Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusiveVish: UK’s first Bollywood busker brings patriotic music to London streets on Independence Day

Vish: UK’s first Bollywood busker brings patriotic music to London streets on Independence Day

By: Amrita Priya

(August 15, 2024) “In the midst of all these riots in London, we still managed to get Indians and Pakistanis to sing together for the 78th Independence Day,” the UK-based singer Vish shared with his fans, posting a video of people grooving to the tunes of Maa Tujhe Salaam. In another video that he shared, the Bollywood busker mentioned, “When Indians and Pakistanis sing together in London, ‘Jai Ho‘. Let’s share this video to spread love and unity. We need each other in these hard times.”

Anti-immigration protests and far-right riots have been occurring in England and Northern Ireland since 30 July 2024. Despite these challenges, as the countdown to the Independence Day of India and Pakistan began, Vish managed to bring smiles to the faces of the diaspora.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Vish (@vish.music)

Last year, around this time too, his video of patriotic songs on the streets of the United Kingdom in honour of the 77th Indian Independence Day had captured the attention of social media users worldwide. The mesmerising performance was widely shared and praised, earning the artist immense love, admiration, and popularity.

Melody on streets and stage

Popular for his engaging performances, the UK-based singer has earned appreciation from artists like rapper Badshah, playback singers Ash King and Diljit Dosanjh, and anchor/actor Maniesh Paul, who have sung alongside him during his street performances in the UK.

Vish’s social media following boasts of his widespread appeal, with over 523,000 followers on Instagram and 351,000 followers on YouTube.

Apart from busking, the singer has also performed at the opening of Vishal & Shekhar concert at Wembley Arena in London and has appeared at Javed Ali’s show at Indigo at The O2.

The busker whose street performances have taken him all over the UK wishes to make a mark in Bollywood as a playback singer someday. “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop,” believes the Arijit Singh fan.

Indian Singer | Busker Vishal Mattu | Global Indian

Vish with Aamir Khan who was part of the audience at one of his shows

Punjabi boy in the UK

Vishal Mattu hails from Punjab and took up singing on the streets (busking), a common practice in the United Kingdom, after being encouraged by his girlfriend. From singing along to English songs by popular artists like Justin Bieber and Drake, back home in India to busking with Bollywood classics and chart-toppers in the UK, Vish has come a long way with his guitar and stereo.

“I always wanted to be an English language singer,” he shared, naming Harry Styles among his many inspirations.

It was only after gaining appreciation for his Bollywood songs that he developed a passion for them. “I have become more interested in Bollywood beats after I began busking in the UK. I used to sing English songs, and people began coming up to me on the streets requesting Bollywood music. I did sing a few and got excellent feedback thereafter,” he shared talking about his journey.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Vish (@vish.music)

UK’s first Bollywood busker

Since 2022, Vish has been gaining recognition and has branded himself as the UK’s first Bollywood busker. He cherishes the precious moments of passers-by singing and dancing along to his melodies, often playing late-night, kicking off at 11 pm and going on until 3 am over the weekends.

Even though the English people don’t understand the wordings of Hindi songs, they still enjoy the melodies, and a lot of them recognise songs from Shah Rukh Khan movies, he shared. Their spontaneous gestures are something that the singer cherishes the most.

However not all performing endeavours end on happy notes. Like other street performers, he has had some nasty encounters too. “Well, there will always be those who dislike you and can be harsh, but you must remain strong. You must understand how to handle the circumstances without engaging in conflict. I have had a lot of unpleasant situations in these two years, but I never got into a fight.”

The 28-year-old has also released a music video titled ‘Wait’ in which he has sung a Punjabi song composed and written by himself. Another of his music videos is set to be released soon. While his wait for playback opportunities in Bollywood continues, the singer is hopeful of creating a mark someday with his creative ideas, love songs and club music in India’s film industry.

Follow Vish Music an Instagram and YouTube
Discover More Inspiring Stories

Name*

Email*

Name*

Email*

0 Comments

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Published on 15, Aug 2024

Share with

ALSO READ

Global Goals Superhero: 7-year-old environment champion Moksha Roy receives UK PM’s ‘Point of Light’ award

(Aug 4, 2023) In the Christmas of 2021, five-year-old Moksha Roy wrote a heartfelt letter to Santa Claus, asking for two plastic-free presents so that there is less plastic pollution on the planet. “Plastics are super bad for the planet and us. So please, please make my wishes come true,” she wrote. That was the beginning of the sustainability champion’s tryst with Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs), also known as ‘Global Goals’. Now, at the age of seven, Moksha Roy stands tall as the youngest sustainability advocate, spreading hope, awareness, and inspiration for a greener and more sustainable future. Her efforts have not only gained recognition from her community but also earned her the prestigious UK PM's 'Point of Light' award, acknowledging her extraordinary dedication to sustainability. [caption id="attachment_32380" align="aligncenter" width="535"] Moksha Roy[/caption] Moksha was exposed to UNSDGs at a young age by her Indian immigrant parents. The Hertfordshire residents are scientists, authors, and philanthropists who founded the Centre for Big Synergy (CBS) a civil service initiative associated with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Shocked to learn from her parents that not only children but many adults were unaware of the SDG goals, Moksha showed interest in

itizen-Youth-Award-BCyA-2022.jpg" alt="Indians in UK | Moksha Roy | Global Indian" width="535" height="713" /> Moksha Roy[/caption]

Moksha was exposed to UNSDGs at a young age by her Indian immigrant parents. The Hertfordshire residents are scientists, authors, and philanthropists who founded the Centre for Big Synergy (CBS) a civil service initiative associated with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

Shocked to learn from her parents that not only children but many adults were unaware of the SDG goals, Moksha showed interest in spreading awareness and inspire action at the tender age.

Her determination has led to the integration of SDGs-related knowledge into the curriculum of British schools when she wrote to the Prime Minister of UK in 2021. She simultaneously wrote to leaders of 193 countries to make necessary policy changes to include the global SDG goals in their nations’ school curriculum. She was thrilled to receive responses from government officials, leaders, and representatives of 22 countries, including the UK, Canada, Germany, and Norway. “I felt happy to have support of so many leaders, some of whom took action to make policy changes,” she said in an interview.

With a YouTube channel as one on her platforms, Moksha continues to raise awareness about environmental issues, including microplastic pollution, about which she aims to educate a billion children and their families through the 'Microplastic Free 2023' campaign. Accompanied by her parents, she has also worked in underprivileged schools in India to further the cause and has raised funds for World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and UNICEF UK. Apart from being the recipient of the Points of Honour award this year, the youngster received British Citizen Youth Award (BCyA) in 2022.

Youngest sustainability advocate

The milestones that Moksha has achieved gives her the impetus to keep moving ahead. The biggest of all milestones was when the UK Secretary for State for Education not only acknowledged her letter but also considered it as a part of the Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy for Education and Children’s Services. “We shared the first version of the strategy in 2021. We will think about your helpful idea as we continue to work on the final version,” he had replied.

Her efforts have led to mindful practices in classrooms including her own. “My favourite part of spreading awareness is when I get to see people making changes even if they are really small ones. I like seeing many of friends giving up harmful products like glitter altogether. Instead, they are using natural materials for arts and crafts,” she remarked.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYLfgxe6Khw

Compassionate leader

Moksha’s compassion has extended to different domains. Her dedication to underprivileged children was evident when for her birthday gift, she requested friends and family to donate to UNICEF UK, raising £350 for the organisation. She has even motivated her friends to do the same and is happy to see that they are following her footsteps to support children in need.

“Did you know that in an average in the UK people spend about £150 on birthday gifts for children. Imagine if only thousand people give up their birthday gifts for a charity every month, then over £2 million pounds can be raised in just one year, and together we can stop so many plastic gifts going into the landfills,” she said.

The mindful youngster has adopted an eco-conscious lifestyle, minimising the use of plastic toys and actively recycling and donating items to less fortunate children. Gardening is her passion, as she creates a safe habitat for insects in her garden. Her compassion is not just limited to plants, insects and birds but wildlife too.

The little warrior has fundraised for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to protect penguins, polar bears, snow leopards, and their habitats.

Using creativity for change

Moksha's creative talents shine through her talent for art and writing, which she uses as mediums to convey powerful messages about the environment. One of her works, an owl family made from recycled materials, earned her a prize in the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds' Wild Art 2021 competition.

[caption id="attachment_32381" align="aligncenter" width="444"] Moksha Roy[/caption]

In a world where every little action counts, Moksha serves as a beacon of hope and a reminder that age is no barrier to making a positive impact on our planet. “By Just planting trees and switching off lights we cannot solve the big problems that the planet is facing today, she says adding, “Every child can become a ‘Global Goals Superhero’ by caring for the planet in everything they do. Children can start introducing the 170 actions to their parents that the UN has suggested. If every family can make simple changes, we can make a real difference. Many hands make the work lighter,” she remarked.

With her boundless energy and passion, Moksha Roy is inspiring millions to join the cause and work towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

Follow Moksha on YouTube
Visit her website to know more about her initiatives

Reading Time: 5 mins

Digvijay Singh: Making homegrown artisanal chocolate a global brand

(February 27, 2024) Getting off the Chapora Fort on his maiden trip to Goa in 2022, Digvijay Singh saw a woman selling sherbet. Exhausted from his day trip, he decided to quench his thirst with a kokum sherbet - a native fruit of Konkan he had never heard of. Taking his first sip, the teen chocolatier realised that it could be paired very well with dark chocolate due to its tartness. A few months later, he stumbled upon a rose apple in Kolkata, which natives refer to as gulab jamun. "I thought, I know of cranberry or strawberry or macadamia nuts which have perhaps nothing to do with India but I know nothing about the fruit that grows in the Konkan belt which is hardly 1000 kilometers from where I live," the Udaipur resident tells Global Indian. This epiphany led him to bring indigenous berries and fruits into the conventional world of chocolate making with Saraam - a homegrown artisanal chocolate brand. Finding the real deal in exotic native fruits With the chocolate market almost saturated with flavours like cranberry, orange, and hazelnut, Digvijay saw an opportunity in the often-overlooked native fruits. "The biggest issue is that the people haven't

height="488" />

Finding the real deal in exotic native fruits

With the chocolate market almost saturated with flavours like cranberry, orange, and hazelnut, Digvijay saw an opportunity in the often-overlooked native fruits. "The biggest issue is that the people haven't invested in the supply chain of these fruits as they don't have a long shelf life. People don't grow them anymore and they are at the mercy of the wild. There are a few collectors who collect and sell them," explains the 19-year-old who is ready to change the game. "India has long overlooked what's within and it's time that we look inwards," adds Digvijay, whose brand sells Kulfi and Orange & Coffee chocolates.

However, the teen chocolatier was aware that such a drastic combination might call for strong reactions." Some chefs thought it was blasphemy to make such combinations but to me that suggested the strong personality of the product," says Digvijay, adding, "I'm not disregarding their experience or their opinion but if you have been institutionalised long enough with French culinary school, and you have seen what works and what's demanded, it becomes difficult for you to give different options a chance. On the other hand, because of this push and pull, there was a great pull towards the other end where people find such combinations intriguing."

[caption id="attachment_36167" align="aligncenter" width="409"] Saraam chocolate[/caption]

In just two years, Ber and Kulfi have become their bestsellers which sell a lot more than coffee and orange flavour. "There are people who are ready to try new flavours out of curiosity, and they have already taken the bet by trying a new brand," says Digvijay who started making chocolate at the age of 16.

Learning chocolate making during the pandemic

When the entire world was locked indoors during the pandemic, Digvijay was keen to start his "gig" and googled recession-proof industries. Apart from edtech, it was chocolate that popped on his screen. "Since I hardly know about technology and less about education, chocolate was something I wanted to try. I started reading about it and even tried a lot of fine chocolates. This got me thinking that it can be a lot different than the artisanal chocolates we find in the country. This idea led to Saraam - which means essence in Sanskrit and Tamil."

A few months later, his cousin Mahaveer Singh joined, and now the two run the venture which began taking shape with the help of YouTube tutorials. Calling it a great start for beginners, their biggest learning came from experimenting and sampling chocolates. "I wouldn't have waited to get a diploma to start making chocolate. I don't think people should wait for an institutional validation to start a venture, as any source of learning can be good enough for a start," says the teen who consulted with many chefs.

Ask him if making chocolate is an easy or complex process, and he quips, "How we make chocolates is different from how Amul or Cadbury's make as theirs would be much more standardised and easier as their recipes are set and they have got big machines. Small manufacturers like us use a wet stone grinder, which is a humble idli grinder from Coimbatore modified into a chocolate melanger of sorts." He adds that it's quite tedious to make chocolate on this small scale because of the precision it requires. "As there are only a few steps to follow, you can go wrong at many steps - be it sourcing or roasting. Since it doesn't have any additives, it can also get affected by the odours around it during storage."

Getting the attention in India and abroad

Five months into learning the art of chocolate making, Saraam bagged its first order from a car dealership after he pitched the idea of customising their packaging for marketing. "I knew we didn't want to grow on that but it could be a good strategy to begin with. Finding first customers in a category that's competitive with many similar-looking chocolates in the market, we knew it would be an uphill task," says Digvijay. Despite being a new brand that works out of the basement, Saraam got tremendous attention from artisanal chocolate lovers in India and abroad. "We were not equipped enough to leverage the kind of attention we got from the NRIs in the US and UK as we weren't equipped enough to deliver it to them. Many people wanted to try it in the stores in their cities, and we couldn't do it," says the teenpreneur who is keen to solve the functional and execution problems.

Saraam sold 20,000 bars of chocolate in 2023, with most of their sales happening during the festive and wedding seasons. "We sell it online, through selected retailers, and send it to a few hotels." The homegrown brand sources its cacao from small farms in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, but finding exotic fruits is a challenge. "We have found a few collectors and dehydrators who provide us with the fruits," reveals Digvijay, who is studying Philosophy (H) at Delhi University.

A global brand in the making

Three years into chocolate making, Digvijay has plans of revolutionising the chocolate market and is keen to make something in confectionery that comes especially from India. "We haven't scratched that surface and I think India does have a potential as we grow our cacao."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Saraam Chocolate (@saraam.co)

Ever since its inception, Digvijay has seen Saraam as a global brand. "It doesn't mean we have stores in 200 countries but it's a brand that has global appeal and people anywhere in the world have desires to consume it. There are 4.4 million NRIs and yet are underserved in terms of things that come from India. I want to take Saraam to them," says the teenpreneur who believes the revolution in the chocolate industry is yet to come. "I do look at its global consumption - through online fulfillment or physical presence. This is for the Global Indian rooted in India story," he signs off.

Follow Digvijay Singh on LinkedIn
Follow Saraam on Instagram and website

Hitha: Redefining pop music with purpose

(November 19, 2023) This year has been special for the Indian-origin singer-songwriter Hitha. The San Francisco-based teen pop singer, dubbed as one of the female artists changing the music scene globally, released her first Tamil song Vaanilai for the film Marakkuma Nenjam. Not just this, the eighteen year-old singer-songwriter reached the top 100 chart in the US in 2021. Born and brought up in the US, Hitha, who not just sings but also writes music, had released her debut album as a singer when she was merely 13. She has been writing songs since the age of eleven. "I want my fans to know that if they are going through hard times, they can listen to my music to make themselves feel better, to shine a new light and to inspire my generation to keep going. Be strong, be you, be independent,” the artist said, emphasising that she does not perform just for entertainment but to give hope. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om0t_vlvd-g Hitha has been performing in major events like the North America Fashion Week and has travelled to India multiple times for her performances. Music with a purpose "I'm using my success to improve the world by shedding attention to crucial

events like the North America Fashion Week and has travelled to India multiple times for her performances.

Music with a purpose

"I'm using my success to improve the world by shedding attention to crucial issues," said the Global Indian. Majority of her songs have motivational lyrics. "I am deeply committed to speaking up for those who are unable to speak for themselves. For instance, as the Youth Ambassador for the group Unite 4 Good, I recently travelled to the slums of India to empower children. The youth are our future after all," she said.

Passionate about music since as far as she can remember, Hitha’s songs are based on her own struggles as a youngster entering adulthood. The teen singer writes and sings in the hope that through her songs young listeners can develop relevant insights about the new phase of their life.

Hitha’s recent single release touches upon the various facets of teen anxiety. The album titled In My Head reassures that not feeling at your best at all times is acceptable. "This song was intended to encourage teens and help them feel heard," she said. Similarly she was inspired to write We Will Last, when she realised that everyone needs support and someone or something to lean upon.

[caption id="attachment_34216" align="aligncenter" width="593"] Hitha[/caption]

Her song Tell me Why is about losing someone close to one’s heart. “We are emotional beings. Many times, losing someone may seem like the end of the world and we may not have all the answers. It is written to provide comfort to people going through this phase of life,” she said during the release of the song.

Finding her calling

Her affinity for music developed at a very young age. She was only four when her grandma introduced her to music and enrolled her to Indian classical singing classes. "But I never considered it as a possible career for me. Since my parents were immigrants and I was an Indian girl, I only saw people graduating from high school and going on to college to pursue careers in engineering, medicine, or the law," she said in an interview. That is what she believed her path would be.

However, as she grew up, her passion for music also grew. Hitha has been fortunate that her parents encouraged her to do what she loved. “Music became a viable career for me when I wrote my first song at 11 and released it at 13. It was at that time that I realised that there is nothing else I could possibly do.”

After writing her debut song, Standing Up with Pride, the youngster had realised that she needed to write music to motivate people. Since then the young artist has devoted her creativity to the purpose.

Supportive parent

Hitha’s father was the one who first encouraged her to pursue a career in music. “The first step in my professional career was realising that I had his backing,” Hitha shared.

The singer’s father has been her travelling companion in her tours to different cities for recordings and performances. “Without him, I would not be here, either literally or figuratively,” she said. More than just being an ardent admirer, her father is one of her greatest inspirations and Hitha tries to live by some of his morals and convictions.

“My dad is truly one of the kindest human beings I know,” she said while talking about a song she dedicated to her father. “It honestly felt like fate to release Forever on Father’s Day. It couldn’t have been a better time,” she said adding, “I am just happy I could share this song with other sons and daughters on such a celebrated day when fathers truly deserve to shine.”

The song is a thank-you letter wrapped in EDM music. “My love for my dad is all-consuming and will last forever. Both as a father and daughter and as a teacher and student, my dad and I get along well. I learn so much from my father, and without him, I genuinely would not be who I am today,” the singer said.

Follow Hitha on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube

Reading Time: 5 mins

Akash Manoj: Innovator develops revolutionary device for silent heart attack detection

(December 9, 2023) At 13, Akash Manoj lost his grandfather to a silent heart attack. Despite being a diabetic and someone with high blood pressure, he was a healthy person. But seeing him collapse and die, owing to a silent heart attack is one of the most heart wrenching moments for him. "Silent heart attacks happen to people who have underlying conditions like diabetes and these patients have nerve damage that blocks out all the alarm signals that the heart is sending," Manoj explained in an interview. That's when he began research in the space as he decided to go on war against a deadly killer as it becomes fatal for patients without any noticeable symptoms. Moreover, the silent heart attacks account for 50 percent of all heart attacks across the globe, and more than 8 million people die each year due to silent heart attacks. "I took time off to read as much as I can on the heart during my school. I was just wanting to find a solution." This prompted him to work for three years with varied government and private labs to come up with a skin patch that can detect a silent heart attack six

t="Akash Manoj | Global Indian" width="754" height="424" />

This prompted him to work for three years with varied government and private labs to come up with a skin patch that can detect a silent heart attack six hours before it happens. His breakthrough innovation – which could revolutionise healthcare – won him an award at Intel ISEF 2018 and has received clinical validation from the Tokyo University of Science, London’s Royal Society of Medicine and Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

"It is a watch-like device that you wear around your wrist and place a patch near your chest. The non-invasive device will identify the alarm signal your heart is sending through a unique bio-electric system that I have developed so you don’t need a blood test at all," Akash, who is the President’s Gold Medal recipient, had told in an interview.

The patch work emits a small amount of positive charge, which attracts the negatively-charged FABP3 protein, a biomarker for heart attacks. If analysis shows an increased level of the protein, a heart attack is underway.

[caption id="attachment_34516" align="aligncenter" width="457"] Akash Manoj receives Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar[/caption]

Akash, who calls himself a cardiology researcher, uses a cardiac biomarker called heart-type fatty acid binding protein in his preventive technology "which is released up to six hours before a heart attack, thereby giving us a way for early detection. If the levels are beyond the recommended threshold, that would mean you are at risk of a potential heart attack, so you need to rush to the doctor for immediate medical care".

The student at medical school in Prague, Czech Republic began studying on the subject in school after his grandfather's death. He was in eighth grade when he started visiting the library at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru, which is quite from Hosur, his hometown in Tamil Nadu. But he was determined to understand more about the heart and find a solution. "Journal articles are expensive, so visiting the libraries was the only way I could do it. Otherwise, it would have cost more than a crore (of rupees) for the amount I read. I was always interested in medical science and I liked reading the journals…cardiology is my favourite," he told a daily.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blQpT50WW9s

After years of research, he made a breakthrough with a non-invasive device which is inexpensive, portable and wearable by at-risk patients at all times. "It requires no blood test and works 24/7 collecting and analysing data at preset intervals, he said in a TedTalk.

The device is being tested on patients with health issues. "We have seen positive results so far, but any tangible conclusions can only be made after the study has been completed," Manoj said, adding that the device might be available in the market in the next few years. "I am also working with key stakeholders in the wearables industry to integrate this system into watch-like wearable devices," he said.

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

Reading Time: 3 min

Agnishwar Jayaprakash: Making the drone industry soar

(October 1, 2022) On September 29, 2022, Garuda Aerospace received its DGCA approval as a remote pilot training organisation. It will enable the startup to train some 1 lakh drone pilots across 755 districts, a target it aims to meet by the end of 2025. It's a huge leap forward, both in terms of technology and regulation. Founded by serial social entrepreneur and Global Indian Agnishwar Jayaprakash (Agni Foundation), who went from swimming to champ to entrepreneurship and studying in Harvard Business School, the startup received funding from MS Dhoni in June 2022. Back in 2014, Francesco's Pizzerias in Mumbai created quite the stir when it used an unmanned drone to deliver pizzas. Unfortunately, it also ruffled the feathers of the Mumbai police, who called it a security risk. The Indian government has been quick to catch on to the many uses of drones, from defense surveillance to mapping rural landholdings. The forest department also uses them to keep an eye out of poachers. By 2030, India's drone industry is all set to hit a market-size of $23 billion and capture 25 percent of the global drone market, according to journalist Shereen Bhan on Young Turks. With the government going

With the government going full throttle on easing regulations, Garuda Aerospace, founded by serial social entrepreneur Agni Jayaprakash is the 31st RPTO to get the government nod since the regulations were eased on August 26 this year. Two months earlier, it burst into the limelight when cricketer M.S. Dhoni invested an undisclosed sum in the startup and became its brand investor. "I'm happy to be a part of Garuda Aerospace and look forward to witness their growth story," Dhoni said at the time.

As for the young entrepreneur himself, he was over the moon about it. Growing up, Agnishwar was an award-winning swimmer, his eyes set on the Olympics. At 14, he became the youngest Indian to represent his country at the World Championships in Indianapolis in 2004. At 22, he brought home medals in six categories at the world Short Swimming Course Championship in Istanbul, becoming the youngest Indian to achieve the feat. By this time, he had stepped fully into his entrepreneurship role.

Inspired by former president APJ Abdul Kalam, Agnishwar founded Ignite-India, a nationwide platform to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in schools and colleges. The platform reached out to over 7000 schools and was recognised by the United Nations. "I started swimming at the age of three and it became a passion because I was getting really good at it," he said, in an interview at Harvard Business School. "It was good, it let me travel the world, have many new experiences and meet new people. But it was very individualistic. All I thought about was what I could do for myself. Now, as an entrepreneur, the work I do impacts thousands of young people in India and South East Asia. It's been a very satisfying transition."

[caption id="attachment_22464" align="aligncenter" width="409"] Agnishwar Jayaprakash[/caption]

In 2019, he became Vice Chairman at Agni College of Technology in Chennai. "I wanted to leave a mark on the education system," he told Guindy Times in 2020. "Our system has become rudimentary because our kids are just expected to reproduce content after absorbing it in class. We test our kids only on one aspect of intelligence. You score good marks but you're not really learning." Agnishwar stepped in with the intention to bring innovative and entrepreneurial learning into the education system. Their acceleration programme funds startups and works with the government to inspire children and students as well.

Seven years after its founding, Garuda Aerospace has "scaled to a 200-member team having the largest drone fleet in India with over 300 drones and 500 pilots operating in 26 cities," Agnishwar said, in an interview with Industrial Automation India. "We have also expanded to Malaysia, Africa and South America." The team aims to spearhead what Agnishwar calls a "Drone Revolution" with a "vision of manufacturing 1 lakh Made in India drones and cement the market dominance on 2 major multi-billion-dollar segments - Precision Agri Tech and Industry 4.0."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Agnishwar Jayaprakash (@agnishwarjayaprakash)

Currently, Garuda Aerospace manufactures around 30 different kinds of drones and offers over 50 types of services across a range of industries. This includes warehouse management and delivery for Flipkart, seed dropping, project monitoring and drone delivery of medicines for hospitals. They are also working with Swiggy which is looking to expand to drone delivery in Bengaluru and Delhi.

Back in 2017, his interviewer at Harvard Business School asked Agnishwar his views on failure. "It's a cliche but it is a stepping stone," he said at once. "I learned that as a swimmer. I wanted to be in the Olympics, but I couldn't make it. With entrepreneurship, it's always a hit-and-miss. I tell young entrepreneurs not to lose motivation and to remember that ideas can only be sustained with the right modules and strategy. All we see in the media are the success stories but never the failures from which we can truly learn."

Follow Agnishwar Jayaprakash on Instagram and LinkedIn

Reading Time: 6 mins