Global IndianstoryKeeping abreast with cancer care: Dr Raghu Ram delivers early diagnosis, saves lives

Keeping abreast with cancer care: Dr Raghu Ram delivers early diagnosis, saves lives

Written by: Namrata Srivastava

(April 27, 2022) A woman gets diagnosed with breast cancer every four minutes in India, and one dies of it every 13 minutes, making it the most prevalent cancer among Indian women. Unfortunately, in India, most women are diagnosed at an advanced stage where prognosis is poor. A Hyderabad-based UK-returned doctor is working hard to change this reality. Dr Raghu Ram Pillarisetti has dedicated his life to make a significant and meaningful difference to the delivery of breast healthcare in India.

Dr Pillarisetti’s foundation, Ushalakshmi Breast Cancer Foundation (named after his mother), is working with a missionary zeal to make significant and meaningful difference to the lives of people affected by breast cancer or with breast-related health concerns. “Breast cancer is a huge concern today. However, the topic is still a closet issue,” explains Dr Pillarisetti, during an interaction with Global Indian, adding, “I am a living bridge between the UK and India, and on an endeavour to replicate the best of British practices into improving breast healthcare in my motherland.”

Dr Raghu Ram Pillarisetti

The highly-decorated doctor, who is the first surgeon of Indian origin to be conferred the honorary fellowship of the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland, was recently appointed as an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The Padma Shri awardee, who believes that everything is part of god’s plan, shares that he was speechless when the British deputy high commissioner to India, Jan Thompson informed him about it. “Self-nominations are not allowed in the British honours system. So, I am not sure how my work got noticed by the British government. It was a surreal moment. I was, in fact, speechless,” laughs the doctor.

Inspired by his parents

Born in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh to a doctor couple – Prof PV Chalapathi Rao and Dr Ushalakshmi Kumari – who were working at the Guntur Medical College, soon after their son was born, they shifted to Hyderabad. This was where Dr Pillarisetti was brought up. A happy-go-lucky child, he was very inspired by his parents and their work.

“I studied at the Hyderabad Public School,” shares Dr Pillarisetti, “I wasn’t always at the top of the class; however I wasn’t a backbencher either. Mostly, I used to get first class, but never among the students who got distinction,” admits the doctor adding that he would play various sports for the fun and experience.

Following his parents’ footsteps, Dr Pillarisetti graduated in MBBS from Siddhartha Medical College. “The real turning point in my professional career came when I joined Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore to pursue master’s in surgery (MS), in 1992. After my MBBS, I worked at the Osmania General Hospital in the general surgery department. I had applied for a six-month exemption at the Kasturba Medical College and gave my exams with seniors, and stood first. I was very studious during my master’s,” shares the doctor.

The Great British Isles

In 1997, Dr Pillarisetti went to the United Kingdom for FRCS. During his first visit, he impressed the Brits. “I was able to satisfy about 100 examiners in three out of the four Surgical Royal Colleges in the British Isles – Edinburgh, Glasgow and Ireland, in just two months. That is a record, which is still not broken by anyone else,” avers the doctor, who couldn’t sit for the London FRCS, since the dates clashed with his other exams. However, he was conferred the FRCS London, without sitting for the exam in 2010.

He then worked in the UK for about a decade, subsequently completing higher surgical training, and training in oncoplastic breast surgery at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust in London, and at the Nottingham Breast Institute.

While all looked peachy, an incident changed the course of his life. In 2002, while Dr Pillarisetti was working at the Cardiff Breast Unit, one of the foremost breast health centres in the UK, his mother, Dr Ushalakshmi was diagnosed with breast cancer in India. “Being an only child, I was profoundly affected by her illness. While she was undergoing treatment in the UK, I started enquiring about the situation of breast cancer treatment in India. I realised that due to the lack of awareness and absence of an organised screening programme, more than 60 per cent patients of breast cancer are diagnosed at the advanced stages,” he explains.

Homecoming

Although he and his wife, Dr Vyjayanthi, had several great opportunities in the UK, they moved back to India. “My wife, Dr Vyjayanthi, obtained her MRCOG on the very first attempt in London in 1997. She then completed structured training in obstetrics and gynaecology in the United Kingdom & subspecialty training in Reproductive Medicine, leading to CCT (certificate of completion of training), which is essential to work as a consultant Fertility Specialist in the UK. She has established one of the largest Fertility Centres in Telangana & Andhra Pradesh at KIMS Hospitals in 2009,” he shares.

Dr Raghu Ram with his wife, Dr Vyjayanthi, after being appointed as an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire

After returning to India in 2007, their vision was to start a free-standing, purpose-built, comprehensive centre for breast health. “People assume that breast disease is just breast cancer alone. However, nine out of 10 women who present themselves with a lump, do not have cancer. They require reassurance about the process. So, the first step was to establish a breast centre – so that when a lady walks in the entire medical process to check her breast’s health happen under one roof, including mammography, ultrasound-guided breast biopsy, and even counselling,” shares the doctor.

KIMS-Ushalakshmi Centre for Breast Diseases was established in Hyderabad. Dr Raghu Ram shares that while he envisioned and designed it, Dr B Bhaskar Rao, who is the founder of KIMS Hospitals, played a pivotal role in ensuring that the Breast Centre became a reality.

His Royal Highness Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, conferring the OBE to Dr Raghu Ram, at the Windsor Castle

“I also, however, wanted to establish a not-for-profit organisation under my mother’s name, who is 90 now. So, I established the Ushalakshmi Breast Cancer Foundation, under which I have been able to create the much-needed awareness about breast cancer, through a number of unique activities, over the past 15 years,” he shares. The foundation hosts a pink ribbon walk in Hyderabad during the month of October, which sees a huge participation from people from various walks of life, including breast cancer survivors.

Family first

A tight schedule and numerous patients, that never stops him from spending time with family. “I value my family. I am not in the rat-race of private practice. I never start early and work till late. I spend quality time with them. I have two sons, and would give them both evening baths every day. My older son is studying medicine in the UK, and the younger one in the XII standard, and wants to pursue a career in law,” shares the doctor who spends a hour-and-a-half in the prayer room, meditating, daily.

Follow Dr Raghu Ram Pillarisetti on Facebook and Twitter
Follow Ushalakshmi Breast Cancer Foundation on Twitter

Published on 27, Apr 2022

Share with

ALSO READ

Cities by design: Cambridge’s Dr Ronita Bardhan brings sustainability into low-income housing

(May 8, 2022) Over a billion people across the world live in slums – nearly one in six. Orangi Town in Karachi, Pakistan is by far the world's largest, with some 2.4 million inhabitants. More than a million residents crowd together in Mumbai's Dharavi slum, where development of low-income housing is overseen by the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA). Over the years, thousands of people were moved out of temporary dwellings into brick and mortar shelters. It’s a step up, one would think. It's not long before residents realise that their concrete tenements aren't all they're made out to be... “Poor design causes a multitude of problems with regard to health, well-being and socio-economic interaction,” says Cambridge University's assistant professor of sustainability in built environment - Dr Ronita Bardhan, in an interview with Global Indian. Sustainable, low-income housing is the architectural engineer's area of work - she has spent years studying rehabilitation projects at IIT-Bombay, Stanford University and Cambridge University. Her aim: Attempting to provide data and tech-driven, culturally rooted design solutions that work both at the individual and community levels. While cutting edge technology is the need of the hour, Ronita believes firmly that it should consider the socio-cultural context

chnology is the need of the hour, Ronita believes firmly that it should consider the socio-cultural context within which it is being used.

However, faced with a problem of almost fantastic magnitude, authorities in slum rehabilitation projects around the world tend to rely on a purely quantitative approach. Working in isolation, without inputs from the health or energy ministries, the projects may fulfill the basic concern – shelter, but do little else.

Driven by data, transcending disciplines

Working out of the University of Cambridge, Ronita creates design solutions that marry engineering, AI and the social sciences. “Housing is not a noun, it's a verb,” says Ronita. “It decides the way a person lives, their health, and their economic outcomes. Housing policies don't cater to that, even though they should," she adds. She’s currently working towards four UN Sustainable Development Goals – 3 (good-health and well-being), 7 (affordable and clean energy), 11 (sustainable cities and communities) and 13 (climate action).

Ronita’s approach is a call for demand-led design. Her approach is data-driven, “it brings a hard-core engineering model together with the social sciences." Her work has taken her from India to projects in Indonesia, South Africa, Ethiopia and Brazil. She is the Director of Studies and Fellow in Architecture at Selwyn College. She also chairs the Equality Diversity Inclusivity Committee at the Department of Architecture and History of Arts.

Cry the beloved country

When she moved to Mumbai to join IIT-Bombay, she would often see sprawling apartment blocks whiz past her train window. She had no idea at the time why these buildings existed, apart from noting that they looked dense. These were the SRA's tenement housing projects set, where Ronita would begin her research work.

The houses contained a range of shortcomings; from poor ventilation that resulted in indoor air pollution, the absence of natural sunlight that led to greater energy consumption through artificial lighting and the absence of space for women and children to gather outdoors. In one study, Ronita found that indoor pollution levels in SRA homes were five times over the global standards.

Design solution to reduce indoor air pollution

A data-driven approach requires far more than merely handing out questionnaires. Instead, Ronita and her team work to collect several hours of data, gathered through a series of informal chats and unstructured interviews, while simultaneously monitoring the built environment using a range of environmental sensors. In an effort to examine the conditions of 120 households in Mumbai's chawls, “We stayed in the chawls, imitating the habits of the regular residents,” Ronita says. They placed sensors across the building to measure air quality, using the local mean age (LMA) of air as a parameter. They also considered the orientation and direction of the building, what surrounded it, area, thickness of the walls and the size of the windows.

"We want to develop strategies from these kinds of parameters," says Ronita. By taking into consideration the economic, physical, emotional and interpersonal aspects of the individual's life, the resulting design solution will help move away from the prevailing quantitative approach.

A rise in the incidents of tuberculosis in Mumbai’s rehabilitation projects led to further studies. They found the absence of sunlight allows the microbes to thrive, causing disease. It also led to increased energy consumption.

Gendered cities

In 2018, Ronita's study, published in Habitat International - a Science Direct journal, found gender asymmetries in slum rehabilitation projects in Mumbai. Participants are made to feel at ease through a series of unstructured interviews and it was found that women were now largely confined indoors. Where activities like childcare were once a shared responsibility, the new projects had done away with open, community spaces where women traditionally gathered.

The SRA has done much work to bring people out of slum dwellings. However, "designing houses based on the current policy has knock off effects on health and energy," Ronita explains. "There is no link between design and the actual lived experience. Houses are not just for shelter, they impact every part of our lives," she says.

[caption id="attachment_24294" align="aligncenter" width="567"] Data is gathered through a series of unstructured interviews and monitoring built environment through a range of sensors.[/caption]

Poverty of time

Confined to their homes and burdened entirely with domestic duties, fewer women were going out to find work. The vast socio-economic networks maintained in the old slum dwellings no longer existed without socialising spaces. The green spaces invariably become illegal parking spots, places for hawkers, or even dumping grounds.

"The women would once go out every day to visit neighbours who lived 15 houses away. Now, although that neighbour lives three storeys above, they don't meet for months. If women were spending 90 percent of their time indoors, they are now spending 99 percent," Ronita explains. It is a poverty of time that in turn, leads to fiscal poverty as well.

The quantitative approach

A quantitative approach can easily sideline individual and local needs. “In South Africa, the level of poverty is a lot lower but the problems are more to do with things like drug abuse. You don’t find that in India, especially among the women,” says Ronita. Instead, when she interviewed women in SRA housing in Mumbai, she found they were thrilled to have toilets inside their homes and private indoor spaces. However, there’s still a lot to contend with for authorities and urban planners alike. Ronita is among those calling for demand-driven engineering solutions, with built environments catering to the needs of the individual. It involves trans-disciplinary collaborations to arrive at practical solutions.

A holistic approach and tweaked building by-laws can make a world of difference. “It can be scaled,” Ronita agrees. “Builders should not be granted free land until they comply with the by-laws. These need revision based on contextual factors and should never mention minimum thresholds for set-backs. When compliance is based on a minimum threshold, only the minimum provided. Let's include elements like childcare facilities and socialising spaces within the legal framework,” she adds.

[caption id="attachment_24295" align="aligncenter" width="659"] Ronita with women residents of Mumbai's SRA housing[/caption]

Efficient utilisation of space and energy

When she first began her work in the field, Ronita says cooling units inside people’s homes were a rarity. Today, most have more than one energy-intensive cooling devices. Bills have shot up and with inadequately designed homes, they’re only likely to increase further. “We assume that this demographic doesn’t really consume energy. That is a fallacy,” she says.

For all this, the efficient utilisation of space is paramount. Ronita recalls doing her doctorate at the University of Tokyo, and the 25 sq foot apartment she called home. “The tenements in Mumbai are actually larger but they feel very cramped. Not once during my time in Tokyo did, I feel like I needed more space. It’s all about design. I would wonder if it could be replicated but then, all technology should consider the socio-cultural context within which it is being used."

Follow Ronita on Twitter and LinkedIn

Reading Time: 8 mins

Dean Rakesh Khurana: Changing the world of education

(November 30, 2022) The official page of Rakesh Khurana on the Harvard College website describes him as "Not just a Dean, but a friend", adding, "When Dean Khurana walks into a room, the energy shifts to a more positive, welcoming environment. Khurana, a former Faculty Dean of Cabot House, exemplifies the mission of Harvard College; he transforms the lives of students daily through the connections he makes and the photos he posts on Instagram." The Dean of Harvard College Rakesh Khurana - an award-winning teacher and widely recognised scholar - has pioneered several changes in the modern education system to make it more inclusive and fun. His innovative methods in pedagogy and practice adaptability have made him one of the favourite teachers of his students. [caption id="attachment_32278" align="aligncenter" width="656"] Dean Rakesh Khurana[/caption] "The faculty needed to act to create a psychologically safe environment for engagement," Dean Khurana had said during an education conference, adding, "Where silence was not interpreted as agreement, where there was no pressure to behave simply to create unanimity, and where people were not judged for raising ideas before they were fully formed." Deeply involved with undergraduates’ daily lives outside the classroom, this Global Indian is changing

ce was not interpreted as agreement, where there was no pressure to behave simply to create unanimity, and where people were not judged for raising ideas before they were fully formed." Deeply involved with undergraduates’ daily lives outside the classroom, this Global Indian is changing the way educational institutions work, giving the mundane experience a more humane touch.

A man of knowledge

While not much is known about his childhood, Dean Khurana shared that his family moved from New Delhi to Queens, New York when he was just a toddler. Brought up in the largest of the five boroughs of NYC, the young kid was sharp and very observant of human behaviour, and that is what led him to pursue a bachelor's degree in industrial relations from Cornell University. He later earned an MA in sociology from Harvard and his Ph.D. in organisational behavior through a joint program between the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences and Harvard Business School in 1998.

[caption id="attachment_32279" align="aligncenter" width="632"] Rakesh Khurana Rakesh and Stephanie Khurana at Cabot House[/caption]

Since a young age, Dean Khurana was interested in pursuing a career in the field of education. And soon after he earned his doctorate, he became the founding team member of Cambridge Technology Partners and from 1998 to 2000 he taught at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After spending a decade at MIT, Khurana and his wife Stephanie were named master and co-master of Cabot House at Harvard University, and the couple still holds the position.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgSy72QVBLA

Later the same year Dean Khurana became the Marvin Bower Professor of Leadership Development at Harvard Business School and professor of sociology in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. "Most of the significant challenges and opportunities we face in the world are not things that anybody faces alone. They require building a foundation of trust and understanding, while also finding common ground with others. It’s hard for me to separate students, faculty, and administration — and while I know different people play different roles, ultimately I believe we are all 'Harvard'. How we work together and how we share our diverse perspectives have led to a deeper understanding of each other. This type of capacity-building has been central to creating a supportive and diverse living environment where students can safely embark on their journey of intellectual transformation," the Dean had told Legal Desire magazine when asked about why he includes his students' opinions for every small decision.

At the helm of Harvard

In 2014, Rakesh became the Dean of Harvard College. In his announcement, former Dean Michael D. Smith said, "Khurana brings to the deanship an intimate understanding of the Harvard College experience, a profound commitment to the values of a liberal-arts education, and a warm and compassionate personality that accompanies his belief in the importance of community and an inclusive approach to decision-making."

[caption id="attachment_32280" align="aligncenter" width="758"] Harvard University President Drew Faust greets Dean Rakesh Khurana at a recent graduation ceremony[/caption]

But, even when the students and faculty members were gearing up to welcome their new head, Dean Khurana was working on college policies to ensure that diversity and inclusion at Harvard. "Our diversity is our strength. To me, diversity of intellectual thought, which is deeply enriched by people who bring different cultural perspectives and lived experiences, is what is most valued here at Harvard College. We are educating our students to be citizens and citizen-leaders in one of the most diverse societies in the world, one that is becoming even more diverse, and the challenge for the American experiment — the challenge for the global experiment — is how we continue to thrive in that world, rather than retreat into tribalism, conformity of values, and closed-minded thinking," the dean had said during one of his initial speeches at the University.

[caption id="attachment_32281" align="aligncenter" width="645"] Dean Rakesh Khurana Dean Khurana with President Joe Biden[/caption]

A strong leader, and a dear friend to his students, Dean Khurana has been working hard so that Harvard students and faculty members find the opportunities to ensure the mission of the college is accomplished in a way that is both consistent with its values and meaningful within the current educational landscape. Even during the global pandemic, when other educational institutions were struggling, Harvard, under Dean Khurana's leadership, reported increased levels of participation among their students by the third week of online classes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJKAGC6nvXA

“Leadership, ultimately, is the ability to be comfortable with being uncomfortable,” adding, "It's the willingness to adapt and change to circumstance, but be steady in your values," the dean believes.

Follow Dean Rakesh Khurana on Instagram and LinkedIn

Reading Time: 7 mins

Spare the life, use the rod: Entrepreneur Sharad Ashani gets Rs 50 lakh to grow his anti-suicide device

(March 23, 2022) Sharad Ashani is not your typical entrepreneur. The 66-year-old Mumbai-based founder of Safe Solutions had an over three decade-long career behind him before he decided to start up. Except, he was looking to make a difference after his retirement in 2017. Shocked by the number of suicides by hanging in the India, Sharad patented what is called Gold Life, a range of anti-suicide rods. So far, his company has installed over 50,000 anti-suicide rods in ceiling fans across hospitals, hotels, hostels, jails, and government quarters. Recently, this year (2022) his venture received a funding of Rs 50 lakh from Shark Tank India as well. Back in 2004, actor and model Nafisa Joseph committed suicide by hanging herself from a ceiling fan. “Soon after, an air hostess died in a similar manner. It struck me hard,” says the entrepreneur. “How were such educated and successful people taking such drastic measures? Was it so easy for one to hang from the ceiling fan? Around the same time, I came across a National Crime Record Bureau report that stated over 40 percent of those committing suicide in India died by hanging. It was time to do something about this,” says the

thing about this,” says the entrepreneur in a conversation with Global Indian.

[embed]https://twitter.com/SharadAshani/status/1232910384539095040?s=20&t=bDu--Q4l6EsbrJJyeibd7Q[/embed]

The journey of research

Sharad then began archiving news reports of suicides by hanging to work on a solution. He went through medical journals, and came up with a thoroughly researched prototype. This endeavour also took him to Nata Mallick, the West Bengal executioner to understand neck pressure, and breathing rates once the hanging process begins. “On a visit to Kolkata, I went to Mallick’s house to discuss the product I was mulling over; I wanted to ensure it was free from any loopholes,” says the Indian entrepreneur. Several trials later, Gold Life anti-suicide rods were patented in 2007.

The rod, which can be retrofitted into any ceiling fan, has an unlatching mechanism. When someone tries to hang oneself, the load exceeds the determined point, activating the unlatching mechanism, safely landing the person on the ground.

[caption id="attachment_21757" align="aligncenter" width="906"] Indian Entrepreneur | Sharad Ashani | Global Indian Sharad Ashani with his son, Gaurav[/caption]

However, Sharad was still far from working full-fledged on this as he was employed with Crompton Greaves. In 2011, the entrepreneur got the opportunity to participate in Mahindra’s Spark The Rise competition where he won a grant of Rs 4 lakh as the first runner-up. This further strengthened his belief in his idea.

Second Innings

When Sharad retired in 2017, he immediately got to work to launch his venture. “I began working on refining my product the day after my retirement. To ensure that it was 100 percent fool-proof, I had it tested at the government’s MSME testing centre. I did not want to take any chances with the quality, and also got the anti-rust testing done,” the entrepreneur explains.

The next step was marketing. As he wondered how to market the product, a news report of another suicide by hanging in a Mumbai daily caught his eye. He wrote to the editor about his anti-suicide rod. An impressive coverage followed.

[embed]https://twitter.com/SharadAshani/status/992017337564975104?s=20&t=bDu--Q4l6EsbrJJyeibd7Q[/embed]

Soon, government institutions began placing orders; the Air Force School in Faridabad and Kota Hostel Association were some of the first to place orders, followed by IIM Kashipur, and then psychiatry hospitals, hotels, and private institutions.

The game changer

“After the Shark Tank India episode was aired, my phone did not stop ringing for five days,” says Sharad, adding, “Some were to appreciate my innovation, others to place orders. Surprisingly, most of the calls were from eastern India and Puducherry. That’s when I learnt from an NCRB report that Puducherry topped the list of states when it came to suicide by hanging,” says the Indian entrepreneur.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKFAJjEBREs

Following the buzz generated by Shark Tank India, Sharad’s company has been getting more orders than its manufacturing capacity. “We are working to expand our manufacturing units. We plan to begin retailing online this April,” says the entrepreneur, who finds himself working 24x7 post-retirement. “Of course, I am enjoying the entire process. I feel that just like Edison’s invention benefitted the world, my innovation will also greatly impact society. In 10 years, I hope every ceiling fan in the country will have these anti-suicide rods leading to a drastic fall in the incidence of suicides,” he says optimistically.

Reading and forgetting is not the solution

Intrigued with the number of suicides and their fall outs on the deceased’s kin, he adds, “From police investigations, stigma about renting such places, financial repercussions, the complications are huge.” He recently received a call from a woman who’d lost her husband to suicide by hanging, who admitted that if she had been aware of the rod, her husband would be alive.

Present and future

While Sharad has been contemplating manufacturing energy efficient fans with anti-suicide rods, he is currently swamped with orders following the reality show.

[caption id="attachment_21759" align="aligncenter" width="677"] Indian Entrepreneur | Sharad Ashani | Global Indian Sharad Ashani with his wife and daughter[/caption]

The entrepreneur enjoys playing the tabla, reads books by Dale Carnegie, Stephen Covey, and Chan Kim, etc. “These books have been a guide to me in my corporate as well as entrepreneurial journey,” says Sharad, whose wife Sharada and two children Gaurav and Arpita, and their families, make life beautiful. Next on agenda, are plans to innovate on more safety products.

Follow Sharad Ashani on Twitter

Reading Time: 7 mins

Madhukar Varshney: The US-returned innovator-turned-entrepreneur helps children problem solve

(November 30, 2021) If the Future of Jobs Report by the World Economic Forum is right, 65 percent of students entering primary school will ultimately work jobs that haven’t even been invented yet. Then how does one prepare children for the future? It involves a farsightedness that Madhukar Varshney, founder of NimbleQ, has made a part of his DNA. The IT honcho imbues children with essential skills — creative thinking, communication, problem solving, critical thinking and collaboration. Technology is at the heart of many jobs, and understanding how to apply it to innovate and create able future generations is Varshney’s core strength. The idea, says the innovator-turned-entrepreneur, is to teach children to apply knowledge to solve real world problems and have a growth mindset. “Did you know only 2 percent of Fortune 500 companies have CEOs of Indian-origin?” he asks, adding, “This is because there is some flaw in the way we teach our kids. We focus on the math, but where is the creativity? Where is the proclivity to create and innovate?” [embed]https://twitter.com/HakimHabibulla/status/1418132814600433673?s=20[/embed] A holistic approach NimbleQ’s holistic skills development programme focuses on building the next generation of leaders, creators, and entrepreneurs, and it was developed by the US-returned Varshney and his wife Shailey Motial, who handles brand

mbed]https://twitter.com/HakimHabibulla/status/1418132814600433673?s=20[/embed]

A holistic approach

NimbleQ’s holistic skills development programme focuses on building the next generation of leaders, creators, and entrepreneurs, and it was developed by the US-returned Varshney and his wife Shailey Motial, who handles brand development and strategies.

What started as an after-school curriculum, now focusses on helping youngsters to innovate. “The idea is to get children to think independently like creators. While it is important to learn all things tech-related, it is also important that children know how to apply the knowledge, understand business, entrepreneurship, and money,” says Madhukar, who was in the US for 20 years thanks to the citizenship he was awarded under the Outstanding Researcher Category in 2009.

[caption id="attachment_16994" align="aligncenter" width="4898"] Global Indian Madhukar Varshney Madhukar Varshney with students during a NimbleQ class[/caption]

Raised in a very conventional family in Aligarh (Uttar Pradesh), entrepreneurship didn’t even cross his mind. Born in 1974 to a father, who was a government contractor father, and teacher mother, Madhukar grew up believing that the route to success was through a US education. “Career choices then were either as doctors or engineers. I’d never thought about starting up. When I moved to the US, I got the opportunity to explore with an exposure to diverse cultures and professional experiences,” recalls Madhukar, who graduated in chemical engineering from HPTI, Kanpur, and then did a master’s and PhD in biomedical engineering from the University of Arkansas.

Madhukar then worked at Cornell University as a research associate studying micro and nanomechanical cantilever-based sensors. A job at NABsys, a company which develops semiconductor-based tools for genomic analysis, came next.

The researcher turned educationist

During his career as a researcher, Madhukar published over 35 papers and owns three patents. Bitten by the entrepreneurial bug, he decided to branch out on his own. In 2014, he set up his first company Forty-Five NE, a digital healthcare company that influences disease outcomes by empowering patients to get involved in self-care.

[caption id="attachment_16984" align="aligncenter" width="1065"] Global Indian Madhukar Varshney Madhukar Varshney with his wife and co-founder Shailey Motial[/caption]

He ran the Massachusetts-based company for two years. The Varshneys then began searching for something empowering in education. “We weren’t too happy about where the education system was headed. For instance, in India, students are not encouraged to question. There is no room for creativity, independence or leadership qualities. In the US too, though the system is different, there is still a loophole that needs to be plugged,” he tells Global Indian.

The seed was planted, and the couple moved lock, stock, barrel and family, to India and set up NimbleQ in 2017. Headquartered in Lucknow, NimbleQ is aimed at developing nimbleness of the mind. “They say that intelligence and capability are not natural talents; they are built by the flexibility of the mind. At NimbleQ, that’s what we aim to do: we encourage students to learn how to learn, question, focus, (even) fail and take in their stride and begin again,” says the founder of the so far bootstrapped startup.

Designed to teach

The NimbleQ experience is designed to teach kids to adapt, be flexible, question the status quo and adopt a holistic approach to life. “This is why business and entrepreneurship and understanding money are important aspects of the programme. So children are truly future ready,” he adds.

[caption id="attachment_16986" align="aligncenter" width="758"] Global Indian Shailey Motial Shailey Motial[/caption]

With programmes aimed at kindergartners to class 10 students, the startup has already been seeing some very positive results. For instance, a six-year-old student of theirs, won a Business Idea Hackathon for suggesting that energy be harnessed from Mars. “We don’t want our engineers to build a Taj Mahal. What’s the point of a Taj Mahal if it cannot be sold? The idea is for our engineers to innovate and design buildings that can be scaled and sold,” says Madhukar. So far, about 4,000 students have signed up since they started, with 80,000 plus hours of classes conducted.

The programmes are designed to treat students like adults, show them real time scenarios and what real jobs involve. After months of research, sit-downs with industry leaders, educationists, and researchers, Madhukar developed the programmes which today they are helmed by NimbleQ teachers (all engineers).

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlpvltyIF9M[/embed]

The startup has students in India, US and UAE. Plans are afoot to resume offline classes again, with expansion plans. “We’re also looking to raise funding to aid these plans,” says Madhukar, who is headquartered in Lucknow and always wanted to start small. "We’re not in it for the race.”

The father of two, loves to unwind with his children and encourages them to explore and question the world.

“At the end of the day, we put the student at the centre. We treat them like grown-ups. We don’t restrict ourselves to premium schools, we want to democratise education and also tie up with mid-size and small schools,” says the entrepreneur, who loves to sketch.

Follow Madhukar Varshney on LinkedIn.

Reading Time: 10 mins

Defeating misogyny: Saxophone Subbalaxmi’s rise to stardom

(February 28, 2022) A diminutive pre-teen girl clutching an outsized saxophone - the image alone was enough to make Subbalaxmi an object of ridicule among her boisterous male peers. Her unwavering determination to learn the instrument only made things worse - how could a girl dare to do something meant only for boys? "Tell her to learn how to cook," they called out. "At least that will help her in the future." The 12-year-old Subbalaxmi, however, refused to back down. She sat through the class, with the blessing of her Guru, Kadri Gopalnath, who fully supported this attempt to break free of a stereotype. Her Guru passed away in 2019 and before she steps on stage, Saxophone Subbalaxmi always takes a minute to close her eyes and pay him tribute. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JHF-uYzIiw Unconditional support from her teacher and her father MR Sainath, went a long way but Saxophone Subbalaxmi's personal journey was far from easy, at least in the early days in Mangalore where she was born and brought up. Back home, disapproving neighbours would complain about her evening riyaaz. Whether or not she was fazed by the mockery, Subbalaxmi had no intention of giving up. She continued learning and

ving up. She continued learning and later went to Chennai for higher training.

Amongst numerous brilliant performances across the world, her memorable one has been at Singapore - a concert for the Tamil Association. She had been expecting Indians in the audience but to her surprise there were many Singaporeans. She immediately improvised fascinating them all. With over 3,000 performances, and awards like the prestigious Padmabharathi and Yuvakala Bharathi amongst others, Saxophone Subbalaxmi has also made it into the Limca Book of Records.

Making music count

Today, 'Saxophone Subbalaxmi' has made a name for herself in an industry where rules are sacrosanct, and she boasts a fan base across the world. And if she broke stereotypes as a child, she continues even today – her music has its own signature style, a blend of Indian and Western, played on an instrument that came to India from the West.

[caption id="attachment_20409" align="aligncenter" width="572"] Saxophone Subbalaxmi | Global Indian Saxophone Subbalaxmi[/caption]

She began training in Carnatic vocals at the age of five, having been born into a family of musicians. Her grandfather, MR Rajappa was an Asthana Vidwan in the royal court of Mysuru. Her uncles were percussionists and her father, an exponent of the Mridangam, was an A-grade staff artiste at All India Radio. Growing up, Subbalaxmi would accompany her father as he travelled for shows with Padma Shree Kadri Gopalnath, the noted saxophonist. That was a turning point. “I found divinity in his Gamakams,” Saxophone Subbalaxmi recalls, in an interview with Global Indian. “I fell in love with the instrument but I didn't realise then that it's a very difficult instrument to play, especially for girls, because it requires a lot of lung power.”

Subbalaxmi soon announced that she would learn nothing but the saxophone. It was a radical choice. Her surprised father decided to stand by her. He encouraged her dreams, as did Kadri Gopalnath, who even volunteered to be her guru. That’s how Saxophone Subbalaxmi became Gopalnath’s first female disciple. Her determination and hard work also impressed her two older siblings, both of whom also took to the instrument. Today, after two decades spent performing in India and abroad, Saxophone Subbalaxmi is a role model for young women.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41ZojXfUKSk

Charting her own path

"My challenges mostly are off stage, though,” she says. “There is simply no time to relax when you’re on tour. The only time I manage to sleep is on the flight. Eating hours can also get erratic; this leads to other problems like weight gain. Late-night treats after performances will also play havoc.” She keeps herself fit through yoga, swimming and gymming.

It was during a concert in Chennai, she met the man who would become her husband - Kiran Kumar. The couple married in 2009. Kumar manages his celebrity wife’s business. “Without each other, we would not be able to do anything,” she says, glowingly. They live in Bengaluru with their 12-year-old son, Rudransh.

Her daily riyaaz remains the mantra to her success, Subbalaxmi admits. She keeps herself updated with the latest trends while ensuring that she stays rooted in tradition. "I’m also particular about how I present myself. On stage, I improvise as it’s important to stay in touch with the audience’s taste," says the musician who has an affinity to the stage. “Many tell me that I enjoy myself when I perform and dance along to the music. To this, I say that I am deeply honoured to be playing music written by the greatest composers - how I can do them justice if I lack energy and excitement? Simply put, I just enjoy the whole atmosphere,” she adds.

[caption id="attachment_20410" align="aligncenter" width="599"] Saxophone Subbalaxmi | Global Indian Saxophone Subbalaxmi with popular Bollywood singer, Alka Yagnik[/caption]

Even Western audiences clamour for her trademark fusion style. “My inspirations come from all over the world too,” Subbalaxmi explains. She has always returned, over the years, to Pandit Bhimsen Joshi and Lata Mangeshkar. Tunes like Baahon Mein Chale Aa, Nile Nile Ambar Par and Chura Liya Hai Tumne always find a spot in her concert repertoire. “Once, I had to perform Jab Koi Baat Bigar Jaye eight times on audience demand,” she recalls, laughing.

Not backing down

At the age of 12, she was teased and told to learn how to cook. She did, in fact, find her way around the kitchen, and cooking is one of her hobbies today. “I’m a pro when it comes to rustling non-vegetarian food,” she remarks. The same people who mocked her once are full of praise, and Saxophone Subbalaxmi now finds herself besieged by fans asking for selfies. Even her neighbours no longer complain about her riyaaz, instead, they come to their windows to hear her play as she practices. “Sometimes, they even call me to request a particular song while they listen outside, or drop by to hear me play! I am blessed to have these people in my life,” she smiles.

Follow Saxophone Subbalaxmi on Linkedin and Instagram

Reading Time: 7 mins