I love Japan, learned Japanese at a university in India, and even worked at a Japanese government agency in India after graduating. I decided to study abroad in Japan in order to learn about international relations so I could research even deeper into the issue of how Japanese companies are developing poverty class business opportunities in India.

In the process of investigating Japanese universities, I became interested in the Ritsumeikan University Graduate School of International Relations. Using SNS, I contacted graduates of the program and asked them their opinions of the program directly before deciding to attend. The reason I chose GJP was because I wanted to attend courses conducted in the Japanese language as well.

In India, the only courses available are ones in which the teacher speaks, and the students only listen. So I was surprised that teachers in Japan ask students for their opinion.

There was a part of me that was bound by the traditional Indian ways of thought and felt that there were set and unchangeable ways to think about certain things, and I felt this part of me open up through this program. I had been involved in poverty business research in India as well, but the words of my teachers in Japan changed my viewpoints in a major way. In the past, I thought that even if you created a business enterprise targeted at the impoverished class, it could never be sustainable. However, now I think that it is possible to create sustainable business through advancing the two areas of business and support. Ultimately, I want to search for formats that facilitate long lasting business through government response to needs such as housing and medical care.

Coming to the Graduate School of International Relations gave me the chance to make many friends from all over the world. And being able to meet people who I would never have met in my home country and having chances to talk about our opinions together was my favorite part of the program. When I spoke about my own research, there were many times in which people would expose me to viewpoints I had never thought of before by saying things like, "There are different ways of looking at this." I really did experience many "wow" instances of becoming aware of something entirely new.

After I completed the program, I wanted to work at a Japanese company that was advancing into India and striving to contribute to Indian society. So I took the approach of directly sending my resume to companies that interested me and following-up with companies that responded. Initially I narrowed my selection to small-to-medium businesses. But when I also approached companies that were slightly larger, I was fortunate enough to receive informal follow-up invitations from three companies. I wound up deciding on working for a manufacturer that possesses a top global share in small motors. I hope to someday contribute to the society of India through my job.