It has been 362 days today since I arrived in this country. That’s 362 days since I left my home in India. And even though I have enjoyed every single moment here, building my career and my education, I can’t help but think of the opportunities that await me at home.
Every time I’ve professed my interest in going back, I’ve received quizzical looks because America is the land of opportunity, where students can fulfill their hopes and dreams. But for me, bringing the new ideas and tools I’ve gained at Emerson back home (as well as being close to my family) is most important.
Being in the field of marketing and advertising—a field that America is on the brink of saturating—I see a great opportunity in India, where the use of technology is minimal compared to here in the United States. Things that Americans may take for granted, such as GPS, QR codes, and smartphones, form the crux of any marketing campaign in the US today, but are still in rudimentary stages in India.
Having gained the knowledge and understanding of these technologies through the GMCA program at Emerson, I want to be one of the first to implement them for companies back home. Marketing and advertising in India is in its infancy, meaning that some of the biggest ad agencies in the world do not indulge in digital marketing there. Most companies do not have personalized email addresses and do not try to market themselves, and most websites are not easily accessible.
I would like to try to change this. I want to start from home because, like they say, the best changes come from within. I want to do this for my family business and show the world the difference that personalization, customization, and basic digitization can make to businesses. And I am confident that I will be returning to India with the knowledge and skills necessary to make this change.
