How and why Ajay Ushakanth who teaches the Vedas to budding entrepreneurs in Bengaluru, out of a co-working hub, became an unlikely member of the rapidly-burgeoning gig economy.
Born and brought up in Bengaluru, Ajay Ushakanth started his career as a diamond merchant in Mumbai in the late ’80s. Family trouble brought him back to his home city following which he set up a retail business of baby products in 1994. The 50-year-old also established a carpentry unit that made baby cribs, which were sold to five-star hotels and service apartments.
Amid the rigours of running his business, certain thoughts came to his mind that changed his outlook towards life. He began asking questions such as, ‘Why am I on this earth?’, ‘What keeps the body alive?’ and ‘Who am I?’ to himself. He found the answers to those in sacred Hindu texts such as the Vedas, which he now teaches to budding entrepreneurs for free at the WeWork co-working space in Bengaluru.
He speaks to Forbes India about the influence of religious texts on him and why teaching them gives him satisfaction. Edited excerpts:
Q What made you quit your business and get into teaching the Vedas?
Esta historia es de la edición August 17, 2018 de Forbes India.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición August 17, 2018 de Forbes India.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Home-Cooked Meal Is Now Greatly Valued
The pandemic has also brought with it an improved focus on hygiene, use of technology in dining, rise of cloud kitchens and resurgence in popularity of Indian ingredients
Paytm 3.0 - Reaching Near Breakeven In Two Years
As of 2020, Vijay Shekhar Sharma’s super app for financial services had run up losses in thousands of crores. Now, as digital payments gets yet another boost courtesy Covid-19, he’s hopeful of reaching near breakeven in two years
THE PANDEMIC HAS CAUSED WOMEN GREATER LABOUR PAIN
Covid-19 has shown that women are more likely to face the brunt of job losses than men, and find fewer opportunities when they want to resume. That apart, several have to deal with increased hours of unpaid work at home and even domestic abuse
LEADERSHIP WILL BE ABOUT SEEING THE BIGGER PICTURE
Leaders must not only guard their teams first during a crisis, but also deal with stakeholders with respect and dignity. And apart from pursuing business goals, they should remain committed to our planet and the environment
PHILANTHROPY SHOULD BE HUMBLE, BUT NOT MODEST
Apart from building a flexible and resilient framework for the future, philanthropists, civil society and the government must work in tandem so that every rupee is absorbed on the ground
INTEGRATED HEALTH CARE, TECH WILL DISRUPT SECTOR
While clinical research will get a boost, having a skilled workforce and public spending on health care will be challenges in the near term
DIGITALISATION WILL HELP IN VALUE CREATION
As the pandemic brings technology and innovation to the core of business and daily life, the next decade will see about 150 million digital-first families in India
Industry 4.0: Climate Revolution?
Augmenting sustainability alongside digital capabilities is an economic, competitive and global opportunity for India’s businesses, but regulations need to reflect intent
EV Dream Still Miles Away
Electric vehicles have remained a buzzword in India for years. But not much has moved on ground due to high upfront costs, range anxiety and charging infrastructure
Living Waters
A virus has caused us to scramble for oxygen but our chokehold on the environment is slowly strangling the very waters that breathe life into us. The virus is a timely reminder: We are merely consumers, not producers of life’s breath on this planet