Food entrepreneur | Chitra Agrawal | Global Indian

Global IndianstoryFrom family kitchen to culinary empire: Food entrepreneur Chitra Agrawal’s flavourful journey

From family kitchen to culinary empire: Food entrepreneur Chitra Agrawal’s flavourful journey

Written by: Minal Nirmala Khona

(August 13, 2023) Chitra Agrawal grew up in the US, with a mother who came from the South of India and a father who came from the North. Even with ample exposure to cooking styles and dishes from both sides of the family, the food entrepreneur did not plan to make cooking a career.

Chitra Agrawal founder of the brand Brooklyn Delhi

But, as a first-generation Indian American, Chitra asserts that she tried to find her own identity through food. She says in an exclusive interview with Global Indian, “I think a lot of first-generation kids have a hard time making sense of the two worlds they occupy, and for me, food was a way to connect with the older generation in my family because culturally, there was always a divide for me. Each time I asked to learn a recipe, it would unlock a story I would never have heard had we not been in the kitchen together cooking. I would then build on those recipes by putting my own twist on dishes like my recipe for a spicy tomato soup that I made using my tomato achaar or lettuce wraps with dosa potatoes and coconut chutney that I included in my cookbook,” the food entrepreneur says. In the book, which showcases recipes from South India, she summarises this journey of finding her identity, “Food was probably the first facet of my heritage that gave me great pride and even confidence in my identity, and that stayed with me.”

From achaars to gravies like tikka masala and cashew korma, author of the cookbook Vibrant India, the food entrepreneur’s brand Brooklyn Delhi is all about cooking Indian food with joy.

Finding her identity through food

Even while working, Chitra retained a strong interest in food. Speaking about her early days, the food entrepreneur says, “I started spending vacations at home following my parents around in the kitchen, observing, trying my hand at preparations, and taking copious notes. Trips to India became field studies, a way for me to gather as much knowledge as I could from elder family members. I spent nights poring over esoteric cookbooks I had brought back from India, cross-referencing recipes in old emails my mother had sent me when I was at college, and logging hours on the phone with my parents, as I tried to figure out the precise texture for a soup I was recreating from an old family recipe.”

Brooklyn Delhi’s pickle and simmer sauce line

Chitra put in the due diligence that laid the foundation for Brooklyn Delhi. “I began to codify ingredients: the sweetness of grated coconut and jaggery; the sourness of lemon juice, tamarind, and cooling yogurt; the bitterness of ginger, curry leaves, and black mustard seeds; the heat of black pepper and chilli peppers; and just enough salt to hit the savoury note. In the process of learning these recipes, I was also learning more about my family’s history, something I always felt distant from growing up in America,” shares the food entrepreneur.

Building brand Brooklyn Delhi

Her journey into cooking quite literally started with her home experiments and hosting pop-ups with local farmers. The food entrepreneur recalls, “I hosted a great many pop-up dinners before I began Brooklyn Delhi, and partnered with NY farmers and collaborated with local chefs. I hosted an Indian Mexican supper club called Masala Loca with a Mexican chef and an Indian-Chinese supper club called Tangra with Diana Kuan, a Chinese-American cookbook author. For a Tangra dinner, I brought back vegetable seeds from India and my friend and farmer, Jason Gaspar planted them at the Wyckoff Farmhouse where we hosted a dinner featuring these vegetables – white cucumbers and bottled gourds and served the meal with beer brewed with curry leaves from Big Alice Brewing in Long Island City. These dinners were a great way to share my culinary perspective with an audience and the people that attended were my first customers at Brooklyn Delhi.”

Brooklyn Delhi’s roasted garlic achaar was born out of Chitra’s love for Italian cuisine

As her confidence grew with these pop-ups, Chitra experimented with her versions of dishes, using seasonal produce and drawing from the different culinary influences she had been exposed to. Living in different cities like San Francisco, LA and now New York was also a big influence on her and shaped the way she cooked. The food entrepreneur says, “Every place I have lived has taught me something, whether it was a new ingredient or cuisine which I have incorporated into my recipes. For instance, I grew up in Jersey and loved having Italian dishes with roasted garlic which was the inspiration for my roasted garlic achaar at Brooklyn Delhi.”

Brooklyn Delhi at Holiday Bazaar

She adds, “I was drawing from Italian flavours and even the greasy-spoon diners of my youth in New Jersey, Asian and Mexican flavours from my time in California, and my discoveries in my new home of New York. I was blogging regularly and realised that my readership had grown beyond my initial audience of my mom and a handful of friends. I was hired to teach my first private cooking class. Next, a chef friend of mine asked if I’d collaborate with her on a menu for an Indian-and-Mexican-themed supper club. From that point on, I was hooked!”

The pop-ups led to Chitra selling her prepared food at local markets in Brooklyn, teaching cooking classes with a focus on healthy and easy recipes. The food entrepreneur says, “A project that began with a goal to preserve my family’s culinary traditions had become a way for me to connect and engage with communities around me.”

The brand’s Mango Chutney is a hot favourite

Sometime around 2013-14, she decided to launch her company and named it Brooklyn Delhi. It is an Indian condiments company she co-owns with her husband Ben, a food packaging designer and artist. It was, however, a challenging time. The food entrepreneur recalls, “At the same time we decided to launch Brooklyn Delhi, I also got a new job offer and landed the deal to write this cookbook. That was in 2013, and I was at a crossroads. There was no way I was going to be able to work at my day job, run a condiments business, and write a book. I couldn’t ignore the fact that my interest in food had grown past a hobby. After much agonising, I decided to leave my decade-long career in marketing to pursue food full-time. My parents were concerned, but I believed this was my chance. It was terrifying to give up my professional identity and the promise of a substantial weekly paycheck and benefits. To top it off, I was planning my wedding, in a town hundreds of miles from where I lived.”

Still, she went ahead and launched in 2014, with Ben designing the packaging, and her first product being achaars, which Chitra loves. The food entrepreneur says, “We launched with achaar and I also work with New York farmers to source thousands of pounds of produce to make achaars at Brooklyn Delhi. On our website, our bestsellers are our tomato achaar and roasted garlic achaar.”

Authentic all the way

Another challenge was the products themselves. Marketing pickles as achaars and not the local gherkins-dunked-in-saline versions was not easy. The food entrepreneur agrees, “I’d say the most difficult product to commercialise was my roasted garlic achaar. It is a lengthy process but the results are unparalleled and I’m very proud of it. I developed my tomato and garlic achaar with 75 percent less sodium than other brands in the stores, so the education goes both ways. With the South Asian community, I want to let them know that you can use these achaars more like sauces since they have less sodium, and with the non-South-Asian audience, I educate them via social media, emails, and in-person on what it is and how to use it. I update our blog with recipes too using the achaars weekly to inspire our customers.”

A recent addition to her oeuvre has been the cashew butter masala simmer sauce — the first vegan product in her range. Chitra’s innovation is aimed at the growing trend of going vegan. She reiterates, “All of our sauces at Brooklyn Delhi are vegan but our cashew butter masala is the first vegan version of the butter masala available in grocery stores. I replace all of the dairy and butter in popular Indian sauces with cashew butter and coconut cream so that everyone can enjoy them whether you eat meat or not.”

Slow cooked chicken tikka masala served with rice at Brooklyn Delhi

She sources ingredients with integrity as well. Says the food entrepreneur, “We maintain a strong commitment to ethical sourcing and creating flavours that honour our Indian food traditions. Our products contain no preservatives, no artificial flavours, no high-fructose corn syrup. We reject fillers, emulsifiers, and additives commonly used in mass-market products. Instead, we meticulously source wholesome ingredients, often sampling over ten suppliers for a single ingredient to choose one that gives optimal flavour to our recipes.”

Looking back, the food entrepreneur believes that though she has never worked harder, she has never felt as fulfilled as she does now. And it is all thanks to a multicultural upbringing and a jar of pickles.

Places you would go to for:

Authentic Italian: Al Di La in Park Slope
Fine dine authentic Indian: I’m not really a fine dining type of girl, but one restaurant that I do adore is Jalsa located in Little Pakistan on Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn. Standouts on the menu are their spinach chaat, cauliflower keema, paneer nizami
Street food: NYC Dosas in Washington Square Park
Pan Asian: I had the most delicious meal at Bonnie’s in Williamsburg and highly recommend it.
Your favourite Indian dish that you love to cook/serve and eat: I’m a sucker for saag paneer and I actually made a recipe hack for it using my coconut cashew korma.

Follow Chitra Agrawal on Instagram and LinkedIn
Follow Brooklyn Delhi on Instagram, LinkedIn, and their website

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Published on 13, Aug 2023

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Kaleem Ullah Khan: Aam is khaas for India’s Mango Man

(August 3, 2022) The road winding through the lush landscape of orchards leads us to the main chowk of Malihabad, the centuries-old home of mangoes. My phone rings and a soft-spoken man on the other end gently enquires, "Where have you reached?" I tell him I'll be at the chowk in 10 minutes. As soon as the car takes a U-turn at the chowk, I see Padma Shri Kaleem Ullah Khan standing on the edge of the road, waiting for the car. Clad in a crisp white kurta pyjama with a grey half jacket and a cap, he greets me in a salaam, "I thought of coming here myself to greet you." The gesture speaks of his humility and saadgi (simplicity). The Mango Man of Malihabad stands true to his moniker, presenting me with his favourite fruit as soon as I enter his home. "I kept this for you." Stunned at the size of the mango that must be weighing more than 1 kg, I ask him, "Is this from your orchard?" He smiles. "You should have come in May, that's the best time to see the orchard in its full glory - with all the varieties hanging down." He

all the varieties hanging down." He pulls me out of my disappointment adding that there is still a handful to see.

The grey beard and wrinkles on his face tell a story but his eyes light up talking about mangoes - his passion and true love. "Looking at my fascination and connection with mangoes, one of my friends wrote, Aashiq bhi main, mashooq bhi main (I am the lover and the beloved). It is true," he chuffs. This love started in 1987 when Khan began grafting on a 120-year-old tree. Thirty-five years later, he has given India over 300 varieties of mangoes. "I have a connection with the tree. It let me work on it, and helped me fulfil my destiny," he adds. The decades of experimentation have earned him a reputation in the horticulture world - with varieties like Aishwarya, Sachin, and NaMo - all named after celebrities. "I often find the qualities of these personalities in the fruit," he grins.

[caption id="attachment_27642" align="aligncenter" width="545"] Agritech | Kaleem Ullah Khan | Global Indian Kaleem Ullah Khan at his mango orchard in Malihabad. (Photo: Kinshuk Mehta for Global Indian)[/caption]

Introduction to the world of grafting

His great grandfather, who arrived in Malihabad in search of a better life, settled amid the lush, green mango orchards that became home to the Khan family. Having failed his seventh class, the 1940-born ran away from home to Jhansi - to find solace in his grandmother's lap and save himself from his father's whip. Months later he returned quietly to join his father in the family business. At 17, he began grafting on a tree in one of their orchards. A concept that had not existed for him until then suddenly came to fruition. "I don't know how the idea came to me." He raises his hand to gesture, "This is all His doing. I was illiterate and a juvenile but He put this idea in me. It was a miracle done by the Almighty," says the man who was conferred with the Padma Shri in 2008 for his contribution to horticulture.

Now 82, Khan often finds it hard to remember the details. "I can't recall the two varieties that I started with, but I grafted seven different varieties on one tree," he smiles. The tree was lost due to incessant rains and his eyes glaze with sadness as he recalls. "I tried to save it but it dried up. I took it as a sign from God that this wasn't meant to be," says Khan as he looks at into the distance as if still remembering his old friend. "Aaj bhi vo jagah khaali padhi hai. Ped sookh gaya lekin mere dimaag mein vo ped badhta raha (That piece of land is still empty. The tree dried up but it kept growing in my mind)."

[caption id="attachment_27643" align="aligncenter" width="577"] Agritech | Kaleem Ullah Khan | Global Indian Kaleem Ullah Khan grows 300 varieties of mangoes. (Photo: Kinshuk Mehta for Global Indian)[/caption]

Though the tree spread its roots across his mind and heart, like most humans, he became embroiled in the humdrum of daily life – of making ends meet. "I had no money and did every possible work - from carrying mango baskets on my head to manually working the water turbine. It was a tough time," says Khan while wiping his face from gamcha. After years of hardwork, Khan found sukoon (peace) in 1987 and returned to his first love - grafting - after buying an orchard from a close aide in Bhopal. "I had the time and some money to do what I loved and it seemed like a perfect place to begin grafting, especially with that old tree in the middle. He’s my favourite. I love him and he loves me back," he avers.

A craft that became a passion

At the centre of his 4-acre orchard stands a 120-year-old tree that bears 300 varieties of mangoes, a miracle made possible by Khan. "It's a tree, an orchard and the only college of mangoes in the world." Each year, hundreds, including school kids, scientists, researchers, and admirers flock to Khan's orchard for the spectacle. "The designs, textures, sizes and colours on the tree are a vision in itself," chimes in his daughter-in-law who echoes Khan's love for the mangoes.

[caption id="attachment_27644" align="aligncenter" width="602"] Agritech | Kaleem Ullah Khan | Global Indian Kaleem Ullah Khan in front of his favourite 120-year-old tree. (Photo: Kinshuk Mehta for Global Indian)[/caption]

"He isn’t bothered about making money. Instead, he wants people to see the varieties and understand what can be done to something as simple as a mango," says Shirin stating that they don't sell mangoes. The fruits are gifted to visitors instead. "He has dedicated his entire life to this. Despite getting many offers from other countries including Dubai, he refused to work for them. He wanted to do something on his own land."

Khan's work has found prominence abroad as well as back home. In 1999, his skill caught the attention of the then President KR Narayanan, who asked for one of his trees to be planted in the Rashtrapati Bhawan. Excited, he chose a six-year-old tree on which 54 varieties of mangoes had been grafted. But sending a tree with its roots intact was a herculean task. The idea troubled him for weeks but after some pondering, he used the water to get the tree out of the soil - a practice no one had used before.

"I wanted to take out the tree from the soil in a way that resembles a mother putting a baby to sleep while feeding milk, and the baby falls asleep and the bottle is removed and the baby doesn't even notice." Emphasising the power of divine intervention, he says that he could see a map in his mind. "I knew exactly how much and where to dig that would not harm the tree at all."

[caption id="attachment_27645" align="aligncenter" width="556"] Mango | Kaleem Ullah Khan | Global Indian Padma Shri Kaleem Ullah Khan has put Malihabad on the global map. (Photo: Kinshuk Mehta for Global Indian)[/caption]

For 35 years, his orchard has been his sanctum, and he politely invites me to revel in it - an offer no one can decline. He leads the way to his own sacred haven, stopping en route to inspects the leaves through his thick glasses. He looks carefully at the flowers, caresses the mangoes like a baby, and even cribs about monkeys stealing his favourite mangoes from the trees. The love and affection are palpable. "This is Totapuri, the one that you find in Delhi during the start of the season," he says as he plucks me a ripe mango. "You won't find such huge mangoes anywhere," he beams proudly. Ask him about the secret behind the magnitude of the fruit, and pat comes the reply, "It's a lot to do with the soil, and how you tend to a tree with love."

The tree that bears 300 varieties of fruits

He loves his trees but his connection with the 120-year-old tree goes deeper than its roots in the soil. Making his way through the wet trail (it’s the monsoon), he takes me to his beloved tree. Over a century old, the branches have sprawled over several meters providing a canopy of distinct green leaves. With branches thick as tree trunks, this old friend has surrendered itself to Khan to help him create marvels in the world of horticulture. "I have asked many scientists and researchers to study its sap (tree blood as he calls it), to understand why and how this works. If you don’t ask why and how, there can be no evolution,” Khan says.

[caption id="attachment_27646" align="aligncenter" width="537"] Mango | Kaleem Ullah Khan | Global Indian The 120-year-old tree that bears 300 varieties of mango. (Photo: Kinshuk Mehta for Global Indian)[/caption]

Marvelling at the tree, one cannot miss the leaves in numerous shapes and colours, an indication of the varieties grafted on the tree. "That's the beauty of the tree," he says, adding, "We slice a wound into a branch and then insert another branch from a different mango tree and tie them together with a help of tape (plastic) until the new tissues start to generate and hold the branches together."

[caption id="attachment_27650" align="aligncenter" width="665"] Mango | Kaleem Ullah Khan | Global Indian Kaleem Ullah Khan overlooking his orchard. (Photo: Global Indian)[/caption]

It is here he finds sukoon - so much that he recently shifted to a house in the orchard to admire his baagecha (orchard) every day. "Standing in the balcony each day, it makes me humble to see this in its entirety. I wish to spend the rest of my years closer to my orchard."

With 300 varieties to his credit, the moniker Mango Man suits him well. However, he reveals that in 1919, Malihabad produced 1300 varieties of mangoes. The zamindars, comprising Thakurs, Shekhs and Pathans, owned over 16,000 bigha (10,000 acres) of land, Khan says. “They would grow mangoes and name the new varieties. Things changed when the zamindari ended. Population increased, residential areas encroached the habitat and the orchards started to shrink," says Khan, adding that Uttar Pradesh is now home to just 600 varieties of mango. Interestingly, India is the biggest producer, consumer and exporter of mangoes in the world. With 40 percent of mangoes produced in India, the country has been exporting the fruit to UAE, Bangladesh, Nepal and the UK. In 2019-2020, India exported 49,658 metric tonne of mangoes to the world for ₹400 crore. "Even the world knows that something is special in aam," smiles Khan who is happy to popularise the fruit across the world with his work.

[caption id="attachment_27649" align="aligncenter" width="507"] Mango | Kaleem Ullah Khan | Global Indian The Mango Man (Photo: Kinshuk Mehta for Global Indian)[/caption]

The medicinal power of mango flower

The mango is more than a fruit to Khan, who believes in the tree's medicinal power. Referring to the 2014 study by Texas A&M University that provided evidence that mangoes can prevent cancer, Khan says, "I have been telling the govt departments to look into the properties of the flower. You can find medicine for every disease from its flower. Like we humans have qualities, so does the mango. It's a gift from nature - as a fruit to devour and a powerhouse of medicine," says the octogenarian who is disappointed that mango is only known as the "phalon ka raja" (the king of fruits). He presses on, pointing out that the mango tree can cure anything - from cancer to diabetes to impotency. He began thinking on the lines after losing a friend to kidney failure and understood that the mango flower has the qualities to cure any illness. However, he is dismayed that no one is paying heed to the importance of the mango flower as medicine. "I want to give it to the government for free so that it reaches the poor, who need it the most. When I leave this world, I want to leave this gift for the people. This is my purpose."

[caption id="attachment_27647" align="aligncenter" width="740"] Mango | Kaleem Ullah Khan | Global Indian Kaleem Ullah Khan with a stack of mango tree wood. (Photo: Kinshuk Mehta for Global Indian)[/caption]

At 82, Khan is ready to embrace the final journey and has already piled up a stack of mango tree planks for his coffin - knowing that this passion for mangoes will go to the grave with him. "I often come and look at them, knowing that they will protect me once I am buried. You can see the happiness on my face talking about it because betaji, this is inevitable. So why shouldn't we talk about things that will help the world once I am gone."

You can visit his nursery

Reading Time: 9 min

Mafat Patel: Building the Patel Brothers empire

(October 22, 2022) When Mafat Patel left home at the age of 23, back in the year 1968, his mother wept to see him go. Mafat had grown up sheltered, spending his childhood on a farm in a village named Bhandu, in Gujarat's Mehsana district. The farthest from home he had ever been was the neighbouring district of Patan, where he earned himself a degree in Mechanical Engineering. When a friend, who had just returned from the US, asked Mafat's father to consider sending his son, the old man jumped on the idea. As did Mafat. And so, in 1968, Mafat arrived in the United States of America, where he studied in Ohio. Global Indian takes a look at the story of Mafat Patel, his brother Tulsi and his sister-in-law Aruna and how they built the Patel Brothers grocery empire. There was no inkling then, in the minds of his family, or even in the farthest reaches of Mafat's own imagination, that he would go on to build an empire in America. Recently, as I chatted with a friend about the years she spent living in Hoboken, New Jersey, her mother demanded: "Did you tell her about the Patel Brothers

empire in America. Recently, as I chatted with a friend about the years she spent living in Hoboken, New Jersey, her mother demanded: "Did you tell her about the Patel Brothers supermarkets?" The chain of Indian grocery stores is an absolute go-to for every South Asian in New York, Chicago and Atlanta, a thriving business worth over $140 million. Mafat Patel, now in his seventies, still walks through the aisles, meeting his customers and addressing many by name as they sip on steaming chai or order hot chapatis.

After his business degree, Mafat moved to Chicago, where he had been offered a job in quality control at Jefferson Electric. "When I came here, there weren't too many Indian families. We were two roommates from India, here together. Both of us were vegetarian and it was difficult to eat. We would cook on our own." Although he had a good job and lived a comfortable life, Chicago just wasn't home. The already overwhelming loneliness was only heightened by the fact that he didn't have the one thing for which he wanted most - a hot, home-cooked Indian meal. "He would talk about how difficult it was, to come home in the cold and the rain on the bus and think, now what do we do about dinner," said a friend of Mafat, Ramesh Vitha, in an interview.

[caption id="attachment_30969" align="aligncenter" width="648"] Mafat Patel[/caption]

The Devon storefront

In 1971, Mafat's wife and children joined him in America. That year, he received an offer from a businessman named Ramesh Trivedi, who had a storefront on Devon Avenue that he was looking to sell. It was a dilapidated place but Mafat, whose business acumen kicked in instantly, leapt on the opportunity. He wanted to open an Indian grocery store. Mafat got in touch with his brother, Tulsi and his wife, Aruna, who left Gujarat and joined him in America.

In 1974, they got things up and running. "We started a small grocery store, in an 800 sq foot space," Mafat said, in a 2018 episode of Zee TV's Those Who Made It. "I was working and my brother was running the store. We did two shifts and Aruna was working from 10 am to 10 pm." Mafat's wife handled the domestic affairs and making sure the home ran smoothly. "If it wasn't for Aruna, we wouldn't be here right now. She was controlling the business then. We were two brothers and two sisters, all living together. We would stick together and worked very hard." Mafat would arrive at the store after work, interviewing suppliers late into the night. Early the next morning, he would go back to the office.

Cultivating relationships

The Indian diaspora was miniscule, limited to around 150 families. "We opened the store and would go one or two days without a single customer," Tulsi Patel said, in 'Those Who Made It'. They held things together, though, with impeccable customer service. Tulsi would carry huge bags of groceries in cloth bags and deliver them to customers. "There were about 150 families and whenever they called, even if they were 10 miles away, we would go, in rain or snow. That's how we maintained relationships," said Mafat. Tulsi recalls, "Even if it was after 10 pm, I would make the trip, up to the third floor, just to deliver milk."

They genuinely cared for their customers and that held them in good stead. Moreover, Mafat Patel was a far-sighted man - he predicted, correctly, that in 20 or 30 or even 40 years, there would be a lot more Indians in America and that they would need groceries.

As the business grew, Patel Bros needed external funding. That came from Ramesh Ajawani, a banker, whom the brothers still count among their closest friends. "He was still working as an engineer and trying to get a foothold in Indian groceries," Ramesh said. "He said he had high energy levels, could work 24/7 and had a lot of passion for what he wanted to do. I liked his entrepreneurial attributes and we started doing a lot more."

By 1976, Mafat recalls, they started expanding the business. "We bought another supermarket in Chicago. In 1977, we built other stores on Devon Avenue. In 1981, we went to Atlanta and a year later, to New York. Then the whole family came and we had lots of hands." Mafat stayed with his day job for 16 years, finally quitting in 1985 to devote himself full time to the import/export business. Patel Bros had arrived, bringing Indian grocery stores into the mainstream, to compete with mega stores like Walmart.

The next generation

Today, the reins are held largely by Mafat's son Swetal and his nephew, Rakesh. Swetal Patel was born to Mafat Patel and his wife in Chicago, growing up in a family of 10. Although business was thriving, life wasn't always easy for Swetal, Indians were still decidedly a minority in the US. Like most immigrants growing up in a foreign country, he struggled to balance two identities - the America he saw every day at school and the close-knit, Gujarati joint family to which he returned every day. He didn't want to carry Indian food for lunch every day, because of how it smelled, according to Intertwined Cultures.

Every day after school, all the Patel children would help out with the family business. As his American peers went home to a PBJ and chocolate milk, Swetal Patel helped his parents make bhel puri. Evenings and weekends were spent bagging groceries, talking to customers, sweeping floors and loading and unloading goods. He recalls helping customers wheel their grocery carts in winter, winding his way through the snow. Back home, his mother continued to hold the fort, keeping meals ready for the ever-growing family and for the stream of guests and visiting relatives.

[caption id="attachment_30966" align="aligncenter" width="696"] Swetal and Rakesh Patel[/caption]

Today, Patel Bros is every bit the organised supermarket. Back when Swetal lent a hand, though, the place was chaos. Even that lack of organisation held a sense of Indian-ness, the smell of spices pervading through the cloth bags, all stacked along the shelves as customers stood around and pointed to what they wanted. Every morning at 10 am, the store would open with an hour of 'bhajans'.

Branching out

They have thriving stores in 51 locations across America and the Patel Brothers haven't stopped there. They also own Patel Air Tours, Sahil, a clothing boutique for Indian weddings, Patel Handicrafts and Patel Cafe. In 1991, they also launched Raja Foods, a Patel Brothers subsidiary, which offers readymade foods like chapatis and samosas.

Much of their success, they will readily admit, comes from remaining connected to Indian family values. A large section of their employees still comprises members of the family. "I have brought more than 350 families here and they are all well-to-do," Mafat said, in the Those Who Made It episode. The families come there, learn the trade and in time, Mafat will help them set up their own store.

"Whatever you get in India, you will get in Patel Brothers," Mafat smiles. "People from everywhere come to Devon Avenue or New York and say, 'let's go see the Patel Brothers'. Asian immigrants know their needs will be met in a single store. We are essentially grocers. From ingredients like turmeric and red chilli powder, to snacks like khakras, gathias and theplas, we are a truly Indian brand and cater to almost all NRIs in the US."

A tale of courage: Droupadi Murmu’s accession to the Rashtrapati Bhavan entails a series of many firsts

(July 23, 2022) The first tribal leader, youngest candidate, and first head of state born post-independence - are just some of the terms which are now being associated with Droupadi Murmu. Winning by a phenomenal margin of 64 percent, the Adivasi leader from Odisha scripted history on July 21, as she became the 15th President of India. After four rounds of polling, where she received 2,824 votes, the former Governor of Jharkhand emerged victorious against Yashwant Sinha, the former Minister of Finance of India. [caption id="attachment_27266" align="aligncenter" width="550"] President Droupadi Murmu with Prime Minister Narendra Modi[/caption] Hailing from the Santhal tribe of Odisha, Murmu has a long and glorious political career behind her. Despite several personal setbacks, she kept working towards uplifting the marginalised communities, not just in her state, but across the country. Global Indian takes a look at the life journey of the next Indian President. Early years Born in 1958, in Uperbeda, a small village situated approximately 285 km away from Odisha’s capital, Bhubaneswar, Murmu was the only daughter among three kids. Inspired by her father, Biranchi Narayan Tudu, who was the chief of the village, a young Murmu would stay up late at night to study

rong>Early years

Born in 1958, in Uperbeda, a small village situated approximately 285 km away from Odisha’s capital, Bhubaneswar, Murmu was the only daughter among three kids. Inspired by her father, Biranchi Narayan Tudu, who was the chief of the village, a young Murmu would stay up late at night to study one chapter ahead of what was being taught at her school. The President, however, was not just good at academics. She was also an athlete, who won many medals in school competitions.

[caption id="attachment_27267" align="aligncenter" width="724"] President | Droupadi Murmu | Global Indian An old image of Tudu family. Droupadi Murmu can be seen standing second from right.[/caption]

After finishing her seventh standard at the Uperbeda Middle English School, Murmu moved to Bhubaneswar, where she completed her high school and moved on to pursue a bachelor of arts at the Rama Devi Women's College. Married soon after her graduation, she never let anything come in the way of her career. An ambitious youngster, Murmu's first job was at the Odisha State Irrigation and Power Department, where she worked as a junior assistant from 1979 to 1983. The couple subsequently became parents to two sons and a daughter.

In the early 90s, the family moved to Rairangpur, where Murmu worked as an assistant professor at the Shri Aurobindo Integral Education and Research Institute.

A glorious political journey

As a teacher, Murmu took stock of the many social ills that plagued Rairangpur - such as high illiteracy, bad sanitation, and rampant health issues. Moved by the people's plight, the President took up voluntary teaching and worked toward educating kids from the most remote parts of Odisha. She entered politics in 1997, contesting in the local polls as a BJP candidate. She won, becoming Rairangpur's councillor. An able leader, Murmu would personally supervise the sanitisation work in the town, making sure that the drains and garbage were cleaned properly. An excellent orator in Odia and Santhali, Murmu's persistence and reputation helped many young kids, especially girls, get back to school.

[caption id="attachment_27269" align="aligncenter" width="643"] President | Droupadi Murmu | Global Indian An old staff photograph of Integral School, Rairangpur. Droupadi Murmu is standing fourth from left[/caption]

A member of the Bhartiya Janata Party, Murmu was elected twice to Odisha's Legislative Assembly - in 2000 and 2009 - from the Rairangpur seat. In the Biju Janata Dal - BJP coalition led by Naveen Patnaik, Murmu even took care of the commerce and transport, and fisheries and animal resources portfolios. Between 2006 and 2009, BJP made Murmu the state president of its scheduled tribe's wing, during which Murmu worked extensively with the remote Adivasi communities, suffering from social and economical disadvantages. It was during this period that she was conferred with Nilkantha Award for the best MLA by the Odisha Legislative Assembly.

A tragic turn

Her professional career was flourishing. As she climbed higher in Odisha's politics, Murmu's life came to a sudden halt after she lost her eldest son, Laxman Murmu, in 2009. According to reports, the 25-year-old was found unconscious by his bed. Although the family rushed him to the nearby hospital, he couldn't be saved. About three years later, Murmu lost her second son in a road accident. "I was devastated and suffered from depression," Murmu had shared, during a 2016 interview with Doordarshan, "I spent sleepless nights after my son's death. It was when that I visited Brahma Kumaris, I realised I had to move on and live for my two sons and daughter."

[caption id="attachment_27270" align="aligncenter" width="639"] President | Droupadi Murmu | Global Indian Murmu family[/caption]

While she was still picking up the pieces of her life, Murmu's encountered another tragedy. In 2014, Murmu's husband succumbed to a major cardiac arrest, leaving behind an inconsolable wife. But realising that she had to take care of her teenage daughter, Murmu pulled herself together and continued her work towards the betterment of her community. She later became the National Vice-President of BJP Scheduled Tribes Morcha.

Road to Raisina Hills

After suffering through several personal setbacks, Murmu's life was slowly coming back on track. Impressed with her work for the socially and economically weaker communities in Odisha, the Government of India appointed her as the Governor of Jharkhand. The first female to be sworn into the office, Murmu took several hard decisions to protect the rights of the tribal community of Jharkhand. This included her refusal to approve the bill seeking amendments to the Chhotanagpur Tenancy Act, 1908, and the Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act, 1949.

[caption id="attachment_27272" align="aligncenter" width="632"] President | Droupadi Murmu | Global Indian Droupadi Murmu during her presidential campaign[/caption]

BJP-led National Democratic Alliance considered Murmu's name as their official candidate for the 2017 Presidential election. However, the party picked Ram Nath Kovind over her. In June 2022, Murmu was nominated by the NDA as their candidate for the 15th President of India. Sixty-four and still enthusiastic to work for the people, Murmu visited numerous states, including Odisha, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra, and met the head of governments there during her presidential campaign. As many as 73 percent of Members of Parliament and 74 percent of Members of the legislative assembly, of 6,76,803 value, voted for the tribal candidate, who is set to be sworn in as the 15th President of India on July 25, 2022.

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Reading Time: 7 mins

Hema Vinod: International Education Specialist of UNHCR and UNICEF turns Amazon bestselling author

Working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Sri Lanka, Yemen, Somalia and Iraq, apart from India, has had a deep impact on how Hema Vinod looks at life. The International Education Specialist, who was associated with humanitarian efforts of UNHCR for two years and also spent 15 years with UNICEF, closely worked with refugees, internally displaced and disenfranchised communities. “I have become very adaptable seeing the resilience of people in conflict affected and troubled spots, in most cases leaving everything behind and living in camps and temporary locations. The women especially, as they cannot give up because of their children,” says Hema as she chats with Global Indian. “Their ability to adapt and take care of their children in all circumstances, has impacted me deeply,” she adds. With a rich experience of more than three decades in the domain of education, Hema is now an author of four books, a blog writer and a coach. Her first book, Parenteening Made Simple for parents of teens got released in 2021. "Teenagers are my niche,” says the author. Her second book, Girl Empower Yourself is aimed at supporting girls in their growing up years. Her third book, ABC of Parenting:

="https://www.amazon.in/Parenteening-Made-Simple-Principles-Parenting-ebook/dp/B09MN4JQGG" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Parenteening Made Simple for parents of teens got released in 2021. "Teenagers are my niche,” says the author. Her second book, Girl Empower Yourself is aimed at supporting girls in their growing up years. Her third book, ABC of Parenting: Every parent's guide for their adolescent child supports parents in taking care of the mental and emotional health of their children and equips them with the right tools to do so. Her latest book Success Guide for Teens empowers teenagers while they are transitioning to adulthood.

[caption id="attachment_31486" align="aligncenter" width="938"] Indian author | Hema Vinod | Global Indian Hema with kids in Iraq[/caption]

Flashback: Taste of a different life

In 1990 Hema moved to Uganda when her husband was transferred there, taking their one-year-old son with them. By that time, she already had education experience in India including as Assistant Head Teacher of a school in Kolkata. She decided to continue her career in Uganda as well.

After several years of work in international schools in Uganda including her last position as Head of Department, she joined UNHCR as Education Advisor. ‘I was in-charge of the education programme of children of refugees who had come to Uganda from countries like Sudan, Congo, and Rwanda. The work involved teachers training, taking care of renovation of schools and other supporting initiatives to integrate the children of refugees into the country’s education system,” she says.

[caption id="attachment_31487" align="aligncenter" width="768"] Indian author | Hema Vinod | Global Indian Hema with people of displaced community in Somalia[/caption]

Serving as an UNHCR employee to support displaced people in putting their lives back on track, she found a greater purpose in life.

Association with UNICEF

After working with UNHCR for two years, Hema joined the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) as an Education Specialist. It widened her horizons as she spent the next 15 years reaching out to people in need. Her role was to look into the educational needs of children in disadvantaged and displaced communities.

[caption id="attachment_31485" align="aligncenter" width="711"] Indian author | Hema Vinod | Global Indian Hema with a colleague - in war zones they used to protect themselves with bullet proof vest and helmet, while working in the field[/caption]

Her first posting of UNICEF was in a small town in northern Uganda. Staying away from her family, she worked as a member of the field staff, providing quality education by ensuring schools and teachers met the standards of child friendly schools.

“In UNICEF, you cannot forever be in one place, you have to keep moving from one posting to another,” says Hema who travelled to places like Sri Lanka, Yemen, Jordan, Somalia and Iraq as part of UNICEF postings.

Most of the places where I worked were not family duty stations due to the insecurity which prevailed.

[caption id="attachment_31484" align="aligncenter" width="742"] Indian author | Hema Vinod | Global Indian Hema with colleagues, just after a security training programme in Nairobi[/caption]

In 2009, her family moved back to India. Both her kids were in college then, while Hema travelled from one field site to another in conflict affected and insecure locations. “As an educationist, I was interested to serve the most disadvantaged children,” she says.

She could have chosen to work in India, leading a comparatively comfortable life, working in any school in Bengaluru where her family had settled down but Hema chose to follow her dream. ``That work was challenging but very rewarding,” she says. Working for most disadvantaged children, reaching thousands of them, being involved in a vast variety of responsibilities in the realm of education and fulfilling her dream to work with UNICEF were reasons enough for her to keep travelling to those countries. She used to live in risk-prone nations, coming back to India regularly to spend time with family.

[caption id="attachment_31483" align="aligncenter" width="768"] Indian author | Hema Vinod | Global Indian Hema in Somalia during a school visit - a maths class was going on. They call it 'Hisaab' like us[/caption]

Getting affected and impacted

Talking about her experiences in war zones she says, “My colleague was kidnapped in Yemen and returned after 13 months. Some of my colleagues lost their lives in suicide attacks in Somalia. All this deeply affected me. Risk was always there but still I thought, let me work as much as I can.”

Working for displaced, disadvantaged and war-ravaged communities, adding some light to their lives, facilitating education of their children and focusing on women and their responsibilities of child rearing were giving meaning to her existence and that kept her going. “The security provided by UNICEF is very strong," she mentions.

UNICEF takes very good care of security. But anything can happen anywhere. There is risk to life even if you are staying in a city like Mumbai.

[caption id="attachment_31482" align="aligncenter" width="611"] Indian author | Hema Vinod | Global Indian Hema with colleagues in Jordan[/caption]

Hema’s last posting was in Iraq. She returned to India in 2020 when the pandemic had just struck. “You really learn, you grow looking at different cultures, it gives a new perspective,” she says about her seventeen-year-long, very eventful association with UNHCR and UNICEF.

The second innings

The International Education Specialist, who holds a double Master’s Degree (MSc and MA, Education) and a B.Ed, loves to work and was not willing to hang up her boots after the association with UNICEF ended. To give her career new direction she enrolled into an 11-month course at iPEC which is an International Coaching Federation (ICF)-accredited coach training programme. She wanted to brush up her skills as she coached youngsters to help them transition into successful adults. Hema also joined the Iron Lady Programme for entrepreneurs which gave her a lot of clarity and direction on the way ahead.

Hema also realised that coaching was not the only thing that she wanted to do, and turned an author. Her portfolio boasts of four bestsellers.

[caption id="attachment_31508" align="aligncenter" width="568"] Indian author | Hema Vinod | Global Indian Hema Vinod's first book[/caption]

Youngsters need a lot of support and the way in which their parents bring them up determines what they turn out to be.

Whether it is skilling up parents to raise their children well or imparting life skills to youngsters, her goal is to help the younger generation turn into robust, empathetic and resilient adults.

Hema also contributes to blogsites and is collaborating with life coaches for a project called Teen Saheli. “It is in the initial phases and we are trying to collaborate with schools to give life skills sessions to students,” says the author, who is all set to give a talk at Women’s Economic Forum in Delhi next month.

[caption id="attachment_31985" align="aligncenter" width="624"] Hema Vinod |Indian Author | Global Indian Hema Vinod's second book[/caption]

The multifaceted educationist who is originally from Kerala grew up in West Bengal studying at Calcutta Girls school and Loreto College. “I love the kind of work I have been doing, it’s like working for yourself,” she signs off.

Follow Hema Vinod on LinkedIn

Reading Time: 5 mins

From a medical rep to CEO, the meteoric rise of Ani Prajith who made East Africa his home

(May 25, 2022) Life for a medical representative is full of challenges, especially when it comes to sales, which is the most difficult part in the pharma industry. It often ends up with the medical representatives getting entangled, keeping them busy at the same level for years. But Ani Prajith is an exception. Scripting a success story like no other, this happy-go-lucky medical representative relentlessly worked his way up into becoming the CEO of a pharma giant, a rare occurrence in the pharmaceutical line. While most people prefer the USA, UK, Australia or Gulf when it comes to jobs, Prajith had no second thoughts when he picked up the offer of moving to Tanzania and then to Uganda, which eventually led to his meteoric rise. "Like India, people in Africa are warm and welcoming. Wrapping this up with the rich cultural history and heritage of more than 50 tribes, both Niotic and Bantu, who warmly welcome visitors, it is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Uganda has been my home for the last nine years," smiles Ani Prajith, the CEO of Phillips Pharmaceuticals, in an exclusive chat with Global Indian. Prior to Uganda, he spent four years in Tanzania and Kenya. [caption id="attachment_24858"

Indian. Prior to Uganda, he spent four years in Tanzania and Kenya.

[caption id="attachment_24858" align="aligncenter" width="776"] CEO | Ani Prajith Ani Prajith, the CEO of Phillips Pharmaceuticals[/caption]

A great start, courtesy interest in medicine

Born in Kerala, Prajith is the son of Ramachandran Pillai, a veteran in Hindustan Aeronautical Limited, who served the country as a pilot instructor. Owing to his father's transfer, Prajith spent a major part of his childhood in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. The family returned down south after Ramachandran Pillai was once again transferred to the Airforce flying school, located in Tambaram on the suburbs of Chennai, where Prajith received most of his education.

"Healthcare and medicine was a field which often interested me and therefore I chose to get into the pharma field instead of doing MBBS," informs Prajith, who did his schooling at St Joseph's Senior Secondary School and later went to Madras Christian College.

As a young pass out from college in 1997, Prajith's first job was at Tata Donley Yellow Pages as a sales executive. But being a science graduate, his passion led him to join Smithkline Beecham (now GlaxoSmithkline) as a medical representative. "I worked in different capacities and developed a learning curve to become one of the youngest business managers in GSK," informs a beaming Prajith, who worked for almost four between 2003 and 2006. His brother Sunil Prajith is in the Indian Airforce.

His work took him across the length and breadth of India. He worked in Tamil Nadu, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata and north east India. "I love travelling and meeting new people. Adapting to different cultures and value systems comes naturally to me," informs the CEO.

[caption id="attachment_24860" align="aligncenter" width="639"] CEO | Ani Prajith Ani Prajith with his parents[/caption]

With a vast domestic experience of almost 12 years in various therapeutic segments, from critical care and anti-infective, respiratory to derma and nutraceuticals -- Prajith was one of the most sought after professionals in the pharma line. "I was always a team player. Communication skills enabled me to develop strong bonds with the clients," says Prajith, whose risk-taking abilities, analytical skills and never-let-go attitude paved the way for his success.

He believes it is never late for learning and acquiring knowledge. Alongside work, he completed his MBA in marketing from National Institute of Management, Mumbai and also received a Doctorate in management studies.

Africa calling

Come 2009, Prajith was offered the job of country manager for Wockhardt Limited in Tanzania, the East African country known for its vast wilderness areas. "I had no reservations about working in Africa. But it wasn’t easy to make the switch, and especially with family," says Prajith, who had joined Wockhardt Nutrition in India in 2007.

Upon his arrival, language was his first barrier. The Keralite wasted no time and quickly picked up the basic Swahili vocabulary, which made his life much easier on the foreign soil. A few experiences with the local cabbies in his initial days taught him that Swahili time is expressed very differently from the standard time in other parts of the world (instead of midnight and noon, Swahili time is based on sunset and sunrise). "I adjusted accordingly," informs the CEO.

[caption id="attachment_24861" align="aligncenter" width="667"] CEO | Ani Prajith Ani Prajith with his family in Uganda[/caption]

In no time, he brought a major turnaround in the organisation's performance and was promoted to the ranks of regional head for East Africa, covering Tanzania, Nairobi and Uganda. "Daily challenges came with new learnings, be it managing the regulatory changes, which is the backbone of international trade or ensuring a seamless supply chain, warehousing and most importantly, adapting and identifying local needs," explains Prajith, whose ambition and drive, sales ability, scientific grasp and organisation skills was taken note of by other pharma companies.

The big shift

In 2013, he got a call from Phillips Pharmaceuticals, the pharma giant in East, Central and West Africa. He made a big shift in his career by joining the company as its general manager in Uganda. "The journey was intense but I never lost the will," smiles Prajith who went on to become director - sales and marketing.

In 2021, the pharma industry was taken by storm when Phillips Pharmaceuticals announced Prajith as its CEO and head of sales and marketing. "A lot happened in my career in the last nine years as I climbed the ladder of success. My journey from a medical rep to the CEO of one of the top pharmaceutical companies was fulfilling and extraordinary," he says. Phillips Pharma, he says, is a company which is highly skilled in marketing management and sales operations.

He feels that the pharmaceutical business in African countries is different from matured and large markets like India, China and other western countries. "As a CEO, the multifunctional and diverse role in a foreign land is an everyday challenge. To understand the myriad forces at play, set a broad vision and take the final call on most difficult decisions is never easy," says the CEO who leads a team of 160 people.

[caption id="attachment_24859" align="aligncenter" width="419"] CEO | Ani Prajith Ani Prajith with Jane Ruth Aceng, the Health Minister of Uganda at the launch of launch of a new regional blood bank.[/caption]

So how did the CEO deal with the Covid outbreak? "We recognised our limitations, strengths and relooked at our partnerships and collaborations. Identifying and resolving the supply chain was the next task. We did not take much time in ensuring new products reached people real quick by fostering stronger manufacturing alliances," explains Prajith, who believes in embracing innovations in information-sharing to improve supply chain alignment.

He informs that the company has invested in a larger network of partners. "Long-term contingency plans and strategic coordination is needed to maximise the resilience of manufacturing networks. Companies must have a broad community of partners to rely on," says the CEO, who is leading his team to plan for the unexpected scenarios like the pandemic.

Breathtaking Uganda

Prajith is in awe of Uganda. "Despite the small size of the country, the diversity of landscape, topography and wildlife is mind boggling. All our clients are pleasantly surprised when they visit Uganda. They say they never knew it was so beautiful," smiles Prajith, whose wife Leena Ani, is a qualified postgraduate teacher. The couple has two children.

When the CEO is not working, he likes to indulge in a game of badminton and some soothing music. "Work related travel takes a lot of my time," informs Prajith, who visits India twice a year.

Follow Ani Prajith on Twitter and Linkedin

Reading Time: 6 min