Global IndianstoryRewriting the rules: CEO Nikesh Arora’s unconventional path to billionaire status

Rewriting the rules: CEO Nikesh Arora’s unconventional path to billionaire status

Written by: Namrata Srivastava

(January 9, 2024) In a twist on the usual tale of billionaires rising through entrepreneurship, the global rich list now includes a tech CEO who isn’t a company founder. Meet Nikesh Arora, the former Google-employee-turned-CEO of cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks Inc. Unlike many on the billionaire’s roster, Arora isn’t a company originator, yet he’s made it into the exclusive billionaire’s club.

CEO | Nikesh Arora | Global Indian

Nikesh received a substantial $125 million stock and options compensation package when he took on the role of chief executive officer in 2018. Since then, Palo Alto Networks Inc. has seen a remarkable surge in its share price, more than quadrupling in the wake of increased demand for cybersecurity software. According to Bloomberg, the Global Indian‘s initial stake of $125 million is now valued at a staggering $830 million. When one factors in substantial pay awards from his earlier career, Arora’s overall net worth stands at an impressive $1.5 billion. This distinctive position makes him a noteworthy figure as a non-founder billionaire tech CEO – the only one after Apple’s Tim Cook – marking a shift from the usual entrepreneurial path to wealth.

Talking about the exceptional growth of his company, the CEO said, “Today, we’re the largest cybersecurity company, we’ve outstripped our competitors. When I joined we identified cloud and AI as the overarching new technology trend for the coming decade. So, we designed our portfolio, bought 15 companies, and spent $4 billion. That was unique in cybersecurity, most companies would capture the trend of the moment, figure the business, and then as the trend shifted, a new cybersecurity company was born.”

From square one

Born in Ghaziabad to Indian Air Force officer Jagdish Kumar Arora, Nikesh was a curious child, who loved to experiment with the things surrounding him. Nikesh’s mother was a huge influence in his life. “My mother had a master’s in mathematics and Sanskrit – which was a very big thing back in those days. She was all about ensuring I always put myself into learning something new. So, I and my sister not just learnt from the book, but by experimenting with things. I also moved around a lot – maybe to six different schools before I graduated high school, that also was a great learning process,” he said.

A student of The Air Force School (Subroto Park), Nikesh went on to pursue a bachelor’s in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, BHU in Varanasi. In 1990, Nikesh moved to the United States of America to pursue an MBA from Northeastern University. “It was one of those years when the recession was in swing. My degree from Northeastern University wasn’t as good in those days as it is ranked today. I was looking for a job in finance, which I was told I would get mostly on Wall Street. So, I found the college’s Alumni directory and wrote to over 450 contacts requesting them for a job. I had graduated top of my class, I thought someone would want to hire me,” laughed the CEO, adding, “Interestingly, I received 450 replies from everyone I wrote to saying ‘Thank you for writing to us, but no thank you.’. I still have all those letters with me, telling me that I don’t qualify for a job.”

His journey in the financial sector commenced at Fidelity Investments. In 2000, Nikesh founded T-Motion, a subsidiary under Deutsche Telekom focused on delivering value-added services for the 3G Services of Deutsche Telekom. Within a few years, T-Motion seamlessly became an integral part of T-Mobile’s core services.

Climbing to the top

Interestingly, Google recognised his talents in 2004. Over the next decade, Nikesh served as VP of Europe Operations (2004-07), as President, of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa from 2007 to 2009, and finally as President of Global Sales Operations and Business Development from 2009-10. “I met several amazing people at Google. When I joined the company was still figuring out how to organise its Europe operations, and I met Lawrence Edward Page and Sergey Brin – the co-founders of Google – for my initial interview. And I got the job,” shares the CEO.

Nikesh with U.S. Ambassador to the European Union, Gordon Sondland

Contrary to many expectations, Nikesh departed from his role as senior vice president and chief business officer at Google in 2014 after a decade of service. He made a significant move to SoftBank Corp, taking on the positions of President and Chief Operating Officer. During his tenure, Arora set a Japanese record by receiving a total compensation exceeding $200 million.

Nikesh Arora’s recipe for success: Keep on learning

Sharing his mantra for success, the CEO said in an interview, “The one thing that has kept me going and has inspired me is that I have always found myself in situations where I am learning. Half the stuff that I do in any job that I have had, is stuff that I have never done before. I spent a lot of time learning about cybersecurity when I joined Palo Alto Networks Inc., and in fact, I am still learning. Back when I was at Google, I worked very hard on learning how marketing is done, and later at SoftBank I learnt how to do investment banking. And that is what is exciting for me – being able to go to work every day and thinking that I can master a skill I have never worked on before.”

Currently, as the CEO and Chairman of Palo Alto Networks, Nikesh is looking to evolve his company’s platforms. “I believe the industry is still in the early stages of this transformation. At Palo Alto, we are beginning to think about a long-term cybersecurity strategy and starting to build longer-term cybersecurity architectures to create this integrated platform, which gives a better outcome,” shared the CEO.

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Published on 09, Jan 2024

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Amit and Shilpa Singhal: NRI couple transforming lives of underprivileged kids

(June 28, 2023) Living in a mud house in Rajasthan's Jodhpur, 18-year-old Kusum Chaudhary comes from a family of farmers, but with no land to call their own. This mostly meant money constraints and even cast an eclipse on her future as the family had no means to support her education beyond Class 12. But things took a turn for the better when in 2016 her uncle asked her to fill out the form of Sitare Foundation. She sat for an entrance exam and qualified for a full scholarship. Five years later, with a visa in her hand, she was ready to fly to Maryland University in the USA to pursue a four-year undergraduate degree in computer science, thanks to an NRI couple. Joining Sitare Foundation, a nonprofit that helps children from low-income household's access quality education in private schools, and find opportunities to study abroad, changed Kusum's life forever. But she isn't the only one to have benefitted from it, hundreds of children have been empowered through education by NRI couple Shilpa and Amit Singhal, who founded Sitare Foundation in 2016. The couple, who quit their cushiony jobs in the US to return to India, believe in the power

uple, who quit their cushiony jobs in the US to return to India, believe in the power of education, and hence, provide all financial support — school fees, travel, accommodation, food, and more — for seven years of a child’s education, from classes 6 to 12.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZn0BQ16ZvQ

"We believe in the power of education and its potential to change lives, communities, nations, and the future of our planet. Our vision behind Sitare was not limited to educating underprivileged children but also nurturing them to become world-class professionals and great humans so they could become a beacon of hope for their community and millions of other underprivileged children," Amit said in an interview.

The power of education

Coming from a humble background, Amit's great-grandfather used to repair bicycle punctures on the roadside in UP's Bulandshahr. The only thing that he could give his son was permission to study, and after earning a BA in English, Amit's grandfather joined the post of teacher. He passed on the importance of education to his son (Amit's father) who attended IIT Roorkee and became a civil engineer.

Growing up, Amit too was bent towards studies, and after pursuing a bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Roorkee, he did his master's from the University of Minnesota Duluth and a Ph.D. from Cornell University. "I left the country with only a few hundred dollars and two suitcases. The only thing every generation gave the next generation was education and no money," the Global Indian told Better India.

[caption id="attachment_40775" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Amit and Shilpa Singhal | Global Indian | NRI Amit and Shilpa Singhal founded Sitare Foundation[/caption]

It was education that took him to the US, and got him a job at Google, where he worked for 15 years and even provided for a good lifestyle. This was enough for him to realise the power of education, and nudged him to do the same for underprivileged children. "Fundamentally, education is the only sustained way out of poverty. And education is near and dear to our hearts," he added. His wife Shilpa, who has a master’s degree in Physics from Binghamton University, and in Computer Science and Engineering from Cornell University, too joined him in the venture.

Looking for bright stars among low-income families

The NRI couple was keen to give back to society by empowering and uplifting underprivileged children through education. "The only useful thing that one could do with their money is to improve some lives," said Amit, who spends an average of $2000 per student per year from his savings.

This led to the setting up of the Sitare Foundation, but their foremost and biggest challenge was to find bright students to whom they could offer help. They only received 240 applications in the first year, out of which 50 were selected to join the foundation. But over the years, the word spread, and more than 70,000 applications reach Sitare Foundation each year, of whom 100 make the cut for the programme. Currently present in five cities across Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh - Jodhpur, Jaipur, Ajmer, Bhopal, and Indore, Sitare Foundation has partnered with private schools to provide quality education to bright underprivileged kids.

Amit and Shilpa Singhal | NRI | Global Indian

Giving children wings to fly

"Besides education, we support them with food, clothing, books, school supplies, and transportation. Additionally, we have a fully residential programme for students to focus on their college admissions," Amit told Your Story. Post completing Class 10th, the students are enrolled in a residential programme where students live in hostels and focus on studying for exams like JEE, NEET, and CLAT, depending on the subjects they’ve chosen, and at the same time, preparing their applications to study in the US.

However, the biggest challenge for the NRI couple has been to change the perspective of the parents, especially of a girl child, towards education. Since the parents are not educated, it's hard for them to understand the importance of education. "Girls are disproportionately impacted by the home environment in India. They are often required to work, help their mothers at home, take care of younger siblings, and go out with their mothers to help them on the farms," revealed Amit, who says child marriage is another factor that derails the progress. Often NGOs counsels these children and their families to get them back on the path of learning.

As of now, Sitare Foundation has educated over 400 underprivileged students, with five of its Class 12 students — Kusum Chaudhary, Mahendra Kumar, Milan Ramdhari, Nisha Chaudhary, and Tanisha Nagori - securing admissions in multiple US' top universities, including the University of Maryland, University of North Carolina, University of Minnesota, Ohio State University, University of California, Case Western Reserve University, and Arizona State University. "Our mission is to transform fifty thousand lives through education by 2050.”

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Lutfi Hassan: The Indian-American mogul turned diplomat who is a key supporter of the Democratic party

(November 27, 2024) The first time Lutfi Hassan met Barack Obama, then a Senator, he knew he was in the presence of somebody special. As a longtime loyalist and donor of the Democratic party, Hassan would meet party leaders who passed through Houston. "I had never heard of this person, and I thought he had an unusual name," smiles Lutfi Hassan, as he speaks to Global Indian from his home in Hyderabad, where a large framed photograph of himself with former President Barack Obama dominates one wall of his study. "He was a state senator then and we had a coffee together. Thirty minutes became an hour. He was so charismatic; I was totally sold!" Hassan would go on to serve as a national finance co-chair for the Obama for America campaign in 2008 and 2012. For over 20 years, Hassan has served as an advisor on Presidential, Gubernatorial, Senatorial, Congressional, Mayoral and Judicial campaigns, and has served on the National Advisory Board (NAB) as a member of the Democratic National Committee. The Founder-Chairman of the Houston-based Apex Group of Companies, Hassan comes with a wealth of knowledge and experience from decades of consulting in the US, India and the

ssan comes with a wealth of knowledge and experience from decades of consulting in the US, India and the Middle East. Recently, he was appointed the Honorary Consul General of Guyana, and also serves as its Global Goodwill Ambassador.

[caption id="attachment_49582" align="aligncenter" width="576"] Lutfi Hassan | Global Indian H.E Lutfi Hassan with former US President Barack Obama[/caption]

The Consul General of Guyana

"My role is to promote Guyana in the US by bringing investors from there, as well as political office bearers to Guyana to educate them on what the country is doing," Hassan says. Last week, PM Modi visited Guyana, and his visit marked a significant step towards strengthening the relationship between the two countries. "I am sure the positive impact of this timely visit will be realized very soon in the coming months and years in terms of enhancing commerce and trade between the people of India and Guyana," said Hassan - furthering diplomatic and business ties between the two countries is an important part of his agenda as the Consul General. "I have received so many calls personally since his visit from friends owning businesses to inquire about the opportunities that exist in Guyana. I continue to encourage folks from India and elsewhere to make swift decisions to get on the train. There are humongous opportunities still left for businesses to capitalize," he added. With Guyana requiring support in several areas, Indian firms, he believes, have a definite competitive edge terms of skill set and pricing.

A relatively new, small, South American country, Guyana's economic landscape is currently undergoing a transformative expansion that began when Exxon Mobil discovered huge oil reserves there in 2015.The country's GDP per capita has seen a significant rise since oil production began in 2019, reaching 278,000 barrels per day in 2022.

[caption id="attachment_60767" align="aligncenter" width="570"] Lutfi Hassan | Guyana | Global Indian President Dr Irfaan Ali greets PM Narendra Modi in Guyana. Photo: Office the President of Guyana on Facebook.[/caption]

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This has also fuelled strong growth in the non-oil economy, and, Hassan explains, growth is not limited only to the oil and gas sector but has spilled over into services, supplies, agriculture, mining and quarrying, as the government continues to implement major infrastructural projects across the country. These include the development of Region Seven into a service hub for the mining sector, and the construction of critical road links, as well as a contract to construct 32 concrete bridges along the Kurupukari-Lethem corridor.

It's all part of a broader strategy to diversify Guyana's economy beyond natural resources and agriculture, also through international ties. "There are lots of Guyanese trade delegations coming to India, I was part of one in Delhi where we met with over 70 companies," says Hassan. "India, Bangladesh and the Middle East have interests in the country, and Saudi is going to open one of its largest embassies there." Guyana welcomes them, in part through eased visa regulations, sector-wise tax benefits, investment in IT and backoffice support, and even plug-and-play offices for companies that want to invest or do business there, provided they hire a certain percentage of Guyanese locals. "It doesn't matter what visa or permit you go on, in five years, you can apply for citizenship. Also, if you invest or do business, you get sector-wise tax benefits. IT and backoffice support are burgeoning sectors, especially because you will be in the same timezone as the US."

[caption id="attachment_60774" align="aligncenter" width="489"] Lutfi Hassan | Guyana | Global Indian Hon. Consul General of Guyana to Southwest United States, Lutfi Syed Hassan participated in various meetings and events hosted for the PM and his delegation. Photo: Office the President of Guyana on Facebook.[/caption]

The Hyderabadi boy who dared to dream big

A large Indo-Guyanese community (which includes Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo), descended from indentured workers and settlers who moved to Guyana during the British Raj, and who continue to maintain an affinity for their ancestral homeland, meaning India is a key player in Guyana’s international relations. As a facilitator, Hassan makes frequent visits to his hometown, Hyderabad, where he was born and spent his early years. In his late teens, the “pucca Hyderabadi” moved to the Middle East to join his parents, and took up a job at a travel agency, dreaming all the while of being an entrepreneur and setting up his own travel agency. The opportunity came through an uncle who had immigrated to Texas.

"There was no better place to take a risk than the US, the land of opportunity," Hassan recalls. He moved to Houston and opened his first travel agency not long after. Soon, one agency became a country-wide chain. That early success sparked a desire to do more, and over the next few decades, Hassan would go on to build the Apex Group of Companies, his own empire, with diverse interests across the US, India and the Middle East. "I am not shy to learn and bold enough to get into a venture if I see an opportunity," he says. "Lots of people are content with what they have, but I always want to do something exciting, I get bored doing the same thing."

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There are humongous opportunities still left for businesses to capitalize. Guyana needs support in pretty much every vertical. With the competitive edge Indian firms possess in terms of skill set & pricing, they are sure to benefit. - Lutfi Syed Hassan, Hon. Consul General of Guyana to Southwest United States

Founding the Apex Group

The result is the Apex Group of Companies, a consortium of companies that are leaders in providing business consulting, insurance and financial services, manufacturing, vendor management, equipment supply and logistics to the oil and gas, naval and defense sectors. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, with a regional office in Arlington, Virginia, the Apex Group has a strong worldwide presence, especially in the Middle East, Africa, South Asia and South and Central America. They also maintain a global focus on government agencies and Fortune 500 companies in various industries including defense, safety and security, healthcare, finance, shipbuilding and IT solutions.

"If any companies don't compliment the other verticals, we sell them," Hassan says. For instance, the ship building business compliments their interests in the supply chains in the Middle East. In fact, as his dealings there brought him to the upper echelons of local business in the UAE, he was approached by Swiftships, an 80-year-old company that is one of the most distinguished players in the advanced military and commercial vessels sector in the US. "Swiftships wanted to appoint me as a distributor and promoter to sell ships in the Middle East," Hassan explains. When Swiftships found itself in choppy financial waters, Hassan was requested to look for a funding institution they could partner with - by this time he had gained so much experience in the company's workings that he stepped up himself. This was a cornerstone moment for Apex, as it firmly established itself in the US' business landscape.

The company’s reach also extended to Africa and the Caribbean, where Apex RX solutions was involved with the supply of refurbished medical and healthcare equipment. They partnered with companies that had warehouses full of equipment but not enough reach and provided turnkey solutions. If a 200-bed hospital was being built, they would provide all the equipment, from beds to X-Ray machines, and since it was all refurbished, it was much more affordable. "We reactivated that company during Covid when there was a huge need for support," Hassan explains. They sourced masks, sanitizers and other essentials from China, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia to the US, where supermarket chains were running out of supplies. "There was so much shortage that we were unable to cope with the number of orders. Then Covid went away, thankfully and business slowed down but we are always set to reopen this engagement."

The key, Hassan says, is not just because he wants to have fingers in every pie but because of relationships built over many years. "When people ask for advice, I open up the Rolodex. I am there to support them so when I need the support in return I can always trigger that contact.

Political involvement

Lutfi Hassan | Guyana | Global Indian

Lutfi Hassan, who calls himself a kingmaker, is sure he will never be in politics himself. He started out as a staunch Republican, later switching his alliance to the Democratic Party, with whom he has stood firmly ever since. Still a key leader in President Biden's Democratic Party, he has been involved in the Presidential campaigns of Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Joe Biden. He has also been instrumental in mobilising public opinion and raising funds for Hillary Clinton, as well as for other key elected officials across the U S.

ALSO READ: Eric Garcetti: The US Ambassador’s Passage to India

"I actually became a full-blown Democrat when I became involved with President Clinton," he says. When President Clinton was due to visit India in March 2000, Hassan used his association with him to ensure that Clinton came to Hyderabad instead of Bengaluru. He was also one of the handful of South Asians invited to the Presidential inauguration of President Biden and VP Kamala Harris at Capitol Hill and continues to maintain a close relationship with the VP. He also served as a Presidential appointee on the Central Asian Americans Enterprise Fund.

Strengthening home ties

Lutfi Hassan has played a major role in representing the South Asian community in the US, leveraging his political connections to also strengthen relations between the US and India. He has served on the South Asian American Leadership Council in Washington DC as well. In fact, on Jan 9, 2003, a US flag was flown over the US Capitol by an order of the House of Representatives to honour Lutfi Hassan for his decades of community service. More recently, he served on the board of advisory for South Asians for Biden, mobilising the community to drum up support for the Democratic nominee.

Lutfi Hassan | Guyana | Global Indian

In 2019, he was appointed on the Board of Advisory for the Global Eternal Gandhi Museum, a non-profit that seeks to create an impact by utilising the life, work and teachings of the Mahatma.

Read more about Lutfi Hassan on the Apex Group website

Nishant Malhotra: Reviving GI-tagged textile heritage and celebrating artisans with WeaverStory

(August 13, 2024) “As children of the pre-digital era, we have all grown up in homes and environments that have been driven by tradition. From food to craft and clothing, everything had a story and was a hand-worked skill passed through generations, be it the chutneys that were made at home or the sweaters that were knit. So there always was an inclination towards culture and the traditions of the past,” Nishant Malhotra reminisces as he connects with Global Indian. Although he was always fascinated by India’s luxurious heritage and traditions, he had never imagined that he would one day work with it. After spending several years in the banking and finance sectors, Nishant Malhotra founded WeaverStory nine years ago, finding both purpose and an avenue for social impact. [caption id="attachment_53617" align="aligncenter" width="482"] Nishant Malhotra at WeaverStory curated runway show at BNI4M2024 event[/caption] Led by artisans The craft-led textile brand has come a long way. Launched with just five sarees on a Facebook page, WeaverStory has grown into a 30-member team working with over 400 weavers from 10 different weaving clusters. “This transformation has significantly improved the lives of weavers and their families and enhanced the experiences of our customers

="aligncenter" width="482"] Indian Art and Culture | Nishant Malhotra | Global Indian Nishant Malhotra at WeaverStory curated runway show at BNI4M2024 event[/caption]

Led by artisans

The craft-led textile brand has come a long way. Launched with just five sarees on a Facebook page, WeaverStory has grown into a 30-member team working with over 400 weavers from 10 different weaving clusters. “This transformation has significantly improved the lives of weavers and their families and enhanced the experiences of our customers spread across more than 20 countries," tells the entrepreneur.

Whether it is the famed yarns of Banaras, the vibrant hues of Gujarat, the ethereal threads of Chanderi, intricate works of Kashmir, poetic weaves of Bengal, or resplendent silks of Kanchipuram - WeaverStory has been championing authentic handmade products like luxurious sarees and fabric, bespoke occasion wear, bridal couture and accessories blending tradition with modernity.

GI certified handloom

The textile brand’s products are silk mark and craft mark-certified with GI tags. It has been participating in the Government of India’s ODOP (One District One Product) initiative which aims to promote indigenous and specialised goods and crafts distinct to various districts across the country. “WeaverStory sources 350 products from over 19 Geographical Indications (GIs), thus ensuring genuine handloom apparel from the craftspeople who bring them to life.”

The hand weaved textiles are delivered through retail stores in Delhi and Hyderabad and the brand’s website. It also retails online through domestic and international marketplaces such as Pernia’s Pop Up Shop, Aza, Aashni + Co., Nykaa Fashion and Etsy.

[caption id="attachment_53634" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Indian Art and Culture | Nishant Malhotra | Global Indian One of the WeaverStory stores[/caption]

The journey of transition

As a banking and financial services professional, Nishant often travelled to rural areas and smaller cities in India, working on financial inclusion projects. These experiences exposed him to not only the challenges faced by the local population but also to the complexities of implementing programs to benefit them.

“I realised that even small steps could have a significant impact on their lives and it was this thought that drove me to start WeaverStory after a trip to Banaras that proved pivotal in the transition,” tells the Delhi based entrepreneur.

Starting small

In Banaras, Nishant met a weaver who had been forced to quit his craft due to low income and the pressure of supporting his family. Instead of engaging in his creative work, the weaver was folding sarees at a retail shop. This deeply moved Nishant. Upon his return to Delhi, he began conversing with others to understand the market need for Indian handlooms – the artistic heritage of India.

“I discovered that there was a demand for handloom products, but people were unaware of authentic sources,'” he says. This realisation led him to start a small initiative by creating a Facebook page, where he showcased five well-crafted saris by a weaver of Banaras to help people appreciate the value of craftsmanship of the weaving community.

Within months, his initiative started gaining recognition, motivating Nishant to leave his job and pursue social entrepreneurship. He had found the purpose of creating better opportunities for the artistic weavers of India and making a difference in their lives.

[caption id="attachment_53625" align="aligncenter" width="687"] Indian Art and Culture | Nishant Malhotra | Global Indian WeaverStory team[/caption]

“It started as a mere passion project with no intention of launching a full-fledged brand. However, that small step transformed everything, leading us to where we are today,” says Nishant who had over 15 years of corporate experience with Fortune 500 companies and biggest conglomerates like the TATAs and Reliance group at the time of stepping into social entrepreneurship. “Through WeaverStory my attempt has been to bridge the gap between true fans of original Indian handlooms and those with a century-long lineage in this artistic heritage. We work towards preserving our heritage and enabling weavers to become financially successful,” he says.

Rising above challenges and earning trust

In the initial days of his venture gaining the trust of the weavers was a challenge. “Coming from a banking background with no experience in textiles, I wasn’t attempting to become a designer. My goal was to create an ecosystem around handlooms. However, understanding the craftsmanship, the uniqueness of handwoven fabric, and effectively communicating with the weavers required substantial knowledge,” Nishant mentions.

When he approached weavers, they were sceptical. “They doubted my understanding of their craft and feared their products would be rejected after completion.” An online brand, was an unconventional idea in 2015, especially for the rural weavers for whom trade meant an offline activity.

To alleviate their fears Nishant started work on the model of buying products outright from the weavers addressing their concerns. “By ensuring immediate and fair compensation, we gradually earned their trust and overcame their initial resistance,” he says.

[caption id="attachment_53624" align="aligncenter" width="523"] Indian Art and Culture | Nishant Malhotra | Global Indian A Madhubani artist associated with WeaverStory[/caption]

Assuring quality

Earning the trust of the weavers was just one side of the story. Nishant highlights that when purchasing a premium product like a handwoven saree, customers seek assurance about their investment. Therefore, early in their journey, the WeaverStory team began conducting video calls with customers to showcase the products in detail, thereby earning their trust as well.

“At WeaverStory, our values of purity, pride, and intention have always been at the core of everything we do. We have consistently strived to present our customers with a curated collection of authentic weaves in pure fabrics that best represent India’s textile heritage and the skills of our weavers,” the entrepreneur mentions.

Weaving stories

To bring the stories of the rural weavers to the forefront and change the narrative in their favour Nishant Malhotra and his team does not just look at them as mere suppliers of products that they are marketing but provide the weaving community a sense of close collaboration. “This outlook is one of the major factors contributing to our growth story,” says Nishant.

“Our product curation and storytelling are deeply influenced by the intentions and narratives of the weavers, and we make it a point not to interfere with their stories. The authentic stories behind each weave is what attracts our customers; and they want to buy, own, and cherish these unique pieces of art.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_QW-F7l3Yk

WeaverStory Foundation

Recently, the entrepreneur has started the WeaverStory Foundation, which will undertake projects aimed at providing sustainable livelihoods and skill development for weavers, with a special focus on women artisans. “We are actively seeking and collaborating with like-minded partners to further this mission,” Nishant points out.

Awards galore

The textile brand has instituted several reward and recognition programs, such as Kala Nishtha, Kala Samridhi and Craftales to encourage lesser-known and new weavers to look at their skills with more optimism and be part of the WeaverStory network.

“These initiatives help create visibility for them, especially among their peers and within their communities, where weaving is often seen as a low-paying job.”

In the WeaverStory model, the products are purchased outright from the weavers. “WeaverStory ensures that weavers are paid fair market prices that account for the scale and input while keeping the product competitive. This approach rewards the weavers for their skill, time, and labour,” Nishant says.

[caption id="attachment_53627" align="aligncenter" width="723"] Indian Art and Culture | Nishant Malhotra | Global Indian Naseem Bano (extreme right) is one of the weavers that WeaverStory works with to upskill village women artisans[/caption]

New Initiative - Revival collection of Venkatagiri sarees

On the occasion of National Handloom Day which falls on 7th August and coincides with WeaverStory’s foundation day, the textile brand launched a revival collection of Venkatagiri Sarees.

“Venkatagiri was once known for its fine-count cotton sarees with gold khaadi borders woven on a traditional pit loom. It held a place of pride in Andhra’s handloom traditions. However, with the advent of the power loom, the decline in the value of cotton, and a shift in market demand that leaned towards Banarasi, Kanchipuram and Paithani styles, the weavers of Venkatgiri lost touch with their traditional design language and eventually met with flagging patronage and diminished popularity,” informs Nishant.

For the past several months, WeaverStory has been working with Tata Trusts’ Antaran to revive the lost designs of the Venkatagiri cluster. The textile brand has launched a collection of sarees with four archival designs that have not been woven in over 70 years. “The aim is to rekindle significant market interest in this historic craft and give saree connoisseurs across the world a piece of heritage to own,” says the entrepreneur who works with the vision of promoting the exquisite craft of handweaving, ensuring its legacy continues to thrive.

[caption id="attachment_53637" align="aligncenter" width="722"] Indian Art and Culture | Nishant Malhotra | Global Indian Nishant Malhotra with Mridula and Parvez Alam from Tata Trusts during the unveiling of Venkatagiri Revival Project[/caption]

Follow Nishant Malhotra on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram
Follow WeaverStory on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and its website

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Maitreyee Wairagkar : Changing the world with neurotechnology

(November 7, 2022) Maitreyee Wairagkar likes to discover things which the world has never discovered before. From social robots to assist dementia patients in their homes, a social robotic telemedicine platform for clinicians to provide dementia therapy sessions remotely to developing Kinect sensor-based language and motor rehabilitation therapy for stroke victims — the neuroscientist and neuro engineer has done it all. A deep dive into neurotechnology Can a wheelchair be controlled merely by thinking about moving your right hand to make it turn right or thinking about your left hand to make it turn left? Well, that is coming soon! “I am currently developing invasive BCI (Brain Computer Interfaces) that can help people speak directly through their brain signals recorded by tiny brain implants. This will be useful for people who have lost the ability to speak due to ALS, stroke or severe brain injury,” smiles Maitreyee Wairagkar, speaking exclusively to Global Indian. [caption id="attachment_31463" align="aligncenter" width="516"] Dr Maitreyee Wairagkar is at the forefront of neurotechnology and neuroengineering research[/caption] Maitreyee, who is currently a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California, Davis (in the Neurporosthetics Lab and BrainGate Consortium) was recently nominated for the prestigious ‘Inspiring Women in Science’ award

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Maitreyee, who is currently a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California, Davis (in the Neurporosthetics Lab and BrainGate Consortium) was recently nominated for the prestigious ‘Inspiring Women in Science’ award (2022) by leading scientific journal ‘Nature’ in partnership with Estée Lauder. She is the only Indian on the list of early career women scientists to have been nominated for the award.

“Neurotechnologies are different types of technologies and devices that interface with the brain or the nervous system and help people with severe neurological conditions such as stroke, quadriplegia, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injury, brain injury, ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) etc., many of which do not have a cure yet,” explains Maitreyee, who has worked on developing different types of neurotechnologies targeted at different neurological conditions.

I am currently developing invasive BCI (Brain Computer Interfaces) that can help people speak directly through their brain signals recorded by tiny brain implants. This will be useful for people who have lost the ability to speak due to ALS, stroke or severe brain injury. - Dr Maitreyee Wairagkar

Where it all began

Growing up in Pune, Maharashtra in a family with strong scientific background, workings of the human brain always fascinated Maitreyee. When she was 14, she learned about conditions that can render people in a locked-in state, where their cognition and awareness is intact, but their body is fully paralysed — they can neither move nor speak.

“I would sit beside my mother and study while she prepared her lectures. I would often hear from my father about his research and his papers published in Lancet since my early childhood. He would tell me how scientists work and share their findings in scientific journals which was very inspiring,” says Maitreyee, who always wanted to study brain and neuroscience.

Her father, Dr Niteen Wairagkar, is a doctor and scientist working in global health and mother is a science educator with double postgraduate in sciences.

Leaving home

After completing her 12th standard from Pune, she began exploring options to study cutting edge technologies like BCIs and zeroed in on the University of Reading in the UK. It offered a unique integrated undergraduate and master’s degree course in Artificial Intelligence and cybernetics.

It was very unusual decision to go abroad to study for an undergraduate degree at that time as most Indian students went abroad for master’s degree.

Since starting her undergraduate studies at the University of Reading in 2010, Maitreyee has built different neurotechnologies that help in rehabilitation after brain injury or stroke and even assist them in day to-day-life.

[caption id="attachment_31465" align="aligncenter" width="680"] Dr Maitreyee receives her PhD at the University of Reading. Photo: Twitter[/caption]

Communicating through brain signals

“People with severe neurological conditions such as ALS (like theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking) eventually lose their ability to speak. Not being able to communicate can be absolutely devastating,” says Maitreyee.

The BCIs which she is working on can potentially restore this lost ability to speak by decoding speech related patterns from neural activity and converting it to audible speech. The user can talk through a computer merely by attempting to speak. “The BCI records the corresponding neural activity via electrodes implanted in the brain area that controls the movement of muscles involved in speech production — tongue, jaw, lips etc. which is then decoded and converted to speech using advanced AI models,” she explains, describing it as a new mode of communication directly via brain signals.

“My ultimate goal is to build BCIs using which no one will ever lose their ability to speak and communicate,” she says, giving a glimpse into what the future holds for such patients.

Invasive and non-invasive BCIs

Her previous BCI work used non-invasive electrodes to record brown signals from the surface of the scalp to identify the intention to move, allowing them to control a computer game using brain signals.

“This is useful for people who have lost the function of their arms,” says Maitreyee, who excelled in academics and won several awards including Chancellor’s awards and graduation awards for best performance at University of Reading.

Unlike non-invasive BCIs, the invasive variety requires implanting electrodes on the surface of brain via neurosurgery to read brain signals. It can even enable more advanced capabilities like speaking and complex movements. Invasive BCIs are expensive but have better performance and enable faster communication.

Therapists at #RehabWeek really love our new MALT product that combines exergames with language training to help treat #aphasia. The concept was orginally developed by our collaborators @ABCDlab_Reading @rachelmccrindle and @Maitreyee_W to make #stroke rehab fun and effective. pic.twitter.com/Bzknhf3qyP

— Evolv (@Virtualrehab_en) June 27, 2019

Social robots

Designed to speak with people with dementia, the social robots can collect daily information on their health and well-being, to be assessed by a clinical team, thereby also improving their engagement.

Maitreyee won the UK Dementia Research Institute pilot award for early career researcher to support her work on social robotics in dementia and MedTech SuperConnector accelerator funding to lead social robotics entrepreneurial venture.

Kinect therapy

The Kinect sensor-based language and motor rehabilitation therapy for stroke can be used by patients to do physiotherapy and language therapy gamified exercises at home to regain lost movement in arm and language abilities due to a stroke. “This technology was commercialised and is now available in multiple countries,” informs Maitreyee, who was chosen in the global list of 50 Women in ‘Robotics you need to know,’ 2022.

Social robots and Kinect-based rehabilitation device are also relatively low cost as these use commercially available devices such as tablets, mobile devices, voice assistants and camera sensors. Low-cost neurotech devices that can be affordable to people all around the world is on Maitreyee’s to-do list.

She however says that none of these technologies replace the role of human carers and clinicians. “It enables humans to provide better and efficient care to people with neurological conditions focused on improving quality of life,” says Maitreyee.

Collaborations

Research is a team endeavour and cannot happen in isolation, says Maitreyee, who collaborated with multidisciplinary teams of international researchers from USA, UK and India from engineering and neuroscience backgrounds; medical professionals including neurosurgeons, psychiatrists and medical specialists.

To understand the neurological conditions and medical requirements, she also collaborated with engineers, designers and industrial partners to work on commercial translation of these technologies. “Most importantly, there are patients who give their valuable time to participate in our experiments and help test the devices we build for long periods, even undergoing neurosurgery for brain implants,” informs Maitreyee, who works at the interface of artificial intelligence, machine learning, signal processing, robotics, software development, neuroengineering and neuroscience to build these technologies.

Therapists at #RehabWeek2019 who treat #aphasia were really impressed with how we're using exergames to help treat language impairment and at the same time promote motor activity. Thanks to @ABCDlab_Reading @rachelmccrindle @Maitreyee_W for collaborating on the new MALT product! pic.twitter.com/LYgd2QgMKI

— Evolv (@Virtualrehab_en) June 28, 2019

Brain signals

“The brain signals I work work are recorded from either tiny invasive electrodes implanted on the brain that record the activity directly from a small population of neurons, or the non-invasive EEG sensors placed on the surface of the scalp recording aggregate brain activity from different areas of the brain,” explains the genius.

These signals capture very complex structure of the underlying neural activity. “My research is focused on identifying patterns in this neural activity that correspond to the intention of the user,” she says adding that one still does not fully understand how this “gigantic mesh of interconnected neurons in our brain gives rise to such complex cognitive behaviours and fine control of our body.”

Looking ahead

“I want to continue building more effective brain-computer interfaces that can potentially give more control to people with severe neurological conditions to speak, move, see, and interact with different devices naturally by restoring their lost abilities which will enable them to participate in the society and lead more independent lives,” says Maitreyee.

She wants to work towards bringing these technologies out of the lab settings and make it available for clinical and personal use to people who would benefit from this the most. Her stroke rehabilitation device has already been commercialised.

“Being a researcher, I am working on something new and exciting every day. There are a lot of scientific discussions and brainstorming sessions with our team,” informs the neuroscientist, who does quite a bit of reading to keep herself up to date with the latest scientific literature.

“Once I have novel results, I focus on writing scientific papers to publish my findings. I also work on writing funding applications. I prepare and give several presentations at conferences which involves some travel,” says Maitreyee, for whom almost every waking hour in the day is spent on research activities and thinking about innovative ways in which she can solve problems she is working on.

When not immersed in her research, she likes to draw and paint in her spare time. “I enjoy making sketches of places I have visited,” says the trained classical Bharatnatyam dancer.

Follow Dr Maitreyee on Twitter

Reading Time: 8 mins

Country’s first certified chocolate taster Nitin Chordia serves ‘Made in India’ chocolates in the truest sense

(September 16, 2022) When people get to know that Nitin Chordia is a chocolate taster, they can’t help but be curious. What could be a better job than that of a chocolate taster’s is the most common reaction. Though Nitin seconds their opinion with a smile, India’s first certified chocolate taster dons other hats too. As an entrepreneur, he has his work divided between Cocoashala, an academy that trains chocolate makers from around the globe, and Kocoatrait, the chocolate manufacturing company that has his wife, Poonam at the forefront. [caption id="attachment_29429" align="aligncenter" width="903"] L Nitin Chordia, chocolate taster and entrepreneur[/caption] Chocolates that are literally ‘Made in India’ Since long India’s large share of the chocolate market has been claimed by big foreign brands. Thanks to the efforts of chocolate makers like Nitin, we can now enjoy made-in-India chocolates. In a conversation with Global Indian, he elaborates: Chocolates in India have been made by big players in the industry for decades. I have tried to revolutionise the concept of made-in-India chocolates in the sense that the ingredients (cocoa beans) that we use for chocolate making are being sourced from Indian farms instead of being imported from outside - Nitin Chordia

an>Global Indian, he elaborates:

Chocolates in India have been made by big players in the industry for decades. I have tried to revolutionise the concept of made-in-India chocolates in the sense that the ingredients (cocoa beans) that we use for chocolate making are being sourced from Indian farms instead of being imported from outside - Nitin Chordia

That’s what makes his chocolates unique in comparison to the popular brands that have been ruling the market for years now.

[caption id="attachment_29430" align="aligncenter" width="788"] Indian Entrepreneur | Nitin Chordia | Global Indian Cocoa pods on a cacao tree in the farm - cocoa beans are inside these pods[/caption]

Having begun just a few years back, the revolution ushered by Nitin is ‘benefitting the farmers cultivating cocoa beans in India’ and it’s the most satisfying part of the business for him. Talking about the second satisfying aspect, “I can assure you that no child labour is involved in cocoa farming in India, unlike in some other countries,” says the bean-to-bar chocolate maker.

What’s bean-to-bar chocolate making?

A question that’s often posed to Nitin. “Many big companies that make and sell chocolates in India just do the last mile thing, buying chocolate slabs, adding fruits and nuts, and giving them shapes and packaging.” While the bean-to-bar chocolate makers like Nitin are involved in the process right from the beginning – cocoa beans cultivated by the farmers on the cacao trees,” he explains.

[caption id="attachment_29458" align="alignnone" width="1040"] Indian Entrepreneur | Nitin Chordia | Global Indian From bean to bar[/caption]

However, big brands, on the other hand, follow cocoa liquor-to-bar or mass-to-bar chocolate production processes. “All they do is buy chocolate paste which is known as cocoa liquor or cocoa mass, bypassing several processes like dealing with the farmers, trying to select the best fruit, getting the cocoa beans fermented, dried, roasted and then turned into paste. They outsource the initial processes,” tells Nitin. Such has been his close association with the farmers that he often sees himself getting into the shoes of the mentor for them to ensure quality produce.

[caption id="attachment_29435" align="aligncenter" width="923"] Indian Entrepreneur | Nitin Chordia | Global Indian Interaction session with cocoa farmers[/caption]

It all began when…

Though Nitin dipped his toes in the world of entrepreneurship in 2015, his tryst with confectionery dates back to 2005 when he was working for KSA Technopak, one of India’s largest retail companies and was heading its client Godrej’s Nature Basket project. Nitin was entrusted with the responsibility of establishing the Nature Basket chain of stores across the country for the corporate giant. “In that process, I developed a grasp on several categories of food products. Chocolates particularly interested me from the economic, and business standpoint,” says the Chennai based entrepreneur.

[caption id="attachment_29436" align="alignnone" width="1029"] Indian Entrepreneur | Nitin Chordia | Global Indian Nitin conducting a chocolate appreciation session[/caption]

Nitin hails from a family that has been into entrepreneurship since generations, and to be in that space was his ultimate goal as well. However, he wanted to dabble in something new as opposed to his family business in trading, finance and real estate. That’s when he decided to pursue an M Sc in retail management from University of Surrey and later worked for a couple of retail consultancy firms with the plan to eventually foray into entrepreneurship one day.

Expensive lessons

Over the years, Nitin found himself intrigued by the world of chocolates, a business domain he was keen to explore. However, he wanted to do some research before soaking into the world of entrepreneurship, and that’s when he decided to go on a backpacking trip to Belgium, the European Mecca for chocolate. “It took me 20-days to discover that thousands of chocolate sellers actually don’t make chocolates at all. They don’t go to cocoa farms, they don’t buy cocoa fruit, they don’t process or make chocolate in bulk. All they do is buy slabs of chocolate from some manufacturer, put some nuts into it and sell.” This discovery was a gamechanger for Nitin as for him ‘a myth got uncovered.’

[caption id="attachment_29448" align="alignnone" width="1079"] Indian Entrepreneur | Nitin Chordia | Global Indian Nitin in one of the sessions abroad[/caption]

However, there was more as it was on the same trip that he met his mentor Martin Christy, who runs the International Institute of Chocolate and Cacao Tasting in the UK, the only institution of its kind and affiliated to the Government. “We happened to meet in a chocolate museum. Within two weeks, I was back attending a chocolate tasting certification course at his institute, becoming India’s first certified chocolate taster,” Nitin tells. After a few months of clearing the first certification level, he returned for level two getting assured that the chocolate business has huge potential to click. Martin became his mentor.

[caption id="attachment_29469" align="aligncenter" width="877"] Fermented cocoa beans - in the process of chocolate production[/caption]

“People had just started understanding speciality tea, coffee, wine but chocolates had never been spoken about,” and he got determined to bring his discoveries and gained knowledge to the forefront.

Making a difference

There were some people making bean-to-bar chocolates at a very small scale in India in places like Puducherry and Mysuru, but the practice was not popular - Nitin Chordia

With the purpose of making cocoa bean farming a profitable venture in India, he opened a franchisee of his mentor’s institute in the country giving fuel to business ideas of other entrepreneurs to start chocolate making ventures with ingredients produced in the country.

[caption id="attachment_29432" align="alignnone" width="1006"] Indian Entrepreneur | Nitin Chordia | Global Indian Nitin at one of the training sessions at Cocoashala[/caption]

Nitin’s Cocoashala has not only provided training to some of the most successful bean-to-bar chocolate makers of India but has also enabled their businesses by hand-holding them throughout the process. Through his consultancy venture, Nitin has helped them out with machinery, raw material, recipe development, being instrumental in ensuring their transition from learners to professional chocolate makers. There are 12 well-known bean-to-bar chocolate entrepreneurs in the country who have been successful in their businesses under Nitin’s mentorship. One of them being Paul and Mike, India’s largest bean-to-bar chocolate makers.

[caption id="attachment_29466" align="alignnone" width="1193"] Different types of cocoa pods[/caption]

All the entrepreneurs whom Nitin has mentored have been sourcing cocoa beans from farmers in Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra and Tamil Nadu, giving a boost to the economy.

Strong partnership

Poonam Chordiya, Nitin’s wife has had a significant role behind the success of both Cocoashala and Kocoatrait. “It was she who was instrumental in the idea of me starting Cocoashala. When in 2015 we talked about bean-to-bar chocolate making, everyone laughed at us. Poonam coaxed me to monetise the insights I gained through extensive travels and expensive mistakes.”

[caption id="attachment_29442" align="alignnone" width="930"] Indian Entrepreneur | Nitin Chordia | Global Indian Nitin with his wife, Poonam Chordia[/caption]

Once Cocoashala got stable, they started Kocoatrait in 2019, manufacturing chocolates and coming up with the end product with an all-women’s team. “Poonam is the brain, soul and heart behind the Kocoatrait brand,” Nitin says. The couple has been working diligently to let the quality of the products and services do all the talking. “We do not engage in any advertising and PR,” he remarks.

Measuring success

The only way Nitin and Poonam measure success is through the fact that they have saved more than 200 kgs of single use plastic from entering landfills. Their chocolate brand does not use paper or plastic in packaging.

The wrappers are biodegradable, compostable, recyclable, and upcycled in the first place. They are made with cocoa shells which are a by-product of our roasting process that would have otherwise gone into landfill. Apart from that, cotton waste generated by the garment industry in places like Coimbatore is being used for making the wrappers - Nitin Chordia

To compete with established brands is hardly the goal for Nitin. He finds happiness in the fact that he has been able to drive in the point that India is capable of producing internationally acceptable chocolates with Indian-origin ingredients.

Follow Nitin Chordia on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook

Reading Time: 7 mins