Whilst I was killing the seven months of downtime before school, it suddenly hit me that I had been away from India for four years. Though only a five hour journey from Singapore, I asked myself,

‘Is my understanding of India the same as India is???’

The last time I was based in India: People weren’t Swiggy’ing their food, Paytm was a phone recharge app, Jio was still Ambani’s fantasy, Hotstar & Prime were unheard of and Demonetisation, BHIM, UPI, KYC what???

So began my stint at Lightbox. Day 1 was literally walking myself into a pitch with Sandeep and gang, to a beverage company. And for the next two months, it has still been Day 1.

In my time here, I got to have my say on over 250 deals; across a range of verticals and stages. I also got a chance to sit in dozens of pitches and portfolio meetings, helping me better understand India.

As I look back, I realize what made my time special were the people at Lightbox. Whether it was debating how brand advantage percolates into future sales @3am in the morning (A one-off) or a discussion on how to design phones for kids. There is an air of warmth and inquisitiveness, and the all-day music only adds to it.

They say, we are the people we meet. Lightbox definitely has left a lasting impression on me.