Global IndianstoryAgainst all odds: Remarkable stories of IAS officers who fought their way to the top

Against all odds: Remarkable stories of IAS officers who fought their way to the top

Written by: Amrita Priya

(March 22, 2022) Each year, lakhs of aspirants appear for one of India’s toughest exams: the civil services exam. The competition is cut-throat, to say the least. In 2021, over 9,70,000 aspirants applied for the UPSC exam but only 761 cleared it. Many candidates prepare single-mindedly for years together to take the exam that will give them a shot at a career as an IAS, IPS, or IFS officer. Despite the sheer hard work required, some tales are a testimony to human determination succeeding against all odds. Global Indian turns the spotlight on IAS officers Pranjal Patil, Ramesh Gholap, Sivaguru Prabakaran, and Kuldeep Dwivedi who have inspired many to not get deterred even when there are challenging circumstances to sail through.

IAS Officers | UPSC | Global Indian

Pranjal Patil, sub-collector, Thiruvanthapuram

Born with a visual impairment, Pranjal Patil, the sub-collector of Thiruvanthapuram lost her eyesight by the time she turned six. She’d always been academically inclined and went on to pursue her post-graduation in International Relations from JNU followed by an MPhil and a PhD. She took a giant step into bureaucracy as the first visually impaired woman IAS officer after she was denied a job in the Indian Railways Account Services (IRAS) despite scoring a UPSC all India rank (AIR) of 773 due to her visual impairment in 2016.

Pranjal Patil

Although no concrete action was taken, she decided to not give up and once again appeared for the UPSC in 2017. This time, she scored AIR 124. “We should never give up because with our efforts we would always get that breakthrough that we want,” has been her advice to all.

Ramesh Gholap, joint secretary, Jharkhand energy department

As a child, Ramesh Gholap, now joint secretary in Jharkhand’s energy department, would sell bangles with his mother. His father was a cycle mechanic in Maharashtra’s Mahagaon village. As his health took a turn for the worse, his mother began to sell bangles to earn a living and Ramesh, who was afflicted with polio, would pitch in. By the time he reached class 12, Ramesh began living with a relative to facilitate his studies. When his father passed away, the only way Ramesh could go home for the funeral was when a kind-hearted relative paid his bus fare. The academically bright Ramesh was forced to obtain a diploma since it was cheaper in comparison with graduate studies. Eventually, he landed a job to help his family. He simultaneously pursued a degree in humanities through distance education before appearing for the UPSC.

In 2012, he cleared his UPSC in his second attempt with a rank of 287. That same year he also stood first in the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) exam. In 2020 he tweeted saying, “It has been 8 years since I have become an IAS officer but my mother still sells bangles. She says it is due to the money earned by it that you became an IAS officer, and I will continue with it.”

Ramesh Gholap | IAS Officer | Global Indian

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Sivaguru Prabakaran, regional deputy commissioner, North Greater Chennai

The son of an alcoholic father, M Sivaguru Prabakaran fought all odds to pursue his education and cracked the UPSC civil services examination in 2017 securing a rank of 101. The Pattukottai lad had long nurtured a dream of becoming an IAS officer; even when he’d spend his days working at a sawmill and in the fields to support his family and pay for his education. Having studied in a Tamil medium institution, his initial tryst with English was a struggle. But Prabakaran was not one to give up. He moved to Chennai to fulfill his academic dreams and was tutored by an acquaintance who trained disadvantaged students like him. Determined to change his destiny, he went on to crack the entrance exam for IIT Madras’ tech programme and obtained his degree in 2014. But Prabakaran had different plans: he wanted to become a bureaucrat and went on to attempt the UPSC. He cleared the exam on his fourth attempt in 2017 and is today working as the regional deputy commissioner, North Greater Chennai Corporation. To this day, he remembers the teachers who coached and guided him during his days of struggle.

Follow Sivaguru Prabakaran on Twitter

Kuldeep Dwivedi, director-general, Income Tax, Maharashtra

Kuldeep Dwivedi’s father had always supported the family of five with his meagre income as a security guard in Lucknow University. In 2015, Dwivedi cleared the UPSC with an AIR 242 in what was his third attempt. Despite the family’s financial constraints, his father helped him meet expenses and encouraged him on his journey to becoming an IAS officer. Incidentally, Dwivedi had also been offered the job of assistant commandant with the Border Security Force in 2013. But the lad was determined to crack the UPSC exam and turned down the offer. Today, he is posted as the director-general of Income Tax department in Maharashtra. Despite having studied in Hindi medium institutions and not being well versed in English, Dwivedi has never shied away from helping aspirants from this background with strategies to crack the exams. His videos have been immensely helpful for aspirants clocking in lakhs of views.

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Published on 22, Mar 2022

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From a medical rep to CEO, the meteoric rise of Ani Prajith who made East Africa his home

(May 25, 2022) Life for a medical representative is full of challenges, especially when it comes to sales, which is the most difficult part in the pharma industry. It often ends up with the medical representatives getting entangled, keeping them busy at the same level for years. But Ani Prajith is an exception. Scripting a success story like no other, this happy-go-lucky medical representative relentlessly worked his way up into becoming the CEO of a pharma giant, a rare occurrence in the pharmaceutical line. While most people prefer the USA, UK, Australia or Gulf when it comes to jobs, Prajith had no second thoughts when he picked up the offer of moving to Tanzania and then to Uganda, which eventually led to his meteoric rise. "Like India, people in Africa are warm and welcoming. Wrapping this up with the rich cultural history and heritage of more than 50 tribes, both Niotic and Bantu, who warmly welcome visitors, it is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Uganda has been my home for the last nine years," smiles Ani Prajith, the CEO of Phillips Pharmaceuticals, in an exclusive chat with Global Indian. Prior to Uganda, he spent four years in Tanzania and Kenya. [caption id="attachment_24858"

al Indian. Prior to Uganda, he spent four years in Tanzania and Kenya.

[caption id="attachment_24858" align="aligncenter" width="776"] CEO | Ani Prajith Ani Prajith, the CEO of Phillips Pharmaceuticals[/caption]

A great start, courtesy interest in medicine

Born in Kerala, Prajith is the son of Ramachandran Pillai, a veteran in Hindustan Aeronautical Limited, who served the country as a pilot instructor. Owing to his father's transfer, Prajith spent a major part of his childhood in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. The family returned down south after Ramachandran Pillai was once again transferred to the Airforce flying school, located in Tambaram on the suburbs of Chennai, where Prajith received most of his education.

"Healthcare and medicine was a field which often interested me and therefore I chose to get into the pharma field instead of doing MBBS," informs Prajith, who did his schooling at St Joseph's Senior Secondary School and later went to Madras Christian College.

As a young pass out from college in 1997, Prajith's first job was at Tata Donley Yellow Pages as a sales executive. But being a science graduate, his passion led him to join Smithkline Beecham (now GlaxoSmithkline) as a medical representative. "I worked in different capacities and developed a learning curve to become one of the youngest business managers in GSK," informs a beaming Prajith, who worked for almost four between 2003 and 2006. His brother Sunil Prajith is in the Indian Airforce.

His work took him across the length and breadth of India. He worked in Tamil Nadu, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata and north east India. "I love travelling and meeting new people. Adapting to different cultures and value systems comes naturally to me," informs the CEO.

[caption id="attachment_24860" align="aligncenter" width="639"] CEO | Ani Prajith Ani Prajith with his parents[/caption]

With a vast domestic experience of almost 12 years in various therapeutic segments, from critical care and anti-infective, respiratory to derma and nutraceuticals -- Prajith was one of the most sought after professionals in the pharma line. "I was always a team player. Communication skills enabled me to develop strong bonds with the clients," says Prajith, whose risk-taking abilities, analytical skills and never-let-go attitude paved the way for his success.

He believes it is never late for learning and acquiring knowledge. Alongside work, he completed his MBA in marketing from National Institute of Management, Mumbai and also received a Doctorate in management studies.

Africa calling

Come 2009, Prajith was offered the job of country manager for Wockhardt Limited in Tanzania, the East African country known for its vast wilderness areas. "I had no reservations about working in Africa. But it wasn’t easy to make the switch, and especially with family," says Prajith, who had joined Wockhardt Nutrition in India in 2007.

Upon his arrival, language was his first barrier. The Keralite wasted no time and quickly picked up the basic Swahili vocabulary, which made his life much easier on the foreign soil. A few experiences with the local cabbies in his initial days taught him that Swahili time is expressed very differently from the standard time in other parts of the world (instead of midnight and noon, Swahili time is based on sunset and sunrise). "I adjusted accordingly," informs the CEO.

[caption id="attachment_24861" align="aligncenter" width="667"] CEO | Ani Prajith Ani Prajith with his family in Uganda[/caption]

In no time, he brought a major turnaround in the organisation's performance and was promoted to the ranks of regional head for East Africa, covering Tanzania, Nairobi and Uganda. "Daily challenges came with new learnings, be it managing the regulatory changes, which is the backbone of international trade or ensuring a seamless supply chain, warehousing and most importantly, adapting and identifying local needs," explains Prajith, whose ambition and drive, sales ability, scientific grasp and organisation skills was taken note of by other pharma companies.

The big shift

In 2013, he got a call from Phillips Pharmaceuticals, the pharma giant in East, Central and West Africa. He made a big shift in his career by joining the company as its general manager in Uganda. "The journey was intense but I never lost the will," smiles Prajith who went on to become director - sales and marketing.

In 2021, the pharma industry was taken by storm when Phillips Pharmaceuticals announced Prajith as its CEO and head of sales and marketing. "A lot happened in my career in the last nine years as I climbed the ladder of success. My journey from a medical rep to the CEO of one of the top pharmaceutical companies was fulfilling and extraordinary," he says. Phillips Pharma, he says, is a company which is highly skilled in marketing management and sales operations.

He feels that the pharmaceutical business in African countries is different from matured and large markets like India, China and other western countries. "As a CEO, the multifunctional and diverse role in a foreign land is an everyday challenge. To understand the myriad forces at play, set a broad vision and take the final call on most difficult decisions is never easy," says the CEO who leads a team of 160 people.

[caption id="attachment_24859" align="aligncenter" width="419"] CEO | Ani Prajith Ani Prajith with Jane Ruth Aceng, the Health Minister of Uganda at the launch of launch of a new regional blood bank.[/caption]

So how did the CEO deal with the Covid outbreak? "We recognised our limitations, strengths and relooked at our partnerships and collaborations. Identifying and resolving the supply chain was the next task. We did not take much time in ensuring new products reached people real quick by fostering stronger manufacturing alliances," explains Prajith, who believes in embracing innovations in information-sharing to improve supply chain alignment.

He informs that the company has invested in a larger network of partners. "Long-term contingency plans and strategic coordination is needed to maximise the resilience of manufacturing networks. Companies must have a broad community of partners to rely on," says the CEO, who is leading his team to plan for the unexpected scenarios like the pandemic.

Breathtaking Uganda

Prajith is in awe of Uganda. "Despite the small size of the country, the diversity of landscape, topography and wildlife is mind boggling. All our clients are pleasantly surprised when they visit Uganda. They say they never knew it was so beautiful," smiles Prajith, whose wife Leena Ani, is a qualified postgraduate teacher. The couple has two children.

When the CEO is not working, he likes to indulge in a game of badminton and some soothing music. "Work related travel takes a lot of my time," informs Prajith, who visits India twice a year.

Follow Ani Prajith on Twitter and Linkedin

Reading Time: 6 min

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.

Follow Ashaita Mahajan on LinkedIn
Follow Café Arpan on Instagram and Facebook

Reading Time: 6 mins

Priti Krishtel: Indian-American lawyer is fighting against racism in the healthcare sector

(March 9, 2023) The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the harsh reality of health inequities experienced by racial and ethnic minority groups across the globe. From basic paracetamol to only-on-prescription remdesivir, people belonging to the minority community across the world suffered from a severe shortage of medicines in the last two years. While many accepted it to be a side effect of the COVID-19 situation, few decided to stand up and fight against the inequities in the global pharmaceutical system. One such leader is Indian-American health justice lawyer, Priti Kristel, who has been named to the O’Neill-Lancet Commission on Racism, Structural Discrimination, and Global Health, to promote anti-racist strategies and actions that will reduce barriers to health and well-being. [caption id="attachment_31359" align="aligncenter" width="743"] Health Justice Lawyer, Priti Krishtel, won the McArthur Grant for exposing the inequities in the patent system to increase access to affordable, life-saving medications on a global scale[/caption] The Indian American has spent 20 years exposing structural inequities affecting access to medicines and vaccines across the Global South and in the United States. “I’m so proud to serve on this Commission that will help shape a future where all people know they can keep their loved ones healthy, where people

vaccines across the Global South and in the United States. “I’m so proud to serve on this Commission that will help shape a future where all people know they can keep their loved ones healthy, where people actively shape what access to medicines looks like for their families and communities,” said Priti, recently won the MacArthur Fellowship, unofficially known as the ‘genius grant’ for exposing the pharma companies for misusing the patent laws in the United States of America.

The Los Angeles-based lawyer has been fighting against big pharmaceutical companies from exploiting loopholes in the U.S. patent laws that allow them to keep exclusive rights to medicines for an extended period. Through this, the companies can sell their drugs at high prices without the threat of competition. This means that people and countries in need of medication are often unable to afford it.

Standing for a million lives

The daughter of a pharmaceutical scientist who worked for drug companies, Priti Radhakrishnan was always sensitive towards matters of social justice. After earning an undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and a law degree from New York University, Priti, like many others, joined a big law firm in Los Angeles. However, her ideas about the pharma patent system came crashing down during her initial days, while she was working on a project in India.

Special first day of @oneillinstitute -@TheLancet Commission on Racism, Structural Discrimination & Global Health. An honor to be with 20 incredible global leaders, chaired by @drtlaleng & @udnore. + what a treat for me to sit next to health equity icon @camarajones!! pic.twitter.com/bCBszw3TW7

— Priti Krishtel (@pritikrishtel) February 17, 2023

The lawyer was leading a team representing HIV-positive clients in court when she noticed that in AIDS cases a diagnosis was almost every time a death sentence. While there were antiretroviral therapies available, they were not affordable for her clients. So bad was the condition, that if parents were diagnosed with HIV, they would just hand over their kids to an orphanage. "This early work in India left a permanent mark on my heart," the lawyer said during an interview with Devex, adding, "It was personally gut-wrenching for me to know that the drugs had come to market, but they just weren’t getting to the people who needed them, and there was such a huge time lag in making that happen.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lauSbxnSe9A

This motivated the lawyer to co-found the Initiative for Medicines, Access, and Knowledge, or I-MAK, in 2006. She partnered with Tahir Amin, an expert on intellectual property law, who had formerly represented big corporations and health experts. "The patent system was intended to motivate people to invent by giving them a reward of a time-limited monopoly. But in the last 40 years, that intention has been distorted beyond recognition," she said.

Explaining how the patent law is abused by big companies, the lawyer explained during an NPR interview, "Take the top-selling drug in the country, HUMIRA. After the first patent expired, the company, AbbVie, filed and got so many more patents that they made two-thirds of all their revenue. But what you see in another part of the world, like Europe, is that the price came down because other companies came in as competition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3y6_7_5PcQ

"So how drug companies are using the patent system, and the fact that patients don't have a voice in the patent system is leading to longer monopolies, higher prices, or drugs not being available at all."

Fighting the system

So far, the lawyers have led teams to stop pharma giant Novartis from patenting the leukemia drug Gleevec, and have twice prevented Abbott Laboratories from patenting the HIV medicines. The organisation has also worked with advocacy groups in various countries to reform the drug development system by involving the affected community in the process. “The system is completely insulated from the human consequences of how it works,” the lawyer said, "So how do we humanise the system? How do we bring it into more proximity with the people it's meant to serve, and evolve it for the better?”

[caption id="attachment_31363" align="aligncenter" width="680"] Lawyer | Priti Krishtel | Global Indian Priti with her friends[/caption]

The year pandemic stuck marked a pivotal time for the lawyer. With the big pharma companies such as Moderna having monopolies on their products, the reach of COVID vaccines was limited to the developed nations. During her research, the lawyer found that while 55 percent of people in developed countries were vaccinated, only one percent of the population in developing countries had access to any kind of vaccine. She even called out the then US President, Donald Trump's pushing of vaccines for American citizens "the beginning of a new Hunger Games".

"COVID taught us that when the biggest drug companies have monopolies on their products, they will always sell to the highest bidder. They will always price the medication or the vaccines out of reach. For example, Moderna was almost 100 percent publicly funded. But unfortunately, the U.S. government gave away the right to the vaccine. So, now Moderna stands to make $100 billion by the end of this decade, and $40 billion alone by the end of this year. And it was taxpayer funding that helped bring that invention to market," she told NPR.

Inspired by her father, the lawyer kept fighting against the system, arguing that apart from intellectual property law reform the US government should also work towards technology transfer to help manufacture all medicines locally as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0BHQIyfEdQ

A mother to a four-year-old, the lawyer feels that while there is a long way to go to bring these reforms, slowly she can see the changes. "I just don't think that people's ability to heal should depend on their ability to pay. And I think we all can be a part of the solution," says Priti.

Reading Time: 6 mins

Shriyans Bhandari and Ramesh Dhami: Helping solve footwear wastage with a sustainable brand

(October 23, 2023) Being an athlete, Shriyans Bhandari developed a passion for long-distance running during his NCC days. An activity that helps him escape to a meditative state of mind. While training under Savio D'Souza during his second year at Jai Hind College, he met Ramesh Dhami, a runner who came from a humble background. "For him running was his life, and he didn't want to throw away his worn-out pair of shoes and was trying to mend them. He eventually converted his old shoes into chappals by retaining the soles," says Shriyans, adding that it stayed with him for long, and this incident gave life to the idea of Greensole. A sustainable footwear startup that earned Shriyans and his co-founder Ramesh a place in the 2018 Forbes 30 Under 30 list and a winning position at the recent G20 Young Entrepreneurs Alliance Summit 2023. Coming from a family that runs hotels in Udaipur, Shriyans always knew that he wasn't meant for a 9-5 job and was keen to start something of his own. The idea struck him during his college days after his chance encounter with Ramesh, whom he invited to join an innovators competition as he was keen

r a 9-5 job and was keen to start something of his own. The idea struck him during his college days after his chance encounter with Ramesh, whom he invited to join an innovators competition as he was keen to pitch the idea of Greensole. "Upon research, I found that over 300 million shoes each year make it to landfills but there is no clear solution. So, I came up with the idea of refurbishing shoes, and this was the beginning of Greensole," Shriyans tells Global Indian. In no time, Greensole, launched in 2015, started to make an impact as lakhs of discarded shoes got another lease of life. "We were among the top 30 innovators in India," reveals Shriyans, who earned his master's degree in leadership from Babson F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business.

Championing two causes - footwear wastage and environment preservation

What began as an idea to preserve the environment by cutting down on carbon print by refurbishing shoes soon took the shape of a campaign that helped lakhs of children across the country who didn't have adequate footwear. "It began with a drive at Priyadarshani Park in Mumbai where thousands of people brought in their old shoes, and we turned them into slippers for children," says Shriyans. The soles of the shoes are used for the slippers, and the uppers are upcycled into slipper straps, thus giving old shoes a second life. However, starting refurbishing at a time when sustainability wasn't a trend was an uphill task for the co-founders of Greensole. "We were also learning a lot in the process, as it was something very new. Even if you would search online, you couldn't find much information," he adds. Being a novel concept, Shriyans was skeptical if people would be interested in buying refurbished footwear, so they began by donating shoes to underprivileged children through the help of CSR. "We kept using the same model for the next four to five years."

In those initial years, Greensole became a talking point. "It was a novel innovation that had not happened in India before. Suddenly, we went viral. We grew from working with 1 corporate to 35 corporates without spending a single penny on marketing for the first five years," reveals the social entrepreneur. The growing trust of the corporates helped in making a bigger impact. "From upcycling 50 pairs of shoes a day to now we have moved onto upcycling 3 lakh pairs a year."

Sustainability - the need of the hour

Over the years, Greensole understood that donation couldn't be the only way for the social enterprise going forward, so they diversified, and forayed into upcycling shoes and apparel, along with launching their vegan footwear brand. "We have now shifted to our sustainable material (made from plant-based material) and sustainable retail. So if you are buying a sustainable shoe, you are contributing to a social cause as well as helping preserve the environment."

In pursuit of a more sustainable and environment friendly world, Greensole has come up with its plant-based material which Shriyans says has "the potential to replace synthetic leather." With the world progressing steadily towards sustainability, the ongoing changes will become increasingly prominent in the coming years. However, this wasn't the case a few years ago. When the startup ventured into sustainability in 2015, people didn't understand veganism. "By 2019, there were a handful but the number was still very low. Now, people do understand sustainable and vegan but people don't want to pay extra at this time." However, Shriyans points out that the change of perception has begun in metros where a handful of people still choose sustainable shoes. "Most of our orders come from cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru. Awareness is a lot in these cities. Because of Neeman's (a brand that popularised vegan shoes across the globe), people have got to understand vegan shoes and sustainability, and now almost all brands are catching up on the trend. However, we have been ahead of the trend always."

Greensole | Global Indian

Amplifying the impact

Greensole was way ahead of its time, and the co-founders knew that selling a new concept would be challenging. "We didn't say we were doing something new, we said we were doing good for the planet." Since they kept innovating and adding new layers to the startup, Greensole "had to never fight for survival." "If we stick around for another five years, we have the potential of becoming a household name," adds Shriyans, who is creating an impact with Greensole. "Till now, we have donated six lakh pairs of slippers. So, we ended up saving that number of shoes from making it to the landfill by giving them a second life along with saving tonnes of carbon emissions. In the process, we have also created job opportunities with each pair has is being refurbished along with jobs in the retail."

However, Covid-19 pushed Greensole to think of a new strategy to keep the startup afloat as depending solely on corporates wasn't cutting the deal for them. "It was a learning curve for me, so we started to make our presence felt online. A big brand from Germany reached out to us, and that's how we ventured into materials. I realised it's important to have solid planning in place and one should never stop innovating."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z95jJk06VZQ

In the last eight years, Greensole has disrupted the footwear industry in India with bigger brands now venturing into sustainable footwear. "It's been a challenging journey but at the same time rewarding," says Shriyans, who loves travelling and catching up with his friends. Being a torchbearer in the industry, Shriyans is happy to see the change take place. "People are now becoming conscious and adopting the sustainable approach in their lifestyle," he says, adding more people will adopt sustainability shortly. "People will become more aware and most of the shoes available in the market will be sustainable. Also, in the coming years, India will reach a leadership position. In the next decade or so, India will be at the top, and will be recognised as a leader as it will open more and better opportunities."

Follow Greensole on their website
Follow Shriyans Bhandari on LinkedIn
Follow Ramesh Dhami on LinkedIn

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Mountain flavours: Local meets global at NAAR by Chef Prateek Sadhu

(October 27, 2024) On a balmy September afternoon, I made my way to the Le Cirque Signature Restaurant at The Leela Palace, Bengaluru to sample ‘Mountain Flavours’ as part of a four-city Himalayan cuisine tour that saw Prateek Sadhu’s first pop-up with his latest venture, NAAR, in collaboration with Conosh. Showcasing ingredients from Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, like the local ragi, foraged sea buckthorn, citrus fruits and timru, a local pepper, the seven-course meal was a nod to his culinary acumen. A chef who is following his heart to showcase the stunning array of Indian cuisine to the world, Prateek Sadhu has many aces up his very able sleeve. Although he says his decision to be a chef was "very unplanned," Chef Prateek Sadhu has had a stellar run. After four years at Taj properties in Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru, he went onto graduate with double gold medals from The Culinary Institute of America. Chef Prateek has worked at top restaurants around the world, before returning to start Masque in Mumbai, and NAAR, his ode to Indian mountain food, in Himachal Pradesh. [caption id="attachment_58746" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Chef Prateek Sadhu, founder, NAAR[/caption] Rewinding to the Past I caught up with him

e.globalindian.com//wp-content/uploads/2024/10/chef-prateek-1.webp" alt="Chef Prateek Sadhu | NAAR | Masque Mumbai | Global Indian" width="640" height="457" /> Chef Prateek Sadhu, founder, NAAR[/caption]

Rewinding to the Past

I caught up with him recently over a phone call where he told Global Indian that he never really planned to be a Chef. Instead was always hoping to be a pilot - yes, you read that right. Born in Baramulla, he spent his formative years in Kashmir, but had to move to Delhi in the 1990s because of the political disturbances at that time. After doing some part of his schooling, his family moved back to Jammu where he did his high schooling. “I always wanted to be a pilot, but I guess life always has different plans for you, and hence I landed in a hotel school. This was very unplanned. I never thought of or ever intended to be a chef and it never crossed my mind. But I graduated from there and started my Chef life,” he reminisces.

Experiences Galore

Post graduation, his first job was at the Taj Group, where he worked for almost four years at their Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore properties. He then joined The Culinary Institute of America, where he graduated with double gold medals. This set the tone for this global journey, one that saw him work at well-known names like Alinea, The French Laundry, Bourbon Steak, Le Bernardin, and did a small internship with Rene Redzepi at Noma.

“I was always cooking European style food with some minor nuances of cooking styles. And for me working at those restaurants was not about cooking or learning a recipe but rather it was mostly about the thought process. So, if you are looking at the tomato, for instance, what are you thinking and why? The takeaway was about how we were arriving at the flavours and how ingredients were being used in different ways and forms,” Chef Prateek explains. "It was fantastic and fascinating at the same time. And growing in my career then, these were the things that really helped me to find my own voice and helped me find my mindset as far as food was concerned,” he says.

[caption id="attachment_58747" align="aligncenter" width="693"] Chef Prateek Sadhu | NAAR | Masque Mumbai | Global Indian Chef Prateek Sadhu in the kitchens at NAAR[/caption]

Coming Home

After a job at The Pierre Hotel, New York, he returned to India as sous chef at Le Cirque Signature in Bengaluru, incidentally where he showcased NAAR as a popup. In 2016 he opened Masque in Mumbai. “While I was in the school, I would be doing a lot of these internships as I was there. With this, the global restaurant culture was getting imbibed in my mind, even as I had the opportunity to work with some of the greatest chefs of my generation. So, I think there was always this seed in my mind that whenever I move back to India, I would open my own restaurant,” he says.

He was also clear that this restaurant would speak the soul of India in terms of ingredients, and food culture. After moving back to India in 2012, he started Masque in Mumbai with entrepreneur Aditi Dugar and ran it for close to seven years winning numerous accolades along the way including a spot in Asia's 50 Best Restaurants in 2021.

Finding his Calling

In 2022 however, he parted ways with Masque and started travelling the length and breadth of the country extensively. “Honestly, just to understand my own country. It's not that just because you are from India, you understand it’s food culture. For instance, curry leaves may be a commonplace ingredient for one person but in Kashmir it was alien to me when I was growing up. And that is a blessing for chefs as in our country, we have so many different food cultures and I started traveling and understanding what real Indian food means,” he says.

And this is how NAAR was born, with its soul in the mountains and nestled within Amaya, a boutique property in Himachal Pradesh’s Solan district. “I want to tell the story of India through a very different lens of what Indian mountain food means to all Indians,” he says. Admitting that this is arguably the best time to be in the Indian food and beverage industry, he says that he wanted a smaller restaurant as this was what was available. “The restaurant is a 16-seater space as these were old farming terraces that were abandoned and we took the space without disturbing the rest of the ecology.”

Food Files

[caption id="attachment_58750" align="alignnone" width="850"] Chef Prateek Sadhu | NAAR | Masque Mumbai | Global Indian NAAR creations[/caption]

Apart from being sustainable, the restaurant showcases six menus through the year as a nod to the changing seasons. But Prateek Sadhu is clear that his focus is not just about ingredients but rather showcasing food culture. “This whole ingredient forward thing is hyped. Every restaurant is Indian driven. Who is not using ingredients? At the end of the day, we are trying to showcase where we are, the kind of ingredients that we work with and source locally,” he opines. His process involves understanding how locals use ingredients before interpreting them in his own way.

Quiz him on what food means to him and pat comes his reply. “I love to eat food, which is very familiar to me. It can be a flavour of spice or chili and or even umami for that matter. My food philosophy is very simple. It's a very personal lens to the food. If you give me a potato to maybe cook in the way which is very familiar to you, you know the taste will be very familiar, but the way I arrive on those flavours might be very different.” Fortunately for him, the Himalayan belt is blessed with many different ingredients and different techniques. “I usually take those techniques and sort of cook with them. My vision to really put Indian food on the global map. The idea is to put Indian food on one of the biggest stages in the world and NAAR is just a small, humble attempt for that.” For someone who believes he can walk away from anything, he admits that doing the same thing becomes boring and he is always looking at doing something different. Indian food is having a moment and NAAR is certainly having a lot to do with it.

Follow Chef Prateek Sadhu on LinkedIn and NAAR on Instagram.