What I Thought Was Joy… Was Actually Survival: Stories We Don’t See

Dear Friends,

A couple of my uncles used to work as linemen/line supervisors in the Indian Railways. They were responsible for track quality and maintenance planning. However, it was not an easy job. One of my uncles used to be a supervisor on the Araku (AP)–Kirandul (Chhattisgarh) track. Once, I visited that place as a child. I used to be fascinated by his job, watching him sit on a trolley as the gangmen pushed it. I thought it was a royal joy trip.

After many years, I heard that another uncle lost his life during this process. Then I realized how difficult this job is.

It works like this: a manual trolley (hand-pushed cart) is placed on the track. The supervisor sits on the trolley. 5–6 gangmen sit on the trolley. The wheels fit perfectly on the rails. One of them holds a handle attached to the trolley. He pushes and runs on the narrow rail at the same time. This helps to gain speed quickly. Once enough speed is built, the worker jumps onto the trolley and sits or stands with others. The trolley continues moving due to momentum. No pushing is needed for some distance. When the speed drops, another lineman jumps down, pushes again, and jumps back on. In fact, one of my uncles lost his life in the process due to an imbalance.

They used to work daily along assigned track sections (usually 5–10 km). They had to work in scorching heat (40°C+), sometimes in heavy rains, and sometimes in cold evenings. The responsibility was very high. Any small mistake could lead to major accidents. They needed to observe tiny cracks, loose fittings, and alignment issues. They followed hammer-sound testing and visual inspection. Indian Railways employs around 2.5 to 3 lakh track maintainers.

You may be wondering why I am raising this work now. An Indo-Russian consortium has bagged an Indian Railways contract worth ₹1,100 crore for track upkeep. The contract covers the supply of 18 self-propelled ultrasonic testing vehicles. These systems will use AI and machine learning tools to enhance diagnostic accuracy. These vehicles are equipped with sensors to detect microscopic fractures in rails before they become hazardous. Russia has one of the largest and harshest rail environments in the world. Their engineers are experts at maintaining tracks that can withstand extreme temperature fluctuations and heavy freight loads. As India targets the 160–200 km/h speed range for its premium trains, this is necessary.

Sometimes, I was unable to handle project pressures when I was working in software. Way back in 2006, I was the project manager for the Nokia website. During the Thanksgiving period, one of the modules was hanging. It was peak business season. If we did not get it up and running, we might have lost the contract. It took a big toll on me at that time. I really felt the pressure. Having said that, if I compare that with my uncle’s job, it was nothing.

A soldier in Siachen guarding our nation in -30°C to -40°C, a firefighter risking his/her life to rescue others, a honey collector climbing hills to bring sweetness to your home, a Swachh Sramik working in the mud to keep the world clean, a miner going deep into the dark to provide light for you, or a forest guard without protection safeguarding our green cover — these are real tough jobs.

Do you agree?

Ravi Saripalle

Multi-Calendar Living: India’s Hidden Superpower

Dear Friends,

Way back in 2004, I met one of my customers in San Francisco. I was the first person to land in this particular account at SFO to transition the work to India. It was a huge responsibility for me, as account growth depended on the success of the transition to India. However, it was a phase when Offshore Development Centres began (now they are called or have transitioned into GCCs - Global Capability Centres). It was also an early recovery stage from the dot-com bust. By the end of the 2002 stock market downturn, stocks had lost $5 trillion in market capitalization since the peak. At its trough on October 9, 2002, the NASDAQ-100 had dropped to 1,114, down 78% from its peak. Hence, customers were cautious about every move.

I was tasked with building a relationship with this specific customer and ensuring a seamless transition to India. During the process, my customer raised an important concern: the team was not in a good mood to transition. There were different applications, different teams, different domains, different managers, different organizations, and many such differences in this transition process. “We are highly methodological. How will you ensure this?” he asked.

At that time, I responded with one important cultural aspect. I said, “Culturally, we are designed to handle these differences. We can manage this without much worry.” Having said that, I did not have the maturity to fully answer that question at that age. I was hardly 29 at that time.

Yesterday, we all celebrated Ugadi, the Telugu New Year. I was reminded of this question again. If we think deeply, it is true — we are well equipped to handle complexity.

We all use the Gregorian calendar (January to December) to align with global business and official work. We file taxes based on the financial year (April to March) from an Indian business perspective. Our children attend schools and colleges based on the academic calendar (June to April). We also follow the regional Hindu calendar — in our case, Ugadi — which marks the beginning of the lunisolar month of Chaitra. This typically falls in late March or early April of the Gregorian calendar, and the date changes every year.

On this day, we begin by eating Ugadi pachadi, a unique dish that combines six tastes: sweet, sour, salty, spicy, bitter, and astringent. It symbolically reminds us of the different phases of life that we must be prepared to experience in the coming year. In a way, it prepares us for life itself.

Diwali, especially the day of Lakshmi Puja, typically falls in October or November. It is considered auspicious and, in some traditions, even treated as a financial beginning. On this day, Indian stock exchanges conduct a special Muhurat Trading session. Interestingly, the market is often bullish during that hour. That reflects the trust people place in that muhurtham.

We also observe the solar movement calendar — Uttarayanam and Dakshinayanam — which influences agriculture and rituals. It is not just about farming or rituals; traditionally, even the timing of death is associated with these phases, with Uttarayana considered more auspicious. This reflects the deep belief systems embedded in these cycles.

It is not limited to the Hindu calendar. Muslim communities observe Ramzan fasting based on moon sighting, following their own lunar calendar.

In the midst of all this, the corporate world runs on Q1-Q4 fiscal calendars to track performance. At the same time, children follow multiple exam calendars — sometimes four in a year, sometimes two, sometimes even more — along with competitive exam schedules across different timelines.

And above all, nature follows its own calendar — the monsoon, which is seasonal and beyond human control.

If I have to summarize, we as Indians simultaneously manage multiple layers: the Global Layer, Economic Layer, Learning Layer, Cultural Layer, Spiritual Layer, Cosmic Layer, Survival Layer, and finally, the Personal Layer.

When we are prepared for such complexity in our lives, we can survive and adapt anywhere in the world.

Do you agree?

Ravi Saripalle

Not Even One Minute Is in Our Hands:The Illusion of Control in Our Carefully Planned Lives

Dear Friends,

Ten years back, we were heading to Shamshabad Airport. We were almost at the airport when our taxi rammed into a suddenly stopped lorry. The impact was huge. The bones in my right hand were shattered and I suffered multiple fractures. Having said that, miraculously, neither the driver nor my wife, who was sitting to my left, had a single scratch.

The driver had a seatbelt on. The seat in front of my wife bent down due to the heavy impact. It bent because of a seat malfunction, which surprisingly helped absorb the shock. I was admitted to the nearest hospital, but I requested the doctor to provide temporary support for my hand and give me a letter allowing me to board the flight. I did not want to remain stranded in a hospital in an unknown place without any support system. Despite the pain, I managed to return to my hometown and got admitted to a hospital there.

The point I am trying to make is that we never know how miracles happen in our lives, or how certain malfunctions may actually help us. We make big plans in our lives, but a simple mistake or moment can wipe out our money, position, status, relationships, health, or even our lives.

Let me share another interesting incident that was reported in The Times of India. Usually, a pothole on the road causes accidents or even deaths. However, a miracle happened in Uttar Pradesh. A pothole on the Bareilly-Haridwar National Highway turned out to be a blessing for a 50-year-old woman. She had been declared brain dead and discharged from the hospital with no hope of survival. While being taken home, the ambulance struck a pothole, causing a sudden violent jerk. Immediately, the patient started breathing normally. The family members were asked to stop the funeral preparations. They rushed her back to the hospital, and she is now able to talk as well. Is this not a miracle?

Similarly, Viswashkumar Ramesh walked away from the wreckage of the London-bound flight in Ahmedabad in extraordinary scenes that amazed the world. The sole survivor of the Air India plane crash, which killed 241 people on board, is being called the “luckiest man alive”. Many consider this a miracle.

Can we really plan everything in this world? Perhaps the best we can do is believe in God and make our best effort.

In life, sometimes we receive appreciation for things we may not fully deserve. At other times, we get blamed or even victimized for someone else’s mistake or for completely unrelated events. We often believe that we can control everything in this world, but that is an absolute myth.

Let me share another example. There was a case where an accident occurred at 2:15 PM on April 11, 2017. The insurance policy was officially issued at 3:54 PM on the same day, although the premium had been paid earlier. Initially, the insurer rejected the claim. However, after a long legal battle, the court directed the insurer to honor the claim. We often say casually that “not even a minute is in our hands.” This case proved exactly that.

Having said that, simply sitting idle is absolutely wrong. We must continue to make our best effort, but without becoming overly attached to the results.

Ten-minute deliveries may increase our comfort in life, but some of the deepest lessons of life are learned by spending ten minutes in a burial ground.

Do you agree?

Ravi Saripalle

Energy Security Is Not Just Policy — It Is Design

Dear Friends,

The value of anything is known in its absence — be it parents, money, relationships, or, for that matter, any object. When I heard the news that the Strait of Hormuz, a strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman and a key route for oil transportation, was choked by the ongoing conflict, I started counting the kilometres driven in my car and the level of the oil tank. Nearly 20% of the world's liquefied natural gas and 25% of seaborne oil trade pass through this strait annually.

The current conflict is giving me a different way of thinking. While we scout for new energy avenues and opportunities, it is equally important to conserve every possible unit of energy. Charity begins at home! That is why I like Atomberg — India’s No. 1 BLDC (Brushless Direct Current) fan company. Three years ago, we replaced all our old fans with Atomberg fans. You might be wondering about the connection between oil transportation and energy-saving appliances!

Today, I was casually making rough assumptions and calculating how Atomberg might be contributing to India’s energy security. It aligns well with the spirit of the Atmanirbhar Bharat movement. First, let us understand BLDC motors: they use 50% to 60% less electricity than conventional fans, generate less heat, and operate quietly.

Let us assume Atomberg has sold 10 million fans. I believe they have already crossed this number. If the average usage is 12 hours per day, a conventional fan consumes around 75W (assumed), while a BLDC fan consumes around 30W. The daily energy saved per fan is approximately 0.5 units. This translates to 2 billion units of electricity saved annually.

If the average household annual consumption is 1200 units, this saving is enough electricity to power approximately 17 lakh homes for one year. Considering 0.82 kg CO₂ per unit, this results in nearly 1.64 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions avoided annually.

Assuming an average electricity cost of ₹8 per unit, the annual saving per household would be roughly ₹1,600. For 10 million households, this translates into ₹1,600 crore saved annually.

Now imagine what would happen if all 40 million fans sold in India each year were BLDC fans. The energy saved would be equivalent to the output of several large power plants.

Atomberg was founded by Monoj Meena and Sibabrata Das, electrical engineers from IIT Bombay. In just ten years, the company has crossed ₹1,000 crore in revenue and sold 10 million+ fans across India. I have great appreciation for these founders, and I often recommend this company to students with an R&D mindset. This, in my view, is a new form of national service.

Atomberg is now entering markets such as mixers, water purifiers, smart locks, and juicers. Imagine a future where all home appliances are connected, energy-smart, and powered by AI through an Atomberg command center at home. The potential savings could run into several multi-crore levels.

Indigenously, Atomberg is working toward this vision. It has already transitioned from appliances to smart appliances. In my view, it has the potential to evolve further into a home energy intelligence company powered by Physics-Informed Neural Networks (PINNs).

This is New India. Perhaps new-age startups should start exploring such narrow yet impactful innovations.

Ravi Saripalle