So, it’s very different. in non-profits, the way we configured the Agastya Foundation was that we couldn’t have the view that “This was the way things are going to be.” Instead, we’re dealing with a lot of complex people and emotions at a social level, and there was this conflict with banking, with its technique and expertise and intense competition, the multi- vs. uni-dimensional approaches.

People really matter here, it’s not just a slogan. You have to have a sense of what sort of impact you’re having on people’s emotions and lives. You can’t say “Deliver this or you’re out”—you can’t do that here, like you could on Wall Street. Rather, it’s like pushing on a string, and our vision is to build bottom-up a creative India, powered by curiosity, the spirit of enquiry. We have a wide variety of characters, and we depend on enlightened social investors and governments to enable us to reach our wares – the hope and excitement of learning – to disadvantaged and vulnerable children and teachers, so it’s different. Caring matters greatly, so we emphasize right living and action, we say “be a scientist or gardener, but be a good human being first”.

In terms of experience, my for-profit background has really helped. From creating a mission and vision to the core points of a large organization, these parts are not unique to non-profits. We all have to speak the language, and though our staff has different backgrounds and ways of articulating these parts, we all need to build and strengthen our organizations and delegate authority. If you trust people and train them they will deliver the goods. Our first mobile lab instructor used to drive a tractor. Today he is one of our best trainers and manages a large group.

Also, I hardly ever dealt with the media in Citibank, and now I have to work with the media all the time, from the village level to the district, city, national and international level. It’s always about championing the cause and bringing together whatever resource you have and can potentially access. I write articles about Agastya, give talks at schools and colleges, talk about it at dinner, and live and breathe it. I certainly couldn’t do that with banking. Almost everyone I meet is interested now in Agastya and says “That sounds different!” and wants to be involved in social ventures and what’s happening, so I make a lot of different connections. It’s much more interesting at the dinner table, though my wife does complain that I talk too much about Agastya and have to find something else to talk about. I guess it depends on the perspective.

I’ll tell you people I admire. I don’t consciously model myself on people, but rather I have admired people over the years and continue to. The first is J Krishnamurti, the founder of my school and a great philosopher. I admire him a lot, in terms of purity of focus and depth of thinking into the human condition, his non-compromising attitude toward just “being”.

I also greatly admire Mahatma Gandhi, in terms of his bias for action, his brilliance at leading people, and his willingness to go to the nth degree to get something done. I remember visiting his first settlement near Durban, South Africa and feeling inspired. I can’t model myself on Gandhi, but admire him from a very, very far distance.

I was quite affected by Gopi Warrier, who is an unusual spiritual individual. His father was an old family friend and used to be the chair of Indian Railways. When I was in Business School, 30 years ago, he read my hand and said “You want to be in business and want to be like your father, but that’s not where you want to be and not what you will end up becoming”. I helped him for a few years to promote an ayurvedic company. He is something of a “superior consciousness” and is mind-blowing and shook me up a great deal.  He gave the name Agastya, which to me stands for creativity, integration and triumph against the odds. Again, I admire him – his capacity to live on the edge.

My mother loved me a lot, and I certainly was very close to her, and I think a lot of my emotional energy and security in the Agastya work stems from that love. My dad was a very successful, handsome CEO, and I looked up to him and would think “I hope I become like him some day.” I haven’t become like him, so that’s a different matter. He taught me early on that one should be objective and not be carried away with success or failure. He’s been invaluable in helping me focus on the key challenges, and in reading and assessing Agastya’s progress. These are the people that have influenced me, either intellectually or emotionally, and I guess therefore I am not a self-made man.

5. Any advice for people looking to work in the non-profit sphere?

My advice is as follows. If you’re considering moving to the non-profit sector from a cushy job: it’s a financial sacrifice to make the switch, so you should know why you want to do it. The reason should not necessarily be intellectual, but you should feel in your heart that this is something that you want to do, because the intellect won’t sustain you, and you don’t want to regret the change. The heart has to drive you, and you have to really want to do it, and to feel for it.  

You have to love it. I really love it because of the uncertainty. You can’t run away from uncertainty, though we all do run, in a sense, from what we fear. I really prepared to dive into the deep end, and it’s the best thing one can possibly do, to dive into it. You shouldn’t worry about the uncertainty but rather welcome it. Don’t just practice your work, but love it too.

Also, try to be non-attached. This is not the same thing as being detached, as that’s a lack of emotional caring and so on, while non-attachment is mindfulness and listening. At the end of the day, if it doesn’t work out, you can still walk out with a smile on your face. It’s the game that counts, and if you happen to score a goal, it’s that much the better. Tomorrow, if you don’t score, then you still have a good feeling about the whole thing, no matter what.

In terms of purer, intellectual, business-level execution, my background—which is not the only way—was a help. I came back to India after 20 years, and had very little experience here. I began to look for help from different people, you know, “Can I come and see you and talk to you” and whatnot. I gradually collected a group of people with diverse backgrounds who were advising me – people like PK Iyengar, ex-chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, S. Balasundaram, former principal of my old school Rishi Valley, the scientists R. Krishnan and Y. Reddy, my former schoolmate Mahavir, and of course my father -  and that made a huge difference to the quality of Agastya’s mission and vision. People were willing to give me time and advice because they knew me or my dad, so I was able to benefit from networks. But, they were asking, “Is this guy really committed or is he just checking things out, and when it gets really hard, he’s going to go back to New York or London.” Maintaining credibility is important. I remember a conversation with a very senior government officer who praised my intentions but predicted that I would not last more than 3 years in India.

Thus, bringing in different perspectives is crucial to what you do, but it also shouldn’t lead you astray or make you unfocused. Also, it helps to start with a little bit of money in your pocket. If you don’t have it, don’t worry though. Focus on what you want to do, how to do it, and what’s different about it. Your initial thinking can be almost dreamlike, thinking about how your project could be scaled up through India, and then you can set the playing field from there. In Agastya, we were used to dealing with the “square” of education, so we had to catch an idea, and figure out how it could be sustainable, and how to scale it up, even if not right now.

So my advice is, think and act boldly and differently. The money will come. Agastya’s large scale model of rural mobile labs, science centers and young instructors has captured the interest of academics, policy makers and social investors across the globe. Our grassroots vision of a creative India is much larger and more relevant than my original dream of a school for creative leaders.

Ideas are essential for every nonprofit, and scaling up is not always the answer. Define yourself by the quality of your ideas and the fun you have in making them real. In my case, I was coming into the education domain with a blank slate, so it was very important to be open-minded and flexible. This helped in co-opting partners and creating an approach that was different and path-breaking. You can’t preach the creative spirit if you don’t practice it. In terms of selling the ideas, my presentation skills were very, very useful. Early on, I had to do a lot of pitches for money and for the government’s support, and the sort of experience I had at Citibank helped me a lot. There, progress often depended  on the quality of the presentation you made to your boss, so my set of presentation skills came in very handy. In terms of social entrepreneurship, you have to learn communication skills and be able and willing to try out different things. Either you have to learn to draw up a business plan, or find someone who can help you. Keep your investors and supporters informed, and show them visible progress. Agastya has benefited greatly from the support of state governments and social investors like the R. Jhunjhunwala Foundation, Oberoi Family Foundation and the Deshpande Foundation among others, and companies like Agilent Technologies, i-flex, ENAM and Jain Irrigation.

In the end, the passion, the energy, and the dream are the most important. This is a great game that we’re playing, and it’s the sense of play and self-discovery with a non-attached mind, that will sustain you when things get rough, which they surely will. And, of course, be sure your spouse supports you when you make the change to nonprofit work. There are lots of people whose spouse won’t allow them to beat a different path. So, be sure to bring your spouse over to your cause, as you have to win them before you can win anyone else. I am lucky that my wife supports my work, and she has helped Agastya a lot. She does miss London, but she loves India and is proud of Agastya. My 13-year old daughter had an art exhibition in London last year to raise money for Agastya.

6. If someone made a movie out of your life, what would the title be?

I haven’t a clue, and let me tell you why, as I must be careful: Agastya stands for getting your ego out, so when people ask me questions about what my life story should be titled and so on, I’m very wary. Feel free to make one up for me!

7. Most watched movie?

There are two: one is “The Godfather (Part I)”, the other is a Hindi move called “Deewar”, which is about a dockworker and smuggler who becomes a ‘don’ then dies a tragic death. Maybe there is something in common between the two?

8. Favorite place to travel to?

My favorite city used to be London. On my most recent trip to Europe, however, I spent 10 days in Paris, and though I’d been there before, this trip was different. Going back to London after being in Paris was like returning to nothing after going out with Claudia Schiffer. Being in Paris was a huge discovery: London is out and Paris is in. Though, as a city, I do love London.