Employee of India

Employee of India

Shankar Ranganathan sacrificed millions of dollars in lost bonuses at the world′s top consultancy firms to heed Prime Minister Narendra Modi′s call to help rebuild India. Today I work for India. My client is not an MNC in Southeast Asia or Australia or the Middle East. At Invest India, our mission is to bring out a step-change in how and how much FDI comes into India. Our team of young professionals at Invest India are working to create immediate and tangible results on the ground. Every investor is special and they deserve and get the same quality of support which I would have otherwise provided as a consultant working for a global premium management consulting firm. As a kid, I grew up in the Bastar district of the then Madhya Pradesh. My dad used to work at the Bailadila Iron Ore Mines. I remember the gaunt faces of the native inhabitants and often wonder what will bring a change in their lives. Recently, I visited the place after more than 20 years. We definitely see development - more cell phones, better roads, better facilities and an overall jump in the quality of life. Of course, there is still a long way to go. I consider myself lucky. Perhaps, I am among the top one-tenth of the top 1 per cent of fortunate Indians. I got the best possible schooling across India for just Rs 15 per quarter in fees in the primary school; it increased to a little over hundred by the time I finished. Later, while working in the US, I wanted to move out of engineering. India welcomed me again with a coveted seat at the IIM Calcutta where I got to learn with the best brains in India at a fraction of what I would otherwise pay for an international business school of comparable repute. After my MBA, I worked with management consulting firms - Bain & co and AT Kearney for close to ten years in India and across the world - Middle East, United States, ASEAN and Australia. Having lived in 4 countries, worked in more than 15 and helping clients as diverse as sovereign wealth funds of Middle East to telecom firms in APAC, I developed expertise in problem-solving - business problems as well as organizational and people issues. All along, I always remembered a mantra - which one of the client CEOs gave me - 'maximise ROTI - Return on Time Invested'. I was definitely generating good returns for myself as well as my clients, however, I always wondered if these were the right candidates for whom I should generate returns with my time. During my time with these large management consulting firms, I got the chance to visit many tier 2 and tier 3 cities of China such as Xian, Chengdu, Qingdao, Hohhot One thing that really struck me, was, that not only did they have world-class physical infrastructure, but they also aimed to provide a superior quality of life to their residents. It was common to see a restaurant waiter, a senior official, a tour guide or a bussinessman to have access to the same kind of opportunities. What has made the difference is obvious: Massive investments - both domestic and foreign, with a focus on exports and on being part of the global supply chain. Since 2013, I was exploring options to put the skills I picked as a strategy consultant to use for the public sector. However, in the aftermath of the global financial crisis and the general mood of pessimism prevailing in India, I was carrying an unfashionable emotion and aspiration on my sleeve: unqualified love for my country and to make a difference to where I truly belong - India. Things changed in 2014. The new India had arrived, with its eyes set on goals that would transform the nation's development. I knew this was the right time to return to India and join the public sector. I recall the day, when I spoke to Mr. Bagla. I found a man with a passion for India similar to mine and had the right vision for India's development. His vision and commitment drew me to Invest India. I didn't waste any time to pursue and convert this opportunity that had presented itself. Today, I feel blessed to have returned to India at this right time. Being a cog in this wheel of transforming India, I couldn't be more satisfied. The author works at India Invest, India′s investment promotion agency

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