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Global IndianstoryShona Prabhu: Helping Indian athletes unleash the power of nutrition for peak performances

Shona Prabhu: Helping Indian athletes unleash the power of nutrition for peak performances

Written by: Amrita Priya

(September 11, 2022) When Shona Prabhu started working as a nutritionist for India’s hockey team, the players were not used to having a sports nutritionist around. Thanks to the initiatives taken by the Sports Authority of India, most of the training centres across the country now have a nutritionist on board.

With a career spanning 11 years, sports and wellness nutritionist Shona Prabhu has been the nutrition consultant of state, national, and Olympic athletes of various sports, facilitating great performances for India. Some of the most impressive associations have been her stint as the nutrition consultant for men’s and women’s hockey teams of India (2017-2021), and the Delhi Capitals IPL team for the 2021 season. Shona has been a sportsperson herself in her growing up years, playing badminton for CBSE school nationals while she was growing up in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia where her parents were posted.

Shona Prabhu, sports nutritionist

The sports lover who also dons the hat of a corporate wellness nutritionist is the co-founder of NutrifyMyDiet, taking care of the wellness of some of the top CEOs in the country.

Talking about her experiences as a sports nutritionist to Global Indian, she mentions “It’s been very enriching. In the process, I have learned a lot about different sports, the struggles of athletes, and how they slog relentlessly to make everything work for them.” Shona has been serving tailor-made nutrition plans to suit the lifestyles, food habits, physical activities, and medical history of her clients with the philosophy – Nourish. Empower. Sustain.

Passionate about sports nutrition

“Do what you love and you will never work another day in your life. I am fortunate to be doing what I love every single day,” tells Shona who got into sports nutrition because as a young player she was always curious about how her food and nutrition can help her in her game. Having studied in Saudi Arabia until class 10, she went on to pursue her bachelor’s and post graduation in nutrition and dietetics in Bangalore, topping it up with MSc in sports and exercise nutrition from Loughborough University, UK.

Shona Prabhu with players of Indian men’s hockey team

“To be able to pass on the knowledge to others is something that I look forward to every day,” she mentions having garnered insights over the years about vital aspects of an athlete’s life from self-experience and education. She has been the nutrition guide to successful young athletes like Aneesh Gowda (international swimmer), Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha (former national champion in tennis), Tejaswin Shankar (Commonwealth Games bronze medallist 2022 in athletics), Bengaluru Football Club (BFC) – ISL League 2016-2017 and more. “Helping them in making a difference in their lives, especially in a country, where the value being given to nutrition has just started, feels nice,” says Shona. She looks at her industry with positive eyes.

From where I started to where it has come today is rewarding. It’s very good to see the slow but steady positive changes in the overall outlook towards sports nutrition – Shona Prabhu

Startling but true

Highlighting how the concept of nutrition which should be at the top of the priority list, has loomed in ignorance for many years, Shona mentions, “Since the majority of athletes come from middle class or lower middle-class backgrounds, it is somewhat startling but true that they do not know how important nutrition is for them to perform.” Perhaps this is why being their nutrition consultant has been so fulfilling to her. It’s like facilitating the professional growth of athletes and taking their careers forward in a significant way.

Shona with budding players of India

“Diet for a sportsperson is an integral part of the triangle or the pyramid that they should follow. The other two components are training, and sleep,” she says stressing how integral the three components are.

There are many athletes in our country who are talented and hard-working but without the right diet, lack the energy to train themselves well, giving just about 40-50 percent of what they really can – Shona Prabhu

Just filling the stomach is not sufficient

Shona points out that athletes feel they are getting nutrition if their stomach is full when that’s not the case. “I always try to make them understand the concept of nutritious food and how they can ensure the same in their diets.” She never fails to drive the point during her sessions that not just the right kind of food but also the right combination of it and eating at the right time matters on how one performs. Talking about anemia amongst female athletes of India she mentions, “Their immunity, stamina, endurance, and energy levels are directly affected, and is an important issue that needs to be addressed.”

Shona with her husband, Lester Cutinha, co-founder of NutrifyMyDiet, and team members

The expert nutritionist also believes that athletes need to learn how to cook. “This is a life skill that should be developed irrespective of gender because it comes in handy in different situations. You will be able to feed yourself the right way.”

Change the outlook

Just as she organically learned about the value of nutrition by reading about it as a child and observing adults around her, she wants the kids of India to be self-aware. It is required on society’s part to change the way they are inculcating food habits in children. With the popularity of sports as a profession, many children in the country are aspiring for a career in the field.

Parents of aspiring athletes should support nutrition and a healthy environment at home. You can’t just have the aspiring athlete in the family eat certain things, while the rest of the family is eating whatever they feel like including junk food. It needs to be a family affair – Shona Prabhu

Shona at a training session at BFC soccer school

Getting into multiple shoes

The demand of each sport is different for Shona, and she handles her responsibilities as a nutritionist depending on the domain of sports that a player belongs to. “When I work with the hockey players, the way I deal with the demands as a professional is somewhat different from working with cricketers as they are comparatively better in terms of luxuries and privileges offered to them as players.” Similarly, being a consultant to athletes who give individual performances on the field is altogether a different ballgame.

Shona with Delhi Capitals IPL team members

Recent initiatives – a boon

Shona is all praise of some good steps that have been taken lately to prioritise the concept of nutrition in sports and the support that is being given to young athletes by the government. They have access to professionals in different areas of the domain now. “Corporates coming forward to sponsor athletes is a cherry on the cake making the sports ecosystem better,” she remarks.

The sports and wellness nutritionist loves interacting with people of all ages and has been spreading awareness about the benefits of nutrition and a healthy lifestyle through nutrition and fitness talks at corporate houses, schools, and sports academies.

Follow Shona Prabhu on LinkedIn and Facebook
Follow NutrifyMyDiet on Instagram, Facebook and its website

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Published on 11, Sep 2022

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Born in Chicago, settled in India, Anjum Babukhan set up a school that makes a difference

(October 7, 2021) Anjum Babukhan's is an unconventional story. Born and brought up in Chicago, she moved to India for her husband. But where she could've basked in the glory of her new life, she decided instead to channel her energies into branching out on her own. A keen learner herself, she found the education system in the country outdated and set out to make a change in her own small way. She founded Glendale Academy, a co-education school that laid an emphasis on holistic growth and a nurturing environment, in Hyderabad. The concept clicked and today, the brand has flourished into a chain of private schools that was ranked number 1 in Telangana and at number 8 in India by Education World. For close to three decades now, Anjum has striven to transform lives through education, which remains her top priority even today. Otherwise, the award-winning educationist can teach you a thing or two about martial art form like Tai Chi or Chinese exercise Qigong, show off her urban sketching skills and Yin-Yang art, display her Ikebana expertise, become a dance choreographer or wow people with her Zumba and Yoga moves. In everything that she does, Anjum sets the standards

e a dance choreographer or wow people with her Zumba and Yoga moves. In everything that she does, Anjum sets the standards high.

By leaps and bounds

“I do my best and let god do the rest,” smiles Anjum, settling down for an exclusive interview with Global Indian. Her desire to achieve and a passion to convert her dreams into reality led to the birth of Glendale Academy. She took off with one school in the early 2000s; 25 years later, Glendale has expanded by leaps and bounds.

“We now stand as number 1 in Telangana and top 10 in India; we are known for our pedagogy – the art of teaching and holistic curricular approach more than anything else," informs a beaming Anjum, the Director of Glendale, as she looks back at her illustrious journey.

From America to Hyderabad

Born and raised in Chicago in the United States in a conservative family, Anjum is the eldest of four siblings. Her Indian Muslim parents immigrated from Hyderabad in the 1970s. "I keep traversing between continents, cultures and conditions. Whether it was adapting as a bicultural child of immigrants in the US to moving halfway across the world to India and adjusting to the social constructs of the society here, I pick out elements of what I choose to harmonize in my symphony of multi-layered and multi-cultural being," says Anjum.

She was a high honor roll student, who won several scholarships on graduating from high school before she went on to study Psychology in the honors program at Loyola University, Chicago. While in her last year at the University, Anjum met an international student from Hyderabad, Salman Babukhan, whom she married after college. Anjum moved to India in 1995 after pursuing her Masters in Education Administration and Instructional Leadership at University of Illinois.

Entrepreneurial journey

Within months of her settling down in India, she discovered the education system here was outdated and rigid. She wanted to change things, so Anjum set out on a mission. "We wanted to create nurturing spaces that develop every child's multiple intelligence spectrum, physical capabilities, creative potential, 21st Century life skills and multicultural awareness. At Glendale, our focus has always been and remains on cultivating competence and character," she informs.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8i9DT5BbkI[/embed]

A lifelong learner, Anjum is not only keen on sharing her knowledge, but also adapts and evolves with the changing times. "Everyone changes and everyone evolves. From my teens, 20s, 30s, and now in my 40s, I have grown more effective in my career, confident in capacities, resilient in challenges and comfortable within my own being as time moves forward. In the biological paradigm, those who adapt not only survive, but thrive," says the mother of three.

Anjum has many feathers in her academic cap. Among them are the outstanding academic achievement awards in the Presidential Academic fitness awards program signed by President Ronald Reagan in 1987 and President George HW Bush in 1990, as well as an "academic and leadership excellence" award presented by Hyderabad foundation of Chicago.

The eternal Global Indian

Describing herself as a Global Indian American Muslim, Anjum is constantly pushing the boundaries. Even now, she is strong in her academic pursuits in her quest for lifelong learning. With courses like Strategy in Action and Project Zero from Harvard, courses from Cambridge and recently a Design Thinking course from Stanford D school, she exemplifies her motto of learning every day. The visionary leader that she is, Anjum says she loves to learn anything that contributes to building her own multiple intelligence spectrum.

"One should explore their many sides across identities, capacities, cultures and ways of knowing the world. Every aspect one has in them can be channelized and optimized. There is no one like you and never will be. Be the best version of yourself always," she advises all those embarking on a journey. A globetrotter, Anjum says she keeps wanting to bridge the best of both worlds with what she likes and lives in both places. "I guess we are all travelers in this world," says Anjum, who is also a TEDx speaker.

Global Indian Anjum Babukhan

Staying true to her roots

With an experience of over two and half decades in implementing the best teaching methodologies, she has also authored a book, ABCs of Brain Compatible Learning, which is a guide for all educators.

The one Indian-ness, she says, that remains with her is the Hindustani language, be it Urdu or Hindi, which is a way to know, enjoy and be enriched by culture. "Nothing can be as colorful and vibrant as ethnic apparel and accessories. But even if I feel comfortable with the secular and pluralistic ideals of countries I call my own, my belonging may be questioned by the right-wing powers of the majority at times, whether it is in the US or India," says Anjum, who has won innumerable awards, accolades and recognition not just individually but for her institutions as well.

Anjum, who received an honorary doctorate in education by the National American University and National Institute of Education and Research, has an interesting take on Brand India. "As long as Brand India maintains its pluralism, secularism and humane values on which the nation was founded upon, it will grow stronger, taller and wider by harnessing the strength of unity in diversity. If it is inclusive, striving for justice and opportunity for all, Brand India will be a potent force like no other."

Follow her on LinkedIn

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How Parul Sharma became one of Sweden’s top human rights lawyers

(March 30, 2023) Parul Sharma is a familiar face in Sweden, where she is one of the country’s most influential lawyers and featured often in the media. A human rights lawyer with a focus on sustainability, Parul is the CEO at The Academy for Human Rights in Business and Chair, Amnesty International Sweden. Over the years, she has gained a reputation as one of Sweden’s most influential sustainability experts. Be it law or human rights, Parul has always had a human-centric approach – she studied law from Stockholm University and did her Master’s in London. In 2017, she was ranked the second most influential sustainability leader in Sweden, right after the Minister of Financial Markets and Consumer Affairs. Over the years, Parul has written extensively on the topics of CSR and human rights. In 2020-2022, she was ranked and awarded most influential in Sweden within areas of social change, development, and human rights. In 2022, she won the “MySpeaker of the Year” prize in the category of sustainability in Sweden. “Over the years I have been awarded with human rights awards such as the Solidarity Award granted by the Afrika groups (Afrikagrupperna) and the Tilka Manjhi Human Rights Award granted

Rights Award granted by the Ang Madad Foundation India in 2021,” Parul tells Global Indian.

Parul loves to create hope, she says it’s her aim to create hope for it can indeed be a trigger to action and reaction for development, and hope is extremely important to uphold human rights and democracy. “Each person is a powerhouse and can start a movement, small or big, for change and sustainable development. Hope can indeed illuminate these powerhouses.”

[caption id="attachment_36718" align="aligncenter" width="636"] Parul Sharma[/caption]

Entrepreneur, author and human rights defender

After gaining expertise and many years of experience working in sustainability, human rights and anti-corruption in high-risk markets, Parul floated her own Academy, ‘The Academy for Human Rights in Business’ for Human Rights, in Business in 2013. So far it has provided training and legal advice on sustainable development related issues to more than 550 companies – mainly multinational corporations around the world.

Parul also got a chance to chair the Swedish governmental Agenda 2030 Delegation between 2016 and January 2018 and also since 2020, has served as the Chair of Amnesty International Sweden. Apart from being a rights activist, she is also an established author; so far she has published seven. “My three most recent publications are on Agenda 2030," Parul says. "They are handbooks, aimed at making people act both as corporate representatives, citizens, parents, teachers, and consumers. I have all together published seven books on human rights and/or sustainable development,” Parul explains. The first four books are on the Right to Life and the rights of women and children.

Preserving culture

Parul was born to Indian parents in Stockholm, Sweden. Her mother, Anita Sharma and her father, Shashikant Sharma, moved from Jallandhar to the Swedish capital as a newly married couple in the 1970s. “Our languages are Punjabi and Hindi, and our culture has always been central to our upbringing. For that, I’m thankful to my mother.”

The early exposure to Indian culture and languages led to an interest in human rights and sustainable development issues in her ancestral homeland. She began to expand her focus to India and gradually, to Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal, building up to outreach on a global scale during her 27-year career. These days, Parul works in seven African and four Latin-American countries.

Creating socially-sound businesses

According to Parul, her work schedule is very hectic, with a lot of legal advisory and training towards the corporate world in the EU through her firm The Academy for Human Rights in Business. “I advise corporations on how to conduct socially and environmentally sound business in already weak and complex markets from a sustainable development point of view.”

In the last 20 years, she has been regularly conducting social audits on European supply chains in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Never forgetting the roots

Parul is a regular visitor to India and has worked almost everywhere in the country, she says. “On the sidelines, I am active in a number of pro bono engagements with NGOs working to combat Tobacco, sex-trade and human trafficking, refugee rights and support to refugees in Sweden, and many child rights related matters.”

For many years now, she spends at least one month as a humanitarian volunteer. “My last three volunteer programmes have been attached to a clinic connected to one of Europe’s largest refugee camps in Greece on the Ireland of Lesbos.”

Branching out

A few years ago, Parul began to feel that her legal profession is not enough to support and help in the humanitarian and refugee crisis. She chose an unconventional path at this point. Wanting to feel more involved in helping refugees rise above the trauma they carried, she took courses in massage therapy and breathing techniques. It allowed her provide a sort of instant relief, which she says has also benefitted her immensely. “I feel the difference instantly, I can see, feel and hear how massage is helping my fellow human beings who have struggled to move away from war zones, natural disasters, and other oppressive scenes.” Often, she says, people break down and cry on the massage table as they feel the release of tension. “The feeling of being safe and relaxed is uncommon for them,” she says.

Right now, she is working with the Swedish initiative ‘Stand with Syria’ to support the Turkish and Syrian hunger crisis due to the massive earthquake hitting these countries very recently.

An unflinching journey

“Child rights have always been the main energy in my work, and 25 years ago, together with an Indian NGO, PVCHR Asia, I started a scholarship programme for girls in Uttar Pradesh and it has been ongoing since.” Investing in education for the girl child has proven to be the single most impacting practice for social and environmental development, she says.

While calling this as the most powerful key to societal balance and change, till date several hundreds, at least 650 girls have benefitted from this programme.

“This programme is probably what I am most proud of, of all the work and effort I have put into rights based work. I visit PVCHR once a year and meet with the girls. Health camps and other awareness activities for women are conducted as well.”

Staunch supporter of human and worker rights

Today world’s supply chains are being severely affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic and fast moving markets. “Moreover, the threat to public health, the economic and social disruption threatens the long-term livelihoods of millions of workers. Mostly vulnerable to the worst impacts are the millions of workers lower down the supply chain, often women and the primary caregivers in their families and already marginalized communities.”

Calling workers as integral to the global economy, Parul believes a large part of the hidden workforce of global production already face poverty wages, dangerous and unsafe working conditions, and without social protections, mostly.

“Migrant workers in supply chains also face unique risks, as a result of inadequate and crowded living conditions, harsh containment measures, and discrimination. This includes workers in supply chains across sectors but has clearly been identified within electronics and IT. Such risks and impacts have been documented in the mining sector in Latin America as well as in electronics manufacturing in China (including the alert on the forced labor of the Uyghurs), Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Czech Republic, Italy, Brazil, and Mexico), according to and by numerous human rights watchdogs.”

In capacity of playing an advisory role, she prepares companies and governmental agencies, who procure products from high-risk markets, to build even stricter auditing models during and post-covid, especially within the following areas: compensation, collective bargaining agreements, and cancellations during the pandemic, for instance, cancellations of wage increase and severance payments, health and safety measures with a focus on lack of protective equipment, lack of social distancing measures.

Parul is a staunch supporter of spiritualism, she believes one needs calm, prayer, meditation and spiritualism every day.

Follow Parul Sharma on LinkedIn

How Ajay Jain’s Kunzum bookstores are creating community and culture in New Delhi

During a book launch a few months ago, Ajay Jain ran into a senior citizen who loves books but could no longer read due to eyesight issues. His bookstore also had a college student visiting who loved reading but could not afford to buy them. “The two got talking. Before the evening was out, the former purchased a book for her newly-acquainted reader, ensuring that someone would go to sleep reading a book,” Ajay tells Global Indian. The 54-year-old is an author, photographer, traveler, and founder of Kunzum, a chain of boutique bookstores. An engineer and a management student who graduated from Cardiff University, the entrepreneur set up his chain of bookstores in 2022 and currently operates six outlets in New Delhi. At a time when everyone bemoans the lack of physical bookstores, this enterprising reader has actually walked the talk, creating an atmosphere of reading and a space where people can meet, engage, and build relationships. [caption id="attachment_48094" align="aligncenter" width="537"] Ajay Jain with Javed Akhtar[/caption] The wealth of words An avid reader since childhood, Ajay took to writing books in 2007 (he has eleven published works so far), and while his initial focus was on travel, he expanded his

1024.jpg" alt="" width="537" height="602" /> Ajay Jain with Javed Akhtar[/caption]

The wealth of words

An avid reader since childhood, Ajay took to writing books in 2007 (he has eleven published works so far), and while his initial focus was on travel, he expanded his oeuvre to write on personal development, marketing, and fiction too. And this is how Kunzum was born. He shares, “It was the name of my travel blog (Kunzum is a high altitude pass in the Indian Himalayas) and publishing imprint. I set up the Kunzum Travel Café in 2010 to serve as a gallery for my photography and books. We built a community there around events and coffee.”

It was in the aftermath of the pandemic that Kunzum Travel Café was rebranded as Kunzum Books. When the pandemic forced a shutdown, the entrepreneur took it as an opportunity to reflect and recalibrate the bookstore.

Building a community

Since Ajay has been focused on writing books, he understands their importance to society and adds, “I have been disappointed at the dearth of bookshops in India. Especially the ones that make browsing a pleasing experience. And it also made things difficult for authors—how do they promote their books if distribution is scarce? Online platforms like Amazon have their value, but most authors need to face their customers to be able to make an impression.”

Thus, he took the decision to invest in bookshops, despite the uncertainty of the pandemic still hanging heavy. The entrepreneur realized that retail had to focus on one differentiator: experience. He went about building that with a community of authors, readers, editors, designers, and publishers who can come together for the love of books. And with the help of curated lists, book clubs, events, and activities, he created a cerebral space for bookworms.

Breaking barriers in more ways than one, Kunzum Travel Café followed the ‘pay-what-you-like’ model; the idea was to eliminate any entry and exit barriers to the place and give a sense of ownership to guests.

[caption id="attachment_48095" align="aligncenter" width="719"] Kunzum, Delhi[/caption]

At Kunzum Books, Ajay tweaked the model a bit: coffee and tea, along with their secret brownie cookies, are complimentary, but only if people buy a book. He smiles and says, “We still do not sell the coffee. If you want a cuppa at Kunzum, you have to buy a book. It’s become a talking point and another idea that is shaping the culture called Kunzum.”

Going against the tide

While bookstores are closing in India, one wonders what pushed Ajay to start not one but six stores! “Because someone had to,” he deadpans and answers, “not as charity, but as a venture for profit. So it sustains. A good and useful idea cannot be allowed to fail. But it’s a business with a cause. Bookstores are repositories of our culture, our values, our ideas, our stories, and our literature. They shape the character of who we are as individuals and as a society.”

The road to success is challenging, especially in the business of bookstores. Ajay nods and adds, “People. That is the single biggest challenge for any business, but more so for small and medium enterprises. Since capital is always limited, one cannot burn cash, and finding the right personnel is also not easy.”

One of the biggest problems with physical bookstores is the heavy discounting online players offer. Physical bookstores cannot compete with price cuts on Amazon, the only book e-commerce player of note. The entrepreneur is cognizant of this discrepancy and adds, “Publishers can plug this—they can impress upon Amazon to eliminate discounts and hold back supplies to offending vendors on the site. If they have the will, they can do it. With a level playing field, customers would any day prefer to pick up their books from a physical store.”

Facing all of these challenges is not easy. But Ajay is not one to give up easily. Kunzum bookstores are a haven for those who want a respite from the endless materialism of modern-day life. Their pre-loved book selection, the lovingly curated store, and the passion of the founder make it a cozy and welcoming space.

Ajay recounts a meeting with an elderly woman who visited the store with her daughter and two granddaughters. "Even at 90, she cannot sleep unless there are at least 3–4 books on her bed," Ajay smiles. Experiences like these motivate the founder to put more energy into his belief that bookshops are vital to shaping the culture and character of societies and individuals. He adds, “This belief has driven us to invest in such community spaces and thus do our bit to make ours a better world to live in.”

The next evolution for Kunzum is to be a community of communities. They are seeding chapters of the Kunzum Book Club in schools, corporates, residential neighborhoods, and any other groupings of like-minded people.

[caption id="attachment_48096" align="aligncenter" width="654"] Kabir Bedi at Kunzum[/caption]

Ajay signs off, saying, “We will engage people in book discussions, author interactions, competitions, workshops, and more. As more people come into the fold, we will expand the culture of reading, leading to individual and societal development.”

Follow Ajay and Kunzum on Instagram.

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.

Follow Aditya Mhatre on LinkedIn

Reading Time: 5 mins

Meet Dr. Archana Sharma, the Indian scientist involved in the discovery of the Higgs boson at CERN

[et_pb_section bb_built="1"][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text _builder_version="4.9.0"] (April 13, 2023) It was the biggest news of not just 2012, but of the century. A group of scientists, in a landmark event, had discovered the Higgs boson particle (also known as the God particle) - a discovery that lay the foundation for the matter that forms us and everything we see around us in the universe. Scientists from across the globe rushed to congratulate the team behind such a historic discovery, among whom was Dr. Archana Sharma, the Indian staff scientist at CERN who was involved in the experiment. As she connects with me over a call from Geneva for an interview, I ask Dr. Sharma something that had been on my mind for a long. The STEM education gender gap in India is glaring even today. How challenging was it for her to pursue a master's in nuclear physics back in the early 80s? "Well, I don't think any journey is easy. Neither was mine," says the scientist, adding, "While I was pursuing my Ph.D., most girls my age were getting married. Today girls can put their foot down and do what they want to, but the generation that I belong to is

girls my age were getting married. Today girls can put their foot down and do what they want to, but the generation that I belong to is very different. People would say, 'jhola leke chali hain physics padhne, kya yeh Nobel Prize layengi?' Though there was immense support from my family, from time to time I would hear people say, 'She’s too educated, who is going to marry her?' But, whatever the challenges, you just need to clench your teeth and carry on."

Scientist | Dr Archana Sharma | Global Indian

A globally recognised scientist for her pioneering work on micro-pattern gaseous detectors, Dr. Sharma is currently a senior CMS physicist European Organisation for Nuclear Research, known as CERN in Geneva, Switzerland. She is also the head of relations between CERN and other international organisations. The Global Indian, who received the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman in 2023 for her 'outstanding contribution to science and technology' and in recognition of her 'valuable contribution' in promoting the honour and prestige of India, dedicated the award to the students of India saying that her Indian roots and upbringing have helped her serve the world as one family.

A small-town girl with big dreams

Born in Aligarh, Dr. Sharma was always a brilliant student. "I grew up in Jhansi and completed most of my school education from there. Both my parents were teachers - my father taught mechanical engineering, and my mother taught economics and geography. They were the ones who pushed me towards picking science as my career path. I came from a middle-class family, so good education was quite important and my parents saw to it that I got that."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL9pjrhgVxc

After finishing school, Dr. Sharma moved to Varanasi for a bachelor's in physics from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi where she also did her master's degree. While it might look easy now, back in the 80s, it wasn't common for girls to pursue a career in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields. "Firstly, I loved the subject, and just decided to follow my heart to do a masters in nuclear physics. I was curious to learn more about what makes the world around us and wanted to explore the field," says the scientist.

Scientist | Dr Archana Sharma | Global Indian

However, while education is one thing, finding a job is another. Despite being a "good student, who had secured gold medals", the scientist faced several challenges after finishing her master's. "Physics is not a top career path in terms of giving immediate rewards. There were students in my class who took electronics and computing and got a job even before finishing their master's. It was a frustrating time for me because I wanted to stand on my own feet and there was no future in sight. For about two to three years, I didn't get any suitable job. Moreover, I didn't get admission to the best Universities to pursue my Ph.D. But as they say, there is a rainbow after the rain. I was lucky and got a chance to do Ph.D. at Delhi University," the scientist says.

The land of the Alps

While she was pursuing her Ph.D. at DU, Dr. Sharma got an opportunity to attend a workshop in Trieste Italy, in 1987 and visit CERN. And that was a turning point for her. “A senior professor who gave a lecture at the workshop announced that the best student would be allowed to work at CERN in Geneva for six months. It was a big opportunity and couldn't just let it go. So, I worked hard and managed to get this opportunity. I convinced my parents about me going to Geneva, and my in-laws were also quite supportive," shares the scientist, who later won a fellowship to come to CERN for three years and landed right in the group of detector development led by Georges Charpak (Physics Nobel Laureate, 1992).

[caption id="attachment_37285" align="aligncenter" width="650"] Scientist | Dr Archana Sharma | Global Indian Dr. Sharma receiving the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman from President of India, Droupadi Murmu[/caption]

To work at CERN is a dream for scientists across the globe, and Dr. Sharma was living it. In a first Sharma was exceptionally employed in 2001, by CERN, as an Indian. But the dream had its challenges. "The cultural shift wasn't so much of an issue. Being raised in a multicultural society, Indians are well aware of how to accommodate and adapt to other cultures. Language, however, was a bit of a barrier. I had to learn French, which was a steep learning curve for me," she recalls.

However, language wasn't the only barrier. Lacking practical knowledge of instrumentation and building scientific instruments, the scientist found herself in a bit of a tight situation in Geneva. She reminiscences, "Back in those days, there was a lack of infrastructure in the Indian universities. So, my preparation wasn't as good as I thought it was when I reached CERN. I had to learn and understand how advanced instrumentation worked, now that I had to use them regularly, and to make sense of the work that I was supposed to do."

Scientist | Dr Archana Sharma | Global Indian

To overcome the challenge, Dr. Sharma enrolled and earned a second doctorate (D.Sc.) in "Instrumentation for High Energy Physics" from the University of Geneva in 1996 and later also got an executive MBA degree from the International University in Geneva in 2001. "However," she adds, "The ease of performing research and development work at CERN, was a pleasant surprise for me. The work culture and professionalism here is amazing."

The discovery of the God particle

CERN, in collaboration with over 10,000 scientists and hundreds of universities and laboratories, built the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) between 1998 and 2008, to allow physicists to test the predictions of different theories of particle physics. "My work was to prepare tools and techniques for looking at the processes relating to the big bang."

[caption id="attachment_37266" align="aligncenter" width="580"] Scientist | Dr Archana Sharma | Global Indian Dr. Sharma at the CERN Large Hadron Collider[/caption]

She explains, "The Universe is made up of fundamental particles of matter, which contains quarks and gluons, and forces by which they act on each other. In the 1960s, the Higgs mechanism was invoked to explain how particle gets mass. So, to prove that the Higgs boson exists, we needed to do a very large experiment and the LHC had an ambitious goal of finding this boson. In the 90s, I was working on R&D of detectors and techniques, which were later used to confirm the existence of the Higgs boson particle. Of course, I did not know at the time that I was contributing to this huge experiment. I worked on the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment, and my responsibility was to ensure that the detectors for the muon system would be built, installed, commissioned, and then operated when the LHC switched on."

On July 4, 2012, a historic seminar was held to announce the detection of the Higgs boson. "I got up early and reached CERN at 5 am to get a seat at the auditorium, only to find that I couldn't even enter the jam-packed venue. It was the most amazing experience of my life," she shares.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUDPB0MfG74

Ask her about the theories floating around at the time that the LHC could potentially create a black hole and the scientist quips, "Oh, they were blessings in disguise. You know how they say 'any publicity is good publicity'. This news gave us scientists a way to reach out to the public and explain to them that collisions much greater than the hadron collider happens from cosmic rays as well. And yet, we and the Universe are still here. So, these theories helped us bust many myths around the black hole formation."

Empowering young people

In 2017, India became a member state of the CERN and Dr. Sharma has been coordinating collaborations, and even guiding Indian interns at CERN. Running her own NGO, Life Lab Education and Research Foundation, the scientist is working towards creating partnerships with educational institutions for the benefit of underprivileged students. “I come to India very frequently, giving my time to schools and other science and engineering institutions to give talks and interact with students, teaching them whatever little I can about particle physics, and how technology and innovation can impact society and sustained development goals,” Dr. Sharma says.

[caption id="attachment_37265" align="aligncenter" width="652"] Scientist | Dr Archana Sharma | Global Indian Dr. Sharma with Indian school students[/caption]

Currently working on the CMS experiment in the Large Hadron Collider, developing a new muon system called GEM (Gas Electron Multiplier), which can detect muons in the outermost layer of the CMS, the scientist has mentored a large number of Ph.D. students and has authored or co-authored over 1200 publications. Her dream is to touch the lives of as many students as possible and bring advanced medical applications from particle physics in mainstream education, diagnostics and treatments.

Follow Dr. Archana Sharma on Twitter

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