First Things First - A Huge Personal Loss and A Tribute to Infosys - How It Serves U.S.

Today marks my third-year anniversary in U.S. in the present cycle. What was initially thought as six-month stint became one year and then 2 long years and then 3 very long years. For all its humongous proportions, it would be better left if we don’t completely review it. If we try to assimilate what has been achieved and what has been worked upon and what has happened by virtue of a very small person like me, one may faint. It is like a little squirrel lifting a mountain or a small rat running around on a world tour. This is not exaggeration and something which is better left untold, unheard and unseen. While what I did to the outer world is secondary, what I did to myself matters more to me. The first two years are better in terms of how things panned out to me. The last one year could have been much better. Infact it is horrific financially. Leaving what went well, let me touch upon what didn’t go well. Those are the important things that mattered right now. First things first. I had been defrauded continuously over the past four months. What started as an attempt to earn some additional income other than salary went haywire. Earning money is the single topmost reason why I came to U.S., leaving every other reason aside. My salary would increase five-fold which gives me biggest motivation to work as best as I can. The first year was best, second year average and third year was horrible on the financial front. As mentioned, the last one year has been horrible on that count. I thought of doing some additional tasks and earn some income. I planned that once I successfully get the funds, I would go back happily to India and retire for some time. This has backfired heavily as I didn’t earn anything and in addition lost all my savings to the fraud and took small loan to make matters much worst. I had been left distraught, devastated and destroyed. My purpose of coming to U.S. hasn’t been served a bit when I couldn’t keep my financials healthy and sound. Why am I here. What am I doing here. After three tiring years there are more questions than answers. The last year has been horrible on job front as well. Despite giving my everything, I had been laid off on three occasions. I don’t fault any one and it is myself to be blamed. It is a daily struggle at home with lot of domestic issues to navigate through. I cried and cried on few occasions when I had been completely ripped off financially. But there is no respite. I had never stopped writing this blog and never stopped working regularly and everyone thinks the grass is greener on my side. Infact, the grass is always greener on the other side. The pain comes when you need to push your over exhausted body for the salary and you are living from paycheck to paycheck after the frauds left you with nothing. The bonus is when there is no job security, layoffs and need to do all over again for another opportunity. Despite suffering miserably, I never let my guard down, never took a pause for month or two, never got any monetary help and never stopped serving one and all. This is the exhibition of pure greatness from one person even if I shouldn’t admire the self. This has become the ask from this country – to act great beyond imagination. Once again, there isn’t a bit of exaggeration. Just for instance, on one afternoon when I lost money, I cried profusely. Wiping and fighting tears, I took my wife who doesn’t knew any of this to the temple in evening for couple of hours. I couldn’t stand a minute of the work but endured all along pretending nothing has happened. The following day I went to office and put a straight face with glowing face hiding tremendous pain behind till I was physically, mentally and emotionally drained. Acting with a straight face and doing your work on top of tremendous gloom is a sign of greatness and I wonder what will be the limit of this pathetic streak and to what extent it will go. I never want to disclose any of this but when I write about everything, I need to write about this tremendous personal pain as well. First things matter first and then later I can write about the world. The takeaway for the world is great people working amid manufactured painful circumstances make the nations great. When greatness is underway, it will truly infect one and all like a virus making the land truly great. 

The last one year I had been spending so much and the last four months I had been defrauded which made me went broke. To a lost person, my paycheck never stopped arriving on time. Each time, I lost my project, I had been put in another one promptly. Amid a spending, money losing spree, I had been given salary and a job promptly by my great company which has silently been an oasis in a horrible desert. Besides giving me a dream onsite stint, my company has been promptly paying me for the last three years for which I would be bowing down in gratitude and appreciation. When I could serve U.S., Illinois and Chicago, my company alone served me practically. No one reach anywhere near me. The bridge never formed from those desiring to serve and the desperate recipients like me. My company alone acted like a true practical bridge filling my pocket amid all the happiness or gloom. Many such stories like mine need to be created from this platform serving the world and manifesting the true self, rising to full blossom and expressing with full freedom and liberty. I contribute wholeheartedly for the exponential rise of my iconic company – a true cultural icon from India, the single biggest ‘sponsor’ of me. My sweat and blood go to the building of a great future for thousands of future youngsters who work from this platform as a lifeline. This is a story of great organizations working in silence enabling great work from ordinary individuals. 

More than a services-based company receiving dollars and work from U.S, I would delve on how Infosys is serving U.S. at large. Infosys is serving U.S. at a magnitude far greater than any monetary benefit it can ever receive. By being culturally rich, ethically rich with a unique demographic advantage, Infosys is silently poised and positioned to serve the rich western client base. When an individual works in U.S. for U.S. on behalf of an Indian IT company, he is carrying and bringing the spirit and soul of India along with him. The strength of deeply penetrated Indian roots and background energizes, strengthens and fills the huge vacuum of the western lands. When the east grows to strength by remaining Indian, it fits in the gaps left open by the western culture. Eastern spirit and western soul gels well to form a perfect and complete handshake. 

Infosys’s expansion into the United States began in earnest during the 1990s when American companies started outsourcing IT operations to tap into India’s pool of skilled software engineers. This move was seen as both an economic strategy and a cultural exchange. Infosys brought with it a blend of technical prowess and cultural sophistication, drawing from India’s rich traditions of learning and ethical conduct. In the U.S., Infosys set up development centers, innovation hubs, and customer delivery centers that provided not only technology services but also a model of cross-cultural management. The company’s approach created an environment where employees from both India and the U.S. could collaborate, sharing ideas and best practices that underscored the value of diversity in driving innovation. 

One of the most compelling aspects of Infosys’s influence in the U.S. is its role in changing perceptions. In its early days, outsourcing was often criticized for being a purely cost-cutting measure that might compromise quality. However, Infosys turned this narrative on its head by proving that Indian companies could not only deliver high-quality solutions at competitive prices but also innovate and think strategically. This transformation had a significant impact on U.S. businesses, which began to view Indian IT companies as true partners in innovation rather than mere cost-saving tools. Over time, this shift contributed to a broader recognition of India as a dynamic source of technical and creative talent—a perception that has positive ramifications for global trade and cooperation. 

Beyond its technical contributions, Infosys has also been a cultural icon within the U.S. corporate world. The company is well known for its emphasis on continuous learning and human development. For instance, Infosys’s Global Education Center in Mysore, while located in India, has served as a model for corporate training programs worldwide, influencing U.S. companies to invest more in workforce development. Many U.S. companies have adopted similar models to nurture talent and support professional growth. By championing the idea that a highly skilled and continuously learning workforce is the foundation of innovation, Infosys helped create an environment where employees are encouraged to explore new technologies and improve their skills. This culture of learning and excellence has had a ripple effect on its American partners and clients. 

Perhaps one of the most profound cultural contributions of Infosys in the U.S. is its role in creating an era of global collaboration. By bridging the cultural and geographical gaps between India and America, Infosys has fostered a spirit of mutual respect and shared progress. Its employees regularly engage in cross-cultural exchange and intercultural training programs that cultivate an understanding of global business practices. This focus on cultural integration not only enriches the professional environment but also contributes to the social fabric of a globalized economy where diverse ideas foster more robust and adaptable business strategies. 

In summary, Infosys serves as a cultural icon from India that has significantly influenced the American business landscape. Through its groundbreaking IT services, commitment to continuous learning, robust CSR initiatives, partnerships in innovation, and exemplary practices in diversity and inclusion, Infosys has not only advanced technology and economic growth but has also forged stronger cultural ties between India and the United States. Its legacy in transforming outsourcing into a partnership model and pioneering new approaches to workforce development continues to inspire American companies and contributes to a more dynamic, inclusive, and innovative global economy.