Indian Social Entrepreneur | Upasana Makati | Global Indian

Global IndianstoryWith India’s first lifestyle magazine in Braille, Upasana Makati makes reading enjoyable for people with visual impairment

With India’s first lifestyle magazine in Braille, Upasana Makati makes reading enjoyable for people with visual impairment

Written by: Amrita Priya

(August 19, 2022) It was in 1785 that India was first introduced to a magazine that was published then by the British. And 40 years later, Louis Braille, the French educator, invented a tactile system of reading and writing for visually challenged people in 1824. Since then, his legacy has lightened up millions of lives across the globe. However, it was not until 2013 that the people with visual impairment in India could enjoy the simple pleasure of reading a print magazine, even when it’s a highly popular medium despite the charms of the digital media.

When Upasana Makati, the founder of White Print, India’s first lifestyle magazine in Braille, came to know about it from the National Association for the Blind (NAB), she was appalled and angry. “When sighted people have freedom to choose the media to consume, then why not people with visual impairment!” she says in a conversation with Global Indian.

Upasana Makati, founder and publisher, White Print

This thought along with the curiosity of how visually impaired people begin their day in absence of any leisure reading option, infused a burning desire in Upasana to come up with a magazine for those who cannot see. A college pass out working in her first job in the public relations domain, the idea stuck with her for a while. Within three months, she left her job and vroomed into the publishing world.

Today, White Print is the only lifestyle magazine in Braille. Upasana’s initiative got recognised at many platforms but the most coveted one has been an award that she received at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in 2018 for being the First Lady of the Nation to have started a Braille magazine.

Impressive content from top contributors

From sports and culture to the inspiring stories of the common man, White Print covers a variety of topics to stimulate the mind’s eye. If Sudha Murty, the author, philanthropist and chairperson of the Infosys Foundation, had offered one year of her short stories’ rights to the magazine, renowned TV journalist Barkha Dutt contributed content for a year.

“At present we are in collaboration with Unbias the News, a global news portal run by a community of journalists from across the world,” she tells. Caravan Magazine too contributes content in addition to the in-house content generated by Upasana and her team.

The usual reaction of people when they look at White Print is that of wonderment ! I thought I’d give you a glimpse into the magazine and talk about the script and it’s usage. #Braille #BrailleScript #Myths #Facts. pic.twitter.com/mwmKx9ctAq

— White Print (@whiteprintmag) August 19, 2020

Impulse backed with research

“Reflecting is one of my habits. It was a sudden thought that crossed my mind in the middle of the night. My curiosity was so strong that I called up my friends to discuss it during those hours itself. They thought I was crazy,” recalls Upasana, talking about the germination of the idea of a magazine in braille.

She began her research by visiting The National Association for the Blind in Mumbai, where she was informed about a couple of fortnightly newsletters that are educative in tone replete with information like policies for the visually impaired, but nothing as such for leisure reading. “This angered me. I thought, how could we be living in modern times when there is no reading material in braille to make life enjoyable?” says the founder, publisher and editor.

Though she personally knew no one who was visually impaired but looking at the information provided by NAB, the Mumbai girl was convinced that something should be done.

Finding a purpose early on in life

With no prior experience and purely driven by the desire to make a difference, she charted the path of becoming a self-taught entrepreneur in the publishing industry, learning the tricks of the trade on the go. “I found my purpose early on in life,” says Upasana whose initiative got recognised in the form of Forbes 30 Under 30 and Fortune 40 Under 40.

Braillo 650W at NAB. In the background, there are numerous Braille books stacked and arranged

The Media and Communication graduate from Jai Hind College, Mumbai, who was at a one-year exchange programme in communication at University of Ottawa, has been making lives interesting. She has been catering to leisure reading needs in braille and also fulfilling demands of institutions like IIM Kolkata, Goa National Library, Federation for Blind, Bangalore and LV Prasad Eye Institute. Trilogy – a bookstore in Mumbai that has a section dedicated to braille also subscribes to White Print.

Replacing sympathy with empathy

“I started it as a for-profit venture because I wanted to replace sympathy with empathy, and to do away with the notion of the charity angle that always gets associated when one does anything for the disabled.” Though publishing the magazine is not very economically viable in the absence of many braille press options in the country, the satisfaction that it gives to Upasana is ‘unparalleled.’

The magazine did not get published for five months during the pandemic as reading for the community is solely touch based and the NAB press, where the magazine gets published, was shut down during that period.

There are a number of challenges in publishing a print magazine in these times but it’s extremely satisfying. It excites me because there aren’t many people doing it and there is so much to do in this space – Upasana Makati

The monthly 64-page publication, available at subsidised rate of ₹30 with a readership of several thousand, has seen a decline in certain corporate sponsorships. However, in the past, conglomerates like Coca Cola, Fevicol, Mahindra, and Jindal group had associated themselves with it.

More in the same turf

Ten years of experience of running a company focussed on visually impaired has resulted in enough knowledge and expertise in the domain. Added to that, Upasana has pursued a course from Stanford University Graduate School of Business in diversity and inclusion.

Indian Social Entrepreneur | Upasana Makati | Global Indian

A sought-after name in the world of consultancy for startups and corporates in matters related to inclusiveness and diversity, she has been at the thick of initiatives like workshops on sensitisation for adults as well as children to make them more mindful towards the visually impaired.

Considering how crucial it is to inculcate the values of inclusiveness and diversity at a young age, Upasana has forayed into publishing children’s literature with Look Out, Look Within, Flowers for Sunaina and more recently Run Saba Run which she authored. The books are available for both visually impaired and sighted children. White Print also publishes fundamental books in braille for young learners.

Recognitions for Upasana’s initiatives:

Rising Talents award for Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society, Paris, 2019
First Lady Award from Ministry of Women and Child Development, 2018
Fortune India’s 40 Under 40 for Best and Brightest in the World of Business, 2018
Forbes 30 Under 30, 2016
Loreal-Femina Award for Science and Innovation, 2015
Microsoft Equal Opportunity Award for Innovation, 2015

Follow Upasana Makati on LinkedIn and Instagram

Follow White Print on Facebook, Twitter and its website

Name*

Email*

Name*

Email*

0 Comments

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Published on 19, Aug 2022

Share with

ALSO READ

Japan-based Indian scientist, Dr. Aditya Baraskar, is working on generating wireless electricity

(February 23, 2023) His LinkedIn page indicates that he is one of the top 100 aerospace and aviation professionals in the world today. However, during my research about his work before our scheduled call, I came across something that sparked my curiosity. While most people earn their engineering degree in four years, Japan-based eminent scientist, Dr. Aditya Baraskar, took two extra years to finish his graduation. Ask him about it, and he laughs, "I had a lot of backlogs, and took me a while to clear all the paper before I got my degree." While many other students would have been disheartened by this situation, Dr. Baraskar found a silver-lining even in these dark clouds. "It was a learning period for me," says the scientist as he connects with Global Indian, adding, "I started looking into what I wanted to pursue next, and putting more thought into my career path. It was then that I realised that space science was my ultimate love and I started developing my skills to work in this industry. I was heavily inspired by Kalpana Chawla and Sunita Williams." [caption id="attachment_35380" align="aligncenter" width="650"] Dr Baraskar at the ROSCOSMOS Facility[/caption] The Chief Scientist and Mission Designer

nter" width="650"] Scientist | Dr Aditya Baraskar | Global Indian Dr Baraskar at the ROSCOSMOS Facility[/caption]

The Chief Scientist and Mission Designer for the world's first laser-based debris removal project at SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation in Japan, Dr. Baraskar has surely come a long way in the space science industry. The scientist, who is working on generating electricity in space, which can be distributed on Earth without using any wires, is also a serial entrepreneur and investor in businesses working on microsatellite designing, agriculture and fishery automation laboratory, and parking management systems. Interestingly, the scientist is also working on developing technology to tackle space junk, created by old satellites, rocket fuselages, and the like.

A small-town boy with big dreams

Despite being born in a small town in a middle-class family, Dr. Baraskar had big dreams. "I come from a very small town in the Betul district of Madhya Pradesh. I didn't get any fancy education growing up and studied at the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Betul. But I was ambitious. So, after finishing school, I moved to Maharashtra, where I pursued a Bachelor of Engineering in electronics and telecommunication from Shramsadhana Bombay Trust, College of Engineering & Technology in Jalgaon," shares the scientist.

It was during his college that he was asked to present a paper in the second year. For someone who had no inkling about writing a paper, he chose digital communication as his subject. "It really amuses me sometimes that from a boy whose first paper was pretty bad, I have journeyed to become a scientist whose papers are quoted internationally."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGF63rBUUfs

While still in college, a natural disaster in Japan forced him to look into the 'wireless electricity' technology. "In March 2011, Japan was hit by the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, which resulted in Fukushima nuclear disaster. As the nuclear plant generated electricity, the accident caused a loss of energy for several localities. Not to mention the number of people who lost their lives due to the disaster. While I was reading about the news, I started thinking about more viable ways of generating electricity, and that's when I first thought about using wireless technology. We need electricity 24*7 on earth, but it also has to be from a renewable and sustainable source. So, why not generate electricity in space using solar power?"

"Back then, we had 3G network connections - something many people would have thought to be impossible a decade back - and in the future, this technology would only emerge more. So, in the same way, wireless electricity is also a possibility," he shares. While it was a great idea, the scientist needed to do a lot of groundwork before even testing the technology.

Moving to Moscow

After finishing his graduation, the scientist started writing to various scholars, under whom he could work on his idea. And it was then that he got invited to a military institute in Russia to pursue his master's degree. "While I was in college, I had criticised a Russian professor's paper, who was quite impressed by my knowledge. So, after I earned my degree, he asked me to join the Moscow Aviation Institute (National Research University) in 2016, where I pursued a Master's in space technology and rocket engineering. As it was a military institution, they didn't have any foreign students. I was one of the first two international students who went to MAI," he exclaims.

[caption id="attachment_35381" align="aligncenter" width="550"] Scientist | Dr Aditya Baraskar | Global Indian Dr Baraskar with Commander Astronaut Dr. Koichi Wakata[/caption]

Sharing an insight about his life in Moscow, the scientist shares, "It was a big culture shock for me," laughs the scientist, adding, "Till then I was completely dependent on my parents, and now all of a sudden I was on my own. During my initial days, I had no one to talk to and had to cook my food, which I had no clue about, and manage my house. So, for the first few weeks, fast-food restaurants were my refuge. However, I started gaining a lot of weight and also it was a bit heavy on my pocket to eat out daily. So, I eventually learned how to cook a basic meal for myself, taking instructions from my mother over the phone. But I must add that the Russians are very warm people. Everyone I met there - from my professors to my colleagues - helped me understand the city and navigate through it."

The land of the rising sun

Even though he learned a lot during his time in Moscow, the scientist shares that Russia wasn't so technologically advanced to put his thoughts into action. "My professor encouraged me to look for a research facility in Japan, where the technology was substantially more developed, and also introduced me to one of the faculty members at the Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan. I proposed my idea of wireless electricity and they were quite impressed. I pursued a doctorate in engineering, in aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering," shares Dr. Baraskar, who also has a postgraduate diploma in GIS and remote sensing laws from the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR), in Hyderabad.

[caption id="attachment_35382" align="aligncenter" width="650"] Scientist | Dr Aditya Baraskar | Global Indian Dr. Baraskar with the Japanese Space Solar Power Society 2021[/caption]

Eventually, the scientist developed his idea further and started working on developing a technology for the same. "Currently, satellites implement a traditional method for power generation using the solar panel and radioisotope generator (RTG) with battery storage capacity. Such a system increases the weight, cost, and valuable space. And it can be lowered by 15-25 percent by introducing Energy Orbit (E-Orbit), the concept of laser power transmission to customer satellites in LEO with 1600 Energy satellites (E-Sat). E-Sat will also provide multiple services like energy transfer, orbit transfer, and de-orbiting to LEO-based satellites. Hence, customers will save much money after accessing services from E-Orbit and generate new economic value with space sustainability. The project has an entrepreneurial side to it, and just last year we participated in the Asia-Pacific round and won the Specialised Sponsor Award," says the scientist, who has spent nearly a decade working on this technology.

[caption id="attachment_35383" align="aligncenter" width="650"] Scientist | Dr Aditya Baraskar | Global Indian Dr Baraskar with Hayabusa 2, ISAS-JAXA Japan[/caption]

There's more as Dr. Baraskar is also looking to solve the space debris issues, which can destroy hundreds of millions of dollar's worth of satellites in space and disrupt life on Earth as well. "I am a part of the team which is testing the use of satellite-mounted lasers to remove space debris, and manoeuvre satellites to avoid any collisions and accidents. A satellite collision is bound to have grave consequences, and no country would want that. So, we are using a laser beam to nudge debris toward the atmosphere. The technology behind it, called laser ablation, is widely used in electronics and cosmetic surgery," shares the scientist as he signs off.

Follow Dr Aditya Baraskar on LinkedIn

Reading Time: 7 mins

Travin Singh: The eco-entrepreneur reducing food wastage by converting it into beverages

(September 7, 2024) Roughly one-third of the food produced in the world for human consumption - approximately 1.3 billion tonnes- gets lost or wasted. To reduce this food wastage, Indian-origin Singaporean Travin Singh started CRUST, a value-based food startup that converts surplus food into beverages. The effort has put the 31-year-old on the world's top 50 leading gastronomy game changers, who are creating sustainable solutions for the global food and drink industry. "Why grow and consume more when there is so much surplus around the world which can be used as a substitute for your raw material? It is economically friendly, saves cost and you are also upcycling. Sustainability should not be just a buzzword but more about the value-based concept of maximising our resources," the entrepreneur said. The idea of upcycling food to create a value-based product nudged Travin to dip his toes into the world of entrepreneurship, after a short stint at the Singaporean Navy followed by a job as a financial advisor specialising in corporate insurance. It was in the navy that he pursued a part-time degree in business management from RMIT University in Australia, and a few years later, hopped onto the entrepreneur bandwagon with CRUST.

ersity in Australia, and a few years later, hopped onto the entrepreneur bandwagon with CRUST. He was keen to create a value-based company that could create solutions to real-world problems like food wastage and sustainability.

Travin Singh | Global Indian

How it began

The notion of reducing food wastage was ingrained in the mind of Travin as a young lad by his mother, who encouraged him to finish all the food on his plate. In case he couldn't, the leftovers were incorporated into subsequent meals. This formed the basis for Travin's CRUST, a food-based startup that converts surplus food and food scraps into beverages, thus reducing food wastage. "People have this misconception that you have to be affluent to be sustainable, which isn’t necessarily the case. We did not come from a very rich household with four kids, and therefore had to maximise our resources," he told aplus.

It began as a homebrewing project after Travin learnt that beer could be made from bread. "I wanted to start a value-based company and started dabbling in bread beer when I found out that ancient Egyptians fermented bread to make alcoholic beverages, to ensure they did not waste anything," he added. With the help of YouTube videos, he started his initial trials, and even invited a handful of friends for it, which unfortunately produced "very bad beer."

"I ground the bread up, which was the worst mistake ever. When you do that, you can’t extract enough sugar, and it messes up the taste profile. It was a disaster,” he told Singapore Global Network. Though the results were disastrous initially, it ignited a passion in him to learn more about beer making which took him to California on a month-long trip, visiting 11 breweries across Santa Rosa, San Francisco, San Diego, and Los Angeles. He lapped up as much information as he could on brewing methods and processes and returned to Singapore with a zeal to restart. He attempted home-brewing once more, this time with leftover bread from a small bakery.

[caption id="attachment_30217" align="aligncenter" width="691"] Travin Singh | Entrepreneur | Global Indian CRUST was launched in 2019[/caption]

The start of CRUST

This worked in the Global Indian's favour, and after four attempts, he created his bread beer recipe, and soon after commercialising the process, he dived into the market with the first product - Breaking Bread Ale - a velvety brew with citrus notes and a malt finish. This was the beginning of CRUST in 2019.

Soon more products were added, incorporating new ingredients like coffee grounds, pumpkin and quinoa, and kaya toast. What initially started as a brewing startup has now taken the shape of a food tech company, as CRUST expanded its horizons when it started upcycling food waste like fruit peels into functional drinks under the CROP label. Till now 2536 kg of food waste and loss has been saved by CRUST.

Making a name for themselves

In just three years, CRUST has packed quite a punch but the initial years were an uphill task as many didn’t understand the concept. "They confused food waste and food loss and thought that we were taking food that had been consumed or used by others and turning it into beer. Actually, we were taking surplus ingredients that hadn’t been used or sold. Now that we are three years in the market, more people understood what we are doing through educating them about concepts such as upcycling, and perceptions have changed," the eco-entrepreneur told Waste Today Magazine.

[caption id="attachment_30218" align="aligncenter" width="735"] Entrepreneur | Global Indian | Travin Singh Travin Singh with CRUST COO Ben P[/caption]

It began as a B2B (business-to-business) model but Covid 19 pushed CRUST to shift to the D2C (delivery-to-customer) model, which led to its delivery service and a web store from where customers could directly order their brew. "I'm a Punjabi in Singapore, which is a very small minority. I guess being from that background helped me become a lot more adaptable to different situations and scenarios," he said.

Travin has now expanded his business to Japan and plans to focus on Asia markets first before taking it to the other parts of the world. He opines, "As long as there is food waste in the world, we will always find a way to build a solution around it."

Follow Travin Singh on Linkedin

Reading Time: 5 min

Scribbling his way to Broadway: Indian-origin Shreyas Ayaluri has had a fascinating journey into screenwriting

(September 15, 2021) As a child, Shreyas Ayaluri would spend hours scribbling just about anything on pieces of paper. It made no sense to anyone but him. From doodles, shower thoughts, ideas, catch phrases or just to-do-lists – he would be at it for most part of the day. Once, his teacher suggested he carry a miniature note-pad to capture all his haphazard thoughts and be more efficient with his scribbling. He followed the advice religiously. Now, at 27, he continues to scribble, creates magic out of it and is unstoppable. His flair for writing has led this US-based Global Indian to become an acclaimed screenwriter. His work has been featured at some of the best screenwriting festivals in the world while he makes strides in Hollywood with his latest screenplay Elvis Escobar and Juniper Lea which is all set to grace the silver screen in 2021. That is not all: The latest feather in his cap is writing a song for Broadway which has him on cloud nine. [caption id="attachment_10390" align="aligncenter" width="512"] Shreyas Ayaluri with Quentin Tarantino[/caption] An uphill climb "While all this is magical, I would be lying if I told you that the path was all sunshine and rainbows. I cannot fathom that I wrote a song for Broadway," says a beaming Shreyas,

�That is not all: The latest feather in his cap is writing a song for Broadway which has him on cloud nine.

[caption id="attachment_10390" align="aligncenter" width="512"] Indian-origin screenwriter Shreyas Ayaluri Shreyas Ayaluri with Quentin Tarantino[/caption]

An uphill climb

"While all this is magical, I would be lying if I told you that the path was all sunshine and rainbows. I cannot fathom that I wrote a song for Broadway," says a beaming Shreyas, speaking exclusively to Global Indian. Based out of Los Angeles, the youngster from Hyderabad likes to call himself a creative addict. His journey from being a scribbler to a screenwriter is as fascinating as it can get. Only, that screenwriting was never on his mind in his early days.

"After pursuing engineering, I gave advertising a shot. I worked as a copywriter for two years, trying to quench my creative thirst. It was my stint at the advertising firm that bridged the gap between science and arts," informs Shreyas, whose life took a 180 degree turn when he saw his first piece of work splashed across a huge billboard while walking home one day. "It moved me. All those feelings, emotions that I didn’t know existed in me, gushed through my body and I just knew it," recalls Shreyas, whose work has been featured and placed at the best screenwriting festivals including the likes of The Austin Film Festival, ScreenCraft, The Script Lab, StoryPros Awards and Film Empire.

[caption id="attachment_10391" align="aligncenter" width="510"] Indian-origin screenwriter Shreyas Ayaluri Shreyas Ayaluri with Jeff Goldblum[/caption]

While his stint in the ad agency where he wrote ads for major F&B brands changed his perception of telling tales and selling stories, which he refers to as the first step into the hero's journey, the determined youngster leapt at an opportunity to study screenwriting and film in the US.

It’s all in the family

Growing up in a traditional South Indian family, expectations were set and choices were made for Shreyas, whose father AK Srinivas was in the Indian Air Force. The options before him were straight forward, either join the Armed Forces or pursue engineering. "Luckily, my parents got my enthusiasm and my flair. They pushed me to explore further," informs the award-winning screenwriter, who first studied screenwriting at New York Film Academy and later at University of California.

Shreyas has written four feature length screenplays, two pilots and has multiple shorts to his credit. His very first screenplay Amuse Me fetched him an award for best screenplay and is still going strong at film festivals. The screenwriter says he loves to write custom comedies with a heart, soul and a mind of its own. His latest feature is called Elvis Escobar and Juniper Lea which is a romantic comedy. "The song I am writing for Broadway is still in production," informs Shreyas, who grew up listening to ABBA and watching movies like Top Gun over and over again. Shreyas, who has been in the US since 2018, also worked briefly with General Motors as a quality auditor.

[caption id="attachment_10392" align="aligncenter" width="621"] Indian-origin screenwriter Shreyas Ayaluri Shreyas with a friend[/caption]

Rooted in India

But like all successful people, Shreyas' journey came with a lot of ups and downs. "There were times when things got rough, financially, especially during the pandemic, as being an artiste is not a 9-to-5 job and one might work on a project for months without a paycheck. But one has to do what it takes to stay in the game and that’s what I did. Moonlighting and juggling different roles and working for less, it only brought me closer to my dream and made me realize that if you crave art that bad, you just have to be at it like a creative addict," says Shreyas, who did his schooling from Kennedy High and thereafter got admission in Page Academy in Hyderabad.

While at boarding school, Shreyas recalls how he would write letters to his mother Sridevi Ayaluri, telling her how much he disliked being there. "I didn’t hold back; I went on and on about how things could be different if I were back home. But what my mother remembers is how creatively I would tell that story through the letter," says Shreyas, who was the second rounder at the Austin Film festival of both 2019 and 2020 besides receiving several accolades for his work internationally.

So, what advice does Shreyas have for anyone starting off on a journey? "If anyone out there is still contemplating to take that first plunge, I say do it. It’s going to be difficult, scary and most likely you will fall. Pick yourself up, do it again and fall again. Falling may not be fun, but it’s just part of the process. I fall all the time but only I’ve learnt to bounce back quicker,” he says. Shreyas believes that every song has a story to tell and every story is a song, if understood well. "Be it stating facts or dreaming up a fiction, I try to put the right words to go with," he says adding that the one thing that helps ride the tide is his writing.

Reading Time: 8 mins

Distinguished scientist, Prof Chennupati Jagadish is shaping the world of nanotechnology

(March 20, 2023) His village had no electricity till Prof Chennupati Jagadish was around seven years old. From studying by the light of a kerosene lamp as a young child and having lived with his high school maths teacher to be able to finish high school, the scientist is now recognised as a world leader in the field of semiconductor optoelectronics—with his work widely utilised in optical communication systems and infrared detectors in defence, biomedical and manufacturing. His research in nanotechnology is in one of the fields that are on the verge of ubiquity. Developing a new class of lasers with applications in telecommunications and new lightweight solar cells, Prof Chennupati Jagadish is creating waves in the scientific world. Recognising his contributions to the scientific world, the Government of India recently conferred the scientist with the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award in 2023. “The fact that the Government of India recognised me, a village guy from Andhra Pradesh, makes me grateful,”the scientist told Global Indian, "I am grateful to both India and Australia. One nurtured me from childhood to adulthood and provided me with education, whereas the other provided me the opportunity to prove myself as a scientist.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z67yl8a-bdg The

an.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Global Indian, "I am grateful to both India and Australia. One nurtured me from childhood to adulthood and provided me with education, whereas the other provided me the opportunity to prove myself as a scientist.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z67yl8a-bdg

The Global Indian who is currently working as the Distinguished Professor of Physics at the Australian National University Research School of Physics and is also the President of the Australian Academy of Science, also supports students and researchers from developing countries to visit Australia and pursue collaborative research. “I am passionate about doing science and making a difference in other people’s lives; any recognitions are a bonus. I’m grateful to both the Australian and Indian Governments for honouring me and recognising my efforts during the past 35-plus years," the scientist said.

A village lad

Hailing from a small village in Vallurupalem, Andhra Pradesh, Prof Jagadish's father was a school teacher, and his mother a housemaker. An intelligent child, Prof Jagadish would often choose to study over play with his friends. While his father always motivated and supported him, he didn't have the means to finance his education. "My father was a school teacher and he wanted me to be a scientist or engineer. My two high school teachers made a huge difference in my life," the scientist recalled adding that it was his maths teacher who helped him attend classes during his high school days.

Scientist | Chennupati Jagadish | Global Indian

"I wanted to study but didn’t have the means. My village had no high school, and I had to travel about three-and-a-half kilometres to attend the school in the neighbouring village. My maths teacher supported me for about three years during that time. I lived with him and my science teacher, and they offered me boarding and lodging, till I finished school, he said, adding, "One teacher taught me the importance of hard work, perseverance, and persistence whereas another taught me to be humble, simple, kind and generous to others. The influence of both of these on me was significant and without their help, I would be tilling the land in India."

Scientist | Chennupati Jagadish | Global Indian

Soon after finishing his schooling, the scientist obtained his B.Sc. degree in physics from Acharya Nagarjuna University in 1977, and proceeded to earn an M.Sc in applied physics with a specialisation in electronics from Andhra University in 1980 and M.Phil. and Ph.D. degrees in physics from the University of Delhi in 1982 and 1986, respectively. During the same time, the scientist started working as a lecturer in physics and electronics at Sri Venkateswara College in New Delhi.

The world of science

Having finished his doctorate, the scientist was looking to start his post-doctoral work at a renowned Indian university. But fate had its own plans. In 1988, the scientist received a mail from Queen's University in Canada, confirming his post-doctoral in the physics department - something he had never expected to happen. The two years he spent in Ontario opened several doors for this genius. Not only did he get a chance to work with several prominent scientists at the time, but soon got selected to join the newly established Department of Electronic Materials Engineering in the Research School of Physics, at the Australian National University.

During his long tenure, the scientist has received several prestigious awards, including the 2013 Walter Boas Medal, and the 2015 IEEE Pioneer Award in Nanotechnology. In 2016, the scientist was named a Companion of the Order of Australia for eminent services to physics and engineering on the Australia Day Honours. "When I received the letter I felt very humbled, grateful, and honoured,” he said, adding, "It was quite a surprise for me."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtgsaieG2_o

While his current focus is on developing the use of nanotechnology for applications in optoelectronics like lasers, photodetectors, energy (solar cells and photocatalysis), and neuroscience (growth of neuronal networks to understand brain functions), there is one other cause that is quite close to the scientist's heart - supporting and encouraging his students. "I am here because so many people especially opened various windows to the world for me. Today when I am in that position, I too want to do the same for as many students as I can," he said. To achieve the cause, his wife Vidya and he have initiated the Chennupati and Vidya Jagadish Visiting Scholarship and Fellowship Awards, through which they give students and researchers from developing countries the chance to travel to the Research School of Physics at ANU to pursue collaborative research for up to 12 weeks.

[caption id="attachment_36369" align="aligncenter" width="740"] Scientist | Chennupati Jagadish | Global Indian Professor Jagadish with wife Vidya and students[/caption]

Leading the university's Semiconductor Optoelectronics and Nanotechnology Group, the scientist has supervised 65 Ph.D. students, is currently supervising a further 12 and has mentored 50 post-doctoral and other fellows in his three-decade-long career in Canberra. Elected as the President of the Australian Academy of Science in 2022, to serve a term of four years until May 2026, the scientist will champion the cause of scientific excellence while leading the organisation in providing advice to the Australian Parliament.

Follow Prof Chennupati Jagadish on LinkedIn

Reading Time: 7 mins

Daltonganj to Diversity: Dr Narendra Prasad Singh’s journey of research and mentoring minorities in the U.S.

(June 13, 2024) After obtaining two fully funded PhDs. - one in cytogenetics from Ranchi University and another in molecular biology from Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg - and a postdoc degree from Aarhus University, Denmark, on a UNESCO fellowship, Dr Narendra Prasad Singh began his research career. He has since dedicated over 25 years to research in molecular biology, molecular immunology, and immunotoxicology in the US. Dr Singh has come a long way, but has not forgotten the struggle of his early days, back home in the small town of Daltonganj (now Medininagar) in Jharkhand (then Bihar). He continues to dedicate his efforts towards helping the less privileged realise the American Dream, just as he did. Having played an integral role in founding the NGO SHRMS in Daltonganj, which focuses on the cyclic development of tribal communities in over 25 villages, and later working with underrepresented African-Americans at the University of South Carolina, Dr. NP Singh truly found his calling. Talking about empowering African American students who have benefited from his mentorship, Dr Singh tells Global Indian, “This has been the most fulfilling assignment and I feel very proud of it, as it allowed me to mentor students

lindian.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Global Indian, “This has been the most fulfilling assignment and I feel very proud of it, as it allowed me to mentor students from minorities who are poorly represented in research. I don’t want to compare but African Americans are very similar to SC/ST populations of India, poorly educated and economically very backward. I am happy to share that all the students that I mentored are doing very well.”

[caption id="attachment_52370" align="aligncenter" width="711"] Indian Researcher | Dr Narendra Prasad Singh | Global Indian Dr Narendra Prasad Singh with his mentees[/caption]

At the South Carolina School of Medicine, Dr Singh serves as the Director of the Analytical Core of the NIH-NCCAM Center for Inflammation and Autoimmunity and as the Program Director of Immune Monitoring Core (Immune Modulation) of the Center for Dietary Supplements and Inflammation. He has published more than 125 research papers in high-impact journals such as Immunity, PNAS Nexus, Cancer Research, JBC, Molecular Pharmacology, and Immunology, contributed towards securing close to $50 million in NIH grants, chaired numerous national and international meetings, and presented his work in countries including Australia, China, Dubai, The Netherlands, and India. Dr Singh also serves as the associate editor of Frontiers in Immunology, one of the most cited journals in the field.

The fulfilment that comes from being of help

Even while trying to find his footing and pursue a research career beyond Daltonganj, Dr. Narendra Singh made efforts to help others in any way possible. One such instance involved a rickshaw puller named Baiju. One morning, while riding on Baiju’s rickshaw to GLA College Daltonganj, where Dr Singh worked briefly as a faculty member, Baiju expressed his desire to see his son admitted to college if he passed his board exams, and was willing to work day and night to fund his son’s education. “I was touched and told Baiju to see me once his son cleared the matriculation exam.”

When the board results were out Baiju came to Dr. Singh's home with his son, who had passed with a second division, not the first division required for admission to GLA College. Despite the challenges, Dr. Singh personally requested the principal to admit Baiju's son, who eventually graduated from the institution. Although he lost touch with Baiju and his son after moving abroad, he feels happy to have played a role in making their dream come true.

During the same period, Dr. Singh, along with a few friends, laid the foundation of the NGO named Society of Hill Resource Management School, led by Mr. Mishra, a retired forest ranger and father of a close friend. “The NGO’s motto is Chakriya Vikas (Cyclic Development) of the tribal people in Jharkhand, a predominantly tribal state,” he explains. “Starting with five villages, the NGO expanded to 25 villages, earning funds from the Ford Foundation and the Government of India.”

[caption id="attachment_52369" align="aligncenter" width="425"] Indian Researcher | Dr Narendra Prasad Singh | Global Indian Dr Narendra Prasad Singh[/caption]

Although Dr Singh's direct involvement with the NGO diminished after moving to the US, he takes pride in its ongoing growth. “Currently, the NGO operates a training centre that empowers villagers in cyclic development concepts and become leaders of change in their communities,” he says.

Mentoring American-African minorities

Always seeking opportunities to benefit the underprivileged, in the U.S. Dr NP Singh has associated himself with South Carolina–Advancing Diversity in Aging Research (SC-ADAR), a programme funded by the National Institute on Aging. SC-ADAR aims to enhance the research experience, academic skills, and career readiness of underrepresented minority students in ageing-related sciences, preparing them for advanced studies in science, technology, engineering, and medicine.

As part of the programme, Dr Singh mentors and engages select undergraduate students in a rigorous summer research training. The students conduct research in their desired field under his guidance, spending a summer in his lab and creating a research poster that is presented at the annual USC Summer Research Symposium. In addition to the lab curriculum, students also engage in a seminar-based curriculum where they learn more about ageing research as a viable career path.

Dr NP Singh is proud of the accomplishments of his mentees. “Some of them joined the medical profession and some of them are pursuing graduate programs. Their success gives me enormous satisfaction. It gives me the motivation to do something for others who truly need my help,” he remarks adding, “Helping underprivileged and economically disadvantaged people has always been my passion.”

[caption id="attachment_52371" align="aligncenter" width="589"] Indian Researcher | Dr Narendra Prasad Singh | Global Indian Dr Narendra Prasad Singh with his mentees[/caption]

Understanding the value of mentorship from personal experiences

Good role models and receiving great mentorship during his early struggles in Bihar played a significant role in shaping how Dr Narendra Kumar Singh mentors his own mentees.

In the 1980s as a student, he excelled academically, earning a B.Sc. Honours (First Class First) and an M.Sc. (First Class First) in Botany. He received a CSIR scholarship from the Government of India for his Ph.D., which he completed under Dr. S. S. N. Sinha at Ranchi University. Reflecting on his mentor, Dr. Singh recalls, “Dr. Sinha not only mentored me but also provided full support and encouraged me to pursue my dreams. He was like a father figure to me.”

After completing his Ph.D., Dr. Singh secured a faculty position at GLA College in his native town of Daltonganj. Despite ranking second on the merit list, he was not placed in his specialised department of Botany, rather was promised a transfer that never materialised. This disappointment led him to seek opportunities elsewhere. Around this time, another mentor at Ranchi University, also named Dr. Narendra Kumar Singh, inspired him by moving abroad to work in a U.S. lab. “While seeing him off at the airport, I contemplated my own future abroad and became motivated to apply for a second Ph.D. overseas,” Dr. NP Singh remarks.

In 1986, he was accepted into a Ph.D. program at Purdue University but faced funding issues. Fortunately, he secured a paid fellowship in Russia and went ahead with the opportunity. Dr. Singh credits both his mentors, Dr. Narendra Kumar Singh and Dr. S. S. N. Sinha for significantly influencing his academic career and dreams.

[caption id="attachment_52373" align="aligncenter" width="710"] Indian Researcher | Dr Narendra Prasad Singh | Global Indian Dr Narendra Prasad Singh during a visit to China in 2019[/caption]

Working on his dreams in the US

After completing his second PhD and postdoc studies abroad, Dr N P Singh has worked at many institutions in the U.S. including Auburn University, University of Louisville, and Virginia Commonwealth University.

Since 2005 he is associated with the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, and works as the Director of the Analytical Core of the NIH-NCCAM Center for Inflammation and Autoimmunity and also serves as a Program Director of Immune Monitoring Core (Immune Modulation) of the Center for Dietary Supplements and Inflammation funded by the NIH Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) program.

“At present, we have several important projects, including studying the transgenerational effects of TCDD (Dioxin) in mice and investigating the role of the gut microbiome in the development of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, as well as exploring possible treatments using gut microbiota,” tells the professor and researcher who has also indulged in research pertaining to plant sciences and molecular pathways involved in cancer, in the past.

His journey, from overcoming early career challenges in Daltonganj to pioneering research in the U.S. and providing guidance to American-African students, highlights his dedication to academic excellence, mentorship, and service to the underprivileged. Dr Narendra Prasad Singh’s achievements demonstrate that the influence of good mentors, coupled with one’s own perseverance, can have a transformative impact on both personal and professional success.

[caption id="attachment_52372" align="aligncenter" width="794"] Indian Researcher | Dr Narendra Prasad Singh | Global Indian Dr Narendra Prasad Singh in a get-together with a nobel laureate[/caption]

Follow Dr Narendra Prasad Singh on LinkedIn

Reading Time: 5 mins

With India’s first lifestyle magazine in Braille, Upasana Makati makes reading enjoyable for people with visual impairment