“Cross-Cultural Intersection” – Interview of WHEELS President (Ratan Agarwal)

By Lalita Dileep (a WHEELS Global Foundation supporter and frequent contributor with blogs & articles at www.Calmunication.org/.  Below article appeared in August 2023 issue of community magazine ‘Somerset Run Extra’, and has been shared by the Author for WHEELS audience)

Ratan Agarwal hails from Alwar, Rajasthan, in north-western India, the state of historical forts, a world-famous tourism destination related to palaces, camel safaris, exotic foods, jewelry, and clothing. As a young man, he spread his wings by completing his engineering degree at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, one of the premier institutes in the world. Graduates from this leading institution are considered the crème de la crème of students, not only in India, but the world over. Ratan tells us with barely suppressed pride that in 2005 the US Congress passed a resolution, recognizing the enormous contribution of IIT alumni to the US economy. This unusual and significant development came to pass, based on a study that took into account their contributions to senior leadership, patents, building and launching new companies, and so forth.

Ratan incorporates in himself the traditions and richness of his heritage along with education as he made his way to the US via Montreal. After working for many years with Cisco, he switched paths to a startup based on sustainability, eventually making a home in Somerset Run. As he continued to evolve his career choices, Ratan is now fully immersed in the WHEELS (Water, Health, Education, Energy, and Livelihood & Sustainability) Global Foundation. Ratan says, “In my role as the President, I am connected to my IIT alumni community, numbering approximately half a million globally, actively involved in initiatives of technology and entrepreneurship to improve the lives of “rurban” India.” He continues, “There is unique value in working with the leadership of the most accomplished graduates of IIT, dedicating their time, resources and much-needed financial contribution to support more than a dozen high-impact initiatives in different parts of India”.

Projects undertaken include providing affordable sanitary napkins via dispensers to womenfolk in remote areas, addressing malnutrition in rural, tribal and even urban areas via tutorials, providing mental health support to middle and high school students as well as rural telemedicine to name a few. Expanding on these ongoing projects, Ratan speaks to the use of smart software and integrated strategies at telemedicine appointments by physicians using seven targeted medical devices to allow proper diagnostics so patients can receive proper care.

Continuing to highlight other programs, Ratan tells us about six different districts where they have initiated training for proper breastfeeding techniques by the use of tutorials. He also highlights, that as part of their water mission, they covered more than 30 farmers, and next they are focusing their attention on the state of Himachal Pradesh which is facing acute water shortage by addressing underground spring rejuvenation on track to impact 6 million population. As a spokesperson for the organization, it is clear the WHEELS team is committed to their mission statement to transform 20% of Rurban India by 2030 by harnessing the full potential of the technology heritage & massive ecosystem of the IIT network and its well-resourced alumni community & aligned professionals.

Even as he highlights the diverse and scalable projects in India, which comprised the initial focus of the groups, Ratan is very excited about their latest project based in Washington DC. Outlining it, Ratan says, “We are trying to make an impact at the Department of Correction in Washington DC with the prison inmates by imparting IT skills”.” This will allow individuals to seek decent jobs and rehabilitate themselves in society in a meaningful way”. “Rebuilding lives is our goal and we think equipping them with IT skills will be a big step in the right direction”. As a pilot project, WHEELS tested this in a prison in India. 

Ratan highlights that there are more than 90,000 IIT graduates residing in the USA who are eager to extend social enterprise. This group continues to work towards sustainable development through rural transformation. Acutely aware of how the Covid pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, and the supply chain disruptions have further impacted economic uncertainties, WHEELS wants to continue its attention on two-thirds of the global population who reside in rural areas, who have been further impacted. Says Ratan, “Our goal is to transform these rural communities to become engines of economic growth and future markets”. My conversation with Ratan Agarwal is both uplifting and inspiring to see how social engagement and change can be carried forward both as a personal motto and as a role model for public advocacy.

For more information, please visit WHEELSGlobal.org.