Happy AIM day! 21 May 2012 is the day when it all started — the day when Analytics India Magazine, India’s first digital magazine that exclusively covers data science, artificial intelligence and data analytics was launched. We are happy our readers are looking up to us for guidance and information — and it has been quite a ride for all of us here!
From one visionary’s dream of reporting news on (then) relatively unknown areas in technology, to a critically-acclaimed and a noted brand six years later, AIM has fulfilled many goals. We have increased in popularity, provided a launch pad for new startups and companies, celebrated and recognised the excellence of top data scientists and academicians and have chronicled the development in new tech which is changing the way businesses are functioning all over the world now.
For our sixth anniversary, the AIM team, which has more than doubled in the last year itself, shares their experience of working in a dynamic workplace in a thriving, emerging field:
Abhijeet Katte: I started my journey with stints in machine learning startups and labs in Bengaluru. I got interested in writing and expressing my views regarding current state of AI and policies which are affecting our startup and tech ecosystem.
When I got in touch with AIM I was convinced from the first minute that this was the place for me. I could work on an important product like MachineHack while continuing what I love to do — write. And if you want to write and shine light on the AI ecosystem in India, what better place than AIM?! I feel like I have the best of both worlds.
Our CEO, Bhasker Gupta said something to me on the very first day that gave me immense clarity. He said, “Your role is to write and build for the data scientists and the data science ecosystem. Every action should help the individual data scientist or the ecosystem as a whole.” This simple mission statement helps me everyday.
Abhishek Sharma: My journey with AIM has been delightful so far. To begin with, everyday at AIM is exciting and challenging. Be it writing about data science, machine learning or artificial intelligence, we get to explore fascinating aspects of technology every day. Apart from this, I also get to know a lot about latest happenings in the analytics industry.
The work environment here at AIM is awesome. We have an amazing boss and fun colleagues, to say the least. They have been helpful right from the beginning of my stint at AIM. This has made me better at work and come out successful.
Prajakta Hebbar: Coming from a very different background in journalism, writing about new tech was a great challenge and a learning experience. I get to learn something interesting every day (my search history is a testimony to that!) and have met numerous important and awe-inspiring leaders here. Writing about such important topics has helped me connect with many industry leaders in the sector. AIM’s flagship events Cypher and MachineCon have shown me just how close-knit and helpful the entire analytics and new tech community is. Be it a CXO or a wide-eyed student, we all support and encourage each other.
Working for AIM has been a fun ride. I am lucky to have a boss who doesn’t say ‘no’ to any ideas — be it memes, funky videos or unusual interviews. The cookie jars are always full of delicious treats, and the colleagues are just amazing.
Richa Bhatia: It’s been a very fulfilling journey at Analytics India Magazine and I believe we have all grown with the organisation. Personally, AIM has done more than just evangelise the data science ecosystem; it has helped startups and enterprises get recognition for their work. Our conferences are well attended and are acclaimed for the great lineup of speakers who showcase advanced trends in analytics practice. For me personally, it has given more than a peek into how data science departments work; it has been an immense pleasure to write about the growth and how new products are coming out of India. The last one year has also seen a bunch of enterprises setting up their COE in India. On a more personal note, I believe in a short span of time, we have established ourselves as a formidable tech media brand and in the coming years, we promise to add more knowledge.
Smita Sinha: Transitioning from a economy, business and markets news desk to New Tech was an interesting change for me. The quest to learn new things and gather more experiences has kept me on my toes. After joining AIM, I got fascinated by this world of Big data. Now a days every single organisation, starting from startups to Fortune 500, runs on Big Data. AIM gave me that opportunity to interact with industry leaders, talk to startup and get to learn more about data analytics, AI and machine learning.
As they say, we are living in the age of information and if you want to succeed in this world, you must study trends. Everything depends on data today. Big data is everywhere and now I am fascinated by this world of Big data.
I still remember the day I went up to Bhasker and confided that I got heebie-jeebies while writing about such deeply technical subjects. His assurance that I’d “learn it in time” has stayed with me till now. It boosted my confidence, now I am taking baby steps to learn things. Everyday I learn new things, understand new concepts.
Srishti Deoras: AIM turns six today. Over the last two years of being a part of the team, the industry has evolved and changed in so many ways. Though analytics, and the then emerging field of AI were different for me when I initially started writing about it, my tech background helped me to connect to the essence of the growing field.
One of the my favourite things about my job is covering interesting startups, talking to industry leaders and writing about the various aspects of new tech. Also, our trademark events like Cypher and MachineCon, which are considered magnum opus of the analytics industry, are an amazing networking experience.
Our camaraderie at work is delightful. We exchange ideas, discuss emerging trends and the best part is that Bhasker always comes up with amazing insights into trends or news that we had never thought of! It has been a thrilling journey, and I wish to witness more of it in the coming years.
