Investor | Roopal Pilani | Global Indian

Global IndianstoryFrom Nigeria to UK: The journey of serial entrepreneur Roopal Pilani

From Nigeria to UK: The journey of serial entrepreneur Roopal Pilani

Written by: Vikram Sharma

(April 6, 2023) Roopal Pilani is an entrepreneur with a magic touch. From setting up a successful event management company in the ’90s to taking on the responsibility of working night shifts at her husband’s factory, which ensured higher productivity, to acquiring a chain of hotels in the UK and investing in startups which are doing well — success follows her everywhere.

Entrepreneur | Roopal Pilani | Global Indian

“Family comes first for me, everything else comes later,” smiles the entrepreneur as she takes out time to chat with Global Indian during a family holiday in Rishikesh, where she has been kayaking and doing aerial yoga.

Becoming a hotel magnate

It was in 2010 that she acquired her first hotel, The Makeney Hall at Derby, UK, after much due diligence. “It was refurbished to meet the highest standards in the ever-competitive industry. Our relentless efforts and the right business moves paid off,” says Roopal. The Makeney Hall is now among the top hotels in the region, which is a matter of immense pride for her entire team.

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The success of her first hotel propelled the entrepreneur into acquiring Malden Hall Student Accommodation in London in 2014, The Lace Market Hotel in Nottingham in 2015, Empire Filling Station, The Georgian Hollies Hotel Blackpool in 2020 and The Lawton and Beechfield Hotels in 2022. “My elder daughter Diya helps me with the UK businesses. I intervene only when it is required,” says Roopal, whose younger daughter Krishna is in Grade 10 at Woodstock School in Mussoorie.

Natural-born businesswoman

Born in Mumbai in October 1974, her family moved to Hyderabad, the city Roopal calls home. “I was the middle child and most pampered,” recalls Roopal, who did her schooling from St Ann’s High school. “I was thoroughly a teacher’s pet,” she says of her student days.

Roopal then went to Kasturba Gandhi College and graduated with a degree in Commerce. “I was introduced to the nuances of book keeping by my father at our Industrial goods store. This was where I began to appreciate what really went into running an establishment,” says Roopal, who belongs to a Gujarati Brahmin family. When she turned 19, Roopal decided to marry her high school sweetheart Uday, completing her degree after the wedding. “Besides studying economics, commerce and civics, I had taken up painting and arts in my free time. Back then, I was not quite decided on what sort of business I wanted to explore,” says the entrepreneur.

The launch of Jalwa

In the late 1990s, when the party scene was just picking up, she threw the biggest millennium party in Hyderabad, which was a hugely successful event. “We then set up an event management company — Jalwa in 1999. It quickly gained market share and rose to become a pioneer in brand building, store promotions, rock shows, theme nights and much more,” she says.

going Entrepreneur | Roopal Pilani | Global Indian

At Jalwa, the Pilanis were doing everything, from corporate events for Coke, Pepsi and GE to landmark parties. “Events kept happening throughout the year, non-stop. We got busier curating the events (sometimes, round-the-clock!) to make it the best. It earned us trust and respect. The experiences taught me everything that I needed to know about how to run a business successfully and take risks all along,” says the entrepreneur.

Africa calling

In 2002, the Pilanis moved to Nigeria, where Uday set up a Mosquito Coil unit in Kano. “Uday’s family has a long history with Nigeria and therefore we decided to move,” she informs. Four years later, the business was going through a tough phase. Roopal took the responsibility of managing the factory during the more challenging night shift, and even ensured higher productivity than the day shift. “We had a 24/7 operation with 150 employees enabling an end-to-end production,” says the entrepreneur, for whom those were the most challenging years of her life. It forced her to dig deep within herself to find the strength and build tenacity.

Entrepreneur | Roopal Pilani | Global Indian

In 2009, the factory having been sold, the family shifted base to Benin in Southern Nigeria, where her husband took up a job as the Managing Director of a large multinational company producing palm oil. “We were surrounded by thousands of hectares of green fields, splendid weather and a small zoo. It was paradise, and my children spent their time in nature, uninterrupted by the hassles of technology. They rode horses and caught scorpions,” she smiles.

Around that time, Roopal decided that the family must have a secure sustainable income – but this kind of financial stability was more likely to be found in a developed country. “Moreover, I had taken my break and was itching to get back to work. The UK was a good option and it was a favourable time to invest. It was a short flight from Nigeria,” says Roopal.

Business in the UK

Thereafter, the entrepreneur went on a hotel buying spree in the UK. “I moved to London with my daughters while Uday made frequent trips from Nigeria. We had an exciting progression to give hotels,” informs Roopal, who is now mentoring her elder daughter as she learns the ropes. Roopal didn’t stop there. She went on to invest in Invente Innovation Labs in India which does staff augmentation for businesses, sales and growth consultants RyzeUP Inc USA, and Wowsome XR in UK, a media company. “Tech is the future, so we invest in companies which are making cutting edge advancements in virtual and augmented reality, AI and gamification,” informs the entrepreneur, who has also invested in a long line of startups.

Giving back

Philanthropy work keeps Roopal busy too as giving back is a top priority for her. “Sponsoring initiatives linked to women empowerment, child health and literacy gives me a sense of satisfaction,” says the entrepreneur. She is a member of the Arch Klump Society, which is Rotary’s highest tier of Donors. She has donated USD 250,000 given to various causes from her personal account.

Entrepreneur | Roopal Pilani | Global Indian

Now that her investments are taking care of themselves and business is good, Roopal likes to spend time with her family. “We now spend our days doing what we like. A few rallies a year, endless travelling and road trips. Family workouts are a must,” smiles Roopal, who watches Shark Tank and action movies post dinner.

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Gaurav

May 3, 2023 12:47 pm

Amazing she is…..

Published on 06, Apr 2023

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Delhi, Dubai, DeMon: How CA-turned-author Murali Raghavan whipped up a financial thriller

(July 28, 2022) Like most Indians, Murali Raghavan was also taken aback when the surprise announcement of demonetisation was made by the Indian government in November 2016. It triggered endless debates between him and his group of friends. A late 2017 announcement that over 99.6 percent of the notes had been deposited in the country's banking system, got the chartered accountant, who is the founder of the company CFOsme, contemplating how the corrupt businessmen and politicians get rid of their ill-gotten wealth. It intrigued the Dubai-based chartered and cost accountant so much, that he began penning his thoughts around the subject. He ended up weaving a brilliant tale of big money and crime, which is sure to be an eye-opener. His book Riding the De(Mon) was launched on July 22. "The book is a financial thriller, delving deep into money laundering in India, particularly the methods used by corrupt businessmen and politicians to funnel their ill-gotten gains into the banking system. It touches upon various aspects including hacking into banks, short selling, and money laundering. Information is more powerful than money," smiles Murali Raghavan, speaking to Global Indian. The book talks about hawala transactions, benami accounts, dummy supplier accounts created

lobal Indian.

The book talks about hawala transactions, benami accounts, dummy supplier accounts created by many companies to siphon off funds, overseas investment from Maldives corporation, etc. "The book goes to great lengths to explain these concepts in a simple way that makes it easy for all readers to understand,” says the chartered accountant.

[caption id="attachment_27452" align="aligncenter" width="643"] Chartered Accountant | Murali Raghavan | Global Indian Murali Raghavan, author of Riding the De(Mon)[/caption]

He gives credit to a website called Script a Hit which helped him out with the book. "As I continued to think about demonetisation I fleshed out the plot into a six-page synopsis. I took a leap of faith and submitted my idea and it got accepted,” recalls the 55-year-old.

In-depth analysis

A lot of research went into the making of the book. This included speaking with several CAs on the methods used by persons to route their wealth (black money) back into the system without getting caught, while the IT banking security specialists came up with a plausible way for the protagonist to hack into the banking system to download records.

Recalling the unending debates Raghavan used to have with his friends, most of whom are sharp financial minds, he says the discussion mostly veered around how the government's decision would benefit the country. "There were strong arguments on both sides. One of the key points of discussion was the estimates that the RBI would have a windfall gain of ₹4 lakh crores, as many corrupt people with a lot of black money in cash would risk losing the money than deposit it in their bank accounts and face the wrath of IT, officials," says the graduate from Delhi University, who simultaneously pursued cost accountancy.

Like a good story, he explains, it twists into the idea of information being the most powerful asset for both governments and businessmen to stay ahead of the game. “It also then adds a personal track - who does not like to read about the complex web of lies between a Guru, politicians, women, and a corrupt social organisation,” informs the chartered accountant, who previously worked with leading firms like Ford Rhodes and Price Waterhouse.

Does his book touch upon the role of politicians as well and has he named anyone? “The book delves into business- politician nexus, which is prevalent in most developing and developed countries. The story is fully fictional and not based on an actual business person or politician,” clarifies the author, who is also the co-founder of CFOsme, aimed at helping small and medium enterprises optimize their cash from operations with improved financial ecosystems.

The city of gold

Ask the author, who grew up in Delhi, how did he end up settling in Dubai, and he quips, “My life’s key events were triggered by happy coincidences and my tendency to explore new things.” When he finished CA and cost accountancy, he started looking for job opportunities inside and outside India and landed a job as Finance Manager in Dubai.

The first innings of Raghavan’s career were as a finance professional with corporate companies where he learnt and managed formal skills of financial operations. In his second innings, coincidently at the same time when India was shaking with the announcement of demonetisation, he took another leap of faith to become an entrepreneur. "The premise of CFOsme is to reduce waste and optimise cash – my outlook was changing the same time as the book was taking shape,” says the chartered accountant, whose wife is the Vice President of Emirates Airlines. While their son is interning for a gas company, their daughter will be completing her undergraduate from the UK in August.

Understanding the bigger picture

So what does he make of defaulters like Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi, or Vijay Mallya? “I think it is wrong to focus on a few defaulters but look at the larger picture and the total figure of non-performing assets in the banking system. While I am no expert, the fact that both domestic and foreign rating agencies upgraded the outlook of the banking sector of India gives me great comfort that the banks are not facing major headwinds from losses from defaulters,” explains the man, whose experience with MNCs in retail and wholesale distribution, Information Technology, real estate and hotel development, risk management, and Insurance gives him a wide range of skills and experience.

Chartered Accountant | Murali Raghavan | Global Indian

He however feels that with India being a democracy with a large population, businessmen will continue to seek favours from politicians. "Corrupt politicians- businessmen nexus and money laundering is prevalent across the world and India is no exception," says the chartered accountant, who was quite flabbergasted by the news report that said the current French President helped a US multinational while he was the Economy Minister. "In the US, the nexus between politicians and businessmen is very strong and is apparent from the strength of the various lobby groups. India, as a growing economy and a democracy, wherein elections have to be held every five years, also faces similar challenges,” says Raghavan, who went to Delhi Tamil Education Association senior secondary school.

Bright future ahead

Economically, feels Raghavan, India is at a cusp where the economic, labour, and other reforms of the last five years will start paying dividends. “I am quite bullish about the prospects of India and feel that it is posed to reap the demographic dividend. Overall KYC and other banking constructs have been strengthened – will it go away? Perhaps not. However, the system as a whole is improving and we have to recognise that," says the chartered accountant on a positive note.

Chartered Accountant | Murali Raghavan | Global Indian

Raghavan visits India at least thrice a year. "I have travelled extensively across India and make it a point to attend all the functions of my extended family and friends. I have seen the country grow and its soaring international standing and reputation," he says adding India has built a very powerful brand globally for its talent, use of technology, and 'jugaad'.

"India is an emerging superpower and it will become the third largest economy in the world within the next two decades," feels Raghavan, who enjoys playing different sports and taking long walks along the beach.

Follow Murali Raghavan on LinkedIn

Reading Time: 7 mins

Ancient living: Climate warrior Archana Soreng is saving the planet through tribal practices

(April 4, 2023) "We all can contribute towards climate action because we all are unique. Our voice matters. And you can contribute to climate action in the way you like, in the way you can," said climate warrior, Archana Soreng, as she finished her speech to thunderous applause at the United Nation's Climate Action, earlier this year. A member of the Kharia tribe in Odisha, this indigenous girl is the only one from India to be a part of the UN Secretary-General’s Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change. [caption id="attachment_23052" align="aligncenter" width="559"] Archana Soreng, climate warrior[/caption] Passionate and articulate, Archana believes that the ancient practices of the indigenous tribes from across the world can help better the climate situation. “Over the years, generations of us indigenous communities have been told that we are underdeveloped, we are savage, we are backward because of our traditions, because of identities, because of our cultures. It's important to understand that the indigenous people who are contributing towards climate action to their traditional knowledge and practice to their way of living, who are least responsible for pollution, or who have only a minimal contribution towards the crisis, are being affected by the climate crisis, which

tion to their traditional knowledge and practice to their way of living, who are least responsible for pollution, or who have only a minimal contribution towards the crisis, are being affected by the climate crisis, which again, brings down to the question of justice - like the people who did not do it are being affected and people who are contributing are not supported," the climate warrior had said during her recent speech at the UN.

Connected to her roots

Hailing from a tribal village in the Sundergarh district of Odisha, Archana grew up surrounded by nature, witnessing her family following the ancient practices of the land. Very close to her grandfather, who was a pioneer of forest protection in her village, Archana would take part in all the meetings held to preserve the flora around the area, even as a young girl.

The Global Indian was also inspired by her father, who was a practitioner of indigenous healthcare. "Growing up, I saw him treat and cure people with various ailments using just roots and herbs. So these were ideas I was constantly exposed to from a young age. When I did my Master's in Regulatory Governance from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, I found the textual version of these concepts. I was introduced to environmental regulation as part of my course curriculum, and was very surprised to know that what my community members practice as a way of life is written in these books," she said during an interview with Nature In Focus magazine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOb6ek0M5f4

Unfortunately, the climate warrior lost her father in 2017. However, that incident left her thinking about how people from the indigenous tribes need to compile the knowledge they practice. "I realised that our indigenous community members and leaders, including our parents, will not be around forever to guide us. We need to document the knowledge they have gained over generations. I visited several districts in Odisha and interacted with almost all the indigenous communities in the state. All these communities have their unique ways of protecting their natural resources. They have their own rules and norms. This is what fuelled my interest in learning more and fighting for their voices," she said during the interview.

The ways of tribals

While she was studying at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, the climate warrior, along with her elder brother, thought of not only documenting the indigenous culture but also showing it to the world. And thus Adivasi Drishyam, a well-known YouTube Channel with over two lakh followers, was born. "We created several videos on indigenous songs, medicines, etc., and uploaded them on YouTube. We always discussed with our friends how important it is not just to document these practices, but to document them in different formats. When we just write about them in articles or even books, we are restricting the reach of the content. But when you share images or create videos, they are available and accessible to people who have not received a formal education," she said during an interview.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_01exYn2hk0

This channel caught the eyes of several stakeholders, including government officials, NGOs, and even UN authorities. And thus began Anchana's journey as a global climate change warrior. "Did you know that the inner crust of pumpkin and watermelon was once cooked and used to store water? The cool water it held was a real thirst quencher, especially during hot summer days. As I found more and more nuggets of information like this, I realised how sustainable our ancestors were," she once informed the audience during a climate change summit.

[caption id="attachment_23053" align="aligncenter" width="675"] Climate | Archana Soreng | Global Indian Archana conducting evidence-based research on Forest Rights Act, 2006 at Ambapadia village, Odisha[/caption]

Since then, the climate warrior has been a part of several summits and conferences, including the 66th Session of CESCR: “A Day of General Discussion on Land and ICESCR”, Global Youth Caucus on Desertification and Land’ at the UNCCD COP, YOUNGO (Youth Constituency of UNFCCC), and Youth Dialogue with Inger Andersen and Ibrahim Thiaw. Her emphasis on the importance of drawing on the wisdom of indigenous elders and bringing an indigenous perspective to climate policy-making and action led to her being nominated as one of seven members of the UN Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change in 2022.

[caption id="attachment_23054" align="aligncenter" width="2048"] Climate | Archana Soreng | Global Indian Archana interacting with Greta Thunberg during COP 14 UN Convention[/caption]

"In my tribal language, the meaning of my surname Soreng is 'rock'. It is a representation of how connected my tribe is with nature, that nature is a part of our names as well. It goes to show that the world we live in is a source of identity for us. This is where I come from," the climate warrior shared during her UN speech. Archana is currently working on expanding the community involvement in climate action and encouraging tribal youth from across the globe to take part in saving the planet.

Follow Archana Soreng on Twitter

Reading Time: 6 mins

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

Cookies, fruits, coffee, chillies, peanuts, limes and of course the evergreen chocolate and vanilla, they all find their way into the ice creams at Amadora. What is the secret behind their popularity? (December 3, 2023) Ice creams and cakes are always irresistible, no matter what age you are or which part of the world you live in. And making a successful business of both these universal and perennial favourites is Deepak Suresh with his brand of artisanal ice creams and more called Amadora Gourmet Ice Cream. [caption id="attachment_47149" align="aligncenter" width="448"] Deepak Suresh, founder, Amadora[/caption] Like a lot of engineers these days, Deepak changed career trajectories and after an MBA in Spain where he fell in love with food and everything around it. After a stint in the corporate world, he decided he wanted to be in the culinary field. The engineer in him zeroed in on ice creams from the start. In an exclusive with Global Indian, Deepak says, “The process of manufacturing ice creams is process driven, as opposed to a biryani, which is formula based. If you have good ingredients, and can create flavours and the right texture that will appeal, along with your imagination, ice creams were

rel="noopener">Global Indian, Deepak says, “The process of manufacturing ice creams is process driven, as opposed to a biryani, which is formula based. If you have good ingredients, and can create flavours and the right texture that will appeal, along with your imagination, ice creams were the obvious choice for me.”

The Right Choice

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

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

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

I dream of ice cream

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

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

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

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

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

Hits and Misses

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How entrepreneur Mayank Midha is revolutionising public hygiene through IoT-enabled smart toilets with ‘Garv’

(January 28, 2022): He set out to be an entrepreneur, and inadvertently chanced upon and solved two of India’s biggest problems – bad public toilets and open defecation. What founder and CEO Mayank Midha did was design and launch public toilets that clean themselves with Internet of Technology (IoT) enabled tech. These sensor-operated prefabricated portable toilets come with auto-flush and floor clean technology making the lives of millions of Indians easy since 2015. The man behind GARV Toilets is bringing about a much-required revolution in sanitation that India needs. A Unilever Young Entrepreneur Award 2018 and Global Maker Challenge Award 2019 recipient, the 38-year-old is solving the problem of open defecation in India through his IoT-enabled GARV Toilets. Midha has fabricated around 2,000 toilets in 262 locations across four countries - Ghana, Bhutan, Nepal and India. A business to learn from Faridabad-born and raised, Mayank, an electronics and communication engineering student at Maharishi Dayanand University, joined the family business after his father’s untimely death. “I was 19 when I started handling customer and relationship management at our manufacturing business while my mother managed operations,” says Mayank Midha in an interview with Global Indian. Calling it his first tryst with business,

ing student at Maharishi Dayanand University, joined the family business after his father’s untimely death. “I was 19 when I started handling customer and relationship management at our manufacturing business while my mother managed operations,” says Mayank Midha in an interview with Global Indian. Calling it his first tryst with business, he learnt on the job while juggling college during the day. “It was a tough time. Juggling two worlds but my mother was a constant source of motivation,” he adds.

After graduation, Mayank landed a job at TCS (2005) through campus recruitment, but within two years, he realised it wasn’t his cup of tea. “The desk job was dull as I kept coding and testing software day in and day out. It had become frustrating. I wanted to be a part of something on the field,” reveals Mayank, who quit and appeared for an entrance test for the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA).

Entrepreneur | Mayank Midha | GARV Toilets | Global Indian

This transition from coding to the social sector was a result of a conversation with a TCS colleague, an alum of IRMA. “Talking to him made me understand that 70 percent of India lives in rural areas, and digital technology is the future. It was enough of a push to join IRMA which gave me a window to a new world,” adds the entrepreneur, who went to work in the social development sector for a few years on various World Bank projects.

By this time, the bug for entrepreneurship had bitten Mayank. He was keen to grow the family business too, as he had been burning the candle at both ends – the business and job. “The fire to take the business to the next level got me off the job rut,” he adds.

As a spectator to farmers’ problems, Midha wanted to build hardware products to help them. Yet, being an unorganised sector where farmers prefer local fabricators, his business failed to scale up. After two years of efforts, he gave up. Problem solving on social issues has always inspired Mayank, thus next, he tried solar lamps (which did not work). “I had to sell some of my assets to repay debts,” Mayank rues.

When a toilet inspired a revolution

Very few life-changing moments have a toilet involved. Yet, in 2015 while using a public toilet at Pragati Maidan, Mayank was left horrified at its state. The idea struck then. “I did some research and got to know that 600 million people in India openly defecate. Despite 10 crore toilets being installed in India, only 45 percent are used. I knew that I had to find a solution,” Mayank adds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUce6yQ0Vpo

He brainstormed and GARV Toilets was born in 2015 - portable and easy to clean and use toilets. His earlier manufacturing experience helped in fabricating a public toilet from metal. “Working with Airtel and Telenor, delivering telecom equipment like BTS (base transceiver station) cabinets which resembled toilet cabinets inspired the idea,” smiles Mayank, who had his eureka moment from those nondescript BTS cabinets.

When 2014 saw the launch of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, it was the trigger Mayank needed. A year of prototyping followed. “We realised that despite the government spending millions of dollars on public toilets, they became defunct within six months. So, we decided to design automatic toilets that work with sensors, and don’t require any human to physically clean or maintain them,” adds Mayank, who has installed 2,000 Garv Toilets across the country - UP, Bihar, Telangana, Maharashtra and Haryana.

Entrepreneur | Mayank Midha | GARV Toilets | Global Indian

These toilets are Internet of Things (IoT) enabled and are integrated with solar panels, battery packs, auto flush and cleaning technology. However, getting support to accept prefabricated toilets made of steel was a huge challenge. “We kept knocking on the doors of the government and NGOs for two years but found no support. No one was ready to invest. The frustration had started creeping in. That’s when we won a few awards (Sanitation Innovation Accelerator 2016) for the concept, and this international recognition gave me the encouragement to push through,” the entrepreneur adds.

The pilot project kickstarted in 2017 through a CSR campaign, and there was no looking back for GARV Toilets helmed by this tech-sanitation entrepreneur. “After a successful project in Pune, we expanded to Patna and Delhi where we installed them in government schools. We got a great response,” adds Mayank.

Entrepreneur | Mayank Midha | GARV Toilets | Global Indian

The very next year brought huge validation as Mayank won the Unilever award, and the company’s toilet installation shot up to 700. It was the turning point – GARV spread its wings to Africa - Ghana and Nigeria where open defecation is an issue. The CSR-funded project in Bhutan was a huge success too. “It’s great to know that other countries are keen to replicate our model,” adds the entrepreneur, who is currently executing a programme with UNDP under which they are installing them in Syrian refugee camps (Turkey).

Success stories ride on those around, and for Mayank, it was his wife Megha Midha. “She has been my biggest supporter, my first investor - I was almost broke when we started GARV Toilets, she invested ₹10 lakh,” reveals Mayank. Megha, a software engineer has transitioned into resource management, and helps GARV with HR support but works full-time with Nagarro Software as a senior consultant. The father of two – he has a nine-year-old daughter and a three-year-old son - loves to unwind with his children. And to beat the stress of entrepreneurship, Mayank travels, and dabbles in photography.

[caption id="attachment_19268" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Entrepreneur | Mayank Midha | GARV Toilets | Global Indian Mayank Midha with wife Megha Midha[/caption]

To fail and startup again takes courage and Mayank advices, “Find that one thing you want to work upon and stick to it. The timing to introduce a product should be correct.” He now wants to tackle another big Indian problem by transitioning into waste management. “We are looking forward to coming up with a smart sanitation centre where we provide shower facilities and hygiene products like sanitary pads. Not just this, we are also planning to use faecal waste for building material,” Mayank signs off.

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Reading Time: 6 min

Indian American Aruna Miller on her way to being Maryland’s Lt. Governor

(July 30, 2022) "Wow, they're throwing confetti for us." Aruna Miller was seven years old when she first entered the United States with her family. Ensconced in her father's arms, the young girl's first emotion was one of exhilaration. "I thought everyone in the airport was waiting for us to arrive, that they were throwing confetti," she said in a recent interview, soon after she was chosen as the Democratic nominee for Lt Governor of Maryland. As it turned out, the confetti was snow. "I had never seen snow before," said Aruna (née Katragadda), who spent the early years of her life in her hometown, Hyderabad. "That day, I was so pumped to be in the country and I'm still pumped to be here. It has provided so many opportunities to immigrants like me," she added. Aruna Miller will be the second Indian-American woman to enter the House of Representatives after Pramila Jayapal. She is the running mate of bestselling author Wes Moore, who will contest the upcoming gubernatorial election as the liberal party's candidate. A civil engineer by profession, she spent over 25 years as a transportation engineer in Montgomery Country. Aruna's family relocated from Hyderabad in 1972, as

[caption id="attachment_27525" align="aligncenter" width="644"] Aruna Miller | Global Indian Aruna Miller. Credit: Facebook[/caption]

A lifetime of public service

By the time she graduated, she knew beyond doubt that she wanted to be a public servant, to "pay it forward" for the country that had given her so much. Aruna then moved to Montgomery County, where she lived for 25 years with her husband and their three daughters. There, she spent the entirety of her time working at the Department of Transport. Her career as a public servant has been dotted with many milestones - she has batted for issues like paid family leave, transportation policies, stood against domestic violence and emerged as a proponent of STEM education.

She first dabbled in politics in 2006, when she was elected to serve as an at-large member of the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee, a position she held until 2010. She then became the first Indian American woman to be elected to the Maryland Legislature in 2011. Soon after she made history by entering the legislature, one of her first acts was to co-sponsor the Marcellus Shale Act of 2011, which laid the foundations for Maryland's fracking ban. She has also stood for education and was the lead sponsor of a bill that made it mandatory for high schools to offer at least one, high-quality computer science programme. Local schools were also encouraged to introduce computer science for younger students.

As one of ten lawmakers named to the Maryland Business Climate Work Group, she was part of the team that made recommendations and developed long-term plans to streamline business regulations. They also encouraged innovation and helped develop public-private partnerships to finance infrastructure.

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Also in 2011, Aruna returned to India with a delegation of 100 members that included business leaders, educators and state officials. Their first stop was her hometown - Hyderabad. The delegation went on to visit Mumbai and New Delhi, in a bid to strengthen business and cultural ties between India and the state of Maryland. The trip was fruitful, resulting in nearly $60 million in business deals for the state of Maryland.

In 2018, she raised around $1.47 million for the Congressional race. She went on to win, becoming the second Indian-American woman to enter the House of Representatives, after Pramila Jayapal.

A fateful tete-a-tete with Wes Moore

"In Aruna Miller's crystal ball," as she puts it, "There was no indication that I was going to be running as a lieutenant governor on anyone's ticket. She did, however, often hear the name 'Wes Moore' - friends and colleagues would often ask if she had met the man. At that point, she had not.

In 2021, Aruna and her husband met Wes and his wife in Baltimore. Only a month earlier, her husband had bought her Wes' book, The Other Wes Moore as a birthday present. "I completely OD'd on Wes Moore', she told Maryland Matters in a late 2021 interview. One month later, the two had teamed up for the gubernatorial race.

"I looked at his remarkable resume - he has a very compelling life story." Wes, she thought to herself, was an "engaging speaker and more importantly, an engaging listener." She came away from that meeting with a strong sense that she had met the next governor. "I have never had that gut reaction to anyone before but I did with Wes," she remarked.

[caption id="attachment_27526" align="aligncenter" width="553"] Aruna Miller | Global Indian With gubernatorial candidate Wes Moore. Source: Facebook[/caption]

If she wins, Aruna Miller intends to hit the ground running, taking on three major issues - education, the climate and the economy. Investing in public education and job creation is a top priority, she says, it is also a means to create safer public spaces. "The Moore-Miller administration will continue to invest in public education," she said. They also intend to tackle climate change on a war footing - in 2021, schools in Maryland were closed due to the extreme heat.

As for Wes, he's all praise for his running mate. "I have found someone who is a loving mom who has raised three remarkable young women here in Maryland and someone whose own immigration story has inspired her to a life of public service," he said, adding, "This is someone who I just truly admire."

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Reading Time: 6 mins