The Paradox of Progress-Are We Growing, Shrinking, or Flat? 3.1% Growth vs. 3.1% Destruction.

Dear Friends,

Nowadays, the moment I open LinkedIn, Facebook, or Inshorts, I see many stories about AI developments. The more I see, the more they appear, as AI is behind the scenes! This week, I am feeling excitement on one side and anxiety on the other.

Let me start with the excitement. Google started a project called Suncatcher. The objective of this project is to set up a data center in space! By the way, they are already setting up data centers in our neighborhood. They launched a data center-class TPU (Tensor Processing Unit) into space this month. These TPUs sent the first AI-generated message from space: “Blue Marble below. Data streams in silent grace. Starlight feeds my core.”

You might be wondering what a TPU is. A CPU (Central Processing Unit) manages regular functions in a computer. A GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) manages games and AI/ML tasks, whereas TPUs are meant for high-volume, high-speed processing in deep learning applications.

Another exciting piece of news is about Orbital (a startup called the Sunlight Company). It is working towards making clean, abundant energy available on demand. For example, you are walking in a graveyard at 12 midnight, and there are no lights around. You can open your mobile, connect to the Orbital app, and they provide direct, focused sunlight on your head. It is natural sunlight redirected from space using mirrors, since the sun is always visible somewhere on Earth. Many startups have started working in this direction.

While we are conquering Nature, there is another side to the coin. A couple of days ago, we had a severe cyclone called Arnab. I was awake until landfall. It made landfall at around 2 PM. I realized how we, as human beings, can never conquer nature. Until last week, our farming community in North Coastal AP was worried about drought conditions. Suddenly, when we open any news site, the discussion is all about the deluge. Two days of rain have wiped out the whole year's rainfall shortfall in this region!! The other part of AP is still worried about scanty rains!

We have just recovered from the floods in Nepal. Yesterday, a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood damaged a road and washed away a bridge in Bhutan.

Across the globe, from 31 October 2025 to 31 October 2026 (a one-year period), 41 significant disaster events took place (cyclones, typhoons, and hurricanes: 11; earthquakes: 10; flash floods: 10; severe storms: 3; landslides: 2; major wildfires: 2; volcanic eruptions: 2; and extreme heatwaves: 1).

If I make a rough estimate of the economic loss on the lower side, it is between $250–320 billion, including insured and uninsured damage. It is approximately 0.25% of the world's GDP, which is $128 trillion.

If you count man-made geopolitical conflicts in the last year, there were 65 active state-based armed conflicts, 40 selected significant geopolitical and security flashpoints, 8 international conflicts, and 550 political-violence incidents per day worldwide.

If you convert these into economic numbers, a rough estimate could be $835 billion, the established global armed-conflict economic-impact estimate for 2025, and $21.8 trillion as the broader annual economic burden of violence and its prevention.

What is the message?

Peace with Nature and Neighbors is not merely a moral necessity; it is an economic imperative.

The world celebrates 3.1% economic growth. Yet military expenditure, armed conflicts, and natural disasters together represent an economic burden equivalent to approximately 3.1% of global GDP.

Now I have a doubt. Are we growing, shrinking, or flat?

Note: I might have made a few assumptions in my calculations, but the idea is to illustrate growth.

Ravi Saripalle

Writing on Sand, Paper, or Mobile: Does It Make a Difference?

Dear Friends,

Recently, as I was heading to the podium for an invited talk on AI use cases in Education, someone in the first row murmured that he would now pull his handwritten notes out of his pocket. Immediately, I turned to him and smiled! After reaching the podium, I publicly announced that a day before every event I speak at, I write a handwritten script. Many people use their mobile phones, but I prefer keeping my own handwritten script (not even a printed version), no matter how long I have to speak. For a 10-minute speech, it runs to 2 pages, and for a 1-hour speech, it goes up to 5 pages.

You might be wondering why I prefer a handwritten script with my own scribbling. I have experimented with this multiple times. Whenever I type rather than handwrite, there is a huge difference in how I remember facts, pauses, key expressions, and sentence sequencing. These are essential for storytelling. During my college days, I used to prepare notes for myself and my good friends. Every month, I used to buy one ream of paper (500 sheets). I still remember that I scored higher in the subjects for which I prepared handwritten notes than in those for which I did not. I believe there is a scientifically supported connection among writing surfaces, finger pressure, muscle movements, sensory feedback, and learning.

If you remember, during Aksharabhyasam (a child's formal introduction to learning), parents have the child draw letters on a surface of sacred yellow raw rice. This is our tradition, but I am sure our Vedic scriptures recommended this practice on the basis of some form of scientific validation.

Why have I taken up this topic today? A couple of days back, there was a viral video about Indira Amma, an 85-year-old who taught children Malayalam, Hindi, English, and Maths through Ashan Kalari, where little fingers trace letters in the sand. (Video). We learned on black slates, whereas my grandfather used to teach my cousins using sand. I saw their index fingers become hard. I remember hearing from my grandfather that this hardness was proportional to the hard work put in.

On the contrary, whenever we conduct project vivas or invite students to give conference introductions, we see Gen Z and Gen Alpha kids bringing mobile phones and simply reading the sentences written on them. Often, their heads get glued to the podium because they cannot raise them; once they do, they lose track of the small characters and sentences on the mobile screen. This is not a characteristic of public speaking.

There are two important senses involved while writing: Tactile sensation-feeling texture, friction, and contact through the skin; and Proprioception-sensing the position, movement, and effort of our fingers, wrists, and arms, even without looking. When these work together with vision and letter sounds, they provide additional information that can support learning.

Kiefer et al. (2020) studied 147 children and found that pencil-and-paper training produced better letter recognition than keyboard training. A 2024 Electroencephalography study (which measures the brain's electrical activity via small electrodes placed on the scalp) also found distinct brain connectivity patterns during handwriting and typing.

This is a far more useful technique, especially for Waldorf Grade 1–2 classes.

Have you experienced this embodied cognition—the idea that learning involves not only the brain but also the body's movements and sensory experiences?

Ravi Saripalle

Inspire to Innovate Storytelling Movement since 2011

i2iTM.blogspot.com

Artificial Intelligence Is Growing. Is Human Intelligence Declining?

 Dear Friends,

A couple of days ago, I was walking down a lane when a group of five students was walking in front of me. The discussion among these boys was about learning programming. It looked like they were all first-year engineering students, presumably most of them from CSE.

One boy was sharing his experience of learning Python programming, for which he was prompting ChatGPT for every programming assignment, whether in the lab or at home. Others were asking, “What would you do in the main exam?” The casual response was, “Let's see when it comes.” Another asked, “What would we do during the campus selection process, as they expect DSA-level programming skills?” Another casually answered, “That is a far easier process than a semester exam.” The boy continued, “Most recruitment tests include online assessments, which we can manage easily.”

Fever is not a disease. It is a symptom of an actual disease. If we don't identify and address it at the root level, we are going to lose a generation.

Most companies are aware that cheating is happening through multiple means—LLM-assisted answers on a second device, AnyDesk, remote software logins by another candidate, prompting, hidden second devices (especially foldable devices), browser manipulations, hidden notes and physical materials behind monitors or on walls, screen mirroring, and more unwanted innovations.

Companies are ignoring this fact because they mostly depend on second- and third-level physical interviews. Having said that, what happens to the genuine student who has worked hard? Is it not a great loss to organizations?

A few days ago, there was an article in The Times of India (citing World Bank research) on learning paralysis. Students are using LLMs, boosting their homework scores by 18% while spending less time on assignments. The same students saw their in-class exam scores drop by 20%, with overall entrance exam performance falling by 5–7%.

Researchers from UC Berkeley, CMU, and MIT studied 1,222 people and found that using AI for just 10 minutes made it harder to focus and solve problems independently. When the AI tool was taken away, participants quickly gave up and made more mistakes on math and reading tasks. The study suggests that relying on AI for quick answers can weaken our own thinking skills over time. This is called Cognitive Paralysis.

What is the remedy?

Microsoft is working on it with Carnegie Mellon University through a programme called PRAISE. It is focused on accelerating junior engineers' learning in the AI era so that they build real skills and don't just ship code faster. The focus is on the parts of the job where people still matter most: understanding the problem before writing any code, questioning what AI gives you, and learning the fundamentals that keep you good at this for years.

Essentially, it boils down to “RAW” skills—Reading, Arithmetic, and Writing. In computer science terms, understand the problem, develop a flowchart, prompt it, and generate the code using AI (productivity is the only merit factor).

The worrying part is that AI is learning faster than humans. The layoffs have surfaced at the humanoid level as well.

When Figure AI replaced its Figure 02 humanoid robots on BMW's production line, it needed to retire the old fleet without leaking valuable trade secrets. Following a viral suggestion on X from Arnold Schwarzenegger, the company sent the fleet to a foundry in Finland to be melted down. The robots were trained to leap into a 75-ton furnace of molten steel, capturing the event on film with Schwarzenegger delivering his iconic “Hasta la vista” line. They learned to jump and were melted down.

What is my general suggestion to freshers?

Working for a startup gives them a better experience than working for an established organization. Reasons—opportunities to delve deep into problems from the early stages, working with teams despite lower salary packages, opportunities to work through a complete cycle (from problem identification to final deployment), and sometimes, a disgraceful exit as well.

This is real learning. This may not be possible for everyone in mature companies.

What is your current learning experience?

Ravi Saripalle

How much Money is enough Money? The Paradox of Wealth-A Question Money Cannot Answer.

Dear Friends

In 1993, a group of 10-15 friends and I visited a village near the Tatipudi Reservoir in Vizianagaram District, AP. While walking among the lush greenery, we all shared our dreams for life. One of them said, settle abroad. Another one for a luxurious life. When my turn came, I was told to buy a Maruti 800, knowing we could never afford it. At that point, it was an absolute dream. There was a reason for this. At that time, it cost 1.66 Lakhs. Given my intelligence levels and where I was living, I would have gotten a job paying 3K. It requires 4.5 years with zero living expenses, and with 20% savings, it would have taken 23 years to buy a Maruti car.

Fast forward, Thanks to the 1991 liberalization, the Indian IT boom took place. Before 1991, Indian IT companies delivered code by physically shipping magnetic tapes abroad. In 1992–1993, the STPI installed high-speed international satellite earth stations, starting with 64 kbps leased lines. This enabled firms such as Infosys, TCS, and Wipro to transmit software code electronically. This created a boom for computer degrees in India. Fast forward to 2003, we were able to buy a Maruti 800 Non-AC. For that matter, many of my classmates could buy a better car or a premium model than this. It took 10 years to manifest the dream. Many of them upgraded their cars. Having said that, I chose to use it till it was burnt out in 2017 for a specific reason.

Last weekend, we visited the Sri Anantha Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Vykuntagiri, on the way to Araku Valley, which faces the Tatipudi Reservoir, in a Maruti Swift (upgraded from 800). It sits at 3,333 feet above sea level and is considered the world’s highest altitude Venkateswara Temple. You might get an interesting question. This time, did I dream about anything more near that same Tatipudi Reservoir? No!! When we enter the 50s, priorities and responsibilities change. The highest priority would be to plan for retirement life with 6% inflation and unexpected medical and family expenses.

I was reading a beautiful article by Saksham Mittal, a young boy and IIT Kanpur alumnus, with the same title. He starts with a story of Leo Tolstoy, who once wrote about a man who was offered all the land he could walk around in a day. He walked so far that he never lived to enjoy it. 20 years ago, the “set for life” amount was 1 crore, which definitely aligned with society’s standards of success. At a 6% inflation, that 1 crore in 2005 would need roughly Rs 3.4 crore today to buy the same life. Hence, it remains a dream for many to think “set for life”. Hence, we require an alternative way of thinking rather than defining “set for life”.

Saksham writes further about the Famous psychologist Daniel Kahneman, who observed that an annual income of $75,000 can serve as a benchmark (maybe for the US standard; I don’t know the equivalent Indian standard). Money buys you happiness until $75k. Daily feelings like joy, stress, or sadness plateau or stagnate at this amount. And below this amount, daily miseries like illness, divorce, or loneliness are amplified. Similarly, if someone knows the threshold amount, it is considered a success in life. Till we know that number, neither should we hanker for more money nor reject God-gifted earnings, whatever little they are. We should not lament but pray to God that He gives us the realization to know that “set for life” figure.

Till we attain that realization, both “excess money” and “insufficient money” ruin our happiness. Saksham wrote about a hungry donkey that stands exactly between 2 equal piles of grass. It can't find a reason to pick either, so it starves. The 2 piles of grass were “excess money” and “insufficient money”.

The successful people are those who manage either of the excess or insufficiency. I believe both are gifts of the Lord and are defined by the Prarabdha karma of our previous life.

Ravi Saripalle

Unlocking Educational Freedom: Could NIOS + The HHH Model Be the Next Big Shift?

Dear Friends,

When I look back at my education journey—which started at the age of 6 (my parents delayed my schooling by a couple of years as I was unable to speak) and officially ended at 40 when I completed my PhD—I experimented with many things beyond conventional education (my Graduation and Master of Computer Applications).

I spent a year in Chennai attempting the AMIIE program when I couldn't secure an engineering seat.  I pursued a Financial Management course with Pondicherry University and attempted the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) program, though I did not succeed in those. However, I completed an Executive GMP from IIM Bangalore and earned another MBA alongside my professional duties. Beyond earning my Management PhD, I guided another PhD scholar in Computer Science specializing in DevOps. I also completed the Academy of Customer Excellence program at Harvard Business, certified in the Customer Centricity Program (Ron Kaufman - Up Your Service), and became PM Elite Certified.

I was a school topper, but after that, I never topped again—though I managed decently well and enjoyed the journey without stress except two years. Looking back at the root cause, it all stems from my Plus 2 (Intermediate) education, which felt like the Japanese mongoose experiment on Amami Ōshima Island, Japan. (I will explain this experiment shortly.)

In my entire academic journey, Plus 2 was the most stressful phase. I could understand the concepts, but I struggled to crack the entrance exams with speed and accuracy. That pressure impacted my regular conventional exams too. I owe a deep debt of gratitude to my classmates: Ravi Kumar, who regularly cleared my conceptual doubts, and Ravi Sankar Kottada (currently a Professor at IIT Madras), who helped me in mathematics that ultimately enabled me to pass my plus two.

A couple of days ago, there was a debate about the artificial hierarchy surrounding IIT/NIT branches. A CSE or ECE student is biasedly perceived as having higher merit compared to a Metallurgy student at the same institution—even if the candidate chose Metallurgy purely out of personal interest. Society has built a norm that if you get a top rank, you must choose according to a pre-decided societal hierarchy (CSE, ECE, EEE, Mech, etc.). This rigid expectation is creating a new era of student stress.

Now, what is this Japanese experiment?

In 1979, 30 small Indian mongooses were released on Amami Ōshima to control venomous habu snakes. However, due to mismatched active hours (mongooses are active daytime, while habu snakes are active night-time), the plan backfired completely. By 2000, the mongooses exploded to roughly 10,000, severely threatening native wildlife like the endangered Amami rabbit. A systematic eradication campaign officially launched in 2005 ("Amami Mongoose Busters"), deploying thousands of traps, search dogs, and environmental DNA testing. Following 6 consecutive years with zero sightings, Japan’s Ministry of the Environment officially declared the mongooses completely eradicated on Sep 3, 2024. This 45-year chapter is now closed, standing as one of the world's greatest ecological restoration achievements on an inhabited World Heritage island.

On a lighter note, I also concluded my own 45-year educational story (excluding those first 6 years) along with my Plus 2 "mongoose experiment"! Today, many parents are exploring alternative paths like NIOS (National Institute of Open Schooling, similar to CBSE, ICSE, or State boards). It offers a stress-free opportunity to pursue passions at ages 16 and 17—the most critical age when students develop the capacity for Transitional Autonomous Decision-Making.

In India, we currently lack institutions where students can pursue a NIOS degree while attending experiential, skill-focused institutions like Barefoot College (Rajasthan) or Practical Action (formerly ITDG, founded by E.F. Schumacher in Rugby, UK), where the sole focus is on practical mastery.

Ten years ago, I introduced the HHH Model:

• Head (Cognitive/Degree): Academic knowledge, theory, and formal qualifications.

• Hands (Psychomotor/Skill): Practical skills, technical execution, and vocational application.

• Heart (Affective/Holistic): Values, emotional intelligence, character, and overall well-being.

If we combine the flexibility of NIOS with the HHH model, could it trigger a new revolution in education?

Do you agree?

Ravi Saripalle

The Last Mile of AI Is Human: The One Thing AI Should Never Replace

Dear Friends

Twenty-five years back, one day, a rice cooker exploded in our house. Though there was no major physical injury or damage, one of my family members’ faces got completely blackened, almost like the boiled skin of an eggplant. In that shocking state, we rushed to a doctor just beside our house. I cannot call it a clinic, as it was an 8 × 8 room under a big banyan tree. There were no compounder or nurse and no high-fi sophisticated equipment. The doctor was sitting on a plastic chair, and a stethoscope & BP machine were on the wooden table.

Immediately, he gave simple first aid and asked us to bring one specific ointment from a nearby medical shop. We asked him whether we should take the patient to a dermatologist or any other big hospital, but he said it was not required. He also said that if that first aid had not been given, the face might have remained black even after healing. As he told us, within a few days, the face became normal and the whole wound healed. He just took ₹50 or ₹100, not more than that. He spoke compassionately and comforted us before asking us to go back home.

A Johns Hopkins study says that 40 seconds of compassionate talk by doctor reduces patient anxiety drastically. Another study says that if a doctor talks to a patient compassionately, 2.2 days of hospital stay can be reduced to 1.1 days. You might be wondering why I am using the word compassion multiple times.

The human spectrum of responsiveness—spanning Pity, Sympathy, Empathy, and Compassion—can be mapped on a two-dimensional graph with Understanding & Engagement on the X-axis and Effort on the Y-axis. Positioned sequentially along a positive regression line, these four terms reflect a steady rise: Pity sits at the lowest end (“I acknowledge your pain”), followed by Sympathy (“I care about your pain”), Empathy (“I feel your pain”), and finally Compassion at the highest point (“I want to relieve your pain”), where emotional resonance converts into active effort. The origin represents total apathy or indifference—zero understanding and zero effort.

Doctors and teachers require compassion (they have to relieve the pain without attaching to problem). They cannot operate only on the other three platforms. What triggered me to write this article? Today, I read about Ahmedabad-based ENT surgeon Dr. Nandlal Manseta. He is 81. His fee structure is unusual. He lets patients decide what they can afford based on their income. His fee model is based on trust. Patients are not asked to produce income certificates. Instead, they contribute according to what they earn, while someone with no income can receive a consultation without paying anything. His fee formula is something different—

Fee = 0.01 × Monthly Income!!

Today, I am invited by Infinity Vizag 2026. They asked me to talk on workforce transformation in the wake of AI. One of the real-time stories I shared is that if humans miss the compassionate part of their responsibility, slowly AI will enter that role which was live in Hyderabad and healthcare domain.

AI can remove the task, not the human! AI can give the human a superpower. However, we cannot delegate compassion, accountability, judgement, and safety.

Do you agree?

Ravi Saripalle

From Mud Play to Mobile Play-Do You Allow Your Child to Play in the Mud?

Dear Friends,

During childhood, we used to play cricket in open grounds. Though I was not a good sportsman, I used to judiciously participate. Considering my weight, my team used to call me David Boon, the former Australian opening batsman. Every time, I used to be given the same opening status, but I used to disappoint them! However, I never lost the spirit.

More than the play itself, I used to enjoy the open ground, the company, the pre- and post-play preparation, and the entertainment. In those days, we did not have the concept of carrying a water bottle. If we were thirsty, we used to go to a nearby well at any construction site, draw water using the nearby bucket, and drink. Sometimes, rain comes suddenly, but we used to finish the game in the mud! Mud used to be our soap if we happened to touch any notorious plants!

Why am I sharing my old mud memories in this Saturday’s story? Yes, there is a significance.

I observe the current generation of kids and their behaviour in high rise societies. Many kids come with sophisticated shoes and play on clean cement playgrounds. Even if they play on regular grounds, they still ensure that mud does not touch their feet or hands. Another set of kids is getting glued to virtual games. They sit next to each other and play online, fighting with each other! This is the most pathetic scene.

Finland is known for its education system and child development. Finland discovered that while hyper-sanitized, synthetic playgrounds prevent physical injuries, their lack of natural dirt and biodiversity deprives children of essential microbes needed to build healthy immune systems.

Modern playgrounds rely heavily on rubber mats and synthetic turf to maximize safety and simplify maintenance. However, these artificial surfaces create sterile environments that eliminate dirt, mud, and plants, effectively isolating children from natural ecosystems. Without regular exposure to organic soil, children miss out on beneficial environmental bacteria that are crucial for proper immune system calibration.

To address this concern, researchers in Finland conducted an experiment to rewild urban daycare centres by replacing synthetic ground cover with real forest-floor elements, including soil, grass, shadow shrubs, and moss. In these naturalized settings, children were encouraged to interact directly with nature by digging in real dirt, planting vegetation, and playing daily with organic materials.

The results demonstrated immediate biological and behavioural benefits. Within just 28 days, children playing on natural soil showed significantly higher skin and gut microbial diversity, as well as improved immune system markers that help protect against allergies and autoimmune conditions. 

 

Furthermore, navigating the natural, uneven terrain promoted holistic growth, markedly improving the children’s motor skills, emotional regulation, and imaginative play compared to traditional flat, synthetic surfaces.

If you observe kids in rural settings, they spend a lot of time in the mud and uneven surfaces. Their immunity levels are going to be high as they grow. They manage life easily. 

We stopped giving children mud toys. In our childhood, during Jagannath Rath Yatra, many stalls used to sell clay toys. We used to buy the whole mud kitchen crockery set and play with it. Nowadays, it has completely stopped!

One systematic review confirms that unstructured play in natural environments improves social skills, imaginative play, emotional self-regulation, and resilience compared to structured, artificial play structures.

Mud Is Not Always Dirty!

Ravi Saripalle 

AI Is Changing Computer Science. Are We Changing the Classroom?

Dear Friends,

Six years ago, in 2020, I made a video when engineering colleges were introducing CSE with different variants such as DS, AI/ML, Core CSE, IT, etc. (https://youtu.be/puRhpSSzHJ4). In the same year, I made another video on “Three Types of Engineering Students—which type are you?” (https://youtu.be/z4P-9dDuQEU).

In 2020, I did not anticipate AI’s maturity to be what it is today. If you look at its brief history, in 2012, the AlexNet neural network crushed traditional computer vision benchmarks at the ImageNet Challenge. It proved that deep neural networks, combined with graphics processing units (GPUs), could extract patterns from raw data far better than human engineers could by hand.

In 2017, Google researchers published “Attention Is All You Need,” introducing the Transformer architecture. This sparked the birth of Large Language Models (LLMs). The public release of ChatGPT in late 2022 brought general-purpose AI reasoning into everyday consumer awareness almost overnight. If we want to summarize the journey: 2011: AI predicts → 2015: AI perceives → 2018: AI understands → 2020: AI generalizes → 2022: AI generates → 2023: AI collaborates → 2024: AI reasons and uses tools → 2025: AI acts → 2026: AI increasingly manages end-to-end workflows.

If I review my two earlier videos in 2026, the first video on the different varieties of CSE is no longer significant or relevant. However, the second video is highly significant.

Many of you know Srikanth Velamakanni, NASSCOM Chairperson, Co-Founder of Fractal, and an alumnus of IIT Delhi and IIMA. Fractal went public in February 2026, reaching a valuation of approximately USD 1.93 billion. I admire Srikanth’s LinkedIn posts. Interestingly, a couple of weeks ago, Srikanth posted about how the CSE branch is declining in the US and the UK.

The chart shows a clear reversal in the long-term growth of Computer Science in both the US and the UK. Using 2024 = 100 as the reference point, US CS enrolments increased from roughly 62 in 2015–16 to 100 in 2024, but then fell to about 91–92 by 2025–26, implying an approximately 8–9% decline from the peak. In the UK, CS applications rose from around 60 in 2014 to 100 in 2024, then dropped to about 86 by 2026, representing a decline of approximately 14%.

The downturn began soon after generative AI became mainstream, suggesting that AI-driven automation, weaker entry-level software hiring, technology-sector layoffs, and a shift toward AI, data science, and interdisciplinary programs may be influencing student choices. However, the chart shows correlation rather than proving that AI alone caused the decline.

You might be wondering: What is the status in India? There are no major statistics published yet, but as per my assessment, it looks something like this: 2024: 100, 2025: ~100–102, 2026: ~97–100. Hence, we seem to be witnessing a plateau or the beginning of a decline.

Srikanth argues that while the low-hanging fruit of basic software engineering is disappearing, this opens up tremendous new possibilities for solving much harder problems. And this raises a much bigger question: In an increasingly AI-driven world, what should colleges teach to help students build a 40-year career? He suggests that colleges teach critical thinking, learning to learn, problem-solving using first principles, judgment and ethics, empathy, compassion, entrepreneurship, and, most importantly, leadership.

India has approximately 1,300 universities and 65,000 Higher Education Institutions as of 2026. India has approximately 4.5 crore higher-education students; around 46 lakh (≈10%) are studying Engineering & Technology, while roughly 4.0 crore (≈90%) are studying non-engineering disciplines. Among engineering students, nearly 22 lakh (47%) are in CSE-plus-IT, AI/ML, and AI/Data Science-related branches.

If we don’t plan well, the demographic dividend could become a demographic curse. NITI Aayog estimates that another 8.7 crore youth aged 15–29 are outside education, employment, and training (NEET—Not in Education, Employment or Training), highlighting the enormous challenge of moving young people from outside education and employment into skills and productive livelihoods.

Time to think differently and teach differently in the classroom!

Ravi Saripalle

When a Dollar Becomes Soft: From JPMorgan to BLR Airport

Dear Friends,

In 1999, my first assignment at JPMorgan was to develop a “soft-dollar” system and deploy it in their New York office. It was a one-man-army project. During my interaction with our client, I cracked a joke as well: how could a dollar become hard or soft? My customer patiently explained the difference between soft dollar and hard dollar!

Suppose a fund manager regularly gives J.P. Morgan a large trading business. J.P. Morgan earns brokerage commission when it executes those trades. In addition to execution, J.P. Morgan may provide the fund manager with useful services, such as equity research and analyst reports. The fund manager does not write a separate cheque for those research services. Their value is effectively supported through the brokerage commissions generated by the trading relationship. That is the soft-dollar concept.

If I have to relate this to our daily life, imagine that you regularly buy groceries from one store. As a large customer, you also receive free home delivery and access to special offers. You are paying for groceries, but some additional services are included in the overall relationship.

Groceries = Trade execution (Service)
Store payment = Brokerage commission (Hard dollar)
Free delivery/special benefits = Research and market information (Soft dollar)

Today, why am I suddenly talking about this?

BLR Airport is trying to move from “we operate an airport” to “we manage your complete travel experience.” Ideally, it is Business Model Innovation or Service Innovation.

Traditional model: Home → Taxi → Airport → Check-in → Security → Lounge → Gate

Proposed model: Wake-up → Pickup → Baggage → Check-in → Transport → Airport Assistance → Food/Lounge → Gate → Arrival Baggage Pick-up → Assist you till you move to another car at the destination.

Interesting, right?

However, my question to BLR Airport is: how much is offered in hard dollars and how much in soft dollars?

To date, we have seen the airport as a place where flights depart! BLR Airport is transforming from an airport into a platform managing the passenger’s complete journey!

One proposal to bring the soft-dollar concept to BLR Airport could be as follows:

Traditional Loyalty Program: Spend → Points → Free Flight
You could have: Economic relationship → Soft-dollar/service credits → Frictionless journey
which covers: Home → Car → Baggage → Terminal → Security → Food → Lounge → Gate → Destination

Interestingly, one of my startup-founder friends, Sree Sirugudi, founded Libero Health. They wanted to bring a similar concept to BLR Airport into Health Services in Andhra! Problem validation is now done for them!!

In India, we have been running commission-agent systems for ages without terming them as soft-dollar systems, but we never marketed and packaged them well.

Time to popularize our old concepts with new marketing philosophies!

Ravi Saripalle 

Invest in Potential, Not Numbers: Reflections for Teachers’ Day

Dear Friends

During 1946–1947, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar traveled every week from Yerkes Observatory to the University of Chicago to teach a class of just two students. When asked why he made the effort, he simply said they were very good students. Those two students—Tsung-Dao Lee and Chen-Ning Yang—went on to win the 1957 Nobel Prize in Physics, whereas their teacher, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1983. 

This story presents a powerful reminder that great teachers invest in potential, not numbers. 

Helen Keller was deaf and blind from early childhood. Her teacher, Anne Sullivan, repeatedly finger-spelled words into Helen's hand, but Helen initially did not understand that the movements represented objects. Then, on 5 April 1887, Sullivan placed Helen's hand under flowing water while spelling W-A-T-E-R into the other hand. Something clicked. Helen suddenly understood that the signs represented the world around her. That day, she learned roughly 30 new words. Helen Keller eventually became an author, lecturer, and internationally recognized advocate.

When Kalam was about 10 years old, his science teacher, Sivasubramanian Iyer, was teaching the class how birds fly. The blackboard explanation did not satisfy the students. Instead of blaming them for not understanding, Iyer took the entire class to the seashore in Rameswaram. He asked them to watch birds flap their wings, use their tails, and change direction. Kalam later described this as a life-changing lesson that helped ignite his fascination with flight and, eventually, with aerospace engineering.

In 1812, Michael Faraday, a 20-year-old bookbinder’s apprentice, compiled a 300-page notebook of Sir Humphry Davy’s chemistry lectures to apply for a job. Impressed by his dedication, Davy hired him as a lab assistant. With Davy's support, Faraday went on to discover electromagnetic induction, paving the way for the electric motor and modern power grids. Years later, when asked to name his greatest discovery, Davy replied: "Michael Faraday."

Some of these events crossed 100-plus years! Still, we remember and appreciate those students and teachers. As in 2026, how many of us could contribute to this scale of impact, either as a teacher or a student? A few! Do we have genuine justification? Absolutely No. Why? As teachers or students, we are losing that kind of mutual trust. 

I am a 5th-generation teacher in my family. I see sea changes in the students' attitudes. Though I did not see my grandfather, some of his students told me he was a noble, scholarly, and most humble teacher. Along with the great teachers of those times, His photograph hung on the walls of the sacred mutt in my hometown. 

I cannot generalize this, but today, the bond between students and teachers is diminishing. In those days, when the teacher passed by, at least on the face, we used to stand, keeping our hands folded, even though we didn’t always like it. Sometimes, it was customary, but many times, it was genuine. Today, the scene is different. Are we receiving such genuine salutations? Do teachers possess such wisdom? 

In the 1900s, a teacher used to take Guru Dakshina, meaning students paid as they wished. In the 1950s, teachers began receiving part salary and part Dakshina. A teacher in the 2000s transitioned to a salary completely. Today, a teacher started contributing to profit and growth. Thanks to inflation and insecurity, genuine teachers are also forced to shift this way. On the other hand, even if an honest teacher wants to contribute to the cause and share knowledge for free, society is not trusting such knowledge and is more suspicious about why they are not taking money. 

As the world is divided on many parameters, I am sure the golden days will return, as current execution models are proving unaffordable and unsustainable.

Wishing you a great teacher’s day coming week; Remembering great teachers!

Ravi Saripalle

The Grandparent Effect: Old Wisdom, New Behavioral Science and Evidence

Dear Friends,

I grew up with both my paternal and maternal grandmothers. My bond was quite strong with both of them. With my paternal grandmother, I stayed in the same house until her death. My father had a condition with my mother—“staying under the same roof” regardless of any little friction, adjustments, or constraints. It was a small 1BHK house, and the second room was made into a kitchen as well as a bedroom for my grandmother and me! On the last day of her life, we were both sleeping in the same room. I noticed her last breath in the middle of the night and informed my parents.

We used to have sweet fights, sweet negotiations over 1 or 2 rupees, and, as usual, a few household misunderstandings at home. In spite of all these things, the bond was never broken. The same

was true with my maternal grandmother, who used to come home occasionally. I used to be an arbitrator between the two grandmothers, as there were always different points of view, like in any other common household.

Despite all this, my father managed to implement the “staying under the same roof” concept. While providing justification, he did not speak in the language of social or behavioral scientists, but he requested that we implement the same concept even after his death.

It was not just one or two families. In that generation, the scenario was the same in most households. In fact, every Shivaratri, we used to perform a drama at night. One of my friends and I acted like our respective grandmothers, talking about their daughters-in-law and their usual complaints. It was great fun, and the grandmothers also enjoyed that reality script!!

Oh, my goodness, why am I taking you to this concept today?

Yesterday, a Facebook article went viral. It was all about this: “Research shows that children with caring, active grandparents may have a 30% lower chance of depression. These children may also have fewer behavior problems and stronger empathy as they grow. Loving grandparents can give children a steady source of comfort, attention, and guidance. Their presence can help a child feel safe, valued, and connected to family.”

In recent times, 4–5 articles have been published in this space.

In India, our ancestors thought about this long ago and made it a way of life. Today, behavioral scientists share a similar opinion, supported by scientific evidence.

Along these lines, Lifen Zhao et al. (2025) conducted a study covering 20 studies involving 11,434 children/adolescents and found that positive grandparenting was associated with lower levels of depression. Riem et al. (2025) studied 10,000+ children and found that, among 3-year-olds exposed to greater adversity, grandparental care was associated with more prosocial behavior and fewer externalizing problems. Xu & Harrison (2023) stressed that greater grandparent–grandchild closeness was associated with lower odds of emotional symptoms, conduct problems, peer problems, and abnormal prosocial behavior. Attar-Schwartz et al. (2009) studied 1,515 adolescents aged 11–16 and found that greater grandparent involvement was associated with fewer emotional problems. Kirby & Sanders's (2014) study of 54 grandparents and 48 parents found that a grandparent-focused intervention reduced reported child behavior problems.

Indian wisdom and ancestral ways of living have been time-tested.

In the last 70–80 years, several influences have changed our lifestyles and thinking. We are increasingly moving towards nuclear families. In many recent marriages, living separately from in-laws has almost become an obvious condition.

Maybe after reading these Western studies, I am sure a big change will happen in our society again. Of course, implementation is not that easy. It requires a lot of adjustment from both ends. However, considering the depression numbers and behavioral issues among children today, it is worth considering this way of living again.

Do you agree?

Ravi Saripalle

Airport Divorce: The Hidden Cost of Modern Separation Methods.

Dear Friends,

Recently, I read an article titled "Airport Divorce: The Latest Travel Trend Helping Couples Fly Stress-Free" among Gen Z and millennial travelers. Initially, it made me curious, but after reading about it, I became more puzzled about the trend!

The entire article summarizes the following.

Partner A: Arrive early → check departure board → find the gate → sit quietly → queue early.

Partner B: Reach the airport at the last minute or browse duty-free → shop → eat → explore → arrive at the gate closer to boarding.

Trying to force both people into a single routine creates unnecessary friction.

So, Temporarily Separate → Follow Individual Preferences → Reunite at Gate/Plane → Travel Together. That's the Airport Divorce.

In a nutshell, Forced Togetherness → Friction → Conflict versus Planned Autonomy → Reduced Friction → Better Reconnection.

Though this is quite a simple concept, if it becomes a worldwide trend, it will be another burden on the marriage system. Already, the family system is struggling with multiple other divorces like Legal divorce (formally ended by law), Emotional divorce (married legally, but emotional closeness disappeared), Physical separation (live separately), Social divorce (the couple gradually stops functioning publicly as a unit), and Financial divorce (financial responsibilities, property, accounts, and economic decisions are separated).

Now, if we add Airport divorce, Commute divorce (travel separately), Vacation divorce (do some holiday activities separately and reconnect later), etc., the law becomes much more intricate and introduces new ideas into the already broken marriage system!!

Let's purely look at it from an economic and environmental perspective. It adds to the cost and significantly impacts carbon credits. On the one hand, we worry about carbon emissions; on the other, we deplete natural resources out of ego. Of course, there are a few genuine cases.

Divorce has measurable economic and environmental costs. Studies show wealth can fall by about 53% for women and 57% for men, while standards of living may decline by 45% and 21%, respectively. Environmentally, divorced households have been associated with about 46% more electricity use and 56% more water use per person, with an estimated 73 billion kWh of extra electricity, 627 billion gallons of extra water, and over 38 million additional rooms in the U.S. Thus, divorce carries not only an emotional cost, but also a significant financial price and carbon/resource footprint.

If we add these new concepts, the implications are much more complicated. These are my observations; my focus is not on airport divorce but on associated costs and carbon emissions. Maybe it is another deep topic in social science research.

Having said that, the consumption of never-married bachelors is less than that of divorced families. We cannot compare these two numbers from a research perspective, as a bachelor starts with one household. Divorce converts one household into two—adding an economic shock to the environmental inefficiency of smaller households.

Anyway, we cannot easily comment on this topic, as there are many reasons for divorce. The ego is one part of the problem. There are many genuine cases that I have personally witnessed. Hence, it is a slightly sensitive and subtle topic. Researchers cannot generalize the issue.

Ravi Saripalle

Won the Battle, Lost the War? What Is Your Equation of Value?

Dear Friends,

Alvin Foo, the famous AI strategist, recently posted a video! It was a 100m race at a school. The first-place winner received a few thought-provoking books, the second received a gaming PC, and the third received an Orange iPhone 17 Pro Max. Interestingly, the guy who won first, instead of feeling happy upon receiving the prize, looked morose and looked at the 2nd- and 3rd-place winners and their prizes. It looked like he was thinking, “Maybe I should have performed slightly worse!” The caption says, “Won the battle, lost the war.”

The obvious interpretation is, “The student who performed best received the prize that may feel least desirable.” The deeper question is, “Who decided what the winner actually values?” If you seriously think about it, they designed it right. The idea is to further inspire him by giving him these biographies of famous athletes. They wanted to nourish his aspirations. Having said that, at face value, it is discouraging from a material-value perspective.

The rewards are of two types—Material value: What is it worth today? Developmental value: What might it make me capable of tomorrow?

When we speak more about material values at home and in college, students/children value them more than developmental values. They are essential. Personally, I also recommend setting a minimum material value; otherwise, we will not be able to survive in this world. However, defining that minimum is becoming an issue at work, at home, and in society.

This has become an interesting question that has popped up in society: Is a salary of ₹1 lakh+, while living with parents and children, better than a ₹50 lakh package, while living far away but supporting relatives financially and emotionally, or a ₹1 crore salary, while living far away and unable to support them in any way?

Recently, a post went viral on PublicNext.com about the requirements of a bride—she earns ₹15K per month but rejected a boy earning ₹15L per year, citing a low salary. Netizens are outraged and said marriage has become a business deal. What is the outcome of this social symptom?

As per my research—and, of course, these figures vary from one context to another—I have arrived at the following figures. India’s headline CPI inflation was 3.93% year-on-year; urban inflation was 3.53% and rural inflation 4.25%. I would define decent as: reasonable accommodation, nutritious food, local transport, utilities, healthcare, some recreation, the ability to handle small emergencies, and 10–15% savings. A Decent Salary = Survival + Security + Dignity + Future. However, this is the most complicated and debatable topic.

However, when someone is spiritually elevated and does not worry about tomorrow, takes life as it comes, and remains peaceful, calm, and composed in any situation, the above definition does not hold true. The reason is that there is another gift called Spiritual Value. Not everybody receives this highest-order prize. I feel it is purely based on our past karma.

Essentially, real education lies in understanding material, developmental, and spiritual value.

Material value depreciates fast. Developmental value decays slowly. Spiritual value endures.

I am not that great at math, but a simple equation can be brought in like this:

E(t) = M₀e^(-λM t) + D₀e^(-λD t) + S₀

E(t) represents how the total value of education changes over time. M₀ refers to the initial material value, such as salary, possessions, qualifications, or immediate benefits. D₀ represents developmental value, including knowledge, skills, confidence, judgement, and personal growth, while S₀ represents spiritual value such as character, purpose, values, wisdom, and meaning. λM and λD indicate how quickly material and developmental values fade with time. Since λM > λD, material value is assumed to decline faster, developmental value lasts much longer, and spiritual value is treated as the most enduring dimension of education.

What is your equation?
Ravi Saripalle

Journey: Vacation or Survival?

Dear Friends,

During our childhood, I used to be fascinated by sitting by the window, especially on inter-state trains. If I reflect on this today, it gives us enormous opportunities to understand life. Slow-moving passenger trains help us to introspect deeply, especially as they pass through slums near railway stations, deep jungles, tunnels, different houses and lifestyles across states. We can observe the behavior and economic backgrounds of people boarding the trains. We will not get this opportunity in Express and superfast trains.

Whenever we traveled to Raipur, it was almost a 15-hour journey on a slow passenger train. It stopped at every station and gave way to express trains. In those days, there were very limited options for attending to nature's call because the train was often filled to 200% capacity. Once you left your seat, there was almost no chance of getting it back. Sometimes, we even slept just to reduce the biological pressure!

Recently, we drove from Vizag to Coimbatore (more than 1,300 km). As I am the sole driver in my family, I had to keep my eyes fixed straight ahead and avoid the side views. On top of that, I could not sleep but had to remain alert throughout the journey. It took almost one and a half days. The roads were sophisticated and uniform, and there was relatively little to observe about the habitats along the entire stretch.

You might be wondering why I am writing about journeys in this story.

Most of our trips are for recreation, better opportunities, or better prospects. They are usually optional and not driven by the struggle for survival. However, this week, two real stories prompted me to reflect on this subject.

A couple of days ago, I read about a female Amur falcon that had been fitted with a satellite transmitter in South Africa and later reached Finland. Her journey covered approximately 10,000 km in just 42 days. She migrated from her wintering grounds in South Africa, flying north through Zimbabwe or Botswana, then across Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt. From there, she crossed the Mediterranean Sea into Europe, continued through parts of Eastern and Central Europe, and finally reached Finland, her breeding destination.

She traversed diverse landscapes, including African savannas, tropical forests, arid regions, coastal zones, and European woodlands, demonstrating one of nature's most extraordinary examples of endurance, navigation, and seasonal adaptation.

Look at her resilience. She is doing it for survival. Her internal biological clock, internal map, and constant decision-making—finding freshwater, deciding where to rest, navigating unknown places, and avoiding predators—are purely biological, without any technological assistance. She endures changing weather, mountain ranges, and strong winds across East Africa; crosses the Sahara Desert at temperatures touching 45°C, often flying for long hours to beat sandstorms; crosses the Mediterranean Sea without rest; and finally enters the cool weather of Finland.

Another story shook my heart.

Yesterday, thousands of migrants, mostly young Moroccans, traveled from various cities to Ceuta, a Spanish city on the North African coast, hoping to reach Europe after hearing that the border had become easier to cross. In the videos that went viral, many were swimming with bare bodies and without backpacks against strong currents and cold waters in the Strait of Gibraltar. A standard Olympic swimming pool is only 50 meters long. However, these young men attempted to cross more than 50 Olympic-size pool lengths in the open sea under unpredictable conditions.

At least 60 people died, and those who arrived found little food, water, shelter, or any way to continue to mainland Spain. Hungry and exhausted, more than 48,000 of the estimated 50,000–60,000 migrants returned to Morocco within a day, their hopes of finding work and a better life-giving way to the harsh reality of survival.

A real education lies in understanding both a vacation journey and a survival journey.

Ravi Saripalle

From IQ to Spiritual Quotient: What the Next Generation Needs; From Climate Extremes to Educational Reinvention

Dear Friends

You may remember the festival of Govardhan Puja, which is celebrated on the day after Diwali. This festival is mentioned in the Bhagavata Purana.

The people of Vrindavan traditionally worshipped Indra, believing that he alone brought rain for their crops. Lord Krishna questioned this practice and instead encouraged them to honour Govardhan Hill, their cows, forests, and fertile land, as these directly sustained their lives. Indra, angered by this, immediately released torrential rain upon Vrindavan.

Lord Krishna responded by lifting Govardhan Hill with the little finger of his left hand, sheltering the villagers and their cattle beneath it for seven days and seven nights. Eventually, Indra realised his pride and accepted Lord Krishna’s divine nature.

You might be wondering why I am raising this now. As we speak today, there is absolutely no rain in Visakhapatnam, especially in our area, and many of our borewells are dry. On the other hand, Umargam in Gujarat recorded 1,064 mm of rain in 24 hours, becoming India’s third-highest daily rainfall ever, according to the IMD. According to available records, the highest 24-hour rainfall in India was recorded at Sohra (Cherrapunji), Meghalaya, with 1,563.3 mm on June 16, 1995. The second-highest was recorded at Aminidivi, Lakshadweep, with 1,168.5 mm on May 6, 2004.

This variation teaches multiple life lessons for the next generation. Seasonal timelines are changing. Weather patterns are changing. What we have designed and built over time, including shelter, food systems, education, and lifestyles, may become obsolete or insufficient. What we wear, our water-storage mechanisms, what we eat, what we learn in schools and colleges, the types of jobs we pursue, and our entire way of life may be completely altered.

The lifestyles of the Silent Generation (1928–1945) and Baby Boomers (1946–1964) stand at one extreme. The lifestyles of Gen X (1965–1980) and Millennials or Gen Y (1981–1996) are more moderate. However, the lives of Gen Z (1997–2012), Gen Alpha (2013–2024/25), and Gen Beta (2025–2039) may be at the other extreme. Intelligence is being augmented by technology, while seasonal variations will influence expectations and ways of life.

The IQ presented may not reflect an individual’s actual IQ, as AI plays a prominent role in assessment. The SQ1, or Social Quotient, presented may not truly reflect social interaction, as social media mediates much of that interaction. The EQ presented may not truly reflect individual emotions, as we are influenced by many designated days and celebrations, such as Valentine’s Day, Wife

Appreciation Day, Husband’s Day, and Siblings Day.

Theories developed over time have to change completely. Universities need to be overhauled in response to changing missions, faculty capabilities, divergent student populations, and societal expectations. Traditional educational philosophies may not suit the current generation. Dynamic universities will survive, unlike stereotyped research, teaching, skills-oriented, or civic universities.

Those who understand and adapt to this change will survive longer.

For example, if AI systems can produce a research paper within minutes, with greater accuracy and depth, do we require a faculty member who can write a research paper, or one who can trigger a research idea, conduct research using AI, synthesize the output, convert it into actionable steps, and inspire students to put it into practice? Similarly, assessment, pedagogical methods, and every aspect of educational philosophy will be affected.

The same is true of what we sow and eat under these extreme weather conditions. These too will be affected. Does buying a car, which once served as a symbol of social identity, make sense in a densely populated and crowded city? Should we save for this self-esteem product? These questions will increasingly arise before Gen Z and the generations that follow.

While IQ, EQ, and SQ1 may change across generations, one Q never changes: Spiritual Quotient, or SQ2.

Returning to the beginning of my story, let us pray to God to provide us with a sustainable path.

Ravi Saripalle  

Remembering Dr. A. L. Rao: A Lesson Beyond Leadership;The CXO Who Never Let Power Change Him;The Corporate Lessons We Never Teach.

Dear Friends

In these last 15 years of the Inspire to Innovate Storytelling Movement, I have written one story every week. Many stories are related to corporate success, entrepreneurs’ success, employability, carbon emission, and many other contemporary technology- and lifestyle-related topics.

But this story is personal, yet definitely a life lesson for many aspirational corporate leaders.

Yesterday, Dr. Sridhar Mitta garu, a founding member of Wipro, wrote an emotional post about Dr. A. L. Rao garu, Founding Member of Wipro, on his LinkedIn wall. (www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7484113269713137664/). Wipro Limited echoed a similar emotional post on their wall (https://www.instagram.com/p/Da7quyMsDSx/). Being the former President of Sri Sri University, they also resounded the same (www.instagram.com/p/Da5PZInjQxZ/).

By God's grace, I had the wonderful opportunity to spend time closely with A. L. Rao Garu, both personally and professionally. Rao Garu gave me the liberty to walk into his office as well as his home at any time. I also thank his family for graciously tolerating my barging into their home at almost any time of the day.

Many times, once you become a CXO of a large corporation, you act differently at the office and at home. Status, money, power, and network spoil both the individual and the family. For the first time, I saw someone in whom none of these four spoilers had infiltrated. I saw how a CXO can stay calm and composed in the most tense moments.

For certain issues, I become emotional. Like me, many people cannot tolerate even a small pressure situation. However, Dr. Rao remained a typical example of how one can handle pressure without hurting others.

Though we had a huge age gap, we used to share many personal things. In every piece of advice he gave, I saw impartiality, non-judgment, and fairness. The same ethics he exhibited in his professional life.

I used to say, "Many of your colleagues have started companies and become successful entrepreneurs. Why don't you start one? I will dedicate my life to your company." I used to ask this question countless times over the last 30 years.

I am sure Premji Sir would also echo me. He used to say, "I am from a small village near Vizianagaram (Gajapathinagaram). From there, with a small 10×10 office in IISc and a little-known company in those days named Wipro, I got an opportunity in 1980. I had seen one side of life, and Premji Sir gave me a different opportunity that I had never dreamt of in my life. I am indebted to Wipro forever."
The same he lived throughout his life—for Wipro.

He joined as one of the first few members of Wipro, retired as COO, and finally served as an Independent Director of Premji Invest until recent times. He remained loyal to Wipro.

Yesterday, during his last rites, when many founding members of Wipro visited him, I realized how much he had influenced them and how he had breathed Wipro throughout his life. He became the definition of loyalty to an organization.

Probably this influenced me and helped me stay back at Wipro throughout my corporate career. I joined as a fresher and moved out of Wipro only to change my profession to teaching. I admire a leader like Azim Premji Sir, on how much he influenced Rao garu.

Once you have a lot of money, unfortunately, the word simplicity gets erased from life. He remained so humble and simple in his thought process and never allowed success to influence his lifestyle.

25 years back, One day, early in the morning around 4:30 a.m., he had to go to the airport to catch a flight. The car did not arrive on time. I asked, "Shall I drop you on my two-wheeler?" Without a second thought, he said yes.

I see two elements in this—Work First attitude and staying grounded in the face of uncertainty.

I have seen many leaders shout at the driver or cancel the flight. He did not say a single word and simply moved on.

I cannot write everything in this blog. He remained resilient through many personal instances as well.

Many times, we ignore our family while being busy professionally. However, he was deeply connected to every family member and provided customized support, including special care for extended family members. Many corporate leaders and Gen Z founders should learn this great lesson.The success of an individual lies in helping the people close to them grow along with their own growth.

Dr. A. L. Rao, you showed a path to this life and corporate lesson.
We teach ethics and corporate governance. Maybe I would recommend teaching only the life lessons of great leaders like Azim Premji Sir, Dr. Rao, and others—"the life outside, the life inside, and the life innerside”.

Dr. Rao had that spiritual inner side. He left the body, but his soul reached the right destination.

Thank you for providing all the opportunities that helped me become who I am today, Rao Garu.

Adieu... Forever remembering you.

Ravi Saripalle

The Myth of Self-Made Success and Great Managers Build Systems, Not Stars

Dear Friends,

Forty years ago, I heard about an incident involving one of my relatives. In their village, an envious post office clerk hid a neighbor's offer letter and failed to deliver it to the candidate on time. He delivered it only after the joining date. In those days, the postman used to decide the fate of an individual. Think about it—no SMS, WhatsApp message, email, or any indication of an offer. The final letter would arrive only by mail. Any clerical mistake or personal grudge could decide your fate!

We all think, I can stand on my own, live on my own, and succeed in life without anybody's support. This is the greatest myth.

The strict gate-closing policy for NEET exams mandates that students be denied entry if they arrive even a minute late. Recently, we have seen so much chaos and the tears of children and parents.

The bus is late. The train is late. The road is blocked by a traffic jam. But they are all acceptable in society. Yet, let a student be two minutes late. Suddenly, understanding expires. The gate closes.

What I realize from this is our dependency on support and the ecosystem around us. No matter how great the achievement is, there is always some support behind the scenes.

A couple of days back, I read two news items simultaneously.

News #1: Better India posted this incident. Just months before JEE Advanced, Gunjan Kumar's IIT dream nearly came to a halt. A collapsed lung left him bedridden for almost three months. Attending classes wasn't even an option. So his mother quietly stepped in.

She attended every online lecture, made detailed notes by hand, and sat beside him so that his preparation wouldn't stop. A homemaker with a B.Ed. degree, she returned to her studies after years—not for herself, but for her son's dream. As if that wasn't enough, Gunjan was also living with over 70% vision loss. Yet, he refused to give up. He is now set to pursue Computer Science at IIT Delhi.

Success isn't built by one person's hard work alone. It is built by the people who quietly carry your dream when you can no longer carry it yourself.

News #2: A Class 9 girl brought her 1.5-year-old brother to school because, after her mother passed away and with her father at work, there was no one else to care for him. She chose education anyway—proof that progress comes from moving forward, not from waiting for perfect conditions.

An elephant herd rescues a trapped calf because survival depends on the strength of the herd, not the individual. Buffaloes form a protective circle around their calves, proving that systems protect their weakest members first.

Geese fly in a V-formation, sharing leadership and reducing the effort required for the entire flock. Penguins survive Antarctic winters by rotating positions, showing that shared responsibility sustains the system. Trees in a forest exchange nutrients through underground fungal networks, demonstrating that hidden connections create resilience. A beehive thrives because thousands of bees perform specialized roles toward one common purpose. Wolf packs hunt successfully because each member plays a complementary role in the system.

Our success is not ours alone! Many people silently contribute to our success. If we forget them, it is our loss. God will not spare us!!

That is why great managers don't build stars—they build systems where everyone contributes to collective success.

Ravi Saripalle

AI Is Changing Jobs. Innovation Doesn't Guarantee Jobs. Are We Changing Education? What Is Left for Humans?

Dear Friends,

Yesterday, I was invited by Ratan Tata Innovation Hub (RTIH) to address educators on Design Thinking for Problem Solving. There were around 80 participants, including Deans (R&D), Professors, Innovation Council members, etc.

One of the interesting questions was, "We were unable to motivate students towards innovation, as we were unable to provide convincing justification that innovation leads to jobs. Students are looking for jobs, and the job selection process is not demanding innovation-driven outcomes. Hence, students are losing interest in this process." Yes, I agree with the participant's view, but we need to be personally convinced that participating in the innovation process helps students sustain employment in the future.

When I started the "Inspire to Innovate (i2i)" storytelling movement in 2011, this question was raised 15 years ago. It was the same situation and the same opinion. When I started the Design Thinking campaign in 2020 (www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rga2aqobKgs), the question remained the same, as did the opinion.

In 2026, when an AI model can read 750,000 words (≈2,500 pages) in minutes, which usually takes a human 3–5 weeks of full-time effort, who is needed in companies? When 30,000 lines of code can be written in minutes, and refinement after a few prompts takes only a few hours, whereas the same task requires 4–8 developers working for 2–6 months, who is needed in the IT industry? An HR professional generally takes five days to review 1,000 resumes, whereas an AI model can do it in 30 minutes. Who is needed in the HR department?

There are two indispensable skills needed in the industry: the Problem-Solving Mindset and the Art of Storytelling.

Read this story. A couple of days back, TOI published an article on Ford. It has brought back more than 350 retired or laid-off senior technical specialists, affectionately called "Gray Beards," to lead physical quality reviews. It seems AI-driven inspection systems consistently failed to detect critical mechanical and design errors before vehicles rolled off the assembly line.

At the human level, there is another quality we need to develop in our next generation of children. In English, there are four words.

Pity means feeling sorry for someone, but from a distance. You see that they are suffering, but you usually do not do anything to help. Sympathy means you care about someone who is going through a difficult time. You may offer kind words or comfort, but you may not fully understand what they are feeling.Empathy means trying to understand how the other person feels by putting yourself in their place. You connect with their emotions and understand their pain. Compassion goes one step further. It means you understand their suffering and also want to do something to help reduce it.

In simple words: Pity says, "I feel sorry for you." Sympathy says, "I care about you." Empathy says, "I understand how you feel." Compassion says, "I understand your pain, and I want to help you."

The projects we provide to our students should cultivate empathy and compassion. Unfortunately, many students are failing to develop these two qualities nowadays.

In summary, we should promote three aspects—Compassion and/or Empathy, the Problem-Solving Mindset, and finally the Art of Storytelling. These three can define Engineering, Management, and Design Education, and the survival strategy for 2035!!

Do you agree?

Ravi Saripalle 

The Infrastructure That Doesn't Appear on Maps: The Next Billion-Dollar Opportunity in the Age of AI

Dear Friends,

When my father was in a hospital bed in a city during his last days, he insisted that we take him back to our hometown. Though we didn’t have that oxygen infrastructure at home, we managed to arrange it there. I am not a fan of the hometown concept, but I understand that it was his emotional attachment. In some cases, I have observed that owning a house vs. renting a house is an emotional issue in that age group.

Why am I bringing this concept now?

Yesterday, there was news about a 94-year-old US citizen who submitted a request to the Government of India to regain her Indian citizenship. She wants to be in her home village during this last phase of her life. It seems it was her final wish, and her children are working towards the same.

Interestingly, Vani Kola, an Indian venture capitalist, talked about Emotional Infrastructure in her weekly newsletter yesterday. She was writing about how cuteness is a powerful emotional cue and how big businesses were built across the world. She started explaining that big brands like Nemo, Noddy, Hello Kitty, and the Duolingo owl all draw on the same emotional language of innocence and playfulness.

She says, "Japan turned this into a cultural force through kawaii, where cuteness moved across toys, stationery, fashion, food, public signs, mascots, and brands. Hello Kitty turned 50 recently and still reportedly earns billions every year." She was talking about the Kidults market, as they also hold the buying power. It seems adults spend USD 9 billion annually worldwide.

If we delve deeper into this subject and business, emotional infrastructure is not limited to toys, fashion, and stationery. It is much bigger than that. In my view, a ventilator is emotional infrastructure. I have seen many cases where a patient is technically dead but kept on a ventilator as the zodiac stars (religious belief) are not good during that period. Palliative care is a similar subject. Memorial parks are emotional infrastructure. Google Photos is emotional infrastructure.

For that matter, WhatsApp's Last Seen feature is emotional infrastructure. Old fountain pens, watches, and birthday gifts are emotional infrastructure. If we broadly classify this, it is of four types: Memory Infrastructure, Relationship Infrastructure, Hope Infrastructure, and Identity Infrastructure.

Roads connect places. Emotional infrastructure connects people. Sometimes, physical infrastructure helps us live. Emotional infrastructure gives us reasons to live.

In line with this thought, Taarangam Tales recently launched Netra Raksha – Eye Care Tips for the 4–8-year age group. Their maiden character, Ranga, like Spiderman, presents this book. All pictures are drawn, and the content is curated using HI (Human Illustrated for Human Intelligence), without using AI.

You may preview this book at: https://heyzine.com/flip-book/cbf3ba52ec.html

Wishing Ranga becomes part of your emotional infrastructure.

What emotional infrastructure are you holding now?

Ravi Saripalle