Global IndianstoryNeerja Patel: Basking in entrepreneurial spirit with ‘JP Morgan Chase’ and ‘KNOW Women’ recognition

Neerja Patel: Basking in entrepreneurial spirit with ‘JP Morgan Chase’ and ‘KNOW Women’ recognition

Written by: Amrita Priya

(October 11, 2023) JP Morgan Chase and KNOW Women have awarded the New York based entrepreneur Neerja Patel with ‘The 100 Women to KNOW Across America Award 2023’. It is a recognition that JP Morgan Chase, the American multinational financial services firm, and KNOW Women, A global media company and community dedicated to amplifying the voices of female leaders, executives, and entrepreneurs bestows upon the most successful, influential, and honourable women in the American society.

Neerja is the founder of Neerja Public Relations, a boutique brand management firm that she established 13 years ago by blending her fervour for public relations with her strong affinity for the South Asian community. Under her leadership, the firm has successfully executed marketing campaigns for companies like Lufthansa Airlines, organised events such as the AR Rahman concert, and engaged in collaborations with distinguished personalities like Archana Kochhar, Padma Lakshmi, and Vir Das.

Neerja Patel during a media briefing session

Neerja’s strong ties within the South Asian diaspora in the United States fuel her commitment to strengthening and empowering this vibrant community. “We just wrapped up South Asian New York Fashion Week which was a four-day event in New York City celebrating South Asian fashion and designers,” she shared with Global Indian as she connected from the US.

The Lufthansa and other meaty projects

“We were engaged as consultants for Lufthansa‘s new route to India, a project that originated through a multicultural advertising agency. They sought our expertise in crafting a campaign that resonated with the South Asian diaspora,” Neerja shared while talking about the coveted project. Her firm’s contributions encompassed defining the target audience, understanding the community’s unifying factors, establishing brand positioning, and devising a comprehensive advertising strategy spanning television, radio, and online platforms.

“We also assisted in crafting compelling copies, developing an interactive website to gather consumer data, overseeing casting for the commercials, and much more. The cherry on top was the honour of getting to be the face of the national campaign! We worked with Lufthansa for two of its vital projects,” says Neerja.

Other than that, one of her favourite projects has been an impressive sold-out show with a capacity exceeding 15,000 at Newark, New Jersey’s Prudential Center, featuring the Grammy and Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman.

Neerja Patel with AR Rahman

Currently, her brand management firm is working with Girls That Invest on a two-week PR tour in partnerships with Google, Shopify, SALUTE, Brown Girl Magazine, and more. “We have many exciting things coming up, including a three-day Diwali Dance Fest at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida,” tells the PR maverick.

For the upcoming festive season, Neerja is also collaborating with Kulture Khazana, a brand that encapsulates the essence of celebrating culture and heritage in the Western world through edutainment products for children. Together, Neerja Public Relations and Kulture Khazana aim to create a delightful festival experience for kids while enriching their heritage knowledge through engaging initiatives.

Helping non-profits amplify their cause

Neerja and her team find deep satisfaction in involvement with non-profits. With a multifaceted approach the firm’s PR services, assist non-profits in crafting and executing successful campaigns. “This involves putting their initiatives into the spotlight, sharing their compelling stories and impactful work with both the community and the media. The objective is to amplify their message, raise awareness for their causes, and provide vital publicity support for any upcoming events such as fundraisers they may be hosting,” she says. Working to make meaningful causes successful gives deep job satisfaction to the entrepreneur.

Neerja’s immigration story

Born in Mathura, Neerja recalls relocating to the United States at the age of seven, leaving behind a household filled with aunts, uncles, and cousins. While she moved to the US at a tender age, she believes that certain cultural aspects from her carefree days in India, such as the different sounds, scents, and flavours of food, have been permanently etched into her memory.

Neerja Patel

Her maternal aunt’s family also immigrated to the US along with them. They resided together in Minnesota, where their grandparents stayed. Ten of them shared the same roof, even utilising the basement to accommodate the large family.

Although Neerja and her sister were the only Indian children in their school district, she never allowed the Western landscape to overshadow her cultural identity. Despite immersing herself in new surroundings, Neerja ensured her participation in whatever little cultural activity, including festivals, functions, food, and music that the minuscule Indian community in Minnesota had to offer. She steadfastly preserved the cultural bonds of her roots amalgamating her heritage with the new environment, while being immersed in the film and music of India.

During those days, when they had only the essentials, Neerja learned valuable lessons about hard work from her parents. She watched them labour tirelessly to build their American dream from scratch, advancing in their careers and providing a comfortable life for Neerja and her sister. “Even now, as they’ve grown older, their unshakeable commitment to work and resilience continues to amaze me,” Neerja says.

Juggling both worlds

To effectively balance her professional and personal responsibilities, Neerja relies on the support of her family. Although her mornings begin with ensuring that her kids are ready for school, as the day progresses, her schedule varies. During this time, her husband and in-laws living nearby step in to assist her, enabling her to focus on her job without worrying about the kids.

Neerja Patel

Additionally, Neerja finds emotional support from her sister, who may be far away in Minnesota but is always there to provide encouragement and comfort.

Talking about her take on entrepreneurship, Neerja remarks, “It is a challenging endeavour. It doesn’t come with a shortcut to instant success. The key is maintaining unwavering focus, practicing patience, and having unshakable faith in your efforts.”

She believes that instead of being intimidated by competitors, aspiring entrepreneurs should keep in mind that there’s ample space for everyone to thrive. “Your true confidence shines through your determination and your capacity to learn valuable lessons from setbacks,” she signs off.

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Published on 11, Oct 2023

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Overcoming odds: Entrepreneur Bipul Sinha’s tale of perseverance and innovation

(May 1, 2024) "If I fail, how will I go back." This thought kept venture capitalist-turned-entrepreneur Bipul Sinha up for many nights after he co-founded Rubrik, a cloud data management and data security company, in January 2014. There hadn't been a single hiring in the company for the last 45 days. “If there is nobody to write the code,” the IIT Kharagpur alum would ask himself, “How will the startup kick-off?” In just over six weeks, the entrepreneur may have conducted interviews with numerous potential candidates, yet none managed to meet the final requirements of the company. "There was nothing to work, nothing to begin, and nothing to show," the entrepreneur shared in an interview, whose company is currently valued at $6.67 billion. About a decade since its inception, the cybersecurity unicorn backed by Microsoft is poised for its initial public offering. "One of the biggest challenges earlier on," shared the entrepreneur, "was striking the balance between knowing when to get involved and when to step away from decision-making. As a founder CEO a company is your “baby” and it can be easy to become a bottleneck as a result. Early on, I tried to mitigate this risk by stepping

the balance between knowing when to get involved and when to step away from decision-making. As a founder CEO a company is your “baby” and it can be easy to become a bottleneck as a result. Early on, I tried to mitigate this risk by stepping away too fast – and found that more hands-on input was still needed. The company is now past that stage and is doing very well."

As per its IPO documents, by January 2024, Rubrik boasts over 1,700 customers with an annual contract value of $100,000. Nearly 100 customers were paying Rubrik over $1 million annually. While the tech unicorn witnessed a moderate revenue increase from $599.8 million to $627.9 million within a year, the most notable growth came from subscription revenue, soaring by 40 percent from $385.3 million to $537.9 million. This significant rise indicates a promising shift towards a recurring revenue model for the company.

Humble beginnings

Born and brought up in Darbhanga, a city in northern Bihar, Bipul Sinha experienced a childhood marked by poverty and financial struggles. His father, an entrepreneur, faced numerous challenges, and the initial venture in the pharmaceutical sector couldn't be sustained. With financial difficulties mounting, the family moved to another small town in Bihar, yet misfortune continued to shadow their path. “My father was a failed entrepreneur,” he shared, adding, "We grew up in a lot of poverty. We were always moving because we couldn’t pay the rent and one had to even live in a basement with no running water for a while. Our shack was in an area which always used to get inundated during the monsoons If one is born and brought up in poverty the only thing that one becomes good at is maximising opportunities."

Entrepreneur | Bipul Sinha | Global Indian

But, not the one to be deterred by the situation, the entrepreneur spent numerous hours studying under the small lamp that his family-owned. For me, it was one day and one opportunity at a time. All I could think about was how to maximise whatever I had. Education was my only road to salvation," the Global Indian adds.

As his family couldn't enroll him in a private school, the entrepreneur received much of his formal education in Hindi. Unfortunately, the educational disparity grew too wide to overcome. "The idea of engineering was seeded by my father, who looked upon it as a silver bullet to end the family woes. But there was no money to afford coaching," shared the entrepreneur, who then came up with an ingenious idea. He purchased 30 postcards, each costing 15 paise, and dispatched them to coaching institutes nationwide. “I wanted to have a look at the prospectus, and syllabus and then prepare a rough framework of how to prepare for the exam,” shared the entrepreneur.

Testing times

However, the plan didn't work, and Bipul Sinha failed to get to any college in his first attempt. While he was dejected, the entrepreneur's father had a lot of confidence in him. "I couldn’t clear any exams, even the engineering exams conducted by the Bihar state government," shared Sinha laughing, adding, "But my father asked me to prepare for one more year. And look at the silver lining. Had you cleared the state exams, you would have lost an opportunity to make it to IIT."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIjkX2gfzmE

Despite his initial aversion to math, engineering became a necessity for Sinha. In his second year of preparation, he adjusted his exam strategy. Collaborating with another engineering hopeful, they pooled resources — the entrepreneur's mother even borrowed money from relatives — to purchase coaching materials, eventually securing admission to IIT. "In my last year, I landed a job at Tata Information System (a Tata-IBM joint venture) via campus placement. And that wasn't less than a miracle for my family," shared the entrepreneur.

From Bihar to Silicon Valley

While he had joined a good company, he had realised that he had to go abroad to pull his family out of the financial crisis. "I was racing against time. I wanted to upgrade the life of my family as soon as possible. And America was the only hope," he said.

The entrepreneur spent eight years working for Oracle, polishing his skills and securing several patents in distributed systems after training as an engineer before the entrepreneur “got the confidence that I won’t slip back into poverty," he said. After securing enough funds, Bipul Sinha founded Rubrik. "As a venture capitalist, I always believed in going after a market that the cool kids were not paying attention to, which essentially means that you want to bet on a non-consensus market. If everybody knows that this market is going to be lucrative, there will be a lot of companies getting started, which means that the value creation will get diluted. The cool kids were not thinking about backup and recovery. And there was an opportunity to reframe, re-platform backup and recovery into a data security platform to deliver cyber resilience," the entrepreneur said.

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

Talking about his company further, Bipul Sinha added, "The traditional cybersecurity industry almost earns $200 billion per year selling 60 to 80 different tools across hundreds of vendors for prevention. And they have not been able to prevent anything. Ransomware was a reckoning for our industry," shared the entrepreneur, adding, "Rubrik counts Whirlpool, PepsiCo, and Goldman Sachs among its long list of clients." Proudly, the company announced its recognition as a Leader, positioned furthest in vision in the 2023 Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Backup and Recovery Software Solutions.

Follow Bipul Sinha on LinkedIn

Reading Time: 7 mins

PK Mahanandia: The Indian-Swedish artist who cycled from India to Europe for love

(August 28, 2022) It was in the crisp winter of 1975 that PK Mahanandia saw a woman tourist approach him in the inner circle of Delhi's bustling CP, asking him to draw a portrait of her. The Indian artist, who had by then earned quite a reputation as a sketch artist, was known for making a portrait in ten minutes. But somehow, he wasn't able to deliver a perfect portrait, which made Charlotte Von Schedvin, the Swedish tourist, return to him the following day. It was a prophecy that kept him distracted - one that was made by a priest when he was a child growing up in a village in Odisha - he would marry a girl from far away who would own a jungle, be musical, and be born under the sign of Taurus. And Charlotte was everything that had been prophesised. "It was an inner voice that said to me that she was the one. During our first meeting, we were drawn to each other like magnets. It was love at first sight," PK Mahanandia told BBC. This very love made him cycle 6000 km from Delhi to Sweden on a life-changing epic journey. Now an advisor

. This very love made him cycle 6000 km from Delhi to Sweden on a life-changing epic journey. Now an advisor for art and culture for the Swedish government, he inspired the 2013 book by Per J Andersson called The Amazing Story Of The Man Who Cycled From India To Europe For Love.

[caption id="attachment_28630" align="aligncenter" width="683"] Artist | PK Mahanandia | Global Indian PK Mahanandia and Charlotte[/caption]

Born in 1949 in a village that inspired Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book, PK's life as a Dalit was harsh outside his home. It was in school that he first understood the meaning of caste when he came in contact with the Hindus. From being forced to sit outside the class during school, watching his classmates wash themselves after coming in contact with him, to having stones pelted at him for approaching the temple, PK endured the harsh reality of being an untouchable in India. "There I felt I’m not the same as them. It’s like a skyscraper without a lift. You’re born on one floor and you die on the same floor," the Global Indian told National Geographic.

Despite the hardships, PK knew he was meant for something bigger, at least that's what the priest had prophesised after his birth - he would be working with colours and art. As a kid, he was pulled to art and was quick in drawing things. So much so that eventually he ended up getting a scholarship from Odisha to attend the College of Art in New Delhi. The initial months were liberating, as for the first time, PK didn't have to bother about being an untouchable, here, all were equal. But soon the excitement started to fade away as hunger and poverty came knocking on his door. With no money to keep him floating, things started spiralling until he began painting on the streets of Delhi to earn a quick buck. "I was like a vagabond living between hope and despair. But for three years I learned the lessons of life. I started thinking differently after I met these people," the artist added.

After his schooling, he enrolled in College of Art, Delhi in 1971

He started studying fine arts on a scholarship

It was difficult because most of the time, the scholarship amount didn't reach him and finding a job was difficult because of the discrimination he'd face as a dalit pic.twitter.com/0GIecjA2QJ

— Sufyan🌹 (@PsyOpValkyrie) July 25, 2020

But things changed for him when he ended up doing 10 portraits of Soviet astronaut Valentina Tereshkova and appeared on television. The stint made him an overnight star in the capital and helped him continue making portraits in the heart of Delhi. But it was in December 1975 that the prophecy came to fruition when the artist met a "woman with long beautiful blonde hair" from a faraway land whose family did own a forest and who played the piano and flute. With a longing for India, she had travelled for 22 days in a minibus along the Hippie Trail to reach India. They hit it off instantly and formed a deep connection, so much so that within a few days, Charlotte was on a train with PK to his village in Odisha to meet his family, where they received the tribe’s blessings. But soon Charlotte's trip was coming to an end, and she returned to Sweden with a promise from PK that he would follow her soon to Europe.

But that all changed when he was at a procession one day

It was for Valentina Treskova, the first woman cosmonaut from the USSR

He quickly made a sketch of her a presented it to her. The next day all newspapers went ablaze with headlines like "Woman from Space meets Jungleman". pic.twitter.com/YWAOXfXrA3

— Sufyan🌹 (@PsyOpValkyrie) July 25, 2020

With just $80 in his pocket, he left for Sweden in the chilly winter of January 1977 on two wheels, as "only a Maharaja could afford a plane ticket" in those days. So he took the popular Hippie Trail that stretched from India through Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, and former Yugoslavia to Europe. Travellers didn't need a visa at that time as the region was safe and stable. "We were together 2-3 weeks and then she left. For one and a half years we didn’t meet. We kept in touch by letter but eventually, I thought it was time to take the first step. So I sold everything I owned and bought a bicycle," he told NatGeo. Those four months on the road, he kept himself floating by painting portraits for food and money.

On 17 Dec 1975, he met a girl from Sweden called Charlotte von Schedvin who had driven for 22 days to reach Delhi.

Although their vast class difference (she was from Swedish nobility and he was a dalit), they hit it off almost instantly. pic.twitter.com/rRejClj1mH

— Sufyan🌹 (@PsyOpValkyrie) July 25, 2020

"I did not know geography, of how big Europe was. I didn't even know the distance in kilometers. If I had known how far it was, I don't think I would have dared. It's good that I didn't know," he told Hindustan Times in an interview. He would cycle up to 70 km every day, but there were days that he would get lifts, and was once even gifted a train ticket from Istanbul to Vienna. "Sometimes you'd get two or three hitchhiking offers and you'd have to choose. I bicycled for love, but I never loved biking," he told CNN.

PK calls it a different world of peace and love, and freedom. With many hippie friends made on the way, he was guided and instructed on his first big adventure outside India. "Afghanistan was such a different country. It was calm and beautiful. People loved the arts. And vast parts of the country were not populated," he told BBC. While he did face communication barriers in Iran, it was art that came to his rescue. "I think love is the universal language and people understand that." Though the 6000 km journey was exhausting for the artist, it was the excitement of meeting Charlotte and seeing new places that kept nudging him forward.

[caption id="attachment_28628" align="aligncenter" width="670"] Artist | PK Mahanandia | Global Indian This cycle on which travelled from India to Europe[/caption]

It was in May that PK reached Europe - via Istanbul, and Vienna and finally made it to Gothenburg (Sweden) by train. However, stepping into a new continent came with its share of cultural shocks and difficulties. But he was determined to win over Charlotte's parents, and finally, the two got officially married in Sweden. "I had no idea about European culture. It was all new to me, but she supported me in every step. She is just a special person. I am still in love just as I was in 1975," he added.

While Charlotte continued her career in music, PK did what he knew best - art. Currently, an adviser on art and culture for the Swedish government, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005. In the last few decades together, the couple has dedicated themselves to promoting indigenous arts and offering cultural scholarships to 25,000 Indian tribal children in high school. "Love has given me the power to forgive the people throwing stones at me. They need education. I'm glad that our story is giving people hope," the artist told CNN.

Follow PK Mahanandia on Linkedin and Twitter

Reading Time: 6 min

Chanel No 1: An inside take on the life and career of HR pundit Leena Nair, who became the CEO of a global luxury brand

(July 4, 2022) Leena Nair's 30-year career has been dotted with many firsts. In 2021, she made headlines around the world when she was appointed the Global CEO of French ultra-luxury lifestyle brand Chanel, the first woman of colour in the post. The appointment came as a surprise to many, for Nair had had no exposure to the fashion industry whatsoever. Her move to Chanel marked the culmination of her three-decades-long association with Hindustan Unilever, where she had become the company's "youngest ever, first female, first Asian" chief human-resources officer in 2016. Global Indian turns its spotlight on the business diva who was named by Queen Elizabeth II as one of the most accomplished Indian Business Leaders in the UK, a title she cherishes. [caption id="attachment_26524" align="aligncenter" width="760"] Leena Nair, Global CEO, Chanel[/caption] The Kolhapur connection From heading a global fashion brand with no prior experiences, to going where few women dared at her time in HUL and surviving the 26/11 terror attack at the Taj Hotel in Mumbai, Nair's life is the stuff of legend. Even so, she remains a Kolhapuri at heart, "right from the food I eat to everything else," the business diva said, addressing students

The Kolhapur connection

From heading a global fashion brand with no prior experiences, to going where few women dared at her time in HUL and surviving the 26/11 terror attack at the Taj Hotel in Mumbai, Nair's life is the stuff of legend.

Even so, she remains a Kolhapuri at heart, "right from the food I eat to everything else," the business diva said, addressing students in her hometown's Shanti Niketan school. Occupying pride of place in her CV is her dancing talents - she's the 'best Bollywood dancer in London,' Nair has mentioned there.

Leena Nair | Indian CEO | Global Indian

Few could have imagined that a small-town girl, born and raised in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, would go on to such a glittering career. In 1992, however, she joined Unilever as a management trainee, going on to become chief human-resources officer in 2016. She was also the first woman to be in the organisation's management committee.

"Human capital is as important as financial capital. Putting human resources at the top table has real business benefits." - Leena Nair

Her early days in the company were spent on the factory floor and in working nights, both largely male domains. Women were a rare sight inside the factory and more so on the night shifts. "Often when I went to the factories, there was never a loo for ladies because nobody had imagined a woman would come to their factory, and my first job would always be there to ensure that they built a toilet that I could use. Jokingly, all these loos that were built were called 'Leena's Loos," said the CEO in an interview.

She's never been one to shy away from a challenge. She has worked at HUL's factories in Taloja (Maharashtra), Kolkata (West Bengal), and Ambattur (Tamil Nadu). She said, of the experiences, in an interview, “Put your hand up for the jobs which are tough but will give you experiences others can’t match. And always think more about how you can contribute rather than what your position or job is.”

[caption id="attachment_26532" align="aligncenter" width="666"] Leena Nair | Indian CEO | Global Indian Leena Nair with Indra Nooyi, former PepsiCo CEO whom she calls friend and mentor[/caption]

Objective and purpose in student days

As the name suggests, Nair’s hometown, Kolhapur, is famous for its braided and hand-crafted leather slippers, the Kolhapuri chappal. The town received the Geographical Indication designation in 2019. She was born in the city and studied in Holy Cross Convent High School, the only school for girls at that time. Hers was even the first batch to take the class X board exams. She joined The New College Kolhapur and had to ride a bicycle for 12 kms every day to attend classes.

Nair went on to study electronics and telecommunication engineering at Walchand College of Engineering, Sangli (Maharashtra) where there were just 18 girls in a student body comprising 3,000 boys pursuing their degree. Always a hardworking student, she passed out with a gold medal from XLRI – Xavier School of Management Jamshedpur (1990 – 1992) in human resource management.

Leena Nair | Indian CEO | Global Indian

Nair grew up having lots of norms, taboos and barriers around her about what girls can do and can’t do. Her objective at that time was just to get educated. One of the lessons that she learned from life comes from there.

She told school students of her hometown in one of her visits:

“It is very important to dream big. Do not let others tell you, rather you determine how big your dreams should be. Don’t get discouraged if people doubt your abilities, because if I would have, I would have not reached where I am."

Going by instincts

After passing out of her engineering college, while she loved the intellectual challenge of engineering, she didn’t enjoy working as an engineer. It was a professor, whom she calls her mentor, who identified her talent for dealing with people.

She told her father she had an interest in human resources, much to his disappointment. He couldn’t understand why an engineer would go into a “back-office function” like HR. But she was keen on taking it up and followed her instincts, which led Nair to her true purpose. “From day one, I felt that it totally makes sense to me,” she remarked in an interview.

The instinctive leader has had an excellent track record in managing the human capital of Unilever, which operates across multiple regulatory and labour environments spread over 190 countries. Nair is a strong believer of compassionate leadership and human-centred workplaces. While taking the challenges of her role in her stride since the early days of her career, she has become who she is now.

In her tenure of heading the diversity and inclusion agenda for the organisation, Unilever got recognised as number one FMCG graduate employer of choice in 54 countries.

Charisma all along

Her recent appointment in one of Europe’s biggest brands is a jubilant affair in India for two reasons – It is being considered as a strong step towards rise of Indian woman’s stature on a global platform. Secondly, it has added further sheen to the constellation of Indian-origin business stars who are heading multinationals around the globe.

Nair is not an elusive leader, rather an active voice on social media so much that she has been recognised as the top voice of LinkedIn in 2020. While she considers Indra Nooyi, former PepsiCo CEO her role model, she is no lesser a role-model herself and has been aptly awarded the ‘Great British Businesswoman Role Model’ award.

[caption id="attachment_26530" align="aligncenter" width="721"] Leena Nair | Indian CEO | Global Indian Leena Nair with Bollywood actress, Deepika Padukone[/caption]

Biggest leadership lessons while being stuck in Taj on 26/11

Whenever she recounts the horrors of those nights in November 2011, Nair never fails to mention the courage shown by Mallika Jagad. The 24-year-old staff-in-charge had been tasked with taking care of the 10-member Unilever team on that fateful night of November 26. Nair recalls being trapped there with her husband and her colleagues, amidst gunshots, screams, the constant smoke and debris falling all around them.

“Nothing in her training had ever taught her what to do if terrorists started attacking,” Nair often says. Even then, the young woman had been strikingly calm and composed, constantly available to support the guests in whatever way she could. She even informed her worried mother over the phone call, saying she wasn’t inside the hotel but safe and sound elsewhere, to dissuade her from calling again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ2811Xaymk

Mallika’s fortitude in the face of extreme danger, coupled with her youth and lack of experience, left an indelible impression on Nair, opening her up to a different dimension of leadership. She loves to repeat Mallika’s words from the following morning, during the rescue operation, gentle but firm: "Guests first, staff next and me last.” In that night of horrors, Leena Nair experienced an excellent example of situational leadership shown by the staff at the Taj, and that it’s up to an individual to become a leader if one wants to, using the lesson learned as an anecdote in her elevating speeches. The global business diva, wife and mother of two was also able to realize from that night’s uncertainty that life is a gift and we should live it with focus on our purpose.

Do you know?

Leena Nair writes a gratitude journal every night and does a 20-minute meditation practice every morning to keep her life balanced.
Walking, running and dancing are part of her regimen as she believes that reconnecting with one’s passions is important to keep going.
Nair loves listening to Oprah Winfrey’s podcasts because she identifies with what Oprah says about purpose.
She tries to learn one new thing every year like how to play the keyboard or how to converse in Spanish.
She believes in the power of mentors and just reaches out to people who inspire her. Apart from Indra Nooyi, and a couple of her college professors, Nair considers Sara Matthew, former CEO of Dun and Bradstreet, Niall FitzGerald, and John Stewart from Unilever as her mentors.

Follow Leena Nair on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram

Reading Time: 7 mins

‘Power’ hungry: Vivian Reddy, the Indian mogul who brought electricity to post-apartheid South Africa

(October 9, 2024) Vivian Reddy’s first memories are of the narrow, dusty streets of Greenwood Park, Durban. Born in 1953 into a family of nine children, his father, a schoolteacher, earned a meager R3 a month, barely enough to sustain them. Young Reddy saw the constant financial struggle up close, but it was his father’s unwavering dedication to integrity and service that left a mark on him. “Service to humanity is the best work of life,” his father would say—a mantra that guided Vivian Reddy through his life and business. Hailing from KwaZulu-Natal, Vivian Reddy wears many hats as the founder and chairman of Edison Power Group, a heavyweight in the electrical industry. His business interests include casinos, healthcare, finance, and property development. From being raised in poverty to accumulating an estimated net worth of R1.9 billion, Reddy has come a long way, and been instrumental in shaping the post-apartheid Durban story, as well as the legacy of the Indian diaspora in South Africa. At 71, Reddy is deeply committed to philanthropy in South Africa, supporting initiatives like the Orphans of AIDS Trust Fund and contributing to projects like the Wingen Heights Secondary School and a clinic in eThekwini Metropolitan

eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality.

[caption id="attachment_57577" align="aligncenter" width="542"] Vivian Reddy | South African billionaire | Global Indian Vivian Reddy[/caption]

Humble beginnings

Growing up in apartheid South Africa meant that Reddy, as an Indian, was subject to the institutionalized racial segregation that defined the country from 1948 to 1994. Apartheid confined non-white citizens to specific areas, dictated their education, and barred them from numerous career opportunities. Indians in South Africa, initially brought to the country as indentured laborers by the British in the 19th century, were politically and socially marginalized, despite being very wealthy and contributing significantly to the economy as traders, professionals, and workers.

Vivian Reddy’s parents were committed to education as a way out of poverty. His father’s modest salary from his job as a schoolteacher barely provided for their large family, yet he instilled in Reddy a deep sense of responsibility and service. His mother, a homemaker, managed their household and nurtured her children with strength and patience. “We didn’t have much, but my parents made sure we had the right values,” Reddy recalls. These early values of integrity and service would shape Reddy’s path.

His first job, and confronting apartheid

Reddy’s first job as an electrician came after completing his education at Sastri Park Secondary School. Working at an electrical company in Pietermaritzburg, he quickly rose to branch manager. But apartheid’s discrimination soon reared its head. At a company Christmas party, the management arranged two separate celebrations—one for white workers and one for non-white workers. Outraged by the segregation, Reddy led the non-white workers into the whites-only celebration.

“I couldn’t just sit back and allow this injustice to continue,” Reddy says. His defiance, however, came at a cost. He was fired the following Monday. “Getting fired was painful, but it made me realize that if I wanted to succeed, I couldn’t rely on others to give me opportunities. I had to create my own.” That realization propelled Reddy into entrepreneurship.

[caption id="attachment_57578" align="aligncenter" width="593"] Cutting the ribbon, Vivian Reddy with His Majesty, King Goodwill Zwetithini kaBhekuzulu, Premier of KZN, at the re-opening of the Lakehaven Child and Youth Centre in Durban. Photo: The Bugle[/caption]

Building Edison Power: The Challenges of Being a Non-White Entrepreneur

In 1973, with just R500 and a borrowed bakkie (small truck), the Global Indian started his own electrical company, Reddy’s Electrical. The challenges were immense. Apartheid policies meant that government contracts were out of reach for non-white businesses, and private companies often preferred to work with white-owned firms.

Despite these barriers, Reddy was determined. He realized that his company’s name could be a hindrance in securing work, so he made a strategic decision: he rebranded the company as Edison Power. The name change gave him the credibility he needed to secure contracts with clients who might otherwise have been prejudiced against working with an Indian-owned business.

“People would ask for Mr. Edison,” Reddy recalls. “I would tell them he wasn’t available, but I could assist.” This clever rebranding opened doors, and Edison Power slowly started gaining traction in the industry.

The Big Break: Electrifying South Africa’s Townships

Reddy’s breakthrough came in the early 1990s when South Africa’s township electrification program was underway. Many white-owned companies refused to take on these projects due to safety concerns and political volatility. But Reddy saw it differently.

Edison Power was one of the first companies willing to take on the massive task of electrifying South Africa’s townships. “We were the only company willing to go into these dangerous areas,” Reddy says. “It was risky, but I knew it was our chance to prove ourselves.” Edison Power’s commitment to these underserved communities not only transformed the lives of millions but also positioned the company as a leading force in South Africa’s electrical industry. This bold move firmly established Reddy as a visionary businessman willing to take calculated risks for the greater good.

Diversifying His Empire

[caption id="attachment_57579" align="aligncenter" width="638"] Vivian Reddy | Oceans Mall | Global Indian Oceans Umhlanga in Durban, owned by Vivian Reddy, known as 'Dubai in Durban', created over 1000 local jobs.[/caption]

As Edison Power grew, so did Reddy’s ambitions. By the late 1990s, Reddy had expanded beyond electrical engineering and ventured into property development, real estate, and casinos. One of his most significant undertakings was the Sibaya Casino, a premier destination that became a cornerstone of his business portfolio.

The casino, situated near Durban, attracted major investment and created hundreds of jobs for local residents. Reddy’s ventures in casinos were not just about profits—they were about transforming the economic landscape of the region. The success of Sibaya Casino marked the beginning of his diversification into other high-value sectors.

Reddy’s most ambitious project to date is the R4 billion Oceans Umhlanga development, a luxury mixed-use property development that includes residential apartments, a hotel, and a shopping mall. This development has not only transformed Durban’s skyline but has also created thousands of jobs and brought international attention to the city. “I wanted to create something that would leave a lasting legacy,” Reddy says.

Mentorship from Nelson Mandela

One of the defining relationships in Reddy’s life was his mentorship under Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first democratically elected president. Mandela’s guidance shaped Reddy’s approach to leadership and community impact. “Mandela taught me that success is meaningless unless you use it to help others,” Reddy reflects.

Vivian Reddy met Nelson Mandela during the post-apartheid era, when South Africa was undergoing massive social and political transformation. Mandela, who became the first democratically elected president of South Africa in 1994, sought to engage with and mentor influential business leaders across the racial spectrum to help rebuild the country after years of racial segregation and economic inequality.

Reddy, who had already begun making a name for himself as a successful businessman through Edison Power, caught Mandela’s attention through his bold efforts to electrify townships during the apartheid regime—a risky move that not only demonstrated Reddy’s business acumen but also his commitment to social upliftment. Their paths crossed as Mandela began to form relationships with key business figures who could contribute to the rebuilding of South Africa's economy and infrastructure.

Mandela admired Reddy’s determination to succeed despite the restrictions of apartheid and recognized the impact Reddy’s work had on marginalized communities. Through their shared values of integrity and a commitment to improving the lives of others, the two developed a close relationship. Mandela would go on to mentor Reddy, shaping his views on leadership, philanthropy, and the importance of using success to uplift those around him. Mandela’s mentorship reinforced Reddy’s belief that businesses should be a force for good, and that personal success comes with a responsibility to uplift the less fortunate. This relationship would serve as the guiding principle for Reddy’s expansive philanthropic efforts.

We didn’t have much, but my parents made sure we had the right values. - Vivian Reddy

Philanthropy: A Commitment to Uplifting Communities

Reddy’s philanthropic work is as impressive as his business empire. He has donated more than R250 million to various causes, focusing on education, healthcare, and skills development. One of his most significant contributions is the establishment of Wingen Heights Secondary School, a state-of-the-art educational institution aimed at providing high-quality education to children in underserved communities.

Reddy has also heavily invested in healthcare initiatives, particularly in the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, where he funded clinics and medical centers to provide essential services to marginalized communities. “I believe that true success is about giving back to the community that helped you succeed,” Reddy explains.

In addition to education and healthcare, Reddy has sponsored multiple skills development programs, helping thousands of young South Africans gain the training and qualifications needed to improve their economic prospects.

[caption id="attachment_57580" align="aligncenter" width="563"] Vivian Reddy | South African billionaire | Global Indian Vivian Reddy with his wife[/caption]

Legacy

Today, Vivian Reddy’s empire spans multiple industries, employing thousands of people across South Africa. .His son, Shantan Reddy, now plays a critical role in running Edison Power, ensuring the continuity of the family legacy. From Edison Power to Oceans Umhlanga, Reddy’s impact on South Africa’s economy is profound. But perhaps more importantly, his legacy of philanthropy and service continues to uplift communities across the country.

Reddy’s journey from a young boy growing up in apartheid-era Durban to one of South Africa’s most influential businessmen is a testament to vision, determination, and a commitment to service. “It’s not about how much you have; it’s about how much you give back,” Reddy says, a reflection of a life dedicated to leaving the world better than he found it.

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Rahul Mehrotra: Architect, urbanist and educator behind the Masterplan for Mumbai

(September 26, 2024) Over the course of a practice spanning more than thirty years, Rahul Mehrotra has entrenched himself in Mumbai's architectural history, with his name featuring alongside icons like IM Qadri and Charles Correa. The founder of RMA Architects, Mehrotra is multi-faceted personality, an architect, urbanist, author and an educator as well - he is the Professor of Urban Design and Planning at the Department of Urban Planning and Design at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design. His range of projects has been equally vast, from art spaces and boutiques, designing offices, homes and factories to recycling urban land and master planning the Maximum City. RMA has designed and executed a vast rangeof projects, from corporate campuses to private homes, as well as conservation and land recycling projects. Mehrotra led the design of Hewlett Packard's software campus in Bengaluru and a campus for the NGO Magic Bus. He also oversaw the restoration of the Oval Maidan and Chowmahalla and Falaknuma Palaces in Hyderabad and completed a masterplan for the conservation of the Taj Mahal. The firm also designed and built a social housing project, Hathigaon, in Rajasthan, for 100 elephants and their caretakers. He is a leading voice in

s a leading voice in the modern discourse on urbanism, and is known for being driven by academic research. Global Indian looks at the journey of this master architect.

[caption id="attachment_30400" align="alignnone" width="1000"] Hathigaon. Photo: RMA Architects[/caption]

Discovering architecture

Born in Delhi, Mehrotra moved to Mumbai with his family as a child, where his father managed machine-tool factories. The family moved around Mumbai often and Mehrotra soon learned to enjoy the transitions. "I loved going into a new space, arranging and re-arranging," he told Harvard Magazine. It sparked an interest that led him to enroll himself into a degree in architecture at CEPT Univerity in Ahmedabad, because he "loved architecture from the start." From there, he went to the GSD, where he met his wife Nondita.

In 1987, he completed his postgraduate study at Harvard University, writing a thesis on Mumbai. He returned then to his beloved home city, where he went on to set up his practice, RMA Architects, in 1990. It was not a decision many Indians made at the time - to return home from abroad, much less to set up a business. "I was just so charged up about what was happening in India that I didn't even think about staying in the US," he said, to Harvard Magazine.

[caption id="attachment_30401" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Rahul Mehrotra. Photo: RMA Architects[/caption]

From Boston to Bombay

"I prepared myself to work in the city in a way that allowed me to distill the kind of issues I wanted to engage with," he told STIRWorld.
"In retrospect, I see I had actually studied the city very intensely, both as an undergraduate at CEPT University, Ahmedabad, where I looked at the architecture of Bombay, and later, at Harvard University, as a postgraduate where my thesis was also on Mumbai. I was trying to read and understand the city, its character, its planning processes and the patterns that made the place unique."

Mehrotra's first tryst with teaching came in 2002, when he was offered a job at the University of Michigan's Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. By this time, RMA Architects was over a decade old and Mehrotra, who had a considerable body of work to his credit, had already discovered an interest in theory and analysis.

These were the early days of liberalisation and as the country witnessed a dramatic shift, so did the approach to architecture. The government stepped away from the private sector and India began its slow transition away from socialism and into a capitalist structure.

The transition from Bombay to Mumbai

"As capital realised its value (rather haphazardly) in Mumbai, slow and steady devastation began - its many historic forms ruptured, then interstitial spaces became opportunities as places of least resistance to change," Mehrotra said, in an interview with Metropolis Magazine. The transition to modernity reminded Mehrotra of an urban apocalypse, which is where he feared the city was headed.

Housing was a priority but the answer seemed to be in quick-fix solutions through pre-fab units at the edge of the city. "Nobody ever goes to live there. Often, designing for transitions takes us in an unexpected direction and is messy and may not result in cohesive architectonic images. But that's the only way we will achieve our real goals and not be caught in illusions of having solved the problem."

The Art District

However, as the city turned to modernity, Mehrotra became involved in the movement to preserve Mumbai's historic Fort District. When the economic liberalisation led to an upturn in the city's art scene, Mehrotra's firm, then still in its infancy, was hired to design seven art galleries there. He was already picturing the larger scheme of things and viualising a designated art district. He staged art installations on the streets, hoping to make the new art galleries more welcoming to the public.

[caption id="attachment_30402" align="aligncenter" width="748"] Sakshi Art Gallery | Rahul Mehrotra Sakshi Art Gallery, Kala Ghoda[/caption]

Mehrotra's pioneering efforts towards conservation and land recycling would become legislation, through the 1995 presevation act. Until 2005, Mehrotra continued to advise the Urban Design Research Institute.

Reviving royal legacies

In 2000, Rahul Mehrotra was invited to advise the government on the conservation of the Taj Mahal. He created the Taj Mahal Conservation Collaborative, with a seven-member team comprising experts in engineering, landscape architecture and conservation. He led the team to formulate a conservation plan of the site.

Led by Princess Esra, returned to India from England, the historic Chowmahalla and Falaknuma Palaces were restored to their former glory. For this, she enlisted the help of Rahul Mehrotra. "Together, they worked on the mammoth task of bringing together artisans, structural engineers and historians, to study and document all the material they found during the course of their literal and metaphorical digging," according to the Architectural Digest, which has listed Mehrotra on their AD50 list.

Public spaces in the urban jungle

"We needed a gradation of spaces, so the client could still have some space for her private use, but a majority would be open to the public," Mehrotra told AD. The Chowmahalla restoration work continued over the course of a decade and in 2010, it won UNESCO's Conservation Award.

The palace sees almost 5000 visitors on weekends and is now a full-fledged museum. "Restoring the physical fabric was a challenge," Mehrotra said. "Since this was not seen as an income-generating prospect, the interventions were minimum and the conservation work was done keeping in mind the safety and maintenance of the building." The idea was not just to invite the public into the structure but to step into the story itself.

[caption id="attachment_30403" align="alignnone" width="1600"] Chowmahalla Palace Complex. Photo: RMA Architects[/caption]

Rahul Mehrotra - A prolific author

Over the years, Mehrotra has written extensively on architecture, conservation and urban plannign and design. His it he co-author of Bombay: the Cities Within, a magnum opus that covers the city's urban history from the 1600s to the present, Bangananga: Sacred Tank, Public Places Bombay, and Bombay to Mumbai: Changing Perspectives. In 2011, he wrote 'Architecture in India - Since 1990,' a look at contemporary architecture in India.

Mehrotra has also curated exhibitions including one at the NGMA Mumbai in 2017, titled The State of Architecture: Practices and Processes in India. In 2018, he co-curated 'The State of Housing: Realities, Aspirations and Imaginaries in India'.

In 2014, Mehrotra became a member of the International Committee of Architecture Critics and is part of the Steering Committee of the Lasmi Mittal South Asia Institute at Harvard.

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