Global IndianstoryAn expat’s perspective on Modi’s Austria visit

An expat’s perspective on Modi’s Austria visit

Written by: Amrita Priya

(July 11, 2024) Sai Shankar Reddy Bokka in Austria is as jubilant as other people of Indian origin who welcomed PM Modi on his two-day visit to Austria on 9th July 2024. As the founding member of the Indian Professionals Association in Austria and the International Project Manager at Münzer Bioindustrie, the young professional views the PM’s visit to Austria as a significant one. “The Indian community is very pleased to welcome Prime Minister Modi to the world’s most liveable city, Vienna,” he tells Global Indian, happy to have met him and clicked a selfie with the leader.

PM Modi’s visit marks the first by an Indian prime minister in more than 40 years and is significant as the two nations celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations. It is considered a major event in Indo-Austrian ties, with several cutting-edge collaborations expected. “Given that the last Indian prime minister to visit Austria was in 1983, Modi’s visit is a significant milestone,” remarks Shankar.

Indians expats during Modi's Austria visit | Global Indian

Indians expats during Modi’s Austria visit | Image credit: An Austria resident

For an Indian professional focused on increasing networking and collaborations between Austrian and Indian professionals, this event is a significant life experience for him. Shankar has represented his organisation in a few strategic networking meetings aimed at strengthening collaboration between the international community in Austria. Both his professional and volunteering roles make him hopeful about the outcomes of Modi’s visit to Austria.

Shankar’s journey as a Hyderabad native in Austria

Shankar chose to study at Riga Technical University in Latvia, the oldest technical university in the Baltic countries, for his bachelor’s degree in engineering in computer science. He then went on to pursue a master’s degree in data science from Technische Universität Wien, Austria.

The Hyderabad native describes himself as an “international enthusiast with a passion for information technology, computer engineering, international relations, and diplomacy.” His desire to make a difference by contributing to projects that lie at the intersection of technology and international relations led him to the role of International Project Manager at Münzer Bioindustrie, an organisation focused on liquid waste disposal and the production of waste-based biofuels, with subsidiaries in many countries including India.

Shankar at New Indian Economic community meeting in Graz, Austria

“My organisation has invested heavily in projects in India,” he shares. As an international project manager, he has had the opportunity to proudly showcase Münzer Bioindustrie’s successful projects running in India to representatives from the economy, political spheres, and stakeholders in Austria.

Professionally and emotionally invested in India-Austria ties

For a young global Indian who is professionally and emotionally invested in a strong partnership between India and Austria, the Indian prime minister’s visit holds great significance. His deep emotional connections to both countries – India by birth and Austria by occupation -make the grand reception by the Austrian government of his country’s Prime Minister is especially meaningful to him. Talking about the PM’s day two schedule he mentions, “As we get to know he would be meeting Chancellor Nehammer and Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, Austrian entrepreneurs who have invested in Austria and Indian entrepreneurs who have invested in India.”

Startup India in collaboration with Advantage Austria have launched a bilateral startup bridge to accelerate collaboration in entrepreneurship and innovation across borders. This collaboration is a new one and after the PM’s visit is expected to open doors to increased opportunities and knowledge sharing – driving global change in the process.

Shankar with other Indians expats during Modi’s Austria visit

As a person in love with his native country, Shankar looks forward to the Prime Minister’s address to the members of the diaspora in the evening and is eager to hear his speech live. “It would be a large gathering of the Indian community,” he says.

There are so many people in the world who never have the opportunity to pursue the career they love. I am glad I am not one of them,” he remarks. “I love what I do, and since starting my career in Austria, I’m thrilled to say that I’ve learned from many trained professionals in my field. I know that I still have much to learn from others in the industry. I’m a hard worker, a team player, and excited to see what projects could benefit from my unique skill set.”

Playing his part in the Austria-India partnership, Shankar visited Mumbai as a representative of Muenzer Bharat, a subsidiary of Muenzer Bioindustrie of Styria, Austria – a pioneer in waste collection and waste-to-energy processing since 1991. He is proud that in India, his organisation’s investments in a treatment facility for used cooking oil and a production plant for waste-based biodiesel helps prevent severe environmental and health implications, contributing to a cleaner and healthier India. “Overall, I would say that Mr. Modi’s visit to Austria will create a robust framework for economic collaboration, benefiting both nations and the Indian expats in Austria,” he signs off.

Shankar during Modi's Austria visit | Global Indian

Shankar at the venue of Modi’s interaction with Indian expats in Austria

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Published on 02, Aug 2024

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Of ‘Paramount’ importance: Filmmaker Shriya Rana works with Hollywood’s big names

(May 23, 2022) Sometimes, the smallest decisions can change the course of life forever. That holds true for filmmaker Shriya Rana. In her second year MBA, while others were bracing themselves for campus placements, Shriya was itching to do something creative. All that it took to realise her goal in life and pursue it wholeheartedly was her decision to do a brief internship with a local filmmaker in her home state of Himachal Pradesh. A few days into her internship, filmmaking captured her imagination and she wanted to be part of the whole thing, from conception to completion. With no contacts in the film world, she quickly reached out to former students of the New York Film Academy, asked them many questions and got an understanding of how things worked in Hollywood. Come 2017, she moved to the US to study filmmaking. [caption id="attachment_24770" align="aligncenter" width="544"] Shriya Rana[/caption] Five years of struggle and challenges later, Shriya made her mark in Hollywood, by writing and directing eight short films and producing 10 more -- all in different genres, most of which have been screened in over 30 film festivals across the globe. "That (internship) changed my life. The experience taught me

ng eight short films and producing 10 more -- all in different genres, most of which have been screened in over 30 film festivals across the globe. "That (internship) changed my life. The experience taught me two major things - first, how to market and sell yourself as well as your property and second, that a movie is made thrice, first when it’s written, second when it’s made, and third, during the post-production time," smiles Shriya, in an exclusive chat with Global Indian.

Her recent release Ayesha turned out to be her most successful film, for which she bagged five Best Director awards and secured over 20 official selections. Not only did she receive the Audience Choice Award at the prestigious UCLAxFilmFest 2021 for the film, which is about a young woman who struggles to lead a normal life in a homophobic society, it was also showcased at Marina Del Rey Film Festival and Capri Hollywood Film Festival.

From Himachal Pradesh to Los Angeles

Born in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, Shriya's father Dr Raj Kumar is an economics professor and mother Saroja Rana, a school principal. Her younger brother is an officer with the Indian Air Force. "Since I don't come from a film background, I did not have anyone to look up to. Even though I was curious about the filmmaking process, I never thought about the filmmakers," she says.

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In school, while her peers were more focussed on academics, Shriya was doing things she loved -- painting, dancing and singing. "I was doing well in academics, and could never think of a career as an artist. Now when I look back, it’s strange that art was what I loved," says Shriya, who studied at Lords Convent School and later went to the Himachal Pradesh University Summer Hill, Shimla.

The internship helped her find her inner calling, and without further ado, she moved to LA in 2017 after doing some research on the best filmmaking schools. Initially, she took up a brief course at New York Film Academy (NYFA) which enabled her to understand that direction was her true calling. Subsequently, she enrolled at the University of California, LA for a course in same. During those days, she started working as a Gallery Ambassador at UCLA’s Hammer Museum in the mornings, and attending school in the evenings, which not only helped her monetarily but taught her customer service, discipline and duty.

Spreading her wings

"Once I landed in LA, there was a clear cultural clash. It was a different lifestyle, something I wasn’t accustomed to at first. It took me a while but I prepped myself and brushed up my cursory knowledge to face this new world," smiles Shriya, who landed her first job at the CBS Post and later interned at Brett- Morgan’s Public Road Productions. "I socialised, explored, networked, met more people and finally made movies with them," informs the filmmaker, whose parents supported her throughout.

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Shriya, who has made films like Drifting Darkly (2018), Waiting (2018), Serena Calling (2019), False Notion (2019), Ayesha (2021), says, "Making simple stories impactful is the hardest thing to do." Currently working as the production coordinator with Paramount in LA, she distributes their shows and movies to their partners (Apple, Amazon, Hulu, Fandango, Comcst, Vudu and many more) and formats and publishes their content on Paramount Plus website.

Having worked on primetime and late-night shows like The Good Wife, Equalizer, The Amazing Race, Twin Peaks, NCIS, Young Sheldon, she has a great body of work to her credit. "I had the opportunity to work with the best team and contribute to the launch of Paramount Plus and Grammy’s 2021. Working on the launch of Paramount Plus will always be the highlight of this job," smiles the filmmaker, who is a big fan of horror movies but loves a good story irrespective of the genre.

"I like stories that resonate with people. Regardless of the genre, I like stories that make you think, real stories about real people. I received a great response for Ayesha and I have been working on developing it into a feature," she informs.

So what’s next in store? "I’m working with a credible crew of filmmakers on various projects, both in film and TV. Most of my projects are in development and I hope to see my projects in production by the end of the year," reveals the filmmaker, who is also skilled in script coverage, screenwriting and video editing.

Filmmaker | Shriya Rana

Bollywood vs Hollywood

When it comes to Hollywood and Bollywood movies, Shriya feels both industries are very different. "In LA, people talk about the filmmakers, cast and studios. But in India, it's more about the actors and directors. Filmmakers in India don’t get enough credit," she feels. Although films like Andhadhun have set a trend for unique plots and concepts with commercial success at the box office, films like Tumbbad, Bhavesh Joshi, Panga, Pataakha, Soni still haven’t been recognised, she believes.

"We still don’t talk about directors like Ashwini Iyer, Anand Gandhi, Ivan Ayr. Also, the content here is very original. We have so many talented filmmakers in India but sadly their work doesn’t reach the masses as they don’t get enough theaters. I hope to see things getting better for people behind the camera in India," says Shriya, who admires Basu Chatterjee and Shekhar Kapur in the Indian film industry. Her current favourites are Mike Flanagan, Quentin Tarantino, Emerald Fennell and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. When not busy with filmmaking, Shriya loves to dance, watch films and visit art galleries.

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Gopi Byluppalla: Uniting people through food at The Culinary Lounge

(May 24, 2024) “I only know four things: people, books, food, and movies,” smiles Gopi Byluppala, a Hyderabad-based entrepreneur whose work revolves around all things food, traditional meals, and recipes, as well as culinary conversations. The 40-year-old, who has founded Hyderabad's experimental Culinary Lounge, is also working with the government of the Netherlands to find areas of synergy between Hyderabad and Amsterdam, as he believes that food is the only bridge that can connect people from diverse walks of life. As he pours Nannari sherbet into a glass (earlier found only in the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh and something this writer cherished in childhood summers spent in Hindupur), he says that food is the very essence of our being. [caption id="attachment_51909" align="aligncenter" width="455"] Gopi Byluppala, founder, The Culinary Lounge[/caption] “Each time I invite people for a meal and they try some long-forgotten recipes or dishes that are no longer made, it transports them to their happiest memories—many say that the food reminds them of their mothers or grandmothers. Or they share their own recollections. Look at our conversation, I mentioned Nannari, and you said you always had it with milk, which was a revelation as I knew it only to

ir mothers or grandmothers. Or they share their own recollections. Look at our conversation, I mentioned Nannari, and you said you always had it with milk, which was a revelation as I knew it only to be served with soda. Food is the ultimate uniting force,” he tells Global Indian.

Sensory recollections

Growing up in a joint family in Kakinada, where the kitchen was bigger than the living room, Gopi recalls spending a lot of time around food. He reminisces, “My mother was always in the kitchen, preparing breakfast, lunch, snacks, and then dinner, so I used to spend a lot of time in the kitchen to be close to her.”

It was this early exposure that had a great effect on the young Gopi, who wanted to become a chef as early as when he was eight-years-old and loved whipping up his favorite dish (maggi). Fate (and his father), however, had different plans, and he ended up studying engineering at the University of Madras and working at Oracle for a decade.

It was in 2014, when he was shuttling between Hyderabad and Philadelphia (where his wife Swathi worked), that he decided to indulge in his love for food. “After living the corporate life for a decade, I understood that my heart did not lie in it and wanted to pursue a career among my passions,” he shares.

Gopi Byluppala | Global Indian

Turning passion into profession

Combining two of his loves—food and people—the entrepreneur started his first start-up in 2014, Feazt, a unique platform where strangers were invited for a home-cooked meal to bond over food. His first pop-up was called Coconada Meal (the British name for Kakinada), where he served food made by his mother.

“It was an event like no other,” Gopi smiles as he recalls and adds, “I remember my mother wondering if people would pay Rs 500 for a home-cooked meal, but I was sure that there would be an audience. My mother was ecstatic when a young girl hugged her after tasting her Royyala koora (prawn curry) and said that it was so different from what one found at restaurants.”

The concept was a big hit and had only one rule – people should come alone and no guests should know one other – as the idea was to meet like-minded people and not hang out with your existing friends. Another initiative that was unique was Handi Talks (similar to Ted Talks) but focused on food, where entrepreneurs, bakers, chefs, and restaurant owners came together, creating an eco-system of people passionate about food and also sharing knowledge and insights with a close-knit audience.

People and food

In a quest to bring the idea of connecting people and food together, the entrepreneur started Culinary Lounge in 2018. It is an eclectic idea where food takes center stage—where chefs can host pop-ups for specific foods, where people could learn cooking, and where corporates can bring teams for interactive sessions. In fact, the center has played host to many top companies, including Deloitte, PepsiCo, and Google, among others, where leaders can reconnect with their teams over a host of activities, from cooking together to sessions on food histories.

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Apart from companies, Culinary Longue has also played host to delegations from Korea, Japan, Thailand, and the Netherlands, where chefs explore and experiment with Indian food. It has also seen book launches and gatherings by gourmands.

It was through one such delegation from the Netherlands, which prompted his move to Amsterdam in 2022, where he is working extensively on building a culinary corridor to Hyderabad.

He states, “Amsterdam has a rich profusion of Michelin-starred restaurants, world-class bartenders, and some of the best breweries in the world. Hyderabad has a great nightlife scene, and I see a great opportunity for cross-pollination, where Hyderabadis can experience the best of nightlife from abroad and Amsterdam gets a taste of local Hyderabadi favorites like Biryani, Paya, Marag, Gongura, and Pachi Pulusu.”

Is food the ultimate soft power – absolutely says Gopi and adds, “Food is the greatest ice-breaker and tailor made for culinary diplomacy. A great example is the Thai government, which, under the Thai Select Program, started over 100,000 restaurants in the US, resulting in an explosion of interest for Thailand in the US/ Look at how K-Pop, Ramen, and K-drama resulted in a boom in Korea’s tourism!”

A mammoth undertaking

Currently shuttling between Hyderabad and Amsterdam, Gopi is also busy with his current initiative, Onamalu (which translates to fundamentals in Telugu), which aims to document the history of Telugu food from the year 1750 onwards. With the help of a team of chefs, historians, and enthusiasts who will travel the length and breadth of Telugu states—from Telangana to coastal Andhra and Rayalseema to tribal food—it aims to document the lore and legacy of Telugu food.

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Quiz about his continuing obsession with food, and he simply smiles, adding, “In a world full of differences, food can be the unifying factor. We Indians are so fond of Italian and Korean food that I want to ensure that my rich Telugu cuisine is also one day as popular as theirs across the world. Good food can bring us together.”

It is this belief that drives Gopi and gives him strength when he travels away from his young children (Veeksha, 7; Nikshit, 4). Building a community and introducing traditional food to younger generations moving away from it—this entrepreneur is all about creating a better world where we stay in touch with our roots and, of course, share stories over a meal.

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Dr Kalyani Gopal: Empowering sexual abuse and human trafficking victims globally

(April 24, 2024) “My team and I are in the process of exploring the purchase of a five-acre plot of land, which I plan to convert into an eco-village. Dedicated to my late mother it would help give a peaceful environment to victims of human trafficking and sexual assault,” Dr Kalyani Gopal tells Global Indian. She has already thought of the name of the project as SAFE Village - Unnati Sewa. It would be a unique residential restorative model to bring back the dignity of victims of human trafficking and sexual assault. With over three decades of experience in addressing issues such as child sexual abuse, human trafficking, and labour trafficking, the Indian-origin psychologist has garnered international recognition and is now giving back to her native land. Dr Kalyani Gopal is the first woman of colour and Asian American to earn the presidency of the Illinois Psychological Association which oversees the State of Illinois’ psychologists. She is also the first Asian American President of Division 12 of the APA, Society for Clinical Psychology, and has recently finished her term on the Committee of State Leaders, APA. [caption id="attachment_50926" align="aligncenter" width="475"] Dr Kalyani Gopal[/caption] In her service spanning continents, the ace

st Asian American President of Division 12 of the APA, Society for Clinical Psychology, and has recently finished her term on the Committee of State Leaders, APA.

[caption id="attachment_50926" align="aligncenter" width="475"] Indians in USA | Dr Kalyani Gopal | Global Indian Dr Kalyani Gopal[/caption]

In her service spanning continents, the ace psychologist developed a Clinical Treatment Manual for Mongolian psychologists and clinicians, treated grieving Myanmar families during war, and created a tool for identifying potential victims of trafficking in Ukraine, and other regions.

In 2014, Dr Gopal established an initiative called, SAFECHR - SAFE Coalition for Human Rights through which she has worked for trauma patients and victims in the United States, Europe, and India.

Finding the purpose

After completing her postgraduate studies at Delhi University and the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore Dr Kalyani Gopal moved to the US for her doctorate. She aspired to pursue intellectual and cognitive neuropsychology. However, fate had some other plans in store. Dr Gopal encountered a case of sexual abuse involving a seven-year-old girl with whom she had grown acquainted. This experience brought the issue of child sexual abuse into sharp focus for her, redirecting her career trajectory.

Training professionals worldwide

In her three-decade career, the clinical psychologist has provided training to a diverse range of professionals, including foster parents, adoptive parents, administrators, judges in the US and the DRCongo Supreme Court, law enforcement agencies such as the FBI and police officers, attorneys, case managers, first responders, advocates, nonprofits, and ministries. She also trained government representatives of Albania, Uganda, and India.

“I have educated human trafficking experts and clergy on psychological trauma and issues concerning infants, children, adolescents, and adults,” tells the Indian-origin psychologist who is also associated as a consultant psychologist with SuDatta, an adoption agency in India that trains adoptive parents on helping their children come out of traumas.

[caption id="attachment_50928" align="aligncenter" width="706"] Indians in USA | Dr Kalyani Gopal | Global Indian Dr Kalyani Gopal at one of Illinois Psychological Association's Legislative Committee meeeting[/caption]

In fact, she introduced the term ‘Displacement Trauma’ to describe the intricate psychological effects that are the result of ‘frequent disruptions of bonds experienced by foster care youth and children separated from their parents’.

Awards and recognitions

In recognition of her extensive work, she was awarded the Indiana Lake County Award for Excellence in 2004 and the Indiana Attorney General’s Voices for Victims Award in 2015. She received the Congressman Danny T. Davis MEATF Medal in 2019 as the Top 20 Global Women of Excellence. In 2023, Dr Gopal earned the APA Presidential Citation Award for Human Rights.

Starting young

The psychologist discovered her calling when she was quite young - starting her journey at the age of 18 while engaging with human trafficking victims for a college research project.

At that time, she was pursuing her bachelor’s degree in India. One of her research works exposed her to the grim reality of young girls her age becoming victims of human trafficking. This revelation weighed heavily on her, even though she did not realise the severity of the problem completely, given her young age.

Later as a PhD scholar coming across a sexually abused little girl changed her career trajectory completely. She found herself drawn into the field of child sexual abuse.

“I was inspired by the trust placed in me by many other girls whom I met after that. They were victims too.” It was then that her professors in the US encouraged her to pursue the path of working with sexually abused children. Deeply immersed to uplift their lives as a young professional she had even started accompanying children she worked with when they needed to testify in court. The more she immersed herself in this work, the more intrigued and committed she became.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioNF2a6NI0M

Strong initiatives

Dedicating many years to victims of sexual abuse and trafficking Dr Gopal came across many harrowing instances of exploitation. In one of the most gruesome cases, she came across a family with four children in Indiana where the parents were trafficking their kids by making them perform indecently on their home-based stage, earning $10 per person from people who came to watch the performance.

“My efforts dragged the parents to court and for the first time in history in Indiana, parents got a life sentence in jail for 56 years,” she shares. That was her first independent case.

That proved to be the beginning of her image as a messiah of children who were being exploited. She started getting cases of child sexual abuse from across the United States. “A lot of the perpetrators were in powerful positions, even relatives of judges and politicians.” But Dr Gopal stood strong to fight for justice for young victims.

Author of bestsellers

She went on to write bestsellers - ‘The Supportive Foster Parent’, and ‘Foster Parenting Step-by-Step: How to Nurture the Traumatized Child’ and co-edited, ‘Handbook of Sex Trafficking: Feminist Transnational Perspectives’. Dr. Gopal has published several workbooks on the Child Sexual Abuse Series, including the grief and loss workbook ‘In My Heart’.

[caption id="attachment_50936" align="aligncenter" width="403"] Indians in USA | Dr Kalyani Gopal | Global Indian One of Dr Kalyani Gopal's books[/caption]

Associations with the United Nations

The psychologist with a knack for writing went on to write a chapter titled ‘Reducing Human Trafficking by 2030 and Beyond’ for the United Nations book, ‘Behavioural Science in the Global Arena: Addressing Timely Issues at the United Nations and Beyond’.

She has also co-chaired the United Nations Psychology Day highlighting the role of psychology in addressing concerns of global importance.

Other Illustrious associations

Until recently Dr Gopal served on the APA Commission on Accreditation. She is on the boards of Indiana’s Lake County Child Protection Team and Lake County Child Fatality Team, served as the Chair for the Illinois Psychological Association’s Working Committee on Hate and Harassment, specialises in gender-based violence, and served as Chair of the IPA Women’s Section. She has been serving on the Board of Directors of the Society of Clinical Psychology, American Psychological Association, and as Div. 12 Advocacy Chair.

“As the President of Mid-America Psychological and Counseling Services, I oversaw the management of mental health clinics in Indiana and Illinois,” she shares.

[caption id="attachment_50927" align="aligncenter" width="602"] Indians in USA | Dr Kalyani Gopal | Global Indian Dr Kalyani Gopal with Eyes Open International founder, Harold D'Souza[/caption]

Also Read | Fight against Modern Slavery: How Harold D’Souza brought the derailed American Dream on track

Uniting nations through SAFECHR

Dr. Gopal’s nonprofit organisation, Safe Coalition for Human Rights (SAFECHR) was formed in 2014 in response to the realisation that the voices of victims in foster care needed to be heard.

The non-profit has been hosting annual events since 2014 raising the number of participant countries from 10 nations in 2014 to 73 nations in one of its latest conferences.

“SAFE Conferences bring together organisations from around the globe working ceaselessly to form collaborative national and international coalitions from rescue to the rehabilitation of victims of human trafficking and violations of human rights,” she informs.

SAFE iACT Program – first to get global accreditation

The ace psychologist has created an evidence-based, international credentialing program to certify advocates, clinicians, attorneys, and law enforcement as trainers in human trafficking which she has named as the SAFE iACT Program. Ever since its inception, she has facilitated the training of over 20,000 people from more than 10 countries. It has become the first programme to get accredited globally.

In December 2020, she developed and implemented a program, THRIVE for adults from ACEs populations (childhood vulnerabilities) to provide wrap-around therapeutic services in transitional supportive housing. Victims get discharged after getting stable employment.

During COVID-19, Dr Gopal also launched an e-learning school-based program called SAFE Schools for the prevention of high-risk behaviors among youth by improving resiliency and teaching socioemotional skills.

[caption id="attachment_50935" align="aligncenter" width="613"] Indians in USA | Dr Kalyani Gopal | Global Indian Dr Kalyani Gopal at a Consulate General nof India, Chicago event[/caption]

More psychologists required for victims of abuse

Highlighting the field of child sexual abuse, and human and labour trafficking that she is working in Dr Gopal points out that there are not enough psychologists who work in the area looking at it as a social work issue.

“Traffickers treat the victims so poorly that they lose their identity and develop fragmented personalities.” To address their problem effectively Dr Kalyani Gopal has even modified existing treatments which have proven to be effective.

She believes that people who are victims of trafficking and other abuses have been manipulated so much that they need psychological help to feel confident and pull themselves out of the situation.

Follow Dr Kalyani Gopal on LinkedIn and Facebook

Reading Time: 5 mins

Cyrus Mistry: Growing Shapoorji Pallonji to helming the Tata Group

(September 6, 2022) On Sunday, September 4, 2022, business tycoon Cyrus Mistry was killed when his Mercedes rammed into a divider. The younger son of the construction magnate Pallonji Mistry, Cyrus was travelling from Ahmedabad to Mumbai when the accident took place. He was rushed to hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. Condolences poured in for Mistry, who was one of India's wealthiest businessmen, valued at some $29 billion at the time of his death. He served as managing director of the Shapoorji Pallonji Group before he took over Chairman of Tata Sons in 2012. He succeeded Ratan Tata as the first first non-Tata to head the Indian business empire. In 2013, the Economist described Mistry as "the most important industrialist in both India and Britain." Global Indian takes a look at the remarkable life of this business tycoon. India Inc, political leadership take to Twitter Condolences poured in from industry and political heavyweights, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Harsh Goenka and Anand Mahindra. "The untimely demise of Shri Cyrus Mistry is shocking. He was a promising business leader who believed in India's economic prowess. His passing away is a big loss to the world of commerce

s shocking. He was a promising business leader who believed in India's economic prowess. His passing away is a big loss to the world of commerce and industry. Condolences to his family and friends," tweeted PM Modi.

Hard to digest this news. I got to know Cyrus well during his all-too-brief tenure as the head of the House of Tata. I was convinced he was destined for greatness. If life had other plans for him, so be it, but life itself should not have been snatched away from him. Om Shanti 🙏🏽 https://t.co/lOu37Vs8U1

— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) September 4, 2022

Tata Consultancy Services also issued a statement, describing Mistry as "a warm, friendly and congenial person who built a strong relationship with the TCS family during his time as the Chairman of the company." Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also expressed her sadness. "I was convinced he was destined for greatness. If life had other plans for him, so be it, but life itself should not have been snatched away," tweeted Anand Mahindra.

Mistry became known for his serious demeanour and his reserved manner. "In my four years of working with him, I have been to his house only for the annual party," one member of the Tata Group board told Livemint. "He is professional and keeps to himself. But at the same time, his mobile number was available with at least hundreds of Tata group executives."

Tycoon at 26

Mistry was born to Pallonji Mistry and Patsy Perin Dubash, in Dublin, on July 4, 1968. The Mistry family was one of the wealthiest in Ireland at the time. Mistry attended the Cathedral and John Connon School, one of Mumbai's oldest and most elite educational institutions. He moved to England shortly in 1990, to study at the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine. He earned a degree in civil engineering and then a Master's in management from the London Business School in 1996.

[caption id="attachment_29001" align="aligncenter" width="670"] Cyrus Mistry with Prime Minister Modi in 2016[/caption]

In 1991, shortly after graduating from college, Cyrus assumed his position as the scion of his father's construction empire. He took over as director, Shapoorji Pallonji & Co. Three years later, he became Managing Director. He was only 26 at the time. Mistry is widely credited for having taken the Shapoorji Pallonji group to new heights - the company employs over 23,000 employees across India, the Middle East and Africa.

The era of firsts for Shapoorji Pallonji & Co

Under his leadership, the company's interests expanded from pure constructions to executing projects under design and build. They implemented complex projects in the marine, oil and gas and railway sectors. Shapoorji Pallonji & Co went on to construct India's tallest residential towers, the longest rail bridge, the largest dry dock and the largest affordable housing project.

Mistry also oversaw the infrastructure development vertical, which began in 1995 with a 106 MW power project in Tamil Nadu, followed by the development of India's largest biotech park near Hyderabad. They also made their foray into agriculture and biofuels before Mistry resigned to take over as the deputy Chairman of the Tata group.

[caption id="attachment_28992" align="aligncenter" width="656"] Vallarpadam Railway Bridge, the longest in India, contructed by Shapoorji Pallanji & Co[/caption]

The Tata connection

The Pallonjis are one of India's oldest business families, with links going back well over a century. In 1930, Mistry's grandfather, Shapoorji Mistry, acquired a stake in Tata Sons. His son, Pallonji Mistry, held the stake, which now stands at 18.5 percent, the largest block of shares held by a single group. In 2006, Pallonji Mistry stepped down from the board of directors of the Tata Group, his son, Cyrus, took his place. Cyrus himself had served as director of Tata Elxsi, a post he accepted in 1990 and remained in for a decade, until October 2009. He was also a director of Tata Power Co until late 2006.

In 2013, Mistry made history when he succeeded Ratan Tata as the chairman of the Tata Group, going on to head all the major Tata companies including Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Consultancy Services, Indian Hotels, Tata Global Beverages and tata Chemicals. He became the sixth - and youngest - chairman to head the conglomerate.

Making history

Mistry wrote later, after his controversial dismissal which resulted in a years-long legal battle, that the proposal first arose in 2011. "After some exploration by a search committee (actually, Mistry was part of this committee also, by virtue of his place on the board of directors), I was approached by both Ratan Tata and Lord Bhattacharya individually to be a candidate for the position. I politely declined," he revealed later.

Mistry was involved with building and growing his family's own business, which was booming under his leadership. The Tatas continued their search, as Ratan Tata's retirement grew more imminent. "The committee was unable to find a suitable candidate, I was asked to reconsider." He found it harder to refuse the second time around. After consulting with his family, he "took courage to overcome (his) initial reluctance and agreed to consider the position."

When controversy came calling

In late 2016, Mistry wrote a tell-all letter, saying he was "shocked beyond words at the happenings at the board meeting of October 24, 2016." On that day, Tata Sons had inducted two new directors into their board, after the abrupt ousting of their Chairman. A furious Mistry decided it was not the time to remain quiet and termed the move "shocking and unparalleled."

For four years, his tenure as Chairman of Tata Sons, Mistry had maintained the reticence characteristic of the Shapoorji Pallonjis, and didn't give a single interview. His father, Pallonji Mistry was even known as the 'Phantom of Bombay House'. As for Cyrus Mistry, he was once said to have stopped a media consultant making a presentation to ask him, "Do you know who is the chairman of 3M?" His point was simple - the company brand is more important than the personalities of those at the helm.

The big-league boardroom battle

When he was "replaced without so much as a word of explanation or being afforded an opportunity of defending himself," Cyrus Mistry decided it was time to break the legacy of silence.

The action, he said, was sudden and the resulting speculation had done his reputation, as well as that of the Tata Group, "immeasurable harm," he wrote.

[caption id="attachment_28995" align="aligncenter" width="612"] Tata Group Chairman Cyrus Mistry after a meeting at the Finance Ministry on May 29, 2012 in New Delhi, India. (Photo by Vipin Kumar / Hindustan Times via Getty Images)[/caption]

Saying that he had taken on many problems with his role as Chairman, he "had to take many tough decisions with sensitive care to the group's reputation as well as containing panic amidst internal and external shareholders." The sum of the matter seems to be that Cyrus Mistry was not given the free hand that he had been promised, mentioning that "once, the trust directors had to leave a Tata Sons board meeting in progress for almost an hour, keeping the rest of the Board waiting, in order to obtain instructions from Mr Tata."

If the Tatas expected Mistry to go quietly, they were proved very wrong. Mistry went on to appeal his removal to the National Company Law Appellate (NCLAT), which ruled that it was indeed illegal. The high-profile boardroom battle didn't end there. The Tata Group's board appealed the NCLAT verdict in the Supreme Court, which ultimately ruled in their favour, after Mistry had been briefly reinstated.

Mistry received grudging admiration even from directors of the Tata Group board. They called him "hard-working" and "more likely to be seen supervising work at a construction site than in a cabin in the office," according to Livemint.

The family he left behind

[caption id="attachment_28994" align="aligncenter" width="539"] Cyrus Mistry and his family[/caption]

Mistry is survived by his older brother, Shapoor Mistry, who is an Irish citizen and is married to Behroze Sethna. He also has two sisters - Laila, who is married to London-based portfolio manager Rustom Jehangir and Aloo, the wife of Noel Tata, the half-brother of Ratan Tata. Mistry was married to Rohiqa Chagla, daughter of prominent lawyer Iqbal Chagla and the granddaughter of the jurist MC Chagla. The couple has two sons.

The Mistry family's real estate assets reportedly include a White-House style, seaside Mansion in Mumbai, the 200-acre Manjri stud farm in Pune and homes in Surrey, London and Dubai.

The forgotten people: Mallika Ghosh’s Parinaam Foundation works to improve the lives of the urban poor

(June 29, 2024) Around 2.2 million people in Bengaluru live in slums, according to data from a 2017 report. The survey, conducted by the Karnataka Slum Development Board 2011, found that nearly a quarter of the state's slum areas are located in Bengaluru. That's about 16 percent of the city's total population and despite the recent efforts to rehabilitate, government schemes are still a drop in the ocean. Slum-dwellers in the heart of the city have been around for generations – they are the city’s auto drivers, pushcart vendors and ragpickers but for all their years in Bengaluru, not much has improved. This is the demographic to which Mallika Ghosh has dedicated her life. Her philanthropic bent is no surprise – her father, Samit Ghosh, founded Ujjivan Financial Services, India’s first microlending institution for the urban poor, inspired by Muhammad Yunus’ Grameen. Her mother, Elaine Ghosh, founded Parinaam Foundation in 2006 when she discovered a sub-section of people who are too poor even for microcredit. Inhabitants of these shanty towns have little to no documentation, lack access to government welfare schemes and to the financial system. After Elaine passed away in 2013, her daughter, Mallika, who now lives in Bengaluru, took

er Elaine passed away in 2013, her daughter, Mallika, who now lives in Bengaluru, took over as the executive director of the Parinaam Foundation.

[caption id="attachment_24499" align="aligncenter" width="307"] Parinaam Foundation | Mallika Ghosh | Global Indian Mallika Ghosh, Parinaam Foundation[/caption]

A change of heart

It was her father who suggested, in 2009, that she work with her mother Elaine at the Parinaam Foundation. At the time, Mallika had just turned her back on a career in filmmaking, on which she had invested many years of her life already. After graduating from Emerson College in Boston, Mallika returned to India in 2003, working with an ad agency in Bengaluru and then joining the film department of McCann Erikson. “I worked there for two years and by the time I left, I was heading the department,” she says.

At home, her banker parents, who had hoped to spend their retirement years in Bengaluru surrounded by friends, had plunged into social work and philanthropy instead. “My father had also been persuaded by Aditya Puri, who was a good friend, to help him set up HDFC Bank,” Mallika says. In 2004, however, he began Ujjivan Financial Services.

That was when she "went through another crisis. Every few years, I go through a crisis that changes my way of seeing things," Mallika remarks. She had begun to understand that success in a creative field requires good fortune and Mallika was "not ready to leave her career to luck. I was very jaded by the ad world," she says. Spending obscene amounts of money on "30-second films... and for what? What are we trying to achieve? Sure, we feel accomplished at the end of it but then, I would go home and see dad and mom do work that's actually making a difference to people's lives. And I thought, no, this is not what I want anymore."

Parinaam Foundation | Mallika Ghosh | Global Indian

Financial services for the urban ultra poor

Mallika started out managing a summer camp for the three communities involved with the foundation at that time. She also became part of the financial literacy project or Diksha, part of the Urban Ultra Poor Programme (UUPP), working in collaboration with Ujjivan.

"Everyone needs access to financial products. How do you get them a loan and ensure they pay it back?" This led to the creation of the programme and once a week, women from these communities are taught how to manage their finances. The foundation also opens savings banks accounts in their names so they get access to essential financial services. The programme has impacted almost a million people to date, "all educated by a programme I wrote on a train to Odisha," Mallika says. ‘Diksha’ has been recognised as a pioneering programme by the Reserve Bank of India.

Named the Asia-Pacific winner of the 2013 Financial Times and Citi Ingenuity Awards: Urban Ideas in Action Programme, UUPP has impacted over 8000 families in 135 communities in Bengaluru (according to their website). These are the poorest of the poor, living in urban slums without documentation, access to government schemes, healthcare, education or financial services.

The summer camps have grown too - they now work with over fifty communities and some 1600 kids.

[caption id="attachment_24501" align="aligncenter" width="655"] Parinaam Foundation | Mallika Ghosh | Global Indian Image credit: Parinaam Foundation[/caption]

Academic Adoption Programme

In 2011, the first batch of slum children travelled in Mallika's old Maruti Van to begin their education at Indus Community School in Bengaluru. The school had agreed to admit the kids, as long as the transport was handled by the Foundation. "It came at a huge cost but mum said, 'I don't care'. And we did it." This would mark the start of the Academic Adoption Programme, which, ten years later, has 1000 kids spread across 150 schools.

Having toyed briefly with the idea of running her own school but realised she knew nothing about running one. Besides, there were already plenty of good private schools available. The challenge lay in persuading parents who placed no value on education to send their children to study. The Parinaam Foundation now collaborates with schools and communities, operating buses that bring children from the slum areas to school each day.

The first batch of children are taking their competitive entrance exams or embarking on vocational courses. “The earlier batches are now in their teens, so I also hear a lot of love sagas and other such problems,” Mallika laughs. “I suppose it will prepare me for when my own kids become teenagers!”

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At the helm of Parinaam Foundation

"When ma passed away, there were so many challenges, other than having just lost my mother," Mallika says. "I had always been in the operations side, working on scaling up and so on. I had never handled things like fundraising and finance, which I had to take on then." Running an NGO, she realised, meant building a team. "Your company is as good as your team. I have a very good one."

The Parinaam Foundation employs 35 people, while the financial literacy programme has a team of 100 (they are on the Ujjivan rolls). Under this, the team caters to a variety of needs, starting bank accounts for those who need them, meeting healthcare requirements and so on. During Covid, this also involved getting them vaccinated and providing cash relief when it was needed. "Most of our employees for the programme are field workers," she says.

Community Development Programme

In 2017, Mallika took over Ujjivan's CSR work, taking on infrastructure-related community development projects. They collaborated with Bhoomiputra Architecture; a Bengaluru-based architecture firm founded by award-winning architect Alok Shetty to help meet infrastructure needs. "We have done over 250 projects through Ujjivan," adds Mallika. This includes projects like fixing up a run-down school or sprucing up the maternity ward in a hospital.

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During the pandemic, hospitals needed infrastructural help as well and they worked with around 60 healthcare institutions. "We would help with equipment for other ailments, waiting rooms, maternity wards and so on.” In Guwahati, they created a theatre area for a community that enjoyed cultural activity - it included a stage and a green room. In Assam, it was a community centre for women. Their donors include HSBC, Bajaj and Dubai Duty Free, to name a few. "We are looking at revamping entire communities through good sewage systems, community centres and 'pukka' houses," Mallika explains. "This means collaborating with the government because they own the land."

The journey so far

Mallika lives in Bengaluru with her husband and two kids and looks back on her professional journey with satisfaction. "We're helping the people who build our cities, clean the roads and our homes. They have been in the city for so long and have so little. I am glad to have the opportunity to change their lives in some way."

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