The essential reading list from the week gone by
We've compiled an eclectic mix of stories from the past seven days from our stable for your Sunday reading pleasure. We hope the sheer variety will excite you.
World War II soldier creates an Indian cartoonist by chance
Read about Aabid Surti, a National Award-winning Indian author, painter, cartoonist and journalist. He is also an activist out to save every drop of water with his NGO Drop Dead.
Writes YS writer Sindhu Kashyap in the story: “During the Sixties and Seventies, there were hardly any Indian comics or characters, and several publications wanted one. “It was during this time dacoits were big in the country, so I decided to focus on them. I toured around the Chambal area: spoke to victims and tried to understand the modus operandi of the dacoits. I even met some fans of these bandits,” says Aabid. It was during this phase that Aabid read a book on dacoits by Taroon Kumar Bhaduri, and found the book informative.And this book helped him in creating Bahadur and the CSF. Read the full story here.
Three entrepreneur friends hustle to launch Bonito Design and Squadro.in – the story of startup grit to chase a dream
Every startup story is about grit and determination. In this one YS writer Emmanuel Amberber captures the story in detail about how Bonito Design was co-founded by three young entrepreneurs, and how that led to their new bootstrapped venture called Squadro. Read the full story here.
Meet the bee man of Maharashtra
The sudden drop in bee populations worldwide is threatening the balance of the ecosystem with unpredictable consequences. Shrikant Gajbhiye, Founder of Bee The Change which offers free beekeeping training to farmers and forest populations in Maharashtra, argues that when bees are kept alongside farming activities, production increases between 20-200 per cent. Besides, of course, farmers get to sell honey in the market, writes YS writer Francesca Ferrario. Read the full story here..
Building a billion dollar company in India
In this exhaustive piece on how to build a billion dollar company in India, YS guest author and MD at Kalaari Capital Vani Kola writes: A billion dollar company is still something magical and rare, elusive and exclusive. And hence they have been called the ‘Unicorn club’, named after a mythical animal which doesn’t exist except in legends. Unicorn club is a serious business of changing the world through innovation and being valued highly in recognition. Read the full story here.
It is time we focussed on health instead of disease, joy instead of sadness, and love instead of fear- Cheelu Chandran
There is no defined time or age to start anew. Cheelu Chandran, Founder of DeBox, shows that if you have the will and the courage to face your situation and accept yourself, then you can overcome anything in life. “Physical abuse leaves temporary and permanent scars on the body. Emotional and mental abuse pushes you into a feeling of nothingness; a big zero. Mental abuse, if handled smoothly, is hard to recognise. It took me years and intense self-searching to figure it out. To this day, I remain confused as to which of the two is worse,” she tells YS writer Tanvi Dubey. Read the full story here.
‘Our ideas are our plans. So we need believers to walk with us.’- Neha Prakash on her startup Small Town
YS writer Rakhi Chakraborty writes: The completely self-funded Small Town describes itself as ‘A team of ideas, creating seasons on handloom, painting surfaces that nature has abandoned and writing for the like-minded. The weavers/artisans of Bihar, Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and us – that’s our entire team. You will see us creating happiness on handloom, clothing, interiors, paintings, graphics, logos, pebbles, writings, art, and advertising (ah! that’s where we come from).” Read the full story here.
It’s not just Deepika Padukone who is raising awareness about mental health — White Swan story
Shradha Sharma profiles White Swan, a not-for-profit dedicated to raising mental health awareness in India. “The so-called ‘market’ for us is as big as the population of the country. Let me illustrate using a few data. One in four of the Indian population will suffer from a mental health problem in his/her lifetime. That’s a huge number,” says Founder Manoj Chandran. Read the full story here.
Dom Raja: untold story of the untouchable keeper of Varanasi’s sacred flame
Freelance writer Sanjay Austa visits the cremation ghats of Varanasi to meet the undertaker, ‘dom’, and capture his life in this brilliant photo essay. He writes: Sanjit has no children so he is training his five-year-old nephew to become the next Dom. Lifting and swinging heavy weights is where the training begins. For now, the tiny Dom-in-waiting goes to school like every other child in Varanasi. Read the full story here.
How to think about branding and digital marketing for a B2B company?
YS guest author Meeta Malhotra, who serves as director with Ray + Keshavan, often gets questions like: “What is the relevance of B2B branding and digital? Our core strength is sourcing and manufacturing for B2B customers. We have a sales team but no marketing set up. How does it apply to us?” It is a great question and to answer this, we need to break it into two. Want to know more? Read the full story here.
How Indore is looking beyond commerce and cricket to reach for the ‘cloud’
The commercial capital of Madhya Pradesh, Indore, is on its way to claim the title of startup hub of central India. YS writer Dipti Nair profiles a city in transition. Read the full story here.
