Indo Thai News Special Correspondent Abhimanshu caught up with him on the sidelines of PBD 2023  at Indore, India. Excerpts from the conversation:

ITN: Tell us a little bit about your experience at PBD 2023.

ABK: The experience has been amazing so far. I have come with a purpose here and hope to spread awareness about the health issues related to knees and what leads to knee replacements. PBD is a great platform for connecting with such a diverse crowd.

ITN: What motivated you to become a knee surgeon?

ABK: I come from a long line of surgeons. My grandfather was a doctor, my father is an orthopaedic surgeon, and my sister is a doctor. Thus being the eldest in the family, I had to carry my family legacy and tradition.

What made me love my profession is that being a doctor, you can do a lot of good. It gives you a platform to spread awareness among people and make a difference in the world.

ITN: Tell us more about your awareness campaign and the good work you have done through it.

ABK: Throughout my career as an Orthopaedic Surgeon, my primary interest has been the KNEE, not only in surgeries and replacements but also in the overall health and well-being of the knee. If you look at the data from around the world, you will discover that knee problems have increased daily.

Patients can take preventative measures to protect their knees before reaching the point of requiring knee replacement surgery. With this belief, I started my campaign, ‘Let’s Walk Again’.

ITN: Could you provide further information about your “Let’s Walk Again” campaign?

ABK: With this campaign, I want people to start walking again. See, knee problems are the most widespread medical conditions yet the least spoken about or debated upon.

I want people to understand that there are several things that they can potentially do. That’s where Let’s Walk Again comes through, in which we counsel people suffering from knee issues and help them understand the recovery process.

ITN: Where can one find these camps? 

ABK: I have been trying to do it globally. I will also use the PBD platform to spread awareness about the campaign.

By god’s grace, I have successfully arranged Free Knee Replacement Camps across various locations, including Kargil and Leh in India, Africa, and UAE.

ITN: How would you advise our readers on ways to care for their knees and reduce the likelihood of requiring knee replacement surgery?

ABK: One of the most important things we usually ignore is the significance of direct sunlight. By this, I mean that you need to expose yourself, even for 15 minutes in the entire day, to direct sunlight along with a nutritional and healthy diet.

Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative arthritis or wear and tear arthritis, is not restricted to a specific age group. Even though we have an active lifestyle and there is a growing focus on fitness, the knee remains to be ignored.

ITN: What would you like to leave our readers with?

ABK: I would like to tell everyone that whenever you feel that early arthritis has set in or is detected by your doctor. That is the time you need to start taking care of your knee. Take control of your well-being, and do not look for quick solutions.

By detecting and treating arthritis in its early stages, you can prevent it from progressing to a moderate or severe phase where knee replacement surgery may become necessary.

However, there comes a point where you must determine whether the issue has progressed to the degree that necessitates surgery or whether you prefer to live with the pain. I have encountered individuals who endured pain for years, only to experience a realization of regret once they underwent surgery.

As a surgeon, I aim to have my patients standing and walking within 6 to 12 hours of the operation. The recovery process can be relatively easy if you have properly maintained your muscles before the surgery.

Everyone should incorporate muscle-strengthening exercises in their daily routine, and you will start noticing the difference.

Four more must-read articles from Indo Thai News

The Triple Bottom Line: Prioritizing People, Planet, and Profit!

Fostering Friendship and Goodwill: The Indian Cultural Association, Nigeria

Places Around Indore for a Day Trip: Colours of Malwa

Explore the Serene Beauty of Krabi

The post Let’s Walk Again: Tips for a Healthy Knee! appeared first on Indo Thai News Channel - Travel l Culture l News & Event l Food.

He is the Professor of Marketing at EGADE Business School of Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESM), Mexico City and a visiting professor at Boston University, Massachusetts and the University of Fraser Valley.

Dr Rajagopal has authored “Sustainable Growth in Global Markets” and “Butterfly Effect in Competitive Markets: Driving Small Changes for Large Differences”, which provides a comprehensive introduction to the concept of market and business management outside the domestic market.

Indo Thai News Special Correspondent Abhimanshu caught up with him on the sidelines of PBD 2023 at Indore, India. Excerpts from the conversation:

ITN: How often do you visit India?

RG: I have been very comfortable visiting India. It is my country, and I love being here. I feel elated every time I come to India. Here, I teach in some prominent business schools and universities, which is one reason for my frequent visit.

ITN: What do you feel differentiates the education imparted in India compared to the education system in Mexico?

RG: The principal difference that I find is that the students, particularly in business schools, choose to take up management education with a guarantee of employment through campus placements.

In the western hemisphere, be it American or Latin American universities, the focus is more on studies, and you must educate yourself. The brand name of the university, along with your calibre, helps you seek out a good job.

They understand that there is no job guarantee even if they have joined any particular management school. So, everyone works hard to learn new things and keep them updated.

ITN: Do they (students in the western hemisphere) learn diversely?

RG: Yes, they focus more on ‘knowing, doing and being’. They intend to know as much. The students are naturally inclined toward entrepreneurship, and seeking employment comes secondary to them.

Many Boston university students, when I ask them what they want to do after their MBA, always say, first, they want to try out their start-up. If it is successful, then it is fine. If not, then they would seek employment.

This is what I mean by ‘knowing, doing and being’. There is a dedication. The students believe that if they have learnt management, entrepreneurship and innovation, they must show it.

They initially want to harness their energy towards entrepreneurship rather than immediately joining a corporate office. They are much more inclined towards innovation and exhibiting their knowledge.

ITN: The Indian government, with its New Education Policy 2020, has laid down special emphasis towards research and innovation. How do you feel about that?

RG: This is a very positive step, but it should not be limited to classrooms. It should not be limited to case studies. See, you have to put the students in entrepreneurial shoes, which will help them develop entrepreneurial skills.

In other countries, we have entrepreneurial labs, where we try to teach the students how to develop a bankable proposal, go to them and try to get a loan.

ITN: You believe in pushing the students towards practical experience?

RG: Yes, students should be given practical learning experiences. I discovered that there is one institution, the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India in Ahmedabad; they are more focused on developing practical knowledge. Their motive is that whoever joins the institute should come out as an entrepreneur.

ITN: You think an applied education system would be much more beneficial, right?

RG: Yes, of course. It should be more service oriented. You need to help the students exhibit their entrepreneurship skills.

‘Triple Bottom Line’ is a new concept that developed over a period after the United Nations came out with its Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on the three Ps.

The three Ps are— ‘People, Planet, and then Profit’. People are the stakeholders, so we must encourage them and develop an inclination towards sustainability and motivate them to gain profits—a win-win situation for everyone.

ITN: Should the research field in India have robust government and financial support?

RG: Absolutely. I have lived in India for several years and moved out around 22 years ago. I have seen that in an Indian research environment, there is a lot of sponsorship.

Take the example of good institutes like CSIR (Council of Scientific & Industrial Research), ICSSR (Indian Council of Social Science Research), and many other organisations that provide good financial support to research students through their fellowship programs.

But the only concern I have is students in the fields such as Biotechnology who end up as research professors upon completion or start teaching in some university.

Very few of them get the opportunity to demonstrate themselves in a laboratory environment, which can help them develop their problem-solving skills, which is a very big challenge.

ITN: How important is a systematic integration of the government and corporations for research development?

RG: In western countries, particularly in the USA, Mexico and Canada, the students are sponsored by Bio-tech companies. They are scholars sponsored by a particular institution, so they must demonstrate what they have learnt.

Most of the companies provide around 90% of scholarships. Just giving the research fellowships does not offer the students a good platform to showcase their learning. The big question is what the students will do after completing their PhDs.

Thus, systematic integration of the government, corporate and students is necessary for the growth and development of any particular research field. The term used to describe this type of integrated setting is ‘Challenge-Based Learning’.

ITN: What would you advise the young students aspiring to enter the research field?

RG: My suggestion is that they should be more focused on using their knowledge in a more applied way rather than just seeking employment.

If someone is a good innovator, then they will be recruited by good companies.

ITN: But, Sir, the monetary factor is also an important factor which can curtail someone’s innovative aspirations. How should one strike a balance between the two?

RG: Usually, in western countries, even after graduating from good institutes, the students need to prove themselves. Therefore, they learn to develop a bankable proposal and invest their time, knowledge and calibre in developing or displaying something.

See, there is always a risk in everything we do. Here the people may take less risk because the job is guaranteed. If someone gets admitted to top universities like IIM, they believe that after two years, they will definitely get a job and thus will not be open to voluntarily taking the risk.

I always tell the students to take risks and exhibit their knowledge. The more knowledge you acquire, the better future you build.

Four more must-read articles from Indo Thai News

Fostering Friendship and Goodwill: The Indian Cultural Association, Nigeria
You Can Learn a Lot from the Simplest Movies
Taj Mahotsav: Experience the Magic of Incredible India
Explore the Serene Beauty of Krabi

The post The Triple Bottom Line: Prioritizing People, Planet, and Profit! appeared first on Indo Thai News Channel - Travel l Culture l News & Event l Food.

In 2021, the Indian President conferred the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award to ICA in recognition of their outstanding community service, promoting India’s honour and prestige, and fostering the interest of overseas Indians.

Indo Thai News  Special Correspondent Abhimanshu caught up with him on the sidelines of PBD 2023 at Indore, India. Excerpts from the conversation:

ITN: How has your experience been so far?

SJ: First of all, I would like to thank the government of India and Madhya Pradesh for such a great opportunity. I am happy that the government is making efforts to recognize the Indian diaspora and enable them to interact with Indians around the globe in such a conducive environment. I congratulate the Madhya Pradesh government for successfully organizing such a grand event.

ITN: What does Indian Cultural Association stands for?

SJ: The goal of the Indian Cultural Association is to organize various functions, shows, and other cultural, social and welfare programs to display the social and cultural image of India.

We aim to foster and strengthen friendship and goodwill between the people of India and Nigeria.

Our objective is to establish better contacts among the Indian Community in Nigeria and to promote and establish a lasting spirit of fellowship and mutual bond of good friendliness.

For its great efforts in promoting and spreading the Indian cultural ethos outside the country, our association received the revered Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award during the virtual celebration held in 2021.

ITN: Did you enjoy the dinner party that Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan hosted on the eve of PBD?

SJ: I was overwhelmed with the opportunity to meet Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, at the dinner party on the eve of PBD. It was great to meet him. I could see the vibrancy in his personality.

ITN: What does PBD mean to you?

SJ: I am happy that the government of India is attaching such importance to a great event like this. I congratulate the Indian government for organizing a grand event like PBD that aims to unite and connect the Indian NRIs from across the globe.

ITN: Has the government’s efforts through PBD impacted the general perspective of the Indian diaspora?  

SJ: I must say that this government has successfully tried to reconnect with the Indian diaspora more vibrantly and productively.

Every Indian knows that there is a Pravasi Bharatiya Divas and is looking forward to attending the programme. Such enthusiasm symbolizes that the Indian diaspora is getting a chance to reconnect with its roots.

ITN: Does the Indian diaspora view India as a potential investment market?

SJ: I would like to inform you that there is a massive difference in the perspective of Indians and foreigners on how they currently view India. The efforts put forward by this government have helped Indians gain due recognition all over the world. The Indian community in Nigeria has experienced this change.

India has become a favourite destination for foreign investment, which we have seen reflected in its foreign reserves and industrial growth. All the parameters, including a boom in the share market, indicate that India will be a leading economy in times to come.

Four more must-read articles from Indo Thai News

You Can Learn a Lot from the Simplest Movies

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Pattaya Floating Market – A Unique Experience

The post Fostering Friendship and Goodwill: The Indian Cultural Association, Nigeria appeared first on Indo Thai News Channel - Travel l Culture l News & Event l Food.

Some of his famous works include:

• Nomad River— a gripping and experimental movie about four contrasting individuals who embark on a personal journey amid the looming threat of climate change and a river water crisis in India.
• Transference —an American thriller about how a trauma therapist’s past demons come to light, forcing her to confront them.
• And the Dream that Mattered — a Korean drama about an Asian actor on the rise to Hollywood fame, returns to Korea, where he finds reconnecting with family more challenging than he expected. He also realizes that his future creative path will be a lonely one.
• Web of Life— an American commercial drama about two siblings with disparate lifestyles — a surfer and an academic. They must come together and grow against the convoluted schemes of a local con artist who has become a cult leader.

In Conversation with Filmmaker Aditya J Patwardhan (AJP)

Indo Thai News  Special Correspondent Abhimanshu caught up with this young and vibrant director on the sidelines of PBD 2023 at Indore, India. Excerpts from the conversation:

ITN: How would you describe your experience at PBD 2023 thus far?

AJP: The experience has been amazing, it’s been half an hour in the convention centre, and I am meeting amazing people right away.

ITN: Tell us a little about yourself.

AJP: I was born and brought up in Jaipur (Rajasthan). I have been in LA (Los Angeles) for the past eight years and have been working as a film director there. I make films both types of movies. For instance, four of my movies are out; two are commercial, and two are artsy.

ITN: Where did you start your career? 

AJP: I started my career in LA. Thus I do not have much exposure to the Indian film industry. As with any industry, the film industry is more or less the same in both places, the cultural context differs, but from an overall perspective, everything else is similar.

ITN: Did you move to LA for career or academic pursuits?

AJP: Since I do not come from a film background, I joined a ten-month filmmaking course in LA to learn the skills. After the course, I just kept working.

ITN: Is there a defined path for outsiders to make it in the film industry?

AJP: The film industry is not streamlined, so there is no defined path to success. The struggle in any art field is long, but with the help of modern technology, it has become easier for outsiders to make movies. So you do not need to be part of the film industry or that ladder to make your first film.

One of the best ways is to start making movies with whatever ideas you have. Film festivals are open to all and not restricted to any particular class, so if you make something good, you will get recognition.

ITN: How to set a benchmark for making a good movie?

AJP: A good film originates from good writing and ideas. Anything we see on screen is first presented through a script. You have to read good scripts and watch good movies because you might have innate talent, but there is a technique to filmmaking or scriptwriting or how the story is structured.

The age-old techniques that have been working since Ramayana or Mahabharata tell us how to structure your story that appeal to your audience.

ITN: Which movies would you recommend to someone just starting?

AJP: Films of Stanley Kubrick, Alfred Hitchcock, Christopher Nolan, David Fincher, and Steven Spielberg. They are one of the most popular names people usually take.

One might say that these are clichéd names, but everyone takes them because their stories, whatever the genre, are very appealing, so it’s best to learn from them.

ITN: What are your favourite go-to movies?

AJP: The Godfather, The Matrix, The Lion King, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, The Lord of the Rings and Duel.

These are some of the simplest movies that you should watch. It will give you basic filmmaking science. You can learn a lot from these movies and understand how the process of filmmaking.

ITN: What is your opinion about adapting a book into a film?

AJP: The Lord of the Rings is one of my favourite movies, and I also loved the book. It is one of the finest examples of bringing a book onto the screen.

Sir Peter Jackson beautifully adapted J. R. R. Tolkien’s epic into a film and did justice to it. He couldn’t incorporate everything, so he took out what he had to and kept what he could.

Apart from the fantasy and everything the movie includes, The Lord of the Rings is a film school.

Read the book and then watch the movie. It will give you an understanding of what parts were excluded from the film more importantly, why Sir Peter Jackson left certain details out. It is a very good lesson in filmmaking.

ITN: Please tell us about your upcoming venture.

AJP: The Web of Life is my recent film that was filmed with Corbin Bernsen and Aaron Douglas as the leads. You might know them from LA Law and Battlestar Galactica. They have appeared in many US shows and movies. The Web of Life is in the editing phase, and the film should be out in July.

Another feature I am working on is supposed to come out in September, but I cannot reveal  much about it now.

ITN: Are you planning to shoot any films in India?

AJP: An upcoming film I am producing is a sci-fi movie. It is in its nascent pre-production stage and will be set in Jaipur. We plan to keep it completely Jaipur based, even away from Mumbai.

Stay tuned to Indo Thai News and enjoy our PBD 2023 exclusive interview series.

Four must-read articles for complete information on Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2023

Indore — Dressed Up for 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas.

17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2023 – Indore Day 1.

The 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas— Day 2:A Mixed Day.

17th PBD 2023-Day 3: President of India Graces the Event.

The post You Can Learn a Lot from the Simplest Movies appeared first on Indo Thai News Channel - Travel l Culture l News & Event l Food.