Global IndianstoryThe science and art of Ice Cream making: Deepak Suresh’s Amadora revolution

The science and art of Ice Cream making: Deepak Suresh’s Amadora revolution

Written by: Minal Nirmala Khona

Cookies, fruits, coffee, chillies, peanuts, limes and of course the evergreen chocolate and vanilla, they all find their way into the ice creams at Amadora. What is the secret behind their popularity?

(December 3, 2023) Ice creams and cakes are always irresistible, no matter what age you are or which part of the world you live in. And making a successful business of both these universal and perennial favourites is Deepak Suresh with his brand of artisanal ice creams and more called Amadora Gourmet Ice Cream.

Deepak Suresh, founder, Amadora

Like a lot of engineers these days, Deepak changed career trajectories and after an MBA in Spain where he fell in love with food and everything around it. After a stint in the corporate world, he decided he wanted to be in the culinary field. The engineer in him zeroed in on ice creams from the start. In an exclusive with Global Indian, Deepak says, “The process of manufacturing ice creams is process driven, as opposed to a biryani, which is formula based. If you have good ingredients, and can create flavours and the right texture that will appeal, along with your imagination, ice creams were the obvious choice for me.”

The Right Choice

Another reason for choosing ice creams was the fact that Deepak associated a lot of happy memories of his own childhood in Chennai with ice creams. He recalls, “As kids we used to go to Das Prakash for ice creams and they had this ice cream sandwich with cake all around it. They were always fantastic and we loved going there.”

He also reveals that he found a big gap between the store-bought range of ubiquitous ice creams like Amul, Kwality Walls and others, and the premium range like Haagen Daaz. His price points too are placed between these two ranges and given the high quality of ingredients used, including Belgian chocolate in larger quantities than his competitors do, they seem worth the price.

Having lived in the US where he had done his Master’s degree in Computer Engineering from Syracuse University, he decided to return to India to start the business. He did his research and launched the brand Amadora Artisan Ice Creams Pvt. Ltd, in June 2011. “By March 2012, we were winging it.”

I dream of ice cream

From the outset, Deepak implemented engineering principles to streamline production processes, emphasizing precision and consistency in every scoop he served up at Amadora. He also decided to do a week-long course in ice cream making at the University of Pennsylvania in the US. “It was more a scientific course, focusing on the pasteurising and ageing process and other aspects. It was too much science,” he adds candidly.

Candour in fact is the underlining trait with which Deepak speaks because he openly talks about what worked, what didn’t and why he makes ice creams in the flavours that he does. He says, “I make the flavours I like. The most important part of an ice cream is the mix – if you get the mix right, whether it is vanilla, coffee, chocolate or pineapple, the rest is easy. Perfecting the mix is the most difficult part about making an ice cream.”

To date, Amadora has made over 300 flavours of ice creams and sorbets, like frozen hot chocolate, trifle pudding, mango raspberry, roasted banana, peanut butter and hot fudge and plenty more. There is even a chilli cheese toast flavour for the adventurous! The range also includes ice cream sandwiches and ice cream bars; and ice cream cakes and sundaes. Each outlet stocks 16 ice cream flavours and 14 cake varieties. And the sorbets work for the vegans because they are made without any milk, cream or egg.

Baked goods too got added to the menu and a popular item is the under-baked cake. Deepak says, “To go with ice creams, I started making brownies. During one baking attempt, we made a baked bar that came out under-baked and it tasted amazing. So, we decided to market it as an under-baked cake and it is one of our most popular items.”

For the ingredients, Deepak believes in zero compromise. The five-bean vanilla ice cream for instance, one of their bestsellers, has a story to it. Deepak recalls, “When I created the vanilla ice cream, I was looking for authentic vanilla beans. I met Dr Mahendran in Polachi in Tamil Nadu; his beans are the best we felt, and each litre of ice cream made had the intensity of five vanilla beans; hence the name Five Bean for the ice cream. I have been buying from him for the last ten years.” The milk he uses for the ice creams are Amul and Nandini.

Hits and Misses

Flavours are the hall mark of Amadora and Deepak says they launch a new flavour a week. Between the sorbets and the ice creams, Amadora has over 300 flavours created. But, Deepak himself admits that some of them were “horrible.” He reiterates with candour not usually found in his line of business, “We once received some gajar halwa from my wife’s family in Jagraon, Punjab. It was amazing and I had it with vanilla ice cream. But when I tried to recreate the flavour as an ice cream, it didn’t do well. Similarly, we got some freeze-dried jackfruit powder. Again, we made it into an ice cream and I personally thought it was an incredible flavour, but it did not do well at all.”

The popular flavours are vanilla and chocolate in all its variants – they are the top sellers. Another hit with customers is the Mami’s filter coffee ice cream which for Deepak, coming from Chennai, was a no-brainer and had to be part of the oeuvre. Caramelized White Chocolate, Dark Chocolate Sorbet, Vanilla Caramel Crunch, Strawberry Shortcake etc are some of the other choices. Even the cakes are fast becoming popular and now account for 30 percent of Amadora’s business.

And while Deepak, candidly again, admits that he has had “tremendous amounts of luck in finding the right location, architect and good staff, towards starting what is predominantly a self-funded business, labour remains a challenge as attrition in this industry is high.”

With three stores in Chennai and two in Bengaluru, with two more coming up in both cities and a store in Mumbai scheduled for mid-2024, Deepak has his hands full. He wants to, in the future, experiment with all the varieties of mango available across India in ice creams; he is already making use of the hapoos or Alphonso and the Banganpally mangoes.

Deepak admits, “I am lucky I do what I do, and seeing the joy on the face of my four-and-a-half-year-old son when he tries the ice cream, makes it so much more worthwhile.”

Ice creams and cakes, and an entrepreneur with a passion for creating their best possible avatars – a match made in heaven.

Follow Amadora on Instagram and explore the brand through their website.

What’s your Global Indian story? Write to us at editor.gi@globalindian.com

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Published on 03, Dec 2023

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Sriram Aylur: Michelin-star chef serving authentic South Indian cuisine to Londoners

(February 22, 2023) He gave up law studies to chase his dream of becoming a chef, and the romance with food led him to launch Quilon, the first South Indian restaurant in the world to win a Michelin star. Meet Sriram Aylur, a native of Kerala, who has made Londoners fall in love with South Indian cuisine. The 53-year-old chef has been casting a spell on food lovers in the UK with his signature dishes and has helped Quilon score not one but 14 Michelin stars since 2008. It's the amalgamation of ethnic and progressive influences that has kept Quilon's menu unique. Sriram, who started his journey from working with his father in his restaurant, has now become a name to reckon with in the culinary world. [caption id="attachment_35338" align="aligncenter" width="723"] Sriram Aylur is a Michelin-star Indian chef.[/caption] From law to hotel management Born in Palakkad in Kerala and raised in Mumbai, chef Sriram's love for food began early in life when he stepped into the kitchen of his father's restaurant. "I remember being fascinated by the smell and aromas which used to come from the kitchen - it was my first love," he told India Today. But it was

akkad in Kerala and raised in Mumbai, chef Sriram's love for food began early in life when he stepped into the kitchen of his father's restaurant. "I remember being fascinated by the smell and aromas which used to come from the kitchen - it was my first love," he told India Today. But it was the Sunday feast ritual that shaped the cook in him. "When I was young, every Sunday we would have a lunch 'tamasha'. Family and friends would all drop by and people used to look forward to this great celebration of food," he told The News Minute in an interview. While food was always his passion, Sriram was keen to pursue a career in law. However, when things didn't materialise for him, his father encouraged him to take up hotel management as he understood his son's love for food. This was a stepping stone for chef Sriram towards becoming a world-class chef.

Upon completion of the course from the Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition in India, he started his initial training with his father at his restaurant. This paved his way to the kitchens of the Gateway Hotel in Bengaluru, and in just two years, he became the executive chef. "It was here that I strengthened my thoughts and shaped my desire to unfold the potential of South Indian cuisine," he wrote on the website of Quilon.

Introducing South Indian cuisine to Londoners

He eventually opened Karavali in 1990, an authentic South Indian restaurant that specialises in seafood from Kerala and Goa that was later voted as one of the top five restaurants in India. He added, "The challenge was to make ethnic food without sacrificing too much in the recipes." Soon the popularity of the restaurant spread wide and far, and in 1997, Sriram was ranked among the top five chefs in India. This recognition opened the doors to an exciting opportunity when, in 1999, he was invited to open Quilon in the heart of London.

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Back then, there weren't many authentic South Indian restaurants in London and it was a challenge for chef Sriram to introduce this unique South-west coastal Indian cuisine to an audience that was unfamiliar with the nuances of Indian cuisine. Currently, around 9000 South Asian restaurants are sprawled across the UK, however, this wasn't the scenario many decades ago. It was only in the 80s that Indian food started making its way outside the realm of desi kitchens in the UK, and to the tables in restaurants in the UK.

The first few years were a struggle for Quilon but chef Sriram pulled the restaurant out from the radar of skepticism and put into the league of the best restaurants in London. "It didn't do well for the first couple of years. It was a new cuisine and we were doing something not many people knew about. We were the first serious West Coast Indian restaurant in the country. So my initial two or three years was a great learning curve for me," he told Big Hospitality.

A Michelin-star chef

Soon the signature dishes of this Global Indian started to satiate the palate of Londoners. Be it the Mangalorean chicken or the Coconut with Asparagus and Snow peas or the fish in banana leaf, every dish tantalised the taste buds of food lovers. "London is the melting pot of the world and everything is taken with excitement. People are adventurous and welcome and understand the importance of flavours," he added. And in 2001, Quilon won the Best Indian restaurant Good Curry Guide Award. The word of mouth worked in favor of Quilon and the restaurant managed to add many such feathers in its cap. However, the watershed moment for Sriram came in 2008 when the restaurant won its first Michelin star, making Quilon the first South Indian restaurant in the world to achieve this feat.

[caption id="attachment_13798" align="aligncenter" width="350"] Sriram Aylur preparing food at his restaurant.[/caption]

"It feels great to know that we have rewritten the perception of South Indian cuisine, especially cuisine from the west coast," he told Outlook. But what makes Quilon and Sriram such a great combination as the restaurant has managed to win Michelin star every since year since 2008. "The greatest strength of Quilon is our unblinking focus on what we do. Mine is a great team that believes in our quest to be better than we are. We tend to up our own benchmark constantly and then chase it," he added. Chef Sriram has brought coastal Indian cuisine to the global audience like no one else, and the success of Quilon is testimony to his craft.

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How Gaurav Brahmbhatt mobilised help for Covid 19 patients with Health Care At Home

(April 21) Gaurav Brahmbhatt offers to log in at 5 am GST from the UK without batting an eyelid. "I'm up early. Work begins early and I like to have some sort of routine. I work in healthcare, after all," he smiles. Gaurav, who is a founding team member and VP of strategic partnerships at Health Care at Home India Pvt Ltd (HCAH), was, at the time of our meeting, in the UK to receive an honorary degree from his alma mater, Aston University. It is a recognition of his efforts to lead HCAH India in the Covid-19 season. During the peak of the pandemic, HCAH mobilised huge resources to ensure that people who didn't need to be hospitalised received adequate care. In January 2022, the company raised $15 million in funding, and the plan, Gaurav tells Global Indian, is to scale up all their centres. Taking on a pandemic In 2019, when the world had just become aware of Covid-19, HCAH was only six years old, having begun operations in 2013. However, as huge panic kicked in and hospitals ran out of beds and resources, the company began receiving calls from Delhi, Karnataka and Punjab. "That's how we started

begun operations in 2013. However, as huge panic kicked in and hospitals ran out of beds and resources, the company began receiving calls from Delhi, Karnataka and Punjab. "That's how we started caring for Covid-19 positive patients who didn't need hospitalisation," says Gaurav. "Our model had become an absolute necessity at the time and this was our chance to add real social value." HCAH's staff treated over a million patients during 2019-2020, helping abate panic during the early phases.

"It was a very demanding task," Gaurav recalls. "We had 72 hours to scale up our models for the government and get going. Before we knew it, we were getting something like 28,000 calls a day." The government was working overtime too, funding private healthcare for those who could not afford it. They also set up hospital facilities in hotel rooms for quarantine needs.

[caption id="attachment_23463" align="aligncenter" width="309"] Gaurav Brahmbhatt[/caption]

Rise to the top

Established in 1992 in the UK by Dr Charles Walsh and Dr Gareth Jones, Gaurav joined Health Care at Home UK (HAH) in 2004, fresh out of college. "Call it coincidence, or luck but that was the time it started buzzing," Gaurav says. The NHS, he recalls, was under a lot of cost pressure and wanted to expand healthcare at home. "This concept had been around in the UK and the US for quite a while. So when the time came, HAH started buzzing. We were turning in more than GBP 1 billion."

Armed with a degree in pharmacy from Pune and a master's in biotechnology from Hertfordshire University, Gaurav came on board at HAH as a pharmacy technician, a "very junior role," he says. He was keen to learn, to take on new challenges and deploy the management skills. "I became employee of the year and was promoted several times," he says.

Soon, he was overseeing operations of the largest pharmacy in Europe, which was "half the size of a football field, came with cold chain compliant operations and conveyor belts - the works." This left him with a strong sense of accomplishment - a migrant from India, getting into an organisation and being able to go so far. "I had learnt people management skills, planning and execution, goal setting and so on," he adds.

An MBA and a new path

Even as he worked at the pharmacy, he dreamed of doing an MBA - a desire he often shared with his bosses. They finally gave in, even offering to fund his degree. "MBAs are quite expensive in the UK," Gaurav explains. "Getting funding is also very hard." It also meant a commitment - time. "My son was born in September 2008 and he was just a few days old when I entered Aston Business School," says the exec.

Aston University has awarded an honorary degree to Gaurav Brahmbhatt for his leadership on the health agenda in India.

Gaurav Brahmbhatt is a founding team member and vice-president of strategic partnerships and growth at HCAH India.

Congratulations, Gaurav! pic.twitter.com/fipJoz6BFl

— HCAH India (@HCAHIndia) April 9, 2022

In order to graduate in 2010-11, Gaurav had to turn in a research project. He calls it his "eureka moment." He wrote about HAH possibly looking at India as a expansion opportunity. "I had been away for a very long time and I wanted to be able to give back to my country in some way," he says.

Healthcare at home was a concept that made a lot of sense to him, "We can't carry on endlessly building hospitals," believes Gaurav, adding, "I remember as a kid, a doctor visiting houses with his suitcase. That disappeared with time but the potential was there."

While surgeries and other complex, invasive procedures do require a hospital, "70 percent of what is done there can be done at home," he says. "That's the guiding principle in the UK and we thought we could do something similar in India too.

The India expansion

Gaurav spent six months on his MBA research project and when he presented it to the HAH management, he found them quite convinced, "It was a validation of my research," Gaurav smiles.

After HAH conducted its field research, Gaurav accompanied Dr Jones and Dr Walsh to India to meet with stakeholders, including the Burman family, owners of the Dabur group. The meetings only convinced them further this was the right choice.

Homecoming

Gaurav returned to India with his family in 2012. "I had a baby daughter that year too" - Gaurav smiles, as he seems to do every time he mentions his daughter, who is now nine. It was a tough call - the family was well settled in the UK, both professionally and personally. Moving back to India was a risk but Gaurav knew it would bring him more satisfaction in the long run.

Healthcare at Home India Pvt Ltd (HCAH) began operations in 2013, with Vivek Srivastava as CEO and Gaurav also at the helm. They began to expand outside Delhi to Mumbai, Kolkata and Hyderabad. "We acquired a pharma business in Mumbai and began scaling up post that," says Gaurav, of the company that works with major pharma companies and his pharma expertise stepped in.

Changing healthcare in India

"It's about setting up the infrastructure and then making it work in terms of logistics and distribution. In a complex environment like India, you're dealing with specialised, high-end medicines. We call it integrated pharma," he explains.

Today, Healthcare at Home India Pvt. Ltd reaches around 1.5 lakh patients each month, supporting oncology to nephrology patients. Post-operative care is also an important part of what they do. Post Covid-19, the company has expanded further, working with patients at homes, in communities and on corporate sites in terms of wellness centres and so on, Gaurav explains.

The Heroes of HCAH have outdone themselves in this pandemic, going far beyond their duties and responsibilities to serve patients in these trying times.

To honor them, we are shining the Spotlight on our super-achieving Kolkata team today...#HCAH #H https://t.co/vZTQ0ktboc

— HCAH India (@HCAHIndia) May 17, 2021

Brand Ambasador for Aston Business School

After he moved to India, Gaurav became the country's brand ambassador for Aston Business School. "I wanted to extend knowledge and support to other Aston alumni in India as well." He runs the university's alumni network, overseeing the various chapters and organising lectures by Aston professors.

In 2020, he became a member of the Aston Advisory Board to strategise for long term impact, learn from industry leaders who are alumni. In 2022, he was awarded his honourary degree.

"It's very satisfying, somehow to be part of something bigger," Gaurav remarks. "And I have been fortunate enough to find people like Dr Charles, Dr Gareth and the Burman family." He describes his journey with HCAH as a mission. "What began as an idea supports millions of people in India. That's where my highest sense of achievement comes from."

[caption id="attachment_23471" align="aligncenter" width="639"] Gaurav receives his honorary degree from Aston University[/caption]

Accessibility of private healthcare

"The company runs its own NGO as well. We are working on solutions like bringing healthcare to rural areas," says Gaurav. Counselling patients too. "For instance, there are people with epilepsy who don't get access to mainstream education, or don't marry. We are working towards developing programmes to deal with these societal issues," Gaurav explains.

Gaurav has returned to his home state, Gujarat. He lives with his wife, whom he describes as a constant source of support, and his kids.

Follow Healthcare at Home India Pvt Ltd on Twitter and LinkedIn

Reading Time: 8 mins

Bon Appetit, Bengaluru! Unwrapping Nicolas Grossemy’s Paris Panini success

(October 22, 2023) Nicolas Grossemy came to India for an internship, started a food truck business selling French-style sandwiches and is today the co-Founder of Paris Panini, a chain of deli style French cafés in Bengaluru One of the most globally ubiquitous snacks or light meals would have to be the sandwich. Two slices of bread with a veritable who’s who of ingredients in between and voila, you can have it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Known as a panini in Italian, and le casse-croute in French, a sandwich in its protean avatars has many Indian variations too. In Bengaluru, Nicolas Grossemy began Le Casse Croute, a food truck serving up sandwiches with ingredients more associated with French cuisine. Business boomed, and the food truck became Paris Panini, a French-style cafe in Indiranagar. Today, Nicolas, who is the co-founder, oversees a chain of restaurants. Made in India He recalls how his tryst with sandwiches began in an exclusive with Global Indian. “I came to India in January 2014 for an internship while I was finishing my Master’s at Kedge Business School. Before coming here, I had worked in restaurants in France for about four years while studying, to make pocket

inishing my Master’s at Kedge Business School. Before coming here, I had worked in restaurants in France for about four years while studying, to make pocket money. But I ended up loving the industry and thought of starting something on my own during the internship itself. We (his earlier two French business partners) wanted to start a casual diner but we struggled to find a place, so decided to open a food truck instead, since it was a fairly new concept back in 2015.”

Nicolas is mostly self-taught and has not done any professional cooking courses though he has been cooking since a very young age. “I did work along with chefs in France that helped me build my knowledge in the kitchen as well as deepen my expertise in terms of French cooking,” he tells Global Indian.

[caption id="attachment_46174" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Nicolas Grossemy | Co-Founder of Paris Panini | The Global Indian Nicolas Grossemy and Abhijit 'AB' Gupta[/caption]

Still, setting up a food truck in one of India’s busiest metropolises came with its fair share of obstacles - Parking, cops, staff, cranky residents etc. Nicolas admits that he faced many challenges from the start. He recalls, “The first challenge I faced was for all the modifications we wanted on the school van. We wasted four months as the guy took money from us and didn’t get anything done. After that, we moved the van to a different garage and that guy did a fantastic job,” says Nicolas. There weren’t many food trucks in the city then, so Nicolas and his team could simply park the truck and run the business without much trouble. Their problems began when lots of food trucks started operating. “Most people were just running the trucks to make money,” Nicolas recalls. “They had no passion or even experience.” These newly founded businesses would leave garbage at their parking spots, neglect hygiene standards and serve poor quality food. The image of food trucks took a beating, and neighbours’ associations began alerting cops about those operating without authorisation. “That’s when I realised that a food truck wasn’t a scalable business so I had to find another way to scale my concept.”

Street Food a la France

Nicolas’ food truck, called Le Casse-Croute, started operating in 2015. The standards he set were high. Nicolas says, “We had a base kitchen where we would prepare all the food and ingredients. Baking the bread freshly every day, which is part of the concept, would always happen in the morning before we started. I wanted to bring a gourmet street food experience with fresh ingredients cooked on a daily basis. Sourcing the ingredients was part of the process and it took some time to set, but it’s something I wouldn’t compromise on. Quality and freshness over everything. For example, even for the potato, we had to try dozens of different suppliers for our French fries. We needed a special grade of potato since we were doing our French fries in-house (peeling, cutting and double frying). Currently, we source a special grade of premium French fries that we serve with our much-loved homemade tomato ketchup.” All the ingredients are sourced locally.

[caption id="attachment_46176" align="aligncenter" width="606"] The 'Hugo' (fried chicken, fresh mozzarella, onions, sriracha aioli) at Paris Panini[/caption]

Somewhere, the universe heard Nicolas and his desire to start a café. “AB and Nikhil came into the picture later when I met Nikhil at the gym. I explained to Nikhil that I was looking to raise funds to scale the concept and product. He quite liked the idea, so I met him, his brother and their executive chef from Pizza Bakery the next day and we started discussing our collaboration. Our concept was pretty simple, keep the same values which I used to build Le Casse-Croute, and make it into a brick-and-mortar format to give the experience of sitting in a French café as if you were in Paris. That’s the goal I had while running the food truck; I always wanted to build a café in Bengaluru that transports you to France just by its décor, food and ambience. We reworked the concept, the menu and design of the place, and we found the perfect place on 12th main road in Indiranagar, next to Pizza Bakery.”

Paris Panini was launched in November 2019 and to date sells essentially French street food, in French style cafés. The paninis all have different names and from prawns to pesto, bacon, devilled eggs, chicken, to mozzarella, aiolis, sun dried tomatoes, and a lot more, these gourmet sandwiches became so popular with the local crowd that they are now present in ten locations across the city.

[caption id="attachment_46175" align="aligncenter" width="622"] The Laura (Mozzarella, basil pesto, sun-dried tomatoes)[/caption]

French Classics

The sandwiches come with names like Aime, Hugo, Jacques etc. given to each of the paninis. Nicolas reveals the logic behind it. “Yes, all our paninis have French names. They aren’t named after my family members (or exes as some customers assume) but all of them have a story. For example, the Franck panini got its name because it’s a protein-loaded panini and had spinach, and it refers to Popeye the sailor man. Patrick got this name because we literally launched this panini on St Patrick’s day. Jacques, our prawn and aioli panini, was inspired by Jacques Mayol from The Big Blue movie.” All paninis are well-liked though the menu now includes desserts and pastas; the most popular are the chicken paninis Hugo and Michel and the vegetarian Estelle and Laura.

Creating the menu too may have come with its challenges. Keeping local tastes in mind, consumer preferences and their own favourites alike, how did they strike the right balance of options? He says, “We took some classic combinations we have in France like chicken and mayo or ham and cheese and upgraded them a bit adding our touch to the recipes. But there were ingredients that were not necessarily getting the response we expected. If something is not moving, we try twisting the recipes a bit and if it doesn’t really change, we get rid of it and come up with new recipes. We have developed a lot in our vegetarian menu (even our vegan menu lately) and we have been getting a good response because it’s a unique product, with taste that you can’t experience anywhere else in Bengaluru.”

Nicolas Grossemy | Co-Founder of Paris Panini | The Global Indian

Everything is made from scratch including the sauces. Incredibly, their most popular dip is their homemade ketchup served with fries. Nicolas adds, “It is a traditional French recipe, it’s so fresh and tasty people keep asking for more.” And since everything is made in-house, they have expanded the brand to include a range of retail products that can be used at home like fresh basil pesto, sun-dried tomatoes etc. They also serve their paninis with French old-style mustard and olive tapenade that are classics in French cuisine.

With success came expansion and in less than five years, not to forget the two years lost to Covid, Paris Panini today has seven dine-in and five delivery kitchens. What advice does he have for a foodpreneur looking to expand in a similar fashion? Nicolas says, “I’d say start small, see the response and from that grow your menu, improve the experience and your flow of operations. That way you have a lot more under your control and you can learn without taking too much of a risk.”

From giving the humble sandwich a gourmet status, and making French street food a hit in Bengaluru, Nicolas has a winning formula on his hands. Hopefully other cities too will get a chance to experience his food some day.

Follow Nicolas Grossemy and Paris Panini on Instagram.

Reading Time: 8 mins

Spare the life, use the rod: Entrepreneur Sharad Ashani gets Rs 50 lakh to grow his anti-suicide device

(March 23, 2022) Sharad Ashani is not your typical entrepreneur. The 66-year-old Mumbai-based founder of Safe Solutions had an over three decade-long career behind him before he decided to start up. Except, he was looking to make a difference after his retirement in 2017. Shocked by the number of suicides by hanging in the India, Sharad patented what is called Gold Life, a range of anti-suicide rods. So far, his company has installed over 50,000 anti-suicide rods in ceiling fans across hospitals, hotels, hostels, jails, and government quarters. Recently, this year (2022) his venture received a funding of Rs 50 lakh from Shark Tank India as well. Back in 2004, actor and model Nafisa Joseph committed suicide by hanging herself from a ceiling fan. “Soon after, an air hostess died in a similar manner. It struck me hard,” says the entrepreneur. “How were such educated and successful people taking such drastic measures? Was it so easy for one to hang from the ceiling fan? Around the same time, I came across a National Crime Record Bureau report that stated over 40 percent of those committing suicide in India died by hanging. It was time to do something about this,” says the

thing about this,” says the entrepreneur in a conversation with Global Indian.

[embed]https://twitter.com/SharadAshani/status/1232910384539095040?s=20&t=bDu--Q4l6EsbrJJyeibd7Q[/embed]

The journey of research

Sharad then began archiving news reports of suicides by hanging to work on a solution. He went through medical journals, and came up with a thoroughly researched prototype. This endeavour also took him to Nata Mallick, the West Bengal executioner to understand neck pressure, and breathing rates once the hanging process begins. “On a visit to Kolkata, I went to Mallick’s house to discuss the product I was mulling over; I wanted to ensure it was free from any loopholes,” says the Indian entrepreneur. Several trials later, Gold Life anti-suicide rods were patented in 2007.

The rod, which can be retrofitted into any ceiling fan, has an unlatching mechanism. When someone tries to hang oneself, the load exceeds the determined point, activating the unlatching mechanism, safely landing the person on the ground.

[caption id="attachment_21757" align="aligncenter" width="906"] Indian Entrepreneur | Sharad Ashani | Global Indian Sharad Ashani with his son, Gaurav[/caption]

However, Sharad was still far from working full-fledged on this as he was employed with Crompton Greaves. In 2011, the entrepreneur got the opportunity to participate in Mahindra’s Spark The Rise competition where he won a grant of Rs 4 lakh as the first runner-up. This further strengthened his belief in his idea.

Second Innings

When Sharad retired in 2017, he immediately got to work to launch his venture. “I began working on refining my product the day after my retirement. To ensure that it was 100 percent fool-proof, I had it tested at the government’s MSME testing centre. I did not want to take any chances with the quality, and also got the anti-rust testing done,” the entrepreneur explains.

The next step was marketing. As he wondered how to market the product, a news report of another suicide by hanging in a Mumbai daily caught his eye. He wrote to the editor about his anti-suicide rod. An impressive coverage followed.

[embed]https://twitter.com/SharadAshani/status/992017337564975104?s=20&t=bDu--Q4l6EsbrJJyeibd7Q[/embed]

Soon, government institutions began placing orders; the Air Force School in Faridabad and Kota Hostel Association were some of the first to place orders, followed by IIM Kashipur, and then psychiatry hospitals, hotels, and private institutions.

The game changer

“After the Shark Tank India episode was aired, my phone did not stop ringing for five days,” says Sharad, adding, “Some were to appreciate my innovation, others to place orders. Surprisingly, most of the calls were from eastern India and Puducherry. That’s when I learnt from an NCRB report that Puducherry topped the list of states when it came to suicide by hanging,” says the Indian entrepreneur.

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

Following the buzz generated by Shark Tank India, Sharad’s company has been getting more orders than its manufacturing capacity. “We are working to expand our manufacturing units. We plan to begin retailing online this April,” says the entrepreneur, who finds himself working 24x7 post-retirement. “Of course, I am enjoying the entire process. I feel that just like Edison’s invention benefitted the world, my innovation will also greatly impact society. In 10 years, I hope every ceiling fan in the country will have these anti-suicide rods leading to a drastic fall in the incidence of suicides,” he says optimistically.

Reading and forgetting is not the solution

Intrigued with the number of suicides and their fall outs on the deceased’s kin, he adds, “From police investigations, stigma about renting such places, financial repercussions, the complications are huge.” He recently received a call from a woman who’d lost her husband to suicide by hanging, who admitted that if she had been aware of the rod, her husband would be alive.

Present and future

While Sharad has been contemplating manufacturing energy efficient fans with anti-suicide rods, he is currently swamped with orders following the reality show.

[caption id="attachment_21759" align="aligncenter" width="677"] Indian Entrepreneur | Sharad Ashani | Global Indian Sharad Ashani with his wife and daughter[/caption]

The entrepreneur enjoys playing the tabla, reads books by Dale Carnegie, Stephen Covey, and Chan Kim, etc. “These books have been a guide to me in my corporate as well as entrepreneurial journey,” says Sharad, whose wife Sharada and two children Gaurav and Arpita, and their families, make life beautiful. Next on agenda, are plans to innovate on more safety products.

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Reading Time: 7 mins

Millet Mission 2023: The diaspora’s push for the cereal crop

(March 5, 2023) Millets are in vogue around the world, with India doubling down to promote the nutrient-rich grain. People are using it more often in their kitchens, and Indian restaurants across the globe have been offering millet specific menus. The enthusiasm has only heightened with 2023 being declared the International Year of Millets (IYM) by the United Nations, upon India’s proposal. [caption id="attachment_35778" align="aligncenter" width="883"] Photo Credit: Embassy of India, Bulgaria[/caption] India wants to establish itself as a global hub for millets – knowing that the cereal crop can help the world confront some of the challenges like the increased demand of food due to the growing population, and the impact of climate change on agriculture. Observer Research Foundation (ORF), a global think tank, pointed out, “millets are climate friendly because it uses seventy percent less water than paddy, grows in half the time taken by wheat, and needs forty percent less energy in processing. It's a hardy crop that can withstand extreme heat condition." The cereals help increase nutritional levels across the world. According to the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation: As the global agrifood systems face challenges to feed an ever-growing global population, resilient cereals like millets

h Foundation (ORF), a global think tank, pointed out, “millets are climate friendly because it uses seventy percent less water than paddy, grows in half the time taken by wheat, and needs forty percent less energy in processing. It's a hardy crop that can withstand extreme heat condition." The cereals help increase nutritional levels across the world.

According to the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation:

As the global agrifood systems face challenges to feed an ever-growing global population, resilient cereals like millets provide an affordable and nutritious option, and efforts need to be scaled up to promote their cultivation.

The largest producer of millets in the world, India is right on spot to work on the global need of the hour and increase its millet exports.

[caption id="attachment_35779" align="aligncenter" width="866"] Millet Mission | Global Indian Photo Credit: Embassy of India, Vancouver[/caption]

The Indian diaspora has responded well to the Indian government’s international outreach efforts and its concerted push to boost the consumption of millets around the globe, among Indian and non-Indian communities. Global Indian turns the spotlight onto how the Indian diaspora is celebrating the International Year of Millets and lending a helping hand in making India’s ‘Millet Mission’ popular.

Millet Mission in Vancouver, Canada

The Consulate General of India in Vancouver organised a presentation on Indian millets to a gathering of distinguished stakeholders, including the business community, diplomatic corps, investors, bankers and the media. Consul General, S. Manish, made a detailed presentation outlining the significance of India’s leadership role in the IYM 2023, the country’s multifarious connect with millets, its health benefits, and how the International Year of Millets fulfils the sustainable development goals, positioning India as the global hub for millets.

[caption id="attachment_35781" align="aligncenter" width="899"] Millet Mission | Global Indian Photo Credit: Embassy of India, Vancouver[/caption]

They discussed investment opportunities in the millet ecosystem with the Vancouver community, with presentations on the agricultural, nutritional and commercial aspects of millet consumption. PM Modi’s video message on IYM2023 was also screened. Guests were treated with a millet-based meal.

Millet Mission in Tokyo, Japan

Ambassador Sibi George, state minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries of Japan, Takaaki Katsumata, and Eriko Hibi, director, FAO liaison office in Tokyo inaugurated the millet exhibition and seminar on ‘Harvesting the Potential: A Millet Celebration’ to celebrate the International Year of Millets 2023.

[caption id="attachment_35783" align="aligncenter" width="797"] Millet Mission | Global Indian Photo Credit: Embassy of India, Tokyo[/caption]

The event showcased health benefits and role of millets in ensuring food security along with its culinary potential. The exhibition was organized with support from Indian Restaurant Association in Japan, and featured both Indian and Japanese dishes prepared from millets.

Millet Mission in Guangzhou, China

Consulate General of India, Guangzhou organized an event during its ‘Special Focus Week’ on International Year of Millets 2023 at India House. The event was attended by members of the Diplomatic Corps and Friends of India. Consul General, Shambhu L Hakki, shared Government of India’s initiatives. His speech was followed by a talk on the health benefits of millets by Christina Gui, a renowned Chinese dietician.

[caption id="attachment_35785" align="aligncenter" width="901"] Millet Mission | Global Indian Photo Credit: Embassy of India, Guangzhou[/caption]

An Indian chef from a local restaurant did a live cooking demonstration of Indian dishes. The demonstration was streamed live on the Consulate’s social media channels. Samples of millets grown in India were also exhibited along with their nutritional properties and health benefits. The event concluded with a lunch of Indian delicacies made from millets.

Millet Mission in Suriname, South America

An Indian booth to boost consumption of millets was set up at the Agro-Fest 2023 held at Queen's Park, Barbados, with prime minister Mia Amor Mottley in attendance, along with the ministers of finance, economic Affairs and investment, national security and public service. Indian booth volunteers discussed benefits of millets with the dignitaries who showed interest in cultivating them in Barbados.

[caption id="attachment_35789" align="aligncenter" width="815"] Millet Mission | Global Indian Photo Credit: Embassy of India, Paramaribo[/caption]

Nicolla Simone Rudder, permanent secretary at the ministry of foreign affairs and foreign trade of Barbados, and Barbados Agriculture Society supported the Indian diaspora’s initiatives. Hundreds of visitors visited the booth.

Millet Mission in Togo, Africa

The Embassy of India in Lomé, in partnership with AISECT and Lomé University celebrated the International Year of Millets at Lomé University campus. A stall was set up and various millet products were displayed. Several university students and faculty members visited the stall.

[caption id="attachment_35790" align="aligncenter" width="831"] Millet Mission is in vogue with 2023 being declared the International Year of Millets (IYM) by the United Nations, upon India’s proposal. Photo Credit: Embassy of India, Lome[/caption]

A quiz on millet products was held for university students. The event helped raise awareness about the nutritional benefits of the use of millet products. Informative standees about the International Year of Millets were displayed to create more awareness about the millet mission.

Millet Mission in Birmingham, United Kingdom

Consulate General of India, Birmingham celebrated the Year of Millets 2023 at the Consulate with a delectable three-day food show exhibiting the nutritious benefits for Bajra, Jowar and other millet grains. Members of the diaspora, and investors in the Midlands participated in the event and savoured the delicacies. Discussions were held around millets - the future of food and farming.

[caption id="attachment_35791" align="aligncenter" width="694"] Millet Mission | Global Indian Photo Credit: Consulate General of India, Birmingham[/caption]

Did you know?

There are many varieties of millets. Some of them are - pearl millet (bajra), finger millet (ragi), buckwheat millet (kuttu), and barnyayard millet (sanwa).
According to Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), India exported $64.28 million worth of millets in the year 2021-22.
As part of its 'Millet Mission' the Government of India has funded 66 millet focused startups with investment exceeding ₹6 crore.
Millets are gluten-free, non-allergenic, great source of nutrition, high in fibre, vitamins, minerals and proteins, and nutritionally superior to major cereals leading to boost in immunity. It also contains anti diabetic properties.
Millets can be cooked whole as porridge or ground into flour to make breads, cakes, pasta, and other flour based delicacies.

Reading Time: 5 mins