Indian diaspora | Srinivasa Varadhan | Global Indian

Global IndianstoryPadma Vibhushan for Indian-American mathematician Srinivasa Varadhan

Padma Vibhushan for Indian-American mathematician Srinivasa Varadhan

Compiled by: Amrita Priya

(March 10, 2023)The Padma Awards list for 2023 features one of the finest Indian-origin mathematician in the field today – Srinivasa S.R. Varadhan. He is widely known for his contributions in the field of probability theory and for creating a unified theory of large deviations. In 2007 Srinivasa became the first Asian to receive the prestigious Abel Prize. Named after the famous Norwegian mathematician, the award was bestowed upon Srinivasa by the King of Norway. One year later, in 2008, Srinivasa was honoured with a Padma Bhushan.

The ace mathematician’s impressive list of awards and honours includes the National Medal of Science (2010), which he received from the former president of America, Barack Obama. It’s the highest honour bestowed by the United States government on STEM professionals. Srinivasa also received the Birkhoff Prize (1994), the Margaret and Herman Sokol Award of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, New York University (1995), and the Leroy P Steele Prize for Seminal Contribution to Research (1996) from the American Mathematical Society for his work on diffusion processes.

Srinivasa Varadhan with Barack Obama

“I think mathematics is a beautiful subject because it explains complicated behaviour by simple means. I find beauty in simplicity through mathematics,” Srinivasa had remarked in a conversation with professors from Denmark and Norway.

A source of inspiration for mathematicians across the world, Srinivasa has been a member of the scientific committees of several international research agencies including the US National Academy of Sciences, and Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. He has also been elected as a fellow at some the highest institutions in mathematics – the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Third World Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Mathematical Statistics, the Royal Society, the Indian Academy of Sciences, the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, and the American Mathematical Society.

The Global Indian received two honorary degrees from Université Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris (2003) and from Indian Statistical Institute in Kolkata (2004).

Early life

Born into a Hindu Tamil Brahmin family in 1940 in Chennai (then Madras), Srinivasa moved with his family to Kolkata (then Calcutta) in 1953. As a maths teacher’s son, he enjoyed maths and science from an early age. It was not just his father but also his teachers who influenced him in his growing up years.

Talking about his childhood in an interview, he reminisced, “In high school I had an excellent mathematics teacher, who asked some of his good students to come to his house during weekends and gave them extra problems to solve. We thought of these problems just as intellectual games that we played; it was not like an exam; it was more for enjoyment. It helped me realise that mathematics is something that you can enjoy like playing chess or solving puzzles,” he said.

Srinivasa Varadhan at the age of seven

Srinivasa went on to pursue graduation and post-graduation from Presidency College, Chennai, earning his master’s degree at the tender age of twenty. He received his doctorate from Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) in 1963.

After spending the first 23 years of life in India, he moved to USA where he has been staying for the last 60 years.

In the US, Srinivasa Varadhan did his postdoctoral fellowship from the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University (NYU) – one of the most prestigious research centres in the world, and was offered a job there even before he completed his research. The institution remained Srinivasa’s academic home throughout his illustrious career. With his colleagues at the institution, he has made valuable contributions in the sphere of stochastic processes, mathematical physics and hydrodynamics.

The course of life

The mathematician has been very popular in academic circles, not because of his awards but also because he is known for being friendly and approachable. He is respected for not just being a great researcher but also for being an excellent lecturer. Over the years he has written a number of books and supervised various PhD scholars.

Although Srinivasa has spent six decades of his life in the US, he has never lost touch with India. “I grew up in India, and I think that part of your life always stays with you. I am still very much an Indian in the way I live. I prefer Indian food to anything else, and I am a practising Hindu,” he said in an interview “But when you are living in the United States you learn to adjust a little bit, you perhaps have a combination of the two in your lifestyle that you get comfortable with,” he added.

Indian diaspora | Srinivasa Varadhan | Global Indian

The Indian-American stalwart also loves Tamil literature. “It is a language which is 2,000 years old, almost as old as Sanskrit, and perhaps the only language which today is not very different from the way it was thousands of years ago,” he said in an interview adding, “So, I can take a book of poetry which was written 2,000 years ago, and still be able to understand,” he smiled.

The 83-year-old continues to remain active in mathematics teaching and research believing that ‘the missing piece may occur at any time, and there are always enough problems to solve since every solution generates more problems.”

Follow Srinivasa Varadhan on Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences’ website

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Published on 10, Mar 2023

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Aditya Mhatre: Transforming the immigration experience in Canada

(June 20, 2024) It is just 9 a.m. in Toronto, but Aditya Mhatre is already settled in at work, attending calls and taking stock of his in-work tray. "I tend to start early," he tells Global Indian, adding, "I have the school drop-off run in the mornings." Affable and armed with a smile, it takes a while to sink in that he is the co-founder of a fintech startup and has had a stellar career across different industries. But then, the 43-year-old wears his success easy, and it is this agility that has enabled a trajectory that started as a student at Panvel in Mumbai and took him across the world. As the co-founder of Beacon, a platform that is transforming the immigration experience in Canada, Aditya is doing what he has done throughout his career: leveraging technology with a human touch to provide out-of-the-box solutions for customers. [caption id="attachment_52485" align="aligncenter" width="453"] Aditya Mhatre[/caption] Driven, passionate, and tenacious, the entrepreneur's biggest strength remains adapting to the environment around him, which has ensured success at every step. Early Learnings Growing up in Panvel, then a small town where everyone knew everyone, Aditya had a childhood typical of 80s and 90s India,

o provide out-of-the-box solutions for customers.

[caption id="attachment_52485" align="aligncenter" width="453"] Indians in Canada | Aditya Mhatre | Global indian Aditya Mhatre[/caption]

Driven, passionate, and tenacious, the entrepreneur's biggest strength remains adapting to the environment around him, which has ensured success at every step.

Early Learnings

Growing up in Panvel, then a small town where everyone knew everyone, Aditya had a childhood typical of 80s and 90s India, where he got around on a cycle, played cricket with friends, and had a leisurely childhood. Things changed when he went to Belgium for a year as a teenager as an exchange student. He recalls, "I had to live with a family that spoke only French, and I remember when I first went to their home, they served me a meal of bacon with lettuce, which I had because I could not refuse their hospitality."

It is also where the innate flair of Aditya to thrive in unexpected circumstances came to the fore. Within three months, he learned French, adapted to the new surroundings, and soaked in all the experiences the international exposure accorded him.

Once back, he pursued his degree in commerce, and one thing led to another before he went to Carnegie Mellon for his master's degree. While a commerce graduate applying for a technology degree was an anomaly, it was a time when the IT companies in India were coming of age and piqued by the phenomenon, Aditya taught himself to code (by learning books; no YouTube tutorials back then!) and soon found himself at one of the best universities in the world.

[caption id="attachment_52486" align="aligncenter" width="774"] Indians in Canada | Aditya Mhatre | Global indian Aditya Mhatre with his team[/caption]

He recalls, "The talent at the university was surreal. As most of the students were from a science or math background, I was among the few who were not and had to work doubly hard to ensure that I made the grade." Grade he did make and life at the university also taught him other pertinent life lessons, such as the importance of networking and building a community.

Exploring and finding himself

In 2005, in an attempt to stay in touch with his roots and happenings in India, Aditya, along with his friend Abhishek, started the podcast Indicast. One of the first Indian podcasts, it still runs strong, touching upon a variety of topics, including current affairs, sports, and Bollywood.

"Podcasts were quite the flavour of the season back then, with Wired magazine putting them on its cover and Apple I-Tunes just getting popular," he notes and adds, "We were one of the early adapters, and it was a time when many engineers from IT started to move abroad in large numbers, so we had a great captive audience."

Aditya then moved to India and worked with Reliance Jio (which was still in its formative stages), where he was employee number 10, and the company basically operated from a conference room. It was there that he worked with Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani, who mentioned in a meeting that "What you don't write, you cannot manage!"— an advice Aditya follows till date!

Moving abroad, again

After working in India for a while, Aditya moved to Canada to pursue an MBA from the University of Toronto — something he calls one of the best decisions he made. It was an email to Vijay Shekar Sharma, the founder of Paytm, that changed the trajectory of his career.

"I emailed Vijay, evincing an interest in working with him as Paytm just launched its operations in Canada, and got a reply within 15 minutes. I joined the company the next day," he smiles. His role in the initial days was all encompassing; from ordering toilet paper to drafting the HR policy and conducting an internal audit, he did everything that came his way.

[caption id="attachment_52487" align="aligncenter" width="528"] Aditya Mhatre with co-founder of his startup, Beacon[/caption]

After the Paytm launch in Canada in 2017, when they added over 300,000 users to the system, opportunity came calling to Aditya in the form of a move to Japan to oversee Paytm operations in the country. Never one to say no to a challenge, Aditya moved along with his family to Japan, once again finding himself in a new country and starting all over again.

In Japan, where 78 percent of the payment was still in cash, the entrepreneur had his hands full building the team and encouraging an entire economy to transition to digital payments. Delivering on objectives and launching key products, Aditya managed to build a QR-based mobile payment system that helped a seamless transition to online payment.

Back to (second) home

After a stint in Japan, Aditya felt it was the correct time to return to Canada, as it was the right move for the family. When he moved back to Canada at the tail end of COVID, when immigration had spiked, Aditya noticed the challenges and discrepancies in the system that immigrants had to face. From opening bank accounts or applying for credit cards to getting information from the government, everything was a challenge.

It was to address this challenge that he co-founded Beacon, a start-up aimed at transforming the immigration experience in Canada through a comprehensive platform that simplifies their financial and informational needs. He explains, "We use the power of technology to solve real-world problems. Be it getting a telecom provider or finding accommodation, it is a one-stop shop for those coming to Canada for the first time. The premise of Beacon is simple: how can we make the first 100 days easy in a new country?”

As a true global Indian who has worked in different countries, Aditya says that it is important to understand and adapt to local cultures. “What works in one country will not work in another. The nuances are specific to each country. As more Indians are moving abroad, it is imperative to understand that soft skills matter and the strength of building relationships.

[caption id="attachment_52488" align="aligncenter" width="757"] Indians in Canada | Aditya Mhatre | Global indian Aditya Mhatre with his team[/caption]

When not working, the entrepreneur loves spending time with his wife, Prachiti Mhatre, and 10-year-old son Kaivalya (or Kai as he is lovingly called), celebrating Indian festivals and playing golf with his friends.

While Aditya prepares for his busy day ahead, it is easy to understand his mantra in life: to always be a student and seek knowledge, which helps him succeed. Be it learning Japanese to assimilate into a new culture, upskilling himself with coding or ensuring that he does not lose touch with his roots, he is the perfect example of a new-age Indian, one who is comfortable in his skin in any country.

Aditya suggests three things that every Indian moving abroad should keep in mind:

As you grow older, building relationships might be difficult. But talk to people around you, form bonds, and ensure that you make enough social connections.
Nothing replaces hard work, and the truth is that immigrants definitely need to work harder than locals.
Pick up new skills, learn new languages, and understand the dynamics of the country you move to. It always helps to grow, both personally and professionally.

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Anshu Ahuja and Renee Williams: Making takeaway in London sustainable with DabbaDrop

(February 10, 2024) Dressed in a white outfit and traditional Gandhi topi, an army of about 5000 dabbawallas push through every nook and corner of Mumbai to satiate the hunger of over 200,000 Mumbaikars daily with home-cooked food for 125 years. This very lifeline of Mumbai inspired a Mumbaikar, who is now settled in London, to start DabbaDrop - London's first plastic-free, waste-free and emissions-free takeaway. In just five years, co-founders Anshu Ahuja and Renee Williams have saved 2,03,370 plastic containers and prevented 2,500 kg of food waste from going into landfills through DabbaDrop. "In the past few years, people have started ordering a lot, thanks to the arrival of food delivery apps. After having that food, we end up with a bin full of plastic. The packaging is very wasteful and greasy. You can’t recycle it. So, I wanted to find a better way to order in," the Global Indian said in an interview. [caption id="attachment_48946" align="aligncenter" width="618"] Renee Williams and Anshu Ahuja[/caption] Zero wastage takeaway Growing up in Mumbai with a Tamilian mother and a Punjabi father, food remained a big part of Anshu's life. As a teenager whenever she stepped out to try some food, she would

bal Indian" width="618" height="392" /> Renee Williams and Anshu Ahuja[/caption]

Zero wastage takeaway

Growing up in Mumbai with a Tamilian mother and a Punjabi father, food remained a big part of Anshu's life. As a teenager whenever she stepped out to try some food, she would end up recreating the same in her kitchen upon her return. "This way I could continue to taste the flavours."

However, after moving to London and working a high-pressure job as a TV producer, she would often end up ordering food. But the options for vegetarian food were very limited and the food always arrived in plastic containers. Keen to find a better way, she quit her 15-year-long stint in TV production to start Dabba Drop. It began with her reproducing her family's recipes, packing them in reusable metal tiffin or dabbas, and delivering it by bike in the nearby areas of Hackney. She texted a handful of friends about the idea, and the first week saw six people ordering in, and later the number rose to 25. In just 18 months, DabbaDrop was feeding 300 people weekly across Hackney, Leyton and Walthamstow.

[caption id="attachment_48947" align="aligncenter" width="679"] DabbaDrop Eco-friendly delivery[/caption]

One of her first messages landed in Renee William's textbox, who was a restaurant event producer. Coming from New Zealand, she believes in nature and sustainability and instantly fell in love with the concept of DabbaDrop. "I loved the theatre of not knowing what was inside the dabba before I opened it, and the wholesome food and sustainability element really ticked all the boxes for me," Renee said in an interview. In no time, the conversations between the two turned into how to make this idea bigger and better.

Offering healthy South Asian cuisine

They work on a flexible subscription-based system that allows people to sign up weekly or fortnightly, with a set menu for every week. They curate the mains, and customers can add the sides. "We cook all our dals, curries and subzi's from scratch in our commercial kitchen, using 100% natural ingredients - vegetables, lentils, legumes, healthy fats, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. Our handmade spice mixes are made fresh every week and everything is made in small batches," reads their website. With DabbaDrop, Anshu and Renee wanted to introduce Londoners to Indian flavours and textures. "What we serve is not something that is easily available in a traditional Indian restaurant."

"Our meals are vegan and South Asian. We want to follow the journey of the curry. This way, we are uncovering the history of Indians as they emigrated across the world," added Anshu, who avoids wastage, thanks to pre-orders. The chefs cook for the exact amount of people who have ordered, as one dabba can easily serve two people.

DabbaDrop | Global Indian

The dabbas that serve meals from Japan, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Kerala, Delhi, and Hyderabad are then mounted onto bicycles, e-bikes, and other emission-free vehicles for delivery in Zones 1-3 of London And the empty dabbas can be picked up during the next delivery. "We use everything that is reusable. We are constantly trying to improve our packaging. We want to leave a better planet for our kids," added Anshu.

Dabbadrop has more than 2,000 subscribers and delivers food all over East London. They want to grow bigger in the future. They got £500,000 in their first funding round, which made the company worth £2.7 million. "We want to change the way London does take away," said Anshu.

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Mausam Narang: The girl who mastered artisanal Norwegian cheese and got a “silver”

(December 1, 2021) Brunost cheese may be of Norwegian origin, but a Mumbai-based artisan cheesemaker knows how to make it better In the heart of Mumbai is a UK-studied and Italy-trained artisan cheese maker making Norwegian cheese. Mausam Jotwani Narang, from Mumbai, entered an elite club of cheese connoisseurs and makers with her carefully handcrafted brunost, a Norwegian-style whey cheese that is standing shoulder to shoulder with cheese royalty. The cheese maker became the first Indian to win a silver in the brown cheese category at the prestigious World Cheese Awards 2021 in Oviedo, Spain. She stole their cheese Narang did an MBA in human resources at the University of Birmingham, studied German for four years, and has a B.Com from RA Podar College in Mumbai. She worked at Cape Gemini in HR for a while and then cheese mongering became her calling. [caption id="attachment_17117" align="aligncenter" width="574"] Mausam Narang at Eleftheria[/caption] It is widely believed that cheese travelled to India from the West, even though the local favourite cottage cheese (paneer) finds pride of place in most households. The more gourmet varieties are a tad exclusive. As a cheese artisan who has put India on the world cheese map, Narang,

om the West, even though the local favourite cottage cheese (paneer) finds pride of place in most households. The more gourmet varieties are a tad exclusive. As a cheese artisan who has put India on the world cheese map, Narang, has been dedicated in learning the craft for a few years. She began her initial training at informal workshops in Italy where she heard about the World Cheese Awards for the first time in 2019. Learning and fine-tuning her skills at two Italian creameries, she was on song. “I thought, ‘Why can’t any Indian cheese maker participate?’” she tells Global Indian. The self-taught cheese maker who has no formal course in cheesemaking, was helped with the insights she got in Italy. Today, Mausam is enthused and proud of her handcrafted brunost.

When the world slowly started opening up in 2020 after the first wave of Covid-19, Mausam got her hands wet in the whey, literally, with the awards on her mind.
The World Cheese Awards are a platform to identify varieties of cheese from across the world, that are then judged by technical experts, buyers, retailers and food writers. This year, India-crafted cheese sat pretty confident with the other 4,000 entries from 45 countries. Then it was down to business – as 230 judges went on their tasting and observation medley and chanced upon this Indian-made brunost. That Narang was among the winners was monumental, and she inadvertently opened the doors for other Indian cheese makers with her delicious brown cheese. “I was ecstatic when I heard the news. It was a huge moment for all Indian cheese artisans,” she says.

[caption id="attachment_17109" align="aligncenter" width="632"] Cheese Cheese by Eleftheria[/caption]

As for the coveted brunost, it has a unique taste, “That’s quite like a fusion of khoya (milk cake), the traditional Indian milk solid and whey,” she explains.

Prepared from discarded whey, brunost was already a well-known cheese when Narang experimented with it. It took her a few weeks to perfect the texture and flavour of the brown cheese. “It was exciting to do that. The cheese is also unique to the Indian market. It tastes almost like salted caramel milk fudge. Brunost goes well with your morning breakfast of toast and pancakes too,” she suggests.

How the “umami” came together

Narang's interest in fromage began nine years ago. Working at Capgemini, she missed her comfort food of bread and cheese from her years at Birmingham, which is also where she first fell in love with a wide variety of cheese. “Back then, my fridge had a huge collection,” she smiles.

When she came back to Mumbai, Mausam baked bread and crafted homemade cheese to complement her loaves. An idea that began with an inherent urge to taste good cheese, her passion saw her parents wondering where to store the cheese she was churning out. “My parents are very supportive, but they were worried about the amount of cheese I was making during weekends. We Indians don't learn about cheese-making from our forefathers. Similarly, my parents were clueless,” she laughs. After a great response for her milk-laden bites from loved ones, she decided to quit corporate life to pursue cheese and became a true turophile and cheesemonger.

[caption id="attachment_17113" align="aligncenter" width="450"] Mausam Narang[/caption]

The freedom to “cheese”

Eleftheria, her brand was born in 2015, which is the Greek word for “freedom.” She tackled it with the same spirit. Three years of R&D on cheese making, creating new varieties, attending workshops and meeting fromagers - she was ready with the artisanal Eleftheria. The micro creamery in Mumbai’s north-east suburbs supplies artisanal cheese to over 50 restaurants across Mumbai, Pune, Calcutta, Bengaluru, Delhi, etc. It is also available at Foodhall. “We plan to expand to Chennai soon,” she adds. What started as a venture with two people, is now 25 staff strong. A 150 gm brunost costs Rs 350, 200 gm burrata Rs 400 and 200 gm mozzarella is Rs 350.

The resourceful fromagere is at the creamery every morning when the first milk arrives. “I don't like getting up early, but the milk forces me,” she laughs. She personally monitors the quality and processes.

One thing that cheese has taught Narang is patience. “The craft teaches you to be patient. Milk is the main ingredient and it's so tricky, especially when preparing a fermented product. You have to be very careful, and never give up. With lots of patience, you can achieve great results,” she says. Her personal favourite cheese is a well-aged cloth bound traditional cheddar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSDaKp0uX0o

Chuffed about flying the Indian flag high, she is hopeful, “India is not that big for cheese artisans, but the number is increasing steadily. People are travelling and have developed a palate and now know about different food combinations. I feel a lot of cheese makers will come up from India in the next five to six years,” says cheese story teller.

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Reading Time: 6 min

Forensic scientist Risha Jasmine Nathan named a global gastronomy gamechanger

(July 13, 2022) In June 2022, Risha Jasmine Nathan was named one of the world's leading gastronomy gamechangers. She's one of only four Indians on the 50 Next 'Class of 2022' list, which was unveiled at the first live awards ceremony in Bilbao, Spain. As we speak, Risha (pronounced with an 'ai', she emphasises), who recently resigned from her job as an assistant professor at Galgotias University in Noida, is preparing for her move to the UK, where she will begin work as a lecturer in forensic chemistry at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge. The research that landed Risha on the global gamechangers list took shape when she was a PhD student in New Zealand. The idea came about as she completed her master's thesis - "I had found a group of researchers using banana peels to remove lead ions from water," Risha tells Global Indian. Qualified in analytical chemistry and toxicology, she decided to take the idea further through biosorption, pitching the idea at the University of Otago. Many a late night at the lab followed, as Risha experimented with orange, banana, cucumber, apple, kiwi fruit and potato peels to remove heavy metals from drinking water. It’s an experiment with

[caption id="attachment_26856" align="aligncenter" width="334"] Risha Jasmine Nathan[/caption]

The road to forensic chemistry

Risha's career is enough to make any true crime aficionado wide-eyed with excitement. "It's not as glamorous as it looks," she chuckles. "It's all about bad smells and dead bodies." Even so, having grown up watching shows like Forensic Files and CSI, she does recall a time when she saw herself working for the FBI. Real life turned out to be far more prosaic, although, in Risha's case, not at all uninteresting.

Born and raised in Prayagraj (it was still Allahabad then), Risha was always academically inclined, encouraged very much by her mother, who was an associate professor at a college in Allahabad University. "I was a very involved student, I tried my hand at everything, including music and painting and I did well in class, too." Her mother hoped her bright daughter would choose a career in medicine. "I tried, I even prepared for the exam but I didn't qualify," Risha says. “Perhaps it was for the best, I would have been a horrid doctor. I think I'm better off working with dead bodies!"

Armed with an undergraduate honor's degree in Chemistry from Banaras Hindu University and a deep fascination for the hugely popular true-crime series, Forensic Files, Risha specialised in toxicology, analytical chemistry and forensic science. She then joined the Chemistry Division of the Forensic Science Laboratory, part of the Ministry of Home Affairs. This involved working with crime exhibits, which, although not-so-glamorous, meant analysing organs post the autopsy, to understand what poisons and toxins might have been administered or ingested.

Soon after, she joined the National Dope Testing Laboratory in Delhi, part of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. "We would test athletes for banned substances," she says. "It was an interesting job, I would have to test for narcotics, stimulants and plasma volume expanders."

The eureka moment

India generates anywhere between 12 and 21 million tons of fruit and vegetable waste respectively, according to an NCBI study. It was one part of the problem that Risha hoped to tackle, along with the ever-present worry of contaminated drinking water. "The food industry generates tons of fruit and vegetable waste and most of it ends up in landfills, where it pollutes the land," she says. "On the other hand, we talk about contaminated water. My research is a solution to both problems."

It meant pulling many all-nighters at the lab. "Taking off from the experiment with bananas, I brought orange, cucumber, apple, kiwi fuit and potato peels together under the same environmental conditions." The peels are dried, pulverised and converted into a fine powder, "less than 240 micro metres and then mixed with sodium or calcium alginate," says Risha, who obligingly explains the science. “I introduced the mix into a calcium ion solution." Roughly the size of papaya seeds, the beads were dropped into water spiked with toxic ions like arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, nickel and lead. "We tend to find elevated amounts of these substances in natural waters."

Risha published six papers in the three-and-a-half-years she spent doing her PhD research, altering the variables and changing the conditions to see how effectively the beads worked. Positively charged toxic ions were drawn to the negatively charged functional groups present on the beads, which could then be effectively removed from the drinking water after it is treated.

The expanding landscape of forensics in India

As she prepares for the next innings, as a lecturer of forensic chemistry in one of the world’s most prestigious universities, Risha reflects on the forensics scene in India - active and constantly growing. "Pending cases are a problem though," she remarks. "And while there's no dearth of crime happening every day, whether it's suicides, homicides or accidents, there is only so much infrastructure to deal with it." The scope for studies in various fields of forensics is also expanding, with the government proactively setting up regional Forensic Science Labs apart from the existing state and national branches. "They have also set up the National Forensic Science University in Gandhinagar and are training more people to get into the field, whether they are going in as adacemicians, crime scene investigators, forensic photographers, or working in the labs." As for Risha herself, she's never happier than she's in the lab herself, lost in her experiments.

Risha lives with her husband in Delhi and they will now shift base to the UK. The couple is "travel freaks" as she puts it - "Given any small chance, we pack our bags and leave." She also enjoys playing the guitar and synthesiser and is active within her church community. "I also like to paint in my free time, that's an important part of my mental well-being," she says.

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Chef Sujan Sarkar on winning Michelin star for Indienne: Felt confident we’d be recognised

(November 26, 2023) As one steps onto the quiet, tree-lined Huron Street in Chicago, it's hard to miss the 19th-century printing warehouse that has now been converted into an Indian restaurant - Indienne - that speaks volumes about progressive Indian fine dining. When it first opened its doors for Chicagoans in the fall of 2022, its tasting menu that seamlessly blends Indian culinary artistry with the refined techniques of classic French cooking became an instant hit. In just fourteen months since its grand opening, Indienne has bagged its very first Michelin star, making Chef Sujan Sarkar proud and ecstatic. "We were expecting something but it was still a great feeling when it became official. A special moment and milestone for the team that has worked so hard," Chef Sujan tells Global Indian. [caption id="attachment_47019" align="aligncenter" width="685"] Chef Sujan Sarkar[/caption] With the rave reviews and the grand reception that Indienne got in the first months of its opening, Chef Sujan was expecting a Michelin star "before a year was up." However with a delayed ceremony this year, he had to wait a little. "Because of the standard we set, I definitely felt confident we would be recognised, by Michelin and by

got in the first months of its opening, Chef Sujan was expecting a Michelin star "before a year was up." However with a delayed ceremony this year, he had to wait a little. "Because of the standard we set, I definitely felt confident we would be recognised, by Michelin and by our diners," says the Bengali Chef adding that at his restaurant one can expect a different interpretation of Indian food. "Come without expectations, you will enjoy the experience more. It will feel Indian and completely different at the same time," he smiles.

Indienne is a restaurant that he calls truly his own as he saw it come into existence brick –by-brick, and wanted to bring "finesse, presentation, technique, a fresh format and a new interpretation for flavours and inspiration that are rooted in India." But what sets this Indian restaurant apart from the many in the US is the tasting menus. "We do a lot of things differently; other than the dishes on the menu, simply the fact that we offer only tasting menus and such an extensive variety (the veg and non-veg menus do not overlap and are completely distinct from one another) make us stand out," he explains, drawing attention to his version of yogurt chaat, tender coconut payasam and scallop with uni malai curry that he calls “unmissable”.

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An accidental chef

Hailing from a small town outside of Kolkata, Sujan's early life was shaped by a deep appreciation for agriculture and locally sourced ingredients, a value instilled by his father, who is an agriculturalist. "As kids, we used to go to the haat (local market) on Tuesdays and Wednesdays with my dad, and the market used to be bustling and lively. It was the widest variety of fresh produce you could imagine – freshly caught fish (almost a hundred different kinds), chicken, goat, and more, even a few food stalls. How we learned about what was on offer was very organic as we would walk through the market and my dad would explain more about what all was there," adds Chef Sujan.

It was this strong connection with his roots that formed the philosophy behind his restaurants. But not many know that being a chef was the last thing on his mind. He was keen to be a designer, however, he missed making it to the list in the top two fashion schools - NIFT and NID. "So I switched my line," he says, adding that food was something that he always gravitated towards. He eventually enrolled at IHM Bhubaneshwar, a place that became a learning sanctuary for him. It was a lot different than cooking in his mom's kitchen, but he enjoyed every bit of it, especially getting first-hand experience in professional kitchens during his internship. "I was in Cidade de Goa and I still have memories from there. Now it's a Taj property," says the Chef.

[caption id="attachment_47021" align="aligncenter" width="683"] Chef Sujan Sarkar | Global Indian Scallop with Uni Malai Curry at Indienne[/caption]

Mastering the craft of culinary creation

Understanding various culinary approaches and methods not only influenced his career but also defined his unique culinary style. Having learnt from some of the best-known chefs, he was keen to take over the world. He soon took a one-way flight to London, a chapter he calls "wildest and most colourful canvas so far." It was in 2004 that he stepped into the pulsating city of London and started working at Galvin at Windows at the Hilton London Hotel. "I was a young chef, everything was new. It was hard work but also punctuated with a lot of fun and exploration. Eating out and exploring all the different markets. Fresh produce, different cuisine, everything was so novel," says Chef Sujan for whom things got exciting when he took up his first Head Chef job at Automat in Mayfair at the age of 27. Soon after, he successfully opened and ran the adjoining Almada – a celebrity hotspot located on Berkeley Street, London.

Moreover, it opened up his mind as to "how the industry is about so much more than just cooking. It's a community, it's buzzing with camaraderie. You slog but you also have fun." Those years in London honed his culinary skills alongside some of London's finest gastronomic talents, and after a decade, he decided to return to India. His journey led him to Mumbai's Olive Bar & Kitchen as an executive chef. In between, he also curated and launched TRESIND in Dubai and opened India's first artisanal cocktail bar called Ek Bar in Delhi.

[caption id="attachment_47022" align="aligncenter" width="787"] Indienne Restaurant | Global Indian Michelin-award winning Indian restaurant Indienne[/caption]

London – Mumbai - Chicago

Having spent over a decade in the UK, Chef Sujan was now ready to spread his wings in the US. In 2017, he opened the doors to a progressive Indian restaurant ROOH in San Francisco, serving a new India on the plate. This was followed up with another branch of ROOH in Chicago, Baar Baar in New York, and Indienne in Chicago. Ask him if his restaurants have helped shape the palate of food lovers in the US, pat comes the reply, "I think we have opened up people's minds and perceptions to what Indian food can be. ROOH, Baar Baar, and Indienne are also geographically in different areas. I'm offering a wider variety to a wider audience and it's a different level of offering. They are so different as experiences even to one another. The core idea is to always offer something different in a way that would spark their curiosity to know more about Indian food."

[caption id="attachment_47020" align="aligncenter" width="685"] Chef Sujan Sarkar | Global Indian Dahi Bhalla at Indienne[/caption]

He has long aspired to elevate Indian cuisine onto the global stage, a vision he has consistently realised by reimagining and reinterpreting traditional Indian dishes to cater to an international palate. For him, it goes beyond mere food; it encapsulates our culture, art, and the essence of what defines India. He is glad to witness the global evolution of Indian cuisine, particularly noting the return of many Indian chefs to locally sourced ingredients. Though in its nascent stage, he says, "We are exploring more, digging deeper into ingredients that have been forgotten and that is opening up new possibilities."

He has come a long way since his first venture but it hasn't always been an easy journey. Putting the right team together was one of the biggest challenges as finding the team that "understands and is aligned with the vision, skill-set, concept and ultimately, execution," was a herculean task. "Not many people here in the US are trained in this cuisine, Indian food is still not that popular. There was nothing much in the last 10-15 years, so it was a challenge to find the right team and even train them once they joined. It's also about the team outside of the kitchen – the ones handling the front of house and other roles," he adds. He also points out "finding the right audience who will embrace this and explore with you" as another hitch.

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Chef Sujan, who unwinds by running and listening to music or catching up on a new series, is keen to turn his Michelin star soon into two. "We'll keep doing what we're doing – grow our audience, grow our formats. Take our vision to a wider audience."

He finds his roots in Indian cuisine but over the years, it has become his strength. "I've grown up eating Indian food. But as a chef, I wasn’t cooking Indian cuisine from day one. Now slowly, in the last 10 years, it has become my core strength. What I bring to the table today, what I have to offer to the diners, to the industry, to the ecosystem is much more. It’s a different vision and version of the cuisine, more modern and yet more easily acceptable. I'm an Indian chef cooking in America – it’ll always be like that. As long as I'm here," he signs off.

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