A Milestone Called Valentine’s Day

This Valentine’s Day, I am reminded of a defining moment from the early years of my journey — a period where belief needs to move faster than infrastructure.

In 1998, when video communication was still in its infancy and the internet was still developing in India, we took the bold step to participate in the first of its kind Online International Valentine’s Day event across the world organised by the Internet World over ISDN based video conferencing on desktops.

There wasn’t much digital connectivity especially in a tier 2 town like Madurai. There wasn’t much bandwidth. The ecology wasn’t ready. Many people questioned the feasibility of such an endeavor.

But leadership does not wait for readiness. It is about creating it.

We set up the facility in our Video conferencing Cafe allowing families to see and communicate with their loved ones in real time across continents and regions starting from 6 AM in Australia to 12 midnight in London. Madurai was the only Center in India to participate in such a major international video conference event. The Indian media carried this story, the event being a novelty in that era.

In the past, what seems simple now required foresight, technical proficiency, coordination, and unwavering belief back then. It was a defining milestone that shaped my perspective on innovation and leadership.

That Valentine’s Day remains one such chapter — a reminder that when you act before the future becomes obvious, you don’t just create events. You create milestones.