Back home, in the heart of India it is nearly summer. The air is redolent with the heady potpourri of mango and citrus blossoms, roses and the smell of parched earth drenched with unseasonal spring rain. The tepid sunshine has given way to the smouldering heat of early summer across most parts of India. I heard the incessant call of a lone “brainfever bird” in the far distance when I spoke to my mum on the phone this evening. Waves of nostalgia wash over me. The call of the Indian hawk cuckoo has long been a harbinger of summer, the long hard toil of exam time and the promise of a long fruitful summer ahead packed with adventure and new discoveries.

Here in London, the cherry blossom still clings to the branches and the azure skies hold the gleeful promise of a hot summer. It will be an eventful summer-like the summers of my childhood. We have an ambitious project at hand. It will take commitment, determination and tenacious will power to nurture it to fruition. Each one of us on the organizing committee is currently battling tight personal deadlines- Kaustav, Mrigank and Milind are working hard to meet project deadlines, Karthik and I work towards finishing our Ph.D theses, Mohit has just relocated to the Big Apple from Gurgaon, Purva has regular patients clamouring for her attention…and despite all these challenges, we all strive to committing our time towards the Yatra.

The Yatra will be an incredible train journey. 300 people, 17 cities across the length and breadth of India, scores of “heroes” who will inspire and challenge us to devise a manifesto for change and find methods to chanelise those dreams into action. The Yatra will touch the lives of every participant in infinite ways just like the Azad Bharat Rail Yatra in 1997 coloured my view of India and spurred me on to contribute my miniscule share to highlight its conservation successes in the global arena. The tasks ahead may seem a trifle daunting but we are steadfast in our goal. We believe in “ The Indian Dream” and we cant wait to set off on this great journey of discovery with friends, colleagues and fellow believers. Yes, it will be a very busy summer ahead.

Greetings, fellow bloggers. Preparations for our first round of pitches to potential funders is under way. This is a crucial time for the yatra. Our aims it to present our initial pitch documents and hold two talks to potential individual sponsors on the 14th of April at a venue in central London, followed by a second round of presentations to more individuals on the 21st of April. Our intention, during these presentations, is to talk about our vision, intent and ultimate aims. During the presentations, we will be talking about why we’re doing the yatra, when the journey will start, where the journey will go, who the people are we’re going to meet along the way and details about the Jagriti institute we hope to set up from the proceeds raised during the yatra.

If you’re an individual who wishes to contribute to positive change in the future of India’s development and are interested in finding out more about the yatra and how you can help us, then please contact us in London.

In Dubai..

Its getting to summer here in the middle east, and the time is nearing for a full out effort on the yatra. Lots of people approaching me and saying ‘great effort - but why?’. Hmm.. interesting question.

Why would a well paid consultant like myself want to do a jagriti yatra? What do I get out of it?

I get a chance to play my small part today in the development of entrepreneurship in India. I get a chance to be with the real India - the colorful, vibrant India. I get to meet other interesting people who share the same thinking, and most importantly - in a small way, I get to wish India a happy 60th anniversary.

Its a strange life right now. Working till 9 / 10 at night, and then making a few presentations to generate awareness. Forgoing lunch breaks to go meet a media partner. Having tea with a TV network. Everyone is enthused, and everyone wants in… but its not enough. Not nearly enough.

We need more individuals who dont just sit on the fence, but are ready to do something for India. More people who are ready to step forward and say ‘we will help with this effort which aims at raising entrepreneurship in India’. More friends.. more moderators.. more everything.

Someday in the distant future, I hope to meet an entrepreneur who would have participated in the Jagriti Yatra.

Till then… we keep striving…