Kunal Pandya is Co-Founder, Director – MetroJoint.

com Private Limited  – an Indian social

networking website, which has over 44,000 registered members.

He is also Founding Partner, CEO – NCrypted Technologies.

He launched a several web portals before starting up NCrypted Technologies, a few of which
have become one of the leading and profit-making portals in its respective fields today. He
earned his MBA in Marketing in 2005.

Today these two companies and has over 50 employees working for him with offices in
Mumbai, Rajkot and associate offices in New York, San Jose and Wales (UK).

And all this is achieved by him at the very young age of 25. Being friendly in nature, he
makes it easy for others to talk to him. He runs mostly with tight schedule with jobs in
pipeline to look after. I could fetch him for an hour from his busy schedule and asked him
few questions while enjoying hot coffee.

Till we finish the coffee, you enjoy our conversation:

Kunal, how did it all start, you in the I.T. field?

Prior to doing my MBA, I did IT engineering from Bangalore. Websites, designs and
complex algorithms have always attracted me towards them. I used to bunk other classes
during the college and spend time in the library and the computer lab to learn and practice the
subjects I loved the most – the web related subjects. After doing MBA in marketing, I learnt
how I can use this knowledge of mine to market it in the US, EU and even Indian markets
and provide customized solutions to customers. My trainings in hardcore sales and marketing
research helped give a shape to my dreams. As you know, I never had a conventional job,
I’ve always been an entrepreneur and I love it this way. Initial years were difficult, but once it
started rolling, there is no looking back.

Being MetroJoint.com such a hit portal in India, how you looking at its future
prospective?

MetroJoint has a promising future; especially when you have a huge traffic and repeated
visitors adding in valuable content to the site on daily basis. MetroJoint is not just a social
network; it is a social media site in whole. Along with social networking capabilities, it
allows the user to control his/her type of audience and provides flexibility to upload and share
unlimited videos, photos and make favorite joints, write blogs etc. We are looking for
alliances and additional funding for the company at the moment to explore certain
development and expansion options. We plan to be one of the industry leaders in the field of
social media in India in a few years.

How does it feel being in the top position at such a young age? And what it takes to be
on top?I don’t think I am on top for any thing at the moment, haha.

But, yes you can say that I’ve been successful so far. And this little success helps me each
day to dream big about the next day.

The moment you feel you are on top, your growth stops accelerating. You’re never on the
top; there is always something ahead of you which you need to compete with.

Tell us something about NCrypted Technologies, services offered by it and your staff
strength.
NCrypted Technologies is a LAMP company providing high-end online and offline solutions
for medium to large scale organizations worldwide. Our clientele include 2 of Fortune 500
companies and over 45 others from USA, UK, EU, Australia, Middle-East Asia and India as
well. Currently we have staff strength of about 40 and plan to grow the team to more than
200 by the year end 2009.

What motivates you to look after two such big companies simultaneously?
Let me make it clear. We are not big – nowhere near it. We are a small team and managing
small teams is not a problem at all, haha. Still, all of our processes are automated; everybody
has their own set of instructions and responsibilities; so if everybody performs up to their
level, entire process or the project runs smooth. We believe in practical outcomes rather than
following some typical orthodox marketing mumbo-jumbo with no output.

Personally, I have to divide my time between both companies; and as both are my passion, I
manage them easily.

Your hobbies?
Hanging out with friends is my favorite pastime. I also enjoy reading books, writing, listening
to good music, dancing and sometimes create a few beats of my own as well.

Favorite movies?
Schindler’s List, Forrest Gump, Sholay, Jurassic Park, Jab We Met, The Godfather, Pulp
Fiction, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Lords of the Ring trilogy, Mother India are few of
my all time favorites among others.

Your message to young entrepreneurs.

To quote it straight and simple in the words of the legendary late Dhirubhai Ambani, “Dream
big, dream fast, dream ahead!”

Thank you very much Kunal for taking time and talking to us.

Thank you, Devang.

How to write a book review

Here is the book review format in which to follow:

Steps to Follow When Writing a Book Review:
(Note: You do not have to answer every question, these
are only suggestions to guide your writing.)
1.Write at least 3-4 sentences about the plot
•
What was the story about?
•
Who were the main characters?
•
What did the main characters do in the story?
•
Did the main characters run into any problems?
•
Did the main characters have any adventures?
•
Who was your favorite character? Why?
2. Your personal experiences
•
Could you relate to any of the characters in the story?
•
Have you ever done some of the things or felt some of the same things that the
characters did?
3.Your opinion
•
Did you like the book?
•
What was your favorite part of the book?
•
Do you have a least favorite part of the book?
•

If you could change something in the book, what would it be?

(If you wish you could change theending, remembernot to tell the ending to the
story you read!)

4.Your recommendation
•
Would you recommend this book to another person?
•
What type of person would like this book?

The novel is set in the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, in the period 1991 to 1995. It is
about the adventures of three mechanical engineering students (and friends), Hari Kumar (the
narrator), Ryan Oberoi, and Alok Gupta, who fail to cope with the grading system of the IITs.
Ryan is a bit smart and outspoken, whereas Alok and Hari are mildly cry babies. The three
hostelmates - Alok, Hari and Ryan get off to a bad start in IIT - they screw up the first class
quiz. And while they try to make amends, things only get worse. It takes them a while to
realize: If you try and screw with the IIT system, it comes back to double screw you. Before
they know it, they are at the lowest echelons of IIT society. They have a five-point-something
GPA out of ten, ranking near the bottom of their classes.

The book is narrated in the first person by Hari, with some small passages by his friends
Ryan and Alok, as well as a letter by Hari's girlfriend Neha Cherian. It deals with the lives of
the three friends whose elation on making it to one of the best engineering colleges in India is
quickly deflated by the rigor and monotony of academic work. Most of the book deals with
the numerous attempts by the trio to cope with and/or beat the system as well as Hari's fling
with Neha who just happens to be the daughter of Prof. Cherian, the domineering head of the
Mechanical Engineering Department. Their most important attempt was "C2D" (Cooperate to
Dominate).

While the tone of the novel is humorous, it takes some dark turns every now and then,
especially when it comes to the families of the protagonists. Most of the action, however,
takes place inside the campus as the boys, led by the ever creative Ryan, frequently lamenting
how the internationally lauded IIT system has stifled their creativity by forcing them to value
grades more than anything else. Uninspiring teaching and numerous assignments add to their
woes, though the boys do find a sympathizer in Prof. Veera, the new fluid mechanics
professor.

Five Point Someone - What not to do at IIT!

is the first (2004) novel written by Chetan Bhagat, an alumnus of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)
Delhi and Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad. It is one of the highest selling English
novels published in India, and has remained on the bestseller list until 2007 since its release in 2004.
It was adapted into a play by the theatre group Madras Players, and soon going to be converted into
a Bollywood movie which will be made under Salman khan's production house.

The novel is set in the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, in the period 1991 to 1995. It is about
the adventures of three mechanical engineering students (and friends), Hari Kumar (the narrator),
Ryan Oberoi, and Alok Gupta, who fail to cope with the cruel grading system of the IITs and come to
be known as five pointers due to their perennially low 5.something GPA's.

The book is narrated in the first person by Hari, with some small passages by his friends Ryan and
Alok, as well as a letter by Hari's girlfriend Neha Cherian. It deals with the lives of the three friends
whose elation on making it to one of the best engineering colleges in India is quickly deflated by the
rigor and monotony of academic work. Most of the book deals with the numerous attempts by the
trio to cope with and/or beat the system as well as Hari's fling with Neha who just happens to be the
daughter of Prof. Cherian, the sadistic head of the Mechanical Engineering Department.

While the tone of the novel is humorous, it takes some dark turns every now and then, especially
when it comes to the families of the main characters. Most of the action, however, takes place inside
the campus as the boys, led by the ever creative Ryan, frequently lament how the internationally
lauded IIT system has stifled their creativity by forcing them to value grades more than anything
else. Uninspiring teaching and numerous assignments adds to their woes although the boys do find a
sympathizer in Prof. Veera, the new fluid mechanics professor.

Characters
Hari - He is the main character and also the narrator of the story. Hari is a shy guy who always longs
to be smart and handsome like his friend Ryan. Hari is an average student and is miserable at vivas.
Everything is fine until he falls in love with Neha Cherian the daughter of one of his Professors at IIT.
Hari does everything he can to impress the Professor but nothing works. Instead he ends up bringing
down his impression each time.

Ryan - He is a smart, handsome and an adventurous fellow who loves his friends more than his
parents (at least he says so). He is totally against mugging up the matter and passing exams. He has
an innovative mind and wants to do something out of the way.

Alok - He desperately wants to study well and get a decent job to overcome the poverty of his
family. He is a sensitive person.

Neha- she is the daughter of prof.Cherian who is a strict disciplanarian,who's against his daughter
talking to boys&vice versa. She is very close to her brother Sameer who commits suicide after not
getting into IIT. She is in love with Hari.

It is rumored that a film will be made on it starring the superstar Aamir Khan and John Abraham to
be directed by Rajkumar Hirani, his third directorial venture after the Munnabhai series. He plans to
make the film before the end of this year and hopes to launch it by the new year.