Global IndianstoryThe Indians who cooked up a storm in the MasterChef Australia kitchen

Indian Origin

The Indians who cooked up a storm in the MasterChef Australia kitchen

Written by: Global Indian

(July 24, 2021; 6.15 pm) For a long time now, Indian food has best been described as ugly delicious. High on flavor and with aromas that tickle one’s senses, it was never much of a looker. Or so we believed. That is, until, Indian-origin chefs began to give traditional Indian flavors a makeover: through fine-dining restaurants on the global stage and on our television scenes on shows like the hugely popular MasterChef Australia. The competitive cooking contest that has captured the world’s imagination and consistently churned out some world-class chefs has also put the spotlight on Indian food with its many Indian-origin chefs. These contestants have had their moment in the spotlight over several seasons with their intense flavor-packed innovative dishes that have wowed the judges and audience alike.

In this Global Indian piece, we look at the Indian-origin contestants that have left a lasting impression on the global audience.

Justin Narayan – Season 13

Justin Narayan

Winner of the latest season of MasterChef Australia, 27-year-old Justin Narayan is the second person of Indian descent to have bagged the coveted title. The Fiji-Indian beat competitors like Kishwer Chowdhury and Pete Campbell with a perfect score with his versatility in whipping up various cuisines. A pastor by profession, Narayan lives in Perth and grew up watching cooking shows.

On the show, he impressed judges with dishes like Indian chicken curry, pickle salad, Indian chicken tacos, charcoal chicken with toum, and flatbread. But not many know that Narayan was on the verge of quitting the show halfway through when his dad’s health took a serious turn. Fortunately, his health improved and Narayan continued on the show.

Having clinched the title, he now plans to open his own restaurant one day and use the profits from his future restaurant to help feed needy children in India.

Sashi Cheliah – Season 10

Sashi Cheliah

Born and brought up in an Indian family in Singapore, Sashi Cheliah fell in love with cooking as a child when he saw his mum and aunt whipped up delicacy after delicacy in the kitchen. Even when he worked as a cop first in Singapore and then in Australia, the 43-year-old chef always wanted to launch his own restaurant. It was why he participated in MasterChef Australia in the first place. On the show he impressed judges with his impressive Asian and Indian inspired dishes, but it was his Sambal Prawns that won him the MasterChef Australia title in season 10, making him the first Indian-origin person to win the contest.

In November 2019, Sashi fulfilled his dream and opened his restaurant Gaja in Adelaide, where he lives. The restaurant serves Asian-inspired food with a Sashi touch and focuses on sustainability in a big way.

Depinder Chhibber – Season 13

Depinder Chhibber

One of the most popular contestants at this season’s MasterChef Australia, Delhi-born Australian Depinder Chhibber elevated simple ghar ka khana to a global stage. A master of most Indian cuisines, Chibber wowed the judges with her chole, kadhai paneer and achaar so much that Melissa Leong asked, “Can we come to your house please?” The 29-year-old pharmacist introduced to the show rich Indian flavors like never before with her okra chips, green curry cake, fried chicken with mango chilli glaze, chicken biryani, ghevar with carrot sherbet and grandma’s pickle. Every dish that she made on the show had an Indian touch, celebrating her roots and identity.

Though she didn’t make it all the way to the end of the show, her flavor-packed dishes hit the spot and made her one of the most popular contestants of the season.

Dalvinder Dhami – Season 4

Dalvinder Dhami

Singapore-born Dalvinder Dhami was 35 when she decided to quit her career as a public servant to chase her culinary dreams and participate in MasterChef Australia. She was the first Indian on the show and created a variety of delicacies that consistently wowed the judges. Some of her most memorable dishes were the pineapple and tomato jam pork served with egg dumplings and Jazadalvs chicken curry. She became rather popular on the show for her intriguing blend of Singaporean cuisine with North Indian tadkas; judge George Calombaris said that the curry she had made was the best he’d ever tasted. After her MasterChef Australia stint, the mom of three has been selling her Indian dishes at Singapore’s local market.

Dev Mishra – Junior Masterchef Australia Season 3

Dev Mishra

14-year-old Dev Mishra deserves a special mention on this list for the flair with which he presented his Indian heritage on a platter to the judges at Junior MasterChef Australia. He once wowed the judges by cooking five dishes – lamb Mughlai curry, saffron rice, raita, chutney, and smoked chicken kebab – all in 75 minutes. It was his way of showcasing a dish that truly represented him. His love for cooking grew in his family kitchen, and Dev loves making curries. However, the teen is equally comfortable whipping up Italian, Asian, and Mexican dishes as well. He is also heavily inspired by Heston Blumenthal and loves to make technically complex desserts.

While he may not have won the competition, he did make it to the semi-finals and this tennis and guitar player, one day hopes to open his own restaurant that will celebrate authentic flavors.

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Published on 24, Jul 2021

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Indo-Canadian mathematician Sujatha Ramdorai awarded with Padma Shri 2023

(March 1, 2023) On Republic Day 2023, the Ministry of Home Affairs announced the names of the recipients of the highest civilian awards of India – the Padma Awards. The list included Sujatha Ramdorai, the Indian-origin mathematician who is a professor of mathematics and Canada Research Chair at University of British Columbia. The algebraic number theorist is known for her work on Iwasawa theory - the study of objects of arithmetic interest over infinite towers of number fields. Professor Ramdorai has earned several awards and accolades over the years for her contributions to mathematics. She became the first Indian to win the prestigious ICTP Ramanujan Prize in 2006 in recognition of her work, which has implications in the fields of complex geometry, topology, number theory and cryptography. She is also a recipient of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award - the highest honour bestowed by the Government of India in the field of STEM. One of the finest Indian mathematicians, Professor Ramdorai received the Krieger–Nelson Prize in 2020 for her pathbreaking research by the Canadian Mathematical Society. [caption id="attachment_35602" align="aligncenter" width="401"] Professor Sujatha Ramdorai[/caption] Despite achieving so much both in India and abroad, the Global Indian remains humble and is not at all a fan of the pursuit of

Ramanujan Prize in 2006 in recognition of her work, which has implications in the fields of complex geometry, topology, number theory and cryptography. She is also a recipient of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award - the highest honour bestowed by the Government of India in the field of STEM. One of the finest Indian mathematicians, Professor Ramdorai received the Krieger–Nelson Prize in 2020 for her pathbreaking research by the Canadian Mathematical Society.

[caption id="attachment_35602" align="aligncenter" width="401"] Indian Origin | Sujatha Ramdorai | Global Indian Professor Sujatha Ramdorai[/caption]

Despite achieving so much both in India and abroad, the Global Indian remains humble and is not at all a fan of the pursuit of success. “Today we have put success in such a high pedestal that we have lost our moral moorings,” she said in an interview.

We worship others’ success without questioning how they really achieved that. Many people succeed by deliberately pushing others to the ground. I don’t think that kind of success should either be worshipped or appreciated.

The ace mathematician believes in acknowledging not just those who have attained success but even those who might not have succeeded but have done good work to help the society. “This approach should be applied to both individuals and nations,” she remarked. “How much money one has accumulated should not be an indicator of success. I don’t think that’s a good lesson to impart to youngsters,” believes the ace mathematician.

The math guru

In one of her TEDx Talks, Professor Ramdorai cited Galileo - the father of modern science, who made major contributions to the fields of astronomy, physics, cosmology, philosophy and mathematics. “Learn math because it’s the language in which the Gods have written the universe,” she shared, elaborating how Galileo’s words have affected her choices in life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=--LI0ZRsglg

The illustrious professor is a member of the scientific committees of several international research agencies, including Banff International Research Station, International Centre for Pure and Applied Mathematics, and Indo-French Centre for Promotion of Advanced Research. In the past, she was also associated with the National Knowledge Commission, a think tank constituted by former PM Manmohan Singh, and Government of India’s Scientific Advisory Council.

A little-known fact…

While people may be aware of her achievements in maths, Professor Ramdorai is a true inspiration in many other ways. In 2015, she was diagnosed with brain cancer and had to undergo an emergency surgery. “For me the main concern was whether I would be able to do math again, she said during one of her TEDx Talks. “This deep concern led me to think about, why I love mathematics so much – there is a sense of mystery, there is a sense of being confronted with the unknown,” she told.

Throwing light upon the connections between math, and art she pointed out:

There is a component of mathematics which is pure art. In the sense, if you prove something in maths, small bits come together, it’s like crafting and planning a symphony.

Her road to recovery from brain cancer interestingly involved discovering a new hobby, and that was painting.

Making math more welcoming

Professor Ramdorai strongly believes in transforming learning of mathematics in the classroom in a way that encourages students to develop more interest in it. “We don’t have to make it competitive. Make it cooperative and make students aware that knowledge is a collective endeavour.” This, she believes, would turn the whole process of learning into a more equitable endeavour, making students embrace the subject wholeheartedly. “They would become more imaginative. It will give a ‘can do’ feeling to the learners,” she remarked.

[caption id="attachment_35603" align="aligncenter" width="351"] Indian Origin | Sujatha Ramdorai | Global Indian Photo Credit: International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Italy[/caption]

Along with her husband, Srinivasan Ramdorai and Indian mathematical writer VS Sastry, the Padma Shri awardee has partially funded the Ramanujan Math Park in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh, which was inaugurated in 2017. The park is dedicated to mathematics education and honours the work of the great Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, who is an inspiration for Ramdorai. “He is one of the greatest mysteries of the mathematical landscape. He had a great grasp on the subject and was self-taught. This to me is tremendously admirable,” she said.

Early years

Professor Ramdorai grew up in Bengaluru (then Bangalore) and loved mathematics, even as a child. “By the time I was in class five, I realised that maths was a subject where all you need to do is to understand what was happening. You didn’t need to learn by rote, like in History, where I faced problems remembering the details like the dates of wars, ascensions to the throne and how long the various rulers ruled and so on,” she said, reminiscing about her childhood.

For me mathematics was equivalent to the computer games that today’s children play.

Ramdorai used to indulge in the fascinating world of numbers wherever she could. “For instance, after I learned addition, whenever I went out in a car or a scooter, I used to add the digits on the number plates of the vehicles on the road. It became a game for me and my brother, both wanting to add the numbers faster than the other.”

One of the greatest influences in Professor Ramdorai’s life has been her grandmother from whom she imbibed the values of discipline and earnestness. “She taught me and my brother the dignity of labour. Whatever you do, do it to the best of your abilities is what she used to tell us,” she said in an interview.

[caption id="attachment_35604" align="aligncenter" width="354"] Indian Origin | Sujatha Ramdorai | Global Indian Photo Credit: Indian Academy of Sciences, Bengaluru[/caption]

After finishing high school, the math enthusiast completed her B.Sc. in Mathematics at St. Joseph’s College, Bengaluru and went on to do her M.Sc. from Annamalai University. She completed her PhD from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) where she worked for a few years before moving to Ohio State University to do her post-doctoral research.

Life then took her to Canada where she currently works and lives with her husband. “Whether you are a boy or a girl, just keep in mind that you can do anything. Gender does not come in the way of attaining knowledge if one is curious, focused and believes in deep learning,” believes Professor Ramdorai.

Follow Professor Sujatha Ramdorai on LinkedIn

Reading Time: 5 mins

Baiju Bhatt: The Indian-American entrepreneur who revolutionized the US brokerage industry to become a billionaire

(October 21, 2021) Nine years ago two young men shook up the world of investing in America with the launch of their app Robinhood. The investment app, geared towards the millennials, wanted to equalize the world of investing through a unique no-brokerage stock trading model. The concept caught on and pretty soon Robinhood was the go-to app for most Americans when it came to trading in stocks. Before the turn of the decade, it was valued at over $6 billion, was racing towards an IPO and its founders were catapulted into America’s big league. One of them is Indian-American billionaire entrepreneur Baiju Bhatt, who is credited as the creative one with a focus on product development. As it successfully listed on Nasdaq, it also made Bhatt the latest entrant in the Forbes 400 list for 2021 with a net worth of $2.9 billion. Today the app has over 21 million active users and is valued at over $40 billion and continues to enjoy popularity among America’s younger investors and traders who enjoy the fact that they can invest in some of the country’s top stocks of major companies in an otherwise seemingly intimidating stock market. The Indian connect Born in 1984 in a Gujarati family to Indian immigrant parents, Bhatt grew up in small town Poquoson, Virginia as an only child. His parents

ct that they can invest in some of the country’s top stocks of major companies in an otherwise seemingly intimidating stock market.

Indian American entrepreneur Baiju Bhatt

The Indian connect

Born in 1984 in a Gujarati family to Indian immigrant parents, Bhatt grew up in small town Poquoson, Virginia as an only child. His parents migrated to the US when his father was accepted into a PhD program in theoretical physics at University of Huntsville, Alabama. Bhatt followed in his father’s footsteps and went on to study Physics at Stanford University. He stayed on at Stanford to do his Master’s in Mathematics and it was during this time that he met and befriended Vlad Tenev, his roommate and future co-founder. In an interview with Life Hacker, Bhatt said, “In college, I met Vlad Tenev, who at the time was a long-haired, string-bean kid with a quirky sense of humor and a penchant for late-night games of chess. The two of us would become the best of friends and go on to co-create two companies in New York together before starting Robinhood in California.”

Like Bhatt said, he and Tenev together launched two companies in New York: high-frequency trading company Celeris in 2010 which they closed in 2011 to create Chronos Research to sell low-latency software to trading firms and banks. By 2013, the duo co-founded Robinhood, a disruptive new trading platform that let people trade easily in some of the country’s top stocks and with no-brokerage costs involved. They struck gold with Robinhood and a funding round in 2018 increased the company’s valuation to $6 billion, making both Bhatt and Tenev billionaires.

[caption id="attachment_13572" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Indian American entrepreneur Baiju Bhatt Baiju Bhatt with his co-founder Vlad Tenev[/caption]

Protests that inspired

Bhatt’s idea for Robinhood stemmed from the 2011 Occupy Wall Street protests; offering no-brokerage stock trading, the app cut out the high fees charged by stockbrokers, which otherwise made investing in stocks feel like an intimidating experience for those with low funds. They also moved back to California to launch Robinhood (named after the legendary outlaw who stole from the wealthy to give to the poor) with the mission to democratize finance for all.

What made Robinhood also click was its efficient and frictionless interface that made trading in stocks feel like a game to the younger investors. It offers an expansive range of investments, including stocks, options, and cryptocurrencies. Given that there are no commission fees involved, Robinhood makes revenue from back-end payments. So popular was Robinhood’s no-brokerage model that it forced other major brokers to eliminate commissions as well. The app opened the door to trading to millions of people, mostly millennials. Bhatt estimates that nearly half of all new US brokerage accounts in the last few years are by Robinhood accounts.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjPNwhSP8Jg[/embed]

The COVID-19 pandemic has only helped the app see a surge in users and business with millions of first-time investors signing on. However, in 2020, this Global Indian decided to step down as co-CEO of the company as it headed towards an IPO and decided to focus on product development.

A focus on self

Over the years, Robinhood has been battered by controversies, most of which it has managed to emerge from and Bhatt continues to ride the wave. The 37-year-old, who is married to Adrienne Sussman with whom he has a son, is an avid runner who’s participated in several half marathons over the years. He told Life Hacker, “I run outside almost every day of the week. I’ll usually step out during lunch for an hour-long jog around the neighborhoods of Palo Alto and through Stanford campus. It helps me clear my head and put all the things I’ve been thinking about back together in creative ways. Also, by the time I get back, I’m energetic and generally feeling awesome.”

[caption id="attachment_13573" align="aligncenter" width="490"] Indian American entrepreneur Baiju Bhatt Baiju Bhatt with his father[/caption]

What keeps him ticking is his strong willpower, which he says has helped him overcome several challenges over the years. “A personal but very important example comes from my childhood. As a kid, I had always struggled with being overweight. When I was a sophomore in high school, I decided I wanted to change that once and for all. That spring, I started exercising every single day, and by the time I started junior year, I had lost nearly 70 pounds. I looked and felt like a completely different person.”

That same willpower is what helped this Indian American entrepreneur launch Robinhood, disrupt a centuries-old industry and see it through its share of rough patches.

Reading Time: 8 mins

First among equals: Who is Rishi Sunak, the man leading the race for UK’s PM?

(July 16, 2022) "Rishi is one of the most decent, straight people with the highest standards of integrity I have ever met in British politics." Former foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt, who was one of the candidates eliminated in the first round of voting on July 13, threw his weight behind former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, for whom he was full of praise. With Priti Patel bowing out of the Prime Ministerial race and Attorney General Suella Braverman winning a paltry 27 votes in the second round of voting, Conservative Party MP Rishi has emerged as the Indian-origin strongman, topping the first round with 88 votes. Global Indian takes a look at Rishi's life and his rise in politics. A glowing article in The Tatler, describes Rishi from his days waiting tables at an Indian 'curry house' named Kuti Miah. The restaurant's owner was friends with Rishi's parents, Yashvir and Usha. Which is not to say that Rishi Sunak comes with a tear-jerker of a rags-to-riches, immigrant in the UK origin story. Far from it. Born to a physician father, while his mother ran a pharmacy, his life was decidedly upper-middle class. Far from his exotic, immigrant status giving him

Rishi Sunak comes with a tear-jerker of a rags-to-riches, immigrant in the UK origin story. Far from it. Born to a physician father, while his mother ran a pharmacy, his life was decidedly upper-middle class. Far from his exotic, immigrant status giving him a leg-up, Rishi's upper crust life has made him 'less relatable' among the hoi polloi, which could prove to be a disadvantage. What's more, the re-emergence of an old clip, in which he says, "I have friends who are aristocrats, I have friends who are upper class, I have friends who are, you know, working class, but... well, not working class," could hamper his prospects. However, for a man who has overcome great odds as a candidate of colour in a conservative party, it might not be too big a hurdle to overcome.

[caption id="attachment_27001" align="aligncenter" width="830"] Rishi Sunak. Photo credit: Rishi's website[/caption]

Despite early hurdles, Rishi was quickly picked out as a rising star - according to The Tatler, this quality was spotted early on, even by his former boss at Kuti Miah. That year, in 1998, as the then 18-year-old Rishi was all set to enter Oxford University, his boss remarked, "You're going to be someone, Rishi." Sure enough, the fiercely patriotic young man, who grew up, thanks to his parents, immersed in the local community, never looked back.

Head boy to hedge funds

His broad grin, which he flashes generously, belies the seriousness that lies beneath - Rishi's flawless record goes back a long way, he was Head Boy at Winchester College, an independent boarding school for boys and also editor of the school paper. He went on to read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Lincoln College, Oxford, where he first dipped his toes in politics, as an intern at the Conservative Campaign Headquarters. He graduated in 2001, which was also the year he gave the fateful interview about his 'working class friends' to Middle Classes: Their Rise and Sprawl.

After graduating from Oxford in 2002, Rishi joined Goldman Sachs, where he worked for three years as an analyst. He, then, moved onto The Children's Investment Fund Management, a hedge fund firm and became a partner in 2006. That year, he moved to America to get his MBA from Stanford University, as a Fulbright Scholar.

It was at Stanford that Rishi would meet his future wife, Akshata Murty, daughter of Infosys co-founder Narayan Murty, marrying her in 2009. As the media is only too happy to point out, the couple is the 222nd richest people in Britain, with a combined fortune of £730 million as of 2022.

[caption id="attachment_27002" align="aligncenter" width="724"] Rishi Sunak | Global Indian Rishi Sunak with his wife, Akshata Murty[/caption]

In the political fray

Rishi's entry into politics began in 2015 when he won the constituency of Richmond, North Yorkshire in the general elections, becoming the Conservative Party's rising star almost instantly. His entry, however, was not well-received by other conservative candidates, who resented this apparent upstart claiming territory they believed to be theirs. His victory was even more noteworthy because he contested "as a rank outsider," according to the Business Standard, "in the 97 percent white, prosperous rural Conservative bastion of Richmond in Yorkshire, where, the joke goes, there has been no immigration since the Norman conquest in 1066." However, his right-wing economic views - Rishi is an enthusiastic believer in free markets and a vocal critic of Brexit - helped him secure a historic win.

In 2018, Rishi was inducted in the UK government by then British Prime Minister Theresa May. At 37, Rishi was a Conservative party MP (Richmond, Yorkshire) with great promise, entering the government as the parliamentary-under-secretary of state in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Incidentally, he was joined by another Indian-origin MP, also a pro-Brexit campaigner - Suella Braverman, who was Suella Fernandes at the time.

Rishi went on to make several contributions in the House of Commons, on issues like digital economy, social mobility and foreign direct investment. "From working in my mum's tiny chemist shop to my experience building large businesses, I have seen how we should support free enterprise and innovation to ensure Britain has a stronger future," Rishi told the media back in 2018.

Rishi Sunak | Global Indian

On a sticky wicket?

As a conservative candidate of colour, Rishi Sunak's position is always likely to be precarious. Will he usher in a post-race era, or speak up for the hyper-local, ethnic problems that minorities face in the UK? Always fiercely patriotic, his loyalty to the UK cannot be called into question. However, he remarked, to the Business Standard, "British Indian is what I tick on the census, we have a category for it. I am thoroughly British, this is my home and my country, but my religious and cultural heritage is Indian, my wife is Indian. I am open about being a Hindu." Although he is given to phrases like "Oh crikey," he does speak a smattering of Hindi and Punjabi.

In 2019, Rishi became the first Indian-origin to be named Chancellor of the Exchequer, taking over 11 Downing Street as one of the most powerful people in England. His term was, admittedly, fraught with controversy - he was charged with breaking lockdown laws, for instance. And the debate around wife Akshata Murty’s non-dom status (it exempted her from paying some ₹196 crore in taxes) continues to rage on.

On July 5, 2022, Rishi resigned from his post as Chancellor of the Exchequer, withdrawing support from PM Boris Johnson over a sexual harassment scandal within the government. He did, however, refuse to badmouth Boris, calling him, "one of the most remarkable people I've ever met." He said, in no uncertain terms, that "he would have no part in a rewriting of history that seeks to demonise Boris." With that final, noble gesture preceding his entry into the prime ministerial fray, perhaps Rishi Sunak will have his own chance at rewriting history after all.

Follow Rishi on Instagram and Twitter

Reading Time: 6 min

EXCLUSIVE: Scientist, innovator, TEDx speaker, trainee pilot – how teenage prodigy Gitanjali Rao is raising the bar

GLOBAL INDIAN EXCLUSIVE “I know a lot of people say that kids are the future, but I want to spread the message that we are here now, and we can make a difference.” - 11-year-old Gitanjali Rao in 2017 Meet Indian American teen scientist and TIME’s First Kid of the Year, Gitanjali Rao. She is wise, confident, knowledgeable, self-assured and loves reading Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s websites. A chat with her is refreshing: Lucid thoughts flow almost as if scripted. It’s hard to fathom how a 4 foot something girl with sparkling eyes oozes such clarity. Picture a pre-teen walking into the Denver Water Treatment plant with a lab coat over gummies, and holding forte among science professionals. https://twitter.com/AttorneyCrump/status/1356357624376287233?s=20 In an exclusive interview with Global Indian, She radiates poise as she speaks on her first prototype in use – Tethys, which detects lead contamination in water and shares that information through Bluetooth. Her occasional giggles make this child scientist more endearing. Today, at 15, she has 11 innovations to her name, of which three are in the prototype stage with one released. Innovation-driven by empathy Gitanjali, named after Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s famous book of poems, has an altruistic sense of scientific purpose that takes one aback. In 3M’s Not the Science Type docuseries, she says: “All of us can make a difference. It’s just about finding

trong> with Global Indian, She radiates poise as she speaks on her first prototype in use – Tethys, which detects lead contamination in water and shares that information through Bluetooth. Her occasional giggles make this child scientist more endearing. Today, at 15, she has 11 innovations to her name, of which three are in the prototype stage with one released.

Innovation-driven by empathy

Gitanjali, named after Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s famous book of poems, has an altruistic sense of scientific purpose that takes one aback. In 3M’s Not the Science Type docuseries, she says:

“All of us can make a difference. It’s just about finding that one thing you want to change, and changing it. I want to use science to inspire kindness. Find yourself with it.”

https://twitter.com/ShashiTharoor/status/1334727929037606912?s=20

Wearing multiple hats

A weighty quest for science guides the toothy teen scientist. She is described as a Forbes 30 Under 30, America's Top Young Scientist, TEDx Speaker, STEM Promoter, TIME Top Young Innovator, author and student. Moreover, she is a proficient glider, pianist, classical dancer, fencer, and a (self-proclaimed) average cook. This quest started with her proclivity to ask questions. Years on, those very questions led her to solutions. First, she tackled water scarcity and contamination that led to the Tethys prototype at just 11.

[caption id="attachment_5592" align="aligncenter" width="426"] Meet Indian American teen scientist and TIME’s First Kid of the Year. At the age of 15, Gitanjali Rao she has 11 innovations to her name. At the age of 15, Gitanjali Rao has 11 innovations to her name.[/caption]

The technology, Rao says, can be easily enhanced to other contaminants. “More students, especially in the recent Regeneron Science Talent Research, Stockholm Junior Water Prize, etc have taken the same technology and enhanced it for other contaminants or water purification with doped nanotubes. Arsenic, Mercury and Cadmium are a few,” she tells Global Indian in an exclusive interview. Further, she has provided some Brazilian students her solution for further research.

“I am in the process of working with American Water Works Association to explore influencing state and federal policies on water testing,” says Rao.

She paid for Tethys materials through her Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge prize money, which she won when she was barely 12.

Addressing the opioid crisis

Rao became fixated with another question – how to address the opioid crisis - when a family friend was prescribed opioids after an accident. She developed Epione – a tool to diagnose prescription opioid addiction using an ELISA-based protein detection method. Epione works on a fluid sample and uses protein expression from the mu-opioid receptor gene to find out if a patient is at the onset of addiction. “The device uses standard colorimetry processes to identify addiction status. Results on a mobile app show the status of addiction, and includes a map of the nearest addiction centre,” Rao adds about this early-stage research.

[caption id="attachment_5611" align="alignnone" width="852"] Gitanjali Rao enjoys talking about science with kids.[/caption]

Parental guidance

Rao feels her upbringing - thinking, trying and ideating differently were encouraged - made problem-solving a habit. She probably inherited intellectual rigor from her parents - Rama and Bharathi Rao, who migrated from Mangalore to the US and have strong academic credentials. Her parents instilled the freedom to choose and that she says taught her to be resourceful and take risks.

“If I felt like learning to fly a glider, I had to earn it, find a scholarship. If I wanted to attend a space camp, I had to search for scholarships and apply. To learn more about a concept, they would help me search for an expert, article or professor. They ensured I was safe, and allowed me to take risks.”

Today, she has a student’s flying license and can fly a glider.

[caption id="attachment_5593" align="alignnone" width="1010"] Gitanjali Rao learning how to fly.[/caption]

The Raos knew they were raising a special kid very early on. As a 10-year-old, a parent can expect the kid to ask for a new video game or a toy but the Raos had to service a carbon nanotube request.

'Kindly' to prevent cyberbullying

Among the other technologies that Rao has developed is Kindly, where she started with the question of how to prevent cyber threats. Kindly is an anti-cyber-bullying app that detects words related to cyberbullying using machine learning and natural language processing. As trailblazers go, her meeting with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella helped guide her with the initial prototype for Kindly. In an awe-inspiring meeting, Nadella was “kind enough to meet a 13-year-old, listen to her ideas and support,” she says.

Kindly has a Beta standalone app and browser extension now, and she has partnered with UNICEF to roll this out as a product that can be used worldwide to measure the number of preventable cyberbullying events.

Promoting STEM education through innovation workshops

A three-time TEDx speaker and winner of the US President’s Environmental Youth Award, Rao is hoping to solicit new innovators to address the world’s problems through her innovation workshops. She has already reached about 50,000 students in 26 countries.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBEPYDLD3vg

“I hope to reach out to 50,000 more by 2021-end in partnership with MJP Foundation for schools in Cambodia, Royal Academy of Engineering for students in the UK, Transformation Ghana, and individual schools in India,” says the girl, who is now working on parasitic water contamination detection using genetic engineering. The key is to inspire girls to be unafraid of science and technology and help them connect it to real impact. But challenges abound. A workshop for girls in Gaza was canceled due to security issues. In Afghanistan and Chile, her struggle was to help people understand her accent.

“In a refugee camp in Kenya, some students had to walk 45 minutes just to listen, and had to leave before dark.”

The students at Kenya’s Kakuma refugee camp started their own STEM classes using Rao’s book (A Young Innovators Guide to STEM – 5 Steps for Problem Solving).

“Schools in India that reach out and facilitate are much easier, though I have to tune my message for kindness, empathy, and collaboration.”

The TIME accolade has amplified her voice to influence and introduce innovation into the early education system. Since April 2018, Gitanjali has been working with UNICEF and was recognized as one of America’s Top Youth volunteers by Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. She even donated to UNICEF’s India COVID-19 response.

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

A family girl

She is often teased by her family that she might be “Kid of the Year” but she still has to do her chores and clean her room. Her friends can’t fathom how America’s top kid scientist forgets adding key ingredients like melted butter while baking.

Her Indianness comes out in glimpses - eating hot bhajiyas on a rainy day. Or sipping on borrowed chai from her mom with a Parle G biscuit or rusk. Due to the pandemic, Gitanjali missed her yearly visits to India to see her maternal grandparents in Navi Mumbai and paternal grandfather in Hyderabad. But she’s thankful they are in the US now.

Mentored by icons

Having good mentors is an important crucible in any Global Indian’s journey. Rao speaks of being under the tutelage of Dr Kathleen Shafer from 3M (Tethys), Dr Selene Hernandez (Denver Water), and Dr Michael McMurray who guided her on genetic engineering concepts. Moving forward, her goal is to reach out to the US Department of Education to bring innovation into daily curriculum, which means innovations in education.

[caption id="attachment_4066" align="alignnone" width="425"] Jayshree Seth with Indian-origin teen innovator Gitanjali Rao When Global Indians meet: Gitanjali Rao with 3M's chief science advocate Jayshree Seth in 2018[/caption]

Marvel’s hero project

Gitanjali was featured in the web series Marvel’s Hero Project as Genius Gitanjali for her valuable contributions to society.

“I think that being a scientist is like being a superhero, because superheroes save people, and want to do what is best for their society – scientists do the same exact thing,” she earlier told Google.

Reading Time: 8 mins

Meet Saurabh Mittal, the Indian businessman who is one of the 50 richest in Singapore

(October 13, 2021) Saurabh Mittal is a man who wears many hats. From having interests in data, analytics and emerging technologies to impeccable investment chops that have catapulted him into the big league, Mittal is a man confident in his skills. From working as summer associate at Goldman Sachs to co-founding housing finance and wealth management company Indiabulls in Gurugram to giving it all up to relocate to Singapore where he established Mission Holdings in Singapore, he’s traversed a long and diverse path. The private investment holding company which focuses on financial services, media, real estate, and technology, of which 51-year-old Mittal is Chairman and sole shareholder, is today a name to reckon with in the island country. Within a span of a few years, this Global Indian burst into the Singapore business circle and was soon listed in Forbes list of Singapore’s 50 richest with a net worth of $735 million. The Delhi-lad who spread his wings Born and brought up in Delhi, Mittal studied at St Xavier School before enrolling for a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering from the prestigious IIT Delhi where he received the best graduating student award in 1995. He then kickstarted his professional journey as a senior field engineer with the Houston headquartered oilfield services company Schlumberger

The Delhi-lad who spread his wings

Born and brought up in Delhi, Mittal studied at St Xavier School before enrolling for a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering from the prestigious IIT Delhi where he received the best graduating student award in 1995. He then kickstarted his professional journey as a senior field engineer with the Houston headquartered oilfield services company Schlumberger where he worked at offshore and onshore oil and gas rigs. This help him pay his way to Harvard Business School where he pursued his MBA and graduated as a Baker Scholar. Shortly before flying to the US though he spent three months working as a summer associate at investment banking company Goldman Sachs’ Singapore office.

[caption id="attachment_12999" align="aligncenter" width="555"] Indian entrepreneur Saurabh Mittal Saurabh Mittal[/caption]

Entrepreneurial journey

Mittal then started out in the hedge fund business before joining hands with IIT batchmate Sameer Gehlaut to launch financial services and real estate conglomerate Indiabulls in 2000. Parallelly, he joined Farallon Capital as an investment associate in 2001 before becoming a full partner at its affiliate Noonday Capital in 2005. As Indiabulls built a name in the market, Mittal served as the vice chairman of its board of directors.

During his MBA days at Harvard, Mittal had met Chatri Sityodtong with whom he established martial arts promotion ONE Championship in 2011 where he was later made vice chairman in 2018. Incidentally, while at Harvard, Mittal was one of the poorest students in the batch. That’s how he and Chatri connected: the two would scour the campus vicinity for the cheapest meals. They were also in the same study group and their friendship has since ignited a multimillion-dollar business as ONE Championship has grown to become Asia’s largest sports media company. Talking about their partnership, Mittal had told Business Times, “If you work hard, if you have a deep desire to put your best foot forward and also have generosity of spirit, you carry the world with you. Chatri has a very big heart and generosity of spirit. Successful entrepreneurs are typically very good people because they generate positive energy. You can't lead a team unless they truly trust and believe you will look out for them. Over a 20-year period, you can't fake trust or generosity of spirit.”

[caption id="attachment_13000" align="aligncenter" width="849"] Indian entrepreneur Saurabh Mittal Saurabh Mittal with Chatri Sityodtong[/caption]

Given his varied interests, Mittal also founded data and analytics firm Incedo Inc in San Francisco’s Bay Area in 2012. While Nitin Seth took over as Incedo’s CEO in 2017, Mittal continued in the firm as its chairman. The company offers solutions in the fields of data management, business intelligence and analytics, data science, cloud and IoT. Its subsidiary, Incedo Labs, serves startups with environments to incubate and accelerate their growth.

For a fresh start

In 2014, Mittal decided to step down from his position at Indiabulls, sold off a chunk of his stake in the Gurugram-based company and moved to Singapore lock, stock, and barrel. Here he established his private investment firm Mission Holdings in 2014. The private investment holding company that solely owned by Mittal focuses on financial services, media, real estate, and technology. Mission Holdings focuses prefers to invest long terms in a concentrated set of companies, running the spectrum from active ownership with board-level management partnerships to public market investments and passive investments via outside manager allocations. The Singapore headquartered company which has offices in New York, San Francisco and an affiliate presence in Mumbai owns stakes in ONE Championship, fintech startup BSI Financial and SelfScore.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNf03MHaXyQ[/embed]

As Mission Holdings took off, Mittal found his net worth skyrocketing and soon found a spot on the Forbes 2021 list of Singapore’s Richest with a net worth of $735 million. In 2017, Mittal was also conferred the Distinguished Alumnus Award by his alma mater IIT Delhi for his exceptional achievement and contribution in the area of corporate business development and entrepreneurship. Some of the past awardees in this list include billionaire venture capitalist Vinod Khosla, former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan, minister of civil aviation Jayant Sinha, and dean of Cornell Business School and Cornell Tech Sunil Sood.

Philanthropy

This self-made billionaire is also a dedicated philanthropist who believes in giving back to community: he works towards helping give children with humble beginnings a chance to become leaders of tomorrow. Mittal is on the board of multiple non-profits and is one of the biggest supporters of Parivaar, an integrated school and home for thousands of destitute children. He also supports Avasara and academy focused on developing young women leaders. He is also the founder and trustee of Plaksha University and is also the founder and board member of IIT Delhi’s Endowment Fund.

Follow him on LinkedIn.

Reading Time: 8 mins