Growing up in the Tea Gardens of the Dooars (Bengal) gave me first hand insight into the plight of the rural folk. Their determination, kindness and simplicity left an indelible mark, a mark that make’s its presence felt today, a mark I carry with care for it illuminates my path. After completing my Masters in Business Administration from Christ University Bangalore, I entered the corporate world but the call to head back to rural India was loud. Four years later, I got the opportunity to answer that call through the State Bank of India Youth for India fellowship, (a 13 month fellowship that places young men and women in rural India so that they can learn, understand, develop, appreciate and give back to their country). I was placed in Pandhana, 20 km from the district of Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh working alongside the Aga Khan Rural Support Program (AKRSPI), one of the seven NGO’s that works with the fellowship. After my fellowship, I decided to return to Pandhana and continue my bathing bar operation in a small remote village called Udaypur Gaon, 13 Km from Pandhana and I have never looked back since.