Techie rides a horse to office on last day of work

Trot to office

A techie turned heads when he rode a horse to office on his last day of work at the Embassy Golf Links (EGL) campus on Intermediate Ring Road in Bengaluru on Thursday.

Roopesh Kumar Verma did create a “scene” but also drove home a “message” as he trotted on.

Though well-planned, the ride had its share of glitches too. Verma started from his residence at Mathikere at 7 am and reached EGL at 2 pm, with his “mode of transport” taking breaks amid the tiring traffic.

The photographs of the horse-mounted techie with a placard saying ‘Last working day as a software engineer’ were quickly circulated in the social media, including WhatsApp.

When DH contacted Verma, a native of Pilani in Rajasthan, to know why he did what he did, he said he was “frustrated with his job”. He cited multiple reasons for the unique ride.

“As software engineers, we solve complex problems for multinational companies. Why can’t we do the same and solve the problems in our country? I quit because I wanted to do something for my country,” he said.

Verma said he was stopped by security guards at the gates of the EGL campus, but he reasoned with them that a horse too is a “vehicle”.

Verma nurtures startup dreams too. Though Indians work in IT companies, the firms are not Indian, he said. He said he wants to have his own startup and wants to become an entrepreneur.

Verma said he is also frustrated about Bengaluru traffic, air pollution and trees being cut to make way for roads.

He said he wanted to be in the Indian Army, but unfortunately became a techie. “I will shortly release a video on my decision with full details,” he said.

Verma did his engineering in Manipal and has been working in Bengaluru for the past 8 years.

"I took horse-riding lessons for nearly a month to ensure that I reach office without any issues. My friends helped me plan and execute this ride. I am a pure vegetarian and love animals and that is the reason why I chose to ride a horse to give a message," said Verma.