‘Discipline and hard work at school shaped me’

He is, at present, working at Samsung Research, Bengaluru. He is part of a research team focused on 6G technology. The work mainly involves developing software for upcoming 6G systems. It’s an exciting space because it combines research, experimentation, and software development. A typical day starts at 8 am and involves many discussions around new ideas that can be implemented, experiments, and research work. The environment is very dynamic and intellectually stimulating, which makes the work quite interesting. Meet Dhruv Sharma, an alumnus of Apeejay School, Sector 15, Faridabad.

In a candid interview, this alumnus, who was with the school since pre-nursery, talks about how the school helped shape his career.

How did you become interested in research?

I completed my engineering degree from IIT BHU in Electronics and Communication Engineering. The work I do now is closely related to my field of study, and I was always interested in software as well. This role turned out to be the perfect blend of electronics and software. I had also been interested in research since my school days, so this path felt very natural to me.

How did the school help shape your journey?

The teachers were extremely supportive and motivating. No matter what field a student wanted to explore, the school always encouraged curiosity and learning. One thing I really appreciated was how approachable the teachers were. You could freely ask questions and discuss ideas with them, and that culture of openness made me more interested in research and learning.

What are some of your fondest school memories?

My best memories are connected to my friends. School life gives you friendships and experiences that stay with you forever, and those moments created some really good memories for me.

What school values have stayed with you?

Discipline and hard work are the two biggest values that stayed with me. They helped me during my student years and continue to help me in my professional life as well.

What advice would you give to students who want to pursue engineering today?

Curiosity is the most important thing. During school years, students naturally have curiosity about everything around them, and that should be nurtured. Students should keep asking questions, keep learning, and try to understand things deeply. That mindset helps a lot in engineering and research.

AI is transforming every industry. How are you using AI?

People working in software are seeing its impact most directly on an everyday basis. In our research and development process, AI is especially helpful in coding and software development. Earlier, software work involved a lot of debugging, lengthy discussions, and effort in figuring out how to design or build something. AI has made many of those processes much smoother now. It allows us to implement ideas faster, test them quickly, and spend more time thinking about innovative research problems instead of repetitive tasks.

Is there one lesson from school or life that has stayed with you?

I remember that during school, I was initially slightly underconfident. One of my teachers once told me during a parent-teacher meeting that if someone else can do something, then I can do it too. That stayed with me very clearly and gave me a lot of confidence over the years.