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For Alok Raj, IIT Bombay is much more than classrooms, exams and placements. It is the quiet view from Sameer Hill, conversations on a bench behind the badminton court, friendships made in the Makerspace Lab and late-night conversations over food.
A fifth-semester student of Environmental Science and Engineering, Alok, 20, is from Buxar, Bihar, and is graduating in 2028. Alongside his studies, he is also building a startup as co-founder of Ferolt India, working on Fastoprox. While Ferolt is an AI-native product company building intelligent digital platforms for finance automation, analytics intelligence, customer workflow management and enterprise productivity, Fastoprox is an AI workforce that unifies repetitive business workflows through digital employees.
For Alok, one of the most noticeable aspects of IIT Bombay is how quickly campus life can change in response to what students need.
Following the recent death of fellow student Sahil Wakode, he has observed several changes on campus, including the postponement of the mid-semester examinations from September 19 and 20 to October 10 and 11.
There have also been changes to how deliveries are collected. Delivery personnel are currently not being allowed through the main gate, meaning students ordering food or other items through services such as Swiggy, Zomato and Zepto have to collect them at the gate themselves.
Students have also submitted an 18-point document seeking changes and improvements on campus. Alok says the Director signed the document acknowledging and supporting the demands. Open-house sessions were also held on Monday, allowing students to share concerns and suggestions directly.
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โThe discussions included suggestions related to improving student support, campus systems, and creating a safer and more supportive environment for students,โ he says.
Alok says he does not want to comment on the circumstances surrounding the incident because he was not present and does not have first-hand knowledge of what happened.
His own interactions with Professor Suryanarayan Dolla have been in connection with permissions for events organised by the Student Alumni Relations Cell. โIn my interactions with him, I have found him supportive of student activities,โ Alok says, adding that he often saw the professor focus on whether an event or initiative would be useful for students.
Ask Alok to show a visitor just three places at IIT Bombay, and he knows exactly where to go: Sameer Hill, the Gymkhana ground and the Boathouse.
โSameer Hill has one of the best views of the campus and also gives you a feeling of peace,โ he says.
At Gymkhana, his favourite spot is a bench behind the badminton court. The Boathouse, meanwhile, offers a lake view and what he describes as a refreshing natural breeze.
The campus takes on another personality late at night. Tech teams continue working on projects, students with positions of responsibility hold meetings and some students play poker or head out for night-outs.
The busiest place during exams is unsurprisingly the study rooms and libraries.
Yet Alok's description of IIT academics comes with a familiar student joke: โWe study one night before the exam.โ
The Makerspace Lab holds a special place in Alok's IIT journey. It was where he built a joystick for a drone โ one of the projects he is most proud of โ but the people he met there became even more important.
โI made some of my best friends there, and they are still my best friends today,โ he says.
His academic journey has also taken him beyond his core discipline. He enjoys the Humanities and Social Science (HSS) courses including the psychology, philosophy and introduction to arts, as well as courses in pottery and virtual reality.
โThese aren't core engineering courses, but IIT Bombay allows us to take them and pursue our passions,โ he says.
Alok's academic work includes 24-hour air-quality sampling, microbiology experiments and solid-waste analysis involving carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen and sulphur content.
His entrepreneurial journey, however, developed alongside this academic life.
During his second year, he completed a summer internship as a Data Analyst Intern at Magic Bus. That experience eventually opened the door to becoming a co-founder of Ferolt India.
He also completed a winter internship at Technocraft Industries, working as an Environmental Consultant at its Murbad facility and suggesting ways to improve the Effluent Treatment Plant and move towards zero liquid discharge.
Today, he is building Fastoprox with Kedar Lathkar, Dhruv Chaturvedi, Palash Pangavhane and Dipak Gaddam. Led by Kedar Lathkar, the founding team includes Dhruv Chaturvedi, Palash Pangavhane, Alok Raj and Dipak Gaddam. Dhruv, Palash and Alok are from of IIT Bombay.
Alok remembers being fascinated during his first year by students who were already building companies while still in college. One senior he knew had built a startup with strong revenue and even travelled to Japan for a business meeting before eventually dropping out to focus on the venture.
Hostel life, Alok says, is busiest after 10 pm. Students borrow formal shoes, trimmers and clothes from each other, while rooms can range from perfectly organised to looking โlike a jungleโ.
His own room has a view of Hiranandani and Powai Lake.
Food is another part of the campus experience. Chole bhature, pani puri and paneer sabji are among his favourites. After midnight, students head to places such as Rainbow, Taste of Hyderabad and Sagar.
There are also traditions that students carry forward. One is GPL, the playful birthday ritual where friends hit the birthday person on the back with a belt.
For Alok, the campus is ultimately defined by the memories attached to these everyday places.
His favourite sunrise spot is the other side of Sameer Hill. His favourite chai comes from Nagori near the main gate. His quietest spot is the Gymkhana playground at midnight.
And when graduation comes, he says he will not miss just one place.
โI would miss the whole IIT Bombay campus because it is so beautiful and every spot has a different memory attached to it.โ
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