Global IndianstoryThe electrifying business of electric mobility

The electrifying business of electric mobility

Written by: Charu Thakur

Eclectic Indians are spearheading the electric mobility wave across the world as unicorns are sprouting across the country to lend a greener outlook to our lives

(March 17, 2022) If you’ve visited the more cosmopolitan areas of Bengaluru in the early 2000s, it is unlikely that you have missed the sight of India’s first electric car – the Reva– in its bright colours, scurrying around town, usually with a lone passenger, sometimes two. It was a fad for the well-heeled to have REVA as their supplementary car, usually for chores and drives that do not involve lost distance travel.

Early days of REVA revving up the industry

Chetan Maini, director, Lithium Urban Technologies

In 1994, when Chetan Maini launched the REVA (Revolutionary Electric Vehicle Alternative) as a joint venture with Amerigon Electric Vehicle Technologies(AEVT Inc.), little did he know that two decades later, his brain child will go on to become a case study in electric mobility. REVA was ahead of its times, and still managed to export to around 25 countries including France, Greece, Brazil, Japan. Portugal, Spain and Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka, closer to home. An ideal example of an Indian-origin innovator in the electric mobility space, Chetan boasts of an educational roster that includes Harvard Business School, University of Michigan, and the Stanford University. He was at the helm of REVA (eventually taken over and rebranded as Mahindra Electric Mobility Limited) for 16 years before becoming the director in 2016 of Lithium Urban Technologies, a company that he calls “an initiative to establish the infrastructure and service environment for shared electric-powered mobility in India”. Today, the world is embracing electric mobility as the future of personal transportation, and Indian innovators and businessmen are rolling up their sleeves to fight on what is a familiar turf for them, thanks to the Maini impetus.

The Indo-Spanish handshake

Mahesh Babu, CEO, Switch Mobility

Another Indian name that is synonymous in the electric mobility world is that of Mahesh Babu, a 20-year veteran in the field. From being an advisor and consultant for the Niti Aayog, Mahesh is the biggest electric mobility policy maker in the country. His dream of “creating customised electric mobility experiences with cutting-edge technology, for a billion Indians” has led him to embrace the concept of being a “servant leader – focussing on developing strong teams based on their aspirations and attitude”. For six years, Mahesh was the CEO at Mahindra Electric Mobility before recently becoming the CEO of Switch Mobility, a Hinduja Group company, under management of the Ashok Leyland team, with a manufacturing and technology center in Spain at an investment of Rs 500 crore. With this, the company hopes to break into the top 10 manufactures of electric vehicle transportation solutions.

Government impetus

While Indian innovators are collectively solving the last mile challenges of making electric mobility both accessible and affordable, the government is lending a helpful hand, not just in policy making, but also by committing to a better charging infrastructure. After all, don’t we need to recharge our electric vehicles, pretty much the same way we fuel our non-electric cars?

In mid-February, 2022, the power ministry of India made an announcement that electric vehicle (EV) charging stations have expanded by two-and-a-half times across nine Indian cities (with population of over 4 million), including Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai, just in the past four months. It also stated that government efforts have resulted in 2.5 times increase in charging stations in Surat, Pune, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Chennai during this period. This is in continuation of the ministry’s January issuance the revised consolidated guidelines and standards for EV charging infrastructure, which is being hailed by the industry as a forward-looking yet achievable set of recommendations towards the proliferation of EVs, a key step towards the country’s ambitious target of 100 percent electric mobility by 2030.

Electric rickshaws

Amitabh Saran, CEO, Altigreen Propulsion Labs

While EVs worldwide are often two wheelers or four wheelers, an ex-Nasa Indian innovator decided to bring this technology to the country’s ruralinteriors, by creating an innovative electric rickshaw. The brainchild of Amitabh Saran, CEO of Altigreen Propulsion Labs, the Altigreen neEV, was launched in January this year, with a bid to transform the commercial transportation sector in India. His company aims to develop technology for high-efficiency hybrid electric mobility solutions with a split team based in the US and India. While Amitabh’s roots lie in Lucknow and Dehradun, he went on to serve the Thailand office of Philips, before leading the development of computation modelling systems for NASA scientists, for more than a year. Two things make him feature among the big daddies of electric mobility in India. One, the fact that he has devoted more than a decade to Altigreen since inception, and two, the recent announcement by the energy arm Reliance, the Reliance New Energy Limited (RNEL) to invest more than Rs 50 crore in the company. Amitabh told global media, “A good part of the investment will be in R&D. We have on board investors who are also bringing their expertise to the table. For one, Reliance New Energy is investing heavily in non-li-ion batteries and we get access to those technologies.” He also stated that the company now plans to expand heavily into South East Asia. But his core philosophy is very grounded. He has often said, “a humble auto rickshaw driver probably won’t be thinking about the environment first. He will be worried about his livelihood and what he can take home at the end of the day, each day. Any invention for him will need to be approached from this standpoint. Rest of it in the backend is our innovation.”

Onwards to a greener future

Be it the first-mover advantage or the sheer entrepreneurial and disruptive streak of Indian origin innovators, India is set to rule the electric mobility wave in the months to follow. Today, we see a handful of Ola electric scooters or a few passenger cars with green number plates on them, but thanks to combined innovations, we can foresee a future that is cleaner, greener and more sustainable.

Future of electric mobility in India

A report by the India Energy Storage Alliance estimates the EV market in India to exceed $200 billion by 2030.
The Dublin, Ireland-based ResearchAndMarkets.com estimates that the Indian EV market size will grow at an astronomical 94.4 percent to reach $152.21 billion by 2030.
2022 is the watershed year for EV adoption in India, driven by the commercial vehicle segment of 3-wheelers, according to World Economic Forum.

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Published on 17, Mar 2022

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Co-founder of Café Arpan, Ashaita Mahajan, is supporting inclusion while creating livelihoods

(June 4, 2022) Inclusion, they say, is the celebration of diversity put into action. And Mumbai-based Ashaita Mahajan is working towards just that. Five years ago, Ashaita exited a long, shining career in music and event management to create a space where diversity was a core value. The social entrepreneur collaborated with her aunt, Dr Sushama Nagarkar, who had just moved back from the United States. Together, they founded Café Arpan in the suburbs of Mumbai in 2018, choosing to man the place with only differently-abled staff. Inspired by her cousin Aarti, a person with autism who is "funny and kind", Ashaita and Dr Sushama hope to give the differently-abled an opportunity to integrate themselves into the community and find dignified employment. [caption id="attachment_25324" align="aligncenter" width="598"] Ashaita Mahajan and Dr Sushma Nagarkar, founders, Café Arpan (Image credit: Rema Choudhary)[/caption] “When Aarti moved back to India with my aunt, Dr Sushama, we wanted to set up an organisation that would work with PwIDDs (persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities), especially adults,” the social entrepreneur tells Global Indian. Finding that most of the available programmes were exclusionary, Dr Sushama established the Yash Charitable Trust in 2014, which is a non-profit that provides PwIDDs

ck to India with my aunt, Dr Sushama, we wanted to set up an organisation that would work with PwIDDs (persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities), especially adults,” the social entrepreneur tells Global Indian. Finding that most of the available programmes were exclusionary, Dr Sushama established the Yash Charitable Trust in 2014, which is a non-profit that provides PwIDDs with opportunities and Ashaita came on board as a trustee.

A musical start

Born to a social activist mother, Ashaita became involved with various social campaigns even as a kid. During college at St Xavier’s, Mumbai, she volunteered at the institute’s resource centre for the visually challenged. Clearly very proud of her mother, who has worked with suicide helplines and organisations dealing with intellectual disabilities, the social entrepreneur says, “My mother was also an air hostess with Air India and challenged its company policies twice. She took them to court and won both times.”

[caption id="attachment_25325" align="aligncenter" width="563"] Social Entrepreneur | Ashaita Mahajan | Global Indian Ashaita and Vera Mahajan[/caption]

However, at the time, although she loved making a social impact, she found she loved music management more. While music had always been a part of her life (Ashaita recalls bonding with her cousin Aarti over music), it was an experience at St. Xavier’s that would define the early phase of her career. As she took part in the institute’s inter-collegiate festival Malhar, Ashaita discovered a deep interest in event management. Soon after graduating, she headed off to the University of Sheffield to do a master’s in music management. From there, she went on to work with big names like Sony Music and the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA).

A turning point

When her aunt thought of starting the Yash Charitable Trust, Ashaita knew she wanted to contribute as much as possible. The need was dire. "Back in the United States, Aarti worked at a sheltered workshop and “had a routine life,” says Ashaita. In India, efforts to integrate the differently-abled into mainstream are not on par with the West and Aarti missed engaging with people from different walks of life. “My aunt is a professional psychologist and wanted to set up an organisation that would work exclusively with PwIDDs.” She joined her aunt and together, they registered the Yash Charitable Trust in 2014. "The organisation’s focus is on adults with autism, Down Syndrome and other intellectual disabilities to provide them with a better quality of life,” says the activist.

[caption id="attachment_25327" align="aligncenter" width="648"] Social Entrepreneur | Ashaita Mahajan | Global Indian Team Café Arpan[/caption]

One of the first ventures of Yash Charitable Trust was Arpan Dabba Service, a supported employment initiative that only employs PwIDDs. After successfully running the tiffin service for two years, they reached maximum capacity and therefore needed to expand. That is how the idea of Café Arpan was conceived. "The idea is to focus on their abilities — what they can do, what they like to do, and what they want to do. We ignore the disability and consciously focus on empowering the individual to live the life they want for themselves," says the social entrepreneur.

From tiffin service to a culture hub

Located in Juhu, Mumbai, Café Arpan, is visited by dozens of customers every day who wander in for sandwiches made with in-house focaccia bread, methi puri chaat, nachni wraps, hummus and falafel, among other small bites and hot and cold beverages - served by very special hosts, who are always smiling. "Our team members are wonderful, talented and hard-working individuals. They take a lot of pride in the work they do – they feel a sense of ownership when they successfully complete any task," shares the social entrepreneur, adding, “Our head chef Aaron is autistic, but has a very sharp memory. He remembers all our recipes by heart. The café’s interior is also designed in a way that is welcoming to everyone. The operational tasks have been curated in accordance with the employees’ abilities so that they can operate the entire café on their own with the aid of two support staff."

[caption id="attachment_25328" align="aligncenter" width="585"] Social Entrepreneur | Ashaita Mahajan | Global Indian Ashaita with Dr Sushama and Aarti Nagarkar at Café Arpan's third anniversary[/caption]

Since its inception in 2018, Café Arpan gained a loyal customer base, received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the community at large. While the cafe had to suffer some setbacks during the COVID period, they are eager to go back to pre-Covid times. "People love our food, but they also love our team. After COVID, we did have to face a few hiccups - we had to train many of the team members again. But I think we are past that phase now. Café Arpan is open to host and feed everyone," smiles Ashaita as she signs off.

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The ‘Maharaja’ of wheat: Dr Sanjaya Rajaram

(June 20, 2023) Growing up in a small farming community in Raipur, life was tough for Dr Sanjaya Rajaram and his family. Having seen stark poverty in central India's rural heartlands, Rajaram had seen the ugliness of stark poverty. It led him to dedicate his life improving the lives of smallholder farmers around the world. The World Food Prize in 2014 was an acknowledgement of decades of scientific work - Dr Sanjaya Rajaram, who served for over 33 years at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in Mexico, developed more than 480 wheat varieties, leading to an increase of over 200 million tons in worldwide wheat production. Humble beginnings Rajaram was born in 1943 in Raipur, the same year, incidentally, that the CIMMYT was founded in El Batan in Southern Central Mexico, with its nascent programme headed by the legendary Norman Borlaug, known as the father of the Green Revolution. Borlaug's work would bring him to India to spread the word, resulting the Green Revolution led by MS Swaminathan, with whom Rajaram would also work. Rajaram studied genetics and plant breeding at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi, during which time he worked with MS Swaminathan.

[caption id="attachment_32639" align="aligncenter" width="585"] Dr Sanjaya Rajaram receives the World Food Prize. Photo: www.worldfoodprize.org[/caption]

"He is known for his genuine concern for farming and farmers," Swaminathan said at the time, about Rajaram. "He is a worthy successor to the legacy of Norman Borlaug and was selected for his outstanding work in the improvement of wheat crop and wheat production in the world."

Rajaram, not always given to talking about his childhood, allowed himself a moment of reminiscence at the World Food Prize acceptance speech 2014. "My childhood wasn't easy," he remarked. "My family made a meagre living growing maize, rice, wheat, sugarcane and millets. There were a few goats, cows and buffaloes as well." Rajaram's parents, he says, "valued education and made many sacrifices" to send him to school. "Seeing people live in poverty ignited a passion in me to dedicate my life to work that makes a real difference." The newly-independent India in which Rajaram grew up was a tough place - at the time, 96 percent of rural children lacked basic schooling. "I was in the fortunate four percent," Rajaram said. As acknowledgement of this, Rajaram dedicated a part of his $250,000 prize money to an educational institute in India.

Finding Norman Borlaug

Rajaram graduated with a BSc in agriculture from the University of Gorakhpur, which played a leading role at the time in the Green Revolution. He followed it up with an MSc in genetics and plant breeding from IARI and then moved to Australia, where he earned a PhD from the University of Sydney. A prolific researcher through his life, Rajaram had more than 400 research publications and had mentored hundreds of scientists around the world until his passing in 2021.

In 1969, after his PhD, Rajaram moved to Mexico to join CIMMYT, headed still by the legendary Norman Borlaugh, who would become one of the driving forces behind Rajaram's own work. "It was a few years after the great events of the Green Revolution. Despite the food security gains, there was no time for complacency. There were mountains to climb and the fight against hunger has not yet been won. The fight for food and nutrition security had not even begun."

[caption id="attachment_32640" align="aligncenter" width="569"] Sanjaya Rajaram in Izmir, Turkey in 2014. Credit: Linda McCandless / Borlaug Global Rust Initiative[/caption]

Borlaug was quick to spot potential in the young man, who would spend his days wandering through small wheat farms, clad in baggy jeans and a sweatshirt, usually. Eventually, Rajaram went on to take over as the director of wheat research at CIMMYT and also as direct of ICARDA's biodiversity and integrated gene management programme. He is also the owner and director of R&D for Resource Seed Mexicana, which promotes wheat varietes in Mexico, India, Egypt and Australia. "working for the poor and the hungry was the trademark of Rajaram. Borlaug was the main spirit of Rajaram's work," said G. Venkataramani, Rajaram's biographer and author of 'Mr Golden Grain, the Life and Work of the Maharaja of Wheat'.

Building worldwide food security

Rajaram was an active proponent of the private and public sectors working together - it is the only way, he believed, to tackle the enormity of the task at hand. "Feeding over nine billion people by 2050 will not be a trivial task. Sustainably increasing wheat production will have crucial impact on livelihoods and food security. For wheat alone, we will need to grow sixty percent more grain than now, on the same amount of land, while trying to use fewer nutrients, less water and labour," Rajaram explained. "However, the staff of life for 1.2 billion people is one of the lowest-funded crops in terms of research." It's a daunting prospect, even after the robust successes of the Green Revolution.

Dr Rajaram is credited with developing 58 percent of all the wheat varieties that exist today, according to his biography. He is best known for his contributions to the development of two high-yield wheat cultivars - Kauz and Attila. These produce at least 15% higher yield than other types, holding more grains on each stalk. They are cultivated across over 40 million hectares worldwide. The process involved winter and spring wheat gene pools, shuttle breeding and mega environment testing.

Promoting young scientists

President Kovind presents Padma Bhushan to Dr Sanjaya Rajaram (Posthumous) for Science & Engineering . He developed 490+ high-yielding and disease-resistant wheat varieties grown in 51 countries. This has increased global wheat production by more than 200+ million tons. pic.twitter.com/fieCxk6V9Q

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) March 28, 2022

Working on the field and truly understanding the problems of farmers, Rajaram believed, was critical to promoting new ideas and technology. This is a nod to Borlaug's legacy, which Rajaram dedicated himself to building. "Borlaug and I promoted the international community by connecting scientists across the world. Applied training should be the standard for any scientific institution," said the Global Indian. The way forward, he always said, was unity among the private and public sectors, free sharing of knowledge and seeds and training young scientists on the ground. "There can be no permanent progress in the battle for food and nutritional security until all the partners unite," he remarked.

Dr Sanjaya Rajaram is also the winner of the Pravasi Bhartiya Samman, the highest civilian honour given by the Indian government to Indians abroad. He also received the Padma Shri in 2001 and the Padma Bhushan posthumously in 2022.

Meet Dr Mukesh Aghi: A significant pillar of the US-India ties

(May 14, 2023) “This year, United States became India's largest trading partner with trade nearing near the $200 billion mark,” shared a happy Dr Mukesh Aghi, President and CEO of US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) in one of his social media posts last week. Since the inception of USISPF in 2017, Dr Aghi has played a pivotal role, working with business and government leaders in the US and India to promote trade and strengthen ties between the two countries. “It's a remarkable achievement but more can be done, as the Indian government sets policies and executes new schemes to improve and enhance the business environment in India, thereby creating a stronger environment to create more foreign investors,” the business leader added. A recipient of Pravasi Bharatiya Samman 2021 for his outstanding contributions to the Indian diaspora, through promoting economic ties between India and the US, Dr Aghi has immense love for his native country. Although he was born in India, Dr Aghi has lived around the world to study and work. With a distinguished career spanning both the private and public setors, Dr Aghi has held senior leadership positions in companies like IBM (Singapore and India), Steria (France), and L&T

r Aghi has immense love for his native country. Although he was born in India, Dr Aghi has lived around the world to study and work. With a distinguished career spanning both the private and public setors, Dr Aghi has held senior leadership positions in companies like IBM (Singapore and India), Steria (France), and L&T Infotech (USA).

Indian CEO | Dr Mukesh Aghi | Global Indian

As the President and CEO of the nonprofit organization USISPF, Dr. Aghi has been a vocal advocate for the interests of the Indian American community. He has pushed for policies that benefit Indian companies operating in the United States and has been a strong proponent of initiatives that promote education, innovation, and entrepreneurship among the Indian diasporas.

The Global Indian has been recognized for his leadership and contributions through various awards and accolades, including the JRD Tata Leadership Award. He was recognized by the New York-based Esquire Magazine as a Global Leader. For his extensive philanthropic work, he received the prestigious ‘Ellis Island Medal of Honor’ in America in 2018.

Taking US-India strategic partnership forward

“I believe that the US-India relationship is the most important relationship of the 21st century. This has been stated by President Obama, President Trump and President Biden,” Dr Aghi remarked in a chat show conducted by Business World during his recent visit to India.

His non-profit, USISPF serves as a platform for dialogue and collaboration between businesses, government officials, and thought leaders from India and USA.

Established with the goal of enhancing bilateral trade and investment ties, fostering economic growth, and advancing shared interests and values between the two countries, USISPF focuses on various sectors including technology, energy, healthcare, defense, education, and agriculture. “India's demographic dividend, (now as the world's largest populous country) and tech talent, and the robustness of the American tech economy enable a synergy in the tech space,” Dr Aghi remarked in a social media post emphasizing how both countries complement each other.

[caption id="attachment_38609" align="aligncenter" width="443"] Indian CEO | Dr Mukesh Aghi | Global Indian Dr Mukesh Aghi with US President, Joe Biden[/caption]

The organisation acts as a forum for stakeholders to exchange ideas, address challenges, and explore opportunities for economic cooperation. It also organizes high-level meetings, conferences, and events that bring together industry leaders, policymakers, and influencers to discuss key issues and promote business partnerships.

USISPF also provides research and analysis on important economic and policy issues affecting the U.S.-India relationship. It produces reports and publications that offer insights and recommendations to policymakers, businesses, and other stakeholders.

Utilizing India’s potential

In his recent conversation with Business World Dr Aghi said, “India has tremendous resources to build AI, while the US has fantastic algorithms on the AI side. If we merge those algorithms with the data of 1.4 billion people, we can come up with fantastic solutions that will be a win-win. However, it is important for policymakers on both sides to sit down and discuss how they can establish certain fences around AI so that it does not become a threat to society.”

Fully invested in his purpose of leveraging the high potential of US-India partnership, he remarked that the time is ripe to enhance the two countries’ collaboration in the space sector, and work towards enhancing supply chain resiliency, ‘a focus for Prime Minister Modi and President Biden ahead of the Quad Leadership meeting’.

Expressing his joy, he added, “India is now becoming a hotbed of innovation which is going to the rest of the world. We have over 326 space startups in India, and they are doing fantastic innovation.”

[caption id="attachment_38610" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Indian CEO | Dr Mukesh Aghi | Global Indian Dr Mukesh Aghi in a meeting with PM Modi[/caption]

At the top of his game

Climbing peaks whether as a business leader or as a mountaineer is the Indian-origin leader’s core competency. While Dr Aghi served as chief executive and member of the board at L&T Infotech, he played a key role in tripling the company’s valuation. He expanded the business on a global level, led the company’s commercial growth strategy, established its global services function, and built the global sales leadership team preparing the organization for an IPO.

During his time as CEO at Steria, a European digital services and software development company, Dr Aghi successfully spearheaded the merging of Xansa and Steria into a more than $2 billion business. He managed P&L, sales strategies, service delivery, strategic partnerships, a global workforce of over 6,000 people, and the top 50 global accounts of the organisation. The business leader also directed the building of innovation labs and business solutions and liaised with the World Economic Forum and lobby groups in India and Europe during his time at Steria.

As the general manager of outsourcing in Asia-Pacific and President of India at IBM, Dr Aghi tripled the company’s revenue in three years and grew the market share, gross margins, and caliber of talent. He helped set up the IBM Lab in India and registered multiple patents from it.

Fluent in many international languages, as well as an avid marathon and mountaineering enthusiast, the business leader has competed in more than 27 international marathons and climbed some of the highest peaks in North America and Europe.

[caption id="attachment_38612" align="aligncenter" width="815"] Indian CEO | Dr Mukesh Aghi | Global Indian Dr Mukesh Aghi with Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal[/caption]

Reaping growth

Dr Aghi is the founding-CEO of Universitas 21 Global, which went on to become one of the world's largest e-learning joint ventures, hailed by global educational bodies as a premier online institution. He was responsible for Building the company from the ground up and spearheading strategies for all aspects.. He also led the board of corporate and academic leaders.

The company's online program became the fastest-growing online program with enrollment growing to more than 7,000 MBA students from 70 countries across the world. Five years after founding Universitas 21 Global, Dr Aghi sold the company to a private equity firm for a profit which was twelve times his investment value.

“We as individuals must decide on our own what our priority is. You must reflect ‘am I being a parasite in the world or am I being a contributor’. It's ok to create wealth but there must be a balance – a balance between accumulating the wealth and bringing change and contributing to society,” he said in a thought leadership conversation organized by Giggr.

[caption id="attachment_38615" align="aligncenter" width="779"] Indian CEO | Dr Mukesh Aghi | Global Indian Dr Mukesh Aghi with industrialist Shiv Nadar[/caption]

Giving back

A noted philanthropist, Dr Mukesh Aghi has been involved with several charitable organisations and supported causes related to education, healthcare and poverty alleviation. He has been at the forefront of relief efforts for issues ranging from the pandemic to the 2018 floods in Kerala. He also works with initiatives aimed at promoting clean energy and sustainability and has served as the CEO of the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), a non-profit organization in India that aims to bring transparency to the country’s democratic system.

He has also been involved with the Pratham Education Foundation, one of India's largest NGOs, which works to provide quality education to underprivileged children in India.

Indian CEO | Dr Mukesh Aghi | Global Indian

In 2017, Dr Aghi received the Community Leadership Award by the American India Foundation (AIF) for his philanthropic work. “Indian Americans are the most affluent and most philanthropic minority group in the US. It shows that as a community, we are not just focused on enhancing our own lives, but also the environment around us and the different cities we are staying in,” he said at a conference.

Dr. Aghi holds several degrees, including an advanced management diploma from Harvard Business School, a Ph.D. in international relations from Claremont Graduate University, California, an MBA in international marketing from Andrews University, Michigan and a BA in business administration from the Middle East College, Sultanate of Oman. Though he is based in the US, the business leader extensively travels to India for help power his country's growth.

Follow Dr Mukesh Aghi on LinkedIn and Twitter

Reading Time: 5 mins

Flying the tricolour high: Indian sports stars bring home 61 medals from CWG 2022

(August 10, 2022) It rained gold and silver for India at Birmingham. Finishing fourth in the medal tally at the Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2022 - Indian athletes brought home a total of 61 medals, including 22 golds, 16 silvers and 23 bronze in various categories. While accolades were expected from seasoned sports stars such as Mirabai Chanu, Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, and Nikhat Zareen, some performances at the CWG came as a pleasant surprise for the nation. Making new records and winning first-time medals for the country, these stars have added to India's 75th Independence Year celebrations. Global Indian takes a look at a few brilliant performances at CWG 2022, which will inspire many young and budding sports personalities for years to come. Avinash Sable, steeplechaser Steeplechase - an athletic event that most Indians were unaware of until recently, started trending on several micro blogging sites after athlete Avinash Sable created history by winning the silver medal at the CWG. Running in the 3000m men's steeplechase event, the Maharashtrian lad not only broke his personal best record, but also became the first non-Kenyan athlete to claim the podium since 1994. Born in to a farming family in a small village

ts personalities for years to come.

Avinash Sable, steeplechaser

Steeplechase - an athletic event that most Indians were unaware of until recently, started trending on several micro blogging sites after athlete Avinash Sable created history by winning the silver medal at the CWG. Running in the 3000m men's steeplechase event, the Maharashtrian lad not only broke his personal best record, but also became the first non-Kenyan athlete to claim the podium since 1994.

Sports stars | Avinash Sable | Global Indian

Born in to a farming family in a small village named Mandwa, the struggles of his initial days turned Avinash into a world-class runner. A soldier, who has served the Indian Army at the highest battlefield on the planet - Siachen - 27-year old Avinash was just 0.05 seconds short of the gold at CWG. While many knew of his potential, the expectations of him winning a silver were very low considering he finished 11th at World Athletics Championship just a few days back. Defying odds, however, this Indian Army jawaan emerged victorious.

Follow Avinash Sable on Twitter

Indian women's lawn bowls team

Sports stars | Lawn Bowls | Global Indian

While most women are busy taking care of their home and family in their 30s and 40s, these four bowling queens brought home India's first-ever medal in lawn bowls. Lovely Choubey, Rupa Rani Tirkey, Pinki and Nayanmoni Saikia achieved an extraordinary feat by claiming gold at the CWG. The ladies defeated the South African team by 17-10 in Birmingham. A sport which has been a part of the CWG since its inception in 1930, it attracts very few players in India resulting in almost no international representation from the country. With this historic win, one can only hope to see more participation and medals in lawn bowls going ahead.

Jeremy Lalrinnunga, weightlifter

Sports stars | Jeremy Lalrinnunga | Global Indian

One of the youngest sports stars in the Indian contingent, he is also one of the brightest. 19-year-old Jeremy Lalrinnunga had a dream-come-true moment at the Commonwealth Games, after he earned the gold medal in the men's 67kg weightlifting event. The former Youth Olympic winner struggled through a very tough phase last year due to a series of injuries and medical issues. But despite the setbacks, the champion made a superb comeback and set a new Commonwealth Games record by lifting 300kg (140kg snatch and 160kg in clean and jerk) in his specific category. Unfortunately, however, the weightlifter from Mizoram ended up with an injured back in the process.

Follow Jeremy Lalrinnunga on Twitter

Eldhose Paul, triple jumper

Sports stars | Eldhose Paul | Global Indian

Scripting history, Eldhose Paul became the first Indian to win gold in the men's triple jump at CWG. The 25-year-old jumper from Kerala has been participating in various state and national-level championships since a very young age, and has won several medals. Serving the Indian Navy, Eldhose was able to produce his best effort of 17.03m in his third attempt at the CWG. However that could not be recorded as his personal best due to wind assistance. A prodigy of Dronacharya T P Ouseph, Eldhose was also the first Indian to qualify for the triple jump finals at the World Championships, which was held at Eugene last month.

Indian men's table tennis team

Sports stars | Table Tennis | Global Indian

Defeating the mighty Singaporean team by 3-1, Indian table tennis stars clinched the gold at the CWG. In the first round, the top-ranking pair of Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Harmeet Desai beat Singapore's Izaac Quek Yong and Pang Yew En Koen 3-0 (13-11, 11-7, 11-5). This was followed by a brilliant performance by paddlers Sharath Kamal and Sanil Shetty helped the team finish podium at the event. India table tennis team, which stands at the 121st position on the world ranking list, was playing under pressure throughout the match. However, it was their grit and determination that won the country a gold medal.

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Jeeva Senthilnathan: The Indian American 2021 Global Teen Leader steering change

(October 4, 2021) An Indian girl is hoping to change the unbearable plight of being in Colorado - through leadership, mental health awareness, and as a voice against sexual harassment. Even though it has not been even sailing for Jeeva Senthilnathan, the 18-year-old from Chicago, Illinois, she has persevered. Today, as a global teen leader, game changer and leader for the community at Parker, Colorado, Jeeva continues to inspire. Winner of the Philanthropic Education Organization (PEO) STAR Scholarship, the National Honor Society Top 24 Scholarship (the only student from Colorado), and lauded by the Nile Rodger’s We Are Family Foundation, the introvert is an activist at heart . The girl who ran for Parker Town Council, and a former council member at one time is now focusing on helping Afghans in the US seek asylum, and getting them to register to vote. Among her most fulfilling endeavors, is starting Privando, an organization that works to solve the deep-seated malaise when it comes to sexual harassment and the rape crisis in India. She researched on mental health used electroencephalography (EEG) waves to identify cognitive abilities, levels of motivation, and consciousness in teenagers. Inspired by the emergency blue lights boxes used on

ation that works to solve the deep-seated malaise when it comes to sexual harassment and the rape crisis in India. She researched on mental health used electroencephalography (EEG) waves to identify cognitive abilities, levels of motivation, and consciousness in teenagers. Inspired by the emergency blue lights boxes used on university campuses to create a gadget that creates a network for women to receive help in life-threatening or unsafe situations, Jeeva tells Global Indian, “We mobilized young women in India from village huts to city slums to build a coalition that would not only fight against such incidents, but also create a private network for victims to heal. Privando has been able to obtain $5,000, and is currently working on developing wearable technology: it has saved more than 1,000 women from human trafficking.”

Indian American teen Jeeva Senthilnathan

Rooted in India

Her mother, a microbiologist from Chennai, and father, a software developer from Vellore, immigrated to the US in 1998. From Ohio, to Illinois, and finally Colorado, the Senthilnathans were in search of a job for her mother. Learning how it was to be discriminated due to race and color, her “very White school” lacked diversity. She was bullied frequently, and unable to cope, she developed hypothyroidism in second grade, was on medication, and battled depression in sixth grade. “I was quiet, known as the ‘goody-two shoes’ in school. I wasn’t good at public speaking as I lacked confidence,” she says. Taking the challenge head on, she started debating through high school, regardless of the brickbats, sneers, and laughs. Now, the bespectacled girl’s gentle smile exudes wisdom, “I worked hard on issues I cared about, and concentrated on no one but myself. I was my only competition.”

Today, she feels integrated (tied to her Indian roots) rather than assimilated (Americanized). Having parents that helped her believe, and persevere helped her change her circumstances, and life. She and her elder sister Lakshmi Priya saw their parents working long hours. “It helped me challenge myself. I understood the hardships they went through to give us better lives. I realized that I have to work hard to give meaning to my parents’ struggles. Now, I have decided to not work under anyone. I want to lead by becoming my own boss,” she declares.

Indian American teen Jeeva Senthilnathan

Turning the spotlight on mental health

Working on mental health started in high school, and while working at Colorado State Capitol in state representative Tom Sullivan’s office, Jeeva saw states passing a legislation on students having to take off mental health days. This made her question America’s standard of education.

“My research became even more important after my greatest mentor, best friend and big brother Jai Rajagopal lost his battle against depression during my first run for office. I will always be thankful to Jai because he lifted me to greater heights unequivocally, and took good care of me in the most difficult times. My first government job was also because of Jai, and I will remember him every time I run for a new office,” Jeeva says.

Covid warrior

During COVID-19 Jeeva started a donation drive to provide oxygen cylinders and oxygen tanks to prepare of India’s third wave, with the Privando team. Jeeva also helped fund students from the High School Democrats of America with online training on larger campaign positions and winning strategies with 10 hours paid work with the help of a grant from Blue Future, an organization that helps mobilize young people to work on campaigns within America. “I took leadership to provide students a stipend while working for a state race – House District 44 in Colorado. I wanted to provide a virtual opportunity for students who needed experience for college applications,” she adds.

Speaking against gun violence while she was working on her first campaign with Simone Aiken (who ran for House District 44 in 2018), and at Tom Sullivan’s office, she explains, “The Extreme Risk Protection Order, also known as ERPO and Red Flag Law, was the legislation inputted to take away firearms temporarily from the mentally ill. The legislation was opposed by Sullivan’s Republican colleagues, though Republican Sherriff Tony Spurlock favored it, and stressed the need for the legislation to assist the police force.”

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Empowering women

The PEO STAR Scholar at Littleton (Colorado), is using Privando to empower women, and is the only student in Colorado to be the National Honor’s Society Finalist, a Top 24 Scholar, for which she was awarded $5,625.

As part of the Global Teen Leader program, she worked with over 40 global teen leaders in the summer of 2021 and bounced off new progressive ideas. Jeeva formed a deep friendship with Malawian Chmba Chilemba, Youth To The Front Manager, and facilitator for the Just Peace Summit. “She is an inspiration – so sincere, working hard to solve child marriages in Africa. She DJs in her free time,” she adds.

She is grateful that Colorado Early College Parker (high school) helped her focus on important matters – she received college credits, an associate’s degree for a guaranteed transfer at Colorado School Of Mines. “I was given $2,100 per semester as a full-time student allowing me to pay for half of my bachelor’s degree when I transferred my courses at CECP,” says the mechanical engineering student.

Eye on the future

A voracious reader, Jeeva loves sitting in libraries, devouring books, or watching Netflix. The adrenaline seeker can be seen car racing in Colorado. Next on Jeeva’s to do list is to continue to spread Privando’s reach, finish an MBA and Juris Doctorate. “I have a dream to run for Congress once I turn 25, in the House of Representatives.” Solemn advice? “This world is an ugly place, and our earlier generations created a competitive lifestyle. Students trying to find their way should not forget to live life to the fullest. Make families, education, and being your own boss in something passionate a priority. Stop comparing, focus on yourself. I would love to guide anyone (jeeva4parker.com).

High goals for a girl whose mentors – former state representative Jonathan Singer, Emily Hiltz, and Lindsey Rasmussen instilled in her belief and purpose.

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