Naina Pachnanda’s study of law and legal career, combined with her love of her country, led her to pursue a career with Invest India, where she helps simplify India’s business environment through innovation and technology regulation. In this interview with Asia Law Portal, Naina recounts her inspiration to follow this career path and how the law students of today might follow in her footsteps.
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You’re a lawyer and work with Invest India. What led you to this career focus?
I graduated from the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS), Kolkata, in 2014. While at law school, it was my dream to be a respected Senior Advocate or a Judge. In pursuance of my goal, I had the good fortune of working with the Additional Solicitor General in the Supreme Court of India, Mr. P. S. Patwalia, in 2014. After a while, the excitement of litigation persisted, as I joined a reputed law firm L&L Partners Law Offices ( formerly known as Luthra & Luthra Law Offices) where I continued to pursue my law school dream. Here I had the opportunity to work on multiple matters spread across the High Court of Delhi, various Tribunals and District Courts, as well as work on domestic arbitrations.
I used to take great interest in reading the Constitution of India and I felt it was my calling to contribute towards my country’s progress .Pursuant to the patriotism that was bursting inside of me, I joined Invest India – the National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency of India.
What is Invest India and what is your role there?
Invest India is the National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency of India. It acts as the first point of reference for investors in India. Invest India is transforming India’s investment climate by simplifying the business environment for investors.
I work as a Senior Innovation Specialist at Invest India. My role is to drive the legal regulatory and strategy side of affairs with an aim to contribute to India’s innovation and technology commercialization.
What inspired you to become a lawyer?
More like “ who” than “ what”!
My father Ranjit Pachnanda is an officer of the Indian Police Service and a lawyer by profession and practised in the Punjab & Haryana High Court, back in the day. Over the years, discussions with my father about the criminal justice system, imbibed my interest in the subject of law, particularly criminal law, while I was in school.
My brother, Vikrant Pachnanda, too is an Advocate- on- Record, in the Supreme Court of India. Discussions with him about moot courts and paper presentations, while he was at his law school, inspired me to take the Common Law Admission Test. I have also been assisting my brother, who is also the Founder and Managing Editor of the India Law Journal (https://www.indialawjournal.org/) , as an Editor of the India Law Journal since my first year at law school, to the present date.
You’re also a poet and author of “A New India”. What inspired this focus?
I call myself a ‘lawyer with a soul’! I run a blog titled Lawyer with a Poetic Soul (https://nainapachnanda.com/) . I also write soulful, self help and relatable poetry on my Instagram handle @naina.pachnanda (https://www.instagram.com/naina.pachnanda/) .Working with Invest India over the past two years and being an integral part of the Make In India campaign , and professionally focussing on India’s innovation and working towards a new India also in turn gave me the innovative idea of writing my first book ‘ A New India’ on the schemes of the Government of India, in my own unique art form of poetry. The idea behind writing this book, is to convey to everyone, of all age groups, in a very innovative way, the Indian government’s vision of a New India and how we as a country, are together progressing towards the same.
What advice do you have for law students aspiring to pursue a career different from the stereotypical one?
I would say, that it is never too late to pursue a different field of law or even a different career at any point of time. Life is a continuous learning process. My journey from wanting to be a Senior Advocate or a Judge, back in the day, to now instead, working on the legal regulatory and policy related issues of India’s innovation at Invest India and my poetry, has made me realise that my ultimate goal was always the same – to create value in society, just the means have changed. I have learnt that everything happens for a reason; there is a right time for everything and it is never too late to pursue a passion. Uncertainties are inevitable but with determination, anything is possible. Opportunities come our way, and it is in our hands to work hard and create those opportunities into a reality. Sometimes things work , sometimes they make room for something even better – either way, whatever is the best for our life, is what manifests, in a way much more beautiful way than we humans can ever imagine, for the power of the universe is truly infinite.
