Basketball pro Sidhant Pruthi found inspiration within the four walls of his home

When Sidhant Pruthi, aka Sidhu, was 5 years old, he dreamt of becoming a fighter pilot. Years later, he appeared for the Combined Defence Service Examination (CDSE) exam, but didn't clear it. He looked up to his hardworking parents -- his father is an entrepreneur and his mother, a dietician. Soon he realised that entrepreneurship ran in his blood and took over the reins of his family business - Robin International. "I had inspiration within my home, so I never had to look outside."

Born into a Punjabi household, Sidhant says, "Punjabis have an open heart, the food is amazing and the whole state has a Desi vibe to it." His favourite Punjabi food is Saag, Makki ki Roti and Lassi and favourite movie is Interstellar by Christopher Nolan.

When asked if he could choose four famous people with whom he could have lunch, Sidhant says four is too small a number as he's inspired by multiple personalities like Warren Buffet, Greta Thunberg, BR Amdekshar, Sudha Murthy, APJ Abdul Kalam, Bhagat Singh and Gandhiji. "I'm most inspired by Sudha Murthy, she is such a big person but still so humble, down-to-earth and influential."

Sidhant is someone who doesn't like to talk about his achievements (he mentions in passing that he's a national level basketball player) as he feels it would lead to ego issues which would prevent you from learning.

When asked what three items he would grab if his house was on fire, he instinctively replies, "People come before property."

Right now, he is in a great place in life: his family is happy, he can do what he likes, this is what success means to him. In his business he says, they are trying to improve inventory management to reduce waste. He sees Ludhiana Xcelerator as a good platform for peer learning and is hopeful to see a change.

His advice to the younger generation, especially those who come from business families, is to never stop learning, "You stop learning because business skills are inbuilt, but you should start from scratch. If you don't learn from ground level, you may have problems in the future. It's good to focus on learning initially, don't focus on profits."

He is currently reading Wings of Fire by Arun Tiwari and Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, and enjoys listening to South Korean boy band, BTS. In his free time, you will find him socialising with his friends (especially on Saturday nights), learning and working at home, playing basketball and practising the flute.

When asked what he's looking forward to in 2021, he jokingly says, "I hope marriage is not on the cards". He wishes to travel to Iceland soon, as he feels Scandinavian countries are happy countries with natural beauty. "I'd especially love to see the northern lights, it's beautiful."