Global IndianstoryHusna-Tara Prakash: From teacher to visionary behind Glenburn Tea Estate and boutique hospitality

Husna-Tara Prakash: From teacher to visionary behind Glenburn Tea Estate and boutique hospitality

Written by: Minal Nirmala Khona

(June 23, 2024) Creating a tea estate experience and running a boutique hotel, Husna-Tara Prakash’s philosophy is based on sustainability and an immersive experience.

Husna-Tara Prakash and her sister were born in England and as teenagers, studied in India, because their parents wanted them to get to know India better. She recalls, “Our parents wanted us to get familiar with our roots in India. I studied for six years at the Welham Girls School in Dehradun. Those years moulded me, and the friends I made there are the ones I am closest to even today. Then, after my final two years of school, back in the UK, I took a year off before college and went backpacking around the world – where I met my husband, Anshuman Prakash. We dated for six years – this was before emails and mobile phones. During that time, I got a degree in pharmacology and a post-grad in education from Cambridge University, as I wanted to become a teacher.”

Husna-Tara Prakash

A Legacy of Tea

Husna-Tara’s husband hails from a family that owned tea plantations, so at 25, she moved back to India, got married and the rest, as they say, is history. The Prakash family had inherited a tea estate in Assam from their extended family who owned around 30 estates at one stage. They added another in Kerala for many years, sold that, and took over Glenburn in Darjeeling in 2001. From then on, it was as if destiny guided Husna towards creating the businesses and brands that are synonymous with luxury today. “It was beautiful. There was a 1000-acre forest and two rivers which guests could visit. It led us to think of creating a space like the vineyards in Europe and provide a similar experience. I coincidentally met Bronwyn Latif, an interior designer, in Delhi at a horse-riding show. We decided to experiment with the idea of a boutique hotel at the estate. At that time, the original bungalow had only four rooms,” she tells Global Indian.

Husna-Tara and Bronwyn were not short on ideas and they saw ample potential in the place. Says Husna-Tara, “All the previous residents had left huge footprints on the place. I knew nothing about hospitality, but I wanted to restore the place to its original form of a plantation bungalow. We pulled off the ugly layers down to their bare bones. We had a local team to help. Once it was set up, I would meet with travel agents to promote the property every time I went to England. I’d pick up antique crockery on each of my trips. We also sourced antique furniture for the interiors.”

The Glenburn Tea Estate took shape and was launched in 2002 with four rooms. The main house is known as the Burra Bungalow. Over time, they added four rooms to what is called The Water Lily Bungalow. The place spells luxury, and offers stunning views of the town and the Himalayas. Glenburn is situated on top of a hill, near the River Rungeet, with the awe-inspiring Kanchenjunga overlooking the hillocks below. The entire estate is spread over 1600 acres and has tea gardens, forests, and rivers. There are plenty of activities the guests can partake in, from bonfire barbecues to treks, bird-watching, river paddling and more.

Giving Back, Generously

Husna-Tara is particular about sustainability and carbon footprints. The cuisine and creating the menu were the least challenging aspects, she says. “We use local produce only. The Himalayan trout and other local fish, and vegetables we procure locally. We also grow our herbs, some spices and several fruits and vegetables on the property itself. The cheese we use is the Kalimpong cheese, made in the region.”

Glenburn Tea Estate gives you an experience that includes treks, bird-watching, tea harvesting and gourmet food. The tariff is a bit on the higher side but she reiterates that it is value for money since it includes everything. From the airport pick-up or wherever you are coming from in the region, to all the meals, lavish dinners and activities are part of the package. Even laundry, GST and day trips to Kalimpong and Darjeeling are included.

The hotel’s success and its guests from all parts of the world have empowered the locals too. Especially since Husna-Tara is particular about hiring local staff and giving back to the community. She says, “We have 4000 workers who live within the tea estate. All my staff are from local villages and I don’t believe in hiring trained people. We support three government schools, and for the children of the staff and the estate, launched a scholarship programme that has enabled more than 60 of them to study at private schools.”

On the environment front, Glenburn is certified by the Rainforest Alliance, where it got 100 per cent for wildlife protection and community engagement. The local flora and fauna are protected within the forest and Husna-Tara ensures they are not harmed. There is also a music and dance academy that promotes the local culture of the Nepali community residing in Darjeeling.

An Uber Luxe Experience

Despite high tariffs, the tea estate’s eight rooms are booked out well in advance, sometimes even a year earlier. It was the curiosity of these very guests, who had questions galore about India’s colonial past and Kolkata’s history that led to Husna-Tara setting up one more luxury property, in Kolkata, which took seven years to complete. A penthouse boutique hotel called The Glenburn Penthouse, with nine rooms, has spectacular views of the Victoria Memorial, Eden Gardens, Fort William, the Governor’s Palace and the Calcutta Turf Club etc. It offers a curated experience, guided historic tours, and a bespoke menu created by the British-born chef Shaun Kenworthy. There is also a café that is open to all.

Despite no prior experience in hospitality, Husna has steered the Glenburn Estate to excellence, with many credits to its name. It is listed in the Tatler travel guide to the best 101 hotels in the world. Glenburn was also awarded the best luxury hill resort in India in 2018 by Outlook Traveller, and the gold award for the most responsible hotel in India in 2020 by the Indian Responsible Tourism Awards, and the tenth best boutique hotel in Asia by Smart Travel Asia in 2016 among others.

Her children grew up on the estate during the time she was renovating it, reveals Husna-Tara, though they are now studying at boarding school. Work-life balance is something she struggles with as she works remotely and is available for her team 24×7. Her main focus is on maintaining the quality and delivering on what she promises. For her, Glenburn is and always will be a labour of love. One that will be her legacy to the city of Kolkata, the hills and tea estates.

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Published on 23, Jun 2024

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Ramya Ravi: The Harvard educated entrepreneur bringing alive the magic of her grandmother’s biryani

(March 13, 2022) Growing up Ramya Ravi remembers feasting on the fragrant donne biryani whipped up by her grandmother. With each grain of the jeera samba rice coated in her secret blend of masalas and aromatic herbs, the greenish hued biryani left behind memories of its lusciousness long after it had been demolished. But the entrepreneur wondered why the donne biryani that filled her childhood with its deliciousness failed to enjoy its moment in the sun pan India like the Hyderabadi or Lucknowi biryanis. It was this desire to popularise the typically Karnataka style of biryani that led the Harvard alum to launch RNR Biryani as a cloud kitchen bang in the middle of the pandemic. However, the entrepreneur’s gamble paid off and today, RNR is a hugely profitable enterprise with dine in restaurants too. What started off as a cloud kitchen with an investment of ₹5 lakh in late 2020 is now a flourishing business clocking in a turnover of ₹10 crore. With a considerable presence across Bengaluru, RNR Biryani is set to spread its branches to neighbouring states this year. The fact that it was launched in the midst of a pandemic and managed to successfully grow at a

f a pandemic and managed to successfully grow at a time when the hospitality and F&B industries took a hit, makes it a unique story of spotting an opportunity at the right time.

[caption id="attachment_21258" align="aligncenter" width="670"] Entrepreneur | Ramya Ravi Ramya Ravi with her sister Shweta[/caption]

Born in Bengaluru into a family that owns a chain of hotels, Ramya and her two sisters – Shweta and Raveena – were always encouraged to be independent and come into their own. “We were always taught that it was all about what we brought to the table as individuals,” says Ramya, who schooled at The Valley School before doing her B.Com from Christ College.

“My father would always share stories of successful women entrepreneurs with us from early on,” says Ramya, who went on to do a short-term management course from Harvard University. “As I watched my father work, it influenced me to get into the hospitality sector myself,” the 27-year-old tells Global Indian. She also pursued multiple internships with various establishments and also worked with her father R Ravichandar, which gave her more exposure into the hospitality and F&B industries.

“But I always wanted to start up on my own,” says the entrepreneur, who often wondered why naati style Karnataka cuisine wasn’t celebrated across India; specifically the donne biryani. She launched RNR Biryani (named after her father Ravichandar and grandfather Ramaswamy) in November 2020 along with her sister Shweta as a tribute to their grandmother’s recipe. “The whole idea was to make RNR Biryani a family affair and dedicate it to my father and grandfather.”

Entrepreneur | RNR Biryani

They first began as a delivery-only model from a 200 square feet space in Nagarabhavi in Bengaluru with a single cook, two assistants and an investment of ₹5 lakh. “What gave us the confidence to start up in the middle of a pandemic is the fact that we saw an opportunity to deliver good quality donne biryani at a time when people were ordering in a lot,” says the entrepreneur, adding, “Given that during the pandemic hygiene was paramount, we found very joints that could deliver a hygienically made donne biryani; most of them were the small local joints.”

That became RNR Biryani’s USP – hygienic, authentic naati style donne biryani. Packaged in a blue tin box, RNR Biryani soon became quite popular as the startup tied up with Swiggy for delivery and in their first month clocked in over 10,000 deliveries. Soon, they’d launched their second kitchen in JP Nagar and there was no looking back. A year later, in November 2021, RNR also opened doors to its first dine in restaurant in Bengaluru’s Jayanagar. Today, RNR also has a delivery radius that covers almost every corner of the metropolitan city.

Entrepreneur | Ramya Ravi

So what is it that makes the donne biryani so unique when compared to other biryanis? To start off, it’s more robust in its flavours, says the entrepreneur. “Since it is made with jeera samba rice, as opposed to basmati, the rice itself absorbs the flavours of the masala and herbs very well.” The RNR offers its biryanis in chicken, mutton, and vegetarian variants along with a slew of sides and kebabs, ghee roast, tender coconut payasam and a fusion rasmalai cremeux. Another unique offering they’ve developed is the drumstick chilli, a hit with vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike.

“We also paid great attention to packaging and opted for tin boxes that also become collectibles. It turned out to be a talking point when we first launched our donne biryani in the market,” says Ramya, a trained Bharatanatyam dancer.

As RNR has made its way into the hearts of Bengalureans, Ramya is now set to take her offering to other states as well. “I want to make the naati style donne biryani as popular as the Hyderabadi biryani. The plan is to first introduce it to other South Indian states and popularise it there,” says the entrepreneur, who also loves to travel, explore new places and cuisines in her free time.

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Surabhi Yadav: Launching dreams through Sajhe Sapne

(April 26, 2023) “One day, women of Indian villages will be known for their potential, not their pain, for their aspirations, not their needs, for being leaders, not being led. We will make it happen, one Sapna Center at a time.” This is social entrepreneur Surabhi Yadav’s vision, which she realises through her project, Sajhe Sapne (Shared Dreams). The IIT-Delhi and University of California, Berkeley alumna has been working relentlessly to launch the careers of rural women in modern workforce. Since 2020, Surabhi and her team have enabled rural young women grow their skills, salary, satisfaction, support system and most importantly, their opinions. With her dream of Har gaon ko ho sapna center ki chaon (to create a series of Sapna centers in every village), Surabhi has been working on her cause starting with Kandbari, a picturesque Himachal Pradesh village. [caption id="attachment_37766" align="aligncenter" width="373"] Surabhi Yadav, founder and CEO, Sajhe Sapne[/caption] Popularly known as ‘Sapna Centres’, the Sajhe Sapne training centres are run for a cohort of trainees called ‘Sapnewaalis’ (women who dare to dream). “Sajhe Sapne’s first cohort was from Bihar's Musahar community, one of India's poorest and most socially ostracised castes,” says Surabhi, in an interview with Global Indian.

p-image-37766 size-full" src="https://stage.globalindian.com//wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-25-170549.jpg" alt="Indian Social Entrepreneur | Surabhi Yadav | Global Indian" width="373" height="523" /> Surabhi Yadav, founder and CEO, Sajhe Sapne[/caption]

Popularly known as ‘Sapna Centres’, the Sajhe Sapne training centres are run for a cohort of trainees called ‘Sapnewaalis’ (women who dare to dream). “Sajhe Sapne’s first cohort was from Bihar's Musahar community, one of India's poorest and most socially ostracised castes,” says Surabhi, in an interview with Global Indian.

Launching dreams

“There is no channel or pathway that connects modern workforce with villages,” says Surabhi and this is the gap she has chosen to address. Her non-profit is not into just providing livelihoods and creating gig workers but focuses on working towards the career development of rural women.

“I have put into Sajhe Sapne all that I have learned over the years,” remarks Surabhi. Growing up in a Madhya Pradesh village, she was no stranger to rural women resigning themselves to sub-optimal dreams. She thought it was a matter of courage and wondered why these women refused to dream big. “I remember many women in my extended family telling me that when you grow up, employ me as your chaprasi (peon).” Why do they want to be just be satisfied with that, Surabhi often wondered.

[caption id="attachment_37760" align="aligncenter" width="581"] Indian Social Entrepreneur | Surabhi Yadav | Global Indian Sapnewalis at work[/caption]

“With Sajhe Sapne, my goal is to shift the mindset of rural women from that of a livelihood to one of career development,” Surabhi says. “The ideas that encompass a growth path make the full form of ‘Sajhe’ – “S for skills, A for agency, J for job retention, H for hope and sense of possibilities and E for ecosystem of support,” she adds.

Over the last three years, Sajhe Sapne has trained a cohort of women from states like Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, MP, UP, Punjab and Maharashtra, from its Kandbari facility. “Our Sapnewalis have fire in their bellies and Sajhe Sapne fans that fire,” tells the founder and CEO.

The Sajhe Sapne model of growth

When Surabhi started out in 2020, she was brimming with ideas, but funds were scarce, so she settled on crowdfunding. She set out to arrange ₹15 lakhs for the startup but ended up getting ₹26 lakh within three days of her crowdfunding campaign. It wasn’t just family and friends – celebrities also took notice and re-tweeted her initiative, helping her exceed her collection target. “In fact, more people were willing to contribute but I stopped the campaign midway because I did not want to use so much money on the pilot run of my project, despite friends advising not to do so and allow money to come.”

Now, Surabhi has come up with a unique model in which she instils a sense of responsibility in the alumni group (Sabal Sapna Dal), She tells them, “Once you graduate with a job, pay for someone just like someone paid for you.”

She wants to make her alumni network strong enough to be the biggest investors, influencers and inspiration for the future batches. There is an expenditure of ₹96,000 on each trainee in the year-long residential programme at Sapna Centre. Surabhi is proud of the fact that her funding model has already started gaining momentum. “So far ₹4.5 lakhs have already been donated by former trainees,” she shares joyfully.

[caption id="attachment_37761" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Indian Social Entrepreneur | Surabhi Yadav | Global Indian Sajhe Sapne team[/caption]

Sajhe Sapne has three career tracks for women to choose from to shape their careers - project management, primary math teaching and coding and web development. After they finish the year-long training programme, while Surabhi and her team try to bring employment opportunities, the programme also prepares women to look for job opportunities and apply on their own. “We try to bring in work opportunities from progressive organisations that value diversity,” Surabhi explains.

The organisation also runs a one of its kind podcasts by rural women where people get to learn from their life and derive leadership lessons from what they have done differently to change their lives for the better. Such has been the impact of Sajhe Sapne's idea that apart from Surabhi’s eight-member team, some very well-placed individuals like a San Francisco based product designer working in Uber are volunteering for the organisation deeply believing in the cause.

Life in IIT-Delhi

Surabhi grew up in Khargone Madhya Pradesh and studied there until standard 12, after which she went on to do her BTech and MTech in bio-chemical engineering and biotechnology from IIT Delhi.

Breaking barriers, she was the first person in her village to move to a big city to study. People in her community didn’t even understand the magnitude of her achievement when she secured an admission to IIT. “It was just another technical institute to them,” she says. “When I came to IIT, I realised it’s a big mela where you get to engage in so many things. I was awestruck with the three floors of library that had books that I could touch. It was such a beautiful experience for me coming from a village of scare resources,” she adds. “IIT became a big playground for me to explore interesting things.”

[caption id="attachment_37764" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Indian Social Entrepreneur | Surabhi Yadav | Global Indian Team of friends[/caption]

Surabhi’s interest in social development had begun early in her life, so after her M.Tech, she remained at IIT to work with a Professor of the Humanities and Social Sciences department as a research assistant. While thinking, reading, and writing about inclusive innovation and how to use technology for social good, she was soon neck-deep into development studies. It was the impetus that led her to University of California, Berkley to do a masters in development practice.

Realising her dreams

When she returned from California, Surabhi worked for an NGO for a short while and then started on her dream project.

“My father is the first person in the village to get a full education and a sarkari job. My mother fought to study until class eight. Since they worked very hard for their own education, they were very committed to their children’s education. Also, they treated social work as a way of living and not as a moral obligation,” Surabhi tells. This is where her dedication for social development stems from.

[caption id="attachment_37768" align="aligncenter" width="445"] Indian Social Entrepreneur | Surabhi Yadav | Global Indian Surabhi with her mentors[/caption]

Now a retired horticulturist, her father has helped many farmers without any benefit. “Being raised by such parents filled me with a sense of responsibility towards my community. In my formative years, I might not have known the phrase ‘social development’ but I grew up learning the importance of giving back to my community,”

Project Basanti and BIRD

Surabhi has been involved in other projects around gender equity and the rural development space. Her feminist bent led her to also launch Project Basanti – Women in Leisure, a multi-media project named after her late mother. “It explores time as a feminist issue and consists of a rich repository of photos and videos of women and girls taking time out for themselves.” Surabhi has been happy to see more than 20,000 people participating in interesting social media conversations around women in leisure. “Have you seen a well-rested woman,” asks Surabhi. Project Basanti is all about capturing such rare moments.

Surabhi is also a co-lead at Billion Readers – BIRD, an IIM-Ahmedabad project. There, she assists the BIRD team to support the government’s language literacy initiative and improving reading habits of individuals. While people watch entertaining content on television or YouTube, subtitles encourage them to read, without pushing them to do so.

Driven by purpose amidst nature

To be able to work from Kanbadi is like living a dream for Surabhi. “Nature was important, a small place was important, not having a crowd was important. I get the quiet, I get the mountains and I get this beautiful organisation to run with a wonderful team,’ she smiles. “This place gives me the tranquility that requires to think creatively,” tells Surabhi who has been learning flute and sitar amidst the blissful quietude.

[caption id="attachment_37769" align="aligncenter" width="618"] Indian Social Entrepreneur | Surabhi Yadav | Global Indian Sapnewalis at work[/caption]

“I am walking in my balcony with the Dhauladhar mountain range and lush green fields in front of me,” she smiles as we come to the end of our conversation. Life is just the way she wanted it to be. Working amidst the beauty of nature, Surabhi is polishing up her development model while corporates line up to partner with her to open Sajhe Sapne's Sapna Centres in other villages as part of their CSR activities.

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Chidananda Naik on winning La Cinef Award at Cannes 2024: This is just the beginning

(June 21, 2024) Brushing shoulders with some of the biggest names in the world of cinema at the French Riviera last month, Mysuru-based filmmaker Chidananda S Naik found himself in a state of deep gratitude and awe at the 77th Cannes Film Festival where his short film, Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know won him the La Cinef Award. "My heart is filled with gratitude. This win is not just mine; it belongs to everyone who was a part of this project and every Indian who backed us, especially from Karnataka, as we proudly represented India on this global stage," he tells Global Indian. [caption id="attachment_52501" align="aligncenter" width="529"] Chidananda Naik[/caption] Cannes 2024 proved to be a landmark year for Indian cinema at the prestigious film festival with several participants scripting history, including the 29-year-old filmmaker. It is for the first time that a film made by a student from the first year Television course at FTII, Pune has won an award at the Cannes Film Festival. Humbled by the win, Chidananda says, "I genuinely feel that this is just the beginning. Our success at Cannes has opened new doors and inspired us to continue creating films that resonate globally."

tudent from the first year Television course at FTII, Pune has won an award at the Cannes Film Festival. Humbled by the win, Chidananda says, "I genuinely feel that this is just the beginning. Our success at Cannes has opened new doors and inspired us to continue creating films that resonate globally."

Making India proud

Growing up, Chidananda had never imagined himself on a stage as big as the Cannes Film Festival, making his debut feel surreal and an experience he calls incredible. "It was such a huge honour to represent India." As a member of the contingent that made India proud at Cannes 2024, the filmmaker is thrilled to have witnessed the historic triumphs of Indians at the film festival, a period he calls his "most memorable moment." "I saw history being written in front of me and what a year for India! It started with Mansi Maheshwari, her anime film Bunnyhood won third prize at La Cinef, followed by Anasuya Sengupta, who became the first Indian to win the Un Certain Regard Best Actress award, and then Payal Kapadia, whose film All We Imagine won Palme d'Or," he smiles.

For an emerging talent like him, film festivals play a crucial role, offering a platform to showcase their talent to a global audience and industry professionals. "La Cinef, formerly known as Cinefondation Selection, are particularly important because they are specifically created mainly to inspire and support the next generation of international filmmakers," says Chidananda, whose short Kannada film was among the 18 entries selected from film school students worldwide.

Bringing a popular folklore to the forefront

Taking a leaf out of a popular Kannada folklore Ajjiya Jamba, the 16-minute short film tells the story of a village plunged into darkness by an elderly woman who steals a rooster. This act triggers chaos as the villagers frantically search for the missing rooster, believing it is essential to restore daylight. To bring the rooster back, a prophecy is invoked, resulting in the exile of the old woman's family.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAmKq-Nwq6s

Chidananda cherished the folklore since childhood, but during his time at FTII, he discovered that it was only well-known in Karnataka and remained a mystery to people outside the state. "My editor, Manoj V, and I have always wanted to make a Kannada film, and the possibility of bringing the story world we imagined to life was really fascinating to us," adds the filmmaker, who had only four days to shoot the film that was a part of his coursework at FTII. However, he remained focussed on taking the best shots and reflects that the filming process taught him to be "meditative in the chaos."

Shot entirely under the cloak of night, the film uses darkness to weave a tale of mystery and suspense, pulling the viewers in the villagers' desperate struggle, thus making night itself a vital character. "It was extremely difficult to shoot with all the limited resources and rules. We were super exhausted but really satisfied with the shots we achieved," says the filmmaker, who found his crew in his batchmates. "Suraj served as the Director of Photography, Manoj was the editor, and Abhishek handled location sound and mixing," reveals Chidananda, noting that other artists joined them to assist during the filming.

Doctor-turned-filmmaker

It's hard to believe that the award-winning filmmaker once aspired to be a doctor. Born in Shivamogga to Prof Shekar Naik, Head of Department of Food Sciences and Nutrition at Yuvaraja College and Vinoda Bai, Chidananda was "never interested in cinema nor thought about it much." His passion initially lay in medicine, leading him to enroll at Mysore Medical College and Research Institute for his MMBS. Ironically, it was medicine that initially drew him towards art. "From the first year, we delved into anatomy through dissection, understanding the human body in great detail. Yet, I often pondered about emotions and feelings, which are also essential aspects of being human," says Chidananda, who found his expression in filmmaking, and joined FTII, Pune after completing his MBBS.

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"We are all born first and then we decide how to spend the rest of the days before turning into ashes. There is no blueprint to life that dictates what we should do. I just decided to be happy and do things that make me and people around me happy. It's more about coming to terms with myself and finding my expression of life. These thoughts led me to resonate deeply with art and literature, ultimately guiding me towards filmmaking. It wasn't that I was unhappy studying or practicing medicine, nor was I doing it solely for my parents. Instead, it was a realisation that my true passion lay elsewhere," says Chidananda.

The road ahead

Pivoting to filmmaking turned out to the best decision for Chidananda, who met a bunch of talented people at FTII, thus helping him hone his craft and make impactful films. He reserves a special mention for Neeraj Voralia, a mentor whom he deeply admires. "He is a true blessing to students at FTII."

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With La Cinef Award under his belt, the passionate filmmaker is now gearing towards making a mainstream film. "I will share updates in a proper way as the project progresses. I can't reveal too much at this stage," says the man who has brought Kannada film to the forefront at a global stage like Cannes with his film Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know. "We are motivated more than ever to make films that tell compelling stories and connect with audiences worldwide. The journey ahead is exciting, and I believe we will see many more Kannada films gaining global acclaim in the future," he signs off.

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Meet Aditya Mehta, the first Indian para-cyclist to win a medal at the Asian Paralympics

(September 30, 2023) At age 24, Aditya Mehta narrowly dodged death but ended up losing his leg after being run over by a bus. The road to recovery was long, hard and painful for the budding entrepreneur. People who visited him would pity him, leaving him even more frustrated. But his indomitable will wouldn’t allow him to go down. Aditya pulled himself together, took to para-cycling with a prosthetic leg and went on to become India’s first para-cyclist to bag a medal at the Asian Paralympics. “So far, I have cycled 40,000 kms and won two silver medals at Asian Championship. My goal now is to coach youngsters get medals for India in Paralympic Games,” smiles Aditya Mehta, in conversation with Global Indian. Mehta headed the contingent in the para-cycling world championships in Glasgow, Scotland, recently. “As a coach, it was a fulfilling experience as three of my trainees created history by qualifying for Paralympics 2024,” says Aditya of the event. It was the first time that Sports Authority of India (SAI) supported the para-cyclist contingent in a world championship. [caption id="attachment_45521" align="aligncenter" width="524"] Aditya Mehta[/caption] Teething troubles Born in Hyderabad, Aditya grew up in a joint family, along with 18 first

ttps://stage.globalindian.com//wp-content/uploads/2023/09/aditya-CARD-.png" alt="" width="524" height="350" /> Aditya Mehta[/caption]

Teething troubles

Born in Hyderabad, Aditya grew up in a joint family, along with 18 first cousins. He hated studies, argued with his parents and often got in trouble at home and in school for his reckless behaviour. “I was a difficult child. When I was in the fifth grade, I failed in my Telugu exam, and was very scared of my father. I stole my mother’s earrings, sold them for some money and travelled all the way to Goa. Then I called up my parents to come pick me up,” recalls the most accomplished para-cyclist in the country who gave up schooling when he was in class 9. Eventually, Aditya realised that he was looked upon as a failure. “Everyone had a terrible opinion of me, especially in the family. It hurt.”

By the time he turned 16, he decided to prove himself and wanted to start a textile business with a few friends. His family didn’t support the idea. “I knew my father didn’t trust me,” says Aditya, who then started travelling from town-to-town selling garments. Slowly, his family began to take note of his perseverance. “My grandfather and my mother eventually supported me with minimal funding” says Aditya. One year later, he turned the modest Rs 30,000 investment into a turnover of Rs 1.5 crore. Unfortunately, his rough patch wasn’t over – he found out that some friends had been siphoning off crores from the company account. Aditya started from scratch again and set up a successful business exporting garments. By the age of 22, Aditya was financially independent and his family was happy.

Tragedy Strikes

Aditya’s life changed after his return from a business trip to Hong Kong in August 2017. “I left home on my bike to meet my stockist. Suddenly, a bus hit my bike twice from the rear. I fell down, got dragged for almost 300 metres. The bus crushed my right leg,” he recalls.

Aditya lay motionless on the road. “Strangely, no one came forward to help me. I regained consciousness and dragged myself away from the bus. The pain was excruciating.” A store-owner who knew Aditya happened to pass by and took him to the hospital. His parents were shattered.

Once the treatment began, doctors amputated Aditya’s leg above the knee. “Every alternate day, the wound would be dressed without pain killers. I would scream in agony,” says Aditya, who was on bed rest for nearly two months thereafter.

As he began recovering, the entrepreneur tried hard to keep his dream alive and expand his business. One year after the accident, he left for South Africa on a business meeting. “My leg would bleed every single day of the trip and I would have to change the dressing frequently,” says the 40-year-old.

Confronted with the reality of the situation, he finally had to accept that moving around wasn’t easy any more. “With a heavy heart, I closed down the business.”

Fighting back

Aditya returned to India and tried a prosthetic leg. It took him about seven months to learn to walk with it. “I would fall down often. Several times, out of sheer frustration, I would just lie on the floor. I hated that situation,” he says.

His father helped him see things from a different perspective. “He would tell me that I needed to think like a child. Children don’t complain when they try learning to walk. When they fall, they just get up again. These words really helped me. My parents supported me through everything,” smiles Aditya.

Eventually, he began walking up to a kilometre. Slowly, he increased it to five and then 10 kms. Thereafter, he started swimming and joined an academy in Pune. Around that time, he came across a hoarding of local cycling club. “The picture I saw on it was a glaring reminder of my limitations. I started to reminisce about the days in school when I had the best cycle in class. The thought that I couldn’t ride anymore was too hard to bear.”

One day, Aditya borrowed his cousin’s cycle and made an attempt to ride with one leg. “My father supported me and said I should give it a shot.” I rode for about a kilometre after falling five times. Every fall made me stronger and I just kept going,” he says. Aditya decided then that he would be a professional cyclist. He trained hard, pushing through all the discomfort.

Almost six years later, he rode from London to Paris and climbed 9000 feet. He then cycled solo from Kashmir to Kanyakumari in 2013. His name entered the Limca Book of Records not once, but twice. “I become the first amputee cyclist to complete a 100 km ride in 5.5 hours. Now, I can even do it in 4-4.5 hours. Hitting this record was a turning point in my life. I knew that I could do everything I wanted to,” says Aditya, who won two silver medals at Asian championship.

The most challenging experience at the Asian championship in Delhi was when his artificial leg came out and got stuck in the pokes of the front wheel just days ahead of the championship. “I had a bad fall and got injured. Despite that, I went ahead and participated. I won the silver medal.”

Aditya Mehta Foundation

After his wins, Aditya decided to support para athletes. In 2013, he launched Aditya Mehta Foundation. The aim was to help people like him win medals.

His foundation has helped more than 100 para-athletes. Help was also extended to about a 1,000 soldiers from the Border Security Force (BSF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), all of which are India’s paramilitary forces. “In all, we have trained nearly 7,000 people in 28 forms of para sports who have won 229 medals in different championships so far. All of them inspire me everyday.”

In 2020, Aditya and para-cyclists from the BSF went on a 3,801 km long cycling expedition in India, covering 35 cities in 41 days. His foundation raises funds through various events, scouts talent from among the disabled population in the country, trains and funds them to grow in sports.

Fitness

While Aditya has taken up coaching for para-cyclists in a big way, he sticks to his fitness schedule. “Nutrition and conditioning are essential and I follow them religiously,” informs the ace para-cyclist, who is up at 4 am everyday to start training. He trains for almost five days a week and makes it a point to hit the gym in between.

Future plans

Aditya is presently busy coaching. “We are training hard for the Paralympics 2024 in France. I’m also training the children who were identified at the grassroots level for various state, national and international competitions.”

Aditya loves taking long cycle rides whenever he get time. “My top hobby is cycling,” says the para-cyclist, who says his biggest inspiration is his father. “I am able to live confidently today because of my parents. Coming from a business family, where the goal is just to earn money, I am able to do my bit for my extended family (his trainees) due to my parents support,” he adds.

You can follow Aditya's work on his website.

Samir Lakhani: Saving lives in developing countries through soap recycling

(February 6, 2024) Interested in sustainability, 23-year-old Samir Lakhani found himself on a muddy trail in one of the villages of Cambodia in 2014 when he caught the sight of a woman bathing her child with laundry detergent. A young volunteer from Pennsylvania, US, Samir was shocked and disturbed. "Something as basic as soap was missing in the majority households of rural Cambodians," Samir tells Global Indian. Keen to bring about a change, he found his solution in Eco Soap Bank which supplies recycled soap to the developing world with a mission to promote basic hygiene, restore health, and employ marginalised women. Started in 2014, the non-profit venture now has recycling centres in five countries - Cambodia, Nepal, Tanzania, South Africa, and Sierra Leone. "Each year 25,000 metric tonnes of soap bars make it to the landfills," informs Samir who has been able to save 4.5 million kilos of soap bars from entering the landfill with Eco Soap Bank. "Moreover, we have provided soap to over 9 million people in 30 countries so far," adds the social entrepreneur who was on the 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 list. [caption id="attachment_48810" align="aligncenter" width="645"] Samir Lakhani at Eco-Soap Bank headquarter in Siem

[caption id="attachment_48810" align="aligncenter" width="645"] Samir Lakhani | Global Indian Samir Lakhani at Eco-Soap Bank headquarter in Siem Reap, Cambodia.[/caption]

The journey that changed it all

With their roots in Gujarat, his mom was born in Tanzania while his dad is from Uganda, who like other South Asians had to face sudden expulsion at the hands of dictator Idi Amin in 1972. He relocated to the US where he studied at Brown University. His mom, a paediatrician, travelled as a youngster and after studying in Iran for some time, she secured admission to the University of Pennsylvania. Growing up, Samir heard stories about Africa from his parents, which left him intrigued. "I was eager to see what Africa was all about. During high school, I got the opportunity to visit the towns where my parents were born and understand the context in which they were born. Joining the dots of their origin to their final destination was pretty remarkable. It left me with a lot of energy but also the commitment to work in those areas because of the quality of life I had in the US," he adds.

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Passionate about eco-conscious practices, Samir enrolled in environmental studies at the University of Pennsylvania, and an internship with a climate change resilience group led him to Cambodia. But what he noticed in the next few days in a village in Cambodia left him shocked and heartbroken - everyone was using laundry detergent to bathe. "I felt an incredible amount of guilt that something as affordable as soap was out of reach for a majority of the population in the country. I was very disturbed and couldn't get that scene out of my head." Upon his return to the hotel room in Siem Reap, he saw the soap bar replaced by housekeepers. "I realised I had barely used the last one." This epiphany led to the birth of Eco Soap Bank with the aim to recycle soap and distribute it to the underprivileged. "I realised that something as simple as soap was not available in a village 5 miles away, and the same soap was thrown away daily for luxury tourists. Those quick realisations organically created the organisation."

Recycling soaps for the underprivileged

The process began with Samir going from hotel to hotel in Cambodia asking them to collect their used soaps for Eco Soap Bank. But the request was met with resistance. "We initially got a strong pushback because it required them to do extra work and some thought it was a strange request." However, with time their reputation grew hotel-by-hotel, and many started collecting soap for Eco Soap Bank.

While Samir started experimenting with a grinder in his hotel room, crushing the soap into smaller particles, he also kept visiting the nearby rural areas to understand the people and their lack of awareness of basic hygiene. The results were shocking. Most people put the onus of health issues in their community on bad karma. "It was the lack of education and awareness that played a pivotal role," he adds, agreeing to the fact that many doctors and health practitioners were killed in the 70s genocide, thus creating a huge gap in healthcare awareness. "During Covid-19, many Cambodian communities in the rural areas thought Covid was a symptom of eating too many chillies," reveals Samir, adding, "Honestly, I didn't want to lose another generation of Cambodians to misinformation."

Aiming for a healthy and dignified life

While awareness is the key, Samir emphasises that "education which is physical and pragmatic like handing out a bar of soap" is the most effective. "And that's the kind of journey we have taken." The continuous awareness has led to a shift in the mindset of the people, especially children. "Children are much more open to new ideas than adults, so we are focussing on them even if they are in schools or refugee camps." To this end, they also make soaps in toy shapes. "They excite children, who take to handwashing faster," says Samir. When they started Eco Soap Bank a decade ago, creating awareness was as important as soap recycling. However, over the years, it has become less of their strategic priority as they are now mostly focussed on "the hygiene supply gap vs the hygiene awareness gap. Because 2 billion people don't have access to soap at home."

Eco Soap Bank | Global Indian

During COVID-19, Eco Soap Bank called for an urgent need to restrategise as their major supplier- hotels - went into lockdown worldwide. "We switched to factories that make commercial bar soaps as they also generate some volume of waste. We asked them to collect the waste for us and we were able to continue recycling waste. We distributed our 50 millionth soap at the end of 2023." Soap factories worldwide waste an estimate a quarter billion of soap bars annually, and many supply this excess to Eco Soap Bank," informs Samir. Explaining the process behind soap recycling, Samir says the soap collected from factories makes it to their recycling centres where it is crushed into powder. That mix is then pushed through an extruder machine and takes the shape of a bar of soap. "It's a very simple process."

[caption id="attachment_48812" align="aligncenter" width="687"] Eco Soap Bank | Global Indian One of Eco Soap Bank's recycling centre[/caption]

The recycled soaps are then distributed through hundreds and thousands of partnerships with smaller and big organisations - from UNICEF to community schools or social centres. "We distribute soaps to the refugee camps through UN agencies as well as local schools," reveals Samir as Eco Soap Bank makes 50000 bars of soap a day.

Eco Soap Bank began with the mission to recycle soap, promote basic hygiene, and provide employment to marginalised women around the world. "Currently 160 women work in the soap recycling facilities across the five countries, and we plan to increase the number to 212 by the end of the year." Eco Soap Bank also helps women set up businesses by selling soaps at a nominal price. "If an employee is particularly excited, we also provide them with volumes of soap that they can sell in their community while also engaging in hygiene outreach. The vast majority of the women we employ prefer the employment route, however, we do have 320 other women who just exclusively sell soap," adds Samir.

Eco Soap Bank

In the last decade, he has been humbled by the outpour of help and support for Eco Soap Bank, which led to the opening up of recycling centres in four more countries. " I am amazed by people's generosity to get involved and take your mission to the next level," says Samir for whom that singular experience in Cambodia acted as a North Star, guiding him throughout.

Coming to India soon

Eco Soap Bank now plans to expand into India soon, for which they need to partner with factories here. "We also want to be the primary supplier of soaps to the refugee crisis in Bangladesh and Central Africa," Samir says.

When Samir started Eco Soap Bank a decade ago, he had no idea about social entrepreneurship but he answered his calling and learnt on the way. "Nothing is out of reach for anyone on how to do, and I hope my story is a small example of that," he signs off.

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