Latest news with #US-returned
Time of India
4 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Farm to plate summer camp bridges gap in agri education for students
Mandya: Many children today lack opportunities to learn where their food comes from or understand the basics of farming, nutrition, and mindful eating. To bridge this gap, Polygnan, a non-profit founded by US-returned NRIs and ex-tech professionals Chandana Shivanand and Prajwal Rajendra Prasad, organised the Farm to Plate summer camp in Mandya from May 26 to June 1. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The free week-long camp brought together students from classes 7–10 from various backgrounds to explore the full journey of food—from farm to plate. The camp began with fireless cooking to create a warm, collaborative environment. They took a deep dive into agriculture at the Mandya-based VC Farm, which is attached to the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru. Here, students engaged with professors and field experts, learning about various crops, agricultural implements, soil testing, composting, biofertilisers, irrigation methods, and rare fruits and vegetables, the organisers said. Children also sowed maize seeds and helped prepare the land, experiencing the rhythm and labour of farming first hand. Students explored mushroom cultivation, recognising its nutritional and entrepreneurial potential. At a traditional 'ale mane', students witnessed the labour-intensive process of boiling sugarcane juice to prepare jaggery. Milk was explored from start to finish. Children visited a cattle rearing farm near Arkere and visited the Mandya Milk Union plant at Gejjalgere, which processes over 13 lakh litres of milk every day.
India.com
27-05-2025
- Business
- India.com
US Techie Struggles To Work With Indian Colleagues, Points To Key Cultural Gap
New Delhi: Everyone's had that one colleague who just gets under their skin. Maybe they overstep boundaries or say something that rubs you the wrong way. These things happen. But when cultural differences come into play, the tension can get even more intense. What could have been a small issue can quickly grow into something much bigger. An American tech worker has sparked discussion on Reddit after posting, 'help with understanding Indian colleagues.' In his viral post, he shared that he works in tech in the US, and two years ago, his company of 600 employees acquired an Indian firm with 400 staff. Since then, he's been confused about why his Indian colleagues even those in higher positions are only handling operational, task-based work, despite their roles calling for more. How Did Social Media React? The Reddit post sparked a flurry of responses from users sharing their own experiences. One user wrote, 'I can only offer my personal experience working with teammates in India. Team effort is much more common than individualism. Every simple discussion always seems to involve 6 to 12 teammates joining in and listening in the background and if you're lucky the most senior individual will give you a tad bit of feedback. Job hopping seems very common so individuals don't necessarily get very secure and forthcoming with their opinions. I find it a lot more effective just to share tasks (not too long term) and skills/tools and periodically check up. I find the skill level is pretty good in India, just not the entrepreneurship or initiative.' Another user shared a structured approach that worked well for them, 'From working with teams from India whether outsourced or internal within an international firm, this is what I can say. My team devised a way of splitting the work: my team did the heavy lifting in ideating, researching, testing, creating and building for the US, while our Indian team adapted the work for other countries, kept systems running, addressed issues when they arose, refreshed models, that sort of thing. For us the data was business data with business meaning; for them the data was systems data with little meaning as they were not close to the business stakeholders. This worked well, keeping both ends busy. Perhaps if you can define your individual lanes more precisely, then you and your Indian colleagues can better understand one another. Good luck to you.' A third user pointed out workplace culture as a key factor, 'People who say anything remotely negative against company, product or managers in India get fired. It happened to me, I worked in US for many years and returned to India. I am direct, but it has hurt my career badly. You have to bring this up to leadership in India and demand change. Hire US-returned leaders in India and you will be better off.'
Time of India
28-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Kids' business fair ignites entrepreneurship skills in children
Mandya: The spirit of innovation came alive at Polygnan 's Kids Business Fair , the grand finale of a week-long free Business & Entrepreneurship Summer Camp held at Bal Bhavan, Mandya. The camp was organised for children aged 9 to 16, and had around 34 participants from diverse backgrounds. The weeklong camp introduced them to real-world skills seldom taught in traditional classrooms, and concluded on Monday. Kids learnt how businesses are built — from registering a virtual company and securing loans to budgeting, crafting products, and making real sales. Young entrepreneurs set up stalls to showcase and sell handmade goods like candles, greeting cards, coasters, resin art, and more. Each child followed the complete entrepreneurial journey: incorporating a company, receiving a PAN card, pitching to a mock bank, and repaying loans with interest after the fair. Profits were donated to Seva Kirana Charitable Trust, reflecting children's commitment to social responsibility. More than just business, the camp instilled confidence, communication skills, and financial awareness. It taught resilience, responsibility, and joy of creating something from scratch. The fair buzzed with proud parents, curious visitors, and glowing feedback from the community, who called it 'inspiring' and 'one-of-a-kind.' This initiative was spearheaded by Polygnan, a non-profit founded by US-returned tech professionals Chandana Shivanand and Prajwal Rajendra Prasad. Camps by ZP, edu dept enlightens kids The zilla panchayat, in collaboration with the education department, has organised a 21-day summer camp from May 2 to May 26. These sessions, held at Arivu-grama panchayat level libraries, were designed for students from classes three to eight, across all gram panchayats in the district. Authorities stated that these camps aim to provide rural children with productive and enjoyable ways to spend their summers. Beside reading, learning, science behind numbers, personality development, and imparting communication skills, these camps also help students understand local culture, history, and importance of environmental protection, while giving a platform to boost their creativity. ZP CEO Nandini KR said these camps covered crucial topics including good touch-bad touch, awareness about Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, Children's rights, and self-defence techniques.
