Laugh out loud

A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Presiding Spirit He is the first scientist to head the world's largest democracy. Widely known as the Missile Man, APJ Abdul Kalam is acknowledged as the driving force behind India's leap in the defence technology that brought India in the league of nuclear nations. From Rameshwaram to Rashtrapati Bhawan at Delhi, Kalam's life is literally a story of success trough sheer hardwork and determination, specially considering that he started life as a boat owner's son, who sold newspaper as a child. The secret is in positive thinking, for according to kalam, "Thinking should become your capital asset, no matter whatever ups and downs you come across in your life." Unlike other political leaders, he retains his humility and accessibility. For Kalam, India's true assets are its youth and he continues to try and motivate them. As he says, "The nation requires role models in leadership who can inspire youngsters. There is no dearth of re...

Indra Nooyi The Goddess of fizz This year, Indra Nooyi’s power & stature has grown beyond words. We know her story. But do we know how she learnt some of her toughest lessons in life? How she fought all odds to be an icon? Never stop learning. Regardless of one’s age. That is my golden rule. I’m not talking about academic knowledge, but being ‘street-smart’ and being aware of what’s happening in the real world. Keep your natural curiosity alive. Women need to work harder to be on top. This is one thing that some women may not like to hear. But, to reach the top, you have to work twice as hard as your counterparts. For, if you go on a crusade and argue for equality, or promotion, you could be on that crusade forever. Ever since I have been working, I have used this simple rule: Produce an output that was much better than what somebody else did. So, work extra hard at it. More hours, yes. More sacrifices and trade-offs, yes. Create a balance. I made a choice to be...

Sunita Williams From samosas to spacewalks This cheerful, spunky astronaut, who has taken the Gita, lord Ganesha and samosas on her space trip, has earned a place in the hearts of the nation by showing her support to Kalpana Chawla’s family after she passed away. Jovial as she is, determination is in Sunita Williams’ genes. Never give up. When my dad and his siblings decided to work their way to America, they had no resources. It’s thanks to their act of courage that I am today. It makes what I’ve accomplished feel small in comparison. Believe in yourself. Don’t let anyone tell you ‘You can’t do that’. I had a squad commander who told me, ‘Being an astronaut is for jet pilots, not helicopter pilots’. If you know what you want, you’ve just got to go for it. You do the best you can do at what you’re doing, and then find out what more you need to do. Open up to people. I’ve been working with Russians while training for the space mission. Considering I’ve lived in th...

Kiran Desai A literary inheritance She bought laurels by bagging the Man Booker Prize 2006. The last year belonged to author Kiran Desai in more ways than one. I like staying grounded. The past is an integral part of the present. When I left India I felt like a foreigner. But not anymore. I eat Indian food, look at Indian art, take part in readings and conferences, all to do with India. Also, watch Bollywood movies, wear my chappals and kurtas . Putting yourself in the shoes of others helps. I spent a part of my childhood in Kalimpong and the first stirrings of insurgency were felt then. I had no real understanding of the issues involved. I was concerned only with my own world. But the realization that we may never understand what life is for others dawned soon after. Sparing thoughts. I spend a considerable part of my time thinking about ways to reach out to people. Writing helps as you can touch various emotions and people at the same time. I respect my...

Suhas Gopinath An entrepreneur at 14, founder of Global Solutions Inc. He lowered the bar for ‘young’ achievers, when at the age of 14 he started his company, Global Solutions Inc. Today, at 20, he has set high standards for India’s up and coming, raring-to-go entrepreneurs. Youngsters must work together sans barriers. When I went to Islamabad, I delivered a lecture to 1,000 students. Other speakers were 40-45 years old, and I was 20. The students were so responsive; there were no barriers between us at all. Never be arrogant and never underestimate anyone. I was nervous before delivering my first lecture at IIM Ahmedabad… the students were older to me. But they listened to me patiently and had no ego hassles. I had a misconceptions about them. I even asked them for suggestions to improve the organization and my managerial skills. Be humble. When I met Bill Gates some years ago and we spoke for a few minutes, I never expected him to be so humble. He said, ‘ I s...

Sunil Bharti Mittal The man with the Midas touch: Chairman and Managing Director of Bharti Group He is a pioneer, a dreamer, an achiever. Ranked 125th in the Forbes list, Sunil Bharti Mittal is not a man to rest on his laurels. Whenever the next big revolution is happening, he is there busy being a part of it. What inspires and drives this trailblazer? We hear it in his own words. Practice is the real thing, rest is all theory. I didn’t go to a B-school, instead lessons on the streets and at every opportunity, tried to assimilate, gather and absorb some of the practices that were required to create an enterprise. I dream BIG. Everything beings with a small step, but you have to dream big to take a leap. I graduated from Punjab University. After graduation, I along with my friend formed a small bicycle business with borrowed capital in the 1970s. But by 1979, I realized that this business would remain small. I moved out of Ludhiana, and tried other things so that I wou...

Lakshmi Nivas Mittal (born June 15, 1950) is a London-based Indian billionaire industrialist, born in Sadulpur Village, in Churu district of Rajasthan, India and residing in Kensington, London. He is the 5th richest person in the world and the richest Indian, with a fortune of U$32 billion according to Forbes. The Financial Times named Mittal its 2006 Person of the Year. Early History He spent his first years in Sadulpur, living with his extended family on bare concrete floors and rope beds in a house built by his grandfather. His family, from the Marwari Aggarwal caste, was from humble roots; his grandfather worked for the Tarachand Ghanshyamdas Poddar firm, one of the leading Marwari industrial firms of pre-independence India. They eventually moved to Kolkata where his father, Mohan, became a partner in a steel company and made a fortune. Lakshmi was a keen student and graduated at the top of his class in high school (Hindi medium). He graduated from St. Xavier's College, Cal...

Dhirajlal Hirachand Ambani, one of the leading Indian businessmen, was born on December 28, 1932 in Chorwad, Gujarat. Popularly known as Dhirubhai Ambani, he heads The Reliance Industries, India's largest private enterprise. Dhirubhai started off as a small time worker with Arab merchants in the 1950s and moved to Mumbai in 1958 to start his own business in spices. After making modest profits, he moved into textiles and opened his mill near Ahmedabad. Dhirubhai founded Reliance Industries in 1958. After that it was a saga of expansions and successes. Reliance, acknowledged as one of the best-run companies in the world has various sectors like petrochemicals, textiles and is involved in the production of crude oil and gas, to polyester and polymer products. The companies refinery at Jamnagar accounts for over 25% of India's total refining capacity and their plant at Hazira is the biggest chemical complex in India. The company has further diversified into Telecom, Insurance...