"Like a bird that dares the wind, I rose not to escape life, but to embrace every storm that taught me how to fly."
Dedication
While his parents can’t be with him in body, their footsteps walk beside him every day of his life. His name, Dr. Vijayan, is the legacy of his father, Mr. Raman and the place he hailed from, Karipody. His mother, too, is the eternal presence—he remembers her name throughout his life—again from passwords to codes.
His father left his character indelibly marked before he was nine. He taught him the powerful Sanskrit shloka:
उत्तिष्ठत जाग्रत प्राप्य वरान्निबोधत। क्षुरस्य धारा निशिता दुरत्यया दुर्गं पथस्तत्कवयो वदन्ति॥
Translation: Arise! Awake! Seek the great (truth) and realize it. The path is as sharp as the edge of a razor, difficult to traverse, so say the wise.
As chronicled in previous paragraphs Dr. Rams recognition and appreciation of human values and efforts, he expresses great gratitude to his CEO in action Mr. Suresh Vanian for his business acumen and technical foresight as a true leader and his hands comrades the best lessons of augmentation.
This biography, is dedicated to his companion of 40 years, guiding light, true “home minister,” and life minister.
Mrs. Malini loved him back on the right path with her care, always, She is educated but walked the silent path of a true wife, working within her residence. It says a lot that she did not limit herself to working outside the house. She became his main pillar, providing a launching pad for his aspirations and duties.
Her talents are numerous; she is an excellent homemaker. A perfect cook, her delights spread blessings to all who visit them. She is frequented by guests who enjoyed that craving for her special sambhar and curries made with love and extreme skill.
Indeed, his life captain, the one who found a purpose in him and injected resilience into him. In her quiet strength and unfailing support, his wife has been his anchor. Minister of love, wisdom, and care, she is practically everything to him.
This little work is dedicated to her, his life minister, with love and gratitude.
Phase 1: Roots and family
Dr. Raman usually claims himself born on February 15, 1956, although the official records note his date of birth as March 10, 1956, a slight fallacy that never undercuts the true significance of his birth date. To Dr. Vijayan, the date February 15 represents not mere circumstances but a part of the journey of life and a given identity. As a numerologist, he goes further to raise the number on this specific day to add value to the very personal story.
Number six, with the accounting of the pattern 1-5, means so much to him; he states that it represents Dronacharya in Indian epics, perhaps the most disciplined and singularly interested teacher of all times. Dr. Vijayan says that this number ties into what he believes to be his own life’s focus on achieving excellence and helping others. Equally significant is the number three associated with the year of his birth, which he connects with Bruhaspati, the teacher of the Devas. The discords and accordance with these numbers served to Dr. Vijayan as a compass to channel his energy towards taking responsibility, engaging with challenges, and working towards personal improvement.
“My mother,” Dr. Vijayan says with deep feeling, “was the very power of strength. She was the keeper of life and a light to lead.” In the face of such hardship, she did not waver or cease providing for her children. With her relentless determination and resourcefulness, she was able to provide the proper attention and support to all eight of them to carve meaningful lives.
With viable options in his business and reaching seventy, Dr. Vijayan takes up reading into the terribly exciting world of doing something for others. This phased transition marks his younger son as the day-to-day decision-maker; whereupon Dr. Vijayan turned to pending Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs. This time is not just a business success; this time is for spreading the experience he has gained and the access he has to provide positive use for the greater good.
The real change Dr. Vijayan follows is to convince change in the lives of his fellow beings through education, outreach, and service. That, to him, does not remain in retreating; rather, it builds a further one into a zone where legacy is characterized not merely by what one achieves, but by how positively one changes society.
For Dr. Vijayan, family has always been the inmost part of life. Yet his purpose stretches beyond his immediate circle. He has built
a life of service as the founder of a training institute, rescuing his mission calling which he believes profoundly to enhance the power of individuals and offer worthy opportunities to them. “I believe in transforming lives,” he says, filled with conviction.
Phase 2: The call to serve the Nation: Joining the Indian Air Force
A major turning point in the life of Dr. Vijayan Karipody Raman, 1974, tested his determination and altered the course of his journey forever. At that time, he was in 12th grade and keen to finish school and move on in life. However, some fate had something else in mind.
One day, a call came that simply changed his life: an invitation to join the Indian Air Force as an airman. A rare opportunity indeed, and taking this chance would require Dr. Vijayan, in his typical determination, not to delay or finish the class. He stepped out onto that path many would not dare to tread.
In 1974, Dr. Vijayan officially joined the Indian Air Force, where the significant responsibility of wireless communications lay with him. For a former student and now soldier, the transition was not a mere occupational change but an awakening of spirit born anew. He was now among the bravest, an Army trained to fight and defend the motherland. “That was the test of my life,” he remembers.
“Becoming a soldier in the Air Force brought a new level of discipline, willpower, focus, and attunement of heart and mind.”
Life in the Air Force was tough. Dr. Vijayan went through close to three years of rigorous training, gaining knowledge of telecommunications to an expert level of wireless communication.
Although this period was full of hard work and learning, it remunerated Dr. Vijayan with profound technical knowledge over a lifetime of willpower and a sense of duty.
While he picked his new assignment in the soldier’s life, Dr. Vijayan did not forget about his education. During his vacation breaks, he associated it with completing Plus Two. It was the classic case of unrelenting toiling behind an endeavour. Not stopping there, he took up self-study in the information technology and telecommunication engineering area, which was then in a rapid phase of development.
By the time Dr. Vijayan graduated as a telecommunication engineer, specializing in computerization under considerably demanding conditions of the military career, it was 1984. It was not a walk in the park. His trials demonstrated his perspicacity to strike a workable balance between the demands of professional life and personal growth, a balance characterizing his career and contributions in later years.
For Dr. Vijayan, that part of life was not just training or academic success but a stage of life whose gravel, where his character was finally carved. These were the formative years that taught him the value of discipline, that of being a lifelong learner, the honor of serving the motherland, and many other things. In hindsight, he often remembers those years with a sense of sparkling pride and gratitude as having formed the foundation on which he was to build the man he became.
Phase 3: Transition to Civilian Life: Another Road to New Beginnings
In 1985 Dr. Vijayan Karipody Raman underwent a major lifestyle transformation. It was during this year that he married the love of his life, destined to become a stalwart partner and support system throughout every challenge and triumph. He remembers, looking back, marriage as a “great twist of life,” embracing happiness, stability, and purpose. The love and companionship of his wife, Mrs. Malini K.V, became the pillar of a journey, igniting within him courage and strong will to face the storms of change in life.
Shedding one form of onus for another; soon after the marriage, in 1986, he opted to leave the Indian Air Force, where he served with honors and distinction for over a decade. Despite being entitled to further promotion up to a commission rank, he took the plunge, began a career outside the military, and thus embarked on a very significant decision. Of course, it did not come easy to him, as he had dreamed of growing, confronting challenges, and carving out a career beyond the traditional fetters of service life.
He began the next Phase of his career by joining KELTRON, Kerala State Electronics Development Corporation Limited, a well-known company based in his native Trivandrum. Dr. Vijayan was all excited about going back to his native land to contribute to the technological growth of the state he hailed from. But fate had something else in store for him. He was informed that his assignment would be in Delhi, the city of bustling capital of India.
“It was basically manual interlocking and simultaneous use of IST clocks precision to deploy smooth flow of traffic signal synchronization of traffic junctions with green flow as you reach the next junction.”
However, Dr. Vijayan managed to earn himself recognition for his commitment and ingenuity despite the complications at play.
These years in Delhi would prove to be moments of great transformation- truly a phase that sharpened his technical and managerial acumen and certainly made him aware of urban challenges and efficient infrastructure. His remarkable contributions left an indelible impression on traffic management in the city, setting a benchmark for the future.
This phase of Dr. Vijayan’s journey reflects his endurance, adaptability, and unwavering commitment to growth. From the disciplined life of a soldier to handling the high-stake infrastructure demands and acting in a fast-paced private sector, he maneuvered through every twist and turn with an innate grace and determination.
Each of his steps in urban infrastructure projects, from directing traffic light signals in fares in Delhi to leading a transformational project all over northern India, highlighted his skill at innovating, inspiring, and delivering.
He carried with him a wealth of experience, a heart filled with gratitude, and a deeply felt faith in change and possibility as he headed to Dubai.