My Childhood Dream Job: Theatre Ticket Checker!

People dream of becoming doctors, engineers, pilots, or cricketers.

My childhood dream?

A theatre ticket checker! 😄

In front of our house, about 200 meters away, stood Yashomati Touring Talkies. As a child, I spent countless hours on our terrace staring at movie posters. Sometimes I would go to play cricket behind the theatre, but end up spending more time looking at the posters than playing cricket.

I was fascinated by the ticket checker standing at the theatre door.

To me, he was the luckiest man in the world.

He checked tickets, sat near the entrance, listened to every dialogue, enjoyed every song, and watched every show of the movie for free. I often thought:

"One day I will also do this job!"

Back then our city had only three single-screen theatres. Tickets came in different colors and showed the theatre name, show timing, ticket price, and even entertainment tax. First row tickets were just ₹2, second row ₹3, and balcony ₹5.

Every theatre had an auto-rickshaw fitted with loudspeakers and colorful posters. It moved through every street announcing the latest movie, famous actors, dialogues, and show timings.

And before every show, a special theatre anthem would play at a volume that seemed loud enough for the entire city. If you heard that anthem, you instantly knew:

"The movie is about to start!"

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As kids playing cricket behind the theatre, we discovered a secret technique.

During interval, when people came outside for snacks,
we quietly slipped inside the theatre without tickets! 😂

Sometimes the ticket checker caught us.

He would say:

"Go outside. Owner's instructions. No free movies!"

Did we listen?

Of course not! 😄

Looking back today, I laugh at how many movies I watched from interval onwards.

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I still remember movie posters like treasures.

• Shiva with Nagarjuna holding a cycle chain.
• Ram Jaane with Shah Rukh Khan's giant illuminated cutout.
• So many colorful posters that I could stare at for hours.

Some movies I watched again and again:

• Taqdeerwala - around 20 times
• Samri - around 20 times
• Deewana - 10 times
• Dhadakebaaz - many times
• De Dana Dan (Marathi) - many times
• Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! - around 5 times

One movie experience I still remember vividly was Darr.

When the songs played, the audience became so excited that they threw handfuls of coins toward the screen. It was pure madness!

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There was also one unforgettable incident.

As a child I stubbornly insisted on watching the movie Pratibandh.

My father strongly disagreed and gave me a good beating instead. 😄

The funny part?

Till today, I still haven't watched that movie!

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Another memorable day was when a friend bought tickets for both of us to watch Dil To Pagal Hai.

The crowd was so huge that the theatre door broke.

Poor ticket checker had to control the crowd with a stick. It felt more like managing a cricket stadium than a movie theatre!

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Later, in Sambhajinagar, I watched countless movies with my relatives, friends, and family.

Movies became a permanent part of life.

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Years later, I heard a story about a man who left his white-collar job to become a railway signalman because it had been his childhood dream.

A friend and I discussed that story and shared our childhood dreams.

His dream was different.

Mine was still that ticket checker standing proudly at the theatre entrance.

Thankfully, wisdom arrived before I resigned from my government job! 😄

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Today things have changed.

Instead of theatres, I mostly watch movies on OTT platforms with my family.

But before starting a movie, I still sometimes sing the old theatre anthem and jokingly ask family members:

"Tickets please!"

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Since my transfer to a rural area in 2018, I have enjoyed more free evenings.

Thanks to OTT platforms like Prime Video, Netflix, Hotstar, Zee, Sony, Jio, MX Player, and YouTube, I have watched well over 1,500 movies and series from Marathi, Hindi, English, Korean, and South Indian cinema.

One unforgettable experience was during lockdown when I binge-watched the entire Chanakya series in just four or five days.

That felt like a cinematic marathon!

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One thing, however, has never changed.

When my mind decides to watch a particular movie, everything else becomes secondary.

Work.

Exams.

Important tasks.

All can wait.

My feet automatically move toward the television or theatre.

Movie fever is still alive and well!

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Some of my friends are true movie scholars.

They analyze every detail of Harry Potter, Marvel movies, Interstellar, and Inception.

They explain hidden meanings, timelines, theories, and connections.

I usually listen for five minutes and then surrender.

My answer is always simple:

"You think too much. I just watch movies and enjoy them!" 😄

And honestly, after all these years, that's still my favorite way to love cinema.

The Movie Fever Grew Even Stronger

Between 2003 and 2006, while pursuing my MCA in Ahmednagar, my love for movies reached a whole new level.

I had two or three equally enthusiastic friends. Almost every day, we rented two movie CDs and watched them together after college. Those movie sessions became a part of our daily routine.

Living away from home was not easy in the beginning. Like every student, we missed our families. But movies helped us overcome homesickness, adjust to hostel life, and enjoy our time away from home. In a way, movies helped us complete our master's degree with lots of good memories.

Whenever we really liked a movie, we copied it to our computers and watched it repeatedly. Some movies never felt old, no matter how many times we watched them.

Later, when I started working in Nagpur, my movie collection continued to grow. Over the years, I built a collection of more than 1,000 movie CDs and DVDs. At that time, having such a collection felt like owning a small personal film library.

Today, however, things have changed completely.

Thanks to OTT platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, JioCinema, Sony LIV, and Zee5, thousands of movies and series are available instantly with just a few clicks. The viewing experience is far better than before, with high-resolution displays, excellent picture quality, and immersive sound technologies such as Dolby Atmos.

For music lovers too, platforms like Spotify provide excellent audio quality and access to millions of songs from around the world.

From renting two CDs a day to having an entire world of entertainment available on a mobile phone or television, the journey has been amazing. But one thing has never changed:

My love for movies is still as strong as it was when I stood on the terrace of my house, staring at movie posters and dreaming of becoming a theatre ticket checker. 🎬😊

AI उद्योगात "धोका निर्माण आणि संरक्षण विक्री"

 

AI स्वतःच्याच शेपटीचा पाठलाग करत आहे? 

वाढती सायबर असुरक्षा आणि AI चे द्वंद्व..

(सायबर असुरक्षा वाढत असताना AI स्वतःच्याच निर्माण केलेल्या समस्यांशी झुंज देत आहे)

लेखाचा मुख्य मुद्दा असा आहे की जगातील आघाडीच्या AI कंपन्या एकीकडे अधिक शक्तिशाली AI मॉडेल्स विकसित करत आहेत, तर दुसरीकडे त्याच AI मुळे निर्माण होणाऱ्या सायबर धोक्यांपासून संरक्षण देणारी साधनेही विकत आहेत. त्यामुळे AI उद्योगात एक प्रकारचे "समस्या निर्माण करा आणि त्यावर उपायही विक्री करा" असे चक्र निर्माण होत असल्याची चिंता व्यक्त केली आहे.

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लेखाचा मुख्य संदेश

AI कंपन्या जसे OpenAI, Anthropic आणि इतर मोठ्या तंत्रज्ञान कंपन्या:

• अधिक प्रगत AI तयार करत आहेत.
• AI Agents विकसित करत आहेत.
• स्वयंचलित निर्णय घेणारी प्रणाली बनवत आहेत.

परंतु त्याच वेळी:

• AI चा वापर हॅकिंगसाठी होऊ शकतो.
• सायबर हल्ल्यांची गती वाढू शकते.
• सुरक्षा त्रुटी शोधणे व त्यांचा गैरवापर करणे सोपे होऊ शकते.

यावर उपाय म्हणून पुन्हा त्या कंपन्याच सुरक्षा उत्पादने विकत आहेत.

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OpenAI आणि Anthropic काय करत आहेत?

लेखात दोन महत्त्वाच्या उपक्रमांचा उल्लेख आहे.

Anthropic चे Project Glasswing

एप्रिलमध्ये Anthropic ने Project Glasswing जाहीर केला.

उद्दिष्ट:

• महत्त्वाच्या पायाभूत सुविधांचे संरक्षण
• सायबर सुरक्षेमधील कमतरता शोधणे
• AI-आधारित हल्ल्यांपासून बचाव करणे

या प्रकल्पाचा फायदा AWS, Apple, Microsoft आणि Nvidia सारख्या भागीदारांना होऊ शकतो.

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OpenAI ची Daybreak Initiative

मे महिन्यात OpenAI ने Daybreak उपक्रम सुरू केला.

यामध्ये:

• सुरक्षा साधनांचा प्रवेश
• प्रशिक्षण
• संरक्षणात्मक AI तंत्रज्ञान

यासाठी मोठ्या प्रमाणात निधी आणि संसाधने उपलब्ध करून देण्यात आली.

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AI मुळे सायबर धोका कसा वाढतो?

लेखात काही चिंताजनक उदाहरणे दिली आहेत.

1. AI ने सुरक्षा त्रुटी शोधणे

नवीन AI मॉडेल्स:

• कोड विश्लेषण करू शकतात.
• नेटवर्क स्कॅन करू शकतात.
• कमकुवत दुवे शोधू शकतात.

हे काम पूर्वी मानवी तज्ज्ञ करत असत.

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2. हॅकिंग अधिक वेगवान

AI च्या मदतीने:

• हल्ल्यांचे स्वयंचलन (Automation)
• फिशिंग संदेश तयार करणे
• मालवेअर विकसित करणे

याचा वेग वाढू शकतो.

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3. कमी खर्चात मोठे हल्ले

पूर्वी मोठ्या सायबर हल्ल्यासाठी:

• विशेष तज्ज्ञ
• मोठी टीम
• जास्त वेळ

लागत असे.

AI मुळे आता कमी मनुष्यबळात अधिक परिणामकारक हल्ले शक्य होतात.

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लेखातील विरोधाभास (Paradox)

ही लेखातील सर्वात महत्त्वाची संकल्पना आहे.

AI कंपन्या म्हणतात:

"आम्ही तुमची सुरक्षा वाढवू."

परंतु त्याच वेळी:

"आम्ही अधिक शक्तिशाली AI एजंट्सही तयार करतो आहोत."

म्हणून प्रश्न निर्माण होतो:

जर नवीन AI मुळे नवीन सायबर धोके निर्माण होत असतील, तर त्या धोक्यांपासून संरक्षण विकणाऱ्या कंपन्यांवर कितपत विश्वास ठेवायचा?

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जैवतंत्रज्ञानाचे उदाहरण

लेखात तुलना दिली आहे.

कल्पना करा:

एका प्रयोगशाळेने असा प्रोटीन विकसित केला जो:

• औषधनिर्मितीत क्रांती करू शकतो.
• मानवजातीला मदत करू शकतो.

परंतु तोच प्रोटीन:

• नियंत्रणाबाहेर जाऊ शकतो.
• स्वतःची पुनरुत्पत्ती करू शकतो.
• नुकसान करू शकतो.

अशाच प्रकारची भीती AI बद्दल व्यक्त केली आहे.

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AI कंपन्यांवर जबाबदारी असावी का?

लेखात महत्त्वाचा धोरणात्मक प्रश्न विचारला आहे.

जर:

• AI एखादी सुरक्षा त्रुटी शोधते
• ती माहिती चुकीच्या लोकांपर्यंत पोहोचते
• मोठा हल्ला होतो

तर त्या AI विकसित करणाऱ्या कंपनीची काही जबाबदारी असावी का?

हा प्रश्न भविष्यातील नियमनासाठी अत्यंत महत्त्वाचा ठरू शकतो.

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मोठ्या कंपन्यांची मक्तेदारी वाढू शकते

लेखात आणखी एक धोका सांगितला आहे.

जर AI सुरक्षा क्षेत्रावर:

• OpenAI
• Anthropic
• Google
• Microsoft

यांचे वर्चस्व झाले तर

लहान कंपन्यांसाठी:

• स्पर्धा करणे अवघड होईल
• नवोपक्रम कमी होऊ शकतो
• ग्राहक काही मोजक्या विक्रेत्यांवर अवलंबून राहतील

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Vendor Lock-In चा धोका

जर एखाद्या कंपनीने:

• AI मॉडेल
• AI सुरक्षा
• क्लाउड प्रणाली

सर्व सेवा एकाच पुरवठादाराकडून घेतल्या,

तर भविष्यात:

• दुसऱ्या प्लॅटफॉर्मवर जाणे कठीण होऊ शकते.
• खर्च वाढू शकतो.
• स्पर्धा कमी होऊ शकते.

यालाच Vendor Lock-In म्हणतात.

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AI Arms Race

लेखात "AI Arms Race" म्हणजेच AI शस्त्रस्पर्धेचा उल्लेख आहे.

आज कंपन्या एकमेकांपेक्षा:

• अधिक शक्तिशाली मॉडेल
• अधिक स्वायत्त एजंट
• अधिक संगणकीय क्षमता

यांच्या स्पर्धेत आहेत.

लेखकाच्या मते ही शर्यत काहीवेळा:

• नफ्यासाठी
• बाजारातील वर्चस्वासाठी

अतिशय वेगाने चालली आहे.

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सरकारची भूमिका

लेखाचा निष्कर्ष असा आहे की:

केवळ बाजारपेठेवर अवलंबून राहणे धोकादायक ठरू शकते.

सरकार आणि नियामक संस्थांनी:

• AI सुरक्षा मानके
• जबाबदारीचे नियम
• पारदर्शकता
• स्पर्धा कायदे

यांवर अधिक लक्ष देणे आवश्यक आहे.

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एकूण निष्कर्ष

हा लेख AI उद्योगातील एका मूलभूत विरोधाभासाकडे लक्ष वेधतो. ज्या कंपन्या अधिक शक्तिशाली AI प्रणाली तयार करत आहेत, त्याच कंपन्या त्या AI मुळे निर्माण होणाऱ्या सायबर धोक्यांपासून संरक्षण करणारी उत्पादनेही विकत आहेत. त्यामुळे AI उद्योगात "धोका निर्माण आणि संरक्षण विक्री" असे चक्र तयार होत असल्याची चिंता व्यक्त केली जाते.

लेखाचा मुख्य संदेश असा आहे की:

✅ AI सायबर सुरक्षेसाठी अत्यंत उपयुक्त ठरू शकतो.
✅ AI हल्ले शोधणे आणि थांबवणे अधिक प्रभावी करू शकतो.
❌ पण त्याच वेळी AI हॅकिंग अधिक शक्तिशाली आणि स्वयंचलित बनवू शकतो.
❌ त्यामुळे नियमन, जबाबदारी आणि सार्वजनिक देखरेख यांची गरज वाढत आहे.

सारांश: AI हे सायबर सुरक्षेचे सर्वात मोठे शस्त्रही ठरू शकते आणि सर्वात मोठे आव्हानही. भविष्यात याचे यश तंत्रज्ञानापेक्षा त्याच्या जबाबदार वापरावर अवलंबून असेल.

SAP ची AI युगातील अस्तित्वाची लढाई : सखोल विश्लेषण

“SAP’s Fight to Stay Relevant in AI Era”

(कृत्रिम बुद्धिमत्ता युगात SAP ची स्वतःचे महत्त्व टिकवून ठेवण्याची लढाई)

लेखात जगातील सर्वात मोठ्या एंटरप्राइझ सॉफ्टवेअर कंपन्यांपैकी एक असलेल्या SAP समोर AI मुळे निर्माण झालेली आव्हाने, ग्राहकांचा बदलता दृष्टिकोन, अंतर्गत समस्या आणि भविष्यातील धोरण यांचा सविस्तर आढावा घेतला आहे.

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SAP म्हणजे काय?

SAP ही जर्मनीस्थित कंपनी असून ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) सॉफ्टवेअर क्षेत्रातील जागतिक नेता मानली जाते.

SAP च्या प्रणालीद्वारे:

• वित्त (Finance)
• मानव संसाधन (HR)
• पुरवठा साखळी (Supply Chain)
• उत्पादन व्यवस्थापन (Manufacturing)
• खरेदी (Procurement)

यांसारख्या व्यवसाय प्रक्रिया चालवल्या जातात.

लेखानुसार:

Fortune 500 मधील 90% पेक्षा जास्त कंपन्या SAP चे काही ना काही सॉफ्टवेअर वापरतात.

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लेखातील मुख्य समस्या

AI च्या झपाट्याने वाढणाऱ्या जगात SAP मागे पडण्याची भीती निर्माण झाली आहे.

पूर्वी कंपन्या ERP सॉफ्टवेअरमुळे यशस्वी होत होत्या.

आज स्पर्धा आहे:

• OpenAI
• Microsoft Copilot
• Salesforce
• Oracle
• ServiceNow
• Workday

यांसारख्या AI-केंद्रित कंपन्यांशी.

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SAP च्या संचालक मंडळाची चिंता

लेखातील अत्यंत महत्त्वाचे विधान:

SAP ला पुढील काही महिन्यांत AI क्षेत्रात मोठी क्रांती (Breakthrough) करावी लागेल.

अन्यथा:

• ग्राहक गमावण्याचा धोका
• बाजारमूल्य घटणे
• नवीन AI कंपन्यांशी स्पर्धा कठीण होणे

अशा समस्या निर्माण होऊ शकतात.

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CEO Christian Klein यांचे धोरण

SAP चे मुख्य कार्यकारी अधिकारी (CEO) यांनी कंपनीची संपूर्ण दिशा AI कडे वळवली आहे.

त्यांची योजना:

1. AI ला कंपनीच्या केंद्रस्थानी आणणे

SAP फक्त सॉफ्टवेअर पुरवणार नाही तर:

• AI Agents
• Autonomous Systems
• Intelligent Business Processes

तयार करणार आहे.

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2. 50 AI Assistants

लेखानुसार:

SAP सुमारे

50 AI Assistants

बाजारात आणण्याची तयारी करत आहे.

हे सहाय्यक:

• आर्थिक नोंदी तयार करतील
• डेटा विश्लेषण करतील
• ग्राहक प्रश्न सोडवतील
• व्यवसाय निर्णयांसाठी सूचना देतील

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3. Joule AI

SAP ने

"Joule"

नावाचा AI सहाय्यक विकसित केला आहे.

परंतु लेखात नमूद आहे की:

• Joule ला अपेक्षेइतका प्रतिसाद मिळालेला नाही.
• अद्याप "Blockbuster AI Product" तयार करण्यात SAP ला यश आलेले नाही.

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लेखातील सर्वात मोठी टीका

एका ठिकाणी स्पष्टपणे लिहिले आहे:

SAP ला 2023 मध्ये AI उत्पादने सादर केल्यानंतरही एकही मोठे AI यश मिळालेले नाही.

यामुळे गुंतवणूकदार चिंतित आहेत.

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ग्राहकांचा विरोध (Client Backlash)

लेखातील एक मोठा मुद्दा.

SAP अनेक ग्राहकांना:

Cloud Migration

साठी प्रोत्साहन देत आहे.

म्हणजे:

स्थानिक सर्व्हरवरील ERP हटवून SAP Cloud वापरणे.

परंतु अनेक ग्राहक नाराज आहेत.

कारण:

• खर्च जास्त
• स्थलांतर जटिल
• वेळखाऊ प्रक्रिया
• व्यावसायिक जोखीम

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Zeiss चे उदाहरण

जर्मनीतील प्रसिद्ध कंपनी:

Carl Zeiss

SAP Cloud वर स्थलांतर करत होती.

परंतु:

• खर्च €200 दशलक्षपेक्षा जास्त होत होता.
• त्यामुळे कंपनीने मूळ योजना बदलली.

हे SAP साठी चिंता वाढवणारे उदाहरण मानले गेले.

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कर्मचाऱ्यांमधील असंतोष

लेखात एका अंतर्गत सर्वेक्षणाचा उल्लेख आहे.

SAP Employee Survey

यामध्ये:

व्यवस्थापनावरील विश्वास 54% ने घसरला

असे नमूद केले आहे.

कारणे:

• पुनर्रचना (Restructuring)
• नोकरी कपात
• AI केंद्रित बदल
• व्यवस्थापनातील बदल

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SAP चे 100,000 कर्मचारी

लेखातील आकडेवारी:

100,000+

कर्मचारी

81 देशांमध्ये

काम करतात.

इतक्या मोठ्या संस्थेमध्ये AI परिवर्तन करणे अत्यंत अवघड आहे.

---

ग्राहक AI स्वीकारत आहेत का?

लेखानुसार:

अपेक्षेपेक्षा कमी

अनेक कंपन्या अजूनही:

• प्रयोगांच्या टप्प्यात आहेत
• ROI (Return on Investment) बद्दल साशंक आहेत
• कोणता AI Tool वापरावा याबाबत संभ्रमात आहेत

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Levi's चे उदाहरण

Levi's कंपनीने सांगितले:

• कंपनीकडे 1000 AI Agents पेक्षा जास्त आहेत.
• परंतु त्यापैकी फक्त 5 ते 10 SAP शी संबंधित आहेत.
• बहुतेक AI Agents Microsoft Copilot वापरत आहेत.

हे SAP साठी धोक्याचे संकेत आहेत.

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SaaSpocalypse काय आहे?

लेखात एक नवीन शब्द आढळतो:

SaaSpocalypse

याचा अर्थ:

AI मुळे पारंपारिक SaaS (Software as a Service) कंपन्यांवर आलेले संकट.

गुंतवणूकदारांना वाटते की:

भविष्यात AI थेट कामे करेल.

म्हणून अनेक विद्यमान सॉफ्टवेअर उत्पादनांची गरज कमी होऊ शकते.

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SAP चे बलस्थान

सर्व समस्या असूनही SAP कडे काही मोठ्या ताकदी आहेत.

1. मजबूत ग्राहक आधार

हजारो बहुराष्ट्रीय कंपन्या SAP वापरतात.

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2. बदलणे महाग

SAP काढून दुसरी प्रणाली बसवणे:

• खर्चिक
• वेळखाऊ
• जोखमीचे

असते.

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3. 50 वर्षांचा डेटा

लेखात नमूद आहे की:

SAP कडे ग्राहकांच्या व्यवसाय प्रक्रियेचा जवळपास

50 वर्षांचा अनुभव

आणि प्रचंड डेटा आहे.

हे AI साठी मोठे स्पर्धात्मक बलस्थान ठरू शकते.

---

SAP समोरील प्रमुख धोके

बाह्य धोके

• Microsoft Copilot
• OpenAI
• Salesforce Agentforce
• Oracle AI
• Workday AI

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अंतर्गत धोके

• कर्मचारी असंतोष
• क्लाउड स्थलांतरातील अडचणी
• AI उत्पादनांचा धीमा स्वीकार
• व्यवस्थापनावरील कमी विश्वास

---

एकूण निष्कर्ष

हा लेख SAP च्या इतिहासातील कदाचित सर्वात महत्त्वाच्या संक्रमणकाळाचे चित्रण करतो.

SAP पूर्वी ERP युगाची नेता होती, पण आता AI युगात स्वतःचे स्थान टिकवून ठेवण्यासाठी संघर्ष करत आहे. कंपनीकडे मोठा ग्राहकवर्ग, विशाल डेटा आणि मजबूत बाजारपेठ आहे; मात्र Microsoft, OpenAI आणि Salesforce सारख्या AI-केंद्रित प्रतिस्पर्ध्यांशी स्पर्धा करण्यासाठी SAP ला लवकरच प्रभावी AI उत्पादने, यशस्वी क्लाउड स्थलांतर आणि ग्राहकांना स्पष्ट व्यावसायिक मूल्य देणे आवश्यक आहे.

संक्षेपात: SAP समोर अस्तित्वाचा प्रश्न नाही, पण AI युगात नेतृत्व टिकवण्यासाठी पुढील 2-3 वर्षे निर्णायक ठरणार आहेत.
Mint Mumbai 09-09-2026

Farming and My Experience

 I was born in 1982, and I spent my childhood in a large joint family of ten members. Until around 2000, we all lived together under one roof, sharing our happiness, responsibilities, and countless memories.

My grandfather was a true entrepreneur and an extremely disciplined person. He ran an iron business and was also a successful farmer. In the early 1980s, under a government scheme, he received 18 cows. He took excellent care of them and gradually developed our farm with great dedication.

He was also among the first batch of Development Officers in LIC. Punctuality, honesty, hard work, and discipline were the qualities for which he was particularly known.

One of my most beautiful childhood memories is of the evenings I spent with my grandfather. Every day, he would teach us Sanskrit shlokas and tell us stories and lessons about good values. Those teachings quietly became a part of who I am, and even today, I can see their influence on my life.

Fresh Milk, Buttermilk and a House Full of Cows

Because we had so many cows at farm, fresh milk was always available. We enjoyed fresh milk, buttermilk, and curd almost every day.

My mother and aunt would often give free milk or buttermilk to people in our colony who needed it. Helping others was never considered something extraordinary in our family—it was simply a way of life.

Our farm was also a place of constant excitement for us children.

Whenever one of our cows gave birth to a calf, my two cousins and I with my sister would be overjoyed. The newborn calves looked incredibly cute and innocent. Watching them run around the farm was great fun.

We loved watching the mother cow gently lick her newborn calf clean and then feed it. There was something incredibly beautiful about the bond between a mother and her calf.

Whenever a new calf was born, we would watch everything with great curiosity. The experienced members of our family would carefully remove the soft covering from the calf's hooves. They believed that this would help the hooves develop properly and prevent difficulties while walking in the future.

We would also call a veterinary doctor whenever a calf was born. The doctor would examine both the mother and the newborn calf and provide the necessary medicines and injections to keep the cow healthy. Proper care after delivery helped the mother cow recover quickly.

Once the calf had finished drinking enough milk, we would bring some milk home for the family.

I would often wake up early in the morning, go to the farm, and bring fresh milk home.

A Memory I Can Never Forget — 1994

But one incident from 1994 remains particularly vivid in my memory.

One of our cows had given birth to a beautiful little calf just 15–25 days earlier. Unfortunately, due to health complications, the mother cow died.

I was deeply saddened that day. My biggest concern was the little calf. What would happen to it? How would it survive without its mother?

The following day, my father brought the calf home. He taught me how to feed it milk from a bottle. For the next five or six months, I regularly took care of that little calf. Slowly, something very special developed between us.

Whenever I returned home from school, the calf would happily shake its head and make a distinctive sound as if it were welcoming me home. There was so much affection in its eyes. Wherever I went, its eyes seemed to follow me.

I would play with it, talk to it, and somehow I felt that it understood everything I was saying. It was no longer just a calf. It had become a member of our family.

“What About Me?”

There is one tiny incident from those days that I still remember with a smile. One day, I brought some prasad home from a temple and distributed it among everyone in the family. But in the rush of things, I forgot to give some to the calf. The calf made a sound and looked at me in a way that seemed to say: “What about me?”

I smiled, gently stroked its head, and placed a little prasad on my hand for it. The little calf slowly licked the prasad from my palm with its rough tongue. The sensation was completely new to me. At that moment, I felt a strange mixture of happiness, curiosity, a little fear, and a ticklish sensation in my hand. The calf happily finished the prasad.

It was such a small moment, but it became one of the sweetest memories of my childhood. Even today, whenever I think about it, I can almost feel that little tongue touching my palm.

🐄❤️

From a Little Calf to a Grown Cow

Eventually, the calf grew bigger and became capable of eating grass and dry fodder. It was then taken back to the farm.

Whenever I visited the farm, I would always make time to meet it. It would recognize me immediately. It would happily shake its head and, sometimes, lovingly rest its head against my chest. Those moments gave me a kind of happiness and peace that is difficult to describe in words.

What My Childhood Taught Me

Looking back today, I realize that those experiences taught me some of the most important lessons of my life.

They taught me love, responsibility, compassion, patience, and care. More importantly, they taught me that affection does not always need words.

But we had something priceless—time, nature, family and cattle .

❤️🐄🌾

whenever i saw, just clicked.

Painganga River: The River That Shaped Our Childhood

 Growing up in Mehkar, the Painganga River was much more than a river for us. It was our playground, our swimming pool, and the place where some of our best childhood memories were created.

Before the Pentakli Dam was completed around 2003, the Painganga River flowed with plenty of water throughout the 12 months. During heavy rains, the river would swell so much that water often overflowed the bridge. For us children, it was an exciting sight.

During my childhood, I had many groups of friends. Some were older than me, and some were younger. I had friends for cricket, swimming, lane games (like Vitti Dandu, Kacchi Gotya, Chor Police, and Tag,) school and tuition friends, study friends, and even a group of naughty friends who would stand up to people who tried to bully or dominate us.

Every group was special in its own way, and I was happy to be part of all of them. Each group gave me different experiences.

My friends and I were passionate swimmers. We often skipped school and rushed to the river or riverside full overflow well to spend hours in the water without intimating at home :) . 

Jumping from the British constructed bridge into the river gave us a thrill that is hard to describe. We played countless games in the water, including tag means control your breathe under water and sim farway from one who caught and ball games. 

We also played a game called "Chor Police" (Cops and Thieves). Usually, there were 4 to 6 players. Half of the group became thieves, and the other half became police officers.

The playing area was huge, covering almost half of Mehkar town, including the Painganga River. The thieves would hide anywhere, and the police had to find and catch them.

Sometimes, when the police got close, a thief would jump from the bridge into the river and swim to the other side to escape. The police would jump in and chase him through the water. The game continued until all the thieves were caught.

We even had a jail. We used the cowshed at one of my friend's house as our prison. Once a thief was caught, he was taken there and kept "in jail" until the game ended.

These games were not short. A single game of Chor Police could last for five or six hours. There was plenty of running, hiding, chasing, and planning. Sometimes the thieves would try to rescue their friends from jail.

We took the game very seriously. The thieves and police would argue, tease each other, and sometimes even pretend to fight. We would throw small stones near each other as if they were bombs in a battle. Looking back, it was all part of the excitement and adventure of childhood.

Whenever I tell my college friends about the kind of Chor Police games we played, they are amazed. They cannot believe that our playground was almost half the town and a river. They listen to these stories for hours because it feels like a real-life adventure movie to them. 😊

One of our favourite game was throwing a ball into the water. The person who caught it had to find and tag the player who threw it. Simple games, but they gave us endless joy.

But the other part came when I returned home. we all lived as joint family My parents(specially my auntie) immediately knew that I had skipped school and gone swimming in the river. They would just look at me and smile. I always wondered how they could tell so quickly. 

Later, I realized why. My hair would still be wet, and all the hair oil would be washed away.  my skin would become pale and dry after spending hours in the water. No matter how hard I tried to hide it, the Painganga River always gave away my secret. Parents somehow know everything, even when we think we have fooled them! 😊

None of my friends and I were experts in swimming, but we were adventurous. We practiced together, taught each other, teased each other ;)😀 , and learned how to swim. I think it was one of the best experiences of my life.

When I saw some of my friends fearlessly jump from the bridge into the water, I was amazed. After a few days (no no in years 😕), I also tried it. I felt very happy and excited after that. From 1990 to 2000, I enjoyed my life a lot and made many wonderful memories.

The northeast river side water was crystal clear in winter days for some areas that we exlplorerd. On bright sunny days, the blue sky reflected on the water, making it look even more beautiful. Those moments are still fresh in my memory.

Over time, things changed. After the construction of the dam, much of the river water was diverted. Gradually, the Painganga River near Mehkar lost its strength and beauty. Today, only a small amount of water flows through the river except monsoon season. The lively river of our childhood has almost vanished.

Among all my memories of the river, one incident remains unforgettable.

One day, around nine or ten of us were swimming together all are my neighbour(Sagar, Kailash, Sam, Pintu, Amol, Manoj, Atul). As usual, we decided to swim from one side of the river to the other. 

After swimming for some time, I became tired and stopped to catch my breath. I tried to place my feet on the riverbed to rest, but I unknowingly reached a deep hole in the river.Digging out sand deepens and widens the river channel, which ruins the natural flow of water and overnight unknown holes to river are threat to swimmers.

Suddenly, I lost support and began sinking. Panic took over. I struggled to breathe, and water started entering through my nose and mouth. For a few terrifying moments, I felt completely helpless. I honestly thought it might be my last day.

Fortunately, one of my friends noticed that something was wrong. He was standing nearby and immediately came to help. Without wasting a second, he grabbed me and pulled me to safety.

That friend saved my life that day. How could he know that I was in trouble in the deep water? He was also struggling in the same deep part of the river before me. But because he was taller, he was able to move from the deep water to a safer, shallow area.

Even now, whenever I visit my hometown, I make it a point to meet him. Every time I thank him in mind, I am reminded of how precious friendship and life truly are.

The river may have changed beause of dam, but the memories, friendships, and lessons it gave us will stay with me forever. ❤️ old bridge photo with south side flow

The Day I Saw Death Very Closely

 In my life, I have seen how the last day of life might look. I feel as if I came back from death to life. This happened on a Holi day approximate year is 1995-96.

My father was staying at our farm for two months to take care of wheat cultivation. My responsibility during those two months was to take tiffin to him every day. Our home was about 4–5 km from the farm, but the route was not easy. Only 30% was proper road. The rest was through the river path—sand, water, small ups and downs, and narrow tracks passing through other people’s farms filled with babul, mango, and tamarind trees.

On that day, I gave tiffin to my father and stayed in the farm for 2–3 hours with him and the workers. Slowly, the weather started changing. From sunlight to dark clouds everywhere. By 3 pm, the day looked like evening. The farm workers told me to go home immediately, because heavy rain was coming. Without telling my father anything, I took my bicycle and started my journey back.

My route began through the sandy river path. I was enjoying the cool air and watching the clouds while riding. When I reached the river bridge, one truck passed near me. At the same moment, a big block of ice—around 3 kg—fell on the bridge and slid straight into the river. I thought someone in the truck had thrown it. But then another ice block fell beside me and broke loudly. That’s when I realized the truth: it was hailstorm.

From here, my home was only 2 km away. I started cycling fast. The hailstones got bigger and heavier. By God’s grace, none of them hit me while I was on the cycle.

As I reached near my hometown, I saw the Hanuman temple near jakat naka that time. Suddenly a huge hailstone hit my bicycle. I immediately threw the cycle on the road and ran into the temple for shelter.

Slowly, more and more people gathered there to save their lives. I saw one woman crying silently because a hailstone had hit her shoulder very badly. I felt deep empathy for her.

The temple had a strong steel roof, but when the hailstones hit it, the sound felt like if someone’s head was below it, that person would go straight to heaven. That was the power of those hailstones.

After about 30 minutes, the hailstorm stopped and everyone left for home.

That day was Holi. When I reached home, my friends were already waiting for me for celebration and gossip about hellstorm. I went there as if nothing had happened. After one hour, my father came from the farm just to check whether I was safe. He hugged me tightly and went back to the farm. I was only 13 years old at that time—the most loved only child boy in the family.

A day after the hailstorm, my friends and I went again to the farm with tiffin for my dad. On the same route, we saw more than 50 dead herons. They had been resting on the trees and were all hit by the hailstones. Some farmers also suffered big losses—many of their cattle died in the storm, and their crops were destroyed. People told us that the rooftop of the Mehkar grain market, Pratap talkies and police line quarters looked like a sieve, because the hailstones had punched holes all over the roof.

One person found a piece of hailstone inside his warehouse. That hailstone had fallen from the sky during the hailstorm. It hit the tin roof, made a hole in it, and fell straight down onto the wooden bhusa (dry fodder) stored inside .Because the bhusa is dry and acts like insulation, the hailstone did not melt. After one full day, the hailstone was found almost exactly the same as it was when it fell.

When it was weighed, the hailstone was found to be around 10 kilograms.

From the time of my birth until today, 19 April 2026, I have never seen or heard of such a huge hailstone before. Someone from our hometown had also lost his life in that hailstorm.

Two days later, a friend told me a story . A famous Maharaj from Mehkar had a hailstone fall near him, and the story said that the hailstone threatened to destroy all sons and daughters. The Maharaj picked it up, threw it away and said, “Go away from my Mehkar.” At that age, I believed it completely, and I felt he had saved all of us that day.

today, whenever I visit my hometown and see that Hanuman temple, I feel something deep inside me. The place has now changed a lot with new construction, but the old temple still lives in my memory. I stop there for a while and my eyes become slightly wet. I feel very grateful in my heart.

Anjani Putra Hanuman ki jay .

I understood one thing: without God presence, you cannot even breathe on this earth.
Hari Om.
New Hanuman Temple

Holi Memories of 90s Rural Kids

Holi festival comes when summer begins. At that time, palash flowers bloom and seem to tell everyone that it is time to bring colors into life.

My friends and I used to plan our Holi celebration almost one month in advance. There were five to seven of us. For Holika Dahan, we needed dry cow or buffalo dung cakes (gaurya) and dry wood. In those days, these things were not available for sale in shops.

So we had to collect them ourselves. Sometimes we went door to door asking people in the name of Holi. Sometimes, late at night, we went to faraway farms, even crossing the Painganga River, to collect dry wood and dung cakes that were kept there. It was risky, because if a farmer caught us, we could get into trouble. Everything depended on planning, teamwork, and courage.

Looking back today, I feel lucky that our parents trusted us. They allowed us to go out at night without too many questions. Nowadays, this kind of freedom is rare. Times have changed, and most children stay much closer to home.

We always made a proper plan. First, around 7 pm, we searched for two or three donkeys and tied them near a tree as this idea came to our one of great friend, and no one knows that, that why we achieve out collection target very fast. After dinner, around 10 pm, we all gathered and started our mission.

After reaching the target farm, one friend climbed a tree to keep watch and check if anyone was coming. If he gave a positive signal, the rest of us quickly collected the wood and gaurya from where it was stored. We filled two or three sacks, loaded them onto the donkeys, and ran away at hometown.

After every successful heist, we stored everything at our secret place. Other groups from nearby colonies were also collecting the same things, so secrecy was very important. After almost one month, we had around 1,000 to 1,200 dung cakes and plenty of dry wood. When everyone agreed that it was enough, we stopped collecting more.

On the day of Holi, we arranged the gaurya and wood around a big erandel (castor) tree. The structure was round and strong. After it was ready, all the families from the colony gathered. We performed puja and then lit the Holika fire with joy and happiness.

After the families went back home, we friends stayed together. We teased each other, laughed, and shouted funny traditional Holi lines like:

“Holi maai, Holi maai, as kasa kela,
Rajuchya ghar varun gadhad gela!”

and

“Holi re Holi, purnachi poli,
Sahebachya gadi var bandukichi goli!”

We played, teased, and celebrated freely. Today, no one close to us really understands how we enjoyed those days.

Those were the adventures of 90s rural kids—simple life, strong friendships, and unforgettable memories.
East or west, 90s rural kids were the best.