Incredible Indians

Joe was one of those people one meets when your father calls you out of your room and introduces you to his ‘old friend’ whom he finally got back in touch with. I had faced my fair share of such meetings and walked out one day and was introduced to a kurta-clad person who had a smile of a person who is at peace with himself. At first instance, I found Joe Madiath, founder and executive director of Gram Vikas to be an extremely engaging and focussed person. I found that I need not equal him at age to understand and reply to what he says (unlike some conversations where I used to feel ill-equipped to join in). When my father told me what Gram Vikas is all about and how old friend Joe started it, it piqued my interest. continue

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Our country has produced some of the outstanding citizens who have been achievers in their own fields and have contributed immensely for the country. Many have devoted their life for the freedom struggle; some managed to find success in sports and have brought pride and glory for our country and its people. In the field of entertainment, our film industry is now recognized globally because of the talent and hard work of the people related to it over a period of time. But my choice of an Incredible Indian is from the field of business. I think that this is one field whose contribution has always remained understated as people perceive businessman in a different way. People always perceive that successful businessmen have less to do with a country’s development and more to do with making money. Moreover, most of the people are often unaware of the multiplier effect which a business empire can bring to an economy. continue

India is defined by a multitude of buzz words in the outside world: IT, Call Centers, Yoga, Spirituality, Poverty, the Taj Mahal and of late slums (thanks to Slumdog Millionaire). But one term which embodies Indian-ness for both hardcore desis, ABCDs, BBCDs etc. as well as the rest of the world is ‘Bollywood’. Love it or hate it you cannot ignore Bollywood and its influence over culture and our day to day lives. Bollywood is a reflection of India: the good parts (maa ka pyaar, gaajar ka halwa, ishq-mohabbat), bad parts (Kutte, Kamine, rishwat) and even the downright ugly ones (terrorism, crime, and the underworld). continue

Field Marshal Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw is without a doubt the most admired and idolized of our Army Chiefs. He had a charismatic personality combined with a great sense of humor. It was impossible for anyone to not feel overawed in his presence. ‘Sam Bahadur’ as he is popularly known was the architect of India’s victory over Pakistan in 1971. Sam Manekshaw was the first of only two Indian military officers to hold the highest rank of Field Marshal in the Indian Army (the other being Field Marshal K M Cariappa). continue

India has been a country that has come a long way, in her experiences, her adventures, her battles, epic stories, and so many cultures. One thing India has never been short of in so many centuries, is the presence of leaders, achievers, and influencers.

Through the entry of many articles on this very subject from all over the country, we now present our “Incredible Indians” posts, over the next few days. We hope you enjoy them, and we thank everyone who has taken the efforts to bring into limelight once again an Incredible Indian. continue