From battling a serious health condition right in the middle of a brilliant career he carefully crafted, he peaked personal challenges with might and wisdom.
Nijay Nair, a humble family man, hails originally from Kerala who made Mumbai his home. And he is quite a toughie to deal with. With a career that spans 11 years across some diverse professional stints in an arduous journey, he has held leadership roles in I.T., Logistics and Supply Chain and in his present Consulting vertical. And, he agrees to be a hard task master. No, it isn’t for his unworldly demands from those who work with him that makes him tough to work with but because he is never quite satisfied with himself. “I hate to say that people work under me“, Nijay claims defiantly.
Nijay, a simpleton, is part temperamental but purely passionate, remains constantly buried amidst the vagaries that decorate his simple but meaningful life. But life for Nijay hasn’t always been an easy ride. He has had to battle a heart condition, something he didn’t quite expect being the healthy and upright fit man at the young age of 33. But even today after getting treatment and standing tall amidst his set of challenges he continues to jog 6 kilometers everyday.
He happily juggles the roles between a demanding consulting career and the life of an ever loving father who rides his Harley with 2 loving kids. He is fitter than ever at 36 today.
The Ticket To U.S.
“Parents are the most loving souls and the greatest gift of God. At every step in my life, my parents did all they could to ensure that I lead a life that I always wanted“, admits Nijay. His parents sent their son to the United States for he dreamt of making movies, something conventional Indian parents would instantly budge for extolling upon their ward the merrier rewards of pursuing a promising career toward Engineering, medical or say, Law. Nijay attributes his parents at cushioning him with guidance and emotional support in all his choices, which he has been proud and brave enough to take.
“I wanted to go to the United States to pursue a passion I nurtured – film-making“. Nijay, strangely decided to completely dump the idea and pursue an MBA during 2003-2004. He further shares , “I graduated with A+ grades from a top management course. During those days I was struggling hard to find a job, I made ends meet by sweeping a Pizza floor and working in a ticketing agency during daytime. I call that a really hard time but it ultimately made me a stronger person“. There is more to a person than meets the eye, it is said and speaking to Nijay confirms the notion that a man’s eyes light up when he speaks of his soulful journey.
We are all entitled to being confused and have a total command over our choices but the weak run away from the ignominy at failing, at chasing their dreams upon realizing they are perhaps weak to confound self-created changes in life. Nijay, who aspired to make movies and ultimately stood firm with a self-made decision to opt for a Corporate career couldn’t stand further from this truth.
Being A Specialist In Being A Generalist
Nijay easily balances and enjoys professional challenges and the role of a father which has given him strength and great zeal for life. Whether you speak of I.T, or the sector hailed as a sunrise sector in India; Supply Chain and Logistics, there are umpteenth number of challenges you are confronted with as you serve from the leader’s desk. Nijay, who often lurks under immense self prognosis in his search for betterment, still feels he could have done a lot in his already successful professional stint at divergent domains. At 36, he is at the peak of his youth and still raring to go.
“Wherever I went and whatever I did, from my foray in I.T. to solidifying my stint to further focusing on to Logistics and Supply Chain, I have always believed in one stand-out principle, that I wanted to be a specialist at being a generalist“.
Nijay soon made a decision to stick with Project management roles for most part of his career upon returning to India, circa February 2004 from a stint in the United States that taught him a lot about himself and his abilities, but, prefers to term the phase, “marred by failure and confusion“. Even his stand out grades did less to satisfy him.
Conquering An Unexpected Heart Condition
Nijay and daughter Tanishka are a goofy, playful and cheerful bundle of energy. Fitness, alongside a lifelong regard for sports-bikes have always featured in the young Keralite’s journey. Leading a hectic life in the ever maddening and intellectually conjusted Mumbai can do much to dampen your spirits for hardly there is ever time for paying heed to your own fitness. In a city that has few takers for book stores and one where a state of the art gymnasium mushrooms as easily as that evergreen traffic, Nijay made running and pumping iron a part of his everyday life.
“It was back in 2011 on a Sunday, a regular happy holiday for us, upon returning from a party that I first felt some ache and discomfort around my heart. That did little to dissuade me from running 8 kilometers. It was during the last leg of the 3rd kilometer that I still could feel pain around the chest that wasn’t much to complain about but didn’t wither away any soon. It was finally during 3 a.m. the next morning upon noticing an unusually high pulse that I got himself tested at Lilavati hospital’s Cardiac Care Unit. They told me I had a rupture in one of the branches around my heart“.
For any young man this could be a damning condemnation to all grand plans and ambitions in life that one tasks himself to achieve. A loving wife and a young daughter’s exuberant smile infested Nijay with a self-belief to lead a cautious, yet happy life as if nothing had happened.
They say, true good karma is the stand alone feature to achieve greatness in life. I am sure, Nijay will silently nod in approval to suggest that Karma along with fierce determination coupled with slight life altering choices can help you lead a healthy and stable life, no matter your ailment.
Having a stent put in his heart did little to outwit Nijay’s spirit. Being the charming, determined, guy leading a low profile but steady life much to the chagrin of his decapitating critics, if he has ever had any, and amidst the prayers and good wishes of his fellow colleagues and friends, he decided to counter a fresh challenge. He chose to distance himself from a natural pressure that has potency to consume and exhaust any weak minded soul.
The Family Man – Determined To Outwit Challenges
A devoted husband and the man of the house, regards wife Bhumika for being his guardian angel and silent source of strength. Nijay isn’t a superman, nor do his muscles built on the painfully correct tedium of practicing a solid fitness regime go on to confirm that he may not be subjected to a health woe in future, lest he decides to act lazy and trouble himself. From the routine tasks of an everyday life whilst meeting sordid and tough asks and challenges, he matches pace with professional asks and personal demands, and remains unwavering in his commitment as a father par excellence and a man who is bloody good at what he does.
But, the fact that there still are lives around us that by sheer will power exhaust challenges that could have easily labeled a normal soul with a sticker that read ‘captured and caught‘ brings us in an interface with man’s lust for life and spirit for triumph. Neither has Nijay cut-shorted his visits to the gym, nor has he shied away from riding his stylishly sleek Moto Guzzi California. He is the playful father who is paraded by fun loving daughter and son at the wee hours of the morning, even as he adds an exciting new twinge of creative sparkle to the powerpoint that has a Nijay Nair stamp of authority, and clear, erudite thinking.
In a career that has spanned more than a decade, wherein the somewhat unaccomplished soul gave up the dream of film-making to lead from the commercially and managerially solid positions- a bright career, Nijay has struck a chord with those who come to seek his guidance during personal crisis’, and those who look up to him for a word of advice – be it for physical fitness or the effective ways to further build upon professional resumes.
He remains witty, sharp and selective in his word of praise for the many youths whose lives he has shaped in a career where he has looked way beyond self appraisal- giving guidance to those who wish to go ahead in life.
Looking from the comfort of his cabin and feeling satisfied with the road less traveled upon which he treaded in full spirit, here is Nijay Nair, again amidst a streak of questions that he wishes to remain silently indebted to, some that have furthered his quest to lead a self- made life, giving an edge to top IT, Logistics and Communication companies that have banked on him for his useful contributions and some that continue to ask – what is it that he still seeks in a largely wholesome life.