Success stories

“He had a spark in his eyes. The rest is history.”

An eighteen-year-old from Mayurbhanj walked into the Café Coffee Day lab at the Jatni centre to ask about the course and check his eligibility. He was rejected at first — he has one hand, and a customer-facing role looked unworkable. After deliberation and special approvals he was admitted on the condition that he work only in the coffee area. He went on to win the Gram Tarang Barista Championship. The area manager for Odisha and the lead coffee trainer for Café Coffee Day East were impressed enough to want him in Odisha. He now works as a brewmaster at the Richmond Road café in Bangalore, one of the company's highest-volume outlets.

“Problems are common, but attitude makes the difference.”

A shy girl from Cuttack who knew very little Hindi, Pushpanjali was told after her interview that she had been waitlisted. She turned up on the day of admission anyway and asked for one opportunity to prove herself. She became the best in customer service, flunked her brewmaster assessment, challenged herself and passed. She has since been named employee of the month twice — for Café in June and for Coffee Day Square in September — and was one of twelve finalists in the coffee competition.

“She took the right decision at the right time.”

Initially a shy girl from Cuttack, Pritisudha worked in Chennai for two months before falling ill with jaundice. Her parents insisted she come home and then did not want her to go back. She convinced them, sought their blessings and returned to Chennai. She was named employee of the month for August. Her managers and her parents are proud of her, and she now faces the world with confidence.

“He decided to stay and face it.”

Ajit came from Batch 4 with a stammer and little confidence. He was deployed in Bangalore, a big city for a shy boy from Bokaro, and the café was far from where he lived. Coming back from a closing shift he was robbed and threatened. The colleague working with him ran away and never came back. Ajit spoke to his café manager and HR and carried on at the same café. He was named employee of the month for September.

“Success is a journey, not a destination.”

Nakir came from Batch 7 and a family that had never had a salaried earner — he is the first in his generation to be employed. He wanted to live life on his own terms, and through sheer work was chosen as one of the finalists of the Gram Tarang Barista Championship. He was first deployed in Mumbai, at a café on Bandstand, then transferred to Pune.

“He is able to support his family.”

Ranjeet's father farms and his mother keeps the house. Money problems meant he was advised to drop out of higher studies, and after his intermediate he took up farming to help his father. In July 2012 he joined a government-sponsored placement-linked programme. He was selected in the campus interviews of Hinduja Global Solutions and joined in January 2013 as a customer service associate on ₹8,743 a month. After a six-month probation he was promoted to team leader; he now works in the HGS HR team on ₹17,000 a month.

“He is supporting his younger brother through college.”

Bibhu's family income was ₹25,000 a year. He was advised to drop out of higher studies, and in June 2014 joined a government-sponsored placement-linked programme. He was selected by Aegis in Kolkata and joined that September as a customer care executive on ₹7,000 a month. Nine months later he was promoted to senior CCE on ₹10,000 and recognised as one of the best employees.

“The house went up within a year of the job.”

Sagar comes from a BPL family in Puri district. He went through BPO associate training under a government-sponsored placement-linked programme and was selected by Minacs in Kolkata, joining in March 2015 as a customer care executive on ₹7,000 a month. After probation he was promoted to senior CCE on ₹13,000. Construction of his family home had stalled for lack of money; he resumed and finished it within a year of starting the job, and supports his younger brother and sisters through their studies.

“Deaf since childhood, employed since 2012.”

Hadibandhu is deaf, and comes from Kandhamal district. In July 2012 he joined a government-sponsored placement-linked programme as a data entry operator. He was selected by Computer Lab, Bhubaneswar as a back office executive on ₹4,000 a month. After a six-month probation he was promoted, and now works at the Cuttack branch on ₹6,000 a month.