Global IndianstorySaloni Lodha: London-based designer captivates the global audience with Indian fashion

Saloni Lodha: London-based designer captivates the global audience with Indian fashion

Compiled by: Charu Thakur

(December 13, 2023) Born and raised in India, settled in Hong Kong and based out of London, fashion designer Saloni Lodha is truly global in more than one way. If her designs have found a niche clientele among the who’s who of the world, she is still connected to her roots and it’s this perfect blend of Indian and modern that makes her a designer to reckon with in the fashion circle.

When she moved out of her home in Maharashtra as a teenager she had no idea that fashion designing was her calling. But serendipity put her in the right place at the right time, and as they say, the rest is history. With the likes of Michelle Obama, Kate Middleton, Emma Watson and Jessica Alba proudly strutting in the designs of this Indian designer, Saloni has become the champion of Indian textiles in the international market.

But the journey of this Global Indian wasn’t all rainbows and sunshine as she had to steer her way to the top.

Wings of freedom

Born in Nashik in a traditional Rajasthani family, Lodha was raised in a conservative setup that had the women of the house restricted to household chores. Seeing the various ages live under the same roof, the close-knit environment of the house started her love affair with textiles as she always saw her mom and grandmom clad in a sari. Being a very visual child, her eyes were always drawn to colors and prints. “From the age of 15, I began cutting up my grandmother’s brocade saris to make dresses for myself and my friends,” she said in an interview. But a young Lodha wanted to free herself from the shackles of tradition and therefore made the choice of moving to Mumbai at the age of 16 to study advertising at Sophia College. “It’s a very conservative and religious life. I don’t know how, but I always knew I didn’t want that,” she added. During those three years of college, she did internships and took as much freelance work as she could find.

Love for fashion – a new beginning

At 19, she met Giorgio, a banker from Italy, who she ended up marrying within a year. The couple soon moved to Hong Kong, and this was the place that played the perfect catalyst in giving wings to her designing dreams. She never intended to be a designer as her style quotient was mainly restricted to jeans and T-shirts throughout her college life. But her own evolution as she entered the glossy world of the Hong Kong expats gave birth to her clothing designs.

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“That’s when I started to think about fashion. All you could find there were these big luxury brands, so I thought I could make my own dresses and sell them to clients in a more personal way,” she said. She set up tiny pop-up shops to sell her dresses made of silk, cotton and brocade. This exposure helped her set sail for her future in designing and in the summer of 2003, she moved to London to do a course in fashion from Central Saint Martins. The British capital’s monochromatic fashion sense made Lodha think about adding a pop of color. “I realized I wanted to bring the spirit of India in some sort of way, but not in that obvious, hippie look. Here was India, the factory to the world — but there was not one single brand that retailed out of the top 200 department stores. That didn’t really make sense to me,” she told New York Times.

Her own global brand

So after spending a few years consulting for production agencies, she started her own company in 2008 with a focus on Made in India label. Her website reads, “The brand draws from the designer’s Indian heritage and its aesthetic is centred around a combination of color, artisanal craft and innovative cut and finish.”

The line was snapped up by top London department store Harvey Nichols and others followed suit. She launched her Summer/Spring 2008 collection during the London Fashion Week, but it was in July 2009 that the turning point in Lodha’s career came when Emma Watson of Harry Potter fame made an appearance at The Early Show in a red dress by Saloni. This put Lodha on the global map.

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“I just wanted to create a beautiful, contemporary brand taking the Indian aesthetic, which I grew up with, but modernising it with very simple silhouettes, something that anyone can wear anytime. You can wear it to go to work, you take it to the evening, but very affordable, and we wanted to use all the Indian handcraft and all the techniques – block-printing, weaving – but just to make it affordable because everything, at that point in the market, was so expensive,” she said.

Her label began creating the right noise in the fashion circles, and soon pulled in clients like Michelle Obama, Naomi Watts, Anne Hathaway model Helena Christensen and Samantha Cameron. If the creme da la creme were dressing up in her couture, luxury stores like Harrods, Selfridges and Barneys had stocks of her collection. In 2016, Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, made heads turn with a Saloni Lodha dress for a function at Kensington Palace.

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With each passing year, Saloni Lodha brand started expanding its wings and making a name in the fashion market. In the last 15 years, Lodha has truly become a global name in the fashion circle as she beautifully infuses Indian textiles with western silhouettes making it a perfect blend of modern and rustic. “There’s a long way to go and I feel like I am learning how to do it every step of the way,” she added.

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Published on 13, Dec 2023

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Meet the husband-wife duo celebrating plant-forward, borderless cuisine at Moglu

(February 17, 2024) What does it take to give up a thriving technology business in Saudi Arabia to come to Bengaluru to open a vegetarian restaurant? That’s exactly what husband and wife duo, Ankita Shree, Managing Director, and Dr. Kiran Narayanan, Executive Chef, did. They returned to Bengaluru to start Moglu, a restaurant that celebrates vegetarian gastronomy. Their vision is to bring fresh, high-quality ingredients to create a borderless, plant-forward dining experience that seamlessly combines regional and international flavours, influences and techniques. Ankita was a high-achieving student, and studied political science at Lady Shri Ram College in Delhi. She topped her class, then did a master’s in Jawaharlal Nehru University, and even spent a summer volunteering with the renowned Belgian-born Indian welfare economist and social scientist, Dr Jean Dreze. During her time volunteering with Dr Dreze, she was focussed on the implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act in the tribal areas of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. “Witnessing the gaps in the deployment of the scheme was frustrating, and instead of merely petitioning bureaucrats, I felt compelled to become one myself,” Ankita says, in an interview with Global Indian. [caption id="attachment_50090" align="aligncenter" width="349"] Ankita Sree and Kiran Narayan, co-founders of

[caption id="attachment_50090" align="aligncenter" width="349"] Ankita Sree and Kiran Narayan, co-founders of Moglu[/caption]

So, after completing her master’s degree, she spent a year preparing for the UPSC civil services exam. She cleared it on her first attempt and began her career in the Indian Revenue Service, as the Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax. She spent over three years in the IRS, and realised the bureaucratic environment just wasn’t the right fit for her. “Not one to settle, I made the tough decision to leave my job, despite strong objections from my family. I then moved to Saudi Arabia, where I served as the CFO and co-founded a deep tech company with Kiran in 2019,” she recollects.

From architecture to tech

On the other hand, Kiran’s early life was a rich tapestry of experiencing different cultures, cuisines, and friendships. As his father worked for SAIL, the family moved to a new city every 2-2.5 years. It was challenging to have to change schools so often and make new friends each time, but this “transient lifestyle,” says Kiran, did nurture his passion for cooking, eve though he didn’t know it at the time. “My mother's culinary skills and her curiosity for various regional cuisines deeply influenced me. I began experimenting with food at a young age, often observing the outcome of cooking vegetables over the coal stove in Asansol and Burnpur, West Bengal.” Their gardener, ‘Prasad dada’ became Kiran’s first mentor, and fostered his love for cooking.

However, after school, he followed through on his passion for architecture, and joined CEPT in Ahmedabad, which is India’s premier architecture school. However, familial circumstances prompted a shift to a Mechanical Engineering course at SRM, Chennai, then a a master’s degree in Texas, where he lived and worked for six years. Later, he followed a respected professor to King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia, and completed his PhD under Dr. Ravi Samtaney's mentorship.

[caption id="attachment_50091" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Moglu[/caption]

Although they had such diverse backgrounds, the couple’s paths crossed in 2010 through a common friend. After his time in Texas and before moving to Saudi Arabia, Kiran spent six months in Pune doing a project for DRDO on carbon nanotubes as a scientist. Ankita was visiting a friend on the same campus, which was near Khadakwasla called DIAT (Defence Institute of Advanced Technology). “We met at a party and became and stayed friends for seven years before our relationship blossomed into a romantic one,” smiles Ankita.

Shifting Gears

In 2019, Ankita decided to leave her position at the IRS and embark on a new journey alongside Kiran. The couple ventured into the realm of entrepreneurship, founding their first venture together, a deep tech startup. Kiran had decided to follow his mentor, Dr Ravi Samtaney, to King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia, where he did his PhD in Computational Physics under his guidance. “The diverse global community within the university township and the support extended to entrepreneurs made it an attractive prospect for us,” says Ankita.

At KAUST, they found a supportive ecosystem and a diverse, collaborative community, the ideal setting for their own startup ambitions and Kiran was keen to establish their tech company there. And when Ankita visited Kiran at KAUST in 2019, she was inspired by what she saw. “The vibrant community and the resources available convinced me to join him as a co-founder and assume the role of CFO. It felt like the perfect opportunity to pursue our entrepreneurial dreams together,” she says.

[caption id="attachment_50092" align="aligncenter" width="520"] The Beirut sharing platter at Moglu[/caption]

The Return

However, as they ran their first venture Saudi Arabia, Ankita had discovered her calling for Yoga, and applied for a Hatha Yoga teacher training programme. In 2022, the couple returned to India and Ankita moved to Coimbatore for a six-month residential training programme at the Isha School of Hatha Yoga. Almost parallelly, Kiran moved to New York and began his professional training as a chef at the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) in Manhattan. After finishing her training in December 2022, Ankita joined Kiran in NYC for a few months. “Together, we did the NYC winters the right way by indulging in a myriad of food crawls across the Big Apple,” says Kiran. The unwavering confidence, support, and belief they had in each other's company, they decided to make their next move.

The Restaurant Business

With a vision to revolutionise the vegetarian restaurant landscape by infusing it with quality, variety, and innovation, the couple started working on their dream project which was to start a vegetarian restaurant. “We believe that India's diverse range of vegetables, including seasonal produce, deserves to be celebrated and showcased in inventive ways, blending culinary traditions from around the world with our own regional and micro-cuisines - some culinary magic, if you will,” aver the duo.

At the heart of Moglu's culinary philosophy are two simple things, fresh, high-quality ingredients and the use of culinary influences, flavours, and techniques cutting across cuisines, both international as well as regional and micro cuisines, to present them in a manner that's delightful, innovative, and above all, delicious. Kiran says, “Our first goal is to reignite people's love and passion for vegetarian cuisine through a cuisine-agnostic approach that transcends borders and focuses on the inherent qualities of each ingredient. Everything at Moglu, from sauces to ferments, and zero-proof beverages from indigenous ingredients is crafted from scratch, in-house. We combine both scientific knowledge and culinary expertise to bring out the best in indigenous ingredients.” Ankita adds, “we want to present an alternative business model of a restaurant that makes no compromises on quality and purity in the interest of scale. We strongly believe that since food is a consumable that directly impacts one’s wellbeing, scaling food service for hyper growth compromises quality.”

[caption id="attachment_50093" align="aligncenter" width="547"] Tempeh Arancini with Polenta & Romesco[/caption]

Collaborations with the Isha Foundation

To support farmers, they collaborate with Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), particularly those under the purview of Isha Foundation in collaboration with NABARD. “We plan to grow organically and sustainably, without being overly worried about numbers. We want to generate enough revenue to provide everyone on our team with at least two yearly raises. We are focusing on building a strong team that shares our vision and mission. With their collaboration, we aspire to build an institution that can endure beyond our lifetimes and contribute positively to the world,” conclude the couple.

Learn more about Moglu on their website.

Charu Suri: The Indian pianist and composer making jazz raga popular globally

(September 29, 2023) Sitting in a long emerald dress, musician Charu Suri creates a beautiful jazz raga by playing the black and white keys of the piano in front of her. "I am taking the sounds I grew up with as a kid and adding some of the chords of your hit pop music," explains the New Jersey-based artist in one of her videos on YouTube. It's the amalgamation of ragas and jazz that has put this Indian-origin artist's latest album Rags & Ragas at #3 on the iTunes US jazz charts and #2 in Kenya. "Rags and Ragas is an ode to the birthplace of jazz, New Orleans, a city that also got me started on my jazz journey," she told HT in an interview, adding, "I wanted to showcase the breadth of the raga tradition, and how ragas could transform into jazz." It was at the young age of five, living in Nigeria with her family who had recently relocated owing to her dad's new job at a record label, that she discovered a piano in one corner of her home. One day she sat playing the piano and never stopped. She grew up surrounded by music as

ed. She grew up surrounded by music as her grandmother Savithri Surianarain was a Carnatic vocalist who played the veena too and even taught Charu. Her father, on the other hand, loves jazz and waltzes along with Western Classical music.

[caption id="attachment_45483" align="aligncenter" width="594"] Charu Suri | Global Indian Indian composer Charu Suri[/caption]

Taking up the piano classes, she fell in love with the instrument. So much so that when they returned to Chennai, she continued her piano classes and spent her formative years learning Western classical music. It was during these early years that Charu had her aha moment about composing music. "I wanted to compose since I was five, and I would end up playing Beethoven and Mozart. But my piano teacher told me, 'That's great. But we want to hear you.' That's when I realised that composing is not about repurposing, rehashing, and redoing the tons of stuff that we have heard. Composing is about creating something new. That's when I started taking risks and pushing musical boundaries."

At the young age of 15, she won an international piano playing contest, which helped her bag a place at Princeton University to study classical literature and musical performance. Those years at the university shaped her as a composer, so much so that a piece composed by her for chamber orchestra was performed by French-American cellist Yo-Yo Ma and American bassist and composer Edgar Meyer at Princeton University.

However, graduating from college came with its share of the pressure of releasing her compositions soon. "That's a very dangerous mentality to subscribe to because you end up following in other people's footsteps and never really finding your voice," she added. That's when she decided to take a break and start to travel the world and find her voice as a freelance reporter. In no time, Charu became an award-winning travel journalist with articles in The Washington Post and The New York Times.

Charu Suri | Global Indian

However, a gig by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band in New Orleans in 2018 reignited her passion for music and inspired her to return to the world of composition. Her first EP - The New American Songbook - a jazz record came out in 2019. It was the same year that she became one of the few Indian-born composers to play at New York's Carnegie Hall. By this time, she had realised that composers like Beethoven and Debussy brought their signature style and voice, and she too needed to bring her heritage into jazz. That's when she began taking lessons in jazz along with resuming lessons in Indian classical music, and started delving more into raga jazz. She released three albums - The Book of Ragas Vol 1 and Vol 2 and Ragas and Waltzes - in quick succession. Her compositions weave techniques and sounds from several places including India, Europe, and Africa.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT74c9rgI5M

Her latest album Rags and Ragas perfectly showcases her versatility and breadth of ragas by blending jazz with Indian classical music. "I have folded in everything from Bhairavi to Bageshri, two completely diametric opposites in terms of what ragas can do," she said. With her music, Charu wants the listeners to know that one can't put Eastern music and Western music in watertight compartments, instead, they are parallels. With her album topping the charts, she is now gearing up for a concert at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles in October this year.

For Charu, the musical journey has been spiritual. "To feel the music was something that I learnt by listening to tons of records by Bill Evans and Miles Davis. When Bill Evans was asked what is jazz, he said, it's a feeling. It took me a while to realise that anyone can write a tune but not everyone can write a tune that has an emotional touch. That takes years to experience life. That's the greatest aspect of my musical journey."

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Distinguished scientist, Prof Chennupati Jagadish is shaping the world of nanotechnology

(March 20, 2023) His village had no electricity till Prof Chennupati Jagadish was around seven years old. From studying by the light of a kerosene lamp as a young child and having lived with his high school maths teacher to be able to finish high school, the scientist is now recognised as a world leader in the field of semiconductor optoelectronics—with his work widely utilised in optical communication systems and infrared detectors in defence, biomedical and manufacturing. His research in nanotechnology is in one of the fields that are on the verge of ubiquity. Developing a new class of lasers with applications in telecommunications and new lightweight solar cells, Prof Chennupati Jagadish is creating waves in the scientific world. Recognising his contributions to the scientific world, the Government of India recently conferred the scientist with the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award in 2023. “The fact that the Government of India recognised me, a village guy from Andhra Pradesh, makes me grateful,”the scientist told Global Indian, "I am grateful to both India and Australia. One nurtured me from childhood to adulthood and provided me with education, whereas the other provided me the opportunity to prove myself as a scientist.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z67yl8a-bdg The

lindian.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Global Indian, "I am grateful to both India and Australia. One nurtured me from childhood to adulthood and provided me with education, whereas the other provided me the opportunity to prove myself as a scientist.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z67yl8a-bdg

The Global Indian who is currently working as the Distinguished Professor of Physics at the Australian National University Research School of Physics and is also the President of the Australian Academy of Science, also supports students and researchers from developing countries to visit Australia and pursue collaborative research. “I am passionate about doing science and making a difference in other people’s lives; any recognitions are a bonus. I’m grateful to both the Australian and Indian Governments for honouring me and recognising my efforts during the past 35-plus years," the scientist said.

A village lad

Hailing from a small village in Vallurupalem, Andhra Pradesh, Prof Jagadish's father was a school teacher, and his mother a housemaker. An intelligent child, Prof Jagadish would often choose to study over play with his friends. While his father always motivated and supported him, he didn't have the means to finance his education. "My father was a school teacher and he wanted me to be a scientist or engineer. My two high school teachers made a huge difference in my life," the scientist recalled adding that it was his maths teacher who helped him attend classes during his high school days.

Scientist | Chennupati Jagadish | Global Indian

"I wanted to study but didn’t have the means. My village had no high school, and I had to travel about three-and-a-half kilometres to attend the school in the neighbouring village. My maths teacher supported me for about three years during that time. I lived with him and my science teacher, and they offered me boarding and lodging, till I finished school, he said, adding, "One teacher taught me the importance of hard work, perseverance, and persistence whereas another taught me to be humble, simple, kind and generous to others. The influence of both of these on me was significant and without their help, I would be tilling the land in India."

Scientist | Chennupati Jagadish | Global Indian

Soon after finishing his schooling, the scientist obtained his B.Sc. degree in physics from Acharya Nagarjuna University in 1977, and proceeded to earn an M.Sc in applied physics with a specialisation in electronics from Andhra University in 1980 and M.Phil. and Ph.D. degrees in physics from the University of Delhi in 1982 and 1986, respectively. During the same time, the scientist started working as a lecturer in physics and electronics at Sri Venkateswara College in New Delhi.

The world of science

Having finished his doctorate, the scientist was looking to start his post-doctoral work at a renowned Indian university. But fate had its own plans. In 1988, the scientist received a mail from Queen's University in Canada, confirming his post-doctoral in the physics department - something he had never expected to happen. The two years he spent in Ontario opened several doors for this genius. Not only did he get a chance to work with several prominent scientists at the time, but soon got selected to join the newly established Department of Electronic Materials Engineering in the Research School of Physics, at the Australian National University.

During his long tenure, the scientist has received several prestigious awards, including the 2013 Walter Boas Medal, and the 2015 IEEE Pioneer Award in Nanotechnology. In 2016, the scientist was named a Companion of the Order of Australia for eminent services to physics and engineering on the Australia Day Honours. "When I received the letter I felt very humbled, grateful, and honoured,” he said, adding, "It was quite a surprise for me."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtgsaieG2_o

While his current focus is on developing the use of nanotechnology for applications in optoelectronics like lasers, photodetectors, energy (solar cells and photocatalysis), and neuroscience (growth of neuronal networks to understand brain functions), there is one other cause that is quite close to the scientist's heart - supporting and encouraging his students. "I am here because so many people especially opened various windows to the world for me. Today when I am in that position, I too want to do the same for as many students as I can," he said. To achieve the cause, his wife Vidya and he have initiated the Chennupati and Vidya Jagadish Visiting Scholarship and Fellowship Awards, through which they give students and researchers from developing countries the chance to travel to the Research School of Physics at ANU to pursue collaborative research for up to 12 weeks.

[caption id="attachment_36369" align="aligncenter" width="740"] Scientist | Chennupati Jagadish | Global Indian Professor Jagadish with wife Vidya and students[/caption]

Leading the university's Semiconductor Optoelectronics and Nanotechnology Group, the scientist has supervised 65 Ph.D. students, is currently supervising a further 12 and has mentored 50 post-doctoral and other fellows in his three-decade-long career in Canberra. Elected as the President of the Australian Academy of Science in 2022, to serve a term of four years until May 2026, the scientist will champion the cause of scientific excellence while leading the organisation in providing advice to the Australian Parliament.

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Pradnya Giradkar: Inspirational life story of Cheetah lady who reintroduced cheetahs in India

(October 3, 2022) “India had 10,000 cheetahs during the time of Akbar but then, rulers over the years have been fond of hunting, and the number of the fastest animal on earth started coming down in India. The last three cubs were killed by Maharaja Surguja of MP in 1947,” says Pradnya Giradkar, the country’s first cheetah conservation specialist, who lived with 52 cheetahs in Namibia. Eight cheetahs from Namibia were brought to Kuno National Park on September 17, 2022, receiving such fanfare that they were received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself on his birthday. It was a historic day in many ways - also because it is the world's first carnivore relocation project. It’s a milestone that Pradnya, founder of the Wildlife Conservation and Rural Development Society has worked over a decade to achieve, and her phenomenal efforts, have finally paid off with the success of Project Cheetah. Having been declared extinct in 1952, the homecoming of the big cats after 70 years on the Indian soil is a matter of great achievement for her. [caption id="attachment_30098" align="aligncenter" width="905"] Cheetah Lady, Pradnya Giradkar[/caption] Pradnya has been a lecturer at zoology department and PhD student of K J Somaiya College

ttachment_30098" align="aligncenter" width="905"] Conservationist | Pradnya Giradkar | Global Indian Cheetah Lady, Pradnya Giradkar[/caption]

Pradnya has been a lecturer at zoology department and PhD student of K J Somaiya College of Science and Commerce, Mumbai, where she taught wildlife as a special subject to students pursuing their degrees. “As a PhD scholar, I was doing my research in tiger conservation and my professors would address me as ‘tigress’ because I had such a knack for it,” says Pradnya who used to watch track the movement of the tigers from midnight to five in the morning at Tadoba National Park. “Now, with cheetahs being brought in to the country, I am being called, ‘the cheetah lady’, it feels good,” she smiles, during her interview with Global Indian.

[caption id="attachment_30179" align="aligncenter" width="842"] Conservationist | Pradnya Giradkar | Global Indian Cheetahs at Ootjiwarongo forest, Namibia | Photo credit: Pradnya Giradkar[/caption]

Pradnya’s role in Project Cheetah

As the first Indian to be trained by the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), the global institution working to save the big cats, Pradnya visited Namibia in 2011.There, she worked closely with Dr Laurie Marker, the executive director of CCF, enjoying an eventful month-long stay with close to five dozen cheetahs, doing their DNA testing, cat analysis, and livestock management as part of the training. Co-incidentally, Marker has been a key advisor to the Indian government on the cheetah relocation project for the last 13 years.

[caption id="attachment_30099" align="alignnone" width="894"] Conservationist | Pradnya Giradkar | Global Indian Pradnya with her mentor Dr Laurie Marker[/caption]

Since the conceptualisation of the Project Cheetah in 2009, Dr Marker has been one of the leading figures working on the mission, coordinating with scientists and other specialists, and assessing the suitability of potential habitats for the cheetahs to translocate to India. MP’s Kuno National Park was identified back then.

However, there have been many roadblocks along the way. The major roadblock came when the Supreme Court issued a stay order on the project, on the grounds that the foreign species could endanger the Indian breed of wild cats in Kuno. The court also mentioned that since the African cheetahs are genetically different from the Asian cheetahs, their chances of survival in India may not be high.

[caption id="attachment_30159" align="aligncenter" width="747"] Conservationist | Pradnya Giradkar | Global Indian Cheetah at Ootjiwarongo forest, Namibia | Photo credit: Pradnya Giradkar[/caption]

Legally speaking...

At the time, Pradnya, who was just back from her training with Dr Laurie, had first-hand information of the climatic needs of the big cats. Like Dr Marker, she knew that they can very well adjust in India but that required proving in a court of law.

Along with other wildlife scientists, Pradnya went on to gather evidence that the cheetahs can survive in the Indian climate without any difficulty. Her efforts paid off when Dr Stephen O’Brien, a renowned Russian geneticist, sent her a letter, stating that genetic differences between the Asiatic and African cheetahs, which, although “real, were ‘almost negligible”, and that African cheetahs can survive well in India if provided with a suitable prey base and habitat.

[caption id="attachment_30157" align="aligncenter" width="806"] Conservationist | Pradnya Giradkar | Global Indian Cheetah at Ootjiwarongo forest, Namibia | Photo credit: Pradnya Giradkar[/caption]

After this expert clarification, the wildlife scientists, including Pradnya, filed a review petition at Honourable Supreme Court of India which got approved. Finally, it gave its nod to the translocation project in the year 2020, on the basis of the submission of letter of Dr O’Brien to Pradnya, okaying a pilot programme to observe the success before more cheetahs were brought to the country.

“I admire Dr Marker a lot. She is a very good lady. I am very grateful for her efforts that have paved the way for cheetahs to return to India, after we won the case in court,” Pradnya says. “Though we have not met since my return from Namibia, we have always been in touch keeping each other updated on Project Cheetah.”

[caption id="attachment_30158" align="aligncenter" width="765"] Cheetahs at Ootjiwarongo forest, Namibia | Photo credit: Pradnya Giradkar[/caption]

Contrary to belief, India is natural habitat of cheetahs

The reintroduction of cheetahs to India took many years of effort, held up as they were by assumptions that the climatic conditions in the country might be unsuitable. There are doubters even now, but Pradnya is very confident about this landmark move. “India was home to them if we go back in history. Their extinction was caused by man,” Pradnya says.

For the expert wildlife conservationist, cheetahs and tigers are like friends whom she understands well. She can understand animal language as she has studied behavioural activities of animals ethology.

India is the proud country that is home to six types of big cats, While UK has just one, the US has two and Africa, three - Pradnya Giradkar

Stressing on how cheetahs have always belonged to us she says, "Cheetah is derived from the Sanskrit word Chitrakayah or Chitraka meaning the variegated or spotted one. The word gradually got converted to Cheetah"

[caption id="attachment_30116" align="aligncenter" width="1289"] Conservationist | Pradnya Giradkar | Global Indian Pradnya's photography at Ootjiwarongo forest, Namibia[/caption]

Tackling human-wildlife conflict

Through her NGO, Wildlife Conservation and Rural Development Society, Pradnya has been trying to address human and wildlife conflict, mitigate and prevent harm that both man and wild animals can cause to each other. Her NGO is engaged in community outreach efforts across the forest territories of India, guiding tribal communities on how to prevent and react to livestock predation. The NGO works to help rural communities gain solutions that are mutually beneficial to both wildlife and domestic animals.

[caption id="attachment_30162" align="aligncenter" width="827"] Conservationist | Pradnya Giradkar | Global Indian Photo credit: Pradnya Giradkar[/caption]

Predators like tigers, leopards, lions live alongside human communities and cause harm to the livestock (cows, sheep, and goats) of tribals of the region. However, it is possible for tribals to hunt down the wrong animal in revenge if they don’t know how to identify the predator from the mark of their knuckles - Pradnya Giradkar

“Most of the forest territories are Naxal-prone areas, Naxalites lure the tribals to hunt animals for skin, nails, teeth etc. for money,” Pradnya explains. Her NGO also works for the socio-economic improvement of the tribals so that they do not indulge in illegal activities. They have collaborated with institutions like Khadi Gram Udyog, and National Institute of rural development to provide livelihood opportunities to ensure the tribal communities’ development as a whole and ensure sustainable animal conservation.

[caption id="attachment_30096" align="alignnone" width="1959"] Conservationist | Pradnya Giradkar | Global Indian Pradnya at Ootjiwarongo forest, Namibia with Hiererro community people[/caption]

“I cannot be everywhere all the time so I also develop local leaders in the forest territories, who see to mitigating man-animal conflict, and sustainable environment biodiversity conservation,” says Pradnya who also did community outreach efforts for the CCF when she was in Namibia.

Flashback of the journey…

The daughter of a nature conservationist father, Gopalrao and activist mother, Sumati, Pradnya grew up close to the wildlife territory at Giradkar Wada, Umred in Nagpur district. Always a multi-faceted learner, she went on to pursue her MSc in entomology, MPhil in bio- chemistry, and PhD on tiger conservation under University Grant Commission's FIP Fellowship programme. “Since I was dealing with wildlife and tribals, I thought it important to know laws pertaining to both so that I can stand up for them in times of need. So, I went on to do LLB in environmental and international law from Nagpur university completing it with first merit,” she says. One person who inspired her greatly over the years is Dr. S.G. Yeragi from Somaiya College. "He was my Ph. D. supervisor, a well-known personality in Mumbai University and in Maharashtra," she mentions.

[caption id="attachment_30101" align="aligncenter" width="811"] Conservationist | Pradnya Giradkar | Global Indian Pradnya at her farm[/caption]

The gifted singer and college chess champion of Mumbai University received the Hidden Eco-Hero award in 2017, an initiative of UNEP that honoured six other environmental leaders from across the globe along with her that year. She was also honoured by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), US for efforts taken for tiger conservation, and received fellowship from WildCRU (Wildlife Conservation Research Unit) of Oxford University, UK with funding from CCF, Namibia. She is the recipient of British Council scholarship for Edinburg University's, environment project at Scotland.

The accomplished wildlife conservationist is also an agriculturalist who enjoys time outdoors in her 175-year-old family property near the forest territory. There, she and her 82-year-old mother grow cotton, gram, soyabeans, and chilli. “I am confident that the Government of India will keep the cheetahs very well. I strongly believe that they will propagate in India more than they have in Africa,” she signs off.

[caption id="attachment_30164" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Conservationist | Pradnya Giradkar | Global Indian Cheetah cub | Photo credit: Pradnya Giradkar[/caption]

Pradnya's story is one of great effort and overcoming major challenges. Through sheer grit and unwavering passion for her beloved wildcats, she has re-written India's wildlife story and found herself a place in the annals of history, both in India and around the world.

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Reading Time: 7 mins

Rashmi Bhatt: The Indian percussionist who is making waves across the global stage

(September 21, 2021) Reputed world-class percussionist, Rashmi Bhatt is an amalgamation of many different strands that make us who we are in an all-encompassing way. He is an art director of international music festivals, an actor, and a performer. A famous percussionist in Europe, Bhatt has been creating waves in the music fraternity with his collaborations with global music artistes such as Kenyan singer Ayub Okad, English singer Sting, and German trumpet player Marcus Stockhausen. A man of many hats, Bhatt has also acted in a few popular Italian soap operas alongside Kabir Bedi and also collaborated with Oscar winning director Bernardo Bertolucci for a short film. As he continues to juggle his many avatars, this Gujarat-born artiste and Cultural Ambassador of India in Italy in an exclusive interview with Global Indian, says that he is now a transformed citizen of the world. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLGiYjWCH8c[/embed] Rooted in Indian culture Born in Gujarat, Bhatt spent his growing up years in Pondicherry studying at Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education where the seeds of Indian culture were sown deep into the youngster. The experimental nature of Auroville fosters creativity in every sphere of life, and encourages a multitude of artistic expressions. Here, the artistic and cultural life is so intense

Rooted in Indian culture

Born in Gujarat, Bhatt spent his growing up years in Pondicherry studying at Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education where the seeds of Indian culture were sown deep into the youngster. The experimental nature of Auroville fosters creativity in every sphere of life, and encourages a multitude of artistic expressions. Here, the artistic and cultural life is so intense that one has always a large choice for music, art and culture. That is precisely what drove Bhatt to pursue the art of Tabla under the tutelage of Sri Torun Banerjee.

After completing his Masters in French Literature, Bhatt won a prestigious scholarship to study Italian Art History in Florence. Following this, he did his Doctorate in the same subject and eventually settled down in Italy.

[caption id="attachment_10819" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Indian Music | Rashmi Bhatt | Cultural Ambassador of India | Global Indian Rashmi Bhatt with Zakir Hussain[/caption]

Having spent the last three decades in Italy, he says, "I am now a transformed citizen of the World while my cultural roots continue to be deeply buried in India. From Indian classical music I have transitioned to World Music collaborating and experimenting fusion between different ethnic groups and their musical languages. Music everywhere is believed to affect our emotions, to involve some kind of arousal. Music is a language that is universal and can evoke many nuanced emotions.”

A global music artiste

Bhatt is now one of Europe's most famous percussionists and has successfully collaborated with several global music artistes. From Kenyan singer Ayub Okad, German trumpet player Marcus Stockhausen to Canadian music producer and guitarist Michael Brook, and also Pakistani singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Bhatt has performed alongside them all. He has also been on tours with Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira and English musician and actor Sting.

Apart from being a percussionist, composer and art director of international festivals, Bhatt is also an actor. He has acted in several Italian soap operas with Kabir Bedi apart from his collaboration with Bernardo Bertolucci.

[caption id="attachment_10820" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Indian Music | Rashmi Bhatt | Cultural Ambassador of India | Global Indian Rashmi Bhatt performing with Sting[/caption]

The cultural ambassador

It has been quite an illuminating experience for him to be able to integrate in the country of his choice with roots established in India. For his outstanding contribution to world music the Indian Embassy in Italy conferred on him the title of Cultural Ambassador of India. He was requested to be the representative of the cultural wing of the Embassy. The Ministry of External Affairs had started the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas to connect India to its vast overseas diaspora and bring their knowledge, expertise and skills on a common platform. Bhatt was invited twice as a part of the delegation.

Bhatt now spends lot of his time devoted to WOMEX, mecca of the global music scene bringing together a spectrum of artistes. He promotes the diverse performing arts of South East Asia, and now ventures out to discover the beauty of other rich musical traditions, like the Arab, Persian, the Brazilian, West African, Jazz, and Pop. He has also collaborated with several artistes from India, Iran, Vietnam, China, Japan, Korea in concerts with masters such as Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Zakir Hussain, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Pandit Kamalesh Mitra, Debiprasad Ghosh, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pandit Arvind Parikh, Ustad Mohammad Iqbal, and Majid Derakhshani.

Bhatt’s music has led him to perform across several countries such as France, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Spain, Italy, Dubai, Morocco, and Tunisia. The aritste is fascinated by the possibility of experimentation and fusion between different ethnic groups and their musical languages.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1OOHZwWtrs[/embed]

Spreading the knowledge

In November 2021 Bhatt has been invited by the University of Calgary, Canada, for a lecture on History of Indian Music and a Workshop on Structures of Indian Scales and Rhythms with Tabla and Sitar. He will also be talking about Dante, the medieval Bard and his influence on Indian poets and writers.

Talking about how the world of art and music was affected by the pandemic, he says, "The pandemic was and is obviously bad for all of us but it brings out the good too especially if you try to look at the brighter side of things. The world of music has transformed due to the pandemic. The thoughts of artistes have transformed.” However, this musician who divides his time between Rome, Italy and Pondicherry says, that in the long-term the core value chain of the music and art industry is likely to remain largely unchanged.

Music, dance, and art have given the world a sense of self-awareness, community, identity and solidarity. “We, the people of the world, have a song for every occasion. Flipping through the pages of world history, one finds that music and disease have always been joined at the hip. We will come out of this maze. Just hang in there," he signs off.

Reading Time: 5 mins