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Monday 26 June 2017

Team Indus – Towards Moon with Young legs

When I googled about Team Indus few weeks back, in search result I got many links and purposely I decided to ignore original link of Team Indus website and hopped on to some other links and in one of those links I read this statement “Team Indus is an Aero Space start up “.  Wow, doesn’t this sound really cool ?:) My cursorily to know details about “Team Indus” got even bigger than the curiosity of scientists to know about Moon and Mars.

The invite to satisfy my curiosity was there in my email box and it read “Team Indus Open House” and few days later there I was in premise of Team Indus near to Bengaluru Airport. The place looked really cool from outside and to be honest looked different from various other office premises. Sessions went one by one and I could see how curious people were to know about Team Indus including many kids. We got to see various sections inside the campus having different space equipment, It was a new thing for me personally seeing such stuff from naked eyes.

Space Rovers
We got enlightened about how all these spaces programs work including some really tough scientific terms which I have no idea about :). We got to see Rovers used to read surface and environment on moon, we got to see their development corridor and also probably one of the most important part of any space program, the mission control system. Every member of team was eager and more than happy to answer any questions throughout the sessions.

About Team Indus :

Team Indus is funded by many groups and is guided by many acclaimed scientists like Mr. N.S Hegde who was mission control director of ChnadraYan- 1. They have people across age groups, from people in their early 20s to experienced people, people from different streams of technology like IT, Mechanical and even medical. They are working on mission to send first Indian private rover on moon in order to compete for Google Lunar Prize and It Is only Indian team competing for the Google Lunar XPRIZE. The $30M Google Lunar XPRIZE is a global competition to challenge and inspire engineers and entrepreneurs to develop low-cost methods of robotic space exploration. Team Indus has been trying to promote young talents along with their growth and have done many programs for same purpose like inviting young students to send instruments they would want to send on moon and how that instrument can be useful.


  • Founded in 2010 by Rahul Narayan.
  • Have been funded and supported by many Organizations
  • Only Indian company in last 5 for Google Lunar XPRIZE competition.
  • Have done Partnership with ISRO’s commercial section “Antrix Corporation” to launch its mission craft on 28th December 2017.
  • Individuals can be part of this open mission in many ways.
The Mission Control System

As I am not a Sci-fi person at all, it’s not easy for me to write about mission details and how it is going to have an impact on space research growth but to see a startup in this field is not usual at least in India. The best people to answer all these will be Team Indus members itself and they are always active on Social media to help anyone who wants to know more.

Team Indus does many informative sessions on Twitter, do follow them if you want to know more about space. 

Wishing all the best to them and hoping that 28th December will be their date to remember for lifetime. 

Friday 16 June 2017

A short Q and A with Shradha Sharma of YourStory

Shradha Sharma is founder of Yourstory Media, a company that gives platform to various type of startups and help them get recognized. Before starting YourStory she had worked with Times of India and CNBC TV 18. She has won many awards in media and startup space like Fortune 40 under 40, ET promising entrepreneurs of India Award, Loreal Paris Femina Online Influence Award, Villgro Journalist of the Year.


Pic: Facebook Profile 

Here is a short fun Q&A with her mostly related to personal side of her rather than the entrepreneurial side. 

Q : While starting young did you ever plan for where you have reached today or did you even imagine it? (Like motivational speakers say that visualize what you want to be in future 😊)

A : Actually no, I have let life happen to me, in fact, to tell you the truth I still don’t know how people can answer what will they do five years from now etc. I have lived in moments and max months etc. Though, have given everything to those moments.

Q : What worries you more when you are alone ? except ghosts

A : Oh, ghosts do worry me :-) losing my close ones, having experienced it once, i know its reality, though I have still not been able to accept it, and probably will never be.

Q : Given a chance to go back in time, what age would you go back and what different you would do?

A : My current age, I have totally, madly loved all the ages I have lived in. Childhood and growing up years were tough, but I wouldn’t be me if it was not for those years. No turning back :-)

Q : What is the best compliment you have got from anyone for your work?

A : That I am very perceptive and kind in most difficult situations, can see compassionately even people who are trying hard to sabotage me :-) And it may be hard to believe, but this has helped me professionally.

Q : Have you ever received any awkward comment for work? what was that ?

A : oh, all the time, mostly, she doesn’t have what it takes to get there :-) or I am too emotional, too clumsy, too stupid, too money minded, too clever, too shrewd.. its endless…. blah blah blah, honestly, it hurts a lot less now.

Q : One thing you want to tell that no one knows about you yet?

A : I am a romantic through and through :-)  believe in magic and love

Q : Funniest Startup story you have heard of?

A : So many, in fact, let me narrate you a story that happened to me many a years back, like initial years of YourStory, I interviewed this amazing, driven, young  entrepreneur on the phone and towards the end of the call I told him, please send me the best photograph of yours. And lo and behold, he sends me his marriage photo while he is sitting in the shaadi mandap, holding his bride's hand :-) and the other one was him climbing on the tree and posing. Even writing about it makes me laugh.. still..after so many years. What an adorable memory. And between I am still in touch with him.

Q : Are Facebook and twitter blocked for personal use in Yourstory during office hrs ? 😊

A : hahahaaa, of course not.

Q : Put yourself in shoes of an employee of YourStory, what would be that one thing that you want to change in your boss?

A : Haahahaa, so so so many things, one would be to have more time to interact with each and everyone. To spend quality time together. To be less emotional. 

Q : You get offer to exchange YourStory for something? What it would be for?

A : NOTHING. YS is the magic that I live everyday.

Q : What is one thing you hate most about your job ?

A : Time management, I suck big time at it. Sometimes, I want to run away to a jungle and sleep for hours and hours in the nature.

Q : Why did you agree to give this Q&A interview? 😊

A : Because, I like you and you have “still” not given up on me.

Q : Any one question that you want to ask yourself ? and also answer too ? 😊

A : What is my state of mind most times?
      Hopeful !

You can follow her on Twitter @SharmaShradha