Cultural expectations surrounding the elderly are being challenged today, and with good reason!
While it was the norm to slow down and retreat into a quieter life post-retirement, more men and women are finding purpose and joy in doing the opposite.
WisdomCircle honours such men and women by shining light on their journey through an inspiring series called “Wisdom Stories”. These people have successfully smashed stereotypes, and their stories remind us that life should be lived to the fullest, no matter what age or stage.
“I fared rather poorly in my 12th grade board examinations and took this failure to heart. I worked hard thereafter to do well in my engineering school (NIT Trichy), followed by CAT to get through to IIM Kolkata. I also got into The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and sought to go there. In hindsight, an early setback led me to push my boundaries.
While I was pursuing my business degree at Wharton, I got my first break at Procter & Gamble (P&G) in a marketing role. This was my dream job, and it gave me the perfect foundational platform to set me up for a wonderful career in marketing across P&G, Coca-Cola & Heinz.
The second turning point was when I turned 50 and attended a retreat in Pondicherry, led by Nitya Shanti, a well-regarded spiritual teacher. He got me to recognize my purpose, which was around philanthropy. I came back filled with renewed energy and started my philanthropic journey.
I have been deeply influenced by both my parents in different ways. My father was very disciplined and built strong professional relationships. My mother was a doctor and had an incredible spirit of generosity.
Understanding the importance of relationships and humility were two aspects that helped me along the way. Recognizing that I could be riding high one day, and not the next, and having the equanimity to embrace both, has kept me grounded. Another value I hold at the center of everything I do, is to treat everyone equally, irrespective of where they come from. God has created us as equals, and we must honor that.
Today, keeping my brain intellectually stimulated is of paramount importance, as the brain drives the body. I am also driven by a higher purpose around philanthropy, and that keeps me going. When friends and family ask me to slow down, they aren’t wrong. However, I don’t know what will happen tomorrow. I firmly believe that you are only as good as you are today. You cannot rest on your laurels.
My message to the Wisdom Generation is to keep reinventing yourself. Choose what gives you energy, but don’t keep yourself occupied for the sake of being occupied. Pick things that are aligned to your interests/purpose. Action without intent doesn’t hold much meaning.
Post a rewarding 23+ years at Egon Zehnder, I continue to be engaged with the corporate world and in the Social Sector. My “7 day week” encompasses:
- Board of Infosys
- Senior Advisor with Warburg Pincus India.
- Chairperson of SVP India – India’s largest platform for philanthropy
- Board of GIVE India- India’s first online donor platform to enable retail giving
- LivingMyPromise (LMP) signatory, which is a community of like-minded Indians (about 200 and counting) who believe in giving back to society, by pledging 50% of their wealth to philanthropic causes
- Board of Karmayogi Bharat which is an initiative by the Government of India to develop a comprehensive online platform to guide civil service officials in their competency-based capacity building journey
- Advisory Board of The Convergence Foundation (TCF), a grant-making incubator (so far 14 Not for profit enterprises have been incubated) with an objective to improve the lives of all Indians by way of rapid and sustained economic growth
- Advisory Board of Project Mumbai – Public-Private-People partnership, with a mission of making Mumbai/MMR a better place to live, work, and play with every citizen volunteering to do his/her/their bit for the community
I am blessed to have a lovely family and am very proud of the entrepreneurial venture started by my wife – Unnamra and the achievements of my three boys. I have some amazing friends who have always stood by me. I am grateful for everything that has come my way, but I take nothing for granted. I continue to go out there and put in the work.”
Read more Wisdom Stories on WisdomCircle
Interview credits: Saonli Bedi of WisdomCircle
