A girl who couldn’t speak proper English, pursued flying despite family’s financial constraints and became one of the most recognizable pilots.

Global IndianstoryMeet Captain Anny Divya, world’s youngest Boeing 777 commander

Meet Captain Anny Divya, world’s youngest Boeing 777 commander

Written by: Global Indian

(Suruchi Kapur-Gomes, May 28 ) Commander Anny Divya has taken life’s highs and downdrafts with equanimity. At the age of 30, the Andhra Pradesh girl became the world’s youngest woman to command the 360-seater Boeing 777 aircraft. A girl who couldn’t speak proper English while growing up single-mindedly pursued her dream of flying despite her family’s financial constraints and became one of the most recognizable names in global aviation. And looks the part, in her spiffy four stripes uniform. Today, she’s also a TedX speaker, model, LinkedIn Influencer and champion of social causes.

Army man father

Anny Divya

Behind the high-flying girl who pilots the world’s largest twin-engine jet is a dedicated daughter who never forgets her parents’ role in her journey. “I have always wanted to fly like a free bird since I was 10. It was a very big decision for my dad to send me to flying school as it was expensive – taking a loan from a bank, and friends. My parents have played the biggest role in realizing my dream,” Anny Divya told Global Indian in an interview. Her father who retired as Naik Subedar in the Army’s artillery division, and her homemaker mother have shaped her worldview. “My dad started his journey as soldier and has done two Siachen postings. I am very, very proud of him,” she smiles.

After completing schooling from Vijayawada’s Kendriya Vidyalaya, she chose engineering but switched to a flying school in two months. She then did a BSc in Aviation and an LLB from Mumbai‘s Rizvi Law College.

“This is your captain speaking”

Anny Divya

Anny Divya finished her Boeing 737 training in Spain and the Boeing 777 module from London at the age of 21. Her first flight as commander for Air India involved immense preparation and commitment. “It’s not adventurous, it’s a great sense of responsibility, it’s not about getting command, it’s keeping it there and being with it,” says the 34-year-old. Since 2020, she has been flying Vande Bharat missions for Air India.

She is saddened as many friends have lost loved ones in the pandemic, and asks everyone to go out and do their bit, especially for the underprivileged. Her TedX speech saw her quote a Hindi sonnet, a collection of which she wants to publish. Divya’s Instagram account has more than 82,000 followers where she’s often seen swaying and shimmying to Bollywood numbers.

Anny Divya

But Divya’s heart and soul are in the B777’s flight deck and she takes upskilling very seriously. “I feel thankful I am where I am. I’ve been with Air India for 15 years, constantly training so it’s like second nature,” says Divya.

Giving back

Anny Divya frequently donates money to a leprosy hospital, helps orphanages with school uniforms and makes contributions to old age homes in Mumbai, her home base. Whenever her parents bring anyone’s needs to her attention, Divya steps in with financial help.

About visiting orphanages, she says: “The children are happy to see a girl pilot who is ready to spend time. They don’t care about the money. It uplifts their spirit – nobody sits and talks to them.”

Anny Divya

Anny Divya has assisted her siblings, a brother and sister, study abroad. “I wanted to help my siblings, and donate to the needy. I did not buy a house, instead, I bought one for my parents. I can do this because I didn’t only look out just for myself. There is a greater joy in that. It is incredibly rewarding,” says the pilot.

Her next project is to get her mother’s startup, organic food company White Cinnamon, up and running when the pandemic abates.

“With all my learning, my mother is the one that has taught me the most – to be nice, honest, strong and stand up for what is right. I think that is much more important than any qualification,” says Divya.

Aviation is a male-dominated industry but Anny Divya feels women in all walks of life face similar challenges. “Let’s have each other’s back,” Divya concludes.

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Malini K. Menon

July 28, 2023 5:45 am

May all the goodness in the universe come to this wonderful young lady ❤️🙏🏻

Published on 28, May 2021

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Bobbie Kalra: The Indian entrepreneur leading the way we map our world

(December 21, 2021) When it comes to mapping in the times of technology, this IT head honcho is right at the crux of innovation. With everything being digitally mapped today, the reliance on geospatial mapping is of prime importance and Bobbie Kalra, founder Magnasoft has his fingers on the pulse of an industry that is set to grow Rs 63,100 crore by 2025. The Indian entrepreneur has given the geospatial industry cutting-edge technology and services with Magnasoft, which is among the leaders in this space. The ambitious India-based digital geospatial information specialist has been shaking things up for quite some time now with his intelligent 3D models to enable informed decision-making for all kinds of applications. From first helping Bengaluru increase property taxation by 100 percent to having worked across 72 countries in the areas of architecture, utilities, high-tech space, infrastructure, and telecom projects, Kalra has come full circle since his first venture back in 1995. [embed]https://twitter.com/magnasoft/status/1382659715751026690?s=20[/embed] The engineer from Bangalore Born in Bhopal, Kalra moved to Bengaluru when he was less than a year old as his father worked with BHEL. After schooling at Baldwin’s Boys High School, he did his mechanical engineering from Bangalore University in 1994. “This was the age of

.com/magnasoft/status/1382659715751026690?s=20[/embed]

The engineer from Bangalore

Born in Bhopal, Kalra moved to Bengaluru when he was less than a year old as his father worked with BHEL. After schooling at Baldwin’s Boys High School, he did his mechanical engineering from Bangalore University in 1994. “This was the age of the new tech entrepreneur and I was hugely inspired by the success of Infosys. I wanted to do something on my own,” recalls Kalra, who then began helping his sister and her husband with the St Marks Business Centre. “I would help them with design when I was still in college. It was here that I learnt the fundamentals of working with debit and credit.”

As his engineering course, he launched his own company in the services line. So, in 1995 he rented office space at St Marks and launched the St Marks CADD Services after obtaining a bank loan. “Around that time a lot of old engineering drawings were being digitised and I jumped onto the bandwagon. I got my first break with Tata Consulting Engineering and that set the ball rolling. We would digitise drafts and also engineer design and details,” says Kalra, who grew the team from a single member company to a team of 80 engineers.

A course in executive education and disruptive strategy at Harvard University, the world of mapping is his oyster.

Global Indian entrepreneur Bobbie Kalra

Mapping forth

Their next break came with projects for Kyga nuclear power plant, Bosche and other architects. In 1996, they landed a contract with Chicago Computerised Facility Integration (CFI). “They had a huge contract with AT&T and were looking for a company to work on the offshore model. We landed the deal and would work on the UNIX system when modem speeds were around 14kbps. We would go to the VSNL office to upload large files,” he smiles of a simpler yet tougher IT era.

Following the telecom bust CFI pivoted its model to focus on geospatial mapping. Soon Kalra’s company followed suit. They bought the first few licenses for the SIM software and turned their focus to the field of GIS. In 2000, Kalra founded Magnasoft by merging St Marks CADD Services and raised VC funds from Global Technology Ventures, the VC arm of Café Coffee Day Group. “Around this time the government changed in Karnataka and was looking to create a geospatial map of the Bangalore. We were invited to show how GIS could improve Bangalore city. So, while most other companies focused on power point presentations, what we did was focus on the heart of the municipal system: property taxation,” he tells Global Indian.

Within a week Kalra and his team came up with a property enumeration programme; they mapped a small area of the city (Richmond Town area), and conducted a survey keeping all the parameters that influenced taxation in mind. Magnasoft landed the contract and soon it was helping Bangalore increase its taxation by 100 percent.

[caption id="attachment_17796" align="aligncenter" width="580"] Global Indian entrepreneur Bobbie Kalra Bobbie with his family[/caption]

Pivoting the business

Like any entrepreneurial journey, Kalra’s was also speckled with challenges. But the company’s agility and Kalra’s foresight to pivot as per the need help them not just stay afloat but also grow slowly but steadily. After the dot com crash, Magnasoft began looking at markets abroad and invested directly in US sales. “Ever since, it has been a journey of accruals and reinvesting,” says the entrepreneur who moved to the US in 2002 to expand his business and focus on fundamental growth and cash flows.

Soon they had a presence in over 72 countries such as North America, Europe, Latin America, Australia, Middle East, Africa and New Zealand. As the market began opening up to GISM, Magnasoft too began to cause a disruption in the space. By 2008 though, Kalra moved back to India and

continued to shuttle between the US and India to work on his business. “Today, we’ve chosen to focus only on a few verticals such as utilities, communications, telecom, vegetation management for power lines, high tech, and infrastructure. We’ve also pared down our operations to just a few markets like North America, Scandinavia and UK apart from a few large enterprise deals in India,” says Kalra, who is now focused on direct sales and hiring talent for leadership roles in the US and UK.

Global Indian Bobbie Kalra

On the growth path

The company has also brought on board directors and advisors: Phaneesh Murthy, Abraham Mathew, Rajeev Kuchal, and Bhupinder Singh. “The board has been instrumental in helping us focus on a few strong points and strengthen our presence in those areas. The pandemic, of course, had thrown us off path for about a month, but the company was agile enough to get back on track within 30 days. Our staff was all working from home and we managed to put in space systems and security practices to ensure that work continued regardless,” says the agile entrepreneur, who typically begins his day 4 am.

What keeps him going is his love for mapping and the fact that he enjoys visualisation. That apart, Kalra also has a love for theatre and has in the past portrayed small roles in several plays, including Girish Karnad’s Crossing to Talikota. “Due to time constraints, I don’t take on any big roles, but I’ve loved essaying small roles and working on the back-end. I’ve also acted in a Kannada serial,” says the man, who has worked with theatre artistes like Arjun Sajnani, Munira Sen, and Ashish Sen.

On the weekends, jam sessions where he plays the guitar and percussion instruments is his energizing time. Incidentally, Kalra was a drummer back in his college days. That apart, he also believes in giving back to the community he lives and works in and is an active member of the Bangalore Round Table. “We have worked towards helping educate over 3 million children through the Freedom Through Education programme and during the pandemic we also worked towards procuring and distributing oxygen concentrators,” says the multi-faceted Kalra.

Incidentally, Bobbie, had also launched an ingenious app in Mumbai to protect children commuting to and fro from school. The app, Northstar was designed for both parents and school authorities to keep an eye on their children in real time. At heart, disruption is key to his goals, even as he takes time to give back to society, albeit tech wise.

Follow Bobbie Kalra on LinkedIn and Twitter

Reading Time: 8 mins

Afghan model Vida Samadzai says Taliban 2.0 has an appetite for destruction

(August 26, 2021) Just a few days ago Vida Samadzai, Afghanistan’s first model to participate in an international pageant, was comfortably seated at her breakfast table in her plush Los Angeles home with some acquaintances. Soon however, shocking news began pouring in about the situation in her motherland: Afghanistan. Scrolling through social media posts, she came across a torrent of distressing news about the Taliban takeover. Horrified, the 43-year-old chanced upon video clips of Taliban brutality against young women in Afghanistan: she went numb, the clips brought back long forgotten memories. She made frantic calls to relatives and friends back home, to check on their well-being. Horrors best forgotten "The Taliban 2.0 is going to be all about barbarism, torture and inhuman behavior not just towards women but children and men as well. I can tell that from my past experiences," declares Vida, a Pashtun who was born and brought up in Kabul. She lost a young relative to suicide bombing and has come across numerous instances of her classmates being tortured and beaten up by the Taliban. One of the most tragic stories was that of a young girl in her neighborhood, who jumped to her death from a residential complex in an upscale Kabul locality when the militia knocked on her door in a bid to kidnap her. Growing up amid these dark events for

d brought up in Kabul. She lost a young relative to suicide bombing and has come across numerous instances of her classmates being tortured and beaten up by the Taliban. One of the most tragic stories was that of a young girl in her neighborhood, who jumped to her death from a residential complex in an upscale Kabul locality when the militia knocked on her door in a bid to kidnap her.

Growing up amid these dark events for a major part of her life is what appears to have shaped Vida Samadzai into what she is today — free thinking, fearless and an outspoken woman who cares two hoots about orthodox traditions. When she appeared in a red bikini in the 2003 edition of the Miss Earth pageant it enraged the hardliners back home including the Afghan Supreme Court. She was condemned for going against Islamic law and Afghan culture; but Vida decided to soldier on. She went on to make a successful career for herself as a model, appeared in Bigg Boss Season 5 and briefly dabbled in Hindi cinema as well.

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Afghanistan of yore

"Most Afghans never wrapped themselves into old traditional rules and regulations. Men in our group did not sport a beard while women never wore a burqa. Afghanistan was known to be the second Paris and most women would closely follow fashion and were stylish: something they would pick up from the Vogue magazine which made its way into Afghanistan back in the 1960s and 70s. We were never interested in a conservative, orthodox way of living," says Vida, speaking exclusively to Global Indian.

After completing her graduation from Kabul, she briefly visited Delhi and then moved to the US in 1996. She went on to win the Miss America 2005-06 pageant and was the second Afghan woman to participate in the international beauty pageant since 1974, the first being Zohra Daoud.

"Afghans are fighters and they cannot be conquered. History is replete with examples of our courage and bravery. We may not have sophisticated weapons like the Taliban but we have the passion and the never-say-die attitude. Afghans are also known to be hospitable and kind hearted," she adds.

where do her parents live in Afghanistan? "For their safety, I cannot reveal that," she says. Interestingly, her father studied in a Lucknow University while her mother studied college in Kabul and then left for Europe to pursue higher studies.

[embed]https://twitter.com/MissAfghanistan/status/1031237822869454848?s=20[/embed]

Shaped by brutality

This Afghan-American recalls how the Taliban would torture people on flimsy grounds.

"We were taught the Quran Sharif in high school. But one cannot just memorize it word by word. Once, the Taliban randomly asked a 13-year-old to recite a "Surah" from the Quran and when he could not, they repeatedly slapped him. In another instance, they tortured a relative of mine and abandoned him in the mountains," recalls Vida.

Based on the feedback she receives on a daily basis from her country, she says not just women, even men are worried and desperate to leave the country. "Did we ever witness men trying to fly on the wing of a plan in a bid to leave their country?" she wonders, referring to the videos showing Afghan men desperately trying to escape Afghanistan over the past 10 days.

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A post shared by Vida Samadzai (@missafghanistanofficial)

Vida Samadzai was associated with a US-based women's charity to work towards raising awareness about women's rights and education in her country. Ask her if she wants to return to Afghanistan, she replies in the affirmative. ''There was a job offer to host a show, designed on the lines of American idol. But I could not take it up as the job demanded that I stay in Afghanistan for four months. I had other work commitments and I had to turn down the offer.”

“But I will go back to my country one day and help in making Afghan women financially independent by creating jobs. I do not fear the Taliban."

Reading Time: 8 mins

Stick to roots, conquer the world: Pullela Gopichand’s journey as an athlete and coach

(Vikram Sharma, May 19) From a 10-year-old, who would walk several miles to receive badminton training in his hometown in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh to becoming one of the top names in the world of badminton, the journey of Pullela Gopichand has been incredible. Soft-spoken and gentle, spotting talent comes naturally to this 47-year-old, who has given India some of the best badminton players ever. Throughout his phenomenal journey, which took him to almost every corner of the world, he remained on top of his game -- both on and off the court. But Gopichand's feet are firmly on the ground, which becomes evident when he says that people who stuck to their roots and grew in their respective fields went on to show what India is to the world. Gopi sir, as he is fondly known, says he takes pride in being Indian, being a Telugu and a Hyderabadi. "The entire journey has been full of challenges, pride and a sense of responsibility. A lot of things I have done on this journey were not about what I wanted to do, but it needed to be done. From 1991, when I first played my first international badminton to 2004 when I

rabadi.

"The entire journey has been full of challenges, pride and a sense of responsibility. A lot of things I have done on this journey were not about what I wanted to do, but it needed to be done. From 1991, when I first played my first international badminton to 2004 when I started coaching till now, these 30 years of my journey have been huge,'' smiles Gopichand in an exclusive chat with the Global Indian.

His sheer determination and hard work saw him become the captain of a combined Indian universities team in 1990-91. He clinched gold in the SAARC badminton championship in 1996 and went on to defend the crown in the next games held in Colombo. At the international level, he represented India in Thomas Cup tournaments thrice. "Looking back at the badminton journey, I think we have shown what is possible. We have demonstrated that if we do well, we can do the best in the biggest tournaments despite stiff competition," says Gopichand.

Pullela Gopichand Born in a middle-class family in 1973, a young Gopichand was interested in cricket while his parents were keen he pursued engineering. But it was his brother who introduced him to badminton. Soon, the passion for the game kicked in and he rose through the ranks. "As a player, it was all about being the best today, giving it all you had. Every time I moved up, I could see the next ladder and figured out a plan to achieve the target. As a coach, it was to prove we as Indians can do it," he says. The ace shuttler-turned-mentor says there needs to be involvement in what you do, love and risk-taking ability. "There will be a lot of ups and downs but you need to maneuver your way out. Be tough at heart and keep pushing," advises the father of two.

Coach Gopichand took a host of young players under his tutelage and crafted them into world-beaters, from Saina Nehwal and K Srikanth to PV Sindhu. He turned Hyderabad into India’s badminton training hub and his early morning training route for proteges is well documented. Crucially, he has changed a country’s outlook towards a sport where the great wall of China has for long looked insurmountable.

Ask him if he considers himself a Global Indian, pat comes the Padma Shri awardee's reply: "I consider myself as somebody who has his roots in the Indian system. That we are from a country which is endowed with such great history and culture is amazing. If you have strong roots, then you can be comfortable wherever you are. If that means you are a Global Indian, so be it."

Gopichand considers people like Swami Vivekanand, Sundar Pichai, NR Narayana Murthy and Sadhguru, among others, as true Global Indians. "They are huge motivators. These are the people who stuck to their roots and showed what India is to the world," he says.

On his multiple trips abroad, Pullela Gopichand often carries the autobiography of Yogi and MS Subbulakshmi's Vishnu Sahasranamam which help him deal with problems coming his way. The 'Dronacharya' of Indian badminton recalls some of his not-so-pleasant experiences abroad. "When our contingent went to China or Europe for tournaments, the locals there would start giggling the moment they looked at us. I think their perception and knowledge of India was very limited 20-30 years ago. But now, we have a stature in the world in various fields and people abroad recognise India's innate qualities, culture and history more than ever before," Gopichand says of Brand India’s rising equity.

He feels that a lot more needs to be done for badminton in the country. "To convince people to invest in the sport, make them believe that we can be world-beaters is a challenge. Players have huge potential but after reaching a certain level, many of them did not grow to match their full potential," says Pullela Gopichand.

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Reading Time: 6 mins

Global ‘jugalbandi’: Mohan brothers take Hindustani music to the world

(March 13, 2023) Back in January 2010, when the Mohan brothers — Lakshay Mohan and Aayush Mohan — were all set to give their first musical performance, they were informed in the last minute about the presence of Pandit Jasraj, the Hindustani Classical music legend, backstage. That such a revered musician would be witnessing their performance, set off butterflies in their stomachs. A few minutes into the ‘jugalbandi’, Lakshay (on Sitar) and Aayush (on Sarod) got so immersed in the sounds of music that all their worries vanished in a jiffy. Only a handful of musicians have taken Indian classical music to the global stage like the Mohan brothers - they were the first Indians to perform at the Grammy Museum in LA and have taken the stage at top venues around the world. “Music allows you to express your inner self through the medium of pure sound, nurtures your creativity and therefore it never seems like a job,” say the renowned musicians, who have a super busy schedule this year. They begin the year in the UK and will embark on the North American Fall Tour in September-October, during which they would be performing at Columbia University, New York. Their unique style enthralled the audience. So much so

he audience. So much so that Pandit Jasraj walked up to them on stage, blessed them and appreciated their performance. “Those were moments which will be forever memorable as it was our first major concert,” smile the Mohan brothers, in an exclusive conversation with Global Indian. Lakshay and Aayush, who have immense following among music lovers in India and abroad, have been performing globally since 2009. The first Indians to be invited to perform at the Grammy museum in Los Angeles, some of their prominent performances include Symphony Space, New York, Berklee College, Boston, Abbey Theatre, Dublin, David & Dorthea Garfield Theatre, San Diego among others.

The musical legacy

Hailing from New Delhi, Lakshay and Ashish’s father was an amateur Sitarist. “Our parents wanted us to take up classical music professionally. The thought of any other career never arose. Practising and learning music gave a sense of contentment and satisfaction,” say the brothers, for whom music was part and parcel of everyday life throughout their school and college life, music was their constant companion.

While Lakshay holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Sciences from the St Stephens College, Delhi, Aayush holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Economics from the University of London. Both excelled in academics. From the very beginning, the Mohan brothers were attracted to the Maihar style of playing Sitar and Sarod, which are the flagship instruments of this Gharana.

Finding gurus

Initially, both started on the Sitar. Aayush always had a fascination for the Sarod's deep and majestic sound. He tried his hand on the instrument and with the support of their guru, Pt. Balwant Rai Verma, he started learning it from Padmabhushan Sharan Rani. “She had trained under Baba Alauddin Khan Saheb who was the founder of Maihar Gharana. Like her guru, she was a very strict teacher who taught me in the old style,” says Aayush, who was only 11 at that time and handled the 13 kg instrument with difficulty.

He was also taught to change the strings of Sarod on his own. “This training helps me today to comfortably handle the situation when Sarod string breaks on stage during performance,” smiles Aayush. Renowned musician Pandit Umashankar Mishra once expressed his desire to listen to what Aayush h ad learnt. “When I played a composition, he was so impressed that he rewarded me with all the money that he had in his pocket. This was a traditional way of giving blessings. It was a very emotional moment and I still have those notes with me.”

Lakshay trained under Pandit Umashankar Mishra. “I used to get only 10 minute lesson and I had to practise it for 10 hours a day,” he recalls. Thereafter, both trained under Kolkata-based Pandit Tejendra Narayan Majumdar, one of the most popular classical musicians in the country. “He used to teach us continuously for four hours in the morning and again two to three hours in the evening. Next day we had to come with a night practice of 3 hours,” says Lakshay.

L.A. calling

In April 2015, the Grammy Museum, Los Angeles, was organising a year-long exhibition on music legend Pandit Ravi Shankar. The Mohan brothers were invited to perform on the opening day of the exhibition titled "Ravi Shankar : A Life in Music.”

“This concert saw us present some of the oldest Indian classical compositions to the western audience along with our collaboration with the American Cellist Barry Phillips,” say the Mohan brothers, who also performed a piece composed by Pandit Ravi Shankar as it was the opening of exhibition on his life and music.

The jugalbandi approach

Their musical repertoire is very traditional but they have redesigned their presentation which makes it better to connect with today's listeners.

“Our Jugalbandi is an example of extensive coordination and a deep understanding of each other's 'musical vision. Practising and performing music together for almost 14 years now, it comes naturally to us,” say the renowned musicians, who will soon be finalising their album of 'Malhars' — the rainy season ragas that will have some of the most signature compositions of Maihar Gharana.

Both Sitar and Sarod being traditional instruments having its own unique sounds, they feel that the two are the most appropriate instruments to be paired up for a duet.

“We have been handed over a vast treasure of traditions enriched by great musicians by two generations of Gurus. For us, the goal is to bring to the listeners the pure quality of this music,” say the musicians, whose album "The Hidden Harmony" got nominated for Best Classical Instrumental award at the Global Indian Music Academy (GIMA) Awards 2016. The album was a recording of a Live Concert held at Abbey Theatre in Dublin in 2015.

Challenges

What kind of challenges do they face when performing live ? “On stage, we have to understand what the person is trying to convey during the musical dialogue or a sawal-jawab sequence and improvise instantly on a similar theme,” explain the Mohans, who have also been nominated for the Global Indian Music Academy awards for Best Classical Instrumentalists.

The Mohan brothers believe that both artists in a duet must be on an equal level. “Neither of them should appear to be playing like a soloist or an accompanist. We indulge in a playful competition on stage but at the same time have high respect for each other.”

They say that the choice of Ragas and it’s duration is often decided by the nature of audience at the concert. “If most of the people in audience are new to classical music, then it is better not to play any Raga for too long,” explain the maestros, who have given lecture-demonstrations at various universities including Wayne State University, Detroit and the University of Arts, Philadelphia.

Lakshay says the Indian classical genre unlike any other form, has the beautiful part, which is spontaneous presentation of a raga. “So our thinking process never gets saturated and we always see new horizons while playing a raga,” he says.

Passion to perform

“Over the years, we have realized that the real joy is to find what you connect to the most and be able to follow it, perfect it and grow closer to it passionately throughout life,” elaborates Aayush.

Among the many highlights of their musical journey has been performing with Anoushka Shankar and other disciplines of Pandit Ravi Shankar at the iconic Royal Festival Hall, London to celebrate his 100th anniversary. “It was a very special experience for us as we composed few fresh pieces which were added to his old composition in his Raga Tilak Shyam,” say Mohan brothers.

When not immersed in music, what do Mohan brothers like to do ? “I am passionate about cars and love going on long road trips and try new cuisines,” says Lakshay. As for Aayush, he likes to indulge in painting, creative designing and audio mastering, besides reading about history and archeological facts.

Indra Nooyi: The first woman of colour and an immigrant to run a Fortune 500 company

(July 3, 2022) On October 28, 1955, a boy named Bill Gates was born in the USA, while a girl named Indra Nooyi was born into a Krishnamurthy (Tamil Brahmin) family in India. Named after the Hindu king of gods, she went on to become the chairman and CEO of PepsiCo, world’s second largest food and beverage company. A sought-after corporate strategist and advisor to executives, entrepreneurs and governments in her post retirement life, she is leading her life by example. Global Indian turns its spotlight on the business diva, who was named the third most powerful woman in business by Fortune. [caption id="attachment_26404" align="aligncenter" width="762"] Indra Nooyi, former CEO of PepsiCo and author of 'My Life in Full'[/caption] At an address in her alma mater IIM Kolkata, the Indian-American business leader remarked, “Candidness, confidence, boundless energy, unending hope and an energising vision encapsulated in a compassionate world view,” are the qualities that can take a person at the top of the hierarchical ladder. Indra’s life in India The first woman of colour and an immigrant to run a Fortune 500 company, Indra spent her childhood in the bustling area of T Nagar in Madras. A student of

ess leader remarked, “Candidness, confidence, boundless energy, unending hope and an energising vision encapsulated in a compassionate world view,” are the qualities that can take a person at the top of the hierarchical ladder.

Indra’s life in India

The first woman of colour and an immigrant to run a Fortune 500 company, Indra spent her childhood in the bustling area of T Nagar in Madras. A student of Holy Angels Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School, she excelled in every subject as this was expected of her by her grandfather, a retired judge. Such was the pressure that if she failed to score a 100 in math, her mother would cry. This gave way to Indra’s unparalleled desire for success. She calls her mother “greatest role model” as the never-ending urge to break boundaries was instilled by her.

[caption id="attachment_26406" align="aligncenter" width="442"] Indian CEO | Global Indian Indra Nooyi with her grandfather and siblings[/caption]

Life as an immigrant

Moving to the US to earn her master’s degree in Public and Private Management from Yale University came with its share of teething troubles. However, the support system that she found in other international students is what kept her going. She felt that the United States did her a big favour by allowing her to come in. "For whatever reason, that’s how I felt. And I felt that I had to prove that I was worthy of being a member of this country, so I always worked hard,” she said in an interview while talking about her life as an immigrant.

Hard work in DNA

In an interview with McKinsey Global Publishing, she told:

“Hard work is in my DNA. I worked hard my entire life because I wanted the US to say, ‘She did good by the United States.’ I wanted India to say, ‘She did good by India, because she didn’t bring any disrepute to the country.’ And I wanted my family to say, ‘She never, ever let down the Krishnamurthy family,’ which is my family of birth, and then, subsequently, the Nooyi family. I had all of these imaginary responsibilities that I took on.”

How Indra’s story resonates with women is the fact that she always believed in integrating work and family, a value that the majority of women possess or are at least raised with. “It’s a slog. Whether you like it or not, to hold your job at the senior level, you’ve got to work extra hard. At that level, it’s either up or out. To compete with others, and contribute, and be noticed is a tremendous investment of time and energy. That’s why I think, the hope is that by the time you reach that level, your kids are already going to college, so you can have all the time to focus on the job,” is Indra’s advice to women as she mentions in the interview with McKinsey Global Publishing.

[caption id="attachment_26425" align="aligncenter" width="788"] Indra Nooyi | Indian CEO | Global Indian The CEO, mother, wife and daughter successfully juggled both worlds[/caption]

Women in leadership roles

After becoming the fifth CEO in PepsiCo’s five-decade history, Indra served the organisation from 2006 to 2018. Since her induction in 1994, a lot has changed. From seeing no women in the role of CEO to having 41 women CEOs by 2021, things started looking up. “Have we made progress? Optimistically, we’ve got 41 CEOs. That’s a big number. But it’s less than 9 percent of the Fortune 500 CEOs,” she remarked in an interview. Indra has been propagating the idea that there is room for women to grow and ascend in their chosen field. She has seen the change in professional desires of women and has expressed happiness on various platforms about the fact that hopes, dreams, and aspirations of women have been flying high. They want to be entrepreneurs, start companies, run NGOs and be in other powerful positions in society, which is a good sign.

[caption id="attachment_26408" align="aligncenter" width="885"] Business Leaders | Indian CEO | Global Indian Breaking the glass ceiling: Indra Nooyi with top business leaders[/caption]

Indra’s strategy - performance with a purpose

As CEO of PepsiCo, Indra was not just driving organisational growth but also leaving a positive impact on people and the environment. She strategically reclassified PepsiCo's products into three categories: "fun for you" (products like regular soda and potato chips), "better for you" (diet or low-fat versions of snacks and sodas etc.), and "good for you" (oatmeal etc.). These initiatives garnered massive funding for the organisation. She also moved corporate spending to healthier alternatives, away from junk foods, improving health quotient of even the "fun" offerings like removal of aspartame from diet Pepsi.

As second part of her strategy of ‘Performance with a Purpose’, she focused on environmental concerns and sustainability - conserving water, redesigned packaging to reduce waste, switching to renewable energy sources and recycling.

Indra Nooyi | Indian CEO | Global Indian

The third component of the strategy involved creating a culture where workers were encouraged to stay with the company. She even wrote to parents of her leadership team and visited their homes to create the personal connection.

The giving back phase

After retiring from PepsiCo as its chairperson and CEO in 2018, she has been involved in giving back activities that make her life fulfilling. Understanding her stature, she knew that she is one in a chain of women leaders who can help move the fraternity forward for generations to come. So, she set out to write a book.

“I thought I would devote every ounce of my experience and intellect to a manual for fixing how we (women) mix work and family.” - Indra Nooyi

She envisioned the book, My Life in Full: Work, Family and Our Future as a tool for the next level of progress so that the society as a whole is able to blend work and family successfully.

[caption id="attachment_26412" align="aligncenter" width="779"] Indra Nooyi | Indian CEO | Global Indian Indra Nooyi receiving Padma Bhushan award from late Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, former President of India[/caption]

But this wasn’t enough for Indra. “I give back here in the US, and I give back in India. I’ve rebuilt all of the labs in all of the educational institutions that I studied in, from high school or middle school to college, to the Indian Institute of Management in Kolkata. In the US, I give back to every educational institution that I, my husband, and our kids have been involved in. So, we’re in this giving-back phase, both in terms of money and time,” she said in the conversation with McKinsey Global Publishing. Earlier, her work gave her the feeling of an accomplished person, and now it’s the philanthropy that makes her feel complete.

Active after retirement

Indra, who stays in Connecticut with her husband Raj Nooyi, took up the responsibility as co-director of the newly created Connecticut Economic Resource Center, a public-private partnership with the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, in 2019. She is also the co-chair of Connecticut-based non-profit organization AdvanceCT and international corporate strategist associated with brands like Amazon, Phlips and other business organisations, academic institutions and charitable organisations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AS_THnmaQ7I

From living a simple life in Chennai to making it to world’s top 100 powerful women list, Indra Nooyi is a perfect example of persistence and perseverance. Her story is an inspiration to all, offering the life lesson that hard work can help you climb the ladder of success, and that anything is possible. Just keep going!

Follow Indra Nooyi on LinkedIn and on her website

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