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o-p-naiduO D Naidu ('08): From an off-grid village to power technologist

Gadgets Now (April 2, 2021)

From an off-grid village to power technologist

Near Thimmannapalem, a remote village in Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh where O D Naidu ('08) spent most of his childhood, the sun gods determined the working hours. His off-grid house, built close to the farm where his father worked, did not have access to electricity till the early 2000s. Even at the government hostel in Chodavaram where he finished his schooling, the nights were usually spent in the dark due to power outages.

It wasn't until he came across a local article about IITs and engineering courses that Naidu realised he might have a chance to change the situation. "IIT was a dream at that time. So I aimed low," says Naidu. He joined Andhra polytechnic and pursued electrical engineering. In 2002, he got into JNTU in Hyderabad.

Having studied in his mother tongue all his life, Naidu found it difficult to adjust to English-medium lectures in college. "I bought a huge dictionary," he quips. "I wrote down meanings, made notes, and worked extra hard every single day."

As his education started to seem like a burden on his parents, Naidu decided to take up a part time job at a power distribution firm. This turned out to be a blessing--he got hands-on training, cementing his passion and prompting him to pursue higher studies. This time, he aimed high, and got into IIT Kharagpur with full scholarship. (Read More)