Dear Children,

As I write this I cannot but help recollect the fond memories of my own school days. When I look back at those days, I realize the value of the time spent at school. And the value was not just about getting good grades, studying for exams and getting an admission in a good college.

A simple thing like reaching to school in time taught me the importance of punctuality, something that I have practiced throughout my professional life and benefited immensely from. Completing the homework helped me understand the value of taking responsibility and fulfilling it irrespective of whatever hurdles come in way. And of course the extracurricular activities that I participated in gave me a broader outlook of many aspects not covered by the subjects that were taught in school.

Another very important value I picked up at school was the importance of sharing. Waiting for my turn at the water cooler, sharing the desk with my desk mate and the lunch box with my friends (here I must say that I sometimes did take more than my fair share) all taught me the joy of sharing. Today in my profession my colleagues and I share each other's successes and disappointments; our ideas and our knowledge all towards achieving our shared goals. Another aspect of sharing that I learnt was adapting to a common culture of behavior at school. The students in my school were from different backgrounds as is the case in many schools in Mumbai and yet there was a common thread binding us together in terms of the overall spirit of the school.

In today's globalized professional environment this learning helps me to blend in multi-regional teams that I come in contact with and work more effectively.

All this is not to say that studies, exams and good grades are not important. Of course they are! But there are other things that your school teaches you that are equally important and you must learn these equally well. That is what education is all about.

So happy learning and my best wishes to all of you for a wonderful year at school!

Unmesh Joshi

Unmesh Joshi

Chairman & Managing Director,
Kohinoor Group.