Tell us about yourself
I am Sqn Ldr Shashi Kumar R, currently serving Indian Air Force. I am a Bangalorean, finished my schooling from Jyothi Kendriya Vidyalaya and Engineering in Mechanical from Bangalore Institute of Technology.
I worked for Mahindra & Mahindra as a design engineer for two years, before joining Indian Air Force.
I am currently on a request posting to bangalore, posted to a unit in Old airport bangalore. On the personal front, I am married to Dr. Supraja, who’s an assistant professor in Christian Medical College, Vellore. We are blessed with a daughter, who is 5 years old. My interests lie in psychology, Buddhism, Advaita Vedanta and theology.
What made you reach out to Udhyam?
It’s the connect as a human being who has transcended similar circumstances. Growing up with a father who had his entrepreneurial dreams swept under the carpet for his frequent failures and the barriers faced by him during his pursuit of his dream, I could relate to as how difficult it is to break through the inherited socio-economic circumstances. With the constant gnawing urge to do something greater than self, through actions I find purposeful, has brought me to Udhyam and this cause still resonates strongly with every day here.
In five words, describe your experience so far in Udhyam?
1. Open
2. Positive
3. Passionate
4. Chaotic
5. Diverse
What’s the one thing that inspires you the most when you are in Udhyam?
The amount of energy a group of diverse people can bring forward, towards a cause greater then themselves.
What is your vision for Udhyam?
My vision for Udhyam is that it becomes the igniter like how Verghese Kurien’s Operation Flood was for the White Revolution in India and catalyst like Deming & Juran’s role in the Quality revolution of Japan. Both these revolutions had a need and a deep problem to be taken as a challenge, to create history.
Similarly, we are at a juncture in time and space where the ingredients are right for an entrepreneurial revolution. Today we have an ever widening gap between education, livelihood and career, the need to merge them and provide an opportunity to humans to realize their potential through this means; my vision is for Udhyam to make this revolution successful.
If Udhyam had a nara (Cry for revolution) what would it be?
I remember a Sanskrit Subhashita (Pearls of Wisdom), the first part can be our nara.
“Udhyamena hi Sidhyanti ”
Accomplishment is by effort, industry i.e. Udhyam.
Regards,
Shashi
