How did Nucleya's song "Bakar Bakar" end up in a Marvel film?

Nucleya's song "Bakar Bakar" made it to a Marvel film, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, after he pitched twelve song ideas to Marvel Studios for the landing scene of Spiderman in India. Only one of his attempts hit the target and got approved by Marvel.

What was Nucleya's journey to success in the music industry?

Nucleya, born as Udyan Sagar in Agra and raised in Ahmedabad, started making music in his teens. He began by mixing music with his friend Mayur Narvekar, forming Bandish Projeckt. They gained recognition in India's Electronic Music scene and threw their own parties in Ahmedabad to share their music with enthusiastic audiences. However, the band later faced difficulties and eventually disbanded.

How did Nucleya recover from a low point in his career?

After the downfall of Bandish Projeckt and facing financial difficulties, Nucleya's career hit a low note. He almost gave up on music until his wife Smriti encouraged him to take a break and find inspiration. Nucleya took to the streets of India to explore the sounds of Indian street music, which ultimately became his signature beat and paved the way for his successful career.

What are some significant achievements of Nucleya in the music industry?

Nucleya became a prominent figure in India's EDM scene with hit songs like "Bass Rani," "Laung Gwacha," and "Mumbai Dance." He achieved milestones such as being the largest sellout by an indie act with his EP Koocha Monster and winning the Global Indian Music Award for Best Electronic Single. Moreover, he ventured into Bollywood with songs like "Let's Naacho" from Kapoor & Sons and "Paintra" from Mukkabaaz.

How did Nucleya enter the NFT market, and what makes his NFT drop unique?

In 2021, Nucleya joined India's NFT market by collaborating with Ritviz for their album Baraat. They became the first Indian creators to auction digital tokens on Wazir X, a crypto exchange with an NFT marketplace. The 60 NFTs released during August 15 to October 3, 2021, included iconic photographs, artworks, personal artifacts, and limited-edition art pieces. Nucleya emphasized that NFTs offer artistes new and exciting ways to engage with their audiences and stay ahead of the curve in the changing music consumption landscape.

Global IndianstoryMeet Aditya Mehta, the first Indian para-cyclist to win a medal at the Asian Paralympics

Global Indian Exclusive

Meet Aditya Mehta, the first Indian para-cyclist to win a medal at the Asian Paralympics

Written by: Vikram Sharma

(September 30, 2023) At age 24, Aditya Mehta narrowly dodged death but ended up losing his leg after being run over by a bus. The road to recovery was long, hard and painful for the budding entrepreneur. People who visited him would pity him, leaving him even more frustrated. But his indomitable will wouldn’t allow him to go down. Aditya pulled himself together, took to para-cycling with a prosthetic leg and went on to become India’s first para-cyclist to bag a medal at the Asian Paralympics. “So far, I have cycled 40,000 kms and won two silver medals at Asian Championship. My goal now is to coach youngsters get medals for India in Paralympic Games,” smiles Aditya Mehta, in conversation with Global Indian.

Mehta headed the contingent in the para-cycling world championships in Glasgow, Scotland, recently. “As a coach, it was a fulfilling experience as three of my trainees created history by qualifying for Paralympics 2024,” says Aditya of the event. It was the first time that Sports Authority of India (SAI) supported the para-cyclist contingent in a world championship.

Aditya Mehta

Teething troubles

Born in Hyderabad, Aditya grew up in a joint family, along with 18 first cousins. He hated studies, argued with his parents and often got in trouble at home and in school for his reckless behaviour. “I was a difficult child. When I was in the fifth grade, I failed in my Telugu exam, and was very scared of my father. I stole my mother’s earrings, sold them for some money and travelled all the way to Goa. Then I called up my parents to come pick me up,” recalls the most accomplished para-cyclist in the country who gave up schooling when he was in class 9. Eventually, Aditya realised that he was looked upon as a failure. “Everyone had a terrible opinion of me, especially in the family. It hurt.”

By the time he turned 16, he decided to prove himself and wanted to start a textile business with a few friends. His family didn’t support the idea. “I knew my father didn’t trust me,” says Aditya, who then started travelling from town-to-town selling garments. Slowly, his family began to take note of his perseverance. “My grandfather and my mother eventually supported me with minimal funding” says Aditya. One year later, he turned the modest Rs 30,000 investment into a turnover of Rs 1.5 crore. Unfortunately, his rough patch wasn’t over – he found out that some friends had been siphoning off crores from the company account. Aditya started from scratch again and set up a successful business exporting garments. By the age of 22, Aditya was financially independent and his family was happy.

Tragedy Strikes

Aditya’s life changed after his return from a business trip to Hong Kong in August 2017. “I left home on my bike to meet my stockist. Suddenly, a bus hit my bike twice from the rear. I fell down, got dragged for almost 300 metres. The bus crushed my right leg,” he recalls.

Aditya lay motionless on the road. “Strangely, no one came forward to help me. I regained consciousness and dragged myself away from the bus. The pain was excruciating.” A store-owner who knew Aditya happened to pass by and took him to the hospital. His parents were shattered.

Once the treatment began, doctors amputated Aditya’s leg above the knee. “Every alternate day, the wound would be dressed without pain killers. I would scream in agony,” says Aditya, who was on bed rest for nearly two months thereafter.

As he began recovering, the entrepreneur tried hard to keep his dream alive and expand his business. One year after the accident, he left for South Africa on a business meeting. “My leg would bleed every single day of the trip and I would have to change the dressing frequently,” says the 40-year-old.

Confronted with the reality of the situation, he finally had to accept that moving around wasn’t easy any more. “With a heavy heart, I closed down the business.”

Fighting back

Aditya returned to India and tried a prosthetic leg. It took him about seven months to learn to walk with it. “I would fall down often. Several times, out of sheer frustration, I would just lie on the floor. I hated that situation,” he says.

His father helped him see things from a different perspective. “He would tell me that I needed to think like a child. Children don’t complain when they try learning to walk. When they fall, they just get up again. These words really helped me. My parents supported me through everything,” smiles Aditya.

Eventually, he began walking up to a kilometre. Slowly, he increased it to five and then 10 kms. Thereafter, he started swimming and joined an academy in Pune. Around that time, he came across a hoarding of local cycling club. “The picture I saw on it was a glaring reminder of my limitations. I started to reminisce about the days in school when I had the best cycle in class. The thought that I couldn’t ride anymore was too hard to bear.”

One day, Aditya borrowed his cousin’s cycle and made an attempt to ride with one leg. “My father supported me and said I should give it a shot.” I rode for about a kilometre after falling five times. Every fall made me stronger and I just kept going,” he says. Aditya decided then that he would be a professional cyclist. He trained hard, pushing through all the discomfort.

Almost six years later, he rode from London to Paris and climbed 9000 feet. He then cycled solo from Kashmir to Kanyakumari in 2013. His name entered the Limca Book of Records not once, but twice. “I become the first amputee cyclist to complete a 100 km ride in 5.5 hours. Now, I can even do it in 4-4.5 hours. Hitting this record was a turning point in my life. I knew that I could do everything I wanted to,” says Aditya, who won two silver medals at Asian championship.

The most challenging experience at the Asian championship in Delhi was when his artificial leg came out and got stuck in the pokes of the front wheel just days ahead of the championship. “I had a bad fall and got injured. Despite that, I went ahead and participated. I won the silver medal.”

Aditya Mehta Foundation

After his wins, Aditya decided to support para athletes. In 2013, he launched Aditya Mehta Foundation. The aim was to help people like him win medals.

His foundation has helped more than 100 para-athletes. Help was also extended to about a 1,000 soldiers from the Border Security Force (BSF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), all of which are India’s paramilitary forces. “In all, we have trained nearly 7,000 people in 28 forms of para sports who have won 229 medals in different championships so far. All of them inspire me everyday.”

In 2020, Aditya and para-cyclists from the BSF went on a 3,801 km long cycling expedition in India, covering 35 cities in 41 days. His foundation raises funds through various events, scouts talent from among the disabled population in the country, trains and funds them to grow in sports.

Fitness

While Aditya has taken up coaching for para-cyclists in a big way, he sticks to his fitness schedule. “Nutrition and conditioning are essential and I follow them religiously,” informs the ace para-cyclist, who is up at 4 am everyday to start training. He trains for almost five days a week and makes it a point to hit the gym in between.

Future plans

Aditya is presently busy coaching. “We are training hard for the Paralympics 2024 in France. I’m also training the children who were identified at the grassroots level for various state, national and international competitions.”

Aditya loves taking long cycle rides whenever he get time. “My top hobby is cycling,” says the para-cyclist, who says his biggest inspiration is his father. “I am able to live confidently today because of my parents. Coming from a business family, where the goal is just to earn money, I am able to do my bit for my extended family (his trainees) due to my parents support,” he adds.

You can follow Aditya’s work on his website.

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‘Extra’ordinary love: Shivani Dhillon’s quest for an inclusive society

(April 5, 2023) On a scorching summer afternoon in Chandigarh, Shreya Dhillon stood outside her house, refusing to come back inside. Shreya was wearing several layers of clothing, as kids with Down Syndrome often do, because increased pressure helps alleviate their sensory issues. When her mother, Shivani Dhillon, came home, the family was at their wits' end. Shivani walked straight up to her daughter and began to tell her a story. "Shreya, do you know what happened today? The sun came out and asked if you want to play. Do you want to play with the sun, Shreya?" Shreya turned to lock eyes with her mother, who continued speaking as she led the child back inside. "I could teach her everything through stories," Shivani tells me, as we speak – it’s a busy Saturday morning in the Dhillon household and I can hear the sounds of the day unfolding. Shreya walks into the room as well, looking into the camera to greet me with a smile and a cheery “hi!” “She has learned to recognise colours, fruits, the sun, the moon, night and day, all through stories. That's how she absorbed information." That opened a door, for Shreya and for

oor, for Shreya and for Shivani as well, who began harnessing the power of stories to reach out to children and young adults with intellectual disabilities. A former journalist, Shivani is an award-winning social entrepreneur, founder of the Down Syndrome Support Group India and Samvid - Stories & Beyond. Her latest accomplishment is a book of her own: Extra: Extra Love, Extra Chromosome, with Shreya as a protagonist. It’s a story of fortitude and self-acceptance that transcends age and ability. And it gives readers a momentary glimpse of the courage that neuro-atypical kids like Shreya, as well as their parents, must display every day of their lives.

[caption id="attachment_36959" align="aligncenter" width="553"] Shivani Dhillon and her daughter, Shreya[/caption]

The intrepid journalist

Before Shreya was born, Shivani Dhillon was a journalist, chasing stories around the globe, visiting warzones and interviewing high profile people. An anchor with the BBC, Shivani did the work most young journalists dream of doing, but very few realise. "I started in 1999 and joined Zee News as an anchor and reporter," Shivani says, in her interview with Global Indian. These were in the early days of television news, and new channels were just entering the fray after decades of DD dominating the scene.

After a couple of years in television news in India, Shivani moved to London for a Master's degree in diplomatic studies. From there, she joined the BBC World Service, also working on documentaries. During those eight years, she married, and gave birth to her first son, who was struggling with health problems. "Once, I had to leave my son for about four days to make a documentary. When I came back, I realised I didn't want to do this anymore," she says.

The birth of Shreya

In 2010, Shreya was born with Down Syndrome, as the doctors in the UK had predicted. In the first trimester, they were told there was a high chance their daughter would have Down Syndrome. Shivani was asked to do a test and to decide on a course of action post the results. She refused. "We wanted the child, irrespective of what it may or may not have. We didn't want to find out."

The family returned to the UK, in part because of the healthcare system, where proactive staff also understood the toll taken on mothers of disabled children. They would even call to remind her of upcoming counselling and medical appointments. But there was one thing missing - social interaction. They returned to India, going back into the joint family system. Here, Shreya had lots of people to talk to and became a friendly child, her speech developed and she blossomed.

Creating a community

While a strong sense of community did wonders for Shreya, healthcare was another story. "I was thrown into the deep end when it came to therapy, finding the right doctor, the right information and even fellow parents." The stigma was very high, even educated relatives asked Shivani why she told people about Shreya's 'condition'. And she knew that thousands of parents across the country were facing the same thing.

Shivani began printing out flyers with her email id and phone number, talking about DS and appealing to parents with disabled kids. "I was looking for a friend," she admits. In 2012, she got her first phone call. "I knew I needed to reach out to more people and Facebook was still new then, so I started an online support group." The group has over 2,500 members now, from India and around the world. "You want to connect to your own people," Shivani tells me. "There is stigma in our country, even today. In the UK, there was support from the state, the doctors, the therapists. They understand what the parents go through and it felt good. In India, you're likely to be asked what you ate during pregnancy," Shivani explains. Those moments of self-doubt are common, "I would wonder if I did actually eat something wrong, partied too much, or didn't pray enough?" Being able to share experiences with people who had similar lives made a world of difference.

Finding purpose

Back home, Shreya needed to be taught even the smallest things. "You don't teach neurotypical kids how to walk, they just walk. But kids with DS need to be taught." She was well-travelled and well-read, with access to all the resources she needed and she could handle the challenges that came her way. "I started thinking about that - I can do so much for my kid but what about the parent who doesn't have the exposure, the knowledge or the resources? What happens then? I wanted to do something for them."

We spend our lives trying to figure out what our purpose might be and many of us never do. But in the darkest of times, that purpose might come looking for you. That was the case with Shivani. She started the Down Syndrome Support Group India, and built a loving and supportive community. She organised an international art exhibition, encouraging art as a form of therapy. They celebrated World Disability Day and Down Syndrome Day.

The power of stories

In the Dhillon home, reading a book to the kids was a night-time ritual. And from the time Shreya was a few months old, she had been listening to stories. "I realised she was so engaged and engrossed and learning so much. What she learned, she learned through stories." During the lockdown, Shivani began doing sessions with disabled kids and young adults, telling them stories as a form of therapy. And during the pandemic, she had her work cut out for her. There were difficult topics to discuss, death being one of them.

"Stories impact them on a fundamental level. It takes time but they start communicating more, become more expressive and their language improves," Shivani explains. Communication, she says, is one of the biggest challenges, they struggle with reading facial expressions, understanding social cues and understanding emotions. So, twice a week, she would meet groups of ten, tell a story and talk about the story afterwards.

Shivani Dhillon

Finding a school

Last year, Shreya was taken out of mainstream education and Shivani Dhillon began looking for a school for her. She found one, on the outskirts of Chandigarh, where teachers and students shared a loving bond. But the building was falling apart. "I knew it was the place for my daughter but she and other kids deserved better infrastructure."

Shivani oversaw fundraising efforts, raising enough to revamp the school. "We have launched the new school, Discoverability, now," she says. She works with the principal and the founder to handle the school and Shreya loves being there. "We want to start vocational training for students as well," she says.

Knowledge is power

It has been a journey full of challenges, Shivani says. "Bringing up a child with special needs is not easy, especially in India. You don't get invited to birthday parties, and there's a lot of staring, everywhere we go. I simply walk up to people and educate them. Sometimes that is all it takes. If I hadn't had a daughter with DS, I might have been oblivious too." Life may not work out the way you want, she says. "When I had my daughter, I saw those beautiful eyes and thought, the boys are going to be lining up for her. That's not going to happen but she has brought so much joy and happiness to our lives."

Transformation through crisis

Finding purpose, Shivani says, has been a spiritual journey. She's a believer in karma, not in a 'resigned-to-her-fate' kind of way but in the sense that everybody has a purpose, a reason for living. "When you have that understanding, of something greater, you don't ask those questions. I can't give Shreya many of the tools I use to cope with challenges but I do know that the one thing she can fall back on is a connection to a higher being."

Follow Shivani Dhillon on LinkedIn

Reading Time: 6 mins

How Indian EDM phenomenon Nucleya made it to Marvel films

(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. View this post on Instagram A post shared by NUCLEYA (@nucleya) But it hasn't been an easy journey for someone who began making music in his

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A post shared by NUCLEYA (@nucleya)

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l12_JIQ2TqA

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.

Follow Nucleya on Instagram

Reading Time: 5 min

How Ram Charan went from a shoe shop to mentoring Fortune 500 leaders

(March 22, 2024) "I grew up in India where my family owned a shoe shop. It was there that I learned the basics of business, developed the ability to diagnose even the most complex business situations, and honed my work ethic. These foundational skills have been instrumental in my journey to success," shared Indian origin business consultant Ram Charan in one of his posts. Dubbed as ‘the most influential consultant alive’ by Fortune Magazine, the management guru has coached top companies, CEOs, and boards throughout his illustrious career spanning more than 46 years. Before embarking on his consulting journey, Ram had worked as assistant Professor at Harvard Business School and Northwestern University, and later as a Professor at Boston University. Over the years, Ram has established himself as one of the most sought-after business speakers, addressing distinguished audiences worldwide. His words of advice are globally recognised as relevant, practical, actionable, and entertaining at the same time. Our lives are a summation of our experiences. Every experience we have ever been through impacts us. Ram Charan Acknowledging his legacy, Pune-based, MIT World Peace University (WPU), recently inaugurated the Ramcharan School of Leadership (RSoL), with the aim to nurture the next generation

cknowledging his legacy, Pune-based, MIT World Peace University (WPU), recently inaugurated the Ramcharan School of Leadership (RSoL), with the aim to nurture the next generation of corporate leaders by imparting the wisdom and insights of the corporate guru.

[caption id="attachment_50205" align="aligncenter" width="615"] Indian Guru | Ram Charan | Global Indian Ram Charan[/caption]

Flying high

Last year, the American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines acknowledged the 85-year-old management guru for being one of their frequent fliers. “People who know me know my routine. I travel light and focus on my clients. I am not concerned with material matters,” he remarked.

Thanking the three airlines he added:

Now I have found out I travelled over 10 million miles with American Airlines. Over 7 million miles on Delta. Countless more miles with other airlines. This is a reflection of my commitment to my clients and the trust they place in me. Here is what I have to say — I am ready to fly more and keep working!

Impressive associations

Ram Charan’s consultancy portfolio boasts a diverse array of clients, including industry giants like Toyota, Bank of America, Key Bank, ICICI Bank, Aditya Birla Group, Novartis, Max Group, Yildiz Holdings, UST Global, Fast Retailing (Uniqlo), Humana, and Matrix amongst others.

He has imparted business lessons to emerging business leaders through in-house executive education programs. Several leaders coached by him have ascended to CEO positions.

Recognised for his exceptional teaching prowess, Ram Charan has won several awards and holds the title of the Distinguished Fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources, USA. Additionally, he has contributed his expertise to the Blue-Ribbon Commission on Corporate Governance, a committee established by The New York Stock Exchange, and the National Association of Securities Dealers to improve the effectiveness of corporate audit committees.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nQtSUMVMME

Ram has garnered thousands of admirers along the way, including Jack Welch, former CEO of GE, who praised the business consultant in an interview, saying, “He has the rare ability to distil the meaningful from the meaningless and transfer it to others in a quiet, effective way.”

The appreciation is mutual. In a recent post, Ram Charan emphasised, ‘reflection is the cornerstone of growth for both life and businesses. “Embrace each failure as a learning opportunity,” he advised, adding, “Leaders like Jack Welch exemplified this by mastering the basics and focusing on solutions, not just problems."

Regular business reviews aren't just evaluations. You have the chance to build culture and confidence.

Ram Charan

Man with a wealth of business insights

Ram Charan has shared his business insights through writing, coaching and business consultancy. With over 30 books under his belt, his works have reached more than four million readers across a spectrum of languages. Three of his books secured positions on the list of Wall Street Journal’s bestsellers. His collaborative book with former Honeywell CEO Larry Bossidy titled ‘Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done’ spent over 150 weeks on the prestigious New York Times bestseller list.

A prominent figure in business insights on social media, Ram Charan also curates a monthly newsletter titled 'Ram Charan’s Corporate Advice,' offering continuous guidance and insights to his audience. His straightforward lessons, such as advice to readers like 'Prepare yourself for unforeseen challenges,' drawing parallels to the rigorous training of Olympic athletes and how ‘their confidence is a result of rigorous practice’ motivate professionals to keep on polishing their craft.

Through examples of geopolitical crises like the Russia-Ukraine conflict, U.S.-China relations, and global leadership changes, he emphasises the importance of readiness in navigating complex business landscapes. These are the kinds of tips that prompt business leaders to pause, reflect, and chart their course in their careers, every day.

Remember these two tools — preparation and practice. The more you engage in mental rehearsals for various scenarios, the more intuitive and confident you become in tackling real-world challenges. Develop a mindset that embraces uncertainty. Prepare for it with foresight and agility. This is what defines true leadership.

Ram Charan

Purpose – to help others succeed

Ram's influence on the lives of CEOs and the functioning of their companies has been deep. He is not merely seen as a consultant but as a guru and corporate sage with unparalleled access to boardrooms across the globe with lasting relationships with powerful CEOs.

The management guru maintained a hectic schedule throughout. Despite earning a substantial consulting fee, he went for the longest time without owning a car or even learning to drive, as he was constantly hopping from one flight to another across the globe.

He rarely spent more than two nights in a single city. Living a minimalist lifestyle came naturally to him, as he has always been single. Before his consultancy days, Ram Charan resided in dormitories, and before his professorship, he lived in YMCA accommodations. These modest settings were comfortable for a man driven not by personal success, but by a deeper purpose in life.

Ramcharan School of Leadership

The Ramcharan School of Leadership (RSoL) started by Pune-based MIT World Peace University (WPU) offers a diverse range of degree programs from bachelors to doctorate levels. The curriculum, designed by industry experts in collaboration with global universities, equips students with essential leadership skills for professional advancement and social impact.

[caption id="attachment_50216" align="aligncenter" width="679"] Indian Guru | Ram Charan | Global Indian Ram Charan at MIT World Peace University (WPU)[/caption]

Sharing his happiness on this development, the business guru remarked, “I have been so honoured to have a school in my name in India, where I am working to help MBAs and BBAs with their academic pursuits. I have had many interactions with students over the past few weeks. They have taught me many lessons, as I have also shared with them my experience.”

From India to USA

The business consultant comes from a hard-working family without much access to education. At a young age, he learned discipline. He used to open the family shoe shop at seven in the morning, attended to customers before his brothers came in, and then went to school, and would return directly from there to the shop at four in the evening. When there were no customers, he used to do his homework.

They still have the shoeboxes where I used to solve my Arithmetic work. That was where I learned how to diagnose a problem. I learned to work hard but I also learned that I loved business. It was this passion that fuelled my work ethic.

Ram Charan shared in one of his posts

After completing engineering at Banaras Hindu University in 1959, he worked for some time in India. His bosses recognised his business talent, and looking at his leadership skills encouraged him to develop it through further studies. This motivated the young engineer to earn an MBA and a doctorate degree as a Baker Scholar from Harvard Business School, from where he graduated with distinction.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tebqr8VW1nI&t=2s

Looking at India with pride and optimism

The visionary leader is proud about the growth story of his country of origin.

India is on fire. It's going to grow in multiple ways.

Ram Charan said in an interview

“I am very bullish on India. It has a robust path to economic growth. Ever since independence, the Government has demonstrated that its apparatus can focus on achieving major milestones. India has revamped the ease of doing business and is the place where the next growth story is happening,” he remarked with optimism.

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Reading Time: 5 mins

How Pravin Tulpule, the former naval officer became a medical clown

(September 3, 2022) Popularly known as ‘Happy – the medical clown’, former lieutenant commander of the Indian Navy, who had even worked as an electronic warfare officer onboard INS Viraat, found his purpose in bringing smiles to the faces of the terminally ill. Setting on a completely diverse path he chose to adorn the clown’s costume to take kids in cancer wards and orphanages on a laughing spree, opting for a VRS from the navy after 17 years of service. “It was much to the surprise of my boss and colleagues who thought I had drunk a bit more the previous evening and tried to persuade me away from the idea,” says he adding that he is grateful that his family including his parents supported his decision to switch to a career that offered more meaning to his life. In 2019, he was presented with the Karmaveer Chakra, a global civilian honour conferred by the international confederation of NGO (iCONGO) in partnership with the United Nations. Pravin Tulpule tells Global Indian I do miss the beautiful white, pristine uniform and the culture of the Indian Navy but it was not a rash decision, rather a radical move. I do not have

utiful white, pristine uniform and the culture of the Indian Navy but it was not a rash decision, rather a radical move. I do not have a penny’s regret to get into the wonderful world of clowning.

[caption id="attachment_28885" align="aligncenter" width="708"] Pravin Tulpule | Medical Clown | Global Indian Pravin Tulpule, former naval officer, medical clown, happiness coach and corporate edutainer[/caption]

The trigger…

“When I was growing up there were no restrictions in whatever we did at home so long as it was legal and did not hurt anybody. In my teens I picked up the lovely hobby called ‘magic’ and it sort of stayed with me through my school and college days, and later in my naval career”, he smiles. He was always the entertainer of his unit and used to perform in the official get-togethers, mess, birthday parties of his kids and friends’ kids, and for charity initiatives of naval wives.

“A family friend requested me one day to show magic tricks to a group of kids,” he says. Pravin was transitioning in those days from a magician to a clown thinking that instead of fooling people with tricks why not make them part of it by adding the additional angle of clowning to make them happy? “As requested, when I went there in the clown’s costume, I got introduced to a room full of kids suffering from cancer. I was not mentally prepared for it,” he tells. Taken aback by the sombreness of the situation he performed nevertheless. “Entertaining them was overwhelming as I had not been into this situation before, never met so many terminally ill patients at the same time.”

Pravin Tulpule | Medical Clown | Global Indian

Pravin recalls that a child got particularly fond of him, tagging around him during the show. What followed was his pictures in a local newspaper along with that child the next day. “It was the first time that I appeared in any newspaper and was elated.” Much to his shock, Pravin came to know after a few days that the kid had succumbed to his illness.

“I was deeply moved when I got to know that one of the wishes of the little boy was to meet a joker from the circus. That was the trigger,” he says, about what prompted him to take a plunge from the navy, where he had also worked as a communication specialist indulging in defense tactics and instructor at the naval academy, to the world of medical clowning. He was in his 40s then. Staying back for two and half years more would have led to some additional benefits as a naval officer but the pull was so strong that he could not stop himself from embracing the new path.

‘Mission Happiness’

The clown’s costume helps break the ice. It does not make you a clown. The clown has to be inside. It helps you portray the clown. It tells people he is a fun guy - Pravin Tulpule

Being one of the trailblazers in the domain which is still at its nascent stages in India, Pravin has provided free-of-cost services in orphanages, shelter homes, slums, old age homes, and hospitals meant for kids with cancer and congenital heart diseases. In addition to these, he doubled up as a happiness coach, and corporate edutainer with a 20-year-association with a leading MNC as part of their branding and CSR initiatives, following his VRS from the navy.

Though the contract like many other things came to a halt during the pandemic, Pravin continues as an independent professional travelling across the country for fun-filled interactions as a happiness coach and corporate edutainer to lift sombre moods or to drive in an important message with the power of humour.

He calls his independent practice ‘Mission Happiness’. “I am doing it at a passion level he says. “If a powerful message is interspersed with humour people get hooked to the message”, he says adding, “it forever gets etched in the memory of kids and adults if a clown is imparting it.’ The entertainer has given close to 5,000 performances so far.

All I need is travel, stay, and food arrangements and I am ready to go anywhere and perform - Pravin Tulpule

Clowning is a technique

Pravin has also been conducting workshops for clowns and those who are not in the profession to make them understand the significant role that medical clowns can play in the treatment process. He addresses medical students at King Edward Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, on how medical clowns are important. I tell them that “a clown should be ready to be the target so that people can laugh at you. This is a quality that is otherwise difficult for people to adopt,” says the edutainer who is attached to Toybank NGO to promote mental well-being and socio-emotional development.

[caption id="attachment_28897" align="aligncenter" width="594"] Pravin Tulpule | Medical Clown | Global Indian Pravin with his children[/caption]

Pravin rues the fact that “many people perceive medical clowning as just wearing colourful clothes and dancing around.” There are quite a few people now who are adopting the profession. Not only one of his friends, who stays in Colorado, is a part-time medical clown, but inspired by Pravin’s unique way of serving society, both his children also get into the clown’s costume when the situation demands, even though they are into different professions altogether.

India’s Patch Adams

Pravin is deeply inspired by the 1998 American biographical comedy-drama film directed by Tom Shadyac, and starring Robin Williams. “You must watch it if you have not,” he recommends. “Dr. Patch Adams is based on a real person, not a fictional character,” tells Pravin who appears happy with the fact that he is referred to as Patch Adams of India.

Based on the life story of Dr. Hunter Adams and the book Gesundheit: Good Health Is a Laughing Matter by Dr. Adams and Maureen Mylander, the film that Pravin resonates with is about how using humour, can lead to better and faster recuperation of patients. Like Pravin, the protagonist of the movie had also found a new purpose in life in clowning.

[caption id="attachment_28892" align="aligncenter" width="678"] Pravin Tulpule | Medical Clown | Global Indian Pravin at a recent event organised by the NGO, Toybank[/caption]

The multifaceted clown

This former naval officer is a jack of many trades due to his constant urge to learn new skills. He is into tarot reading, crystals, face reading, teaching puppet making to children, and more. This festive season has kept him occupied in holding workshops for making eco-friendly Ganesha and teaching clay modelling to the young ones.

The love for underwater activities still stays close to his heart. This Independence Day saw him hoisting the tricolour, 31 feet deep underwater with a team of seven ex-marine-commanders, 40kms away from Mumbai under a controlled atmosphere ‘as all MARCOS (marine commandoes) were above fifty,’ he says. A few years back he had conducted an underwater wedding as the ‘pandit reciting mantras,” says he smiling.

[caption id="attachment_28935" align="aligncenter" width="646"] Pravin as Santa Claus[/caption]

“Incidentally I am an award-winning Santa Claus and boast of at least half a dozen different Santa costumes – the best in the country, I assure you,” signs off the ex-naval officer who believes that makeup in whatever get-up you are in matters. “It should enhance the fun aspect instead of looking scary or evil.”

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Reading Time: 7 mins

Rattan Lal: From childhood farmer to godfather of soil science

(October 22, 2024) From the sun-drenched fields of pre-partition Punjab to the prestigious halls of academia in the United States, Rattan Lal's journey depicts how Indian experiences can transform global challenges. Once a child farmer toiling on his family's modest land, he has risen to become a leading figure in improving food security for over two billion people. Recently honoured with the 2024 Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity, Lal's groundbreaking research in soil science is reshaping the understanding of sustainable agriculture and its vital role in addressing pressing global issues, inspiring hope and possibility. With a career spanning more than five decades, his accolades include the Nobel Peace Prize, the World Food Prize, and the Padma Shri, among others. In 2014, he was recognized in the Thomson Reuters list of the World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds. In 2022, U.S. President Joe Biden appointed this Global Indian to the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development (BIFAD), making him a key advisor on global agricultural policy. [caption id="attachment_58302" align="aligncenter" width="711"] Dr Rattan Lal[/caption] In a world where the stakes have never been higher, Lal serves as a guiding light, advocating for the respect and dignity of agriculture to attract the next generation.

FAD), making him a key advisor on global agricultural policy.

[caption id="attachment_58302" align="aligncenter" width="711"] Indian Scientist | Rattan Lal | Global Indian Dr Rattan Lal[/caption]

In a world where the stakes have never been higher, Lal serves as a guiding light, advocating for the respect and dignity of agriculture to attract the next generation. “The agriculture profession must be given the respect and dignity it deserves,” he emphasized in an interview, highlighting his commitment to a holistic vision of agricultural innovation that encompasses business, academia, and industry globally.

From refugee to renowned scientist

Born in 1944 in British India's Punjab region, Lal’s early life was shaped by hardship and displacement. His family, subsistence farmers, lost their land during the partition and lived in refugee camps for two years. Eventually resettling in India, the Lal family farmed less than two acres of semi-arid land, facing the daily struggles of smallholder farmers—droughts, poor soil quality, pest infestations, and a lack of modern agricultural tools. It was here, as a child farming on the family land, that Lal first became aware of the fragile relationship between soil and sustenance.

These early experiences sowed the seeds of his lifelong passion for soil management, driving him to explore ways to improve soil productivity, particularly for smallholder farmers like his own family.

"My interest in soil and its management goes back to my childhood, growing up on a family farm in north-western India. During those times without fertilizers, tractors, or electric pumps, the wellbeing of families depended on soil and its ability to produce crops." - Rattan Lal

Education in India and abroad

[caption id="attachment_58304" align="aligncenter" width="423"] Indian Scientist | Global Indian Dr Rattan Lal during his days as a student[/caption]

Lal earned his B.Sc. degree from Punjab Agricultural University and his M.Sc. from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute. A significant moment came in the 1960s when an Ohio State University professor noticed his talent and arranged a scholarship for him to pursue a Ph.D. in soil science, which he completed in 1968. This marked the beginning of an illustrious career that would span over half a century, leaving an indelible mark on global agriculture and environmental science.

Early Career – In Nigeria

One of Lal's most formative experiences came during his time as a soil physicist at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Nigeria. It was there, while studying the effects of deforestation on soil health, that Lal made a groundbreaking discovery: removing trees and vegetation caused the organic carbon and essential nutrients in the soil to disappear, rendering the land barren. In response, Lal developed practices such as mulching, no-till farming, and cover cropping to restore lost nutrients and organic matter, effectively regenerating the soil’s fertility.

His findings not only revolutionized local agricultural practices but also attracted global attention. Scientists from around the world travelled to Nigeria to see his experimental plots, marveling at how Lal had managed to bring degraded soils back to life. This research laid the foundation for his future work on carbon sequestration, showing how soil could serve as a natural sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide, thus playing a crucial role in mitigating climate change.

[caption id="attachment_58308" align="aligncenter" width="660"] Indian Scientist | Global Indian Dr Rattan Lal with farmers at a research site in Nigeria[/caption]

Returning to Ohio: Leading the world

In 1987, Lal returned to Ohio State University, where he established the Rattan Lal Center for Carbon Management and Sequestration. Over the next several decades, his research focused on transforming degraded soils into healthy, productive ones—not just for agricultural benefit but for the greater ecological good. His models demonstrated that by restoring soil health, humanity could double global annual grain yields, reduce the land area used for grain cultivation by 30 percent, and significantly lower the need for chemical fertilizers, which contribute to environmental degradation.

In 2004, the scientist published a landmark paper in Science titled "Soil Carbon Sequestration Impacts on Global Climate Change and Food Security." In this paper, Lal was one of the first to assert that restoring organic material to the soil could help remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. “Soil can be a powerful tool in mitigating climate change,” Lal argued. This idea has since become a cornerstone of climate change mitigation strategies and remains one of the most cited works in environmental science.

He continues to be ranked as a highly influential researcher, with over 1,000 peer-reviewed journal articles and more than 100 books (written and edited) to his name.

[caption id="attachment_58303" align="aligncenter" width="706"] Indian Scientist | Rattan Lal | Global Indian Dr Rattan Lal is considered the godfather of soil science[/caption]

Work that aligns with the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals

Lal’s five decades of work are deeply aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), established in 2012, particularly those focused on eradicating hunger, combating climate change, and ensuring sustainable ecosystems.

He pointed out that one oversight of the Sustainable Development Goals is that the word “soil” is not specifically mentioned in the primary language of any of the 17 Goals, although the word “land” is included in SDG15.

"It is now widely realized that protecting, managing and restoring “Soil Health” is essential to achieving several SDGs (such as #1;2;13;15 and others). The focus on improving soil health can still accomplish several SDGs in the remaining years." - Rattan Lal

His pioneering research in regenerative agriculture and soil carbon sequestration directly addresses SDG 1: No Poverty by improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, as well as SDG 2: Zero Hunger, significantly enhancing global food security through sustainable farming practices. By focusing on restoring soil health to mitigate climate change, his efforts resonate with SDG 13: Climate Action. Moreover, his advocacy for ecosystem preservation supports SDG 15: Life on Land. As Lal aptly puts it, “Good diet is also good medicine,” highlighting the critical importance of nutrition-sensitive agriculture in achieving these global goals.

[caption id="attachment_58307" align="aligncenter" width="657"] Indian Scientist | Rattan Lal | Global Indian Dr Rattan Lal at field work in Ohio[/caption]

Giving back to farmers and the earth

Despite his academic achievements, Lal has never forgotten the struggles of smallholder farmers like his own family. His life’s work has been about giving back—both to the earth and the people who depend on it. His techniques for restoring soil health are now used across continents, from Africa to Asia to the Americas. More than two billion people have benefited from improved food security due to his soil-centric agricultural methods.

"Keeping food prices low is important but it should not come at the cost of farmers’ livelihoods or the degradation of our planet’s soils." - Rattan Lal

As a prominent advocate for sustainable agriculture, he has worked tirelessly to ensure that his findings translate into actionable policies. In 2021, he and his team launched the C-FARM project on carbon farming, aimed at providing field-based validation of how soil can capture and store carbon dioxide.

Through his leadership, initiatives like Living Soils in the Americas have emerged, creating international collaborations aimed at preserving and enhancing soil health.

Indian Scientist | Rattan Lal | Global Indian

A lifelong mission

At 79, Dr Rattan Lal continues to advocate for policies that support sustainable agriculture, serving as Chair in Soil Science and a Goodwill Ambassador for the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture. Though his many accolades, including the 2024 Gulbenkian Prize, recognize his contribution to protecting the planet’s future, Lal believes the work is far from over. His vision for the future involves continued global cooperation to further soil management, ensuring that future generations inherit a planet capable of feeding its people while thriving ecologically.

Dr Lal not only bridges the gap between traditional farming practices and modern science but also serves as an inspiration for the diaspora to leverage their Indian experiences and knowledge for global betterment. Indian Scientist | Rattan Lal | Global Indian

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