by Vidya Mahambare
Lived experiences through the 5 Es: Endowment, Environment, Education, Effort, and Equality of Opportunity In this series, Vidya speaks with thinkers, academicians, and ordinary people to uncover how the five Es intersect in personal and professional spheres, a framework she first articulated in a 2010 op-ed in Mint Every conversation moves beyond surface narratives, inviting guests to reflect on what shaped them, what held them back, and what propels individuals and societies forward.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
3/17/2026
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July 14, 2026
<p>In the final episode of What Shapes Us, <strong>Prof. Vidya Mahambare</strong> speaks with <strong>Dr. Raghunath Anant Mashelkar</strong>, Padma Vibhushan awardee, Fellow of the Royal Society, former Director General of CSIR, and pioneer of the Gandhian Engineering and Inclusive Innovation movements in India.</p><p>Dr. Mashelkar reflects on an extraordinary journey from a one room tenement in Mumbai, studying under streetlights and walking barefoot until the age of twelve, to leading forty national laboratories and shaping India's scientific and innovation ecosystem.</p><p>The conversation explores the defining moments that shaped his life, including the influence of his mother, the teachers who inspired him, and the philosophy that has guided his work for decades: creating <strong>access equality despite income inequality</strong>.</p><p><br>The episode also covers:</p><ul><li>Growing up in Mumbai and overcoming adversity</li><li>The power of education and mentorship</li><li>Leadership lessons from CSIR and global scientific collaborations</li><li>The story behind India's Traditional Knowledge Digital Library</li><li>Gandhian Engineering and Inclusive Innovation</li><li>The Anjani Mashelkar Foundation and affordable healthcare innovation</li><li>Advice for young leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs</li></ul><p>Listen the final episode of What Shapes Us and discover the experiences, values, and decisions that shaped one of India's most influential scientific leaders.</p><p>#WhatShapesUs #DrRaghunathMashelkar #Leadership #Innovation #InclusiveInnovation #Science #CSIR #GreatLakesInstituteofManagement #Podcast #ThoughtLeadership</p>
June 30, 2026
<p>What makes us who we become?</p><p>In Episode 10 of What Shapes Us, Prof. Vidya Mahambare speaks with Makarand Sahasrabuddhe, development professional, coach, facilitator, and alumnus of IIT Bombay and IIM Ahmedabad, whose career took a path few would expect.</p><p>Instead of pursuing the conventional corporate journey, Makarand chose to dedicate over three decades to the development sector, working across India, Afghanistan, Africa, and with Oxfam globally.</p><p>Through the lens of the Five E’s, Endowment, Environment, Education, Effort, and Equality of Opportunity, this conversation explores the forces that shape our choices, careers, and values.</p><p>In this episode:<br>• Why he walked away from campus placements at IIM Ahmedabad<br>• The role of privilege and endowment in shaping success<br>• Lessons from working across India, Afghanistan, and Africa<br>• Why diversity matters more than ever<br>• The future of NGOs and international development<br>• Purpose, inequality, and advice for young professionals navigating today’s world</p><p>If you’re interested in leadership, public policy, purpose driven careers, education, or understanding how life shapes us, this episode is for you.</p><p>👍 Like, share, and subscribe for more conversations that explore the people and ideas shaping our world.</p><p>#WhatShapesUs #MakarandSahasrabuddhe #GreatLakesInstituteOfManagement #Leadership #Education #Purpose #DevelopmentSector #Oxfam #Podcast</p>
June 16, 2026
<p>From Blindness to Flight: Divyanshu Ganatra on Resilience & Inclusion </p><p>In Episode 9, Vidya sits down with Divyanshu Ganatra, clinical psychologist, cognitive neuroscientist, India's first blind solo paraglider, and Founder of Adventures Beyond Barriers Foundation (ABBF).</p><p>At nineteen, Divyanshu woke up completely blind. What followed was not a story of overcoming tragedy, it was a radical reimagining of what's possible. He taught himself technology, earned a psychology degree against institutional resistance, moved out of his parents' home at twenty to build his independence, and eventually founded ABBF to bring people with and without disabilities together through adaptive adventure sports.</p><p>In this wide-ranging conversation, he speaks about:<br> → His Pune childhood and the two traits that carried him through everything<br> → Losing his eyesight and what no one tells you about that kind of loss<br> → Building a career, a practice, and a foundation on his own terms<br> → Why attitudinal barriers disable more than disabilities themselves<br> → His reframe for happiness, and why it actually works<br> → India's blindness crisis, and the ₹30,000 that can change a child's life</p><p>This one stays with you.</p><p><br>🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode.</p>
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Lived experiences through the 5 Es: Endowment, Environment, Education, Effort, and Equality of Opportunity
In this series, Vidya speaks with thinkers, academicians, and ordinary people to uncover how the five Es intersect in personal and professional spheres, a framework she first articulated in a 2010 op-ed in Mint
Every conversation moves beyond surface narratives, inviting guests to reflect on what shaped them, what held them back, and what propels individuals and societies forward.
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