31:20,920 --> 00:31:21,760
Right.

629
00:31:23,160 --> 00:31:25,520
And Sindhi, I think, had a wheel of their own also.

630
00:31:25,520 --> 00:31:26,920
So there are something there,

631
00:31:26,920 --> 00:31:28,720
so we just can want them to come.

632
00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:31,520
But I can very confidently say

633
00:31:31,520 --> 00:31:34,000
that we used to allow everybody to come to the mess.

634
00:31:34,040 --> 00:31:36,000
ILS mess was very famous.

635
00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:37,800
I don't know if you've heard of it.

636
00:31:37,800 --> 00:31:40,120
The next time you go to Pune, please go to the mess.

637
00:31:40,120 --> 00:31:42,160
Okay, that's all.

638
00:31:42,160 --> 00:31:43,680
Yeah, and I'll be useful.

639
00:31:43,680 --> 00:31:45,920
I mean, I know people from different colleges

640
00:31:45,920 --> 00:31:46,760
used to come there,

641
00:31:46,760 --> 00:31:48,680
and people after I graduated also told me,

642
00:31:48,680 --> 00:31:50,400
mess that cannot.

643
00:31:50,400 --> 00:31:52,960
I don't know now, the situation though.

644
00:31:54,240 --> 00:31:55,760
I wish like you didn't do this,

645
00:31:55,760 --> 00:31:58,640
but anyway, now we have supplies for you.

646
00:31:58,640 --> 00:32:00,920
This is time for rapid fire round,

647
00:32:00,920 --> 00:32:02,600
full cut style.

648
00:32:02,600 --> 00:32:06,640
Okay, so you have to answer the questions quickly.

649
00:32:06,640 --> 00:32:09,320
So best book ever read,

650
00:32:09,320 --> 00:32:11,760
besides Black's Law Dictionary, of course,

651
00:32:11,760 --> 00:32:14,440
and what was the book that made you go wow?

652
00:32:16,680 --> 00:32:18,200
Okay, rapid fire two year,

653
00:32:18,200 --> 00:32:21,080
Thousand Splendid Suns by Khalid Hussaini is my,

654
00:32:21,080 --> 00:32:24,120
so you'll say that if there is a book

655
00:32:24,120 --> 00:32:26,120
that's been able to start emotions up,

656
00:32:26,120 --> 00:32:27,600
and he has written a theology,

657
00:32:27,600 --> 00:32:29,000
I don't like the other two books,

658
00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:31,800
it's just this Thousand Splendid Suns that I read.

659
00:32:31,800 --> 00:32:34,480
That was a book that actually made me cry.

660
00:32:34,480 --> 00:32:36,200
And I know it's an adaptation of the women

661
00:32:36,200 --> 00:32:37,840
in Afghanistan and all of those things,

662
00:32:37,840 --> 00:32:40,120
but I was reading that book and I was crying,

663
00:32:40,120 --> 00:32:44,040
and I was like, if this book has the power to do this,

664
00:32:44,040 --> 00:32:46,360
imagine what that writer must have seen.

665
00:32:46,360 --> 00:32:50,360
So that's a book that I really hold on to.

666
00:32:50,360 --> 00:32:51,800
Of course, there are a lot of other books

667
00:32:51,800 --> 00:32:53,240
which I really like,

668
00:32:53,240 --> 00:32:54,840
even the Interst Fund, The Seven Rooms,

669
00:32:54,840 --> 00:32:56,160
or Kali Alveda or something,

670
00:32:56,160 --> 00:32:57,360
which I felt the book applies,

671
00:32:57,360 --> 00:33:00,360
which I felt it's so well written,

672
00:33:00,360 --> 00:33:02,320
but starting of emotions,

673
00:33:02,320 --> 00:33:04,320
I think nobody can do it as good as Khalid

674
00:33:04,320 --> 00:33:05,960
in The Thousand Splendid Suns,

675
00:33:05,960 --> 00:33:07,800
he's not done it, I did it.

676
00:33:07,800 --> 00:33:09,120
I'm very disappointed.

677
00:33:10,640 --> 00:33:13,040
Okay, Mirj, your life's mantra.

678
00:33:14,160 --> 00:33:17,480
My life's mantra is trust the past.

679
00:33:17,480 --> 00:33:20,040
There is a process, there is a bigger boat,

680
00:33:20,040 --> 00:33:22,480
there is something that's there for you, trust.

681
00:33:23,520 --> 00:33:25,240
Do your mistakes, learn from them,

682
00:33:25,240 --> 00:33:27,400
never leave them, but trust.

683
00:33:27,400 --> 00:33:30,000
Right, owing on to the next question,

684
00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:32,400
what is the one thing you can't live without?

685
00:33:33,680 --> 00:33:37,520
Oh, food and not your anything.

686
00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:38,520
Not all the time.

687
00:33:38,520 --> 00:33:39,520
Not being essential,

688
00:33:39,520 --> 00:33:42,600
but I have a very bad habit about my phone.

689
00:33:42,600 --> 00:33:44,560
I agree that it's a bad habit, right?

690
00:33:44,560 --> 00:33:47,040
You know, like I feel I am those kind of people

691
00:33:47,040 --> 00:33:49,560
who wake up and the first thing they see is their phone.

692
00:33:49,560 --> 00:33:51,600
So I don't like that habit, right?

693
00:33:51,600 --> 00:33:52,840
I try to change it.

694
00:33:52,840 --> 00:33:54,440
I try to stay away from it,

695
00:33:54,440 --> 00:33:57,320
but the phone is something.

696
00:33:57,320 --> 00:34:00,360
While talking to us, you feel what happens.

697
00:34:00,360 --> 00:34:03,360
It just rang as well, so I don't like it.

698
00:34:03,360 --> 00:34:06,840
So I love my phone.

699
00:34:06,840 --> 00:34:11,840
So if you go there, we have time for one one-liner answer.

700
00:34:12,560 --> 00:34:14,520
What is the best professional advice

701
00:34:14,520 --> 00:34:16,560
you have ever received so far?

702
00:34:16,560 --> 00:34:18,680
You make mistakes.

703
00:34:18,680 --> 00:34:19,520
Yeah.

704
00:34:19,520 --> 00:34:21,240
Own them, own your mistakes.

705
00:34:21,240 --> 00:34:22,600
I think that, and this is,

706
00:34:22,600 --> 00:34:26,320
I want somebody, not one person who's told this to me,

707
00:34:26,320 --> 00:34:28,440
but this is something that eventually

708
00:34:28,440 --> 00:34:30,920
life has given me as an advice, you know?

709
00:34:30,920 --> 00:34:32,160
I make a mistake.

710
00:34:32,160 --> 00:34:33,920
The more I try to cover it up,

711
00:34:33,920 --> 00:34:35,640
so it's going to become worse.

712
00:34:35,640 --> 00:34:38,920
Rather, there is a mistake, accept it, own it.

713
00:34:38,920 --> 00:34:41,000
By it, because nobody is ever going to say,

714
00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:42,800
listen, you made a mistake,

715
00:34:42,800 --> 00:34:45,200
this is not, you're just done for, right?

716
00:34:45,200 --> 00:34:46,800
You're human at the end of the day.

717
00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:50,080
Make your mistake, learn from that, own them.

718
00:34:50,080 --> 00:34:53,040
This is your mistake, I take it back, I will learn from it.

719
00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:54,880
If you're committing the same mistake twice,

720
00:34:54,880 --> 00:34:56,480
that means you've not learned from it.

721
00:34:56,480 --> 00:34:57,880
That's a no-go.

722
00:34:57,880 --> 00:34:59,000
But if you've learned from it,

723
00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:00,920
you own them and you won't make them again,

724
00:35:00,920 --> 00:35:02,960
I think it's just an excuse.

725
00:35:02,960 --> 00:35:03,800
Wow.

726
00:35:03,800 --> 00:35:04,640
Well said.

727
00:35:04,640 --> 00:35:06,880
So Nidhi, thanks a lot for coming on this podcast

728
00:35:06,880 --> 00:35:08,520
and sharing your story.

729
00:35:08,520 --> 00:35:10,320
Thank you so much for inviting me.

730
00:35:10,320 --> 00:35:12,840
Such an exciting time to speak about all of this,

731
00:35:12,840 --> 00:35:14,640
and I really wish you all the best

732
00:35:14,640 --> 00:35:16,320
with all your work that you're doing.

733
00:35:16,320 --> 00:35:18,360
I think you, before we started this,

734
00:35:18,360 --> 00:35:20,120
I want to make sure we said something about

735
00:35:20,120 --> 00:35:21,760
your owning it up, right?

736
00:35:21,760 --> 00:35:23,960
Like, how would you really want to

737
00:35:24,000 --> 00:35:26,000
interpret whatever you did?

738
00:35:26,000 --> 00:35:27,760
I think that is the way it works.

739
00:35:27,760 --> 00:35:30,680
You own data and so confidently that,

740
00:35:30,680 --> 00:35:32,720
I think that you should really

741
00:35:32,720 --> 00:35:34,800
show off to the world, right?

742
00:35:34,800 --> 00:35:36,000
That you own that thing.

743
00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:39,920
That excites me to be a part of this,

744
00:35:39,920 --> 00:35:41,120
and I'm so happy.

745
00:35:41,120 --> 00:35:42,800
I'm going to close this for now,

746
00:35:42,800 --> 00:35:44,720
but what is going to be next?

747
00:35:44,720 --> 00:35:46,440
Thanks a lot for that.

748
00:35:46,440 --> 00:35:47,280
Thanks.

749
00:35:49,080 --> 00:35:51,280
And that's a wrap for today's episode

750
00:35:51,280 --> 00:35:53,200
of Let's Discuss Cafe.

751
00:35:53,200 --> 00:35:56,120
A huge thank to our amazing guest, Niyati,

752
00:35:56,120 --> 00:35:58,840
for sharing her insights and experiences.

753
00:35:58,840 --> 00:36:02,280
Remember, folks, if you have enjoyed today's episode,

754
00:36:02,280 --> 00:36:05,480
don't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review.

755
00:36:05,480 --> 00:36:08,000
Follow Niyati on LinkedIn to keep up

756
00:36:08,000 --> 00:36:10,960
with her latest adventures in the legal world.

757
00:36:10,960 --> 00:36:14,560
Until next time, keep it legal, keep it legendary,

758
00:36:14,560 --> 00:36:18,160
and always have a backup plan for your data breaches.

759
00:36:18,160 --> 00:36:19,440
Take care, everyone.

760
00:36:19,440 --> 00:36:20,960
See you in the next episode.

761
00:36:21,760 --> 00:36:23,720
Hello, ladies.

762
00:36:23,720 --> 00:36:25,560
That's vara, right?

763
00:36:25,560 --> 00:36:27,600
Oh.

764
00:36:27,600 --> 00:36:28,440
Sorry.

765
00:36:28,440 --> 00:36:29,600
I guess.

766
00:36:29,600 --> 00:36:31,040
I'll stop.

767
00:36:31,040 --> 00:36:32,280
It's just...

768
00:36:32,280 --> 00:36:33,240
Sorry, sorry.

769
00:36:33,240 --> 00:36:34,800
It's fine.

770
00:36:37,760 --> 00:36:38,880
Little exercise, huh?

771
00:36:38,880 --> 00:36:39,960
Just a bit of exercise.

772
00:36:39,960 --> 00:36:41,560
Perfect.

773
00:36:41,560 --> 00:36:45,080
And then we will move on to some more

774
00:36:45,080 --> 00:36:46,400
of what you've just heard,

775
00:36:46,400 --> 00:36:49,800
but a little bit of each video,

 

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