Global IndianstoryFrom WINDS to TIDES, 2-time Grammy winner Ricky Kej’s brilliance is truly DIVINE

From WINDS to TIDES, 2-time Grammy winner Ricky Kej’s brilliance is truly DIVINE

Written by: Amrita Priya

Smiling with his Grammy double, musician and UN ambassador, Ricky Kej shares what it means to win, and how hardwork played a part.

(April 9, 2022) It’s a double whammy for two-time Grammy award-winning musician Ricky Kej. After winning a Grammy in 2015 for Winds of Samsara in the best new age album category, his second Grammy for Divine Tides with the Police founder and drummer Stewart Copeland, has created a furore in the music world. Not just because of its soulful notes, but also because it was an album born out of a pandemic, from the confines of both their studios. Infact, Ricky met Steve for the first time just recently!

Ricky Kej

Glowing with the win

Calling his win “an unattainable feat,” Kej, the North Carolina born, Bengaluru-based musician is overwhelmed with the love flowing in. Clasping that precious glinting gramophone statue in his hand was a moment that lifetimes are enriched by. Especially, since the Covid 19 pandemic upended life, for musicians in particular. Mindful, Ricky Kej tells Global Indian, “Attending the Grammy ceremony held in Las Vegas, and considering everything that has happened over the past two years, it was an absolutely magical experience to hear our names announced as winners. It feels good to be acknowledged and validated for the choices that I have made in my life. It is an absolute honour to win a second Grammy award and I am extremely proud that Indian music has been recognised globally. Luckily, before the ceremony, I was completely occupied for a month with a nine-city tour of the USA,” thus his constant performances smoothened away any butterflies he might have had on stage!

Stewart Copeland and I are very grateful to have won the Grammy Award. Here is our acceptance speech at the ceremony 🙂 Thank you everyone from the bottom of my heart. @copelandmusic @LonniePark pic.twitter.com/rFcclM0NuR

— Ricky Kej (@rickykej) April 5, 2022

Divine collaboration…

Collaborating with Steward Copeland has been a meeting of ragas and unique riffs. The pandemic gave the dentist-turned musician the perfect opportunity to kickstart Divine Tides with Copeland.

Technology brought these two greats together, and they did individual portions that came together in an album that celebrates life, creates a wave of much-needed positivity.

#spyro #SpyroTheDragon pic.twitter.com/y0kALTwbro

— Stewart Copeland (@copelandmusic) April 4, 2022

Not many know that Kej has idolised Copeland, and the collaboration was “the best masterclass imaginable!” The founder and drummer of one of the biggest selling bands in history, Divine Tides has songs with deep Indian roots and a fusion of the west. Most importantly, it celebrates the resilience of our species. Apt today.

Winning with Copeland was special, “Stewart was extremely happy to win another Grammy after all of these years. I am honoured to win alongside my childhood idol and musical hero. We had never met in person throughout the process of creating the album due to the pandemic. Meeting Stewart in person after working on an entire album together was a surreal experience,” reveals Kej, who has had thousands of congratulatory messages pouring in from across the world.

Brimming with ideas

As is the case with creative minds, the independent musician is already onto what he will compose next! “I immediately think about what I want to do next. When that happens, I automatically stop promoting the previous album, and jump into the next one. This time, I am going to concentrate wholly on continuing to promote Divine Tides before I put my creative energies into something new,” says the musician already brimming with ideas.

Wow.. speechless! To receive praise from the Hon'ble Prime Minister himself! Thank you @narendramodi ji, I hope I made you proud. You set me on the path of Environmental Consciousness 7 years ago when I won my 1st GRAMMY Award, and here I am today 🙂 Thanks for your blessings https://t.co/N6krPqVp2G

— Ricky Kej (@rickykej) April 5, 2022

Making world a better place

Holding the Grammy award, the biggest and most coveted prize in the music industry handed out by peers in the Recording Academy, the ceremony is undoubtedly music’s biggest night. Telecast live to millions of people with over 15,000 people attending in person this year, over 80 awards were given, and Kej had a front row seat to all of it. The conservationist and activist in him is always looking to address global issues as a UN ambassador. As ambassador for the United Nations’ UNICEF, UNCCD, UNESCO-MGIEP, Kej works closely with WHO, Earth Day Network and other initiatives. “To make a tangible difference through my music and address global issues like climate change, I cannot rest on my laurels. I consider every award to be a recognition and a platform. Grateful, I never take awards for granted. If awards are used just for vanity, it’s pointless. Using awards for the greater good is what matters to me. My aim is and has always been to do all I can, in every way I can, to make this world a better place, for everyone and everything, and the both Grammy awards has definitely enabled me to take this further,” says Ricky whose music for Wild Karnataka already resonates with the conservation fraternity.

Budding musicians can learn the importance of hard work from Ricky. The smiling encyclopedia of notes shares, “Treat music with respect, and always be hard working. Talent may not always be under your control, but be the most hardworking person… like I am!” He also believes that talent cannot take the place of effort, “Never use creativity as an excuse for laziness. Never make awards the end goal, but be grateful when you earn them, and use them as a platform for doing improved things,” says the two-time Grammy nominee, already onto spreading a “divine” word into the tide of people.

Follow Ricky Kej on Twitter and Instagram

Name*

Email*

Name*

Email*

0 Comments

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Published on 09, Apr 2022

Share with

ALSO READ

Indian filmmaker Alka Raghuram shines the spotlight on social issues with a unique perspective

(January 13, 2022) As a young girl growing up in the Indore of the 1980s, Indian filmmaker Alka Raghuram watched films on rare occasions. Back then with no home television sets or access to world cinema, her exposure to the world of films was limited. Yet, when the artistically-inclined Alka came across a filmmaking course at a San Francisco community college, the whole idea fascinated her enough to want to study the nuances of filmmaking. Today, the award-winning Indian filmmaker brings to life hitherto overlooked subjects with a fresh perspective. From exploring the lives of Muslim women boxers in Kolkata with her award-winning film Burqa Boxers to highlighting the abuse women face on an everyday basis, and creating video vignettes for dance performances, this Indian-American filmmaker has a finger in every pie. Burqa Boxers premiered at the MAMI Film Festival in 2016 and earned rave reviews. The documentary also screened at the Locarno Film Festival where it received the Best Project Award. [caption id="attachment_18758" align="aligncenter" width="1147"] A still from Burqa Boxers[/caption] From UP to the US Born in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich, Indian filmmaker Alka spent the first eight years of her life in Himachal Pradesh where her mother Saroj Mehrotra worked as a teacher. At age eight, the family moved to Indore where

40" /> A still from Burqa Boxers[/caption]

From UP to the US

Born in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich, Indian filmmaker Alka spent the first eight years of her life in Himachal Pradesh where her mother Saroj Mehrotra worked as a teacher. At age eight, the family moved to Indore where her father Balraj Mehrotra worked with a company that manufactured welding electrodes. Back in the 80s, Alka says, Indore has its own constraints. “I was always artistically-inclined and wanted to pursue a course in applied arts, for which scope was limited in Indore,” says the eldest of three siblings, who then moved to Mumbai to do her fashion designing from SNDT College.

“Back then, matters like whether one should be allowed to go to a co-educational college or opt for something close to home were major factors,” Alka tells Global Indian. “However, my maternal grandfather was quite liberal and my mother moved out of home as a young woman to study, and at 21 got a job and lived alone in Himachal Pradesh. Which is why we could think of going beyond the norm and expand our horizons,” the Indian filmmaker recalls.

Following her graduation, Alka worked with a garment export firm for a years. It was around this time that she met her husband V Raghuram, an engineer. After they got married, Raghuram got an opportunity to move to the US, and the couple set up home in California’s Bay Area in the early 1990s.

Indian Filmmaker | Alka Raghuram | Burqa Boxers

A bend in the road

“The first couple of years were spent in getting oriented to the new way of life. Everything was so different,” recalls this 53-year-old Indian filmmaker. “I’d watched the film Edward Scissorhands and the whole place was like in the movie. I’d read Vikram Seth’s The Golden Gate and when we drove down the Golden Gate Bridge and had coffee at Caffe Trieste, I couldn’t believe that the books I’d read or the movies I’d watched were coming to life,” she says.

A shift like this, though disorienting, also afforded her the opportunity to re-evaluate her future choices. “I wanted to go back to school. Given my childhood passion for painting and illustration, I thought I’d become a children’s book illustrator. That’s when I came across a filmmaking course at a local college. It seemed so esoteric; growing up filmmaking wasn’t something that I’d even considered. When I took the course, I fell in love with the art,” she says.

Alka went on to undertake several filmmaking related classes before she decided to pursue her masters in filmmaking from San Francisco State University. By that time, she had two young children, but the love for filmmaking spurred her to juggle both worlds. “It was a very hands-on course. I particularly enjoyed Professor Bill Nickels’ classes. They grounded my work in ethics, how to approach people and represent them. It taught me the power dynamics and made me aware of the moral component of filmmaking,” avers Alka, who made her first film after her graduation.

[caption id="attachment_18759" align="aligncenter" width="1138"] Indian Filmmaker | Alka Raghuram | Burqa Boxers A still from Burqa Boxers[/caption]

Entry into cinema

Panchali, a five-minute short, stemmed from a newspaper article she’d read about a girl being sexually assaulted on a Mumbai local train and how no one stepped forward to help her. The incident left an indelible mark and Panchali was a juxtaposition of this girl and Draupadi’s disrobement from the Mahabharata. “It was an experimental film with a lot of back and forth between the two women,” she says of the film that went on to become a quarter finalist at the Student Oscars.

In 2014, Alka collaborated with dancers Pandit Chitresh Das (Kathak) and Antonio Hidalgo Paz (Flamenco) to create video vignettes for their performance Yatra. Ever since, she has been collaborating with the Chitresh Das Dance Academy and in 2022, she is set to work on their new production Invoking the River that will throw the spotlight on the River Yamuna and its degradation.

Claim to fame

In the mid-2000s Alka also came across several reports in the media about Muslim women boxers in Kolkata. The story fascinated her and led her to reach out to Asit Banerjee, who was at that time associated with the West Bengal Boxing Federation. “When I read about these women, I was fascinated and I also identified with them in a way, given my upbringing in Indore of the 80s. I wondered if these women had a support system and what led them to think of and see a world beyond their social structure,” she says, adding that Asit introduced her to Razia Shabnam, who coaches these women boxers in Kolkata.

“I visited Razia and she ran this coaching centre out of a raggedy gym. She also took me to New Light, an NGO that rehabilitates children of sex workers, whom she taught as well. As Razia worked, I followed her and met several young girls. As I did, many stories and characters emerged,” says the Indian filmmaker, who spent the first year establishing a rapport with her subjects.

In the meanwhile, she received a development grant from ITVS that helped her begin filming with a minimal crew. Four years later when the film was ready, she was invited to the Locarno Film Festival, where she won top honours. She also met a French co-producer 24 Images, which helped her complete the film.

Indian Filmmaker | Alka Raghuram | Burqa Boxers

When the film premiered at MAMI in 2016, it was very well-received. “That a woman like Razia lives and thrives in her community came as a surprise to many. That feminism came from within her made a lot of us, including me, step out of our bubbles,” explains the filmmaker, who also loves dabbling in ceramics and sculpting.

Currently, she is preparing to begin filming her feature film - Ayna. “It is a psychological thriller and I hope to begin filming later this year. I’m also working on a documentary called Blueprint of Love, which explores the kinds of facilities that people with serious mental illnesses require, and how to design them,” says Alka, who loves long walks in her neighbourhood, and reading and painting too.

As she shuttles between India and the US, she says she misses India tremendously. “It is home. Every time I step into the airport here, and the visceral smell of India hits me, I know I am home,” she says.

For budding filmmakers, she advices, “Don’t try to find different stories. It’s quite likely that someone else has the same idea. What will set you apart is your perspective and your vision. It is what I have to keep reminding myself when I’m picking a subject.”

Follow Alka Raghuram on LinkedIn

Reading Time: 10 mins

Path to glory: Meet Dr. Deepak Dhar, the first Indian physicist to win a Boltzmann Medal

(April 27, 2023) "While I am the first Indian to receive the Boltzmann Medal, I am not the first Indian who has done good work in the area of statistical physics," shares a very humble Dr. Deepak Dhar as he connects with me over a call, adding, "India has produced a number of great statistical physicists, including Dr. SN Bose and Dr. Meghnad Saha. Back then there was no Boltzmann Medal, but they did some really great work. Having said that, I must add that this award has drawn the attention of common people towards all the interesting work that Indian scientists are doing and that I am quite happy about." A distinguished Indian physicist, 72-year-old Dr. Dhar has carved a niche for himself in the realm of statistical physics and condensed matter physics. With a career spanning over four decades, he has made several significant contributions to our understanding of nature's fundamental principles. The first ever Indian physicist to be chosen for the Boltzmann Medal, which is the highest recognition in statistical physics, Dr. Dhar was recently awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 2023. "I am honoured to receive this award and very happy to

osen for the Boltzmann Medal, which is the highest recognition in statistical physics, Dr. Dhar was recently awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 2023. "I am honoured to receive this award and very happy to get this recognition. These kinds of rewards and recognition don't happen to everybody," shares the Global Indian, who is currently serving as a distinguished Professor Emeritus at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Pune.

The world of science

Born in the small town of Uttar Pradesh in the year 1951, Dr. Dhar was a curious child, who was drawn to science and mathematics. With his father working in the state's judicial service, the physicist shares that he stayed in various parts of UP. "My father was an officer in the government judicial service in Uttar Pradesh. So we used to get transferred from city to city every two or three years. I was born in Pratapgarh and then I moved to various cities in the state, including Moradabad, Agra, Meerut, Bijnaur, and Pilibhit. I used to be a bit scared of going to a new school because I would be a newcomer, among students who knew each other since standard I. But, as I grew older I got more used to it and was able to make several friends. Being good at studies, I would be the top ranker in the class. Being a child from a middle-class family, I didn't have a very privileged childhood, but I didn't face many great challenges as well," he says.

Physicist | Dr. Deepak Dhar | Global Indian

While his mother wanted him to become an IAS officer, the physicist was encouraged by his father to choose a career in science. "My father would bring home some science magazines for me to read. And there was one that I really liked, called, Understanding Science. Initially, I faced some challenges with understanding the content of the magazine, as the book was in English and I was a Hindi-medium student. But eventually, these magazines not only got me more curious to study science, but they also helped me learn English," he shares, adding, "I also attended summer school at IIT Kanpur, where I was first introduced to the computer punch cards. I found it quite fascinating and wanted to learn more about it. I was also able to meet my peers from across the nation there, which further piqued my interest in pursuing a career in the sciences.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iegOrQ8wz3k

After finishing his school, Dr. Deepak Dhar moved to pursue a B.Sc. at the University of Allahabad. "My father stayed at Sir Sunder Lal Hostel, while he was studying at the University. So, I stayed there too," shares the physicist, who moved to the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur to pursue a master's degree in physics. "While I was at IIT, several peers of mine were preparing to join various US universities. Of the options that I had, I chose to study at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, and I really like my choice," he says.

A new beginning

Moving from Uttar Pradesh to the United States of America was a big change for the physicist. Looking forward to his classes, meeting new peers, and working on some exciting projects, Dr. Deepak Dhar was impressed with the USA as soon as he first landed there. He shares "Most Indians are brought up with a notion that if you can speak in good English, then you are at the top of the society. I studied in a Hindi-medium school, so coming to America and seeing that everyone - including the janitors - would converse in English was quite impressive for me."

[caption id="attachment_37794" align="aligncenter" width="701"] Physicist | Boltzmann Medal Winner | Global Indian Dr. Dhar (sixth from right) with his peers at Roorkee, 1980[/caption]

Soon after starting his Ph.D. course, the physicist enrolled for his doctoral studies under the guidance of renowned scientist, Jon Mathews. But there was another scientist, who made a deep impact on Dr. Deepak Dhar and his journey. "I got to attend a lecture by Dr. Richard Phillips Feynman, who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965 for his contributions to the development of quantum electrodynamics. That was a life-changing experience for me. So when I started my second year at the college, I put in my name to be his teaching assistant. Once when I was grading an assignment he walked up to me to see how I was checking the papers. He advised that rather than marking each question, I should give a final grading so that even students who are pretty good will be able to know that they can do a bit better. And I have carried that with me to date," shares the physicist.

[caption id="attachment_37795" align="aligncenter" width="659"] Physicist | Dr. Deepak Dhar | Global Indian Dr. Dhar with his family[/caption]

But, his stay at Caltech wasn't all about academics. The physicist, who made some great friends there, shares that he also had a lot of fun during his time at the University. "Being a north Indian, I was quite fond of the mountains. To my delight, every morning when I opened my room's window I could see the California mountains. I and my friends would go for a drive in the evenings until we found a good restaurant and spend some time there. I had a good time there," shares the physicist.

Back to the homeland

Though several scholars who move to the US for studying, continue to work there, this physicist chose to come back to the country soon after finishing his Ph.D. He started his career as a research fellow at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai in 1978, and remained there until his superannuation in 2016. "I remember reading a book about Madame Curie's life, which inspired me to take up academics. I wanted to pass on the knowledge that I had acquired through the years and see a younger generation make the best of it. But, having said that, I should add that it is quite a fulfilling job to arm young scientists with knowledge," shares the physicist.

[caption id="attachment_37796" align="aligncenter" width="660"] Physicist | Global Indian Dr. Deepak Dhar with other scholars at a recent conference at ICTS, Bengaluru[/caption]

In a career spanning about forty-five years, Dr. Deepak Dhar has worked on the statistical mechanics and kinetics of random lattices, and his work has widened human understanding of the disciplines. Credited with the introduction of the spectral dimension concept in the studies of fractals and contributed to developing a methodology for determining their critical phenomena using real-space renormalisation group techniques, the physicist shares, "The main focus of my work is aimed at getting better theoretical understanding, and not so much towards applications. There is one work on electroporation that I was involved in with Sukhendu Dev, that does find application in actual clinical practice for drug delivery in the treatment of some types of cancer. My role in this work was to find approximate formulas for the electric field for different electrode geometries, which was useful in optimizing the design. This paper continues to be cited."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9ABMUl1nPE

Continuing to pass on his knowledge to the new generation, the physicist shares that despite the field's difficulties, he would still choose to study physics even if he could go back in time. “Science is a very exciting journey and it keeps giving you its rewards. Even if these rewards were not there, one feels very happy to work in science. There are enough rewards for the fact that you realise that your work has some worth. These kinds of recognitions are incidental and they are not the reason that we do research,” shares the physicist as he signs off.

Reading Time: 7 mins

From scientific labs to artistic canvas: Rahul Mitra’s multifaceted journey

(April 23, 2024) There is an all-pervasive energy that abounds when 56-year-old Rahul Mitra speaks. It is little wonder that the Hyderabad-born and Houston-based artist is also a scientist and award-winning writer. The multi-faceted professional helped develop therapeutics for ovarian cancer that are now in clinical trials, and as an artist, uses visual language drawn from his experience to interpret personal and socio-political dialogues - exploring various facets of life from love to technology. Working across different media, from oils and acrylics to figurative art and installations, he focuses on studying the underbelly of global cultures. [caption id="attachment_50883" align="aligncenter" width="618"] Rahul Mitra[/caption] His work has been widely exhibited across the world, including the First Printmaking Triennial of ULUS in Serbia, the Texas Biennial, the India Art Fair, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, the Portland Museum of Art, and the Centre Pompidou, amongst others. Visually striking with bold colors and with themes that are universal in nature, the artist’s work is appealing both visually and cerebrally. Shaped by early experiences Growing up in Hyderabad in the 1970s, Rahul Mitra was deeply influenced by his surroundings. Always interested in drawing and sketching, he remembers art and culture as an integral part of

and cerebrally.

Shaped by early experiences

Growing up in Hyderabad in the 1970s, Rahul Mitra was deeply influenced by his surroundings. Always interested in drawing and sketching, he remembers art and culture as an integral part of life. From classical musicians playing in the streets where everyone assembled in the evenings, burra kathas in the neighborhood, and screenings of mythological films via projectors in temples, he was shaped very early by art.

“Culture back then was simply on the street and literally all around you,” recalls the Global Indian and adds, “Most calendar art was influenced by religious texts, and it was a simpler time when most people did not have much money (it was socialist India after all), but the quality of life was much better.”

What cemented his interest further was the legendary Hyderabad artist Surya Prakash’s studio, which he used to visit. “He was my friend (now the filmmaker) Nagesh Kukunoor’s neighbor in our colony, and I used to go see his works. He used to spread them on the floor, making it an impressive sight,” he recalls.

Opportunity came early on via an unexpected source. His teacher, on noticing his impressive drawings, recommended that he illustrate a book in the NCERT curriculum, and his mentor then was a teacher who worked in the local school. The artist smiles and says, “I used to go to the school after hours where my art teacher used to work in the corridors, and it was a sight to behold, with the entire area drenched in color. I still remember using water colors to work with, which is a difficult medium at best.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rahul Mitra (@mitradna)

Hyderabad was then a small, sleepy, and green city that shaped the young artist’s mind. Another memorable experience was traveling on trains and observing people and society, which left an indelible mark on his consciousness. The artist recalls going to Vijayawada frequently, even as a teenager, as his father owned a printing press in the town and was amazed by the statues of Lenin and Stalin that were at street corners, which gave him a world view very early on.

It was this outlook that fed his mind and soul, as well as his art. Mitra’s work is deeply influenced by socio-political issues he witnessed in his childhood, including the disparities between the rich and poor, the macro- and micro-issues that society faces, and dual identities; all of this still forms the crux of his inspiration.

The flight to United States

Fate, however, had different plans for him, as he went to the US in 1990 (after studying at IIT Roorkee) and pursued his PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Maine before working as a scientist. He held various posts of distinction, including that of Director of the non-coding RNA Cancer Center at the prestigious MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, USA, where he helped develop therapeutics for ovarian cancer that are now in clinical trials.

Life in the US in the early 1990s was exciting for the scientist turned artist. He shares, “I was so excited to see a new culture. Yes, food was difficult, but I was resourceful and started cooking. There were fewer Indians, and in Maine, I was considered exotic, but life was fun.”

Even in all those busy years, Mitra never really gave up painting. Juggling a marriage and a high-pressure job was not easy, but he did it. “I’m wired that way. I sleep only for three-four hours, so it never seemed like I had a long day. I always appreciated my work—be it looking for ink for my fountain pen or meeting an artist—everything I do, I do it with passion,” he smiles.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rahul Mitra (@mitradna)

From the scientific to the artistic world

It was this passion that, in 2008, made Rahul Mitra return to art after a visit to the Venice Biennale inspired him. His first show, Dialogues of Civilization, held at G Gallery in Houston, was very well received and ensured that he never looked back. What the artist achieved through his work was to showcase the disparities that are prevalent in all societies, from the caste system in India to racial injustice in the West. It is this raw energy that makes one think while viewing his art.

“I want my art to raise questions and implore people to look within. There are many things that go undocumented in history. My aim is to focus on issues like those that are uncomfortable and compel us to look around us. I’m influenced by early European art but viewed with the lens of my Telangana roots,” he states.

His current show, The Elephant in the Room, in acrylic and oils, showcases elements of Hyderabad juxtaposed against the issues it faces. From autos to arches of religious structures to issues of colonialism and modernization, they provoke the viewer to think. Deeply metaphorical, his work captures the issues modern societies grapple with, from lopsided urban development to gender disparities.

[caption id="attachment_50884" align="aligncenter" width="800"] One of Rahul Mitra's works[/caption]

His visual vocabulary is unique, as is his process of work. He first makes rough sketches of his work before using digital collages to get an impression of what the finished art looks like before he executes his vision on the canvas. Also passionate about public installations, the artist has worked on multiple projects using materials as simple as cartons and wood, creating deeply impactful works, which Rahul Mitra calls the Box City.

Love for India and its heritage

In all things creative, including writing, the author has never let his roots in India fade away. They form his constant muse and forever inspiration.

As someone who has been based out of the US for over three decades, how has life changed for Indians in the country? He smiles. “After the internet took off, I think Indians are looked at with much respect. Most Indians are highly educated and contribute actively to society.”

How much has changed for Indians pursuing the American dream from the 90s to now? He ponders before answering with a laugh, “Technology has revolutionized life. Back then, I used to pay three dollars to call for a minute. Now, it's free, so younger students can feel closer to their parents. It reminds me of the old movies when magicians could see people in the mirrors at the chant of a mantra, just that the iPhone has replaced the mirror.”

[caption id="attachment_50885" align="aligncenter" width="626"] Rahul Mitra with his family[/caption]

With a lawyer wife Mini Kapoor and artistically inclined children Anika (who works with Deloitte in New York) and Manav (who has just finished high school), the artist is in a happy space. For someone who loves traveling, cooking, and collecting comics with his family, his next goal is all ready—to find a publisher for his manuscript!

Follow Rahul Mitra on Instagram

Reading Time: 5 mins

Delhi, Dubai, DeMon: How CA-turned-author Murali Raghavan whipped up a financial thriller

(July 28, 2022) Like most Indians, Murali Raghavan was also taken aback when the surprise announcement of demonetisation was made by the Indian government in November 2016. It triggered endless debates between him and his group of friends. A late 2017 announcement that over 99.6 percent of the notes had been deposited in the country's banking system, got the chartered accountant, who is the founder of the company CFOsme, contemplating how the corrupt businessmen and politicians get rid of their ill-gotten wealth. It intrigued the Dubai-based chartered and cost accountant so much, that he began penning his thoughts around the subject. He ended up weaving a brilliant tale of big money and crime, which is sure to be an eye-opener. His book Riding the De(Mon) was launched on July 22. "The book is a financial thriller, delving deep into money laundering in India, particularly the methods used by corrupt businessmen and politicians to funnel their ill-gotten gains into the banking system. It touches upon various aspects including hacking into banks, short selling, and money laundering. Information is more powerful than money," smiles Murali Raghavan, speaking to Global Indian. The book talks about hawala transactions, benami accounts, dummy supplier accounts created

m>Global Indian.

The book talks about hawala transactions, benami accounts, dummy supplier accounts created by many companies to siphon off funds, overseas investment from Maldives corporation, etc. "The book goes to great lengths to explain these concepts in a simple way that makes it easy for all readers to understand,” says the chartered accountant.

[caption id="attachment_27452" align="aligncenter" width="643"] Chartered Accountant | Murali Raghavan | Global Indian Murali Raghavan, author of Riding the De(Mon)[/caption]

He gives credit to a website called Script a Hit which helped him out with the book. "As I continued to think about demonetisation I fleshed out the plot into a six-page synopsis. I took a leap of faith and submitted my idea and it got accepted,” recalls the 55-year-old.

In-depth analysis

A lot of research went into the making of the book. This included speaking with several CAs on the methods used by persons to route their wealth (black money) back into the system without getting caught, while the IT banking security specialists came up with a plausible way for the protagonist to hack into the banking system to download records.

Recalling the unending debates Raghavan used to have with his friends, most of whom are sharp financial minds, he says the discussion mostly veered around how the government's decision would benefit the country. "There were strong arguments on both sides. One of the key points of discussion was the estimates that the RBI would have a windfall gain of ₹4 lakh crores, as many corrupt people with a lot of black money in cash would risk losing the money than deposit it in their bank accounts and face the wrath of IT, officials," says the graduate from Delhi University, who simultaneously pursued cost accountancy.

Like a good story, he explains, it twists into the idea of information being the most powerful asset for both governments and businessmen to stay ahead of the game. “It also then adds a personal track - who does not like to read about the complex web of lies between a Guru, politicians, women, and a corrupt social organisation,” informs the chartered accountant, who previously worked with leading firms like Ford Rhodes and Price Waterhouse.

Does his book touch upon the role of politicians as well and has he named anyone? “The book delves into business- politician nexus, which is prevalent in most developing and developed countries. The story is fully fictional and not based on an actual business person or politician,” clarifies the author, who is also the co-founder of CFOsme, aimed at helping small and medium enterprises optimize their cash from operations with improved financial ecosystems.

The city of gold

Ask the author, who grew up in Delhi, how did he end up settling in Dubai, and he quips, “My life’s key events were triggered by happy coincidences and my tendency to explore new things.” When he finished CA and cost accountancy, he started looking for job opportunities inside and outside India and landed a job as Finance Manager in Dubai.

The first innings of Raghavan’s career were as a finance professional with corporate companies where he learnt and managed formal skills of financial operations. In his second innings, coincidently at the same time when India was shaking with the announcement of demonetisation, he took another leap of faith to become an entrepreneur. "The premise of CFOsme is to reduce waste and optimise cash – my outlook was changing the same time as the book was taking shape,” says the chartered accountant, whose wife is the Vice President of Emirates Airlines. While their son is interning for a gas company, their daughter will be completing her undergraduate from the UK in August.

Understanding the bigger picture

So what does he make of defaulters like Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi, or Vijay Mallya? “I think it is wrong to focus on a few defaulters but look at the larger picture and the total figure of non-performing assets in the banking system. While I am no expert, the fact that both domestic and foreign rating agencies upgraded the outlook of the banking sector of India gives me great comfort that the banks are not facing major headwinds from losses from defaulters,” explains the man, whose experience with MNCs in retail and wholesale distribution, Information Technology, real estate and hotel development, risk management, and Insurance gives him a wide range of skills and experience.

Chartered Accountant | Murali Raghavan | Global Indian

He however feels that with India being a democracy with a large population, businessmen will continue to seek favours from politicians. "Corrupt politicians- businessmen nexus and money laundering is prevalent across the world and India is no exception," says the chartered accountant, who was quite flabbergasted by the news report that said the current French President helped a US multinational while he was the Economy Minister. "In the US, the nexus between politicians and businessmen is very strong and is apparent from the strength of the various lobby groups. India, as a growing economy and a democracy, wherein elections have to be held every five years, also faces similar challenges,” says Raghavan, who went to Delhi Tamil Education Association senior secondary school.

Bright future ahead

Economically, feels Raghavan, India is at a cusp where the economic, labour, and other reforms of the last five years will start paying dividends. “I am quite bullish about the prospects of India and feel that it is posed to reap the demographic dividend. Overall KYC and other banking constructs have been strengthened – will it go away? Perhaps not. However, the system as a whole is improving and we have to recognise that," says the chartered accountant on a positive note.

Chartered Accountant | Murali Raghavan | Global Indian

Raghavan visits India at least thrice a year. "I have travelled extensively across India and make it a point to attend all the functions of my extended family and friends. I have seen the country grow and its soaring international standing and reputation," he says adding India has built a very powerful brand globally for its talent, use of technology, and 'jugaad'.

"India is an emerging superpower and it will become the third largest economy in the world within the next two decades," feels Raghavan, who enjoys playing different sports and taking long walks along the beach.

Follow Murali Raghavan on LinkedIn

Reading Time: 7 mins

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

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

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

Championing two causes - footwear wastage and environment preservation

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

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

Sustainability - the need of the hour

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

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

Greensole | Global Indian

Amplifying the impact

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

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

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

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

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

Reading Time: 5 min