Indian Entrepreneur | Elwinder Singh | Global Indian

Global IndianstoryIndian-Malaysian Elwinder Singh is revolutionalising the healthcare world with empathy

Indian-Malaysian Elwinder Singh is revolutionalising the healthcare world with empathy

Written by: Amrita Priya

(August 11, 2022)Two things set apart Elwinder Singh from his family legacy. Firstly, the third-generation Malaysian citizen chose to establish his empire in India when his father and grandfather had worked in the country that was formerly known as the Federation of Malaya. Secondly, he chose the path of entrepreneurship when there had not been any entrepreneur in the family, rather people holding white collar jobs for generations. However, the decision to delve into patient care as co-founder of Connect and Heal certainly has a family connection to it.

“My dad had diabetes and cardiovascular problems, and his health condition was deteriorating. Despite developed healthcare facilities in Kuala Lumpur, I realised how difficult it is to sail through patient care,” he informs Global Indian during a conversation.

Elwinder Singh, cofounder, Connect & Heal

It took lots of time and effort for Elwinder and his family to ensure a coordinated care solution handholding in every single health intervention of his father. With the right support, the senior Singh regained his health, and at the same time, the seed of a different career path germinated in Elwinder’s mind. He was just back after completing his bachelor’s degree from the University of Warwick, London, and was working at Roger Berger, Malaysia during that time.

Stumbling upon a vision

India, the country of Elwinder’s family’s origin, enjoys a very special place in their hearts. Challenges while dealing with his father’s ailments led Elwinder to think hard about how distressing it might be for many people back home to tackle patient care, right from obtaining the correct advice, to running from one specialist to another for the appropriate treatment. in a country with a population of 136 crores.

Struck with the desire to do his bit and weighing the possibilities of a successful health venture, he made a move to India. Thus began the journey of Connect & Heal which stands by its vision to ‘deliver healthcare with empathy.’

India provided a platform to make a difference

“In India and other emerging markets, the scale of fragmentation in healthcare is amplified,” says the Malaysia-born entrepreneur. While brainstorming all aspects before making the big move, Elwinder identified the huge potential to touch lives and make a difference in the country.

“We are four partners and the CEO of the organisation, Sanjay Vinayak has 20 years of experience working in India,” tells Elwinder emphasising how putting the plan into action in a country where he hardly knew anybody, except a few distant relatives, became possible.

Galveender Kaur, Sanjay Vinayak, Prashant Kashyap and Elwinder Singh, founders, Connect & Heal | Picture courtesy: Business World

Connecting the dots

The fact that his sister Galveender Kaur, a former investment banker, joined hands as a co-founder in taking forward Elwinder’s purpose in life made things brighter.

“Starting in 2016 with Mumbai, Connect & Heal now has a pan-India presence in 300 cities,” informs the entrepreneur whose healthcare venture has touched six million lives so far. The organisation has been providing last mile delivery of healthcare in not just big towns, but also in far-flung areas. Choosing the B2B route, it runs 250 plus on-site clinics in tie-up with one of the largest employers of India to manage primary care of their employees and their families.

“We are also the country’s largest network of private sector ambulances on an aggregated model to bring down response time in navigating emergencies,” he informs. Connect & Heal is currently serving 8,000 pin codes for home delivery of pharmacy and diagnostics services.

Enjoying the new phase

Elwinder’s transition from coming to India rarely during his childhood to living in the country as its resident and enjoying its myriad vibrant hues, is something that he dearly cherishes. “Work has led me to travel to different parts of India and experience it in the true sense, he says,” with a smile.

Catering to the healthcare needs of the country during the pandemic as a health warrior has been an exhilarating experience for the young entrepreneur, who has made it to 2022’s Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Talking about the peak time of the pandemic, he mentions, “Crisis is opportunity to serve and find a solution.” Swearing by the powers of health-tech, he remarks, “Technology stepped up to bridge the gap that was created by the lockdown.”

Basking in entrepreneurship

“Things do not always happen according to plans but being able to adapt, having plan B, and being quick on the feet to navigate the situation is what it takes,” he says talking about his success as an entrepreneur. “I am blessed with a good team,” he adds.

Connect & Heal’s thousand-plus strong team size combines non-medical and medical service-providing partners committed to improving the overall health outcome for patients through primary care, preventive care, emergency assistance, covid assistance, and hospitalisation assistance. “We are in midst of unveiling a top-of-the-line technology platform which will get rolled out very soon,” informs the young entrepreneur, whose went to a Malay-medium school. “My Hindi is reasonably good now and I am catching up with Punjabi, quite well,” he signs off with a smile.

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Published on 11, Aug 2022

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Vora-aura: Kush, Zarina and Denightron make equestrienne Shruti Vora gallop to glory

(August 28, 2023) As a child, Shruti Vora’s weekends were action-packed. It mostly involved playing games on horse back at the Army riding school, Ballygunge in Kolkata. At the tender age of three, which is when she started learning the nuances of horse riding, she would participate in races which involved throwing balls in buckets and finding a needle in a haystack. The most exhilarating one was when the rider would place a handkerchief in their breeches whilst the others chased to grab the same. [caption id="attachment_44250" align="aligncenter" width="419"] Equestrienne Shruti Vora.[/caption] “It taught me camaraderie, passion and fearlessness. Above all, it led me to love horses and have a deep bonding with them, says Shruti Vora, an accomplished equestrienne who made history by becoming the first Indian woman to compete in an individual dressage event at the World Equestrian championship in Herning, Denmark in August 2022. In 2019, Shruti, the grand daughter of late industrialist Krishna Kumar Birla, came second in a dressage grand prize held in Austria. For her, the feeling of exhilaration while galloping on horseback is indescribable. “As the wind whips across your face, you feel a sense of freedom and liberation. The rhythmic pounding of hooves

For her, the feeling of exhilaration while galloping on horseback is indescribable. “As the wind whips across your face, you feel a sense of freedom and liberation. The rhythmic pounding of hooves creates a thrilling sensation, making one feel in sync with the powerful creature beneath.”

At Herning

It was a proud moment for her, both personally and professionally. “I could represent India and show to the international community that we Indians also have what it takes to participate at the highest level in Dressage; a sport that is very dominated by the Western World especially Europe,” informs Shruti who rode Danish Warmblood Denightron to a score of 64.534.

Dressage is a form of horse riding where riders and their trained horse execute a series of precise movements.

Denightron

Shruti swears by her horse Denightron, which was bought at the age of four from Denmark. “I fell in love with his character the moment I saw him. It’s naughty, very playful, spooking at every corner of the arena but with eyes and facial expressions that were almost human,” is how Shruti describes Deni boy, as she fondly calls him.

After her qualifying show in Hagen in June 2022, Denightron sustained an injury. “It was the result of being left unattended during the two years of Covid. With just two and a half months left for the World Championships, I saw my dreams crumble,” she recalls.

Even the vets advised prolonged rest and if need be, a surgery. But Shruti did not give up. “From medications, shock wave therapy, ice bandages 5 times a day, all my endeavours was to keep Denightron pain free. We got clearance from the experts two weeks before Herning (world championship),” she says.

The bonding she shared with Denightron led her to literally "talk" to him daily ; almost begging him to get well and pull it through. “Denightron had answered my prayers and helped me keep my head high with pride at Herning,” says the equestrienne

Like mother, like daughter

The Kolkata-born’s parents — Bimal and Nandini Nopany come from a conservative business Marwari family. “Despite being raised in a conservative business family background, my mother would ride horses at her residence. She is the reason that I fell in love with the sport and the animal,” says Shruti. Her brother Chandra Sekhar too rides horses.

Global Indian | Shruti Vora

Army riding school

“My love affair with the horses started from the Army Riding School at Ballygunge, one of the most beautiful riding clubs in India. I still have those vivid memories,” says the 52 year old.

She credits her instructors – Balbir Singh, a retired Army personnel and Kiran Singh for her success. “One taught me

the basics of riding and the other taught us on the educational side of riding – from learning about the anatomy of the horse to understanding the use of tack, bit-ing and saddlery.”

Bright student

Shruti studied at Loreto House, a highly reputed convent school in Kolkata, from where she graduated with 82 per cent. She followed it up by First Division Honours in the Class 12 Higher Secondary Examination from the West Bengal Council of Higher secondary Education.

In 1990, she was offered a national scholarship in lieu of her academic performance for her under-graduation degree. “But I forfeited it as I felt someone less privileged could avail the scholarship,” says Shruti, who describes herself as a very conscientious student at school.

After completing her B. Com Hons. from the University of Calcutta, she enrolled for MBA from the European University in 1994, based out of Geneva, Switzerland.

Best coaches

Shruti was among the lucky few to have been trained under distinguished equestrians including Dr Reiner Klimke (who won six gold and two bronze medals in dressage at the summer Olympics), Anne Jensen-Van Olst, a Danish dressage rider who was part of the Bronze winning Danish team at the Olympic games in Beijing 2008.

“I was a great admirer of Dr Klimke’s skills and he was my inspiration. After a lot of persuasion, he agreed to coach me for a while and I would go on the weekends to Germany to train while doing MBA,” says the globetrotter.

She says her most memorable training period was with Patrick Le Rolland (one of the most gifted French Dresseurs and coach of the French national team). “Training with him one year was my MBA graduation gift from my parents.”

After graduating from the European university, Shruti returned to India and married Mitul Vora. She took a long break to raise her two children before returning to competition in 2010. After four years of practice, she won the 8th position at the Asian Games in 2014. “Discipline, dedication, commitment and fitness levels is required for any sport including dressage,” she says of what all went into the four years of training.

Global Indian | Shruti Vora

Jakarta 2018 Asian Games

In 2018, Shruti was left frustrated due to a controversial decision by the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) which did not give its nod to Shruti and other equestrians despite qualifying for the games.

But like a true sportsperson, she did not give up. “I went straight into Grand Prix in April 2019 . I was placed in my very first national Grand Prix in St Margarethen in Austria. By August 2019 I had already obtained 2 MERs ( Minimum Eligibility Requirement),” informs Shruti, who became the first Indian ever to achieve the qualifying scores for Dressage for Tokyo 2020. However with only two individual spots, her points were not high enough for a seat.

Then covid struck. “The next 2 years were a wipe out . I managed to return to Europe only by the end of January 2022,” she says.

Kush & Zarina

Back in the day, Shruti’s father bought a wild pony for his children, soon after they were introduced to the sport. It was named Kush. “He had this beautiful white face, had four wonderful gaits for a pony and was full of energy at all times. He was a complete showman who helped me win every single category in those days,” informs the accomplished equestrienne, who was declared the best junior rider from1976 to 1979.

Subsequently, her father bought an experienced show jumping mare, which was amongst the first imports of sport horses into India. “Zarina as she was called, taught my brother and me the nuances of show jumping. She had the perfect bascule for show jumping and possessed a natural balance and athleticism,” informs Shruti, who has a string of four more horses.

Bucking

Shruti has her share of falls. “Kush had so much of character and energy that it was his constant endeavour to throw me off. Bucking, rearing, getting into the bushes were his traits,” recalls Shruti.

Each time she would fall, Shruti would bounce back. “Folklore in India has it that by falling off a horse’s back a 100 times, qualified one to be a competent rider . I managed to cross this magic figure,” she smiles.

Recalling one such memory of being thrown off, she says once she got blown away from the horse back with the strong gush of wind. “It was a cyclonic storm with winds of almost 80 kmph. Before anyone realised what had happened, I found myself on the ground without actually having been “thrown off ” by my horse.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fC7Kum4Djjs

Male dominated

Shruti feels Equestrian sport in her childhood was very male dominated. Coming from a conservative Marwari family, Shruti’s parents were not comfortable of her going alone to the horse shows once I came into my teens. “So, my father took to riding. We would leave for the Calcutta race course at 5.30 am to rise and rush back to get ready for school by 7.15 am,” she recalls.

Miles to go

Despite her achievements, Shruti feels she is still in the learning stage of equestrian sport. “Compared to many of the European riders, my achievements are at best mediocre. I have miles to go,” the Global Indian adds.

Follow Shruti Vora on Instagram

Creative eye: How designer Geethika Kanumilli overcame a health crisis to achieve global fashion success

(December 13, 2023) Designer Geethika Kanumilli’s world collapsed when she was diagnosed with anti-phospholipid syndrome, an irreversible immune system disorder that leads to abnormal blood clots. It led to the loss of vision in one of her eyes and threatened to put a full stop to her childhood dream of becoming a fashion designer. Geethika Kanumilli was not one to give up, however, not even when her eye condition worsened to the point where she had to drop out of fashion school. The iron-willed designer decided to take her challenges head-on, went on to launch her own fashion label and expanded her brand’s customer base to 12 countries and 45 cities. She has also dressed many celebrities including Kiara Advani, Madhuri Dixit, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Trisha Krishnan, PV Sindhu and Allu Arjun. [caption id="attachment_47426" align="aligncenter" width="477"] Fashion designer Geethika Kanumilli | Photo: Instagram[/caption] Learning through mistakes “Everyone has their own idea of learning. Some believe it comes from earning a degree, reading books, or gaining work experience. For me, learning meant taking action,” points out fashion designer Geethika Kanumilli, in an exclusive with Global Indian. With no business or fashion background and no degree, Geethika has proved that through determination

ing. Some believe it comes from earning a degree, reading books, or gaining work experience. For me, learning meant taking action,” points out fashion designer Geethika Kanumilli, in an exclusive with Global Indian. With no business or fashion background and no degree, Geethika has proved that through determination and hard work, one can do the impossible.

The Hyderabad-based fashion designer has come a long, long way, and even if she had to take a long, difficult road to achieve her dreams, her creations are making waves across the globe. “I embraced the mindset of ‘doing’, being willing to make small mistakes and allowing circumstances to become my teacher,” she smiles. “Eventually, I realized that I had developed skills that surpassed what some of the highest educational institutions could offer,” she adds

Timeless designs, eco-friendly fashion

Geethika’s collections capture timeless sentiments with organic shapes, flowing fabrics and unique designs, creating an ambience that communicates volumes via touch and texture. “I intend to incorporate natural fabrics into occasion wear,” says Geethika, who is all about making her label eco-friendly and going zero waste. She also designs luxury craft items, tote bags from waste fabrics.

Her newly launched collection ‘Wilderness’, embraces the pure connection between Mother Earth and human emotions. “It captures timeless sentiments through organic shapes, flowing fabrics and unconventional designs,” says the 29-year-old. The heaviest piece in this collection took more than 300 working hours to create.

[caption id="attachment_47427" align="aligncenter" width="511"] The 'Gilded Noir saree set' (hand-embroidered, natural crepe) from the Wilderness collection[/caption]

She has done several exhibitions across the world, including Singapore and US, where she has a huge fan following. Her creations are also available at select stores in the US, UK and Dubai.

A childhood dream

Born in Chennai, Geethika always had a deep fasincation for clothing and fashion, and desired, deep down, to pursue a career that involved it. “Although I did not know what to call it at the time, I later discovered that people referred to this as being a Fashion Designer,” Geethika recalls.

She was so passionate about designing clothes that she would lock her door and play dress-up games on her computer instead of getting ready for school. “When I turned 14, I found myself contemplating how to become a fashion designer, but I had no idea where to begin. I was desperately searching for answers until a relative came into my life and showed me the path,” recalls Geethika, who did her schooling in Chettinaad Vidyashram, Chennai. She then moved to Hyderabad, where she has remained since.

A temporary deviation

However, when the time came to join the 11th grade, she encountered a common tradition in Hyderabad: the expectation to pursue either Engineering or MBBS (medical studies). “Anything other than these options was considered inadequate, and surpassing them was deemed abnormal. Unfortunately, I fell into this trap as well.”Since her math skills were not strong, Geethika chose to study BiPC as a compromise to satisfy the desires of those around me. “After completing my 12th grade, when I wanted to take the entrance exam for a Fashion Design college, everyone tried to convince me to pursue MBBS instead. It took great effort, but I managed to convince them and prepared for the entrance test,” says the ace fashion designer, who has been featured in many international magazines.

A health crisis

However, as she was looking forward to writing the entrance test to get admission in the fashion design institute, fate threw a severe health problem her way. Her vision began to blur. She was taken to various hospitals to find out what was wrong. “After visiting multiple hospitals, we finally discovered that it was anti-phospholipid syndrome, an irreversible immune system disorder that leads to abnormal blood clots,” informs Geethika.

[caption id="attachment_47428" align="aligncenter" width="482"] Rashmika Mandanna | Geethika Kanumilli | Global Indian 'Animal' actor Rashmika Mandanna wearing a design by Geethika Kanumilli[/caption]

Losing vision in one of her eyes was an incredibly challenging and distressing period for Geethika and her family. A few months of medications later, she was ready to take her entrance exam. “Unfortunately, it was too late, and the registration had already closed until the following year. I had no choice but to wait. This tested my patience to the extreme, and it felt as if some greater force was at work.”

A time of uncertainty

Geethika ended up taking a one-year break, hoping the illness would ease. Nevertheless, her determination to become a fashion designer remained unshaken. The following year, she took the entrance test and got admission into the top Fashion Design college in Hyderabad. “Finally, nothing stood in the way of my dream. I was fully charged and motivated to make the most of this opportunity,” she says.

However, during her second year of college, the same health issue resurfaced and started to affect her working eye, particularly during stitching sessions. “Initially, I managed with the support of my classmates, but eventually, I realized that continuing like that was not feasible. It was at this moment that I recognised the need to let go of my dream of becoming a Fashion Designer permanently,” says Geethika, who felt helpless, and quitting college in the middle of her second year was a significant blow.

“People around me made fun of my decision, and I felt embarrassed for not having a degree. I endured insults and criticism, but I chose not to disclose my health issues to most of my relatives and friends. I didn't want to use it as an excuse.” It was an intense period of uncertainty, and Geethika spent an entire year feeling lost and exhausted from the cycle of quitting and resting.

The decision that changed her life

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A post shared by Geethika Kanumilli (@kanumilli)

However, one fine morning in 2015, she took a decision, regardless of the outcome. She decided to start my own fashion label as a designer. “I was only 20 then, without any professional work experience or a degree. Many people, including my own family, were against the idea of pursuing something different,” recalls Geethika.

Despite the challenges, she gathered the resources to start a small-scale business, targeting customers within a three-kilometer radius. “I had no prior knowledge or experience in running a business, but I was determined to learn as I went along.”

The initial days of running a business were incredibly challenging. “There were times when my vision would blur, and I would fear that each hard day of work would be my last day of sight. But whenever the choice to quit or continue arose, I was clear from the beginning that I was working for glory, not just for money,” she says.

After three years of consistent hard work, Geethika’s brand's customer base expanded to 12 countries and 45 cities through online sales. “This success brought appreciation from friends and family, who were unaware of the true reason why I had dropped out of college,” she says.

The creative process

When she begins to design a dress for a client, she approaches it with an intense thought: "This person must look their best wherever they go." Although it may sound simple, the intensity with which I think this thought is abnormally high. This mindset drives me to create the most unique color combinations possible,” she says of her work.

For Geethika, her clients are not just customers; they are the medium through which she expresses herself. “Their satisfaction and joy in wearing my designs fuel my passion and remind me that my journey as a fashion designer is far from over.”

Geethika believes her life taught her an important lesson. “When you achieve success, the flaws that others once saw in you become examples for them to follow. The secret is to remember this and strive to reach that point,” she feels.

Telling her story

While many of her friends and relatives were unaware why she had to drop out of college, Geethika revealed it through TEDx. “I have always desired to connect with individuals who may have experienced similar situations, believing that their pain is their enemy. However, looking back, I now understand that pain can be a friend. In my case, without the pain, I would not have been driven to achieve what I have today,” says the fashion designer.

Follow Geethika on Instagram and her website.

Architecture beyond buildings: Vaissnavi Shukl’s journey from Harvard to podcasting

(January 31, 2024) Ever wondered how important the work of an architect is to a burglar? The fire escapes and storm water drains, the vaults, staircases and parking lots designed for safety and functionality are the very conduits artful burglars exploit. Or, maybe, how design can play a role in rehabilitating prisoners - as forensic psychologist Pia Puolakka is attempting to do at Finland's smart prison. Do we even stop to think about where our food comes from? Where is it grown, where are seeds stored? These are the sorts of questions that architect Vaissnavi Shukl, the founder and host of architecture off-centre, examines in her podcast, as she engages with artists, journalists, policymakers and educators who normally aren't thought about in context of architecture, but who, in reality, shape our built environments. In 2023, Vaissnavi, who is a graduate from CEPT, Ahmedabad, and Harvard Graduate School of Design, received the prestigious Graham Foundation Grant – one year’s worth of funding for her podcast. Meeting challenges through innovation Her story began in a moment of crisis. Vaissnavi Shukl had just graduated with a master's from Harvard University and believed, understandably, that she was totally sorted. With a flawless academic record and

a master's from Harvard University and believed, understandably, that she was totally sorted. With a flawless academic record and top-tier work experience, all she had to do was sit back and wait for the offers to come pouring in – right? There was only one problem - this was 2020 and the pandemic had brought a worldwide lockdown into place. The same architecture firms she had hoped to be in were now conducting layoffs, imposing paycuts, implementing a suite of cost-cutting measures as the construction industry ground to a halt. "Funding was retracted from larger firms doing federal projects and diverted to healthcare workers, hospitals and unemployment benefits," Vaissnavi recalls, in an interview with Global Indian. "It was very humbling to realise that all the things you have been talking about and doing are not that important at the end of the day."

[caption id="attachment_48707" align="aligncenter" width="554"] Vaissnavi Shukl[/caption]

Even her Ivy League degree didn't give her an out. "We put so much energy and resources into funding an education but when I finished my master's in 2020, after a decade of work, I couldn't get a job. What was I doing? Was I worth anything?" At the time, Harvard advised its students and alumni to use the lockdown to build a portfolio and create a network. "All of that sounds good but technically, I could not live in the US without a job. And I couldn't practice on my own either because the road to licensure is so long," Vaissnavi says. She wondered what other architecture students were doing, apart from designing buildings, that is.

Architecture - by chance, not design

Vaissnavi had stumbled into architecture herself – while she had always loved design, she saw herself designing clothes, not buildings. “I went through a process of elimination," she laughs. "All I knew was I didn't want to study chemistry!" She chose commerce after 10th grade, which included Statistics as a subject. And that year, the Council of Architecture decided to allow students from Commerce backgrounds if they had studied statistics. At the time, Vaissnavi was busy giving exams to NID and NIFT, and also gave NATA. "NIFT and CEPT counselling were on the same day. I wasn't sure if I would get into NIFT but CEPT was a sure shot, so I went there," she says. Back then, she didn’t even realise how big a deal this was - she just knew she would make it. She ended up being the first person with a commerce background to get into CEPT, one of the top architecture schools in the country. "They actually stopped this provision a few years later, there was a short window in which Commerce students could get in and I made it through."

At CEPT, Vaissnavi learned the ins and outs of the actual practice, making models and working with materials. She also interned in Palinda Kannangara, one of Sri Lanka's best known architecture firms, where she learned tropical modernism, the imprint of which her work today continues to carry. What she loved most, though, where the history courses, which were also what she used for her thesis. "I wanted to get more into the theoretical side of things," she says. Two years after graduating from CEPT, she went to Harvard to study a master's in design studies, with a concentration in history and philosophy of design. "For two years, I was just reading and writing," Vaissnavi recalls.

Harvard and the pandemic

She took courses at the Kennedy School of Governance and the South Asian Studies department. "By history, I also mean things that happened a decade ago," she explains. "I wanted to learn about the really large infrastructure projects, or how Le Corbusier built Chandigarh, and the history of concrete in India. My one beef with architecture education in India is you're just thinking of buildings, when you can't really think of architecture in isolation. There are so many factors at play influencing our built environments." It was an approach that would serve her well with her podcast.

When the pandemic hit, Vaissnavi Shukl was left contemplating the relevance of architecture itself, and considering pivoting into another line. She began by calling other Harvard alumni and people she knew to see how they were using their skills as architects. What she learned was a revelation. One of her juniors at Harvard had got into a tech startup in the construction industry. Another friend had worked with UN-Habitat to build schools and police stations in Afghanistan before the Taliban takeover. Someone else had done a project on satellites and human waste in outer space. "People were in practice but unconventionally," she remarks. "I wanted to know how they were using their skills as architects to do these things."

Architecture off-centre

She continued to have the conversations and one day, she thought, "I'm not sure if I am going to do any of these things but their work is fabulous and more people should know about it." She was having these discussions anyway, so why not record them and launch a podcast? "There were so many people struggling to find work, maybe this would tell them how to use their skills. And what about people who are not architects but who contribute to how we live? I spoke to a midwife who told me how midwifery centres in Mexico are built." Vaissnavi was big on podcasts her self and with so much time on her hands, creating one of her own seemed the obvious thing to do. She learned Audacity (an editing software) with help from her now-husband and got things started. "I was back in India by the time I released my first episode," she says.

People were happy to participate - she tapped contacts across the board, including a friend in the music industry, and a set designer in Hollywood. "They were all people I knew, there was lots of nepotism in Season 1," Vaissnavi jokes. Architecture off Centre was an instant hit though and in the second season, she hired a research assistant to help bring in meaningful, structured content. "We were not going to speak to famous architects because we hear from them a lot and it's the same discourse over and over," she emphasises. "So I thought, what if we go with a keyword and take deep dives from different perspectives."

[caption id="attachment_48709" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Cool Shed, designed by Vaissnavi Shukl. Photo: Inclined Studio / ArchDaily[/caption]

For instance, in Season 3, she took off from the book she was reading at the time, Michael Foucault's Discipline and Punish "So we examine the ideas of crime, violence and justice in our cities and our buildings," Vaissnavi explains. In Season 4, she deals with 'Agriculture, Food and Waste', which includes a candid conversation with activist Dr Vandana Shiva, and Ateya Khorakiwalas on India's grain silos.

The big picture

"It's so important to reinforce and acknowledge the fact that we exist within a larger ecosystem," Vaissnavi says. "I'm not trying to preach or anything, it's just about knowing that there is a much bigger picture. And a lot of it comes from FOMO, from not being able to do or address these things in my own practice!"

Vaissnavi Shukl, who is based in Ahmedabad, established her own eponymous practice in 2020, which she currently runs with an all-women team. "Our projects are quite conventional," she says, with a laugh. "The good thing about working in Ahmedabad is that clients here have very mature tastes, which is a boon for a young architect!"

Make a Vish: There is no dull moment in British Indian crime fiction author Vish Dhamija’s life

(November 13, 2023) When someone as eloquent as Vish Dhamija talks about life and success — it sounds as dramatic as his books, connecting instantly with his audience, who walk out enlightened. For one, the author compares life with a balance sheet. “As on,” articulates Vish, signifies the company’s position on a particular day. Tomorrow is another day to start again. He even sees a similarity between marketing and storytelling — they only work if you engage the audience. Success? It’s just a mind game. “I can guarantee that the world’s best product, and the best story ever written would both fail if they fail or ignore to involve the audience,” smiles British-Indian crime fiction author Vish Dhamija, as he settles down for an exclusive with Global Indian. From the corporate world to a writer to an entrepreneur and an articulate speaker, Vish’s life trajectory is as gripping as it can get. “Growing up, I wanted to become many things, but becoming a writer wasn’t one of them,” smiles Vish, who is known to be one among the top 10 most popular thriller authors. Books first “The idea to write a story had been there since the early 2000s. It

trajectory is as gripping as it can get. “Growing up, I wanted to become many things, but becoming a writer wasn’t one of them,” smiles Vish, who is known to be one among the top 10 most popular thriller authors.

Books first

“The idea to write a story had been there since the early 2000s. It was in my bucket list. Once my first book — Nothing Lasts Forever — was published (in 2010), I thought that was it,” says Vish, the only writer of the Indian origin listed among the major legal thriller authors of the world.

The book went on to become a National Bestseller within six months of its release, and readers started writing to the author, asking for more stories. He then wrote his second book — Bhendi Bazaar — after a hiatus of four years. The book spent over a year in India's Top 100 list for 'Crime, Thriller, and Mystery', and has been noted for its ingenious plot and rich characters. “Since then, I’ve been fairly regular and now looking forward to my 12th book next year.”

Author | Vish Dhamija | Global Indian

His other books — Doosra – The Other One, Nothing Else Matters, Unlawful Justice, The Mogul, Cold Justice — among others were best sellers. So what goes into writing a gripping crime fiction? “I spend a lot of time in building compelling characters. They are the ones who tell the story, and they can make it or break it. No one wants to read a story if the characters don’t resonate with them,” the author explains.

That said, a good author, says Vish, should hook the readers from the start — create conflicts, introduce moral dilemmas, play with emotions, focus on strong dialogues, and provide vivid descriptions for the readers to visualise the scene like though they are there, to immerse them in the narrative. “However, all this will only work if there is a great plot, enough twists, and curveballs, keeping in mind never to drop the pace. The narrative must not get sluggish.”

His favourite

Vish loves all of his books equally but ask him to pick a favourite, he goes with says Déjà Karma, his third book and first legal and psychological thriller, launched in 2015. “I love this book for personal reasons. I love Jay Singh and his complex life story. It is closely followed by all the adventures of Rita Ferreira,” he says of the best seller, which was republished by Pan Macmillan India in 2023. On an average, it takes him about eight months to write the first draft. “Then the revisions and the editing and re-editing, so it takes almost a year to complete the book,” the author informs.

The Rajasthani

Born in Ajmer, Rajasthan, Vish completed his schooling from St Anselm’s. Throughout his school, Vish was active in dramatics and debates “I still love good friendly arguments irrespective of the subject,” points out the Multi-faceted Vish, who was the House Captain and then the President of the Literary Society at St Anselm’s. He used to write regularly for the school magazine. “I also wrote short stories when I was younger, which my father used to correct. The stories made little sense, but they cultivated the passion of writing in me,” recalls Vish, who likes to describe himself as creative but impulsive.

Author | Vish Dhamija | Global Indian

Academically, he says, he wasn’t a topper, but wasn’t a laggard either. “At college too, I continued with dramatics, debating and cricket. I picked up badminton, tennis and squash later before graduating to golf.”

In corporate world

Vish ended up studying Business Administration and joined the corporate world. In a career spanning almost two decades, he worked in marketing and retailing for global brands like Ford, Kodak and United Colors of Benetton. His work took him to Jaipur, Delhi, Chennai, Jamnagar and Mumbai before moving to Manchester, UK for higher education. He completed his MBA in Marketing and Strategy from Alliance Manchester Business School.

Author | Vish Dhamija | Global Indian

“I believe that no experience is ever wasted. Agreed, there is no direct correlation between the business world and storytelling, but as an author I like to observe people,” says the renowned author she spends his time between UK and India. In the years that he worked in the corporate world, he got the opportunities to interact with people from all walks of life from several countries. “I heard their personal stories, understood their motivations. All of that reflects in my characters,” the author points out.

Not a method writer

Ask him if he agrees to the general perception that those who write crime fiction or psychological thrillers tend to imagine themselves in those kind of situations in real life, Vish says he is not a method writer and so does not immerse himself in the narrative. “As mentioned, I spend a lot of time in building my characters, and I see the story through their eyes and experience. Yes, the plotline is developed by me, but it is delivered to the readers through the characters,” the author says, adding he writes solely for the purpose of entertainment and wants his readers to read his work as purely fictional. He says his family members too enjoy reading his books. “There are dark scenes, but my family members understand that my books are not me. Most of my family members read my books and enjoy them in the right spirit—or so they tell me.”

Coming next

His next book is psychological thriller, a story of a conman who exists on the periphery. “But when a card game goes horribly wrong, he takes the fall and goes to prison. He soon realises he’s been tricked. Out of prison, with the help of his girlfriend and two friends, he sets up a long con to get even with those who double-crossed him,” says Vish about the plot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psQNdfYQ6Lc

Pan Macmillan would be publishing the book middle of next year. “Also, I have a short Rita Ferreira story being published by Hachette India in an Anthology of Indian Detective Fiction, which should be out in January next year,” informs the author, who is married to Nidhi Singh, the great grand daughter of Raja Mahendra Pratap.

Favourite authors

“I love all crime fiction from India, but I won’t mention any names since most of the current Indian authors are personal friends,” he declares. His two personal favourites from the previous generation are Lawrence Sanders and James Ellroy. “Today, I love Michael Connelly, Jonathan Kellerman, Scott Turow, Lee Child, John Grisham, the list is endless. I like how these authors engage you like they aren’t telling you a story, but taking you on a journey with them, introducing you to new people, showing you new places,” smiles the author.

Does he watch or read a lot of crime fiction? “I do. I only read crime fiction, and I watch a lot of crime films and shows OTT,” says Vish, who believes that most people started reading crime fiction before we knew it—all the Phantom and Mandrake and Tarzan and Tintin comics. “So when I sat down to write my first book, it was inadvertently crime fiction.”

Author | Vish Dhamija | Global Indian

A public speaker, Vish also runs a nursery school. He says public speaking is more for corporates where he likes to share his experiences (from corporate life to writing to being an entrepreneur). “I acquired the Nursery School thinking I wouldn’t get involved much in the day-to-day running, but I have fallen in love with the school. It’s my pride and joy,” says the author, who sees himself as a custodian of the place and not the CEO.

The golfer

Vish is an avid golfer. “I am not very good at it, but I love it nevertheless. I played 64 times in last twelve months, so that is a lot of time at the course,” he informs. When he was younger, Vish would play guitar but not anymore. “But I love music. Jazz and Rock and Classic and Kishore Kumar are my favourites,” says the author, who reads about 40-50 books a year, mostly crime fiction.

Follow Vish Dhamija on LinkedIn and his website

Reading Time: 7 mins

How Venkatesan Sundaresan’s 2024 Wolf Prize-winning agricultural discovery will feed billions

(August 8, 2024) For addressing a long-standing problem in the sphere of sustainable agriculture and food security, Indian-American plant biologist Venkatesan Sundaresan has been awarded the 2024 Wolf Prize in Agriculture. Often referred to as the ‘Nobel Prize for agriculture,’ this prestigious award comes with a monetary prize of $100,000. Rice, a staple crop for half of the world’s population, is relatively costly to breed into high-yield hybrid strains, imposing a big problem for farmers. Berkeley-based Innovative Genomics Institute explains: “For 10,000 years, the major world food crop, rice, has reproduced sexually, rearranging its DNA with each generation and often losing desirable traits.” The process has also not just been expensive but also time-consuming for farmers. Venkatesan Sundaresan and his team at the University of California-Davis (UC Davis), after years of research, have introduced asexual reproduction of seeds into rice crop species through a process called ‘apomixis’ – finding a long-sought solution of the need to create exact replicas (clones) of hybrid rice plants from seeds without fertilisation. “The resulting increase in yields can help meet global needs of an increasing population without having to increase use of land, water and fertilizers to unsustainable levels,” the Global Indian was quoted in

t-weight: 400;">The resulting increase in yields can help meet global needs of an increasing population without having to increase use of land, water and fertilizers to unsustainable levels,” the Global Indian was quoted in one of the publications of his workplace, UC Davis.

[caption id="attachment_53407" align="aligncenter" width="787"] Indian Scientists | Venkatesan Sundaresan | Global Indian Dr Venkatesan Sundaresan in his lab | Image Credit: UC Davis[/caption]

His groundbreaking discovery is being perceived as the one set to revolutionise agriculture as his method would not just reduce costs for farmers but allow them to save improved seed from one season to another.

Asexual reproduction of crop species

Plants are living organisms and reproduce either sexually or asexually. Until Sundaresan’s discovery, rice plants were reproducing only sexually. Sexual reproduction in rice plants happens when pollen from the male part of one plant fertilises the egg in the female part of another. This combines genetic material from both parent plants to create seeds. These seeds grow into new rice plants that have a mix of traits from both parents, leading to genetic diversity.

In contrast, asexual reproduction is a mode of reproduction where a single plant produces offspring. The new plants produced are genetically and physically identical to the parent, effectively making them clones.

Venkatesan Sundaresan, his postdoctoral team member Imtiyaz Khanday, and their colleagues in France, Germany, and Ghana discovered that a rice gene called ‘BBM1’ belongs to a family of plant genes known as ‘Baby Boom’ or BBM. They found that BBM1 enables a fertilised egg to form an embryo that grows asexually into a clonal seed.

[caption id="attachment_53408" align="aligncenter" width="698"] Indian Scientists | Venkatesan Sundaresan | Global Indian Dr Venkatesan Sundaresan with Dr Imtiyaz Khanday | Image Credit: UC Regents[/caption]

While asexual reproduction through seeds occurs in several plant species, it has not been observed in important staple crops like rice. Sundaresan and his team successfully tested this method in their laboratory, producing viable seeds (progeny) from hybrid rice plants. This means farmers could replant seeds from their own hybrid plants and benefit from high yields year after year. It is being believed that apart from helping farmers, Sundaresan’s method would also enable seed companies to produce hybrid seeds more quickly and on a larger scale.

Gamechanger for rice growing farmers

Sundaresan and his team’s discovery, long sought by plant breeders and geneticists, represents a major breakthrough, facilitating the propagation of high-yielding, disease-resistant, and climate-tolerant crops worldwide.

Currently, the high cost of producing hybrid seeds is a significant barrier for farmers in developing countries, especially in South Asia and Africa. Sundaresan believes that if efficiently deployed, his method could potentially be a game-changer for poorer farmers. They would only need to purchase hybrid seeds once and could then replant the progeny seeds from their own harvest in subsequent seasons.

“Rice is grown over such a vast climatic and geographic range that specialised hybrids will have to be developed for each region,” highlighted Sundaresan in an interview to the Nature India journal. “It will be interesting to see how all these plays out in the years to come,” he added.

[caption id="attachment_53410" align="aligncenter" width="782"] Indian Scientist | Venkatesan | Sundaresan | Global Indian Dr Venkatesan Sundaresan with one of his research team members, Hui Ren | Image Credit: UC Davis[/caption]

Addressing a fundamental plant biology question

Sundaresan and his team have explored fundamental questions in plant biology, specifically how a fertilised egg develops into a new plant. This basic understanding, combined with innovative asexual breeding technologies, paves the way for breakthroughs in plant agriculture by preserving beneficial traits that might otherwise be lost through sexual reproduction.

The method of ‘apomixis’ discovered by Sundaresan and his team enables a plant to grow genetically identical to its parent plant.

"Apomixis in crop plants has been the target of worldwide research for over 30 years because it can make hybrid seed production accessible to everyone," Sundaresan said. "In particular, rice is a genetic model for other cereal crops, including maize and wheat, which together constitute major food staples for the world," he remarked. The plant biologist noted that these results could be applied to other such food crops so that the world’s food security index registers an improvement.

From Pune to United States

Born and raised in India Venkatesan Sundaresan majored in physics, earning undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Pune, and the Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur. Following this, he went on to pursue a degree in physics from the Carnegie Mellon University.

Later, he transitioned to life sciences for his doctoral studies and obtained a Ph.D. in Biophysics from Harvard University, where he researched the regulation of nitrogen fixation genes in bacterial symbionts of legumes. This was followed by postdoctoral research in plant genetics at the University of California-Berkeley.

[caption id="attachment_53409" align="aligncenter" width="680"] Indian Scientist Venkatesan Sundaresan | Global Indian Dr Venkatesan Sundaresan[/caption]

Sundaresan's first faculty appointment was at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York. He later became the founding director of the Institute of Molecular Agrobiology (now the Temasek Life Sciences Laboratories) at the National University of Singapore.

Since 2001, the scientist has been serving as a faculty member at the UC Davis, where he has also served as Chair of the Department of Plant Biology and as Program Director of the BREAD program, a collaboration between the National Science Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He has also served on the editorial boards of several journals like ‘Genetics’, ‘Plant Reproduction’, ‘The Plant Cell’, and ‘Trends in Plant Science’.

“My lab’s research focus is on plant reproduction, particularly the genetics and genomics of this process using Arabidopsis and rice as model systems. We aim to understand the underlying mechanisms and employ genome editing techniques to enable asexual reproduction in crop plants, which can revolutionise agricultural practices. Additionally, we study root microbiomes, exploring their assembly, structure, and function,” writes Sunderesan on his lab’s website. “Our work delves into host-microbiome interactions in rice roots, seeking to uncover how these relationships influence plant growth and drought tolerance. Through these studies, we aim to enhance crop resilience and productivity, contributing to sustainable agriculture and food security,” mentions the recipient of the prestigious 2024 Wolf Prize in Agriculture.

Reading Time: 5 mins