From plush IT jobs to hectic traveling to power rural homes

Two city-based techies, Vageesh BJ and Mahesh CV have joined the ever-expanding bandwagon of people who quit lucrative jobs to pursue their heart’s calling.

Quitting their plum posts in top IT companies in the city, the duo has taken a plunge into a mission for taking solar energy to every home and piece of farm land across the country.

Giving up city luxuries, these techies took up the challenge by starting their own enterprise, which demanded of them simple living, hard work and crazy travel plans.

Three years down the line, after taking a plunge into the world of enterprise by establishing Maapa Vivasvan Energy Private Limited Company with two known industrialists, Jayakrishna Bhat and BR Prakash, the techie-duo explain that their journey is exciting and satisfying.

Explaining their decision to quit a plush IT job, Mahesh explains that most of the IT work in India is done for other countries.

 “Our present job is oriented towards our own country. In IT jobs, we hardly get to speak to customers. People who adopt our technology call back to say that their electricity bills have come down drastically or that they have became totally independent as far as power is concerned. Feedback like that makes me feel great... like I’ve achieved what I wanted,” he explains.

Vageesh, who works at the ground level with villagers in the new project says he was depressed with the individualistic attitude of the people in Bangalore.
“I could not take the chaos, traffic and pollution any more. I don’t miss Bangalore at all,” he says.

“Moving away from all the deadlines, the stress, the fixed weekend shopping and the rest... now my dream is to see at least 80% of the houses in the state installing solar energy units to become self sufficient, at least when it comes to energy,” Vageesh says.

The company has successfully installed solar panels for 30 petrol bunks in North Karnataka. They have also installed solar panel units in agricultural lands to lift water for irrigation.

Though, the cost involved is more initially, the farmers have found ways to adopt the new technology. Vageesh also says that the subsidy amount provided to farmers after installing solar panels is being given only after 12 months which should be reduced to help start up companies.

The government should also come up with feasible policies like Tamil Nadu which has decided to produce 6% of its total power from renewable resources.