• My parents for bringing me up, instilling values, educating me, giving me the freedom that I wanted and being more of "friends" than parents.
• Nishad Somalwar, one of my dearest friends (REC days), from whom I actually learnt the meaning of true friendship. I think he is one of the nicest persons created by God.
• Vinu Varghese (Sydenham)
  The right subject material that must have inspired songs like - Jeena marna, tere liye. Yaari hai imaan mera, yaar meri zindagi. Agar tension mein ho, to Vinu se baat karo, he makes everything seem so coooooo...l !!!
• Bunty -Ravinder Singh (Sydenham)
  This analytical genius (surprisingly a Sardar) brings a smile on your face no matter how worked up you are, the PJ king who taught me to be a PJ king myself, is a genius at Statistics - Univ Gold Medallist and all wot ? He did statistically prove how knowledge of statistics helps one get girlfriends with mind-blowing vital-statistics. I never saw anyone with a bigger girl-friend circle.
• Prashant Nats Nateri (Sydenham)
  We thought that he was a case study for bad career switching. But he showed how "IN ORDER TO GET NEW CHEESE YOU MUST LET GO OF OLD CHEESE". A brilliant orator, flowery words flow from his faucet. There is no interview he cannot clear. He lost his Indian identity somewhere amongst the frequent trips from Atlanta to Stamford. But still largely Indian at heart, he does what he is best at - i.e. management fart. Nats is now a Senior Project Manager with BankOne and settled in Columbus, Ohio.
• Ranjeet Adkar (Sydenham)
  Cool as cucumber, no matter what the situation is. Even when faced by utterly dire predicaments Adkar does not bat an eyelid. Sees the lighter side of any situation and makes people laugh.
• Sunil Kumar (Citicorp)
  This Haryaanvi Jat even after becoming the Manager of the London Processing Desk of Citicorp is still as down to earth as the earth itself. An absolutely unassuming guy & easy going chap, he leaves a lot of scope for improvement for you when you compare yourself with him.
• Sudhish Pai (my boss at Illinois Tool Works)
  If they made bosses like him, there would be no organisational problems. A brilliant PR person, a genuine warm-hearted person who goes out of his way to help you.
• Mrs.Somali Ghoshal (My pen-pal for the last 11 years) The Allahabad Univ Topper in microbiology 1995 from whom I learnt why women should be respected. She is responsible for converting the MCP in me to an egalitarian.
• Shashikant Banka (Citicorp)
  The finance geek, any finance / tax / legal matter and he is the right person to seek advise from. Also PR/networking is something on which you can always pull a leaf out of his book.
• Maneesh Bhaya (Citicorp)
  A genuine warm-hearted friend, who has an ability to see the funny side of any situation. Now he heads BPR at Hongkong Bank, Mumbai.
• Justin Rajasekar (Patni Computer Systems)
  Though I was in close contact with him for only abt 6 months, there is a lot that I have learnt from him and wud like to have those qualities in me. Frankness, being able to tell the truth as it is, being able to do a relaxed methodical analysis even in times of crisis when the mind stops working. His problem solving abilities are just great and as a person, he himself does not lack far behind.

and lastly....

• Aishwarya Rai - for making me see beauty in everything that my gaze rests upon.