MUTUAL TRUST MATTERS

This month’s dynamic duo Mailinie Jauhar and Shashank Kumar are the ideal Indian millennial couple: forward-thinking, yet rooted; as tech-savvy, as they are in touch with ground realities, and just as committed to each other as they are to their professions. Fellow classmates and alumni of IIT Delhi, both textile engineering graduates, they have, nevertheless, chosen professions that are as far apart as chalk and cheese.

Shashank Kumar is quite the social engineer and entrepreneur extraordinaire. His brain-child-the widely discussed DeHaat, an agrotech startup, has touched the lives of almost 400,000 farmers in a short while. A technology-driven model for the last mile delivery of farming services, it connects small farmers 360 degrees on their agricultural requirements from seeds to the market in a sustainable way.

DeHaat is used by local micro-entrepreneurs, farmer groups and farmer producer organisations (FPOs) to offer services to local farmers in a sustainable way. Each unit of DeHaat caters to 1000 farmers in catchment areas of 6 - 7 km. It brings services such as a wide range of agricultural inputs (seeds, fertilisers, crop protection), customised crop advisory and market linkage of farm produce under one roof. For this effort, Shashank has been decorated with the Ashoka Fellowship, Forbes 30 under 30 and recognised as Social Entrepreneur of the Year by the Government of Bihar (his home state). Amongst other honours, he has been part of the PM and FICCI delegation that went abroad, where he showcased the DeHaat technology

On her part, the effervescent and articulate Mailinie is currently working with EXL Service as Vice President in their Analytics Business unit. The consultancy helps clients by providing data driven insights to solve their business problems. Her area of expertise is credit risk in the banking industry. Their passion for work and life, in general, reflects not just in their very impressive resumes, but also in their eyes. A three year old daughter completes the circle. This is their story and this is how they tell it

Farmers' Techie Friend

Shashank Kumar

An engineer from one of the country’s most prestigious institutions, IIT Delhi, Shashank Kumar realised that his life’s passion lay in utilising his expertise and skill in building the path-breaking agrotech startup, DeHaat

Corporate Citizen: DeHaat’s work is so inspiring. What inspired you to go into agro technology?

Shashank Kumar: I graduated from IIT Delhi in 2008 after which, I worked as a business consultant for three years. We provided consultancy to supply chain retail or FMCG because of which I got a chance to work for companies like Unilever, Nestle, Britannia and PepsiCo. My career, in a way, provided me with a little bit of exposure to a food chain of another sort. But I belong to a farmer’s family and the first eight years of my life were spent in Bashi village in Chapra district of Bihar. So by the time I was 24, I was exposed to both urban and rural scenarios. The trigger point was that India as a country was just starting to evolve as an entrepreneurial ecosystem.

I also found a very strong inclination and soft corner for this rural entrepreneurship, a fascinating exploration of what could be. With every step, the conviction to do something in the rural sector simply became stronger because, in India, you have more than 100 million farmers whose livelihoods and incomes are not up to the mark. And at the same time, from a business point of view, here is a sector which contributes approximately 15% of our GDP, which is more than $400 billion. So, it largely boils down to innovation to make the utmost of this sector.

CC: How did you sow the seeds of DeHaat?

It’s quite an interesting story. We started formally in 2012 but unlike other startups, our model was not clear at all. We were clear about wanting to do something for the farmers and with the farmers but we were blank about the pathway and the right model. However, fortunately, even that was a good enough motivation for me to take the plunge. I immediately resigned from my job, went back to Bihar and started working with farmers and a bunch of like minded co founders, albeit with no fixed model in mind. Over the next one anda half to two years, we started meeting farmers, spending time with them and understanding their problems, and most importantly, understanding the situation from their perspective.

Gradually, the concept of DeHaat took shape. The time we spent in the villages exposed us to the ground realities and gave us a better insight into what could work and what would not work for the farmers. Thus, we were convinced that DeHaat would not focus on a specific service or crop, but would cover the entire value chain. We would be with the farmer right from sowing to harvesting to selling to provide him with a onestop solution. It’s been eight and a half years now and we’ve gone from strength to strength. We are very clear about what we are building and for us, each milestone counts.

CC: It's a truly innovative idea. What were the ground realities that you discovered?

As validated by data, the net annual income from agriculture for any individual farmer is as low as 70,000 rupees. Monthly, it works out to about Rs.6000 or Rs.200 per day. It follows, therefore, that the behavioural aspect of a farmer and his family and most of the day to day decision making is driven from this fact. Any model you propose for them will depend on this fact. Of course, another aspect of human nature is that farmers may not tell you straight up that they can’t afford the model. And then there’s the fact that 80 per cent of the net sown area in India is under crops like wheat, paddy and mustard that are not high revenue crops. This was rather difficult to understand and digest for us entrepreneurs with our urban thought process, initially. But then we got our answers over the next two years. They need to change, but they are unable to change because with a low income, their risk-taking ability is also low in the larger scheme of things. Plus, they have had their own kind of bad past experiences with new innovations and experiments. That’s where it struck us: we would have to be the external support they needed all through the season, so they feel reassured that there’s someone for them.

Simply put, DeHaat is a one stop solution that brings everything related to agriculture under one roof for the Indian farmer. So from buying inputs like seeds, fertiliser and pesticides from us, to taking our advice throughout the season on a host of topics from irrigation to pestilence to price information, weather alerts to finance and now, insurance, we do it all. Last but not the least, we help them reach the marketplace to get the best possible benefits whether it is for conventional crops or high value crops like fruits and vegetables.

"DeHaat is a one stop solution that brings everything related to agriculture under one roof for the Indian farmer. We help farmers reach the marketplace to get the best possible benefits whether it is for conventional or high value crops"

CC: How does this model work? Does a farmer have to be a DeHaat member? Do you address farmer groups or individual families? And how many states is it spread across?

Yes, farmers have to join us. We reach out to individuals and families. That’s how we get to know about how much their landholding is, and the sort of crops they are growing. For this, there is no membership fee, it’s only a process. Initially, this was done through a manual process. We used to travel over 200 kilometres per day on our motorcycles to meet each farmer. But now, of course, it is done through technology. If the farmer is a smartphone user, he downloads our app (DeHaat app). If he does not possess one, he gives us a missed call to our call centre (1800 1036 110). Our first pilot project comprised of 14 farmers, which has spread to almost four lakh farmers now, across the states of Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar and UP. We have recently entered West Bengal and Rajasthan. Shortly, we would be spreading our wings into Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra too. Initially, we focused on just one geography, but along the line, we gained confidence in the value proposition of the model we were offering, as it was able to embrace diversity. That’s how we started replicating.

CC: Isn’t internet connectivity a challenge in the rural areas where you operate?

That’s definitely a challenge. But again, the silver line is the way data and mobile penetration is increasing in India. Some farmers may not have a smartphone, but almost everyone has a feature phone. They call up the call centre, place the order and take what they need. And then we have created our own network of DeHaat micro-entrepreneurs in the rural areas who take care of the last-mile delivery as well as aggregation.

CC: Do elaborate on the procurement process.

So, this entire delivery or execution mechanism is based on the hub and spoke principle, where the hub is our large warehouse at a regional level, and the spokes are in small centres, located deep in the rural areas. These DeHaat centres are run by franchise networks of micro-entrepreneurs. We buy all seeds and fertilisers directly from all input companies, deliver to the spokes and then micro-entrepreneurs deliver to the others. Similarly, for output, like when we procure the produce from the farmers, it flows exactly in the reverse order. Farmers bring the produce to their closest centre, which is always no further than three km from the farm. Then we aggregate them, bring back to the hubs and they go to all the buyers. And you’ll be amazed to hear that more than 700 companies are listed on our platform as bulk buyers.

Thus, all agro inputs flow directly from input companies like Bayer, IFFCO, UPL and directly to the farmers. So farmers save some input cost as there is no middleman. Similarly, for output, we have companies like Spencer’s, Metro Cash & Carry; e-commerce players like Amazon, Grofers; FMCG peers like ITC, Britannia, Godrej and Cargill. It goes from companies to the warehouses and back to the companies again. So whether it’s input or output, there is no management. Advisory is centralised. There, we have developed our own crop pest database for 33 major crops.

We have developed a complete package of practices in the form of a large archive. We have been consistently investing in technology. For example, recently, we developed GIS and remote sensing technologies that help monitor farmers’ land parcels through satellite images without us being there at the farm. We come to know of the farm status, what sort of pests or diseases are a problem, where the moisture is low, and so on. That’s how we provide customised advisory to the farmers. And still, we’re not charging the farmers anything. We make money only when they sell something.

CC: So, it goes without saying that DeHaat is the most successful agro tech startup…

Definitely, we are the fastest growing agritech startup in India, and also the largest farmer’s aggregator. We are targeting 10 million farmers. So of course, we work very closely with Cargill as well. So far, businesses that work with farmers don’t have direct access to the farmers. That’s why they have to rely on middlemen. We are not just helping the farmers, we are helping businesses form a supply chain directly from their business to the farmers.

CC: What are your observations about the agricultural sector, farmland ownership, plight of farmers and the general status of the farming community.

Over 80 per cent of our farmers have less than one hectare of land. This means two and a half acres of land. But that’s not the full story, even this little land is fragmented. So as a farmer, I have two acres of land distributed across five or six different land parcels. That land parcel would probably be a tiny 0.3/0.4/0.9 acres. And that’s why building economies of scale for the individual farmer in the country is next to impossible.

In countries like the US and Australia, the average farm holding is 100 hectares. So they can talk about mechanisation, outsourcing and bulk selling. But here in India, small landholdings mean small transactions and it’s next to impossible for the farmer to work directly with corporates. When studying different models, an early thought was to just focus on advisory. But we soon realised that to the Indian farmer, mere information can simply be depressing. For instance, the market rate maybe Rs.20 in the big market but at the point where the farmer is selling it could just be Rs.8, because he can’t take such a small quantity of produce that far. That’s why economies of scale for individual farmers are almost impossible to achieve. That’s where DeHaat comes in: we are the all important aggregator with four lakh farmers and growing. We make farmers accessible and transactable to businesses. States like Gujarat and UP are taking steps to consolidate fragments of land we hope, going forward, other states will follow too.

CC: So farming leaders and authorities across states must have connected with you…

At many forums, we are asked to share our thoughts with policymakers. A few things, though, can only be done by governments and not private players. Our approach at the heart is very much complementary to that of farmer leaders or policymakers. For example, there is a new concept called FPO or Farmer Producers’ Organisation a new kind of farmer’s co-operative. Once formed, they would need the services we are offering.

CC: An offshoot to the above question. Why are the farmers so agitated? Is it lack of communication to the community about the new laws?

I would say, for any aam aadmi, it’s difficult to comprehend policies in their formal language. Firstly, they are not well articulated for everyone across the board to understand. Secondly, change takes very long to percolate to every layer. Besides, typically speaking, ground realities tend to be different. For instance, in the metros, all of us are so concerned about social distancing. In the villages, no one is much bothered.

As for the farmers who are protesting, most are from the state of Punjab where 76% of buying happens at MSP (minimum support price) by the state governments. As a state, they have done phenomenally, thanks to this. But now these farmers have a perception that because of these laws, the state government will stop buying their wheat and paddy. And MSP, at most times, is higher than the market price. That’s why they are concerned. But as far as I can tell, agriculture is a state subject. If historically, a state has been buying farmers’ produce, it can continue doing that. Besides, at the end of the day, all these ordinances are merely bills, recommendations. They can be changed and customised

CC: Has there been a surge of investments in agro-technology during the pandemic?

Yes, in the last six months, the sector has seen many investments, which is good for space. People are realising that this sector is huge with untapped potential and needs many more players. It is also recession proof.

CC: Who are these investors? Individuals, companies, entrepreneurs?

Mostly entrepreneurs. In the last two and a half years, hundreds of tech startups have come forward with innovations. India is an emerging economy, and with its plethora of venture capital investors, private equity and angel investors, it is possibly the world’s largest startup ecosystem. Also, while agriculture was not traditionally a very sought after sector, there is a significant spike in interested investors over the last few years, which is great.

CC: How did Covid-19 impact the pattern of your work or reach to the farmers?

In our approach, there is no change. But a few things that changed from the farmer’s side was an increasing digital adoption, downloading our DeHaat app, using our payment gateways, calls to our centres, and so on. Since the physical or conventional gateways were just not available, the farmers were encouraged or forced to adopt digital interfaces.

Traditionally, India is a very price sensitive market for all businesses retail chains and FMCG players. But the mindset underwent a sea change during the pandemic even as everyone realised the importance of a strong back end from a supply chain point of view. I mean, outside of India, companies typically create the back end before they think of the brand or front end. But here, people preferred to stick to the front end. During the pandemic, however, the importance of investing in technology, traceability, educating farmers and so on came to light, because a front end with a shallow back end just wouldn’t work especially, when middlemen and conventional gateways weren’t working. Traceability or being aware of the source of supply became important. These are very early signs of change, of course, but they’re there.

CC: Can you elaborate more on encouraging farmers to get into high-value crops like horticulture or floriculture?

Oh yes, horticultural crops are high-value and remunerative crops. But as mentioned, 80 per cent of the net sown area is under crops of low value, and that brings down family income. So optimising the crop mix is one way of going about things. We start working with farmers on their existing crops. Once they realise the benefits they derive from us seed to market we can suggest a few changes, especially after two or three seasons.

"India is an emerging economy, and with its plethora of venture capital investors, private equity and angel investors, it is possibly the world’s largest startup ecosystem"

CC: How many employees do you have?

First up are the supply chain people; secondly, there are the core academics (people who have done their Masters and PhD in Agriculture and who are responsible for our content and farmer training cells and so on). The third is deep technology because we do a lot of stuff around technology. We have a 60 member team on the tech side based out of Gurgaon. The fourth category is the field force through which we give employment to local people. We have more than 72 agricultural scientists. So while they work hard at the content we back it up with technology to reduce manual dependency. In all, there are 468 of us, which is growing on a MoM basis.

CC: Urban India is indifferent to the problems of a farmer. Your observations on the subject?

I would agree with you on that. That’s where the traceability factor will help. For example, as a consumer, we should all give a little thought and be just that much more appreciative about our food, where it comes from, the people producing the food, under what circumstances and so on. And yet, on a daily basis, it just isn’t feasible because people are busy. So, the scalable way out would be to create a scenario where traceability becomes the right thing to do. This sure will work out as a win-win situation because the consumer will be more confident about the food that they are consuming. Recently, for example, there was this disturbing bit of news about synthetic additives in the honey we consume. But the consumer will get more confidence if they know where the honey is coming from.

Similarly, our farmers feel proud when we share pictures of their produce being packaged and exported. Sure, we are doing this on an individual capacity, on a very small scale. And for countries like India, where we have more than 140 million farmers, these half a million farmers are just a drop in the ocean. But if you create these scenarios of traceability, then scalability becomes easier.

CC: Tell us about your rural to the urban journey. Your inspiration, milestones, idols and values.

It is an ongoing journey. There’s no end to evolution. But in my case, I think it was more about the survival of the fittest. So, I constantly think about the next milestone.

For example, there was this wonderful boarding school in Bihar, a fully funded government school. Started in 1954, it had excellent infrastructure and atmosphere. Someone told me that if I managed to get in, life ban jayegi. So I did.

The next goal, as someone assured me, was to score a rank in Std X so that once again, life ban jayegi. Then they said get into IIT, life ban jayegi. (Laughs.) And then I thought, once again, if I get a particular job, life ban jayegi. So I was constantly working towards the next milestone and that really helped me evolve as a person. It gave me the confidence that if I worked hard, sooner or later, I will get it. This really helped my entrepreneurial journey.

I come from a lower-middle-class family where nobody has ever done business. I knew that business is not in my blood in a way that is default setting. I would have to pick up the skills. In 2009, I started working towards developing those skills. For example, I was in Delhi NCR, where, on weekends I used to visit Chandni Chowk to see food stalls, how they did business, and so on. Thus, I worked on the skills before I thought about the idea.

My entrepreneurial dreams, though, were hard for my extended family and society to digest. They told me: we worked all our life to take you away from the rural setting, and here you are back again! Why on earth would you do that? Ab shaadi kaise hogi so on and so forth. (Laughs.) but the core family members always believed in me and my dreams and supported with their good wishes.

CC: It must have seemed like a bad joke for sure!

Yes, parental concerns were there, and I took them in that spirit. While starting out, while I thought that I was very prepared for this entrepreneurial journey, the ground realities were very different. Covering 60 km would take us six hours in the rural areas. But I was fortunate because the timing was right. Resilience, plus the right skills coupled with a larger vision, and, more importantly, the self confidence and the power of the idea I had took us forward.

In 2012, the overall entrepreneurial ecosystem was not very well developed. During those days, agriculture as a sector was not the kind that attracted investors. One reason is that it’s not a sector where things are structured right. I mean, there are no footprints to follow, as such. But still, every day, despite all obstacles, I think we just kept ourselves motivated by thinking of the sheer potential of our idea. We knew we had a very powerful idea that could work and work big. So that kept us going day after day

CC: Very commendable indeed. Your wife Mailinie calls you humane and helpful. How do you get the time to do all that you do?

This was one of the reasons I chose agriculture as a sector for my venture. I believe I am good with people, and helping others is something that comes from my parents because I have always seen that. Even on a very small scale, they were always inclined towards helping society with no vested interest. Also, I had the advantage of exposure and education. I thought I could harness that.

CC: Your philosophy of life, in short.

My philosophy is creating impact, and I think most of the things in my life are pretty much driven by this. Because I personally feel a lot of satisfaction if I am able to make others happy. I’m fortunate because I could choose my profession for this reason. And I feel proud when I say that as a person, I’m responsible for 380,600 farmers’ families’ happiness on a day to day basis. So my philosophy of life is just to make people happy. When you do this, people always love to have you around them.

CC: Some tips for aspiring entrepreneurs?

Entrepreneurship requires you to be persistent. There is no fixed template; it differs from person to person. In our case, the one reason we moved ahead and grew is due to consistency. Plus, we always believed in our goal and idea. My suggestion is to believe in yourself and have a very strong conviction in your idea. You just need to be in the race, and then, it’s just a matter of time.

Careers are made as much in the kitchen...

Mailinie Jauhar

A self described ‘people’s person’, Mailinie joined EXL Service straight out of IIT Delhi in 2008, and has climbed up the corporate ladder to be in a leadership position with as many as 100 people reporting to her. Ambitious she certainly is, but is also simultaneously that rare breed that does not lose sleep over what others may have. An abiding love of work and zest are this lady’s calling card. In conversation with CC…

Corporate Citizen: Tell us about your roles and responsibilities as Vice President, EXL.

Mailinie Jauhar: EXL is analytics and operations management organisation. I joined the analytics team back in 2008 and have grown through the ranks from an Analyst to Vice President (VP) over the last 12 years. We solve customer problems through a data-based approach. As VP, my roles and responsibilities primarily include, talking to senior-level clients, understand what their problems are, and then, coming up with solutions in conjunction with my team of 100 people. We also help them identify their priorities for each year. At my level, it’s more of a relationship management kind of role, making sure that the client is comfortable with the solutions that we are providing.

CC: Does EXL offer services across the globe or is it operational in certain geographies only?

We are operational in the US, Mexico, Europe and some of Africa and Asia-Pacific. Personally, I have spent most of my time working with the US and Mexico.

CC: What are your observations regarding the work culture in the multi-national company you are working in? And would it compare with an Indian one?

I have worked only for EXL US and Mexico. Therefore, I do not have that much of a benchmark to compare with India as we work mostly as per the US norms. We have a ‘clients first’ approach given that we are a consulting organisation-we have to ensure that what we are delivering to the client is of value. At the same time, employees are our biggest asset and their well-being is our highest priority. For e.g., when the Covid-19 pandemic happened, we first made sure all our employees were safe before ensuring clients’ work did not suffer. We have a very young crowd at work and the atmosphere at work is of very high energy. The office is a fun place to be and I missed the office last year very much.

CC: During Covid-19 what changed in terms of your professional responsibilities? What adjustments did you have to make? What was the good part of it?

From the work perspective, not much changed. But we had to make sure that all our employees were enabled to work from home. This is because we work with banks and insurance firms and they have many regulations; so earlier, many clients were not comfortable about our employees working from home. But as the situation played out, everyone realised that there was a need for this thinking to change. Our priority was safety first and then ensuring our team was enabled to work from home to support the clients.

The good part from the professional viewpoint is the flexibility on offer. For instance, working from home, one could start work early and plan their day as per any other personal commitments. This flexibility is actually great. I am sure many organisations would be happy to embrace it in future. The not-so-good part is that we are not able to reach out to people that easily. The setup is formal and planned. I am a people’s person, so I will be on the operations floor talking to my team, understanding what they are working on. But day-to-day questions such as how they feel about things or are they stuck anywhere become difficult to address because one can’t obviously call up 30 people every day so that personal touch is missing. And that’s why I said I am raring to get back to work. Also, the other thing about flexibility is that it becomes difficult to set boundaries between work-life and personal life. For instance, I may be on a call while my daughter may need me, or I may be taking meetings into the wee hours of the night. And that’s where most of us, myself included, need to be better at segregat ing time. But overall, I think we are doing fine.

"We have a ‘clients first’ approach given that we are a consulting organisation-we have to ensure that what we are delivering to the client is of value. At the same time, employees are our biggest asset and their well-being is our highest priority"

CC: Was it a challenge to ensure your team’s connectivity was enabled at all times? What were some of the operational problems?

The biggest challenge was to ensure that everyone had laptops. Earlier on, everyone had desktops at work and didn’t really need laptops. It was a task to reach out to employees who had already travelled to their hometowns, especially, in remote places or containment zones; but we got over little hurdles soon enough bringing the output back at pre-pandemic levels and clients were very happy.

CC: Could you tell us about your clients?

Our clients are across banking, insurance, healthcare, retail, media and logistics. My area of expertise is credit risk in the banking industry. I work with the Chief Risk Officers and their directs of leading banks in the US and Mexico, helping them in risk management for their retail portfolios like credit cards, personal loans and so on. This involves creating their acquisition, customer management and collections strategies, portfolio loss forecasting and fraud solutions. We also partner with our clients in setting their priorities for the future years and creating a growth roadmap for their portfolio.

CC: A very unique thing about you is that you are in this company for over 12 years, quite the historic achievement for a millennial, what say?

Yes, and this is for a few reasons. First, I was lucky to have managers who understood my potential and gave me the challenges I needed and deserved from time to time. Every time I felt I needed to up my game, they’d find me the correct opportunity and put me there. The reasons for people changing jobs are mostly that they are not happy with the work. This was not the case with me, and I never felt the need to lookout.

I also got the right opportunity and flexibility at the right time. When I needed to be in India, I got full freedom to be in India. When I was open to travel, I was given the opportunity to do so, I never felt that my needs were not being heard by my managers and they gave me the right challenges at the right time; I kept growing, went onto do new things and very happily so.

While I am a very ambitious person in general, I am simultaneously, a very content one. Yes, I want to grow but I would rather not have those sleepless nights on the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) I don’t have the thought process that oh, this person is working here; I too want the same. Besides, EXL gave me the opportunity to spend time and live in India, the US and Singapore. The kind of unique exposure I got in each country changed my perspective in terms of what I value and enjoy in being part of an organisation.

CC: That’s great to know. What advice would you give to youngsters in the corporate world in terms of keeping one’s patience?

I think you should give things a chance. If you hate what you do, by all means run as fast as you possibly can. But if you like the work, don’t chase money. That’ll come anyway. Everyone has a career span of 30 to 40 years and there’s enough time. Two or three lakhs of rupees here and there don’t make a difference. What matters are the relationships you create, and whether the work you do is meaningful. If all of this is there, then focus on what you can learn. Of course, I am not suggesting that one should stick to the same job for 10 or 12 years; one should lookout for new opportunities that enrich your experience. However, before you do that, make sure you have given and have got back as much as you possibly could from the current opportunity.

"If you hate what you do, by all means run as fast as you possibly can. But if you like the work, don’t chase money. That’ll come anyway"

CC: As a woman and a top-ranking corporate professional what have your challenges been?

I believe I have been lucky that I did not face any challenges because of my gender. However, I have learnt that there are some stages where women need different attention as compared to men; it also answers why there are relatively fewer women in the top rung. At the starting point, everyone is doing pretty much okay. In fact, women graduates may have better grades and ranks than men. But then comes marriage and then comes the child. These are the two exit areas for women but they don’t have to be-if the women employees are assured that the employer is there for them. They ought to be given the space and flexibility to figure out the changes in their lives and how to make it all work. For instance, when I got married, I said that I could not travel out of India for some time, and it was okay. Similarly, I had seven-month maternity leave. I ended up joining two weeks earlier than I was scheduled to do so; while there was much cheering on that, no one would have asked ‘why’ had the joining date been delayed. Thus, if women get the crucial support they need at these two major points, organisations will be able to retain female talent effectively.

Very importantly, support at the workplace should be matched by support at home. Careers are made as much in the kitchen as they are at the office. Women should try to get help for childcare and/or to chip in at home. Husbands cannot expect their wives to be spending long hours at work and then sweating it out in the kitchen. How much time do men spend cleaning the house or taking care of the baby? The demands of children never go away, they need both parents to be there. If it is a single parent house, there is no choice. However, when there is, why not do your bit?

CC: Are we okay to say that even in this generation, despite its exposure and education, inequality in marriage is still there? Or do you believe men are better than what they used to be?

Certainly, men are far better than what they used to be, but it isn’t a 50-50 partnership yet. Things vary between couple to couple and culture to culture. I have friends in the US where the husbands are hands-on; there isn’t much choice as help is expensive and each drop of money saved in a foreign country counts. In India, hiring help is an option, but then managing the help too, becomes the woman’s job.

"Support at the workplace should be matched by support at home. Careers are made as much in the kitchen as they are at the office"

CC: So what advice would you give to young couples in the interest of equality?

To the women, I would say: Ask for help. People do help out, but for that you have to speak up. If you sit in a corner and think that this is only my problem, it is going to be a hard and lonely road. But when you ask, mostly, people do help. For instance, my parents live with me and help out with my daughter. It’s a win-win both ways because she gets to be with her grandparents and they enjoy their grandchild. That apart, be open at work. Tell colleagues honestly if you cannot meet that deadline and why. That’s okay.

To the men, I’d say the opposite: help out. Even if your spouse is not asking for help, give it. Yes, I do get it that many men make much more than their wives and may have demanding profiles. But even then, I’d say: do what you can and then a little more.

CC: Tell us about your growing up years. The childhood influences and ideologies that made you who you are today.

Growing up my biggest idol was my elder brother. He was that ideal child who the neighbours loved and the parents were proud of, especially, when he became the first person in the family to get into IIT. He motivated me to prepare for IIT and I thought, if he can do it, so can I. Over the years, our relationship has evolved from a Tom and Jerry, pull-the-sibling’s-leg relationship to one of respect and guidance. We are very close and friendly. Obviously, parents also are the biggest influence in life and you cannot do anything without your parents’ support. However, I do think that my life was a lot easier because my brother came before me and solved many of my problems for me (laughs).

CC: How did you choose your career?

Well, considering the middle-class background I grew up in, the two main options are becoming either a Doctor or an Engineer. Since I was better in mathematics than biology, I chose Engineering. I studied hard, gave the exam, got an All India Rank of 2500 which made me eligible to get into Textile Technology at IIT Delhi (as different ranks get different departments). Once in, we did a lot of courses, but I especially enjoyed the statistical, management and analytical courses the most.

CC: Your philosophy of life:

As mentioned, I am already a very content person. I am very happy with my work and the rewarding relationships I share with my loved ones. I am ambitious enough to want to excel, but at the same time, I am thankful for all that I have, the opportunities that came my way when I needed them the most. So my philosophy is to be happy with what you have, and still keep dreaming. But don’t lose sleep over it!

By Vinita Deshmukh & Kalyani Sardesai

Mutual Trust Matters

Shashank Kumar & Mailinie Jauhar

Shashank Kumar and Mailinie Jauhar who have carved an admirable niche for themselves in their respective professional fields are also scripting a success story in their personal lives. Some tips on marriage and togetherness…

JAB WE MET

Mailinie: We were classmates and friends and gradually, we realised that we had a mutual liking and respect for each other. That’s what took us forward. Of course, this was in college, when we were only 19-years-old and didn’t know what life had in store for us. We hail from very different backgrounds. His family is traditional and my family is relatively more liberal. So culturally, there was this difference. Besides, we are both very family-oriented. So it was never the option that we will go ahead with the relationship even if our parents disagree. But then it also kind of started becoming clear to us that we want to be together. We started talking to our parents who took time to accept us and finally gave us their blessings.

Shashank: We were part of a friends’ group and that’s how we got to know one another, although there was no relationship then. And then gradually at some point, we realised we shared a mutual comfort and trust which are the key to a relationship.

THE ADMIRABLE ATTRIBUTES

Mailinie: The first thing that I love about him is that he dreams big and works extremely hard to achieve the same. From small things like, I am going to win this trophy for my hostel to the determination to continue playing sports despite a slip disc to his passion for work… all of it. I saw how he gave his job everything he had and gradually ventured into DeHaat. His passion and energy are just amazing. He is one of the hardest working people I have known; very hands-on in everything he undertakes. He is also very humane and helpful, be it donating blood to someone who needs it urgently or keeping company to someone in the hospital or even borrowing money to lend to someone else’s need. There’s much to learn from him.

Shashank: Her adaptability. We belong to two different cultures; Malinie is from Rajasthan while I am from Bihar. But she gets along so well with everyone, be it a member of my family or my village, it’s amazing how she adapts. At the same time, the way she has progressed in her career-from Analyst to VP is for all to see. She has constantly been adapting, learning new skills and technologies for her growth. She works long hours-from 12 to 9, especially, since she works with US clients. Plus, the way she handles our daughter is amazing. A big salute to mothers everywhere!

"Mutual trust is critical in both personal equations and professional journeys. We have always encouraged each other to achieve things, saying: if you think you have to do this, just go for it"

- Shashank

THE BALANCING ACT

Mailinie: We have been together for the last 14 years, and some of that time has been apart, because of both our work schedules: I could be out of the country for six months at a stretch or he could be on the road all the time. We were actually joking that thanks to the travel restrictions due to Covid-19, we were able to spend more time together than before. That said, we both have our own lives and a set of friends when not with each other. And at this point, trust becomes very important. Without trust, you will always be worrying. I am proud to say that we have never doubted each other. Honesty is the next most important trait. My husband is one of the most important people in my life; I can’t be manipulating him to make things difficult for him, right? If I need something, I ask for it. Do not keep things to yourself without giving the other person a chance to correct it. Speak up. It keeps things stress-free.

Shashank: Post-college, both of us were in different jobs, both of us travelled a lot. And then I started this venture, which again, required lots of travel-about 15 to 16 days a month, even post-marriage. But these things never created any problem.

The key to being close even while being apart is to trust each other. We have never questioned each other. Mutual trust is critical in both personal equations and professional journeys. We have always encouraged each other to achieve things, saying: if you think you have to do this, just go for it. And if you need any support from me, just let me know.

As a husband, I am someone who believes in highlighting the goal, not the pathway. At the workplace, I simply suggest where people and investors could reach out and make a difference. It’s the same here. Giving up work is easy but managing work and life is the challenge. So let’s accept the challenge.

ON CHILD UPBRINGING

Mailinie: So far, it has been easy because my three-year-old daughter, Sasha has only been around the family and there have been no external influences as such. Besides, she is even more awesome than what I imagined my daughter to be (I am sure every parent thinks like that). But we would both want her to be independent and have her own thought process and decision making; she doesn’t for instance, have to become an engineer because her parents are engineers. She needs to think about what she wants to do. And then do it right. Hopefully, we will be able to give her all the opportunities she needs and deserves.

Shashank: The overall holistic exposure you provide to the child is important. I am an entrepreneur; at DeHaat, we don’t believe in spoon-feeding. The same holds true in this case as well. Let them be. I mean, you just give them enough exposure. And in time they will figure it out. I don’t believe in micro monitoring.

And to be very honest, as far as our daughter goes, my contribution is relatively small due to my schedule and travel. I feel a little bit guilty about this. But my daughter Sasha is very, very loyal. When I am home she never looks at anyone else-possibly due to my contribution. (Laughs.)

By Vinita Deshmukh