Recently Xperate had the pleasure of welcoming two developers from our office in Pune, India to the UK: Mayur Narkhede and Jaykumar Chougule.
We caught up with Mayur to find out about their trip, including how this will enhance Xperate’s operations and service delivery, as well as his favourite experiences in the UK.
What was the main reason for the trip?
Mayur has been with Xperate for 2 years, coming straight from Pune University, having graduated with a 1st class honours degree in Computer Science and Engineering. He is part of a busy department of Software Developers led by Bharat Gidde in our Pune office and is a key asset to the Xperate team. Mayur works diligently on client projects and software solutions ‘behind the scenes’ so when one of Xperate’s clients, and one of the key projects Mayur has worked on, presented the possibility to work directly with them, in person, it was an opportunity not to be missed. Getting to know our clients personally is not only invigorating but highly beneficial because it builds a deeper understanding and strengthens the relationship.
Mayur had been at the forefront of these projects, along with colleagues Jaykumar and Bharat, and he thoroughly enjoyed his time working with the clients face-to-face. He found it incredibly valuable to discuss progress and future aims first-hand.
What was Mayur working on in the UK?
One of the main reasons for travelling to the UK was a voyage of discovery including further learning of how the legal system in the UK works. Whilst Mayur had already picked up extensive knowledge of this whilst working in India, it was his time in the UK that solidified a comprehensive understanding of the UK legal system. This was Mayur’s first time meeting lawyers in-person, and he enjoyed engaging with top legal professionals.
Mayur and Jaykumar had just begun working on new modules and applications for their clients and reaped the many benefits of on-site meetings to progress these. They spent most of their weekdays visiting the offices of their clients.
How has Xperate supported Mayur on his trip to the UK?
Xperate encourages collaboration between staff and clients and believes they have the best staff to enable this. They want their younger team members in Pune to see the possibilities for personal and career growth, along with the different opportunities that present themselves working in Legal Technology.
When speaking to Mayur, he made it clear how much he loved his trip to the UK and that Xperate were very supportive throughout the whole process. It was a fantastic window of opportunity for Mayur, and he was able to learn from his senior peers in the UK office.
What was his highlight of the trip?
We asked Mayur what his highlight of the trip was and struggled to pick an answer as there were “too many to choose!” Mayur's journey was filled with firsts, being his first experience in the UK as well as his first time flying.
He was eager to meet the Xperate UK team. Mayur and his UK colleagues quickly developed strong bonds and it was at Xperate’s coffee machine where Mayur spent some quality time chatting to the team over a 'barista style' coffee. He found everybody very friendly and welcoming.
Mayur also relished the opportunity to experience the many different foods that the UK has to offer. His favourite meal was when his client took him and Jaykumar to an Indian restaurant. He enjoyed how different an Indian meal was in the UK and found some dishes far less spicy than in India. He also enjoyed a Mexican meal for the first time where the chillies were definitely hotter!
Mayur was also able to be a tourist and visited several ‘bucket list’ places such as Big Ben and The Science Museum in London, Old Trafford in Manchester, plus the Albert Docks in Liverpool.
However, the main highlight of his trip was meeting a client that he had been working with for over seven months; showing that it’s people who leave that lifelong memory.
What did Mayur learn most about the UK?
Mayur observed some differences in work culture. In India, the workday typically starts and ends later, while in the UK, the mornings often begin around 8.30 AM. He was particularly impressed that his UK colleagues made the effort to come to the office early to meet him and Jaykumar.
As mentioned before, Mayur enjoyed learning more about how the UK legal process works and his understanding of legal areas such as litigation, debt recovery and enforcement law have all been massively enhanced. This bolstered knowledge will further help clients with legal technology solutions.
Mayur also experienced the cold, and sometimes harsh, winter weather that the UK offers; but found he actually prefers the UK’s wet and wintery weather instead of the hot and humid weather they have in Pune.
The trip was a resounding success for the client, Xperate and Mayur and Jaykumar. Xperate are keen to facilitate similar trips with different clients over the coming months.