My name is Rinki Debray, and I come from a small and beautiful state in NorthEast India, called Tripura. I did my schooling from Agartala before pursuing my engineering course in Computer Science and Technology from Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology. I had 26 years of industry experience across companies like PwC, HP, UshacommIndia before starting my own venture, and I have worked extensively across various parts of the world, namely the United States, Singapore, and Malaysia.
My husband Pradip was my college classmate. He held the positions of Partner in PwC and KPMG leading their technology-consulting initiative before joining me in my endeavour this year. We are blessed with two very beautiful children – Arjoeshekhar and Anumegha – who are both in their teens. My parents were both academicians in Tripura University, and my brother Rohan is an Associate Professor in South Asian History in University of Reading, UK.
A typical Sagittarian, I am very passionate and believe in honesty. As a stressbuster, I learned singing, and aside from this, I also do audio dramas. As a family, we love travelling a lot.
My interactions with college recruits during my PwC days made me understand that these youngsters have the technical knowledge but lack communication skills, an essential trait required to excel in the industry. I wanted to do something for them, and the opportunity came when my second child was born. I found that working independently would give me the perfect opportunity that I was yearning for. Thus, Avenir Induction Programs was born, with a vision to make the student industry ready for the next chapter. Following this idea, Avenir means future in French.
I lived in a community of educators during my childhood, and saw them helping their students to become confident and independent. They instilled good values in me. Over and above, I am greatly motivated by words of Swami Vivekananda to encourage youngsters to become resilient and assertive.
Initially my main focus was on training Communicative English, Soft Skill, Technology skills, and Industry Process Orientation on specific verticals like Banking, Insurance, and Tele-communications. Gradually Avenir spread its wings to fields of data management, outsourcing, and IT service consulting for various government sectors as well as private companies.
Of course, my 12-year journey was not all smooth. But I have kept on inventing new initiatives, looking for directions - from any corner possible. This year we have introduced a range of business advisory services covering the key aspects of Strategy, Structure, Markets, People, as well as Process and Technology. We are now Advisor to an EU based Healthtech startup working on its product strategy and South & South-East Asia market entry. We have also started three inhouse initiatives. The first one is aimed at boosting the education sector using new edge technologies. The second one is targeted towards preserving the rich heritage of Bengal music, and provides an online platform for the music lovers of Bengal. The third one is focused on research of the arts, crafts, and food of undivided Bengal in an attempt to conserve them for future generations.
I have learned three main lessons over the years: 1) Patience is the key; 2)It’s your baby so you are the best caretaker; and 3) A good team is must!