When you hear the name Elon Musk, what comes to mind? Electric cars, space travel, or perhaps even futuristic cities on Mars? Elon Musk is one of the most influential inventors and entrepreneurs of our time, and his groundbreaking work is transforming the way we live and think about the future. In this article, we’ll explore Musk’s most notable inventions, how they are making the world a better place, and the qualities you can imbibe to become innovative and entrepreneurial.

From a young age, Elon Musk exhibited a deep interest in technology and innovation. At the age of 12, he taught himself computer programming and created a video game called Blastar, which he sold for $500. This early display of ingenuity foreshadowed the monumental achievements he would accomplish in his adult life.

Musk’s career is marked by a series of groundbreaking inventions and business ventures that have had a significant impact on various industries. Here are some of his most notable contributions:

1. Tesla Motors

One of Musk’s most well-known companies is Tesla, Inc. Tesla is renowned for its electric vehicles (EVs) that are not only environmentally-friendly but also high-performing and aesthetically appealing. The company’s mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy, and it has been remarkably successful in this regard.

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Being an entrepreneur, philanthropist and writer, Sudha Murty needs no introduction. She is a household name in India and beyond for creating waves of social reform and innovation with her thoughts and actions. Her life journey is a testament to the power of determination and the ability to overcome gender stereotypes.  

Sudha was born on 19 August 1950 in a middle-class family in Shiggaon, a village in Karnataka. Her family supported her in all her academic endeavours and instilled in her the importance of compassion and empathy.

In a time when engineering was largely seen as a male profession, Sudha decided to pursue it. She was the only female engineering student among 599 boys at the BVB College of Engineering (now KLE Technological University). She faced numerous challenges, including being teased by her classmates and facing discrimination from the college administration. She was not allowed to visit the college canteen, was required to wear a saree, and was not allowed to talk to boys. Despite these challenges, she persevered and became a topper, proving everyone wrong.

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“You see things; you say, ‘Why?’ But I dream of things that never were and I say ‘Why not?’” These words of George Bernard Shaw resonate in the life of Phanindra Sama, the founder of redBus, the world’s largest online bus ticketing company with operations in six countries. He simplified bus booking and streamlined the process at a time when no one thought it would be possible.

Phanindra was born in a small village of Tadapaikal in the Nizamabad district of Telangana in 1980. He lost his dad at an age when he could not understand why things were happening. This major incident in Phanindra’s life shook up his childhood.

Phanindra was a very bright student from the very beginning. After his schooling, he got admission to the Birla Institute of Technology and Science where he studied Electrical and Electronics Engineering and became an engineer. Later, he attended the Indian Institute of Science and became proficient in computer networks. He studied Responsible Leadership and Sustainable Business Practices at the Swedish Institute, and Economics and Psychology at Stanford University, and received the Chevening Fellowship from King’s College London.

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TTT: Hello Jay. Welcome to The Teenager Today! Would love our readers to get to know you more. So, let’s get down to it! You mentioned that the seed for this venture was planted in your mind at the young age of 13, and you designed a complete framework draft for your website by 14. So how, at the age when I remember merely knowing that a stem is a part of a plant, did you acquire the knowledge about STEM and develop the start-up idea?
Jay: I have always had a natural inclination towards the sciences and mathematics. Textbook knowledge wasn’t enough for the scientific geek within me, thus I started researching to know more about science and familiarised myself with the concept of STEM. However, I very soon realised that my companions had little to no knowledge about the same. That was when I started thinking of designing a website which would be a go-to source for knowledge for not just my friends but for the entire world. Initially, the website was more of a blog page focusing on imparting knowledge about finances, economics, business news and entrepreneurship. Later, I focused the content on topics of business, finance and STEM.

TTT: What is MindCord? When was it launched and what is its current viewership percentage?
Jay: MindCord is an open-to-all blog page, not just for readers but also for writers who wish to express their thoughts or share their knowledge about STEM, business or finance. The website was launched in January 2020. For the first two years, it was just an informative blog site for readers to gain knowledge. However, in March 2023, we launched a monthly competition called The Next Frontier with an aim to enhance and boost our readership base. Currently, we have 60,000 active readers on our website with 50% viewership from India and 50% coming from the rest of the world.

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Naresh Karmalker caught up with young serial entrepreneur, Parth Nachane, whose venture, The Robobox, is poised to disrupt the education scenario and make learning fun!

The Teenager Today: Hi Parth. Welcome to The Teenager Today. Would love our readers to get to know you more, so let me get straight down to it. You started your first company at the age of 17. At the age of 21, you have launched The Robobox! What fuels Parth Nachane’s drive for innovation and entrepreneurship?
Parth Nachane: At 17, I only had big dreams, a world to win and nothing to lose. With this motivation, I went to Lovely Professional University (LPU) with the sole purpose of being a part of its happening practical campus with over 1,00,000 students and teachers. I thought it might just be easier to start any business with people my age.
My drive has always been to learn, dream big and achieve it, not just for myself but for my company, team, vendors, students, schools and society as well. I always wanted to do business and create something of value to society that will leave my mark and legacy.

TTT: How did the idea of The Robobox emerge?
PN: Back in my school days, I used to search for good robotics and science kits. Till date, students are stuck with options like robotics only in practical education and the robot kits available are, sadly, nothing but toys and not actual robotics kits.
With the rapid sophisticated technological revolutions that are a hallmark of the 21st century, students should be innovators and not consumers. When our government came up with the National Education Policy (NEP), I thought it might just be the right time for me, personally, to make that shift and start The Robobox as it also connected with my childhood pain and my desire to do more, using technology. We are now doing that with The Robobox in the education sector.

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Have you ever thought why a customer is called king? Why only a few people are able to multiply their customers on a larger scale? The skill of problem-solving which is possessed by only a few is simple. Satisfying all the requirements and demands of customers which may range from a pin to a plane plays an important role.

Do you think this is the only skill you are expected to have as an entrepreneur? Well, no. As an entrepreneur you need to be a persistent leader with good communication, and be great in sales and marketing skills. We always assume an entrepreneur to be a talented college dropout or a seasoned businessman predicting new path-breaking strategies. Absolutely not. Successful entrepreneurs are recognized for their great minds and ideologies. But is this skill really important? Surely it has immense value not only in terms of customer satisfaction but also makes an entrepreneur proactive internally, which definitely reflects positively on the business and success. This skill proves to be a valuable and trusted asset for any business. It is well-known that most appreciations are received by those solutions and efforts which benefit the masses.

Ritesh Agarwal, an 18-year-young boy, observed the problem and adapted the solution as his business model by launching OYO Rooms.

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Masters in Entrepreneurship is specifically designed for graduates who intend to set up an impactful and innovative business. The programme imparts essential knowledge of how to start one’s own business venture and the various facts that influence successful set-up and operations. You’ll learn about the fundamentals of management, human resource development, accounting methods and finance, advertising, marketing and preserving an organization. This programme also gives opportunity to develop your entrepreneurial and managerial skills and may have individual mentoring sessions.
Many institutes offer a one-year PG diploma in Entrepreneur Development, including the following:

• Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai (mkuniversity.ac.in)
• Mother Teresa Women’s University, Kodaikanal (motherteresawomenuniv.ac.in)
• Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, New Delhi (iift.ac.in)

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Debbie Westcott wears many hats in her professional life and has the innate ability to juggle them all, skillfully — she is an entrepreneur, educationist, philanthropist, orator, business consultant and mentor, and an overseas education and immigration consultant. She is an inspiration for the teenagers of today to dream big for a better tomorrow.

Born into a middle-class Anglo-Indian family to Edward Walter and Teresa Westcott, Debbie is married and has a son. Her parents inculcated in her good human values, etiquette and good manners from a very young age. These values have been the cornerstone of her life and have helped to shape what she is today: a prominent educationist and a savvy businesswoman.

Chennai-based Debbie is a successful businesswoman with a vision. She is known throughout the academic community for ably combining the disciplines of teaching English, soft skills, behavioural training, placement training and career guidance to students from all over the world. She has been one of the most sought-after entrepreneurship consultants for those aspiring to set up new ventures, and is a pioneer in soft skills and behavioural training, holding the record of having empowered and trained more than 200 trainers in the industry.

Debbie has presided over several education programmes as the chief guest and has received several recognitions and awards for her activities contributing to the welfare of society. She has also spearheaded many spoken English camps and soft skills programmes as president. Her added expertise in management skills has made her an expert consultant in the growth of schools, colleges and training and development organizations. She is a member of various organizations such as The Forum for Anglo-Indian Women, MMA, Rotary International, Lions, ELTAI, TESOL and the Theosophical Society. She is widely recognized for her contributions in the field of education and for being a person who reaches out to those in need.

An excellent orator and body language specialist, she has delivered several motivational speeches and has given over 100 presentations on various topics in many reputed schools, MNCs, colleges and Universities. She is very regularly invited to speak on topics like Achieving Success, Happiness is What You Make, Time, Stress and Anger Management, Interpersonal Skills and Growth, Understanding Change, Women Empowerment, Education for All, Emotional Intelligence, Verbal and Non-Verbal Cues (speech and training session) and Secrets of Effective Communication.

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A persona of many facets — painter, deep sea diver, mountaineer, traveller and writer — she has already become a youth icon. Her entrepreneurial skills, of course, are also much acknowledged and reflected in the number of awards she has been honoured with over the past few years. That’s Manasi Kirloskar in a few words.

Only child and hence sole heiress of industrialist Vikram and Geetanjali Kirloskar and the great-granddaughter of the legendary S.L. Kirloskar, as also a family name which enjoys a rich and timeless legacy of over 130 years and considered amongst the most respected names in business today, this brilliant youngster has never let her silver-spoon upbringing overshadow her down-to-earth mannerism.

And perhaps, that’s the key to her entrepreneurial success. She is presently Executive Director & CEO Kirloskar Systems Ltd, as also Director on boards of Kirloskar Technologies and Toyota Tsusho Insurance Broker India Pvt. Ltd. She also works with her large inherited business group. In addition, she has set up her own ventures as an entrepreneur and is even involved in community service through her registered not-for-profit Trust “Caring with Colors” where she is Managing Trustee and CEO.

In conversation with THE TEENAGER TODAY, this ‘girl boss’ speaks about her passion within and outside her business realm and offers teenagers the perfect dose of inspiration.

Your family name enjoys a rich and timeless legacy of over 130 years and is considered amongst the most respected names in the business world. However, being the sole inheritor, do you feel the pressure of responsibility?
I have been raised in a business family, with working parents. Each worked in completely different industries — my father in heavy manufacturing and engineering and my mother was an advertising and TV professional (President of her Advertising Agency). I would sit in on meetings as an 8-year-old at their respective offices. Therefore, I always had the exposure, and working in the family business was a natural aspiration for me. Although I wasn’t alien to the corporate environment, upon my return from college, the pressure started to sink in after a few months. People expected a lot from me, in terms of competency and stereotype behaviour. I felt the need to live up to the expectations, and trying to change mindsets in a 130-year-old legacy is not very easy.

What inspires you to get to work every day?
I don’t know anything else. I love what I do and have found the right balance between managing my responsibilities and pursuing my own interests. I love interacting with people at the office and meeting new ones. I have something new to learn every single day and that is my greatest motivation.

You are a deep-sea diver, a painter and an entrepreneur. Tell us more about your varied passions.
I have always had many interests. The world has so much to offer and I want to experience everything. My love for the water led me to acquire a scuba diving 30m and Nitrox license. The colour of fish and coral underwater are just so spectacular. Words cannot describe my feelings when I am diving. My love for colour also extends onto the canvas. I love to paint using a lot of colour. I also seek adventure. Not only do I get a rush of adrenalin from diving but also from climbing mountains. I enjoy hiking and being amidst raw nature. It puts me in touch with all my senses which is a beautiful feeling.

What’s the most interesting thing about you that we wouldn’t learn from your resume alone?
I love Indian classical dance and music forms. I have learnt Kathak and the tabla as a child. Also, I always wanted to be an actor.

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Rejected by five MNCs, yet with a desire to create her own identity, she created various milestones in her life. Young Pallavi Singh had come all the way from Delhi to make her living in Mumbai. From teaching 500+ expats/foreigners to being retained by six consulates to teach Hindi as a foreign language to their staff and family members, Pallavi has been in the limelight since 2011. She has taught each kind, from Bollywood backdrop dancers and models to students, official diplomats and foreigners married to Indians. Her proud additions to the list are author and historian William Dalrymple, actress Jacqueline Fernandez, singer Natalie Di Luccio and model Lucinda Nicholas. Sanchari Banerjee spoke to this young entrepreneur.

TTT: Tell us about your journey; when and how did it start?
Pallavi: The Indian education system is about “stamping” people instead of enabling them. Inevitably, everyone solicits these stamps. I could not make it to one. It was pretty clear that no major corporate was interested in me; neither was my education helping as a catalyst to make way for me. Ironically, I went to the second best Arts college in the whole of India, but that’s exactly what it was — “Arts” not “Tech”. It was crystal clear that I would have to create my own means of employment. And I was not willing to wait until 30 years of age to see any money (Read — payscale(s) in the employment sector in India). Hence this sowed the seed for “teaching Hindi” back in August 2011.

TTT: When we Indians are being influenced by western culture, what influenced you to teach Hindi?
Pallavi: Hindi is my native language; I speak the language in and out. I am from Delhi, which is the heartland of Hindi. This is my asset and I believe in capitalizing on existing talents rather than chasing new ones.

As for influence, I think it is just sad — because there is clearly a “pick and choose” pattern to it. Do we watch season after season of American/British TV shows? Sure! Do we ape the civilian behaviour towards people/friends? No. Do we copy the lifestyle patterns (read, visiting bars, dating, etc.)? Sure! Do we necessarily understand the underlying societal norms behind those? Probably not. Do people misconceive western society by watching say American Pie? Sure! Is there any effort to perceive people as they are and get to know them and hence their culture? Not so much.

TTT: All your students say that you use interesting methods to teach them. What are the methods that attract them?
Pallavi: I always employ humour and engage my students in various creative activities. There is no “list” per say. It is a module designed to probe various everyday language requirements. I am extremely informal; I believe that helps.

TTT: How do you connect with your foreign students despite the fact they do not understand the native language of India?
Pallavi: I always start with “Where are you from?” and “Why are you here?” I do not think a lot is required to connect with people. As long as you are a reasonably decent person with a good ear and a little bit of compassion, it is pretty damn easy.

TTT: Retained by various consulates to teach Hindi to their staff and family members, how do you manage your busy schedule?
Pallavi: I know that I live in a city where you need a lot of planning to travel from one place to another. I calibrate my day very carefully. I am almost never late. And I hate to say it, but I guess people in Mumbai are dangerously comfortable with blaming the traffic every time they are late. It is not that hard to estimate.

TTT: How different is it to be a speaker at TEDx, the global platform to share ideas?
Pallavi: It was a bigger name, sure. I prepare equally for every event, as I do not believe in stamps. It is not different for me but the platform is global and people recognize you more. It adds on to your credentials. I’m grateful to have received the opportunity.

TTT: How different is the feeling of teaching a celebrity?
Pallavi: Scheduling a class is definitely a tough task as their lifestyles are very different. Teaching as such is the same really. Same concepts to be taught with equal enthusiasm and efficiency.

TTT: Where do you see yourself five years from now?
Pallavi: I do not know. I can give you a nice fancy illusionary answer but that would be lying. I have immediate personal plans but no professional plans. Plans never work out. I would like to see myself on a global platform, so we’ll see if, how and when that happens.

TTT: Your advice for our young readers.
Pallavi: Do not direct your life as to how people suggest it should be. Follow your compass, whatever it is. There is a lot of manipulation in our society (oh yes!) but follow your gut. Push your boundaries — the bigger the risk, the bigger the return. And be sensible — work your strengths.

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