From India to Austria with a Goal
About Shubham Dogra
Coming from New Delhi and living in Vienna at 18 to take his dreams and work to reality, Shubham Dogra didn't hesitate in keeping up with his plans on life. He is a son to his parents, a student to his professors, a DJ to not just Spotify. He's a winner for his Nintendo Switch and a football star for his team.
Where in India are you from, and what places did you call home the first few years of your life?
“I am from New Delhi, the capital city of India. I grew up in a city called Gurugram which is not far from New Delhi and spent most of my life there.
I have always had a connection to Austria since my father works for an Austrian company. 6 months after I was born in India, my family and I shipped off to Graz for 3 years, before deciding to move back to New Delhi. I have lived there ever since.”
What's it like living in India? How’s it different from Vienna?
“In a lot of ways it's not that different but at the same time, it is because the city where I’m from is the capital. It's one of the fastest and busiest cities in India. You really have to keep up with the pace. It's pretty crowded, too. There are a lot of people. There is a lot of competition in everything… that makes life very fast there. But otherwise, I had a great childhood there and was good in school. With the kind of people I was around, it was all very fun.
Otherwise, I would say New Delhi is a rapidly growing city, in terms of development.
I love the people in Vienna and I've been able to make really good friends. They have made life a lot easier for me. If you have good friends in the city then it will make life ten times better and easier. Apart from my social life, I think Vienna is a beautiful city. It was a bit of a ‘culture shock’ for me when I first came here because things work so differently here, compared to what I was used to. There are different systems. For example, the transportation system is very nice. I got used to it very easily. Generally, I would take cabs in Delhi or drive in my own car but when I came here I started using a lot of public transport; which is very ecological and sustainable too. I was very happy about that.
And secondly… Being in Vienna made me more responsible since the country here is also very straightforward and organised.
It makes you more responsible and organized as a citizen. That was a big change for me!
I think as a non-german speaker it can be a bit tough to live in Vienna. But at the same time, people are welcoming; If you just try to speak a bit of German, they notice you don’t speak it and then try to accommodate.”
How long did you live in India?
[Shubham was born in 1998] ”... I’ve been living in India since 2004, and I was living there until 2017. That was when I came here [Vienna, Austria] for college. “
Do you think being from India has changed the way you view the rest of the world?
“I think being from India has made a very large impact on my life. Especially coming to Vienna when I was 18 years old. I was younger and not as mature as I am now. I think the last 4 years I've spent here have also changed me. Not just because it's a different country, but also because I’ve spent my youngest and most important years here. I've literally grown up here in a way.
Yes, I think it would have been very different, because had I made my first memories in India, it would have changed alot of things. Here I am exposed to more international cultures; to people from more countries. That's something I don't have much experience with in India. It's a social connection I have. More than what I had in India.
If you are living in Vienna you have to take responsibility as an individual; even if you just have to get somewhere, be somewhere, or just have to be on time From my experiences as a college student, I think I've become more punctual.”
““Giving up shouldn’t be an option, because consistency and hard work will always beat talent.””
“Do yourself a favor and never ever give up on your dreams.”
- - Shubham Dogra
Both Austria and India are very traditional countries, tell me about some of your favorite traditions from both places and why?
“First about Austria; I like how even if you don't know someone you want to greet them. You say good morning or good evening to strangers in the park or in stores. I think that's a very nice and kind culture. It's not a tradition but greeting strangers isn't something you do everywhere. Its like an Austrian stereotype to me. I also love how social Austria is. What I just mentioned was more like social aspects but people are generally so kind, helpful and willing to help each other.
When I'm in Austria I don't celebrate a single Indian holiday. That’s because I'm not there half of the year and it's not celebrated here, since the Indian community is not as big in Vienna. There are two big festivals in India called Holi and Diwali… sometime around mid-March Holi [also known as the festival of colours] is celebrated. It marks the start of spring. Then there is Diwali [festival of lights], which usually takes place in October and November. Diwali is a festival about lights and fireworks. A lot of houses light up candles.”
Since you moved to Vienna have there been any Austrian events/ holidays you started celebrating?
“Yes of course. I mean all the festivals here, I’ve been a part of them. I was lucky enough to spend Christmas with you and your family last year… That was the first time I actually celebrated Christmas this way.
Apart from that… There aren't too many holidays. There is Easter, but I'm not in Europe for Easter. I don't usually celebrate it. So I think apart from Christmas, there is not much I’ve celebrated.”
Is soccer/ football different in Vienna than it is in India?
“I have played football all my life, already as a kid. During the generation my parents were born, football wasn't popular in India. Now it has become very popular. It's almost the same as in Europe but not as big a deal. India is still growing in terms of football. Now even a lot of football clubs have opened academies for training in India… I myself went to the Barcelona academy for 2 years. It's cool but football in India is still on its way to be as big as in Austria.”
Regarding the future, what are your goals? What are your plans and some things you hope to achieve?
“My goal is to become an international artist. Right now it’s to finish my bachelors degree in event management. Then I want to pursue my dream in sound engineering for six months. After that I have some plans to work on my music career. So I want to work on that.”
You said music career. What do you mean by that? What kind of music?
“I am a DJ and I make music as a producer. I produce, write and do everything that comes with it. I've worked with a lot of artists before such as other DJs, rappers and singers. I have my music on every platform that supports music [He’s know under the name DOGRA.] That's what I'm doing but my goal is to do that on a bigger level, a national level. I need to be able to make my living from my music.”
Has moving to Vienna changed your plans? Has that given you more opportunities to achieve more or different things?
“It hasn’t really changed my plans or goal. My goal is the same but being here gave me a more realistic approach and perspective. There were some things I didn’t think through or made practical, but moving here showed me how things work and how to do it.”
