Becoming Singaporean: Memoirs Of One Migrant’s Journey

Gautam Banerjee's curiosity about Singapore was piqued after he came across an article about the city-state in 1968, and as luck would have it, his family moved there in 1971. Although he subsequently spent time studying overseas, qualifying as a chartered accountant and working in one of the major global financial centres, Gautam was still determined to return to Singapore. In a vibrant, multicultural society which prides itself on meritocracy, he found home.Co-authored with his former colleague and close confidant, Chan Khei Hong, Gautam recalls noteworthy anecdotes from his early years in Mumbai, his time of discovery in England and his fulfilling four decades in Singapore. He reflects on the obstacles he faced as a minority, but also the myriad opportunities he had been presented, remembering the various individuals who had reached out to help him integrate into the Singapore community.By sharing his journey from a humble immigrant to serving as a former Nominated Member of Parliament, Gautam hopes to inspire and motivate others to constantly reinvent themselves, to be resilient and optimistic while always looking for opportunities to give back to the community.