“I’ve loved math since my days as a student. I had been interested in the world of software engineering and wanted to pursue a career in that field in the future. So far, I’ve been responsible for a variety of projects, from designing systems for e-commerce websites to medical diagnostic systems. My passion has remained unchanged since those times, and I want to actively participate in various projects in the future. I’ve always loved writing code, but after receiving the Panasonic Scholarship, my future became very clear. Thanks to the scholarship, I no longer have to worry about financial problems, and I can simply focus on my studies and interests.”

Saksham started college in 2019, but the COVID-19 pandemic occurred in 2020, completely changing his local environment.
“Like many people around the world at the time, my parents lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That left my family without a source of income. But soon after I entered college in 2019, I learned about the Panasonic Scholarship through an email from my university and became a scholarship student. That allowed us to manage without having to worry about finances even under various challenging situations.”

During the application process for the Panasonic Scholarship, Saksham went through both an exam and an interview.
“I remember being asked by the interviewer what I wanted to do and what I wanted to be in the future. I shared my dreams then, and a few days later, I received an email notifying me of my Panasonic Scholarship award and an invitation to a ceremony in Delhi.”

The ceremony was an award presentation held in Delhi. Saksham was also provided with a plane ticket, and he says it was the first time in his life that he had flown and experienced travel.
“All of the current scholarship recipients were invited, allowing us to interact with each other. We all enjoyed a lunch buffet together, and it was my first time staying in such a large hotel! I still keep in touch with the other scholarship students I interacted with and befriended there. They shared my interest in the software field, allowing us to engage in all kinds of discussion on technology and the industry at large.”

Saksham says he has yet to travel abroad from India.

“I think there are also significant advantages to staying at a local university. For instance, studying in your own country allows you to easily build a network within your own country. I graduated from Indian Institute of Technology and all my friends are interested in fields close to mine and like the same things. Those facts were very helpful for networking.”

However, Saksham says he would love to venture abroad if given the chance.

“If I could go to Japan, I would love to visit the famous Mount Fuji. I really like nature. My hometown is in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It’s a great place that’s very famous in India as an area rich in nature. Within that area, the town of Manali, in particular, is very beautiful and known for its Himalayan mountains and snow. It’s one of my favorite places. I always make a trip to Manali when I return to my hometown.”

Saksham’s family, who live in this beautiful hometown, were very pleased when they heard that Saksham would receive the Panasonic Scholarship.

“Panasonic is a well-known company in India, too. Receiving a scholarship from such an international company brought joy to all my relatives. I think it was one of the proudest moments for both me and my family. In fact, when I revealed that I was going to do this interview and talk about my experience, everyone got really excited and said, “That’s amazing!” (Saksham laughs). Even before I applied for the Panasonic Scholarship, I had seen Panasonic products like refrigerators and air conditioners, and I knew about the company’s contributions to society and the future. I felt that they were trustworthy as a company, and that’s one of the reasons I chose the Panasonic Scholarship.”

Saksham shared that the support he received from a company in the distant country of Japan has become a great source of confidence for him to pursue his future dreams.

“There are no Japanese people in my current company, and I actually have yet to meet anyone from Japan. But I have heard that Japanese people are very hardworking. They’re orderly. I think that’s really important in business.”

Finally, when asked to provide a message for future scholarship students, he immediately responded, “I would like to tell them, ‘Don’t stop striving. Just keep pushing toward your goals.’”
Speaking with conviction, Saksham continued, saying, “If you decide to apply for the Panasonic Scholarship, do your best in your own way. The scholarship has given me a lot of confidence in myself, and I believe the work and results I can achieve from that confidence will support me in the near future. I want to continue pushing forward in my career as a software engineer, which I’ve been able to embark upon thanks to the scholarship.”