Moutaineer | Satish Gogineni | Global Indian

Global IndianstoryIndia-born mountaineer Satish Gogineni sets new record by summiting Mt Everest and Mt Lhotse within 20 hours

India-born mountaineer Satish Gogineni sets new record by summiting Mt Everest and Mt Lhotse within 20 hours

Written by: Namrata Srivastava

(June 29, 2022) It’s not just the altitude that makes a mountain mean. From the route to scale the summit to the unexpected weather turning the climb into a deadly expedition – many unforeseen hurdles can make the summit an impossible task. However, nothing could deter Hyderabad-born mountaineer, Satish Gogineni, from climbing not one but two mountains in a single day. Last month, Satish summited Mount Everest and Mount Lhotse — the first and fourth highest peak in the world – within 20 hours of each other, in one single expedition. This makes him the fastest Indian to achieve the double-summit, a feat less than 100 climbers in the world have managed.

Satish Gogineni

Connecting with Global Indian from San Francisco, Satish shares that he was preparing for the summit for some time now. “I summited Mount Everest (8,849 m) and Mount Lhotse (8,516 m). I have always enjoyed travelling to new cities within and outside the US, and meeting new people. This, combined with my curiosity to find my vertical and endurance ceiling pushed me to challenge myself. I was able to climb both the mountains in about 19-and-a-half hours,” shares the mountaineer.

Driven by adventure

Like most kids, Satish grew up playing sports, however, it wasn’t a big part of his life. “My father worked as an engineer in BSNL and my mother worked at Dr BR Ambedkar Open University. Growing up, I remember I was a lot into cricket. I and my brother would play many sports, but we never pursued them professionally.”

Satish at Mount Everest’s summit

Academically driven, Satish went to Pune to pursue a bachelor’s in engineering at the Maharashtra Institute of Technology, and later relocated to the United States in 2004. It was here that he reconnected with his adventurous streak. “I started taking part in inter-college sports activities. But soon realised that people here were much faster than I was. So, I started running about two to three miles every day. After moving to Los Angeles, I joined a running club as I didn’t have many friends to hang out with. In 2007, I ran my first LA marathon,” shares the mountaineer, for whom there has been no looking back since then.

Matters of the mind

An endurance runner, Satish has run 14 full marathons, including the world majors in Berlin and Tokyo. However, the road to the highest mountain in the world was full of hurdles. “Very unexpectedly, I lost my mother in 2011. That was a big shocker for me. I struggled through depression for about two years. It was a huge loss,” shares the adventure junkie. But it was running that kept him going. “Everyone in the world has struggled through a loved one’s loss. However, it is important to move on. While it was difficult for me, I kept myself going. I never quit running and with time I got more disciplined and organised,” the mountaineer adds.

Moutaineer | Satish Gogineni | Global Indian

While he is a pro at it now, mountaineering was never on the cards. A chance backpacking trip with a friend changed it all for Satish. “In 2013, a friend invited me for a backpacking trip to Mount Whitney (4,421 m), which is the tallest peak in the US. I didn’t like it at the time, because it felt like running two marathons simultaneously. But, later, I started enjoying the rush,” shares the mountaineer. High on adrenaline rush, he returned home to watch many YouTube videos on ‘How to climb Everest’ till wee hours of the night, after being sleepless for several hours.

Tryst with mountains

Since then, Satish has climbed several mountains in the US. He has summited Mt Shasta (4,322 m), Mt Rainier (4,392 m) and Mt Hood (3,429 m). Interestingly in 2018, he also climbed volcano Iztaccíhuatl (5,230 m) in Mexico, and scaled it again in 2019 along with stratovolcano Pico De Orizaba (5,636 m) — the third highest mountain in North America. In June 2021, he summited Mt Denali (6,190 m) — the highest mountain in North American continent.

Satish with another climber

Passionate for the mountains, he trained rigorously for his Everest expedition with his friend. “I would run for about 60-90 miles a week. Apart from the endurance training, I had to prepare mentally as well, for which I practiced yoga regularly,” he adds.

Having climbed the world’s tallest peak, Satish calls the experience “mentally challenging”. “The key is to stay focussed, because while it not the most dangerous mountain to climb, Mount Everest does test you in many ways. There are deadly crevasses, the Khumbu icefall, and the high altitude. So, the most difficult thing is to stay focussed on the task at hand at any given point in time. Also, I wasn’t just climbing Mt Everest, but also My Lhotse, and for that it was important that to have a strong mind.”

Moutaineer | Satish Gogineni | Global Indian

Happy to achieve the feat, Satish is all praise for his Sherpa, whom he calls his “biggest gift.” “Pemba, who was from the Makalu region, was the biggest blessing throughout the journey. He always double checked the safety and encouraged me at every point,” says Satish who plans to climb more mountains in the future.

Follow Satish Gogineni on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook

Name*

Email*

Name*

Email*

1 Comment

Oldest

Newest Most Voted

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Sudhir Narra

February 22, 2023 7:04 am

Very good achievements in your life and hope better future in ahead.

Published on 29, Jun 2022

Share with

ALSO READ

Dean Rakesh Khurana: Changing the world of education

(November 30, 2022) The official page of Rakesh Khurana on the Harvard College website describes him as "Not just a Dean, but a friend", adding, "When Dean Khurana walks into a room, the energy shifts to a more positive, welcoming environment. Khurana, a former Faculty Dean of Cabot House, exemplifies the mission of Harvard College; he transforms the lives of students daily through the connections he makes and the photos he posts on Instagram." The Dean of Harvard College Rakesh Khurana - an award-winning teacher and widely recognised scholar - has pioneered several changes in the modern education system to make it more inclusive and fun. His innovative methods in pedagogy and practice adaptability have made him one of the favourite teachers of his students. [caption id="attachment_32278" align="aligncenter" width="656"] Dean Rakesh Khurana[/caption] "The faculty needed to act to create a psychologically safe environment for engagement," Dean Khurana had said during an education conference, adding, "Where silence was not interpreted as agreement, where there was no pressure to behave simply to create unanimity, and where people were not judged for raising ideas before they were fully formed." Deeply involved with undergraduates’ daily lives outside the classroom, this Global Indian is changing

ce was not interpreted as agreement, where there was no pressure to behave simply to create unanimity, and where people were not judged for raising ideas before they were fully formed." Deeply involved with undergraduates’ daily lives outside the classroom, this Global Indian is changing the way educational institutions work, giving the mundane experience a more humane touch.

A man of knowledge

While not much is known about his childhood, Dean Khurana shared that his family moved from New Delhi to Queens, New York when he was just a toddler. Brought up in the largest of the five boroughs of NYC, the young kid was sharp and very observant of human behaviour, and that is what led him to pursue a bachelor's degree in industrial relations from Cornell University. He later earned an MA in sociology from Harvard and his Ph.D. in organisational behavior through a joint program between the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences and Harvard Business School in 1998.

[caption id="attachment_32279" align="aligncenter" width="632"] Rakesh Khurana Rakesh and Stephanie Khurana at Cabot House[/caption]

Since a young age, Dean Khurana was interested in pursuing a career in the field of education. And soon after he earned his doctorate, he became the founding team member of Cambridge Technology Partners and from 1998 to 2000 he taught at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After spending a decade at MIT, Khurana and his wife Stephanie were named master and co-master of Cabot House at Harvard University, and the couple still holds the position.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgSy72QVBLA

Later the same year Dean Khurana became the Marvin Bower Professor of Leadership Development at Harvard Business School and professor of sociology in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. "Most of the significant challenges and opportunities we face in the world are not things that anybody faces alone. They require building a foundation of trust and understanding, while also finding common ground with others. It’s hard for me to separate students, faculty, and administration — and while I know different people play different roles, ultimately I believe we are all 'Harvard'. How we work together and how we share our diverse perspectives have led to a deeper understanding of each other. This type of capacity-building has been central to creating a supportive and diverse living environment where students can safely embark on their journey of intellectual transformation," the Dean had told Legal Desire magazine when asked about why he includes his students' opinions for every small decision.

At the helm of Harvard

In 2014, Rakesh became the Dean of Harvard College. In his announcement, former Dean Michael D. Smith said, "Khurana brings to the deanship an intimate understanding of the Harvard College experience, a profound commitment to the values of a liberal-arts education, and a warm and compassionate personality that accompanies his belief in the importance of community and an inclusive approach to decision-making."

[caption id="attachment_32280" align="aligncenter" width="758"] Harvard University President Drew Faust greets Dean Rakesh Khurana at a recent graduation ceremony[/caption]

But, even when the students and faculty members were gearing up to welcome their new head, Dean Khurana was working on college policies to ensure that diversity and inclusion at Harvard. "Our diversity is our strength. To me, diversity of intellectual thought, which is deeply enriched by people who bring different cultural perspectives and lived experiences, is what is most valued here at Harvard College. We are educating our students to be citizens and citizen-leaders in one of the most diverse societies in the world, one that is becoming even more diverse, and the challenge for the American experiment — the challenge for the global experiment — is how we continue to thrive in that world, rather than retreat into tribalism, conformity of values, and closed-minded thinking," the dean had said during one of his initial speeches at the University.

[caption id="attachment_32281" align="aligncenter" width="645"] Dean Rakesh Khurana Dean Khurana with President Joe Biden[/caption]

A strong leader, and a dear friend to his students, Dean Khurana has been working hard so that Harvard students and faculty members find the opportunities to ensure the mission of the college is accomplished in a way that is both consistent with its values and meaningful within the current educational landscape. Even during the global pandemic, when other educational institutions were struggling, Harvard, under Dean Khurana's leadership, reported increased levels of participation among their students by the third week of online classes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJKAGC6nvXA

“Leadership, ultimately, is the ability to be comfortable with being uncomfortable,” adding, "It's the willingness to adapt and change to circumstance, but be steady in your values," the dean believes.

Follow Dean Rakesh Khurana on Instagram and LinkedIn

Reading Time: 7 mins

Anu Sehgal: Promoting South Asian cultural literacy in the US

(March 29, 2023) When Anu Sehgal moved to the US in 1995, she found herself yearning for authentic Indian experiences. She devoured everything that came her way – exhibitions, film festivals and book readings. Anu, who is the founder of The Culture Tree, had spent fifteen years in the corporate world, working with organisations like Mattel, and Colgate-Palmolive in the United States, but always had a deep interest in the arts. The idea for The Culture Tree - an organisation to promote South Asian literacy in America - came to her only after she became a mother. “I saw a big need for quality and in-depth educational initiatives around South Asia. Whatever was being offered was very superficial,” says Anu, in an interview with Global Indian. [caption id="attachment_36655" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Anu Sehgal[/caption] The culture enthusiast took a plunge into entrepreneurship eight years ago, to address the needs of parents like herself, who were raising their kids in the US and wanted them to remain in touch with their Indian heritage. Over the years, the startup has blossomed into a successful venture, bearing the fruits of her ‘persistence, hard work and professionalism’. “I work pretty much with all the museums, libraries and

dian.com//wp-content/uploads/2023/03/card_Anu.jpg" alt="Indian Diaspora | Anu Sehgal | Global Indian" width="640" height="640" /> Anu Sehgal[/caption]

The culture enthusiast took a plunge into entrepreneurship eight years ago, to address the needs of parents like herself, who were raising their kids in the US and wanted them to remain in touch with their Indian heritage. Over the years, the startup has blossomed into a successful venture, bearing the fruits of her ‘persistence, hard work and professionalism’. “I work pretty much with all the museums, libraries and cultural Institutions in New York City, Connecticut and New Jersey,” Anu reveals.

Through literary events, puppet shows, dance workshops and more Anu, has been facilitating cultural literacy for South Asian youngsters in the New York metropolitan area. Broadly called the Tri-State area, the place is considered the largest metropolitan area in the world in terms of urban landmass.

Getting recognised for her initiatives

“If you think of kids’ educational programmes about South Asia in the New York City area, it will be The Culture Tree,” smiles Anu, who holds an MBA degree from the Yale School of Management and serves as the organisation's founder and president.

Her organisation has been awarded by the New York City Mayor's office four times. “Recognising the huge impact of The Culture Tree, former Mayor Bill de Blasio had even declared June 20, 2021 as The Culture Tree Day in NYC,” Anu says.

[caption id="attachment_36656" align="aligncenter" width="660"] Indian Diaspora | Anu Sehgal | Global Indian Former Mayor Bill de Blasio declared June 20, 2021 as The Culture Tree Day in NYC[/caption]

Recently, The Society of Foreign Consuls recognised Anu as one of the 15 trailblazing women from different countries working for community empowerment. She was honoured at a special event held at the Consulate General of India in New York.

Kahaani Rangeeli

Earlier this month, the entrepreneur launched her debut book Kahaani Rangeeli at the New York Public Library. Through readings held at different venues across the city, she showcased Indian literary culture to people from a wide variety of communities and ethnicities.

The children’s book was published by the Singapore based publisher T4Tales. “The book is based on the story of Lord Krishna and how he was teased for his dark colour. Apart from touching mythology, it addresses the issue of colourism that exists in America and also in India,” Anu says. The author is in the process of publishing two more books with T4Tales.

[caption id="attachment_36658" align="aligncenter" width="741"] Indian Diaspora | Anu Sehgal | Global Indian Anu Sehgal during a book reading session[/caption]

Creating an impact

The entrepreneur is excited about her collaboration with the Asia Society of New York City to help youngsters grasp the positive learnings of religions that originated in India. Through a series of curated events, the entrepreneur's underlying goal is to create empathy, respect and understanding towards Indian multiculturalism in America. “I will be not just focussing on the big festivals but also the lesser-known ones and their significance,” Anu says.

Recently, over 2000 people attended The Culture Tree's Holi celebrations at Seaport, Manhattan. The event was covered by major TV channels and newspapers. “For the last two years, our Holi event has been listed as the top event during Holi week by the New York Times,” she says.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cB4fEzB3nI

Promoting bilinguism

While cultural literacy is one track of The Culture Tree, the other is language education. The organisation has been running language classes both in-person and online in Hindi, Urdu, Gujrati and Punjabi for Indian American and Pakistani American youngsters based in North America and Canada.

In fact, her first initiative at The Culture Tree was to introduce second and third generation young NRIs to the languages of India so that they become confident communicators in their mother tongues.

“There is no limit to how much people can benefit in life when they are bilinguals. It helps them gain more awareness about their roots and heritage,” Anu shares. “Passing on knowledge of native languages to children can create better communication between generations. Learning another language in today’s global world creates lots of opportunities,” emphasises the entrepreneur.

[caption id="attachment_36657" align="aligncenter" width="768"] Indian Diaspora | Anu Sehgal | Global Indian The Society of Foreign Consuls recognised Anu's efforts for community empowerment at an event at the Consulate General of India in New York[/caption]

The Culture Tree focuses on increasing the conversational abilities through music, story-telling sessions, songs, art and more. “I have an excellent team of instructors who conduct classes for different ages and levels,” she says.

Both Anu and her team of teachers have undergone training at NYU’s bilingual STARTALK programme to learn the best teaching methods for Indian American and Pakistani American kids. “I now play an advisory role at NYU's bilingual STARTALK programme helping develop the programme and curriculum further.”

Making a difference

Anu aims to expand The Culture Tree’s reach in America and take it to other countries as well. “In fact, some development is already happening in this regard. This year we will have a puppet show, and my book’s launch in Singapore,” she shares.

[caption id="attachment_36659" align="aligncenter" width="856"] Indian Diaspora | Anu Sehgal | Global Indian Anupam Kher and Ustad Amzad Ali Khan were chief guests at one of the literary events of The Culture Tree[/caption]

‘Making The Culture Tree a hub for every South Asian,’ is the entrepreneur’s goal. The culture enthusiast hails from Meerut. She had pursued her undergraduate studies at Delhi University before moving to the US in mid-nineties.

Follow Anu Sehgal on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn
Follow The Culture Tree on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and its Website

Reading Time: 5 mins

With India’s first lifestyle magazine in Braille, Upasana Makati makes reading enjoyable for people with visual impairment

(August 19, 2022) It was in 1785 that India was first introduced to a magazine that was published then by the British. And 40 years later, Louis Braille, the French educator, invented a tactile system of reading and writing for visually challenged people in 1824. Since then, his legacy has lightened up millions of lives across the globe. However, it was not until 2013 that the people with visual impairment in India could enjoy the simple pleasure of reading a print magazine, even when it’s a highly popular medium despite the charms of the digital media. When Upasana Makati, the founder of White Print, India’s first lifestyle magazine in Braille, came to know about it from the National Association for the Blind (NAB), she was appalled and angry. “When sighted people have freedom to choose the media to consume, then why not people with visual impairment!” she says in a conversation with Global Indian. [caption id="attachment_28197" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Upasana Makati, founder and publisher, White Print[/caption] This thought along with the curiosity of how visually impaired people begin their day in absence of any leisure reading option, infused a burning desire in Upasana to come up with a magazine for those

400;">.

[caption id="attachment_28197" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Indian Social Entrepreneur | Upasana Makati | Global Indian Upasana Makati, founder and publisher, White Print[/caption]

This thought along with the curiosity of how visually impaired people begin their day in absence of any leisure reading option, infused a burning desire in Upasana to come up with a magazine for those who cannot see. A college pass out working in her first job in the public relations domain, the idea stuck with her for a while. Within three months, she left her job and vroomed into the publishing world.

Today, White Print is the only lifestyle magazine in Braille. Upasana’s initiative got recognised at many platforms but the most coveted one has been an award that she received at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in 2018 for being the First Lady of the Nation to have started a Braille magazine.

Impressive content from top contributors

From sports and culture to the inspiring stories of the common man, White Print covers a variety of topics to stimulate the mind’s eye. If Sudha Murty, the author, philanthropist and chairperson of the Infosys Foundation, had offered one year of her short stories’ rights to the magazine, renowned TV journalist Barkha Dutt contributed content for a year.

“At present we are in collaboration with Unbias the News, a global news portal run by a community of journalists from across the world,” she tells. Caravan Magazine too contributes content in addition to the in-house content generated by Upasana and her team.

[embed]https://twitter.com/whiteprintmag/status/1295913676474646529?s=20&t=hgBtUc113aJXb7Mbj7falw[/embed]

Impulse backed with research

“Reflecting is one of my habits. It was a sudden thought that crossed my mind in the middle of the night. My curiosity was so strong that I called up my friends to discuss it during those hours itself. They thought I was crazy,” recalls Upasana, talking about the germination of the idea of a magazine in braille.

She began her research by visiting The National Association for the Blind in Mumbai, where she was informed about a couple of fortnightly newsletters that are educative in tone replete with information like policies for the visually impaired, but nothing as such for leisure reading. “This angered me. I thought, how could we be living in modern times when there is no reading material in braille to make life enjoyable?” says the founder, publisher and editor.

Though she personally knew no one who was visually impaired but looking at the information provided by NAB, the Mumbai girl was convinced that something should be done.

Finding a purpose early on in life

With no prior experience and purely driven by the desire to make a difference, she charted the path of becoming a self-taught entrepreneur in the publishing industry, learning the tricks of the trade on the go. “I found my purpose early on in life,” says Upasana whose initiative got recognised in the form of Forbes 30 Under 30 and Fortune 40 Under 40.

[caption id="attachment_28199" align="aligncenter" width="757"] Indian Social Entrepreneur | Upasana Makati | Global Indian Braillo 650W at NAB. In the background, there are numerous Braille books stacked and arranged[/caption]

The Media and Communication graduate from Jai Hind College, Mumbai, who was at a one-year exchange programme in communication at University of Ottawa, has been making lives interesting. She has been catering to leisure reading needs in braille and also fulfilling demands of institutions like IIM Kolkata, Goa National Library, Federation for Blind, Bangalore and LV Prasad Eye Institute. Trilogy – a bookstore in Mumbai that has a section dedicated to braille also subscribes to White Print.

Replacing sympathy with empathy

“I started it as a for-profit venture because I wanted to replace sympathy with empathy, and to do away with the notion of the charity angle that always gets associated when one does anything for the disabled.” Though publishing the magazine is not very economically viable in the absence of many braille press options in the country, the satisfaction that it gives to Upasana is ‘unparalleled.’

The magazine did not get published for five months during the pandemic as reading for the community is solely touch based and the NAB press, where the magazine gets published, was shut down during that period.

There are a number of challenges in publishing a print magazine in these times but it’s extremely satisfying. It excites me because there aren’t many people doing it and there is so much to do in this space - Upasana Makati

The monthly 64-page publication, available at subsidised rate of ₹30 with a readership of several thousand, has seen a decline in certain corporate sponsorships. However, in the past, conglomerates like Coca Cola, Fevicol, Mahindra, and Jindal group had associated themselves with it.

More in the same turf

Ten years of experience of running a company focussed on visually impaired has resulted in enough knowledge and expertise in the domain. Added to that, Upasana has pursued a course from Stanford University Graduate School of Business in diversity and inclusion.

Indian Social Entrepreneur | Upasana Makati | Global Indian

A sought-after name in the world of consultancy for startups and corporates in matters related to inclusiveness and diversity, she has been at the thick of initiatives like workshops on sensitisation for adults as well as children to make them more mindful towards the visually impaired.

Considering how crucial it is to inculcate the values of inclusiveness and diversity at a young age, Upasana has forayed into publishing children's literature with Look Out, Look Within, Flowers for Sunaina and more recently Run Saba Run which she authored. The books are available for both visually impaired and sighted children. White Print also publishes fundamental books in braille for young learners.

Recognitions for Upasana’s initiatives:

Rising Talents award for Women's Forum for the Economy & Society, Paris, 2019
First Lady Award from Ministry of Women and Child Development, 2018
Fortune India’s 40 Under 40 for Best and Brightest in the World of Business, 2018
Forbes 30 Under 30, 2016
Loreal-Femina Award for Science and Innovation, 2015
Microsoft Equal Opportunity Award for Innovation, 2015

Follow Upasana Makati on LinkedIn and Instagram

Follow White Print on Facebook, Twitter and its website

Reading Time: 5 mins

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.

Follow RNR Biryani on Instagram

Reading Time: 5 min

Dr Namit Choksi: Revolutionising public health management through AI, policy

(June 3, 2022) A "true-blue Mumbaikar" by his own description, Schwarzman Scholar and public health expert Dr Namit Choksi sees himself running for office one day, bridging gaps in healthcare access and policy. With an MD from India, he went on to pursue his medical clerkships at Johns Hopkins, did a master’s degree in public health from Harvard and graduated from Tsinghua University as a Schwarzman Scholar in 2019. At Harvard, he helped launch a low-cost medical device in India, which received recognition from the World Bank. In 2020 and 2021, Namit worked closely with Indian government and stayed in touch with the WHO Chief Scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan while serving on the front lines of the pandemic. Now heading India and APAC growth strategy for Perfect Day, a US-based startup, Namit's career has had its crests and troughs. "Eventually, if you're honest, you will shine," he says, in an interview with Global Indian. "My experiences have shaped me. If it wasn't for them, I would have been a doctor sitting in some corner of India." [caption id="attachment_25287" align="aligncenter" width="370"] Dr Namit Choksi[/caption] Of crisis and transformation "There's a whole lot more to racing than just winning." A line from a

287" align="aligncenter" width="370"] Dr Namit Choksi[/caption]

Of crisis and transformation

"There's a whole lot more to racing than just winning." A line from a children's movie Cars became a turning point in Namit’s life. Just out of medical school, he was going through a "tough six months" back home in Mumbai. "I had lost faith in myself," he says. After years of hard work - he recalls eighteen-hour days spent "living at the library" as he prepared for his entrance exam - even a single failure was a huge blow.

Then one fateful day, his sister walked in to his room, quoting Tex Dinoco, the 1975 Cadillac Coupe de Ville in the film Cars. Years later, as he arrived at the interview round as an aspiring Schwarzman Scholar, he took from his pocket (surprising even the formidable jury panel that included the then CIA director), a Tex toy, saying, "There's a whole lot more to racing than just winning."

"That quote had a huge impact on me," he says. "I started applying to colleges in the US and I got into Harvard, Yale and the other Ivy Leagues with scholarships." Namit picked Harvard, where he studied public health policy and management. It was a calculated choice - although he enjoyed clinical medicine, he "felt restricted within a hospital. I wanted to create an impact that scaled beyond being a doctor, although that is an incredible profession in itself."

[caption id="attachment_25288" align="aligncenter" width="282"] Namit with Mukesh Ambani[/caption]

Backed by an encouraging dean, Namit was selected as a student leader in Pune and shared the stage with the Dalai Lama and Congress leader Shashi Tharoor. He was also part of the G20 Youth Summit held in Petersburgh, during his time as youth advisor to then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, where he was given the chance to submit policy recommendations and serve as the head of state for India. As part of the global youth diplomatic forum, he trained with ambassadors and even shadowed David Cameron, who was Prime Minister of the UK at the time. "We dealt with issues like women in conflict and medical conflicts."

Harvard calling

'Fail'. It's the point of no-return, usually, for students looking to be in Ivy League colleges. And as Namit struggled to find faith in himself after being failed in one subject in medical school, he found no lack of naysayers telling him to aim lower and stick with tier 2 universities. He refused to entertain the thought: It was to be Ivy League or nothing. What followed is, perhaps, an indication of many differences between the education systems in India and the United States. "At Harvard, I wasn't held back by an ‘F’. I was asked to explain why it happened," he said.

At Harvard, he helped design a cost-effective solution for bacterial vaginosis, a project he says has huge potential socially. “It’s often mistaken for an STD, especially in developing countries and is often a cause for domestic violence,” Namit says. “The spouse also requires treatment, which is rarely sought.”

Namit with Alphabet Inc. CEO Sundar Pichai

He also continued to work with the Indian government - the Ministry of Railways – where he worked with former railways minister Suresh Prabhu on the 'Lifeline Express' - India's first hospital train. "It was a huge learning experience," Namit says. "Suresh ji had done a lot - he was the one who revolutionised Twitter for the railways. You could tweet a complaint on a train and cops would arrive at the next station. It was a merging of tech with government services." When Suresh Prabhu moved to the Ministry of Commerce, he took Namit with him, to bring foreign direct investments within the healthcare sector.

Once Upon a Time in Beijing

The same year he headed off to Tsinghua University in Beijing's Forbidden City as a Schwarzman Scholar. Fascinated by China, he went there with an aim - to learn how to develop cutting edge technology to bridge access to modern healthcare. “Apps like Pharmeasy are doing this already,” he states.

"In the US, healthcare is super expensive. China has a replicable model for India because although their economy is larger, the per capita healthcare expenditure is about on par with India, especially with schemes like Ayushmaan Bharat coming in now," Namit explains who began working with Northern Venture Capital, first as a summer associate and then full-time. Unfortunately, geopolitical tensions and hostile takeovers on the Indo-China border put paid to his plans when the Indian government put strict controls on Chinese investment.

"I'm grateful to Harvard and to Schwarzman," Namit remarks. "How often does one get the chance to meet Madeline Albright, or have a meal with John Kerry, or have dinner with Mukesh Ambani?"

The pandemic

When Covid-19 hit and pandemonium reigned across the globe, healthcare professionals were faced with an unprecedented challenge. All forms of treatment were experimental. That's when the Indian Council of Medical Research undertook what would be one of Asia's largest clinical drug trials, examining the effectiveness of plasma in the treatment of Covid-19. Namit, who was part of the ICMR's research, had asked himself, "If I can't be a doctor now, then when? And we were all fighting in the dark because the protocol was changing every day."

Namit found himself in contact with Dr Harsh Vardhan and Dr Soumya Swaminathan, the Chief Scientist at WHO, who he calls a close mentor. “I would reach out to her and request her opinion on a new drug, for instance and she would say, there's no harm in trying it. At that point, we were mixing and matching to see what worked. My biggest regret is our failure during the second wave. I have seen people gasping for breath without oxygen. I realised there was no way we could have prepared for something like this, when our healthcare expenditure is 1.95 percent of the GDP."

Perfect Day: ‘We’re making milk without cows’

Namit currently works at Perfect Day, a US-based startup that manufactures milk and dairy products through precision fermentation. "We're making milk without cows, basically," he explains. This is done by borrowing the genetic sequence from a cow and encoding it into small fungi where it is allowed to produce milk protein. "We have reduced greenhouse gas emission by 97 percent in the process," says Namit, who is the head of Growth & Strategy (India & APAC).

Over 100 scientists work out of Bengaluru for Perfect Day which is also branching out into animal-free gelatin and artificial sweeteners. "We're bullish on the idea of India," says Namit.

The Journey back home

"The goal is to come back home and run for office," Namit says, without pause. He doesn't just mean the sometimes morally-questionable machinations of politics, though. "There's a difference between public policy and politics and the goal should always be the former," Namit remarks. "Right now, we have policy makers who know a lot about policy and politics but not healthcare. We have doctors who know medicine but not policy." This is the gap he hopes to bridge, by "being in the highest levels of government. I want the ability to fight for the greater good."

Follow Namit on LinkedIn

Reading Time: 8 mins