Abhinav Gangumalla was 25 when he witnessed the change in his life. “After a three-year corporate stint, I was pretty sure that I didn’t want to do it. I had my gnanodaya ; I was an enlightened soul,” he smiles. Abhinav’s life, at least in the initial stages, was every youngster’s dream. His student’s life was a blend of good fun and academics; He graduated with a gold medal from Gitam University, and went on to do his master’s from IIT Bombay. As an active sportsperson, he won many competitions too. he adds. “I was a nature lover; I also travelled different cities to explore new places. That was an opportunity to try new cuisine and understand their habits. ”
He was working in tolling and traffic management systems for the IBI group. “My boss (Deepak Darda) put me in a good place in the corporate ladder where I learnt composure, compassion and the ability to handle high amounts of stress while dealing with multi-crore tenders.” In the three years, he was also a consultant for firms. “When I was a product manager, we developed a product which was considered one of the top 25 innovations of the country in highway traffic management systems and was awarded by CII.” While work took him to different Indian cities, he was soaking in experience from these new environs. “I realised that there was a sustainable culture in all cities and the so-called modern development was trying make it homogeneous where you lose the fun. Diverse food experiences across different cities gave me a good exposure. What is the point in eating the same McDonalds in Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi?” he asks and shares the turning point. “As a nation, our problems are much more basic — like fixing the potholes, learn not to litter on roads, not go in wrong direction or not urinate in public.”
His vision
In 2009, he and his friend Santosh Banapuram started Hyderabad Goes Green, an organic green store. “It was very challenging because very few people knew what organic was, initially it was difficult to convince them.” Although he took a 75 percent pay cut due to the switch, Abhinav recollects never losing motivation. “All negative feelings fell in the face of a strong vision. I was married to the vision that I wanted a healthy India,” he shares adding how spirituality played a big part. “One has to detach from the karma and not let emotions ride high. Being attached to the vision helps me look at things objectively. A lot of people make mistakes because they don’t want to give up their idea. I am a learner and could leave at this end if I am educated by a better fact.”
After five years, when the duo decided to move on, he got into farming along with a friend Renu Rao who is into sustainability.
A new step was Sage Organics restaurant at Jubilee Hills which he co-founded along with Kavitha Mantha. Now, his life revolves around sustainability. “I run a farm Beyond Organic where I try to connect city folk with farming. Through Sage, we serve good food and my wife has a home run business of organic baby clothing. I have deep gratitude for my mentors, gurus and all those who supported me.”
(The column features people who dared to give up their lucrative jobs in pursue of their dream)
