Q/ The duality of being an Indian and an American at the same time; what are the positive aspects of this?
A/ I was born in the world’s largest democracy, and I thrive in the world’s oldest democracy. So, I think I have always been in the free market, where capitalism has yielded tremendous opportunities and I have been the beneficiary of all of that. The great thing is that I have brought to the US all my family values from India. And the creativity, the innovation and all of that I have imbibed from here.
All of us live with a duality, of work and family and trying to juggle all of that. So, in some shape or form, we are all struggling with duality. That is what makes us richer people, that is what makes us more grounded.
Q/While in the US, were there some features, some of your ‘Indianness’ that helped?
A/ I grew up in Madras in a simple, conservative family where the emphasis was on hard work, doing well in school, and being respectful of elders. All of those values I brought here. In every job I had, I worked hard, I really understood the material, I wanted to do my best to make India proud of me and the US proud of me.
Because I felt that as an immigrant, I was invited into this country, so I wanted both countries to be proud of me. So, I brought all those values I learned while growing up, and those are the values that stood me in good stead. Because, had I not worked hard, had I not studied everything I was working on, had I not had a respect for the system, I am not sure I would have been very successful. So, I credit both sides for who I am.
Q/Which are the elements from both ways of life where you feel one could learn from the other?
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Denne historien er fra October 24, 2021-utgaven av THE WEEK.
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What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Trump and the crisis of liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.
