Academician | Renu Khator | Global Indian

Global IndianstoryFrom Lucknow to Houston: Dr. Renu Khator’s journey is an inspiration

From Lucknow to Houston: Dr. Renu Khator’s journey is an inspiration

Written by: Namrata Srivastava

(September 30, 2022) When she first came to the United States of America as a young bride in 1974, she hardly understood a word of English. Having grown up in rural Uttar Pradesh, India, Renu Khator was scared to speak to anyone in those early days in Indianapolis. While she was nervous and anxious about her life in the US, the young girl was determined to finish her higher education. Her husband supported her dreams, and today, Dr. Renu Khator is the first foreign-born Chancellor and President of the University of Houston (UH). A Doctor of Philosophy in political science and public administration, the academician is credited with steering the University towards a prestigious position. In just three years, moved from the 125th rank to the 87th public university in the country under Dr Khator’s leadership.

Dr Renu Khator

Recently, Dr Khator was inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame. She is also the recipient of the Excellence in Leadership Awards from the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and won the President’s Award from the National Association of Student Affairs Administrators. In 2014, (former) President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, honoured her with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, the highest honour given to overseas Indians.

Rising above the storm

Born in a small village in Uttar Pradesh, Dr. Khator was a meticulous student even as a child, although the limited opportunities in Farrukhabad didn’t give her ambitions much scope. Like many other girls living in rural India, Dr Khator was married off at the young age of 17, and that is when her journey took a turn. “When I graduated with my bachelor’s degree, I was 17-years-old and that’s the time we had a little bit of a family rift over where I could go to college to do my masters,” said the 61-year-old academician, during an interview with abc13.com.

Dr Khator with PM Modi

About a year after her graduation, Dr Khator agreed to an arranged marriage to Suresh, who was pursuing his master’s at Purdue University in Indiana. During her initial days, the academician would lock herself at home because she was scared of speaking to anybody there. There, she taught herself English by watching “I Love Lucy” reruns over and over. “After a few months, I told my husband that I wanted to pursue a master’s in political science. I had thought that there would be some resistance, but he supported me from the get-go. Now I look back and think that there were so many moments I could have quit, but I didn’t and thanks to my husband who actually made my dream his dream and our dream, worked equally hard, taking second jobs, third jobs, reading my drafts and commenting on them,” she said during the interview.

Academician | Renu Khator | Global Indian

After receiving her master’s in 1975, the Global Indian went on to pursue a Doctor of Philosophy in political science and public administration and earned her Ph.D. in 1985. The same year, she joined the University of South Florida and held various positions at the institution until she resigned in 2008 as the provost and senior vice president of the university.

A glorious academic career

One sunny afternoon, Dr. Khator was finishing her notes before her next class when she got a call from an unknown number. Her first reaction was to ignore it, but when the caller rang again, she answered. “The call was from the University of Houston, and my first reaction when they offered me the job as President and Chancellor of the university was “No.” I didn’t even know that a ‘University of Houston’ existed. But when they called me a third and fourth time to look at the offer once, I told them that I will consider it,” she recalled during the interview.

Dr Khator being confered with Pravasi Bharatiya Samman by Indian President, Dr Pranab Mukerjee

Four months of formalities and clearance later, Dr. Renu Khator became the first foreign-born Chancellor and President of the University of Houston (UH) and the third person to hold the dual office. Her husband was happy to follow her and assumed the role of Associate Dean of the university’s engineering programme. While she was pleased to begin a new journey, UH was just starting up with only 100 freshmen students, of which only forty were looking to graduate from the university with a four-year degree. After reviewing the situation thoroughly, the academician promised the institution’s board that she will be able to build a world-class University in six to seven years. “But do you know how much time it took for me to make UH a tier-one university? Three!” proclaimed the academician proudly during the interview.

With Dr. Khator as its chancellor, UH underwent an era of extensive construction, resulting in a 40,000-seat TDECU stadium, a huge student residence hall, and an $80-million expansion of the student centre. She also introduced a new petroleum engineering programme and medical school. “Our next goal is to be a Top 50 public university in the country. We are 87th right now, but we used to be 125th when I came, so we have made a lot of moves,” she shared during an interaction with the TEACH organisation.

For her immense contribution to the world of education, Dr. Khator was conferred with the President of the Year Award from the Association of College Unions International. Her growing reputation as a leader led her to be named to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2020), Chair of the American Council on Education (2015-2016), and member of the Council of Presidents of the Association of Governing Boards of Colleges and Universities (2016 to present).

Dr Renu and Suresh Khator with their family

The mother of two and grandmother of three is a feminist champion and has been a very vocal supporter of women’s education across the globe. “I know I have a responsibility to help at least ten women succeed and that’s the challenge I keep offering to my students as well,” she told abc13.com, adding, “If you’re good, in the honors college, you have the responsibility to help ten other people who are not as fortunate to really pull them up. There are a lot of people who pulled me up. I mean, look where I came from.”

- Follow Dr Renu Khator on Twitter and LinkedIn

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Published on 30, Sep 2022

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Breaking barriers: Indian-origin business executive Ajay Banga scripts history as World Bank’s new President

(May 5, 2023) In a historic appointment, the World Bank confirmed that Ajaypal Singh Banga, an Indian-origin business executive, will be taking over as its next President. As the first-ever Indian-American to head the World Bank, Banga's appointment marks a significant milestone. Confirming his appointment, the World Bank said in a press statement, "The Board looks forward to working with Mr. Banga on the World Bank Group Evolution process, as discussed at the April 2023 Spring Meetings, and on all the World Bank Group’s ambitions and efforts aimed at tackling the toughest development challenges facing developing countries." Ajaypal Banga was nominated earlier this year by US President Joe Biden to lead the institution. During his candidacy, the top business executive emphasised the importance of greater private sector funding to address global problems, stating, "There is not enough money without the private sector." Banga, who will assume his new role on June 2, envisions the World Bank established a system to share risk or mobilise private funds to achieve its goals. As the Indian-American business executive gears up to lead the World Bank, Global Indian takes a look at his glorious 40-year-long career. Ahead of the curve Born to an Indian

new role on June 2, envisions the World Bank established a system to share risk or mobilise private funds to achieve its goals. As the Indian-American business executive gears up to lead the World Bank, Global Indian takes a look at his glorious 40-year-long career.

Ahead of the curve

Born to an Indian army officer in Khadki cantonment, the business executive is the younger brother of Manvinder "Vindi" Singh Banga, the senior partner at the private equity fund Clayton, Dubilier & Rice. Growing up in various parts of India, he learned a lot about adaptability and managing people. "I grew up moving from city to city. Adults find it hard to move, but kids don’t. Moving frequently makes you flexible, quick to make friends, quick to adjust and adapt, and allows you to glide between cultures and people. Different parts of India have completely different cultures. The North is completely different from the East and the West. This is completely different than even in the South," he said, adding, "The one thing it did for me more than anything else was this easy adaptability, the willingness to adjust, and the willingness to just fit in, I think it’s helped me in all my life."

[caption id="attachment_35571" align="aligncenter" width="638"] Business executive | Ajay Banga | Global Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi met Ajay Banga, in New York[/caption]

Having studied in some of the finest schools in the country, including St. Edward's School, Shimla and Hyderabad Public School, the business executive went on to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Economics from St. Stephen's College, Delhi, and later pursued an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. Soon after finishing his studies, Mr. Banga started his career with Nestlé in 1981, where he worked for 13 years before moving to PepsiCo.

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

"When I was a young manager in India, infrastructure was relatively poor. Labour relations were challenged. Phone lines were awful. You couldn’t get through to people or distributors. If you were waiting for baby food trucks to reach you, it wasn’t that you knew they would arrive in three days; it could take nine days. So that idea of knowing how to deal with ambiguity, of knowing how to deal with that form of unpredictability, it’s the way I’m trained to think," shared the business executive, adding, "The idea of taking thoughtful risks came from that environment. And having the sense of urgency to make that decision and take that risk without knowing everything, but having had the patience at the same time to listen to people who know more than you — that is an interesting balance."

Taking the plunge

In 1996, Ajaypal Banga moved to the United States while working for PepsiCo and handled various roles during his tenure, including CEO of the company's operations in India and Southeast Asia. While the business executive was still settling in his role, a grave terrorist attack on the USA shook the world and in its aftermath, Banga too had to endure discrimination. "Post-9/11, I have been accosted by people on the street and called names. I’ve been taken aside randomly for searching at every T.S.A. checkpoint. I get that. But again, you can be pissed off about it, or you can realise that this is people trying to do their job. They’re trying to keep me safe as well as you. But I’m not resentful," he shared during an interview.

[caption id="attachment_35566" align="aligncenter" width="659"] Business executive | Ajay Banga | Global Indian Mr. Banga with his wife, Ritu[/caption]

The business executive was naturalised as a US citizen in 2007. And soon after that, Ajaypal Banga became the CEO of Mastercard, and also a member of its board of directors. When he took over the company, Mastercard wasn't in great shape. Instead of giving quarterly earnings guidance to the company's investors, Banga offered them a rolling forecast of where Mastercard would be in the next couple of years. "I told my investors, you should expect to see over the next three years is growing at an average growth rate of this to this, this range, within average profitability of this to this, this range. And I’m not going to make other commitments to you. I’m going to run my company. I want to grow revenue, not maximise my profitability," he shared. Almost all his strategies worked out and soon enough Mastercard stocks soared by more than 1,000 percent during his tenure, outperforming competitors Visa and American Express.

[caption id="attachment_35569" align="aligncenter" width="657"] Business executive | Global Indian Mr. Banga receiving Padma Shri by former President of India, Dr. Pranab Mukherjee[/caption]

Realising his potential in leading a financial institution, the former US President appointed Ajaypal Banga to serve as a member of the President's Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiation in 2015. The business executive was also elected as the chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) succeeding Paul Polman. The Government of India awarded Banga the civilian honour of the Padma Shri in 2016.

Leading the World

Banga's appointment as the new President of World Bank has been applauded across the globe. As Banga takes the reins, the world economy faces significant challenges, including slowing global growth and high-interest rates. Low-income countries are expected to face a double shock from higher borrowing costs and reduced demand for exports, fueling poverty and hunger.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-tjY-DG5-0

With the bank estimating that developing countries will need $2.4 trillion every year for the next seven years just to address the costs of climate change, conflict, and the pandemic, Banga aims to balance World Bank's new objectives without diluting the pressing economic development needs of its member countries in developing economies. "Climate is important, but we don't want to have a trade-off where we have an agenda that will be climate versus development," the business executive said during an interview.

Reading Time: 6 mins

From Mumbai’s Irani cafés to khansamas of Uttar Pradesh – they all find expression in Chef Naved Nasir’s food

(November 10, 2024) Ancient recipes, affordable street fare and his passion for authenticity define the food created by Chef Naved Nasir. With a doctor father and a teacher mother, Naved Nasir was like every Indian kid, supposed to follow in his father’s footsteps, professionally. Destiny had other plans. His mother used to travel 80 km back and forth for her job, so he and his father would cook if she was short on time. From the humble khichdi they made together to creating menus for a restaurant in Covent Garden in London, Chef Naved Nasir’s career trajectory is full of stories. These stories are of places lived, ingredients blended, and dishes had, at street corners, hole-in-the-wall cafés, and at his great-grandfather’s mansion. The nostalgia and love find their way into his food. [caption id="attachment_59607" align="aligncenter" width="588"] Chef Naved Nasir[/caption] History and food Naved’s great-grandfather was a “minor nawab,” and the palatial family home still stands. Over a Zoom call, with Chef Naved in Dubai, while launching his restaurant Khadak, he recalls his earliest food influences. “I grew up in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, and my grandfather’s home was 40 km away from Panipat, in Baghpat. As a child, I remember going

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History and food

Naved’s great-grandfather was a “minor nawab,” and the palatial family home still stands. Over a Zoom call, with Chef Naved in Dubai, while launching his restaurant Khadak, he recalls his earliest food influences. “I grew up in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, and my grandfather’s home was 40 km away from Panipat, in Baghpat. As a child, I remember going there with my parents and brother, and watching my mother’s brother, who was quite a foodie, getting his staff to prepare the ingredients with so much care for the lavish dinners he’d host.”

He had ten cousins at home and remembers his mother’s Dal Gosht as her specialty. He says, “Whether it was the khansamas blending masalas or marinating the meat, or my father and I cooking khichdi when my mother was busy, it sparked an interest in food. My father, a doctor, had hopes I would also become one. I tried; I took the entrance exams for medicine at several universities, but I didn’t pass. At that time, due to all the celebrity chefs hosting TV shows, hospitality was gaining traction. I took the exam to join a catering college. It was relatively easier and I secured the eighth rank all-India.”

He joined the Institute of Hotel Management at Pusa, near Delhi. His first job as an intern was with the ITC group, where he worked in the kitchens of Dum Pukht, Bukhara, and Peshawri.

Indian Cuisine | Chef Naved Nasir | Global Indian

I love Bombay

Speaking of Mumbai, which he calls Bombay, Chef Naved waxes eloquent, much in love with the city he still considers home. He says, “Though I was in Mumbai for five or six years, it is the only city I consider home. I was 24 when I arrived there. I remember sitting on the ledge facing the sea at Marine Drive and crying because I felt lost. Mumbai put its arms around me in a giant hug and it became home. I used to go to the Irani cafés and other famous places like Bade Miyan, Olympia, Baghdadi and Kyani’s. These were places where you could have a lavish meal for a small amount.” Naved loved Mumbai so much that he would go there every weekend even after being transferred to the ITC Rama International in Aurangabad.

During his stint with ITC, from the start till he left, Chef Naved also got to serve and interact with several celebrities. Besides serving food to the Bachchans, planning the menu, and catering the food for the wedding of Rishi Kapoor’s daughter Riddhima. During the launch of their Jamnagar refinery, he also headed a team of 100 chefs to prepare the food for the Ambanis. He says, “We had several meetings with Neeta Ambani, and we sent three truckloads of ingredients to cater to the 600 guests. A separate Marwari caterer took care of the vegetarian fare, we were in charge of the rest.”

[caption id="attachment_59608" align="aligncenter" width="619"] Indian Cuisine | Chef Naved Nasir | Global Indian Chef Naved with Mike, the head of the build team of Dishoom Restaurants at a Mumbai beach[/caption]

Namastey London

In Aurangabad, Naved was the youngest Executive Chef at 30. While he was there, he met the people who set up Dishoom in 2010. He recalls, “I met the owners and we were on the same page about keeping the food real. Shamil Thakrar and I had a similar outlook as he wanted a refined, authentic version of the Irani café food. If you go to London, between the small street eateries run by Bangladeshis and the Michelin-star restaurants, Indian food is unrecognisable. We wanted to fill the gap and my only condition was that there would be no adulteration. No toning down of the butter in Dal Makhni and reducing the spice in a chicken tikka. We did have options on the menu so for those who can’t eat spice, the Murgh Malai Tikka was a non-spicy option.”

Under the culinary leadership of Chef Naved, Dishoom expanded to ten locations across London. It filled a gap in the market; amidst exorbitantly expensive, quintessentially anglicised, or overly experimental Indian food establishments, the very first Dishoom set a new trend. Each restaurant has a theme based on the aesthetic of certain locations in Mumbai to complement and complete its gastronomy. He even co-wrote a cookbook by the same name.

[caption id="attachment_59606" align="aligncenter" width="540"] Mumbai Chef with Chef Raymond Blanc Chef Naved Nasir and Chef Raymond Blanc while signing each other's cookbooks[/caption]

After ten years with Dishoom however, Chef Naved started feeling the need to do his own thing; essentially to cook the Mumbai food he loved and more. The universe heard him and he got an offer to team up with a non-hospitality investor in Dubai. Enter Khadak, his new restaurant which was days away from its launch at the time of this interview.

Gully Boy

Having lived in multiple cities, Chef Naved Nasir delighted in those little bylanes peppered with food stalls known as khau gallis and people crowding around their periphery. These khau gallis are what Khadak is based on. Rather than sticking to a set pattern, he wanted to bring a selection of dishes from a range of backgrounds — truly a one-plate-fits-all. Again, Mumbai played a pivotal role in his new venture. Chef Naved reveals, “Khadak is an area at the far end of the lane near Suleiman Usman Bakery (a landmark on Mumbai’s Mohammed Ali Road, a major food hub, especially during the month of Ramzan). I plan to highlight all that Mumbai has to offer, beyond the swanky restaurants. From the Shammi Kababs to my mother’s Dal Gosht, to the food you get at Bade Miyan and Baghdadi and the recipes I have secured from my 91-year-old aunt, I want Khadak to take you back to authentic food. There are stories attached to these recipes and I intend to tell them through Khadak.”

The stories are told through a multitude of characters with backstories that are unique but relatable. Rajini, the Koli fisherwoman, for example. Along with highlighting her roots, Khadak talks about how the seas are facing the extinction of species and ecosystems, while parallelly supporting sustainable practices. Then there is Bittu, a kid doling out tea. Although appreciating his drive, Khadak encourages their patrons to donate to organisations that help children like him to get off the streets. Nasir is a firm believer that cuisines are not isolated from the people and civilisations they stem from.

[caption id="attachment_59609" align="aligncenter" width="812"] Indian Cuisine | Chef Naved Nasir | Global Indian Naved with his team[/caption]

Other dishes he plans to include are the Sojni ka Murgh, a Hyderabadi speciality where chicken is cooked with the pulp of drumsticks, Shabrati Nihari, a breakfast item where the meat just falls off the bone, and you eat it with a Lachha Naan sold in the bylanes of Delhi. He also has a vegetarian haleem on the menu made with jackfruit. Chef Naved is passionate about bringing these old stories to life, making them acceptable for the Instagram generation. Even desserts will be morphed. “The bread butter pudding, a family recipe from the Chilia community that our executive chef comes from, uses jaggery instead of sugar, and phirni is made vegan with cashew milk.”

Favourite go-to ingredients

Given the gamut of historical and ancient food at his disposal, what then are his favourite go-to ingredients? Chef Naved says, “I’d say meat is a favourite, because depending on the area of the body it is taken from, how it is cut, marinated and cooked, it tastes different. I even use the fat around the kidney when I cook, because it slices through like butter. Among spices, I like saffron for its subtlety and if you know how to use it, it can give diverse flavours. And lastly, an ingredient I like but am looking for a good quality one is gulab jal or rose water.”

With the spirit of Mumbai’s street food and ancient recipes from his family’s kitchens, Chef Naved could well be scripting food history and creating a legacy of Indian food soon.

Chef Naved Nasir on Instagram
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Reading Time: 5 mins

Rupee Beer: Van and Sumit’s flavourful journey to introduce Indian craft beer to the world

(June 16, 2023) What began as a trial in their family’s Indian restaurant in the US state of Maine, Vanit (Van) and Sumit Sharma’s Rupee Beer has evolved into a prominent brew. Now available in twelve states in the US, their brew is not just a lager, but was specially crafted by a world-renowned master beer brewer to pair and complement Indian cuisine. Starting out during the COVID-19 pandemic, and choosing an iconic name for their brand, the brothers have set out to honour their Indian heritage, commemorate their family’s entrepreneurial legacy and to showcase the magnificence of the Indian culture to a global audience. “It is just the beginning,” they say and have been nurturing their dream to extend the reach to more states of the US. A plan to introduce Rupee to the UK and EU market is also on the cards. Proud of their brand name ‘Rupee’, the entrepreneurs feel that their crafted beer befittingly pairs with the exquisite tastes that Indian cuisine offers. “Rupee started in 2020 and went live in the market in 2021. In 2022, we were honoured to be named in the inaugural 40 Under 40 list presented by MaineBiz,” Vanit tells Global Indian.  [caption id="attachment_40052" align="aligncenter" width="547"]

befittingly pairs with the exquisite tastes that Indian cuisine offers. “Rupee started in 2020 and went live in the market in 2021. In 2022, we were honoured to be named in the inaugural 40 Under 40 list presented by MaineBiz,” Vanit tells Global Indian. 

[caption id="attachment_40052" align="aligncenter" width="547"] Indians in USA | Van and Sumit Sharma | Global Indian Van and Sumit Sharma[/caption]

It started when...

When the pandemic struck in 2020, Vanit (an alumnus of Northeastern University) and Sumit (an alumnus of Boston University) were working in London and Australia respectively. Amidst the uncertainty of the pandemic, they returned to Maine– where they had grown up after their parents relocated there from Europe. In this unexpected turn of events, they found themselves once again working at their parents’ restaurant, just as they used to do in their younger days.

During the pandemic, like many restaurants in the area, their long-standing Indian restaurant was also encountering difficulties due to the global supply chain’s logistical issues. The most difficult part of all was to procure popular Indian beer brands like the Taj Mahal and Kingfisher. Shipments from India were badly affected and even when they arrived at ports in New York City and California, priority was given to larger states with higher volumes.

Turning adversity into advantage

The challenges that they were facing sparked a new idea in the duo’s minds. They started contemplating the possibility of creating a domestically brewed Indian beer that could genuinely complement Indian cuisine. However, they didn’t have any know-how of the brewing industry. Fortunately, they discovered an ideal collaborator in Alan Pugsley, the British founder of Shipyard Brewing Company, who happened to live nearby.

Pugsley, who is popular as the ‘Johnny Appleseed of craft brewing,’ boasts of a remarkable career spanning close to 45 years, during which he has played a pivotal role in the launch of more than 80 global craft beer brands. He was the ideal person to guide them about the intricacies of the brewing business.

Van and Sumit had extensive tasting sessions at their family restaurant with Pugsley and staff to find out what kind of beer would pair well with different Indian dishes, the fundamental concept behind Rupee, and most importantly what should be avoided to ensure the standards.

[caption id="attachment_40053" align="aligncenter" width="748"] Indians in USA | Van and Sumit Sharma | Global Indian Rupee Beer pairs well with Indian cuisine[/caption]

Van and Sumit knew that pairing heavy dishes like chicken tikka masala and butter naan can be quite filling with highly carbonated mass-produced beers which leads to discomfort, burping, and indigestion. “It wouldn’t create a pleasant experience, leaving an uncomfortable feeling of fullness after an Indian meal,” they explain.

The entrepreneurs’ goal was to create something that was exceptionally smooth, had its own distinct character, and truly complemented the Indian food they grew up with in a family business in curry spanning half a century. After excessive and minute experimentations, the final Rupee Beer was crafted. It has a lower level of carbonation compared to most beers. Every single batch of Rupee is brewed and fermented with top quality rice, maize, malted barley, yeast, and three types of hops ensuring their signature crisp and herbal tasting notes. “Rupee is slow brewed to a traditional Indian recipe, remaining all natural for an unforgettably smooth taste and finish,” Vanit says. The smooth flavour harmonizes with and enhances the robust flavours found in Indian cuisine, rather than overpowering them.

Finding a foothold

The spirit of entrepreneurship flows in the Sharma family. The journey of Van and Sumit’s immigrant parents is a quintessential story of Indian diaspora finding a foothold in a foreign land and making it one’s own. From India, they travelled to Germany and UK (where the brothers were born), and eventually to Maine in Portland, USA in 1990s where they established a chain of three of the first Indian restaurants. Their flagship restaurant ‘Bombay Mahal’ holds the distinction of being the oldest Indian restaurant in Maine.

The Sharma brothers remember how they were one of the very few Indians in Maine while they were growing up in Portland, the state's largest cosmopolitan hub, and the only Indians in their school. But the fifth-generation entrepreneurs have held the family legacy and kept Indian heritage alive in their hearts. They credit it to the upbringing of their parents. “Our dad always emphasised how we need to strive to be good cultural ambassadors for India in a place miles away from it, and show Mainers that Indian food is approachable and our culture rooted in deep traditions," they tell.

[caption id="attachment_40054" align="aligncenter" width="839"] Indians in USA | Van and Sumit Sharma | Global Indian Packaging of Rupee Beer in progress[/caption]

Rupee Beer finely crafted with care is distributed at Indian and South Asian restaurants, select Whole Foods, Costco, and Trader Joe’s, and is exclusively featured at their parents' restaurant as the only Indian beer. Brewing, packaging, and shipping of Rupee Beer are handled through a partnership with Dorchester Brewing, with a current monthly production of 150 barrels (around 1500 cases). In just two years of its launch the brand has set a benchmark winning at 2021 Food and Drink Awards, being named Best Beer For World Food, and love and appreciation from the connoisseurs of beer.

After college, Van and Sumit took different life-paths: Van did a master’s in International Relations and Political Science, while Sumit studied business with a focus on Entrepreneurship. The pandemic played an unlikely catalyst in bringing them back to their homespun culinary pursuits, and their legacy.

Vanit lived and worked in London for decades before moving back to America. He worked in various global sales roles and had another startup within the co-working space arena in central London he exited right before the pandemic. Sumit headed to Latin America and lived in Colombia before relocating to Australia where he was working in the hospitality industry. 

The family legacy

“We are Punjabis and from a family of entrepreneurs. Our grandparents hailed from a successful agricultural family business in Punjab, India as well as Kenya. Our family has been in the Indian restaurant trade for half a century,” Vanit says. The brothers have always been involved within the startup landscape from coworking, ecommerce platforms, and real estate ventures. 

Their dad relocated to Germany and lived there for over a decade until the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989, then moved to London where Vanit was born and eventually shifted to Portland, Maine to launch three Indian restaurants in the early 90s. Their mom was born in Kenya. “Our grandmothers on both sides were also from Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania where there has been a sizable Indian diaspora for decades,” Vanit explains.

"Growing up we got to travel a lot. We'd go to India on holidays - usually to North India in Punjab and Delhi to see all our cousins, visit our grandparents’ farm, and attend family weddings. We grew up speaking Punjabi fluently at home,” Vanit says.

After tasting success with Rupee Beer, the fifth-generation entrepreneurs look forward to fulfilling their mission of introducing more iconic India-inspired products to an audience seeking to savour spice, flavour, and distinctiveness while dining out.

Follow Van Sharma on LinkedIn
Follow Sumit Sharma on LinkedIn
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Reading Time: 5 min

Journey of an artist: Revati Sharma Singh is crafting artistic narratives that transcend boundaries

(June 4, 2023) In a world where the weight of crises threatens to drain the vibrancy from our existence, it is a somber thought to imagine a world devoid of colour. From the pressing issues of hunger to the disheartening disparities of abundance, humanity stands at a crossroads. But amidst this bleak panorama, one interdisciplinary artist has emerged as a beacon of hope, weaving hues of optimism through her artistic tapestry. For the past 23 years, UK-based artist Revati Sharma Singh has tirelessly traversed the creative realms between London and India. "My paintings are very layered, just like people are," the artist explained during a recent interview, adding, "Often one wouldn’t notice slow, covert changes in the weather, just like one wouldn’t pay heed to the internal workings of the mind of a stranger. In a way, then, adding layers only unpeels my art’s subject." The Global Indian has been a consistent participant in prestigious art events such as the LAPADA Fair, Saatchi's Start Art Fair, the Affordable Art Fair in London and Singapore, the Masterpieces Art Fair in London, Art Monaco, and the Venice Biennale, where she has received two invitations to showcase her work. "Layers of surfaces give

/a> has been a consistent participant in prestigious art events such as the LAPADA Fair, Saatchi's Start Art Fair, the Affordable Art Fair in London and Singapore, the Masterpieces Art Fair in London, Art Monaco, and the Venice Biennale, where she has received two invitations to showcase her work. "Layers of surfaces give meaning to the depth of understanding and emotion below. Nothing is ever in a vacuum and nothing is ever truly lost. Even if it can no longer be seen, it is right there under the surface. My works are made up of these layers. Sometimes many layers that you only catch a glimpse of how the work started and how it evolved."

Enchanted by nature

Growing up in Mumbai, Revati would never leave any chance to visit her grandparents, who lived in a scenic village in Himachal Pradesh. It was here that the young artist first fell in love with nature's beauty and later incorporated that into her art. "My work finds its verse in memories of my days at my grandmother's tea estate, nestled between the mountains in a tiny village called Darang, in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh," she mentions on her website, adding, "It is my spiritual home that renders my aesthetic. One of the most important concepts ingrained in me from my wandering days in the hills is that of freedom. Freedom from dogma and religion, freedom from closed-mindedness, freedom to choose my influences, and freedom from fitting in."

Artist | Revati Sharma Singh | Global Indian

But, while she loved colours since she was a young kid, Revati was introduced to pottery as a teenager, and in her words she was "hooked for life". Revati said, "My love affair with the pottery first began when I was 14. That summer, I lived with and learned from the great potters, Mini and Mary in an artist village called Andretta in Himachal. I spent hours turning the wheel with my foot and creating little pieces of magic from the earth. The rest of my time I spent walking around the fields on my own."

An artistic inspiration

After earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree from Delhi College of Art the artist shifted to Singapore, which proved to be a turning point. Venturing beyond the borders of India for the first time, she immersed herself in the vibrant city, tirelessly exploring its art galleries. It was during this period that she developed a deep admiration for the works of Affandi, the renowned Indonesian impressionist master, who would later become a profound influence on her paintings. "I admire Affendi, an old Singaporean Master. I love his work and his style of painting. I relate to his work a lot and am very inspired by him," Revati shared.

[caption id="attachment_39592" align="aligncenter" width="605"] Artist | Revati Sharma Singh | Global Indian Revati's artwork, "Fleeting Glimpses in Delhi"[/caption]

Interestingly, it was also during her stay in Singapore that Revati experienced the triumph of her inaugural exhibition, held at the esteemed Raffles Hotel. Reflecting on this achievement, the artist recalled a profound realisation that her art held the power to make a positive impact. Inspired by this revelation, Revati initiated a heartfelt gesture of philanthropy by donating a portion of the proceeds from each of her sold paintings to charitable organizations based in Indian cities. This philanthropic practice remains an integral part of her artistic journey, with notable contributions made to the annual charity auctions organized by the Magic Bus Foundation.

[caption id="attachment_39594" align="aligncenter" width="692"] Artist | Revati Sharma Singh | Global Indian Revati is working on several pieces for various international art festivals[/caption]

Revati eventually moved back to Mumbai and the return to her homeland sparked a transformation within her artistic expression, taking on a newfound and distinctly political dimension. Moving to the trendy Mumbai suburb of Bandra in 2007 provided Revati with a renewed perspective on the city, allowing her to embark on what she considers a pivotal phase in the evolution of her artistic expression. "I can still recall the moments when I would gaze out from my sea-facing apartment, completely captivated by the juxtaposition before me. I could see the shimmering high-rise apartments of the privileged alongside the sprawling slums below. This stark and powerful contrast became a pivotal moment of realisation for me, as it dawned on me that my art possessed the extraordinary potential to illuminate the urgent challenges that plague India's densely populated and struggling society," the artist expressed.

The broader picture

In 2011, Revati was invited to exhibit at the Art Monaco fair, which she did with Running on Faith, an installation featuring a life-size cycle rickshaw. In the work, the artist turned her focus more directly toward the religious context of modern India, targeting the concepts of faith and karma as manifested in an overweight, gold-coloured passenger being pulled along by an emaciated, grey-blue rickshaw driver – the latter’s thin body covered in tiny artworks of Hindu icons.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Av4R1CVrknQ

A couple of years later the artist shifted base to the United Kingdom, and 2015’s Italia Docet | Laboratorium marked Revati's first appearance at the Venice Biennale, with two multimedia installations drawing on the work of renowned Indian philosophers Rabindranath Tagore, Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda. While her art is brilliant, one of the most interesting things about Revati is that she makes her own colours. "I use natural pigments and glues to make my colours. Stunning lapis lazuli and beautiful malachite, earthy raw sienna, and brilliant yellow - it’s the essence of my being."

In 2019, Revati exhibited her sculptural works, Grains of Antiquity with Art and Soul, casting grains in varied materials and stitched together to form maps of countries, cutouts, and drawings are placed over each other using rice paper forming various planes of visual decoupages. Currently, working on several pieces for various international festivals, the artist wishes to use her art for the common good of humanity.

Artist | Revati Sharma Singh | Global Indian

"I have a strong desire to be ethical in the implementation of my work, to not succumb to what is expected but to be courageous and have the integrity to do what I believe in," she expressed, adding, "I found my path in the language of grains, the language of food, the language of hunger and that of abundance, it’s the language we all speak despite our differences in race, colour, class or religion. It is these differences that make life colourful."

Follow Revati Sharma Singh on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and her website

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Chef Meha Kumar crafts culinary masterpieces with a multicultural and cuisine-agnostic approach

The principle of umami or the fifth taste, focusing on a single ingredient, zero wastage and global influences make the food Chef Meha Kumar creates, truly original. (September 24, 2023) Expected to follow the family tradition of studying medicine or engineering, Chef Meha Kumar decided to follow her passion and signed up for the four-year course at the Institute of Hotel Management, Aurangabad in 2012. When she realised that the focus was more on theory than practical in college, she decided to expand her horizons. In Hyderabad for a curated pop-up menu experience, she says in an exclusive interview with the Global Indian, “I was hungry to learn and in the second year, I started applying to hotels and Michelin-star restaurants. I didn’t want the campus placement offered by the Taj and Oberoi groups of hotels that happens in our third year. I got selected for an internship at the Ritz Carlton in Barcelona, Spain.” [caption id="attachment_45347" align="aligncenter" width="675"] Chef Meha Kumar.[/caption] Viva la Espana The move to Spain truly changed the trajectory of Meha's career and has shaped her philosophy towards food. Her personal worldview and work ethic make her an individual who is passionate about her work, but also a

The move to Spain truly changed the trajectory of Meha's career and has shaped her philosophy towards food. Her personal worldview and work ethic make her an individual who is passionate about her work, but also a stickler for ethics and human decency. She says, “I was supposed to go to Spain for one year, but things kept progressing and I was there for eight years. I worked at the two-Michelin star restaurant called Enoteca in the Hotel Arts which is owned by Ritz Carlton; mentored by Chef Paco Perez. I also worked at the one Michelin star-rated Terra, another of his properties in Costa Brava, and at his restaurant Miramar in Llançà. Chef Perez is more than a mentor to me, he helped me with my craft, and it is from him that I learnt about commitment to sustainable cooking and zero wastage.”

All of 21, moving to a country where English wasn't the chief spoken language, it was initially tough. "I landed in Barcelona with €250, not knowing a soul. In order to learn Spanish, I would listen to the radio on my daily 40-minute walk to work. In my free time, I watched the series Friends in Spanish with English subtitles. Today, when I go back to Spain, I have friends who are like family and a home to stay no matter where I am.”

Though Meha was admittedly in love with the country, she decided to return to India last year. “I had to step out of Spain because I felt it was time to start working on creating my own bubble. I set up my company, where I am a gastronomy consultant, and can develop restaurant concepts, develop menus and the nomenclature of menus. I do pop-ups pan-India. My company is called Linearé, which is the Latin word for linear. It reflects the essence of my work.”

Gourmet Art

Meha’s creations are artistic, colour-composite and unique. She followed the principle of umami or the fifth taste in her latest pop up in Hyderabad in collaboration with The Hedonist, a Pune-based company that curates fine food experiences. She explains, “There are four basic tastes – sweet, sour, bitter and salty. Umami is the fifth taste. Umami is chemically known as glutamate or MSG, but it is naturally present in fermented fruit and vegetables.”

Meha’s creations can transform the humble potato or musk melon to gourmet status. A potato dish has the translucent jellified membrane of the tuber speckled with onion ash and the inside of the globe is full of a French potato cream. A musk melon creation includes roasted seeds, leather of the peel and cured chunks of the fruit in sugar and ginger. For Meha, the main ingredient is always the protagonist on the plate. She believes it cannot be hidden under other elements like sauces or garnishes. “The minimalist approach is a play on simplicity because you have to know what you are eating.” She has curated menus where each course is dedicated to exhaustive utilisation of a single ingredient and there were ten such courses with ingredients as exquisite as black radish, globe artichokes and white asparagus, to the very simple ones like tomato, onion and cauliflower.

[caption id="attachment_45335" align="aligncenter" width="504"] Meha's potato dish which has a translucent jellified membrane of the tuber speckled with onion ash and a French potato cream filling inside.[/caption]

Zero wastage is another of the foundations of her food. She says, “Chef Perez had extreme respect for the produce he used, and it resonated with me at a personal level. The best way to make food sustainable is to use all of it. The cost of food in any fine dining restaurant is at least 30-40 percent and by using everything, which is harder to do no doubt, instead of throwing it away, you make it sustainable. Even with root vegetables, soak them in water for a while, clean them well, roast and boil the peels of carrots or turnips with salt to make stock which can be the base of your soups.”

Mindful Eating

Are fine-dining pop-ups the new trend? And do such bite-sized portions truly make for a filling meal? She says, “There is a difference between filling and satisfying. When you have these dining experiences, you may not feel full, but you will finish your meal wanting a little more. I want to change the way people view fine dining; make it less intimidating and more approachable, where the diner takes away some learning from the experience. I interact with my guests and break down what I am serving so they understand the philosophy of the dish.”

Meha believes that these kinds of pop-ups are the future. “I think people should understand that it is beneficial to share knowledge and platforms. Restaurants need to keep reinventing so such pop ups help their image. Chefs too are able to innovate and display their creativity and it becomes a bigger, beneficial circle for everyone.”

Despite using global food influences to cook, the Global Indian favourite ingredients remain pepper, garlic, root vegetables, seafood, extra virgin olive oil and fresh chillies. And she claims she has a spiritual connection with artichoke. “In Spain, it was my first duty every day to cut the artichoke. It was a labour of love for me; the process of removing the leaves and fibres, the hair from the centre and then putting it in ice cold water with ascorbic acid. I had to do this daily for 40 of them. It was the time when I would be in the moment completely and gather myself for the day.” She also adds that seaweed as a flavour profile is extremely unutilised.

For someone still in her twenties to have created such a large volume of work is commendable. And she wants to continue pouring her passion into her beliefs about food in multiple forms.

Chef Meha eats at:

Barcelona: Dahzong for authentic traditional Chinese
El Pachuco, a Mexican bar for its cocktails like the Michelada
San Sebastián: La Cuchara de San Telmo for its small hearty plates like pork cheeks.

Follow Chef Meha on Instagram