Interview with Abhinav Eitireddy, SUC President 2017-18

Firstly, how are the preparations going?

We started off on a good note, had the events ready by the second week of June and the workshops confirmed by the second week of September. The publicity went very well in the holidays: we have a great DePP team this year. The patronages have also helped us a lot with publicity. There was a bit of a halt last week, due to the Mid-Semester Exams and Diwali, but otherwise, the preparations have gone very efficiently.

In what ways do you think this ATMOS is going to be different, and better than the previous editions?

Last year, ATMOS, for us was a footfall fest, but this time we are converting it into an encouragement kind of a fest. We have around 17 workshops- all of them are top notch in quality. We have managed to get associated with Google Developers, Microsoft and IBM. We have patronages from Make in India, Startup India and Digital India. This year’s ATMOS will be the best in terms of the quality of events and prize money offered. Even though ATMOS is clashing with many other events such as NIT Warangal’s Technozion, Sunburn, NH7 Weekender and the Pune Comedy Festival, we still are getting a good outreach. We hope to get around 132 contingents from all across India. The advantage of getting patronages from Make in India, Startup India and Digital India is that the students get approved certificates with Make in India and Digital India logos along with ATMOS and BITS logos. All the events and workshops will be on par with the standards set by them.

Are there any aspects from the fests of previous years that you’d like to address during this ATMOS, and the entire academic year?

Compared to the previous editions of ATMOS, we’ve improved the quality and tried to improve the revenue generating sources.
For me, this year’s edition of ATMOS is different compared to the previous ones as I am experimenting with a couple of things, like investing more and recovering the money through effective sponsorship. Hopefully, these experiments will prove to be fruitful, so that we can improve them and implement them in the other 2 fests. We have tried our hand at a social initiative for ATMOS this year. We have already launched “The Blue Drop“ initiative, wherein members of Nirmaan have gone to schools for promoting water conservation. We are introducing cashless bill payments at the food stalls this year, for on-campus students. It’s a simple system which deducts money from the “Other Advances”.

How has being the President changed your participation in the fest? How did you manage the workload?

It hasn’t changed my view. I always think as a general body member and then I take a decision. I see whatever suits the general body’s interests the best and I go ahead with that. ATMOS has been very special in my life ever since I came to campus.

The first two years on campus, I learnt a lot about taking responsibilities and getting work done on time. This year, it’s totally different. I am in a position of mentorship. I direct the juniors to work. I delegate them the work and ask them to do it. So, I contribute more ideas and being in a decision-making role, it gives me a lot of liberty to do new things over here. This way the experience has been different this time. It’s is completely in your hands how you give it to the campus and the people coming to the fest. So, it’s just shaping the fest totally from scratch.

I didn’t become President for the fest. I believe that the President of the Student Union should work on improving the lives of students on the campus and that made me take up the responsibility. Fests are the additional responsibilities we have, but from the next year, SU won’t be involved directly in the fest. We plan on having a fest coordinator system from next year. A middleman who will work between the SU and student’s fest.

Other than funds, how does the Administration participate in the organisation of the fest?

Whenever you want something from the management, you should have a lot of patience. We get help from the General Administration Division with accommodation for the speakers and pro-show artists. Every part of the fest needs the support of the management. When a VIP is coming, there is protocol that has to be followed. We get mementos arranged. The administration helps us in handling the finances of the fest, not directly though. Funds are an important aspect of the fest. Without the funds and the approval of the administration, the fest cannot be organized at all. We are backed by a very supportive administration which helps us run things smoothly.

During the preparation of the fest, is there a moment that stands out? Any moment that could encapsulate the spirit of the fest?

For me, it’s all a huge collection of memories. I can’t just pick a random one because I feel involved in every part of the fest and I have been enjoying every single bit of it. Possibly when we confirmed the Google developer’s association, it added more value to the fest and more so to my happiness. Whenever I receive calls from people in other cities, like the day someone from Thapar university called me and told me that he’d need this information for getting a 50-member contingent, those are the moments which make me extremely happy. Even after being busy with a lot of work over here, I have been going out to pitch companies and the news vendors so that we could place the ATMOS pamphlets over there to get fest publicity. I’ve been doing all this for the past 2 years and it’s been immense fun all along the way.

How do you handle disagreements with the FOB?

The FOB has been on the same page as me since day one, except a few times, but we were able to sort it out. It has been quite an experience working with these amazing people. There have been situations where we had disagreements, no denial. But we managed to work our way around them. I have always had their support, and they help me out in every way possible. The members of the FOB and I have an amazing bond.

How do you see ATMOS progressing in the future?

PEARL has a lot of recognition in Hyderabad and other parts of India, but for ATMOS we are building the brand, and ATMOS is already being recognized all over India now. So, in the future, I see a lot of scope for activities and all kinds of revenue generation and profits. The growth has been organic every year. I don’t see a future where ATMOS will ever be scaled down because it is where we generate good profits.

ATMOS, on the technical side of it, will go to different heights in terms of quality and technology in Hyderabad and outside the state. At the same time, a lot of things have to be taken care of. One shouldn’t overshoot for no reason or get involved in things which have a lot of risks.

Even I would proudly say that ATMOS is the biggest tech fest in India solely managed by the students. I’m in the view that ATMOS should have an organic growth. The future of ATMOS is always secure and it is an increasing graph of progress. You only have to experiment with various avenues and possibilities.

In the three years that you have been a part of ATMOS, how have you grown, as a person, through the organisation of the fest?

I have always been a short tempered person but I’ve learnt to be patient over time. This has given me an increased sense of responsibility. As a person, it has almost been like an energy boost and an equally amazing morale boost. Everyone I knew tried to help me in all possible ways. That is where I realized my true potential.

How did the outcome of the GBM affect the preparations for the Atmos?

My plan was always constant. I did not change a single figure in it. I did not want ATMOS to get affected by the GBMs, so I had a fixed action plan. Come what may, my plan was for ATMOS to go unhindered. Whatever may be the result of the GBM, I made sure that the effect on ATMOS was minimal.

Is there any message you’d like to share with the freshers?

Now that you guys are in college, you have a lot of things to explore and you have to achieve. It’s just that you shouldn’t lose your sense of direction. Whenever you are working for the campus, you shouldn’t lose heart and should always be motivated. Find some self-motivation and some goal to look forward to. There is always a story waiting for you in the campus. It is in your hands to go ahead and seek it.