A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do”, is one of the ways Bob Dylan expressed his thoughts on success.
And as this tete-e-tete with Mr. Rupam Dastidar progresses, he makes you believe the above with a strong sense, as he too feels that it is important in life to do what you want to do.
Hailing from the scenic Himalayan ranges of Shillong, Mr. Dastidar moved to Delhi with his parents and finished his X and XII studies from there. He then joined IIPM post his graduation from Motilal Nehru College. Based in the Qutub campus back then, Mr. Dastidar reflects, “Good communication and project preparation were critical aspects, and hence the projects during the first two trimesters were important as it allowed students to interact with industry people, that in turn created a lot of learning”. He also feels that IIPM imparts quality communication skills that are invaluable for students in the later parts of their lives.
Mr. Dastidar got a chance to pursue his summer internship from Axis Bank and that gave him the right sort of impetus to move ahead in the BFSI industry. He adds that IIPM equips students with the ability to face the corporate world
and once one gets a break, he/she should focus on the industry they want to get into. He opines, “It is not necessary that only a batch topper or an allrounder gets a good job because skills are always industry specific. As a fresher, everyone is the same and it is the communication skills that become the real differentiator”.
He feels that summer internships can prove more useful than competence because it gives a student the required base to begin his corporate journey. “I joined Axis Bank in 2001 during my fourth trimester, and got an opportunity to work at their zonal office at Green Park where I handled fixed deposits”. The interaction with clients and the senior leaders at Axis was a unique experience.
In 2007, he moved to HSBC in a quest to get into corporate banking. “At Axis, I got the exposure into various forms of banking but I realized soon enough that I need to make a mark in corporate banking”, he tells us. According to Mr. Dastidar, the culture at HSBC is pretty different from other banking organizations and it is a true MNC. “Competition at HSBC is really cut throat, and irrespective of whether you are a fresher or non-fresher, you need to know your work inside out to survive”. This year in June, he will complete 5 years at HSBC.
Mr. Dastidar works independently for a separate sector at HSBC but at Axis, he did have a team. His leadership style is generally soft and he thinks that in order to achieve targets, it is pivotal that your team members respect you. He got promoted to higher realms irrespective of his style of leadership. That is testimony to the man’s people skills!
Coming to his own domain of client servicing, Mr. Dastidar clearly affirms that it is the most difficult task as it involves interacspeaks with archana & shreya about the facets of bfsi sector and his career journey… RUPAM DASTIDAR, VP – client services, global pa yments & cash management, HSBC BATCH: 1999-01 tion with older people who generally are impatient. “In my profile, my skills are tested when a client demands for a service that is not offered by HSBC, in which case I need to ensure that the client does not switch to another bank”, he says with enthusiasm.
Mr. Dastidar goes on to speak about the government and regulatory authorities like RBI and feels that they are not too keen or optimistic about the BFSI sector as they have kept it curtailed to certain extents. “There are problems occurring in European nations, whereas India is still protected”, he adds. He then highlights that the demand for banking services in India is huge especially for people with deeper pockets. But he thinks that there’s some sort of ‘butterfly effect’ taking place as the government is not opening up sectors where FDIs can flow in briskly. He ascertains, “BFSI industry actually moves in sync with the economy, hence, if the economy is flourishing, BFSI industry will flourish as well”.
For the young aspirants of current generation, Mr. Dastidar has some words of advice – “You need to have the right and realistic expectations from your job and never expect flashy jobs at the very beginning of your career”. Getting back to the his IIPM times, he goes on to add that professors like Mr. Bagga and Ms. Veena were excellent and they understood the seriousness and sincerity in students very well. He views, “One should never show too much attitude during their first interview and should always remain grounded. How you develop yourself later on is completely up to you, but always ensure that expectations from the job are not beyond the organization you are working for”. He adds that aspirants should always opt for roles that give them a chance to do what one actually wants to do and one has to be very presentable during interviews. Academically, he points out clearly that the focus towards achieving career goals is the key, “Take all the classes seriously especially executive communication, debates, summer training etc. and be good at presentations”. Mr. Dastidar roots for the importance of being a smart and good natured person to handle things effectively in the corporate world. Mr. Dastidar loves to spend time with his family during weekends by visiting malls, with his wife Ms. Treena Dastidar. Finally, he shares his alternative career wish with us- “If not in banking, I would love to work with an NGO, especially for kids”. Cult wishes him the very best and respects his humility with utmost sincerity!!!
