Global IndianstoryHow Indian EDM phenomenon Nucleya made it to Marvel films

How Indian EDM phenomenon Nucleya made it to Marvel films

Compiled by: Charu Thakur

(July 26, 2023) In June 2023, Spidey fans from India were in for a treat as the theatres reverberated with the electrifying soundtrack of Nucleya’s Bakar Bakar on Peter Parker’s landing in India in a scene from Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. However, it took him not one or two but twelve song pitches to get a nod from the Marvel Studios. Known for their secrecy, Marvel’s only brief was that they need a song from the landing scene of Spiderman in India. “I thought they would need sounds that were reminiscent of celebration [in India], but the process was like the term — Andhere mein teer chalana. I made 12 attempts, and one hit the target,” he said in an interview. Interestingly, this song’s rights were once closer to be sold to a label, however, Nucleya decided against it as he was sure that someday some big filmmaker would ask for it. And that’s what happened when Bakar Bakar made it to a Marvel film, thus catapulting Nucleya’s popularity to another height.

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But it hasn’t been an easy journey for someone who began making music in his bedroom and later rose to the ranks of the EDM phenomenon in India. Here’s the journey of the artiste who is making the right noise with his music globally.

Love for mixing led to Bandish Projeckt

Born as Udyan Sagar in Agra and raised in Ahmedabad, Nucleya grew up to music often playing in his house, through hundreds of cassettes that were his father’s treasure trove. The beats and lyrics enchanted Nucleya, but it wasn’t until his teens that he decided to make his own music. It began when his father gifted him his first computer and the same year he met Mayur Narvekar, with whom he eventually started Bandish Projeckt. Initially, it was just two teenage boys trying their hands at mixing music and learning the intricacies of it all.

For months, Navrekar and he sat together in a room to create EDM. Till then, they made music for themselves and their friends. However, things changed when they met an artiste manager, Mehir Nath Chopra, from Mumbai who had recently returned to Ahmedabad. It was at his gig that Nucleya and Navrekar got their first chance to play for a crowd. Chopra was so blown away by the act presented by the two teens that he decided to collaborate with them, and that was the beginning of Bandish Projeckt.

It was Indian Electronic Music that Bandish Projeckt aced. But with no night life in Ahmedabad back in the day, the band decided to throw its own parties where they could play the music. Their music found the perfect audience in the students of National Institute of Design and IIM who danced to their beats till the wee hours.

The sudden downfall

Soon, Bandish Projeckt started doing gigs in Delhi and Mumbai, and later shifted base to Dubai. The international exposure took them to London for a three-month project, however, things started to sour between Nucleya and Navrekar, and the two decided to part ways.

From being one of the best bands in India to returning to square one, Nucleya hit a low note in his life. With a financial crisis in the family and not much work on the plate, things started to get uncomfortable. “My life was at a complete full stop. I didn’t think things would ever get back to normal,” says Nucleya in Ride to the Roots documentary. Such was the disappointment that he almost decided to give up on his music. That is when his wife Smriti stepped in and asked him to take a break and look for inspiration.

Nucleya | Global Indian | Music

Rising from the ashes like a phoenix

Nucleya took to the streets of India in search of the sounds that could help him rebuild his career. Be it horror films, band baaja or fireworks, Nucleya grasped at every sound – it was Indian street music that finally became his beat. The tempo started to soar and Only Much Louder (OML) took him in and repackaged him as Nucleya. His first EP Koocha Monster was launched at a Ganesh Chaturthi procession and another at a stadium with 10,000 fans, making it the country’s largest sellout by an indie act.

“I consider my music to be Indian street music, but just produced electronically and I think launching my first full album there [during visarjan] really represented it in the best possible light. Looking back, it’s a little hard to believe that it actually happened and that it happened at the scale that it did. It was just a crazy idea we had and seeing it come to fruition and having the impact it did is very rewarding,” he told First Post.

With songs like Bass Rani, Laung Gwacha, Mumbai Dance, Nucleya became the biggest EDM phenomenon in India that the youth connected with. From performing live in front of large audiences in the UK and Mexico to opening for David Guetta’s Goa Sunburn Festival to headlining NH7 Weekender in Pune, Nucleya cracked the code and how. If he has Global Indian Music Award for Best Electronic Single to his credit, he also has spread his wings to Bollywood with Let’s Naacho from Kapoor & Sons and Paintra from Mukkabaaz. The music composer has become a name to reckon with in the independent music circuit, and his popularity is soaring with each passing day.

His international collaborations with American EDM band Krewella and music DJ trio Major Lazer have put his music on the international map.

Carving his space in India’s NFT market

In 2021, Nucleya jumped onto the bandwagon of digital assets. In what could be called India’s largest NFT drop on Wazir X (a crypto exchange that launched an NFT marketplace), the music artiste collaborated with Ritviz for the first time for their latest album Baraat, making them the first Indian creators to auction digital tokens. The 60 NFTs released between August 15 and October 3, 2021 are a mix of iconic photographs, artworks, personal artifacts and limited-edition art pieces.

“The way music is consumed has changed so much over the years and it’s imperative for us as artistes to stay ahead of the curve by developing new and exciting ways for us to engage with our audiences. NFTs are a disruptive way for artistes to put themselves out there and build on relationships with their fans, and how artists use this new medium will definitely be exciting to watch,” said Nucleya.

Nucleya | Global Indian

His music over the years has become a phenomenon, and it was this that attracted Marvel Studio. From a musician who rose like a phoenix from the ashes to making music for Spiderman, Nucleya has come a long way in the journey and is an inspiration for millions of people.

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Lucky ray

August 6, 2023 9:28 pm

Nucleya is best 🙂🔥

Published on 26, Jul 2023

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Meet Teja Chekuri, the global F&B maverick who shaped India’s craft beer market

(August 7, 2023) How does a young engineer end up as the President of a company that owns a chain of restaurants, microbreweries the size of a gated community, and other food and beverage hotspots that are perennially popular? Teja Chekuri is one such entrepreneur born with vision and foresight. He says, in an exclusive with Global Indian, “After my master’s at Gannon University in Eire, Pennsylvania, I worked at Metlife and UPS. Then I set up my own IT services company. While travelling around the US, I observed that microbreweries were popular and I thought of setting up one in India. I was planning to move back to India and there were three cities with microbreweries already running – Bengaluru, Pune and Gurgaon. I saw the opportunity, wanted to have the early mover advantage and decided to go for it.” [caption id="attachment_43334" align="aligncenter" width="441"] Teja Chekuri, founder of the microbrewery Prost, in Hyderabad.[/caption] Microbreweries to Macro Businesses Teja’s food and beverage outlets span across India, the US and Canada. He started with Prost, a microbrewery, in Koramangala, Bengaluru in 2012. Though hailing from Telangana, the lack of permissions made him choose Bengaluru; he eventually launched Prost in Hyderabad in

Teja’s food and beverage outlets span across India, the US and Canada. He started with Prost, a microbrewery, in Koramangala, Bengaluru in 2012. Though hailing from Telangana, the lack of permissions made him choose Bengaluru; he eventually launched Prost in Hyderabad in 2016.

Simultaneously, based on his observations of the Indian cuisine served in the US, he decided to set up a chain of restaurants that would be unapologetic about their spicy foundation – essentially Andhra and Telangana food – not tweaked to suit the American palate. “In 2015, we launched Godavari in Woburn, 20 minutes away from Boston, Massachusetts. We did not want to do the sweetened versions of curries. We were not afraid to make it spicy; why should we change our food?” he asks.

[caption id="attachment_43320" align="aligncenter" width="581"] Prost Prost, Hyderabad.[/caption]

It might have seemed risky to many but incredibly, Godavari received a positive response, and is now in over 30 locations across the US and in Toronto, Canada. With plans to launch 21 more branches in the near future, with the latest ones set up in Denver, Colorado and Princeton, New Jersey, Godavari is present in Delaware, Toronto, Tampa, Jersey City, Minneapolis, Orange County, Atlanta, Columbus, Woburn, Philadelphia, Naperville, Houston, Schaumburg, Kansas, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Edison, Hartford, Herndon, Morrisville and Rhode Island etc. Despite 30-40 per cent of the menu changing once a year, the thali, the Andhra Chicken Curry and the Hyderabadi Dum Biryani are its most popular items. Godavari also serves idlis, dosas, sambar and rice and uluvacharu – dishes familiar to the fairly large Telugu speaking diaspora. And, the flagship Woburn restaurant, is still the biggest crowd puller, contributing over 300,000 USD to the company’s turnover every month.

Expanding Indian Cuisine’s Frontiers

Under the Godavari Group of Restaurants in the US, Teja continued to expand. Following the quick service restaurant model, Vaanga, serving fusion Indian food was started in 2017 in Boston. He then launched Madras Dosa Company [MDC] in 2021 in Seaport and Harvard Square, in the same city. He refers to MDC as a “Subway for dosas with a set menu – two kinds of batters, two chutneys [coconut and ginger; peanut is not used due to people’s allergies] and toppings like karam podi, sweet chocolate, onion, Horlicks, and more. There is even a Lays [chips] and an ice cream dosa available for kids. We are now looking to launch MDC at Times Square in New York too,” he reveals.

This was followed by 1947 – Truly Indian – a fine dining brand serving North and South Indian cuisine in Norwood, Massachusetts also in 2021. The next two ventures he has lined up for Boston include an Indian gastro bar called ‘Don’t Tell Aunty’, serving fusion food, and drinks concocted with Indian spices. The other is Boston Halal, following the quick service restaurant model, serving Mediterranean food.

[caption id="attachment_43322" align="aligncenter" width="692"] Prost Madras Dosa Company, Seaport.[/caption]

This year, Teja incorporated all his brands into the Golden Horn Company, of which he is the President. His initial investment of six crore rupees now fetches a neat turnover of Rs 250 crore. In the US, his partner who handles operations is Kaushik Koganti and Sree Harsha Vadlamudi partners him in India.

The company has clearly defined roles and demarcations. He says, “Every menu goes through six months of trials and tests; we have streamlined operations and 40 staff members oversee different departments for all the chains. Maintaining the highest standards is a must. It was tougher to get permissions and licenses in some cities and others were easier. But, ensuring that all the dishes taste the same across the outlets remains a challenge.”

The India Growth Story

Next on the anvil is Pangeo – a lounge bar on Bengaluru’s Brigade Road, spread over 20,000 square feet – to be launched shortly. And the world’s largest microbrewery spread over two acres, or 1.4 lakh square feet, in Marthahalli in Bengaluru again. Teja is looking at opening new outlets in Hebbal, Kanakapura and cities like Nagpur. Purple Potato, in Hyderabad’s Financial District, serving what he calls borderless cuisine, is also due to open its doors shortly.

Milestones and More

What could perhaps be his company’s biggest milestone this year though, has been his investment of buying a whopping nine franchises of Dunkin’ Donuts in the US. He says, “For two years, we have been trying to acquire these franchises. The company has very stringent rules about who they give them to. After evaluating us for a long time, they gave us their approval. We invested 18 million USD into acquiring nine of them in different locations.”

How does he stay ahead of the game? It is almost like he knows what is going to be the next big trend and gets on it before his competitors do. He says, “The food and beverage market is a volatile one. If you want to grow, you have to keep changing and evolving. You have to know what people want to eat when they dine out, all over the world. Currently, pan-Asian food is the popular trend.”

[caption id="attachment_43335" align="aligncenter" width="639"] Pangeo lounge bar, Bengaluru.[/caption]

If he didn’t have enough on his plate already, Teja has also been nominated to the Forbes Business Council, a prestigious networking platform where he is expected to give advice as a mentor, write articles and be part of expert panels, in business affairs.

With a busy lifestyle, long hours included, how does he maintain a work-life balance? He says, “I travel a lot for work, but when I am in Hyderabad, I make it a point to go home early to spend time with my wife and two daughters. I go to the gym every day and I catch up on my reading on flights.”

Teja’s career trajectory seems unstoppable with multiple food and beverage venues. His business could well become a case study at a business school in the future.

Follow Teja Chekuri on Instagram and on his website.

Suvir Saran: The Michelin-star chef and author who heads Shilpa Shetty’s Bastian Group

(July 7, 2024) There is little Chef Suvir Saran cannot do in the world of cuisines and culinary skills. From launching award-winning restaurants to writing best-selling cookbooks, he talks about his incredible journey If ever a biopic was to be made about a chef from India, my pick would be Suvir Saran. He is a man of several talents. A Michelin-star chef who is on the board of nutrition for Brigham and Women’s Hospital, which is associated with Harvard Medical School, he can write, paint, sing [Indian classical], sew, crochet, do macrame, etc. And oh, he cooks food that people – read the who’s who from across the globe – cannot get enough of. [caption id="attachment_52896" align="aligncenter" width="510"] Chef Suvir Saran[/caption] He lived in the US for several years, owned a farm that housed endangered species, launched and managed successful restaurants, taught people to cook, and consulted with conglomerates. But, a series of falls left him legally blind after a mild stroke. He recovered and is today a popular speaker, a culinary director with the Bastian Hospitality Group, owned by Shilpa Shetty, Raj Kundra and Ranjit Bindra. Under his leadership, they have launched several successful brands with more on the

s today a popular speaker, a culinary director with the Bastian Hospitality Group, owned by Shilpa Shetty, Raj Kundra and Ranjit Bindra. Under his leadership, they have launched several successful brands with more on the anvil.

He has launched Qora in Koregaon Park and Murphies on Prabhat Road in Pune with his protégé Vardaan Marwaah and the promoter Aman Talreja.

There is Lord Elgin, a restaurant in Amritsar that serves tapas from all over the world and Farro is his latest, soon-to-be-launched fine dining venue with food that will be a modern interpretation of traditional dishes. It will most importantly be mindful and sustainable, including grains, greens, vegetables and meat. Suvir firmly believes that Indian ghar ka khaana is one of the healthiest and most balanced meal options available.

Learning from the Best

Recalling his childhood days, growing up in Nagpur and later Delhi, Suvir’s earliest influences that nurtured his talent were his mother, the Panditji who cooked in their home, and all the neighbourhood housewives, house-husbands, cooks, and his extended joint family. He says, “Panditji was a Brahmin chef and people were not allowed inside the kitchen wearing a belt or without a bath. He gave me carte blanche and taught me everything. My mother who cooked with mindfulness and passion was also a great influence. She was the smartest baker I knew and could effortlessly manage cooking for a large group. She planned everything military style and answered all my questions on love, empathy, and more. Because I was different, she calmed me down.”

Chef Suvir Saran | Global Indian

Every time Suvir would visit people’s homes as a child, he revealed that he would go to the kitchen, help the cooks or hosts and learn in the process. He audaciously even taught a new bride that had married into his family, how to make a round roti!

Suvir studied fine arts at the JJ School of Arts and later, graphic design at the School of Visual Arts in New York. Though he wanted to be a teacher, an artist, or a veterinarian, his passion for cooking persisted. He says, “In Mumbai, and later in New York too, I used to cook for friends; and there was no school teaching what I was cooking. I happened to meet the publisher of Food Arts magazine who asked me to write for them. He listed my name on the masthead as Culinary Authority. One thing led to another and in 2003, I launched my first restaurant in New York, Amma. It was a 30-seater, and people would stand in queues to get in. No one was doing pan-Indian food at that time. We would serve lamb chops with a dosa filling and a Himachali pear chutney. We were selling a story, not just food.”

American Base, Cooking Desi

Earlier, Suvir used to cook meats without tasting them as he grew up vegetarian. An aunt who was married into a non-vegetarian family taught him how to cook and gauge whether it was done without tasting the dish. “I started eating meat at 35, because I was writing food reviews for Food and Wine magazine, Gourmet, Bon Appetit and Food Arts; and I couldn’t play a guessing game about the taste. It had to be authentic,” he tells Global Indian.

[caption id="attachment_52898" align="aligncenter" width="569"] Malabar Mushroom Biryani[/caption]

After leaving Amma, Suvir launched Devi, a more refined, daring, and progressive restaurant. “This was in 2007, the same year that the Michelin guide launched in the US. They awarded the Michelin star to 18 restaurants in North America that year, Devi was one of them.” At Devi, Suvir has cooked for international celebrities, royals, stars from Hollywood and Bollywood, entrepreneurs and billionaires, artists and rock stars – and just about everyone who loves good food. “I served Bhel Puri here; 20 years ago I had dared to bring street food onto a fine dining table.”

He then moved on to other projects and along with his partner, owned a farm called Masala Farm, where the eggs from their chicken were in great demand as they were high in protein and fat content. “We also had several endangered species that were almost extinct living at the farm. For me, it was a place to live, not a money-making venture. Everything else I did, paid for the farm’s expenses.”

Food writing

While in the US, with his reviews and food writing gaining a fan following, a book offer was sure to follow. And it did, with the publishers spending vast sums of money on the production of the book itself. In his words, “The book didn’t do what the Tarla Dalal and Madhur Jaffrey books did. This was Indian home cooking for people who wanted to learn Indian cooking. It was titled Indian Home Cooking and I followed it up with two more – American Masala and Masala Farm. These books were seminal; they had recipes for six to seven varieties of rasam, shorbas, dals, subjis, chicken, pickles, chawal ki kheer, parathas … It was a labour of love. Each recipe was tested four or five times. And I did not compromise on ingredients. If the dish needed coriander leaves, I used coriander leaves, not parsley.”

Masala Farm also made it to the James Beard list of best cookbooks in 2011. It tells food stories of Suvir’s travels around the world and his life coupled with food from India. A novel and a memoir, “It is more aspirational and exciting,” says Suvir.

Chef Suvir Saran

American Masala, as described on Amazon is ‘about adding new flavours to the great American melting pot, using spices to liven up the old standbys, and enjoying dishes that are as exciting and diverse as life in the big city, and yet as familiar and comforting as your mother’s cooking.’ It features dishes such as Tamarind-Glazed Turkey with Corn Bread–Jalapeño Stuffing, Crab-and-Salmon Cakes with Spicy Cilantro Aïoli, Crispy Okra Salad and Bombay-style Whole Snapper etc.

His latest book, Instamatic, with a foreword by Dr Shashi Tharoor, is a collection of musings, essays and pictures taken by Suvir when he was almost blind, to show him where he was. “I would write the essays on the phone as I couldn’t type.”

India is still Home

Despite all the success and adulation, his career had its share of challenges. Suvir, who is openly gay, has had to face biases because of it. He says, “Was I discriminated against? Yes. Did I lose out on offers because I am gay? For sure. And there were many times I did not get due credit either. But I have never allowed my mind to wander to these negative aspects. I choose to be grateful and celebratory instead of angry. The people who care for me were happy at my success.”

Another setback was a stint of bad health. During his frequent travels around the country, he’d had several falls. He recalls, “In 2016, I’d had a few falls and then I had a mini-stroke. It left me legally blind and after three years of recovery, I came home to India to die. I had no interest in living, had given up eating and I was given the choice of a hospice or my mother’s home. I chose to go to her home and she helped me recover. She encouraged me to go out and travel with friends. Though I couldn’t see, I could smell and feel everything. A cousin’s wife, Smita, would take my hand and lead me to the kitchen, asking me what to cook. I would guide her and we would make three or four dishes. Slowly I recovered, and believed I had a future, and today, I can see well enough to manage my day, but not enough to drive.”

[caption id="attachment_52901" align="aligncenter" width="501"] Grandma's cornbread[/caption]

His favourite ingredients to cook with include lentils, beans, greens, grains and vegetables. “I like to cook food that gives you the comfort of digestion, and not start tomorrow with heartburn from last night’s meal.” As for global trends in food, he says, "Getting back on track with healthy happy food that is sustainable.”

It would be intriguing to see what this multi-talented chef creates with his next venture. Another milestone for sure.

While travelling, Chef Suvir likes to eat at:

Plats, New Delhi: Grilled Mushrooms
Neuma, Mumbai: Pork Belly
Soam, Mumbai: Bhel Puri
Vidyarthi Bhavan, Bengaluru: Benne Dosa
Pindi, New Delhi: Pindi Chole

Follow Chef Suvir Saran on Instagram

Rajni Kumar: The remarkable tale of an educator with British roots and Indian heart

(October 15, 2023) In 1946, a young girl named Nancie Joyce Margaret Jones embarked on her very first journey from England to India to reunite with her lover, Yudister Kumar. Yudister, who had completed his studies in the UK, had returned to India but was battling tuberculosis, a perilous ailment in that era. Nancie and Yudister had crossed paths in England as fellow students at the London School of Economics. Little did Nancie know that the foreign land she was travelling to would eventually become her cherished home for the next 76 years of her life, and she would end up winning one of the highest civilian honours of the country – The Padma Shri. From United Kingdom to India Rajni Kumar, born as Nancie Joyce Margaret Jones, was a revered British origin educator who passed away last year at the age of 99. Affectionately addressed as ‘Aunty Kumar’ by those who had the privilege of knowing her, Rajni was the visionary founder of the Springdales Group of Schools. The group has two campuses in Delhi, one in Jaipur, and another in Dubai. Starting from a kindergarten from her living room at East Patel Nagar in Delhi with 24 children

nk" rel="noopener">Springdales Group of Schools. The group has two campuses in Delhi, one in Jaipur, and another in Dubai. Starting from a kindergarten from her living room at East Patel Nagar in Delhi with 24 children and three teachers, Springdales Group now caters to thousands of students in India and Dubai.

[caption id="attachment_45968" align="aligncenter" width="329"] Indian Education | Rajni Kumar | Global Indian Rajni Kumar[/caption]

Although Rajni retired at the age of 88, she remained deeply involved with the Springdales Education Society as its chairperson and continued her association with the Delhi schools’ literacy project, an initiative aligned with the National Literacy Mission.

Additionally, she played a significant role as one of the founding members of the National Federation of Indian Women that was established in 1953.

During her illustrious career in education, Rajni Kumar also served as the chairperson of Lady Irwin College and held the position of vice president at National Bal Bhavan. Her exceptional contributions to the field of education was acknowledged with the prestigious Padma Shri award in 2011 by the Government of India.

Flashback

“No doubt the greatest event in my life was leaving England, the country of my birth, to follow the stirrings of my heart and to make my home in this wondrous and fascinating country – India – with the man I loved. So this is where I shall begin my story,” she wrote in the introduction of her memoir ‘Against the Wind: A life’s Journey’, which was published in 2019, three years prior to her death.

Born in London in 1923, Rajni graduated from the London School of Economics in 1941. There, she had also met Yudister Kumar, who would be her husband. Love blossomed between them and they spent their carefree days as students enjoying each other’s company.

Yudister Kumar graduated from LSE, trained as a barrister at Lincoln’s Inn in London and earned himself the distinction of ‘extra-mural scholar’ from Cambridge University. He returned to India and to his family’s dismay, chose to align himself with the left-wing faction of the Indian freedom struggle, a decision that deeply upset his mother. In fact, his mother's opposition to his political involvement was so vehement that she resorted to sending him to a sanatorium upon learning about his ‘illness’.

During that period Nancie had enrolled herself at the London Institute of Personnel Management and took up her first assignment as a personnel officer in the Morgan Crucible Company situated on the banks of the Thames.

[caption id="attachment_45973" align="aligncenter" width="376"] Indian Education | Rajni Kumar | Global Indian Cover image of Rajni Kumar's memoir[/caption]

All for love

When Rajni learned about Yudister’s unfortunate condition, she was irresistibly drawn by the powerful force of love. Unable to resist, she followed her heart and set out on her journey to India by sea, arriving on a ship that docked in Bombay.

“It had been a novel experience to travel by sea from London. Apart from a short ferry trip across the English Channel to the Netherlands in 1938, on a school exchange programme, I had never been able to travel abroad,” she wrote in her memoir.

Upon Yudister’s recovery from the illness, at the young age of 23, she exchanged vows with him, and adopted the name - Rajni.

Stumbling upon the calling of her life

Two years after her wedding, while Rajni was living in Kasauli, she received a surprising request from Indian Army officers. They asked her to establish and manage a school for the children of the Indian Army in Kasauli, a proposal that left her quite astounded.

“Me? I said in astonishment. But I don’t know anything about running schools! I have run some classes for young workers in a factory as part of their extension education. But that is about all,” she wrote in her memoir.

Nonetheless, she accepted the challenge and proceeded to run the school. Just two years later, in 1950, she further expanded her educational endeavour by assuming the role of a principal at the Salwan Girls School in Delhi, a position she held until 1955.

[caption id="attachment_45969" align="aligncenter" width="639"] Indian Education | Rajni Kumar | Global Indian Rajni Kumar with school children[/caption]

During her tenure at Salwan Girls School, Rajni Kumar played a pivotal role in the establishment of the National Federation of Indian Women in 1953.

1955 proved to be a turning point in Rajni’s career as she went on to establish her own school - Springdales. Initially, it operated as a kindergarten from the living room of her home. Over time, this modest beginning evolved into a renowned institution, with three schools in India and one in Dubai.

Striding ahead with success

With her emphasis on ‘holistic development of a child, not just marks’, Springdales Group has achieved many milestones in its 48-year journey.

The institution introduced Russian as a third language under the Indo-Soviet cultural programme - the first school in the country to do so in 1971. Springdales squad was chosen as the first flag bearers to lead the school children of Delhi in the Republic Day Parade of 1974.

In 1980, none other than the President of India, Shri Sanjeeva Reddy presided over the silver jubilee celebrations of Springdales.

[caption id="attachment_45971" align="aligncenter" width="454"] Indian Education | Rajni Kumar | Global Indian Rajni Kumar with Dalai Lama[/caption]

Throughout her career, the Global Indian received numerous awards and accolades for her outstanding contributions in the sphere of education. In 1983 Rajni Kumar received the Nehru Soviet Land Award by Rajiv Gandhi, for her initiatives to promote international friendship and understanding among children of the world. She received a gold medal and a two-week tour of the USSR as part of the award.

Widening her spectrum the educator assumed the role of chairperson at Lady Irwin College, Delhi and served as vice president at National Bal Bhavan. Also, she actively participated in global events such as the Global Peace Conferences in Geneva and the World Congress for the Rights of Children in Moscow.

The Government of South Africa bestowed a special honour upon Rajni on International Women's Day in 2005. In 2011, she became the recipient of the Gr8! Women Award instituted by the Indian Television Academy. The same year, the Government of India recognised her exceptional work with the Padma Shri, and in 2012, she was bestowed with the Order of the Companions of O. R. Tambo by the Government of South Africa.

Best foot forward

Sadly, her husband Yudister, who was a pillar of strength for Rajni and helped her grow Springdales, was not there to celebrate many of her successes. He passed away in 1976 after battling cancer. Rajni continued to be of service to the Springdales Group that she had fondly established with Yudister, until she retired in 1988.

In her farewell message to the Springdales fraternity on the last day of her role as the founding principal on March 31st 1988, Rajni wrote – “The late Dr Gyan Chand, the well-known economist and good friend of the school once said to me, “Rajni, the real test of your success will be when the school runs better without you. I am confident that my successors will allow me to pass that test with flying colours and that Springdales will not only maintain its great traditions but will transcend to greater heights in the future.”

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

Following her retirement she remained deeply involved with the Springdales Education Society as its chairperson and continued her association with the Delhi schools’ literacy project. Upon requests of her well-wishers who fondly referred to her as ‘Aunty Kumar’ she came up with her memoir in 2019, at the age of 96, three years prior to passing away.

Always a jovial human being, who considered India as her country, Rajni passed away peacefully on November 10, 2022, at the remarkable age of 99, leaving behind a strong legacy in the sphere of education and social service.

“I feel joyful because I know that Springdalians have not only become good doctors, engineers, artists, musicians, or film directors but above all they are good human beings, inspired, perhaps, by the words of the late President of India Dr Zakir Hussain when he inaugurated our school building and said – ‘Be proud of the building but let the building be proud of you,’ she had remarked in a message to her students in whose hearts the loving memories of Aunty Kumar are etched forever.

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2022 Recap: Indian-origin politicians rule the roost

(December 31, 2022) Indians across the world cheered and clapped as Rishi Sunak took the oath as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom earlier this year. But, this is not an isolated case. India has the largest diaspora in the world – over 13 million Indians live outside the country, with 17 million individuals of Indian origin. While they are known to be skilled IT professionals, several Indian-origin politicians have earned important designation in governments worldwide. Global Indian takes a look at a few notable politicians and diplomats, who have made their mark as immigrants or children of immigrants around the world this year. Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister, United Kingdom “Trust is earned and I will earn yours,” said Rishi Sunak, soon after being sworn in as the Prime Minister of the UK on October 25. It’s cause for celebration by Asians the world over. Understandably so – it’s an accomplishment with many firsts (he is the first Hindu and the first person of colour to hold the PM’s office. He is also the youngest and richest ever). Although his family’s connections with Africa go back two generations, Rishi has never doubted that his roots are truly Indian. [caption

irsts (he is the first Hindu and the first person of colour to hold the PM’s office. He is also the youngest and richest ever). Although his family’s connections with Africa go back two generations, Rishi has never doubted that his roots are truly Indian.

[caption id="attachment_31380" align="aligncenter" width="619"] Politician | Rishi Sunak | Global Indian Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister, United Kingdom[/caption]

Having grown up in the UK, Rishi found success soon after college, working with two hedge funds and going on to become a partner at one. Despite a life of privilege, the politician has hardly been the man to choose the easy way – whether it’s taking off across the Atlantic or choosing to enter politics as a Conservative candidate. His first bid for Prime Minister was thwarted by Liz Truss although he burst back onto the scene with the overwhelming support of 190 MPs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C42NkLdSjyY

"The U.K. and India share so much. I'm excited about what our two great democracies can achieve as we deepen our security, defense, and economic partnership in the months and years ahead," the youngest PM of the UK shared in a recent interview.

Leo Varadkar, Taoiseach (Prime Minister), Ireland

After serving as the Minister for Enterprise, Trade, and Employment from June 2020 to December 2022, Leo Eric Varadkar took over as the new Irish Prime Minister for the second time, earlier this month. Often called the Celtic Tiger, Leo has been able to pull Ireland out of an economic crisis, and incorporated a road map for achieving a low-carbon economy. During his first address as Taoiseach, the politician said that his government would be “one of the new European centres.”

[caption id="attachment_23846" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Politicians | Leo Varadkar | Global Indian Leo Varadkar, Taoiseach (Prime Minister), Ireland[/caption]

Given Ireland’s staunchly Catholic past, Leo’s sexuality was always a talking point across the globe. However, Taoiseach believes that Irish society is changing. During an earlier interview, the politician had said, “I think other people, perhaps people braver than me, who campaigned for equal rights before the law changed things for me – To them, I’m very grateful. But it does add additional responsibility on me, that I do want to use the office that I now hold to advance equality of opportunity, to advance the concepts of equal rights before the law. That’s not just for people from the LGBT community here in Ireland, but also in Northern Ireland, and around the world where such rights are under threat.”

Niklaus Samuel Gugger, Member of the Swiss National Council

In 1970, a Malayali woman gave birth to a baby boy in Udupi, Karnataka, and told the doctor to give her child for adoption to a family that will look after him well, before abandoning the newborn. Five decades later that child, now known as Niklaus-Samuel Gugger, became the first Indian-origin politician to be elected to the Switzerland parliament. Within a week of his abandonment, Gugger was adopted by a Swiss couple — Fritz and Elizbeth Gugger. His new parents took him to Kerala when he was just 15 days old, and they lived there for around four years before moving to their native in Switzerland.

[caption id="attachment_24686" align="aligncenter" width="613"] Niklaus-Samuel Gugger, member of the Swiss National Council[/caption]

In 1997, after the Luxor massacre – which claimed the lives of 62 people – Nik was approached by the members of the Evangelical Peoples Party (EPP) to join their ranks, an invitation that he readily accepted. "Much of my work has been around the development of people and socio-political issues. My goal has been to integrate the weakest in the society through socio-ethical management and empowerment,” the politician shared with Global Indian.

A social entrepreneur, Nik has worked extensively to coach the next generation. Nik is the co-founder and member of the board of directors of the consulting company Herzkraftwerk AG in Winterthur, which offers coaching for decision-makers from business and non-profit organisations. A life coach and motivational speaker, Nik is also the Vice President of the environmental organization BirdLife Switzerland. He is also the owner of the famous Ayurvedic ginger drink in Switzerland – Zingi.

Gautam A. Rana, US Ambassador to Slovakia

A lawyer by profession, Gautam A Rana is a member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Counselors, and was recently appointed as the US Ambassador to Slovakia, for which he was nominated by President Joe Biden. Having served at various US embassies, including India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Algeria, Gautam is a proud Indian-American.

[caption id="attachment_31264" align="aligncenter" width="680"] Ambassador | Gautam Rana | Global Indian Ambassador Gautam A. Rana with former US President, Barack Obama[/caption]

The diplomat feels that the diaspora has grown from being just immigrants to holding important positions in various spheres of the country. “I think that the Indian diaspora in the United States of America has a lot of reasons to be proud of themselves. There are so many people of Indian lineage who are in decision-making positions now in the USA, including the Vice President, Kamala Harris. But that is the story of America. People who have come to this land, and have worked hard, have been able to achieve so much in the USA. I think Indian Americans will continue to reach great milestones.”

Currently stationed at Bratislava with his wife and two kids, Gautam is heading the US convoy to the land of the Slavs. While he hasn’t been able to visit India since he moved back in 2014, he wishes to bring his boys to the country he was born in, someday.

Aruna Miller, Lt Governor, Maryland

Aruna Miller was seven years old when she first entered the United States with her family back in 1972. About four decades later, she became the second Indian-American woman to enter the House of Representatives after Pramila Jayapal, and the first immigrant Lt Governor of Maryland. An alumnus of the Missouri University of Science and Technology, the politician spent over 25 years as a transportation engineer in Montgomery Country.

[caption id="attachment_27524" align="aligncenter" width="697"] Aruna Miller, Lt Governor, Maryland[/caption]

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. Her career as a public servant has been dotted with many milestones – she has batted for issues like paid family leave, and transportation policies stood against domestic violence, and emerged as a proponent of STEM education.

In her new role as the Lt Governor of Maryland, the politician 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.

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Aditi Handa: The Indian baker turning the spotlight on sourdough bread while building a ₹18 crore bread business

(September 14, 2021) A good loaf of bread is incredibly satisfying: soft, yet crusty, full of character and versatile enough to either be made into a sandwich, bruschetta, pudding, or just wolfed down with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It doesn’t need much else. However, a good loaf of bread can also be hard to come by. We don’t mean the industrial white bread loaves that dot every shelf, but a well-made loaf that is shaped by hand and is akin to a work of art. That’s exactly what Aditi Handa wanted to change when she decided to set up The Baker’s Dozen back in 2013 in Mumbai. Today with a presence in over seven cities, and several lakhs of loaves later, the 36-year-old is well on her way to building a multi-million rupee bread business. “There’s a certain joy to shaping a loaf of sourdough. No two loaves will look alike and there’s a beauty to a handmade product,” Handa told Global Indian in an exclusive interview. [caption id="attachment_10157" align="aligncenter" width="665"] Aditi Handa with her husband and co-founder Sneh Jain[/caption] Interestingly, Handa never had anything to do with baking or cooking before she launched The Baker’s Dozen. What she did have, however, was a family full of entrepreneurs.

rel="noopener">Global Indian in an exclusive interview.

[caption id="attachment_10157" align="aligncenter" width="665"] Indian baker Aditi Handa Aditi Handa with her husband and co-founder Sneh Jain[/caption]

Interestingly, Handa never had anything to do with baking or cooking before she launched The Baker’s Dozen. What she did have, however, was a family full of entrepreneurs. Her father ran a successful pharma company before diversifying into the education sector, while her mother adopted a village where she taught the women embroidery and stitching. Handa, herself holds a degree in psychology.

Finding her way to the oven

Born in Ahmedabad, Handa moved to England to study psychology at Nottingham University and then got her Masters in HR from University of Leicester before moving back to India in 2009. “My time in England shaped me; it gave me exposure to food and chefs. I began following their work, not on social media, but I’d attend their sessions and eat at their restaurants,” said Handa, adding that entrepreneurship is what she has always known. “Given that I come from a family of entrepreneurs, it’s what I’ve always known. So, when I came back to India in 2009, I wondered what I’d do next.”

[caption id="attachment_10158" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] The Baker's Dozen store in Bengaluru[/caption]

One thing led to another, and soon Handa had set up her first business: a souvenir store at IIM-Ahmedabad. She was involved in everything from designing to manufacturing of the merchandise that was made keeping in mind IIM’s iconic architecture and design. By December 2010, Handa moved to Mumbai with her husband Sneh Jain, an alumnus of IIM-A, and a year later handed the souvenir store back to the college management. Jain, who worked with McKinsey at the time, was soon sent to Canada on a project. It was here that Handa met a Lebanese chef who changed her perspective on food. “He taught me how to identify authentic food and develop my palate. He taught me to be honest to the origin of any food; things that hold me in good stead even today.”

A business of their own

When the couple returned to India a year later, they were both sure that they wanted to launch their own business and that it had to be something to do with the food sector. Once she’d decided to venture into the bakery business, Handa headed to New York to study bread baking at the International Culinary Centre and later to Le Cordon Bleu in Paris to study patisserie. “My time in New York was life changing. I fell in love with bread; I knew this was exactly what I wanted to be doing for the rest of my life,” says Handa, who finds baking bread extremely therapeutic.

[caption id="attachment_10153" align="aligncenter" width="542"] Indian baker Aditi Handa Aditi Handa[/caption]

“I always say that a master is one who doesn’t just teach you his craft, he teaches you techniques and rubs off his passion on you. I was fortunate to meet Chef Johnson in New York. He didn’t just teach me the art of baking bread, he also helped me develop recipes and design the kitchen at The Baker’s Dozen, which was still in its planning stages at the time,” she says, adding, she even learnt yoga to strengthen her body to be able to haul 25 kilograms of dough at a time. “My batchmates introduced me to it, and my mother would laugh that I never did any of it back home. But you see, I’d truly fallen in love with baking bread and was willing to go to any length to perfect the art.”

The Baker’s Dozen was formally launched by Handa along with Jain, her co-founder, in 2013 in Mumbai. When they began, it was a tiny artisan bakery that would bake and deliver about 25 loaves a day. Slowly and steadily, the business grew and they began setting up their stores across Mumbai and eventually moved their kitchen to Ahmedabad. Soon, stores in other cities followed and so did dark stores and tie-ups with delivery partners and e-commerce platforms. Today, The Baker’s Dozen ships out over 3 lakh loaves of bread annually and recently launched its flagship store in Bengaluru, it’s first in South India.

Room for growth

Initially, all the baking was done by Handa herself with four other bakers. Today, the team has 200 employees, and Handa is more busy with the business aspect of The Baker’s Dozen. “But I do go every once in a while to bake myself. Baking is super therapeutic for me and I do need to get my dose of baking in every once in a while,” smiles Handa.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g85qzLo6nzw[/embed]

All the breads are shaped by hand and baked at their Ahmedabad kitchen and then shipped to various cities. Even during the lockdown last year, the kitchen didn’t close for a single day. “One of our truckers who’d drive from Ahmedabad to Bengaluru requested that we give him some bread to eat on the way since all the dhabas on the highway were shut,” says Handa, adding, “This was just one instance, but there were so many others out there who were struggling for the lack of supply of essentials. That was one of the major reasons we decided to continue baking and supplying through the pandemic.”

A constant evolution

Even as Handa continues to expand and grow her bread baking business, she is also keen on evolving constantly as an individual. Currently preparing for her MBA exam, Handa says, “I like to keep refreshing and updating my skill sets. Which is why I am doing an online executive MBA program from IIM-Bangalore. I never really studied business, but learnt a lot on the job. So I thought why not get a degree in it.”

[caption id="attachment_10159" align="aligncenter" width="754"] Indian baker Aditi Handa Aditi Handa and Sneh Jain with their team[/caption]

All through her childhood, Handa has been learning important life and entrepreneurial lessons from her family. “I picked up the importance of moral value and ethics from my grandparents; the importance of a good business model from my father, and the creative flair from my mother,” she says, adding, “At the end of the day I figured that business margins don’t matter if the bread isn’t good. If the product is good, the commercials will match up.”

Products can be ordered either through The Baker's Dozen website or on e-commerce platforms and food delivery services such as Amazon, Swiggy, and BigBasket.
This is not a paid advertisement.

Reading Time: 8 mins