Global IndianstoryBuilding better lives: How Nowsheen Yaqoob went from aviation to human development through NLP

Building better lives: How Nowsheen Yaqoob went from aviation to human development through NLP

Written by: Lubna Reshi

(March 27, 2023) Nowsheen Yaqoob believes no matter what the adversity is, one must learn to be joyful in all situations. Joy, she believes, is a basic emotion – It was the conviction that led to the creation of Auracious Global Consulting – a human development company based in Dubai, that helps individuals and organisations across the globe achieve their full potential on the personal and professional fronts. Their approach, according to the company’s LinkedIn profile, involves the latest developments in neural and behavioural science, Neuro Linguistic Programming, Hypnosis and Quantum Physics, as well as Life Coaching and Change Management models. Auracious works with a diverse clientele from around the world, as well as with clients like FedEx, De Montfort University Dubai and Amity University Dubai. Nowsheen, who left behind a lucrative career in the aviation sector to help people and organisations transform themselves, has come a long way.

The wind beneath her wings

Born in Srinagar, Nowsheen is a qualified Architect and holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration, besides being a certified life coach. Growing up, she always dreamed of a profession that would allow her to fly. “When I would watch planes fly as a child, I dreamt of working in a profession that would allow me to travel across the world. However, when it actually happened I felt something was missing,” Nowsheen said, in an interview with Global Indian.

Nowsheen Yaqoob, founder, Auracious Global Consulting

So, after more than a decade of working in the aviation sector she realised that it wasn’t her calling. She loved communicating and connecting with people more. Nowsheen went on to do a Master’s in Neuro Linguistic Programming and life coaching. During this time, she realised “there were many people, especially youngsters, who were unable to experience joy because of some trauma they were carrying,” she says. “I transform the way people understand themselves, their relationships, career, and health. The intent to help people in an authentic manner, backed by professional tools, put me on the road to making Life Coaching my career.”

Nowsheen constantly feels this desire to add value to people’s lives, especially the ones who feel they are under societal pressure and have issues that prevent them from achieving their best potential due to self-limiting beliefs. She finds it extremely fulfilling personally and professionally in more ways than she could have imagined.

The entrepreneurship route

It was this passion that led to creation of Auracious Global Consulting. “As an Internationally certified Master Life Coach and Neuro Linguistic Programming Practitioner, my work focuses on human development, along with personal and professional coaching solutions,” Nowsheen explains. She remarks, that in her quest for excellence, she has taken purposeful strides to blaze new trails in her specialisation, combining the best of her experience and expertise to help people and individuals achieve growth.

Nowsheen ensures that her beliefs and values hinge on achieving human connectedness, growth and contribution, in a manner that brings the best benefits for those who gain from it. “I give my best in everything I do, and be as genuine as humanly possible, with a never-give-up attitude. It is this same belief, ‘yes, it is possible’ that I share in my work, to help transform an individual’s mindset to realize their infinite horizons, dimensions, and potential.”

Her personal transformation

Nowsheen has had her own journey of transformation. “The amalgamation of my life experiences with how I overcame many challenges and obstacles in life, and my passion for sharing my learning with people helped me to take this up as a career,” she explains. From her early childhood years and well into adult life, hers has been an arduous journey towards overcoming many fears and anxieties. When she triumphed over them, it inspired her to go forward confidently in her chosen field of work.

In order to take the plunge into entrepreneurship, Nowsheen had to overcome her own self-limiting beliefs and rise above the apprehensions, fears, doubts and vulnerabilities, as well as a certain level of self-directed scepticism. “Now, I am living my passion of helping individuals to break their shackles of fears, anxieties, traumas, and stress, to live a confident, happy, and fulfilled life.”

Her focus areas

Today, Nowsheen helps individuals and corporations to transform the way they understand themselves, their relationships, career, and health, thus becoming their personal and professional best.

Nowsheen Yaqoob, founder, Auracious Global Consulting, Global Indian

“I work on bringing about a dynamic transformation in people’s lives through the principles of Human Potential Development, NLP and Life Coaching through individual sessions, awareness workshops, corporate trainings, group coaching, webinars, seminars, social media awareness, eBooks, self-help PDFs and podcasts.”

Human connectedness is the core value on which her Life Coaching approach is founded. Each step of the personal empowerment journey is designed to the highest degree. Auracious Global Consulting uses a well-structured combination of scientifically proven tools and techniques that are an amalgamation of Neuro Linguistic Programming, Life Coaching processes, Compassionate Counselling, Hypnosis and Meditation. “I have been a full-fledged Life Coach since 2015. However, my career in training and development has grown over the past 18 years, with many milestones, experiences, and learning.”

A global mission

She works with people of over 200 nationalities and Auracious Global Consulting is based out of Dubai. Still, Nowsheen keeps her ties with her homeland. “I visit India off and on for counselling; have conducted many sessions in Kashmir with schools, different organisations. I work with multinational companies and conduct workshops for employees and top-notch CEO’s,” she says. These days, Nowsheen has people calling her up from across the world seeking counselling.

In 2022, she also launched Auracious Global in Kashmir and provides online consultations. When she is in Kashmir she does in-person consultations. “People just need to be more aware that help is available and they need to be guided in the right direction. In order to create awareness I make the best use of my social media handles – both personal as well as professional.”

“It is a rewarding journey of transformation and fulfilment for those who I work with, by helping them overcome struggles to achieve their goals,” the entrepreneur remarks. Nowsheen loves to work closely with her clients and seeing them experience their personal breakthroughs is a constant source of fulfilment and gratification for her. “I give my 100 percent to my clients which led my clientele to grow organically through referrals and meaningful associations.”

Overcoming obstacles

Taking on huge responsibilities at an incredibly young age, with minimal guidance and no mentor presented Nowsheen with a mountain of obstacles to surmount.

“However, successfully overcoming those early challenges gave me that all-important thrust in the right direction. I had to break free from the imaginary mould of ‘perfection’ to face realities and to see for myself that inner happiness is more validating and satisfying than trying to live up to anybody else’s definition of perfection. We are not here to live up to a mark sheet of perfect expectations. We are better off discovering and creating our own happiness in each moment of our lifetime, she explains.

Making a difference

At various points in her personal and professional life, Nowsheen has been able to give back to society in many ways where her expertise could be harnessed free of cost to those who needed it. “Throughout the year 2020, especially when the pandemic forced people to give in to mental, emotional, and psychological pressures, and income sources dried up, I was able to provide professional life coaching pro bono to one and all.”

Lately, she has been working towards building a community of transformational coaches, thought leaders, mentors and change facilitators – who offer help to those who cannot afford or access professional coaching. “The foundation of this community lies on shared ideologies, and a fluid forum that inspires, sustains, and encourages progressive thoughts and sustainable human potential transformation.”

Nowsheen’s own struggle for inner transformation and her courage to follow her dreams, have led to her living her greatest passion – making a meaningful difference to people’s lives, by helping them make empowering decisions. She helps people to create the best version of themselves for themselves, and for the larger benefit of society.

“The greater aim is to make the world a better place through individuals who are joyful, confident, and evolved.” Apart from receiving many awards and appreciation during her course of journey, having received the Business Excellence Award from Padma Bhushan Javed Akhtar in November in Dubai has been quite a humbling experience for Nowsheen.

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Published on 27, Mar 2023

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India-born mountaineer Satish Gogineni sets new record by summiting Mt Everest and Mt Lhotse within 20 hours

(June 29, 2022) It’s not just the altitude that makes a mountain mean. From the route to scale the summit to the unexpected weather turning the climb into a deadly expedition - many unforeseen hurdles can make the summit an impossible task. However, nothing could deter Hyderabad-born mountaineer, Satish Gogineni, from climbing not one but two mountains in a single day. Last month, Satish summited Mount Everest and Mount Lhotse — the first and fourth highest peak in the world - within 20 hours of each other, in one single expedition. This makes him the fastest Indian to achieve the double-summit, a feat less than 100 climbers in the world have managed. [caption id="attachment_26275" align="aligncenter" width="505"] Satish Gogineni[/caption] Connecting with Global Indian from San Francisco, Satish shares that he was preparing for the summit for some time now. "I summited Mount Everest (8,849 m) and Mount Lhotse (8,516 m). I have always enjoyed travelling to new cities within and outside the US, and meeting new people. This, combined with my curiosity to find my vertical and endurance ceiling pushed me to challenge myself. I was able to climb both the mountains in about 19-and-a-half hours," shares the mountaineer. Driven by

enjoyed travelling to new cities within and outside the US, and meeting new people. This, combined with my curiosity to find my vertical and endurance ceiling pushed me to challenge myself. I was able to climb both the mountains in about 19-and-a-half hours," shares the mountaineer.

Driven by adventure

Like most kids, Satish grew up playing sports, however, it wasn't a big part of his life. "My father worked as an engineer in BSNL and my mother worked at Dr BR Ambedkar Open University. Growing up, I remember I was a lot into cricket. I and my brother would play many sports, but we never pursued them professionally."

[caption id="attachment_26276" align="aligncenter" width="586"] Moutaineer | Satish Gogineni | Global Indian Satish at Mount Everest's summit[/caption]

Academically driven, Satish went to Pune to pursue a bachelor's in engineering at the Maharashtra Institute of Technology, and later relocated to the United States in 2004. It was here that he reconnected with his adventurous streak. “I started taking part in inter-college sports activities. But soon realised that people here were much faster than I was. So, I started running about two to three miles every day. After moving to Los Angeles, I joined a running club as I didn’t have many friends to hang out with. In 2007, I ran my first LA marathon," shares the mountaineer, for whom there has been no looking back since then.

Matters of the mind

An endurance runner, Satish has run 14 full marathons, including the world majors in Berlin and Tokyo. However, the road to the highest mountain in the world was full of hurdles. "Very unexpectedly, I lost my mother in 2011. That was a big shocker for me. I struggled through depression for about two years. It was a huge loss," shares the adventure junkie. But it was running that kept him going. "Everyone in the world has struggled through a loved one's loss. However, it is important to move on. While it was difficult for me, I kept myself going. I never quit running and with time I got more disciplined and organised," the mountaineer adds.

Moutaineer | Satish Gogineni | Global Indian

While he is a pro at it now, mountaineering was never on the cards. A chance backpacking trip with a friend changed it all for Satish. “In 2013, a friend invited me for a backpacking trip to Mount Whitney (4,421 m), which is the tallest peak in the US. I didn't like it at the time, because it felt like running two marathons simultaneously. But, later, I started enjoying the rush," shares the mountaineer. High on adrenaline rush, he returned home to watch many YouTube videos on ‘How to climb Everest’ till wee hours of the night, after being sleepless for several hours.

Tryst with mountains

Since then, Satish has climbed several mountains in the US. He has summited Mt Shasta (4,322 m), Mt Rainier (4,392 m) and Mt Hood (3,429 m). Interestingly in 2018, he also climbed volcano Iztaccíhuatl (5,230 m) in Mexico, and scaled it again in 2019 along with stratovolcano Pico De Orizaba (5,636 m) — the third highest mountain in North America. In June 2021, he summited Mt Denali (6,190 m) — the highest mountain in North American continent.

[caption id="attachment_26279" align="aligncenter" width="612"] Moutaineer | Satish Gogineni | Global Indian Satish with another climber[/caption]

Passionate for the mountains, he trained rigorously for his Everest expedition with his friend. "I would run for about 60-90 miles a week. Apart from the endurance training, I had to prepare mentally as well, for which I practiced yoga regularly,” he adds.

Having climbed the world's tallest peak, Satish calls the experience “mentally challenging”. "The key is to stay focussed, because while it not the most dangerous mountain to climb, Mount Everest does test you in many ways. There are deadly crevasses, the Khumbu icefall, and the high altitude. So, the most difficult thing is to stay focussed on the task at hand at any given point in time. Also, I wasn't just climbing Mt Everest, but also My Lhotse, and for that it was important that to have a strong mind."

Moutaineer | Satish Gogineni | Global Indian

Happy to achieve the feat, Satish is all praise for his Sherpa, whom he calls his “biggest gift.” “Pemba, who was from the Makalu region, was the biggest blessing throughout the journey. He always double checked the safety and encouraged me at every point,” says Satish who plans to climb more mountains in the future.

Follow Satish Gogineni on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook

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Indian American Vivek Ramaswamy announces POTUS bid

(February 21, 2023) At a time when the buzz around another Indian-American making an entry to the US Presidential race was gaining heat, millionaire entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy decided to throw his hat in the ring. The Indian-origin tech entrepreneur announced his his 2024 presidential bid with a promise to “put merit back” and end dependence on China. He took to Twitter to make the big declaration, "We’ve celebrated our “diversity” so much that we forgot all the ways we’re really the same as Americans, bound by ideals that united a divided, headstrong group of people 250 years ago. I believe deep in my bones those ideals still exist. I’m running for President to revive them." We’ve celebrated our “diversity” so much that we forgot all the ways we’re really the same as Americans, bound by ideals that united a divided, headstrong group of people 250 years ago. I believe deep in my bones those ideals still exist. I’m running for President to revive them. pic.twitter.com/bz5Qtt4tmm — Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) February 22, 2023 Recently, American investor Bill Ackman hinted at Vivek's big move as he tweeted, "I think the country is ready for his message…. He speaks hard truths which many

297454598?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2023

Recently, American investor Bill Ackman hinted at Vivek's big move as he tweeted, "I think the country is ready for his message…. He speaks hard truths which many believe but fear to say.” Ackman has a point - Ramaswamy's tirade against social justice warriors led to him found Strive, a publicly traded company that seeks to make companies shut down their 'woke' overtures - and has drawn over $300 million in assets. Ramaswamy is giving speeches with more enthusiasm than ever, apparently doing test runs. And since the Harvard-Yale man comes with a net-worth $500 million, he can afford the expenses of a campaign, at least in the early states. Global Indian takes a look at the rise of Vivek Ramaswamy.

[caption id="attachment_35325" align="aligncenter" width="444"] Vivek Ramaswamy[/caption]

Ramaswamy has evolved, over the years, into a prominent Conservative voice, taking on what he calls 'Corporate America's social justice scam'. Flying in the face of the pundits who populate the Ivy Leagues, Ramaswamy maintains that corporations are not in the business of altruism- he calls it hypocrisy. "(It’s) Goldman Sachs preaching about diversity so it can be at the front of the line for the next government bailout. It's AstraZeneca waxing eloquent about climate change... It's State Street building feminist statues to detract attention from wage-discrimination lawsuits," he writes, in Woke Inc. His opinions are clear, his delivery brutal and have earned him the tongue-in-cheek epithet, CEO of Anti-Woke Inc.

The wolf of Wall Street

By the time he turned 30, Ramaswamy, who was described by Fortune as an "ambitious wunderkind," apparently cancelled his honeymoon in the Swiss Alps. Instead, his new bride Apoorva accompanied him as he rang the bell at the New York Stock Exchange to launch the biggest biotech IPO in US history. (One admits, that’s much more romantic than a chalet). Those were the golden days of the biotech bubble and Ramaswamy took full advantage. In December 2014, he founded Roivant with a ten-member team that included his mother and brother. It was the parent company then to Axovant Sciences - and the story of how a company that hadn't even existed a year prior, sold its shares at $15 a-piece, raising $315 million at a $1.4 billion valuation is the stuff of Wall Street legend. How did that come to be? Through RVT-101, an unproven Alzheimer's drug the company had purchased from GlaxoSmithKline at $5 million.

[caption id="attachment_35324" align="alignnone" width="790"] Photo: @Forbes[/caption]

A few days later, experts and enthusiastic investors began to ask the obvious question – why would a pharma giant sell off a drug for so little? The shares prices spiralled and the drug, it eventually turned out, didn’t work. Still, it was a historic stock market triumph and Ramaswamy was put glowingly on the cover of Forbes as ‘The 30-year-old CEO conjuring drug companies from thin air’. He attracted many critics but it didn’t take away from what he was actually trying to do. As he told Forbes, "It's an ethical problem of an underappreciated magnitude. So many drugs that would have been of use to society are cast aside. Certain drugs have gone by the wayside for reasons that have nothing to do with their underlying merits.

The immigrant life in Ohio

Ramaswamy's parents arrived in the USA shortly before their son was born in 1985, in Cincinnati, Ohio. His father was an engineer and patent lawyer who worked at General Electric and his mother (who went on to join him at Roivant) is a geriatric psychiatrist. As the The New Yorker would have it, his "family commissioned his horoscope, which predicted that he was destined for greatness."

Ramaswamy was imbued, even from an early age, with a "sense of superiority," he admits. There was pressure on him always to be the star, no matter what he did. Hard work was the mantra of every Indian immigrant and their children, they determined, would grow up to embody the great American dream. After getting into a scuffle at the public school he attended, which resulted in him being pushed down the stairs, his parents shifted him to a private prep school.

He was a tennis champion and played the piano like pro. Then, like a model Indian kid, Ramaswamy went off to Harvard University, where he majored in Biology and first dipped his toes into American politics. This was the start of Ramaswamy's great disillusionment with what he perceived as the left's groupthink. He was a proud libertarian and even became president of the Harvard Political Union.

Harvard to hedge funds

Just outside the NYSE, looking forward to ringing the closing bell in a couple of hours. pic.twitter.com/Pk3UvWsQAH

— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) August 10, 2022

This was the heyday of the hedge fund and after his sophomore year, Ramaswamy interned with Amarant Advisors, working in the biotech division. He lived the good life, accompanying the company's bigwigs as they partied on yachts and blew thousands on a bottle of wine. He didn't enjoy the experience, he wrote later, in Woke, Inc. Goldman Sachs made him just as discontent - a tree-planting session turned out to be a photo-op and Ramaswamy wasn't happy.

Even so, Ramaswamy made his way to the New York City hedge funds soon after college. He also attended Yale Law School while continuing to work at QVT. That's where he met Apoorva, whom he would go on to marry.

In 2014, he founded Roivant and in 2015, performed his IPO magic trick. In September 2017, it was established that Axovant's drug, Intepirdine, was a failure. "It felt humiliating," he told The New Yorker. Axovant saw a series of failures after that.

Ramaswamy's own brand of Corporate Social Responsibility

In the late 2010, diversity, equality and social consciousness were buzzwords in Corporate America. A new standard had been set, restaurants that sold fried chicken were successful not for their fried chicken but their views on the LGBTQi community.

America doesn’t force you to choose between speaking your mind freely and putting food on the dinner table. Between the First Amendment and the American Dream. We’re the quintessential nation on earth where you get to enjoy both at once. pic.twitter.com/S6Kyly5oCY

— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) February 20, 2023

The young millionaire's frustration continued to grow. In the Wall Street Journal in 2019, he spoke of the power of stakeholder capitalism. Issues that should be decided through an exercise of electoral rights and executed by governments, were now put in the hands of companies. Oil companies were giving lectures on climate change and political views seemed more important than a good product, or a sound financial model.

Ramaswamy spoke out freely and soon became a fixture on Fox News, as well as a prolific columnist for the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and a host of other publications. In 2022, he wrote letters to Apple, which was planning a racial equity audit and told Disney to "stop speaking out on political issues that do not affect its business. He told the Financial Times, "It's like McDonald's volunteering to take responsibility for the adult body weight of anyone who's eating a Big Mac."

The POTUS bid

His official announcement has made him a household name in India, too. Frankly speaking, his chances at victory are miniscule if he contests as an independent (remember Kanye’s ill-fated bid in 2020). Even so, it’s a big step for the diaspora, who have found favour on both sides of the political spectrum in the United States.

Follow Vivek Ramaswamy on Twitter and Instagram

The Indian students who won Belgium university’s KICK Challenge Award with their edible cutlery innovation

(October 11, 2021) What does a brewer’s spent grain have to do with cutlery? Absolutely nothing, yet in this latest innovation, everything. The next time you order food, gobble away, and chomp on the cutlery instead. There will be much less plastic in the world. Three Indian students from Ku Leuven University in Belgium created a biodegradable, edible cutlery brand called Eco Ware from a beer by-product, and it won the 2021 KICK Challenge Student Award. Anusuya Samantaray, Apoorva Vardhan and Varun Singh won this university business competition which focuses on social entrepreneurship. Their end goal is now to create a sustainable world, and reduce the human carbon footprint at a time when the latest Climate Change report warns us of the consequences of living on the edge. [caption id="attachment_12770" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] Apoorva Vardhan | KICK Challenge Student Award Winner[/caption] What got them started Anusuya was pained at the sight of the trashed beaches in Odisha, and even helped clear plastic waste as a child while Varun and Apoorva also wanted to help Belgium (and the world) answer the single use plastic menace. Apoorva (Faculty of Science), Varun (Faculty of Bioscience Engineering), Anusuya (Master of science in sustainable development) found that spent

0" height="1589" /> Apoorva Vardhan | KICK Challenge Student Award Winner[/caption]

What got them started

Anusuya was pained at the sight of the trashed beaches in Odisha, and even helped clear plastic waste as a child while Varun and Apoorva also wanted to help Belgium (and the world) answer the single use plastic menace.

Apoorva (Faculty of Science), Varun (Faculty of Bioscience Engineering), Anusuya (Master of science in sustainable development) found that spent was perfect to make edible cutlery.

“Apoorva, Varun and I did a lot of research and found that spent grain, a byproduct of the beer manufacturing industry is edible and a rich source of fiber. Restaurants in Belgium also use spent grain in pizzas. The country has over 1,000 beer brands and generates 60,000 MT of spent grain annually. We decided to use this to come up with an edible cutlery range including spoons and dip cups,” Anusuya told Global Indian.

“We were aware of edible cutlery and its presence in minimum capacities in India. There was also this concern that it’s being made out of agriculturally stressed products (wheat for example). We wanted to find possibilities to make it as eco-friendly as possible. Thanks to Varun, we discovered how brewers spent grain (BSG) could be of use. Apoorva and I, as students of sustainability, further incorporated ideas to reduce the carbon footprint by going local with our project.”

[caption id="attachment_12771" align="aligncenter" width="754"] Indian Youth - Eco Ware Edible Cutlery | Indian Students Belgium The edible cutlery developed by the Anusuya, Apoorva and Varun[/caption]

Work in progress

The team came up with Eco Ware cups and trays that was awarded the Gemma Frisius KICK Student Award for a business idea with impact. The trio researched extensively, and conducted a small pilot survey to understand consumer behavior with a focus on edible cutlery — 91% were open to the use edible cutlery, 3% showed partial interest.

Given that KU Leuven is the European capital of innovation, they were confident that the idea will kindle eco-consciousness among all. In agreement about the lack of sustainable policies in India, poverty, policy making and execution hurdles, they hope to ignite the same fervor back home. Even as Leuven sets the pace for such interventions, Anusuya feels there is a lot to learn from the indigenous communities in India, “Their knowledge of organic material such as using sal leaves to stitch plates, natural non-toxic dyes, farming methods, there is much tacit knowledge of the environment that could be used to build on innovating sustainable ways of living.”

Indian Youth - Eco Ware Edible Cutlery | Indian Students Belgium

For any foodie, taste is tantamount to consumption, so how does spent grain translate on the taste meter? Spent grain is used by farmers as fodder, and there has been a growing interest in alternative uses of spent grain in the food industry. “Brewer’s spent grain is a perfectly edible by-product of the beer industry, and is being significantly incorporated into breads, cookies and even pizza doughs because of its rich fiber content," says Anusuya.

“As a matter of justification, according to a paper presented at the 18th European Roundtable on Sustainable Consumption and Production Conference (ERSCP 2017), spent grain is proven to be rich in fiber and protein content. The only reason breweries simply give away the grains as fodder or discard them is because there is no current large-scale industry set up to add value to the processed spent grain/flour. Processing of spent grains into flour is an energy demanding task, so they find it feasible to sell it as fodder. We want to bridge the gap."

Being eco conscious

Anusuya’s upbringing had much to do with her chosen course. Her father’s naturalist leanings helped her gain knowledge about coastal bio-diversity. In fact, Sanjay Samantaray is the chief organizer of the India Surf Festival and founder of Surfing Yogis. A childhood amidst the tranquil seaside forests of Puri, influenced by her father who is action oriented and hosts events like beach clean-up drives, and promotes eco-tourism, she adds, "Sustainable development addresses the intricacies of the complexities; a process that is holistic and takes into account all three dimensions — societies, ecology and the economy to pursue sustainable growth,” says the girl, who did her BSc in sustainable development at Xavier University, Bhubaneswar.

[caption id="attachment_12773" align="aligncenter" width="631"] KICK Challenge Student Award - Eco Ware Edible Cutlery | Indian Students Belgium Varun Singh | KICK Challenge Student Award Winner[/caption]

Kanpur boy Varun Singh, 25, is doing his Masters in Food Technology (IUPFOOD), offered by KU Leuven and Ghent University. It is his experience that cemented this innovation. A B.Tech in food technology from Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences (SHUATS), Prayagraj, Varun also worked as a manufacturing executive in Too Yumm and a research associate at Mordor Intelligence.

“The knowledge and exposure at the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering is life-changing. I get to work on critical industrial problems related to food processing, packaging, and preservation. Added is the access to labs equipped with the latest equipment, valuing millions of Euros, used for the sole purpose of increasing food safety, food innovation, and promoting healthy eating,” says Varun. His research interest is working on chocolates as Belgium is world-famous for its expertise, and loves composing music, playing the guitar, and sketching.

For Apoorva, who is originally from Delhi, but has lived in Pune, her bachelors in Plant Sciences from University of Delhi paved the way for a degree in sustainable development with a specialization in ecology. She too is passionate and is inspired most by, “How you can come up with solutions that have the power to change the world and bring systemic change in society,” says the student, who will be traveling to Rwanda shortly for field work and master thesis, and is interested in agroforestry and food systems, for her PhD or career.

[caption id="attachment_12826" align="aligncenter" width="800"] KICK Challenge Student Award - Eco Ware Edible Cutlery | Indian Students Belgium Anusuya Samantaray | KICK Challenge Student Award Winner[/caption]

Road ahead

They now want to develop a finished product with the help of Leuven Research and Development department of KU Leuven, collaborating with researchers and research labs at KU Leuven’s beer institute. Working on developing partnerships with breweries in Leuven, they will go local before expansion. Product development, manufacturing and building partnerships is their focus, and they are on the lookout for funds and partnerships for distribution. They believe in ideating and challenging frontiers. In unison they say, “Keep hustling,” adding that research was their foundation.

As they work towards a tangible product, there is a second year to complete, projects, and master thesis to finish too. Anasuya adds, “While most other companies are exploring the market using rice and wheat, which are agriculturally stressed commodities, the spent grain initiative is most eco-friendly. Upon discovering sustainability, it made me believe that the problems we face today are not isolated affairs. Sustainable development addresses the intricacies of the complexities; a process that is holistic and takes into account all three dimensions — societies, ecology and the economy to pursue sustainable growth.”

Reading Time: 10 mins

Against all odds: Remarkable stories of IAS officers who fought their way to the top

(March 22, 2022) Each year, lakhs of aspirants appear for one of India’s toughest exams: the civil services exam. The competition is cut-throat, to say the least. In 2021, over 9,70,000 aspirants applied for the UPSC exam but only 761 cleared it. Many candidates prepare single-mindedly for years together to take the exam that will give them a shot at a career as an IAS, IPS, or IFS officer. Despite the sheer hard work required, some tales are a testimony to human determination succeeding against all odds. Global Indian turns the spotlight on IAS officers Pranjal Patil, Ramesh Gholap, Sivaguru Prabakaran, and Kuldeep Dwivedi who have inspired many to not get deterred even when there are challenging circumstances to sail through. Pranjal Patil, sub-collector, Thiruvanthapuram Born with a visual impairment, Pranjal Patil, the sub-collector of Thiruvanthapuram lost her eyesight by the time she turned six. She’d always been academically inclined and went on to pursue her post-graduation in International Relations from JNU followed by an MPhil and a PhD. She took a giant step into bureaucracy as the first visually impaired woman IAS officer after she was denied a job in the Indian Railways Account Services (IRAS) despite scoring a

een academically inclined and went on to pursue her post-graduation in International Relations from JNU followed by an MPhil and a PhD. She took a giant step into bureaucracy as the first visually impaired woman IAS officer after she was denied a job in the Indian Railways Account Services (IRAS) despite scoring a UPSC all India rank (AIR) of 773 due to her visual impairment in 2016.

[caption id="attachment_50040" align="aligncenter" width="521"] Pranjal Patil | IAS Officer | Global Indian Pranjal Patil[/caption]

Although no concrete action was taken, she decided to not give up and once again appeared for the UPSC in 2017. This time, she scored AIR 124. “We should never give up because with our efforts we would always get that breakthrough that we want,” has been her advice to all.

Ramesh Gholap, joint secretary, Jharkhand energy department

As a child, Ramesh Gholap, now joint secretary in Jharkhand’s energy department, would sell bangles with his mother. His father was a cycle mechanic in Maharashtra’s Mahagaon village. As his health took a turn for the worse, his mother began to sell bangles to earn a living and Ramesh, who was afflicted with polio, would pitch in. By the time he reached class 12, Ramesh began living with a relative to facilitate his studies. When his father passed away, the only way Ramesh could go home for the funeral was when a kind-hearted relative paid his bus fare. The academically bright Ramesh was forced to obtain a diploma since it was cheaper in comparison with graduate studies. Eventually, he landed a job to help his family. He simultaneously pursued a degree in humanities through distance education before appearing for the UPSC.

In 2012, he cleared his UPSC in his second attempt with a rank of 287. That same year he also stood first in the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) exam. In 2020 he tweeted saying, “It has been 8 years since I have become an IAS officer but my mother still sells bangles. She says it is due to the money earned by it that you became an IAS officer, and I will continue with it.”

Ramesh Gholap | IAS Officer | Global Indian

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Sivaguru Prabakaran, regional deputy commissioner, North Greater Chennai

The son of an alcoholic father, M Sivaguru Prabakaran fought all odds to pursue his education and cracked the UPSC civil services examination in 2017 securing a rank of 101. The Pattukottai lad had long nurtured a dream of becoming an IAS officer; even when he’d spend his days working at a sawmill and in the fields to support his family and pay for his education. Having studied in a Tamil medium institution, his initial tryst with English was a struggle. But Prabakaran was not one to give up. He moved to Chennai to fulfill his academic dreams and was tutored by an acquaintance who trained disadvantaged students like him. Determined to change his destiny, he went on to crack the entrance exam for IIT Madras’ tech programme and obtained his degree in 2014. But Prabakaran had different plans: he wanted to become a bureaucrat and went on to attempt the UPSC. He cleared the exam on his fourth attempt in 2017 and is today working as the regional deputy commissioner, North Greater Chennai Corporation. To this day, he remembers the teachers who coached and guided him during his days of struggle.

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Kuldeep Dwivedi, director-general, Income Tax, Maharashtra

Kuldeep Dwivedi’s father had always supported the family of five with his meagre income as a security guard in Lucknow University. In 2015, Dwivedi cleared the UPSC with an AIR 242 in what was his third attempt. Despite the family’s financial constraints, his father helped him meet expenses and encouraged him on his journey to becoming an IAS officer. Incidentally, Dwivedi had also been offered the job of assistant commandant with the Border Security Force in 2013. But the lad was determined to crack the UPSC exam and turned down the offer. Today, he is posted as the director-general of Income Tax department in Maharashtra. Despite having studied in Hindi medium institutions and not being well versed in English, Dwivedi has never shied away from helping aspirants from this background with strategies to crack the exams. His videos have been immensely helpful for aspirants clocking in lakhs of views.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-wLulmf5Yo

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Reading Time: 7 mins

Simone Tata: The Geneva tourist who stayed on and shaped Lakmé’s destiny

(December 15, 2023) Seventy years back, in 1953, a young girl named Simone Dunoyer embarked on her very first journey from Geneva, Switzerland to India as a tourist. Little did Simone know that the foreign land she was travelling to would eventually become her cherished home for the rest of her life, and she would end up playing an integral role in the growth of India's largest conglomerate, the Tata Group. Amidst the intricate fabric of the Tata heritage, Simone Tata’s journey unfolds as an extraordinary narrative of determination, foresight, and trailblazing leadership. Her odyssey began as a chance encounter with India as a tourist in 1953, a journey that introduced her to Naval H. Tata, whom she married in 1955. Settling permanently in Mumbai, Simone became an integral part of the Tata family, assuming the role of the stepmother to Ratan Tata who went on to become the most revered industrialist of India. Simone Tata is also the biological mother of Noel Tata, the chairman of Tata Investment Corporation and Vice Chairman of Trent. She made her mark in the Tata Group by turning Lakmé into a global cosmetic powerhouse. The 93-year-old’s involvement extends to the ascent of another

a Investment Corporation and Vice Chairman of Trent. She made her mark in the Tata Group by turning Lakmé into a global cosmetic powerhouse. The 93-year-old’s involvement extends to the ascent of another popular Tata brand Westside, alongside her commitment to philanthropic endeavours.

[caption id="attachment_47499" align="aligncenter" width="435"] Success Stories | Simone Tata | Global Indian Simone Tata[/caption]

Early years

Born in 1930, Simone Tata was brought up in Geneva, Switzerland, where she graduated from Geneva University. In 1953 when she arrived in India as a tourist, fate led her to meet Naval H. Tata. They fell in love and got married in 1955. With this Simone’s life-long association with India began. As the daughter-in-law of the Tata family, she settled permanently in Mumbai following her wedding,

Leading Lakmé and helping India shed conservative mind-set

When Simone Tata joined the Lakme Board in 1962, it was a minor subsidiary of Tata Oil Mills. It was not part of the mainstream businesses of the Tata Group and quite small in comparison to the conglomerate's other ventures.

[caption id="attachment_47504" align="aligncenter" width="629"] Success Stories | Simone Tata | Global Indian Simone Tata when she was at the helm of Lakmé[/caption]

She joined the subsidiary as its managing director, and steered the company into a new era. Her hands-on involvement even extended to formulating Lakmé’s products. She even started importing raw material and testing the finished products abroad. Her strategic moves saw Lakmé burgeon into a global cosmetic brand, with Simone eventually becoming its chairperson in 1982. Seven years later in 1987, she was appointed to the board of Tata Industries.

“Back in the ’60s, beauty in the country certainly didn’t mean any cosmetics. It was old-school—there were natural, herbal products on one side and talcum powder on the other. That was all. Makeup was an absolute taboo. You couldn’t appear in public wearing the tiniest amount of makeup, not even a touch of lipstick. Not unless you wanted to be framed as a bad girl,” Simone had said in an interview reminiscing how she had set on making cosmetics acceptable and accessible for Indian women. “I liked women to put their best face forward and I wanted to give them the tools for that. I wanted them to take charge of their appearance.”

Under Simone’s leadership, Lakmé changed perspectives of the Indian society and made Indian women adopt a modern outlook. Its campaigns led the country to think and question the beauty beliefs. Campaigns with questions like ‘Do men look down on women who use makeup?’ and ‘Is it bad to look good?’ prompted a shift in people’s thought process, and Lakmé got successful in making its products available in every household.

[caption id="attachment_47506" align="aligncenter" width="653"] Success Stories | Simone Tata | Global Indian Simone Tata with JRD Tata[/caption]

Laying the foundation of Westside

With time Simone’s ambitions as a businesswoman did not remain confined to the realms of cosmetics. Recognising the retail industry's potential, she strategically sold Lakmé to Hindustan Lever Limited (HLL) in 1996. Subsequently, she used the proceeds to establish Trent, the company behind Westside, laying its foundation. Shareholders of Lakmé were allotted equivalent shares in Trent.

The move signified Simone’s versatility as a business maven and her innate knack for spotting market opportunities. Just like Lakme, the brand soon became a household name with a chain of stores all over India bringing modern retail experience to the Indian shoppers.

In an interview talking about her rise in the sphere of business, Simone had remarked, “My biggest challenge was to direct a company without having had any past business experience. I had no clue on how to read a balance sheet even, and my knowledge of other aspects of the CEO function was limited. This was at a time when no business schools existed; there were no tools in terms of education, there were no conferences and seminars which one could attend to learn the finer aspects of running a business.” However, she had the dedication to learn on-the-job and be successful at the work she had taken in hand. “Life was certainly less hectic those days and you had more time to learn. The important thing was never to despair,” she had remarked.

[caption id="attachment_47502" align="aligncenter" width="612"] Success Stories | Simone Tata | Global Indian Simone Tata with Ratan Tata at the celebration of 100 years of The Taj Mahal Hotel[/caption]

Two strategies that helped Simone thrive was the art of delegating responsibilities to subordinates and the approach of surrounding oneself with well-versed people in every field, be it law, finance or marketing.

Giving back

Beyond the boardroom, Simone Tata’s heart resonated with philanthropic endeavours. She has led Sir Ratan Tata Institute as its chairperson. The institute that was started in 1928 caters authentic Parsi delicacies, outfits for kids and ladies, and also home linen produced by women of marginalised communities.

Additionally, Simone serves as a trustee of Children of the World (India) Trust, a public charitable organisation associated with Enfants du Monde of France. It works with the purpose to reach out to the most disadvantaged people of the society, particularly women and children. Even in her nineties, she has been devoting her time and energy to the cause.

[caption id="attachment_47503" align="aligncenter" width="521"] Success Stories | Simone Tata | Global Indian Simone Tata at one of the charity events[/caption]

Her commitment has also extended to supporting the arts. She is the trustee of the India Foundation for the Arts, championing creative expression and cultural enrichment, strengthening capacities and infrastructure in the arts in India. “I did not ever intend to have a professional life, but it has turned out to be a very happy development,” she had shared in an interview, “I started at the top in a non-existent industry. I had the great privilege to build the organisation the way I wanted to. The important thing is to have a vision, clarity and the ability to mould people,” - her words of wisdom for people aspiring to fly high.

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