IIT Kharagpur
Foundation
IITKGP ka tempo high hai!

Dear Reader,

This month we bring to you another story directly from an IITKGP alumni. 

Shyamal Kanti Ghosh Dastidar (ME/1960/RP)

In 1960, I graduated from IIT Kharagpur with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, specializing in Material Handling. Encouraged by Professors Schulz and Ghosh, I embarked on a career in the crane manufacturing industry in Peine, West Germany. I set sail for Europe on the Roma (see picture) even before our official convocation ceremony. The workshop practice, Material Handling knowledge, and limited German language skills I acquired at IIT helped me secure an engineering position with a good income.

After eighteen months, seeking versatile experience, I joined MAN AG in Nuremberg, where I specialized in heavy hoisting machinery. Fortunately, during this time, MAN and Hindustan Motors entered into a dealership agreement, which led me to join Hindmotor’s Heavy Engineering Division in 1963. Jessop & Co. in Kolkata was looking for a crane engineer to design a new order of six box girder cranes, a project never before attempted in India. I was offered a higher-level position with significant benefits and compensation, a rare opportunity for a young engineer from India at that time.

In 1970, I came to the USA with my wife and son on a three-year study leave. I pursued an MS in the evenings and qualified for a Professional Engineer (PE) license while working for two small consulting engineering firms. During this time, we traveled extensively across America and Europe.

In 1973, I returned to India to rejoin Jessop. However, in 1974, I made the decision to emigrate to the USA permanently. My previous employer offered me a position, and by 1990, I had become the Chief Engineer at Robins Engineers (Tata Robins Fraser in India). When the company decided to relocate to Denver, I chose to stay behind and transition into a new profession as a Financial Advisor with American Express, later Ameriprise. I earned several professional licenses, including Series 7, Insurance, CFP, CLU, and ChFC, and had a successful practice that allowed my family and me to travel the world and visit India annually.

Through my practice, I was able to support the ongoing education of four students in Mechanical Engineering and the ME department chair for three years at IIT Kharagpur, as well as fund the education of two medical doctors and contribute to a school for children (Gadadhar Pathsala) through the Ramakrishna Mission in Kolkata. In 2020, I was honored to receive the Distinguished Services Award from IIT Kharagpur.

I sold my real estate holdings in 2004 and my financial planning practice in 2012. My wife and I now enjoy retirement with our two married sons and four grandchildren.My stay at IIT, Kharagpur, helped me to be a better person, not only as an engineer, but also as a human being.

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