- How would you describe Puneet Bhasin as a person?
I would describe myself as a hardworking and fun loving person. I believe very strongly that hard work is the key to achieve anything I want. I set goals in life, but I ensure the journey to my goals is enjoyable and meaningful. It’s probably my inherent belief, that we strive really hard to win a trophy, and once we have it, we just place it on the mantle and forget about it, but the efforts and experiences of the process along with the relations we build in the journey make us a better person. I simply think of three things when I take up anything new in life; First is whether I will learn something new? Second is whether I will have some new enriching experience? And third is whether I will meet new people who will broaden my perspective? If it satisfies these three criteria, then I don’t think about the outcome because I can be pretty sure that it would be a good learning curve for me.
- What gave you the inspiration to work in the field you are currently in?
When I joined Government Law College at the age of 17 years, there was a Diploma Course in Cyber Laws being taught there after college. I signed up and found myself enjoying studying this field of law. I then signed up for becoming a Certified Cyber Crime Investigator at the age of 18 and luckily I was selected. These were very new fields at that time. Even when I did my Post Graduate Program in Cyber Laws, not many people even knew what the term “cyber laws” meant. It’s just that I had a strong gut feeling that my future is in this field alone, and I started practicing on my own after finishing my B.L.S.LLB., and the reason for this was because there were hardly any law firms or lawyers practicing in this arena; I had no choice but to venture into this on my own, and I feel that to learn on the job is an amazing experience.
- Please share with our readers something about your journey as a founder of Cyberjure Legal Consulting.
Cyberjure Legal Consulting was my dream, and finally with God’s grace it became a reality. After Law College I started practicing in the field of Cyber Laws, but it was a very new area of law. I started teaching Cyber Laws to IT Professionals and Lawyers in the Post Graduate Diploma in Cyber Laws. I was conducting workshops to create awareness about cyber crimes. In schools I conduct Cyber Crime Prevention and Protection workshops for children. By beginning of 2012, there was an increase in cyber crimes and e-commerce ventures. With the advent of smart phones, the role of cyber laws in everyday life became more evident. It was at this stage that I decided that I should have a proper company and practice should be streamlined. We started the concept of virtual interns, and students from law colleges all over India intern with us from their own campuses and research for our matters. The journey of founding Cyberjure Legal Consulting was one of the most beautiful parts of my life. I am a very ambitious person, and this was the first step for me to realize my goals. Right now we have a wide client base of Public Sector Banks, Private Companies, Major E-commerce players, Construction companies which are foraying into E-commerce, and IT Companies. Our practice involves Cyber Crime Litigation and E-commerce structuring along with Intellectual Property in Cyber Space. I really love this variety that the practice of cyber laws offers.
- How do you see the environmental, political, economic change impacting the world of IT? Also how do you see the youth channelizing their energy towards their goal with the changing times?
I have seen a drastic growth in the field of IT in the last few years. People use computer devices to do everything today. Smart phones, tablets and all devices capable of connecting to the internet are classified as “Computer Devices” under the Information Technology Act, 2000. This is a very wide definition and covers every single activity done by a user using such a device. There are an increasing technology start-ups entering the IT sector and doing pretty well too. I have structured and advised start-up E-commerce ventures, and today they are doing very well. The environment is of growth in the virtual medium, and any entrepreneurial activity that can tap into this has good chance to make it big.
The youth are focussed and have a very strong sense of making informed decisions. I have seen my batch mates and my juniors from college achieve great heights simply focussing on their goals and having faith in their ability to succeed.
- How was your experience at SCIT?
Symbiosis has a very deep connection with me. In 2008, when I was in Law College, Symboisis had organised an International Technology Law Moot, in which I represented my college, and won the Best Student Advocate Award. It was this laurel that motivated me and made me realize that this is the career path I wanted to pursue. When I received the invitation from SCIT, I gladly accepted it and it was a lovely reminder of the role Symbiosis played in my life. I was in SCIT for the National Seminar on Mobile Diversity- Empowering and employee or Breach of privacy. The panel was well put together and the discussion was very interesting, and unlike most panel discussions, it was very entertaining too, and the positive response from the students made the experience extremely positive. The event was very well-organised, and the students and faculty of SCIT were very gracious hosts. The enthusiasm of the audience was the icing on the cake.
- A message for the students of SCIT
Simply do what your heart says and you will never regret it. You may have to struggle initially, but perseverance always pays. Never give up!
- Rapid Fire:
–Your favorite books:
I am an avid reader, and the list is endless, but to mention a few; “Shock” by Robin Cook, “The Street Lawyer” by John Grisham, “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey.
–A must visit website on cyber law related discussions for tech geeks:
Of course our blog www.indiancyberlawyer.wordpress.com and website www.cyberjure.com.
–Would you love to visit SCIT again?
Yes, Definitely! It was a pleasure to be a part of the National Seminar at SCIT.
