DiscoverBangalore is pleased to introduce Mrs. Vasantha Kalbagal, an IT and HR Professional to the visitors of our site and to the world as we recognize her good work.

Big things come in small packages. This precisely describes the Power Puff lady of the IT Corporate World. Vasantha Kalbagal at 5feet stands tall in the business world. This General Manager, HR & Director- Corporate Affairs at TCS-BTS (erstwhile Phoenix Global Solutions) forte is Corporate Marketing communications and image management has crafted the company’s HR strategies. The freshness and vibrancy that she infuses into the work atmosphere, the open door friendly policies, and working out a career path for the employees had revolutionized HR practices in PGS. The concept of driving away the Monday blues aptly called Sakkat Somavara, a runaway hit was her creation. It was not surprising when PGS bagged the coveted Deccan Herald Award for Innovative HR practices for 2004-2005.

She says with justifiable pride –“From a middle class background I have come a long way. My professionalism and perseverance against odds took me to the top in my chosen area of work. This discipline is reflected in all my assignments”. She started her career as a journalist at Deccan Herald and Praja Vani. Her weekly column in the Kannada daily with a touch of wry humour covered the newly introduced products in the market. This column was popular for five years and the forerunner for later clones. Being a columnist she had stints with TV channels. “As Regional Head of Mudra, I handled some of the biggest accounts. As Corporate Communications Manager at ITPL in 1997 I helped position ITPL as a lucrative destination to MNC’s.” At a time when the place was outside the city, she roped in the best names to take space for their business. Her stint at the above came handy, as the spokesperson of ITPL the visiting Heads of States, MNC’s CEO’s would interact with her alone. Noontime binging and moonlighting at ITPL were her brainchild. “Mine was always a people- process centric approach. “I was at ease with Vijay Mallya, Ratan Tata, the Sarkars, Mr. A G Krishnamurthy (Mudra), sitting across the table with them, striking deals, interacting or inking pacts.” Shaking hands with Vajpayee, Pataudi, Rajkumar, and Nissar Ahmed and scores of visiting foreign dignitaries comes naturally to her. These larger than life text book characters never overwhelmed her; hence working at break neck schedules was a pleasurable experience.

This soft spoken go getter has a different angle to her persona. Her passion for writing culminated in the recent release of two works in Kannada. One is a collection of poems - PRANAVA released by Prof.Nissar Ahmed and the other Fashion Jagatthu released by Dr.Thimappa, VC, Bangalore University. The simple poems are lucidly delineated and make for compelling reading. Her writings are rooted in heritage and mostly are women centric. She states ‘Being a woman is definitely an advantage in terms of bringing sensitivity. All along I have rubbed shoulders with men so I could observe and analyse their thinking. Also my mother’s influence and upbringing in a women friendly environment have a reflection in my works. I am able to switch roles easily. Poetically I would call this -Parakaya Pravesha - getting in and out of any Body.” Some of her poems have been translated into other languages. With five books to her credit, Vasantha is able to multi task and strike the right balance.

The Kalbagal family saw a record breaking release of trilogy of works by her mother, sister and herself on the same day in Aug 1996.This is not surprising as the lineage traces to Sir.H.V.R.Iyengar (ICS) Personal Secretary to Nehru and poet Pu.ti.na. Her 16 year old daughter Medha Ghatikesh,a budding writer inheriting the writing genes had the release of her manuscript of a novel ON THE RUN recently by the Vice Chancellor,Bangalore University and is awaiting publication. On the anvil is Vasantha’s travelogue in poetry about Brazil which she plans to publish soon.

“I am in love with life and have traveled extensively”. She recollects humourous situations, starting from the surname KALBAGAL denoting stone door. “My grandfather, a doctor in Sirsi, coined it as everybody there had a surname. Since his ancestral place in Melkote had a stone door he added– Kalbagal- to his name which till then had only initials. On a Rotary International scholarship program in 1997 at Brazil, where beer was cheaper than water, I enjoyed this substitute for the first time. A vegetarian, I mistakenly ate all sorts of non vegetarian food. At the Governor’s house party I had prawns in salads, and relished fried exotic Piranha fish. I learnt to say NAU CARNE (no meat) NAU FRANGO (chicken) NAU FISHAU (fish) to subsist on rice and aromatic beans whose aroma is in its marinating for 48 hours in pig’s fat. Many such exposures gave me an international perspective very early in life”. Very articulate her lilting voice and laughter enthralls listeners with anecdotes that belie the toughness in her.

‘It’s not easy to survive in a male dominated society. My background helped in giving a thrust that made a difference. My husband Dr. Manu and daughter have been supportive who unhesitatingly criticize and applaud my achievements.

My Success Mantra -

We make the world we live in. Anything the mind can conceive and believe can be achieved. See the positive side of people and TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE.

Sound of Music’s

SOMEWHWERE IN MY YOUTH OR CHILDHOOD I MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING GOOD, NOTHING COMES FROM NOTHING, Nothing ever could…is my favourite line.

She has made the best choices of life scripting her play without getting drawn in others’ drama.

As told to Githa.U.Badikillaya

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