Jonathan Hiskes | Sept. 25, 2007
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| Courtesy photo |
| Suchitra Mohan, M.A. ’03, uses her journalism and technology skills at Wipro in Bangalore, India. |
In Delhi, she met over tea with Raju Narisetti (M.A. ’91), editor of Mint, a recently-launched business daily. She asked if he was interested in working with the School of Journalism, possibly offering internships to students interested in business and international reporting.
“He’s very interested,” she said.
Narisetti left his position as editor of Wall Street Journal Europe when the parent company of one of India’s largest national newspapers, The Hindustan Times, invited him to provide the Journal’s brand of reporting to the surging economies in Delhi and Mumbai.
In February, Narisetti launched Mint, a daily noted for its bold use of color and unconventional Berliner size — smaller than a traditional broadsheet, though arranged like one, and larger than a tabloid. The paper includes both day-to-day business news and in-depth trend stories about India’s growing middle and upper classes. It also borrows international content from the Wall Street Journal.
“It has politics, it has lifestyle and culture, so it’s not just business alone,” Parameswaran said. “That’s kind of the Wall Street Journal approach.”
She also met with Suchitra Mohan (M.A. ‘03), a communications specialist for Wipro Technologies, one of the world’s largest software providers that was a subject in Thomas Friedman’s book on globalization, The World is Flat. Mohan talked about preparing for a career and reminisced about her years in Bloomington.
Could you describe your current position at Wipro?
I am a communications specialist for information systems at Wipro. My primary responsibilities include all internal communication, event management, employee relations, and intranet communication.
For example, my team helped the Information Systems group within Wipro to develop a logo and a brand identity, and we also assist the company with their marketing campaigns for technology products. We are in charge of setting up employee initiatives like the current
Rewards and Recognition program, an induction program for new recruits, and quarterly leadership surveys.
I like my job because it involves a variety of tasks. I get to meet clients and employees, write in different styles and for different media including print and online, and collaborate with others to facilitate good communication.
How has your education at the School of Journalism helped you?
I came to Ernie Pyle with a background in engineering. I decided to get a journalism degree because I loved to write. In my current job, I do a lot of writing, and I learned the basic foundations of good writing in the required “boot camp” reporting course I took my first semester.
It was in that course that I learned how to write in a clear and direct way. I also learned so much about vivid and effective writing in professor (Peter) Jacobi’s courses on reporting and writing for the arts. My broadcast journalism course taught me to appreciate the power of images and the best techniques to blend words with pictures.
My teaching assistantships, like the one I did with you, allowed me to acquire other job skills: how to be organized, how to manage my time, how to communicate via e-mail with people and how to work with others. I use all these skills in my current job at Wipro.
What do you remember about your time in Bloomington?
I had such a good educational experience there. I loved the independence of picking your own courses and coming up with your own ideas for projects.
I also met my husband Sri Ram in Bloomington; he was a student in the computer science department. I had the opportunity to meet and become friends with people from different cultures, and enjoyed all the conversations I had in the Ernie Pyle grad lounge.
I was particularly happy about the arts scene in Bloomington. I went to my first opera and first musical performances there, and now we make it a point to attend plays and performances in Bangalore. We — my husband and I — are always planning a trip back to Bloomington to see the beautiful campus and meet our professors and friends.
In the last few years, some Indian immigrants who had settled in the United States and lived here for several years, returned to India to take advantage of the booming opportunities there. What made you and your husband, Sri Ram, decide to go back to India?
After our education in Bloomington, we moved to California because Sri Ram got a job with Oracle. We expected to live in the United States for a long time. But, to our surprise, in a few months, Oracle offered my husband an even better position in Bangalore. The
media industry was also expanding in India, so I thought I would have good opportunities in Bangalore too.
So, in 2004, we moved to Bangalore and have been living here since. We are in the process of buying our own home here. Aside from the traffic, Bangalore is one of the best places to live, and we have family members in cities close to us. No matter what though, Bloomington will always be another home to us.
“He’s very interested,” she said.
Narisetti left his position as editor of Wall Street Journal Europe when the parent company of one of India’s largest national newspapers, The Hindustan Times, invited him to provide the Journal’s brand of reporting to the surging economies in Delhi and Mumbai.
In February, Narisetti launched Mint, a daily noted for its bold use of color and unconventional Berliner size — smaller than a traditional broadsheet, though arranged like one, and larger than a tabloid. The paper includes both day-to-day business news and in-depth trend stories about India’s growing middle and upper classes. It also borrows international content from the Wall Street Journal.
“It has politics, it has lifestyle and culture, so it’s not just business alone,” Parameswaran said. “That’s kind of the Wall Street Journal approach.”
She also met with Suchitra Mohan (M.A. ‘03), a communications specialist for Wipro Technologies, one of the world’s largest software providers that was a subject in Thomas Friedman’s book on globalization, The World is Flat. Mohan talked about preparing for a career and reminisced about her years in Bloomington.
Parameswaran shares Q&A with Mohan
Below is Parameswaran’s accounting of her talk with Mohan:Could you describe your current position at Wipro?
I am a communications specialist for information systems at Wipro. My primary responsibilities include all internal communication, event management, employee relations, and intranet communication.
For example, my team helped the Information Systems group within Wipro to develop a logo and a brand identity, and we also assist the company with their marketing campaigns for technology products. We are in charge of setting up employee initiatives like the current
Rewards and Recognition program, an induction program for new recruits, and quarterly leadership surveys.
I like my job because it involves a variety of tasks. I get to meet clients and employees, write in different styles and for different media including print and online, and collaborate with others to facilitate good communication.
How has your education at the School of Journalism helped you?
I came to Ernie Pyle with a background in engineering. I decided to get a journalism degree because I loved to write. In my current job, I do a lot of writing, and I learned the basic foundations of good writing in the required “boot camp” reporting course I took my first semester.
It was in that course that I learned how to write in a clear and direct way. I also learned so much about vivid and effective writing in professor (Peter) Jacobi’s courses on reporting and writing for the arts. My broadcast journalism course taught me to appreciate the power of images and the best techniques to blend words with pictures.
My teaching assistantships, like the one I did with you, allowed me to acquire other job skills: how to be organized, how to manage my time, how to communicate via e-mail with people and how to work with others. I use all these skills in my current job at Wipro.
What do you remember about your time in Bloomington?
I had such a good educational experience there. I loved the independence of picking your own courses and coming up with your own ideas for projects.
I also met my husband Sri Ram in Bloomington; he was a student in the computer science department. I had the opportunity to meet and become friends with people from different cultures, and enjoyed all the conversations I had in the Ernie Pyle grad lounge.
I was particularly happy about the arts scene in Bloomington. I went to my first opera and first musical performances there, and now we make it a point to attend plays and performances in Bangalore. We — my husband and I — are always planning a trip back to Bloomington to see the beautiful campus and meet our professors and friends.
In the last few years, some Indian immigrants who had settled in the United States and lived here for several years, returned to India to take advantage of the booming opportunities there. What made you and your husband, Sri Ram, decide to go back to India?
After our education in Bloomington, we moved to California because Sri Ram got a job with Oracle. We expected to live in the United States for a long time. But, to our surprise, in a few months, Oracle offered my husband an even better position in Bangalore. The
media industry was also expanding in India, so I thought I would have good opportunities in Bangalore too.
So, in 2004, we moved to Bangalore and have been living here since. We are in the process of buying our own home here. Aside from the traffic, Bangalore is one of the best places to live, and we have family members in cities close to us. No matter what though, Bloomington will always be another home to us.
More info:
- Read about Parameswaran’s work in India last summer.
- Find out more about Narisetti’s publication, Mint.
- Listen to Narisetti describe the idea for Mint in this YouTube clip.
- Find out more about Wipro.
- Read about other alumni working overseas.
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