The tale of Bengaluru-primarily based totally Shiva Kumar Nagendra offers testimony to Ralph Waldo Emerson’s well-known words — “If the unmarried guy flowers himself indomitably on his instincts, and there abides, this large global will come round to him.”
Growing up in an environment packed with issues and the bleakness of economic constraints, Shiva now no longer most effective helped his mother and father via way of means of doing peculiar jobs early in existence, however he additionally made them proud via way of means of staying unswerving to his schooling.
Years later, the little boy who offered newspapers grew up into a person of robust convictions and in 2013, cracked his manner via CAT tests and earned an area at IIM-Calcutta.
The Better India (TBI) stuck up with Shiva Kumar Nagendra to discover his wonderful existence adventure.
Giving Priority to Education
Born in Mysuru, Shiva’s mother and father moved to Bengaluru quickly after his start and this is in which he grew up.
“My father labored as a driving force at the same time as my mom took care of my sister and me at domestic.” Shiva credit his mother and father for sending him to college — Maruthi Vidyalaya — no matter their constrained economic means. He changed into the primary to acquire formal training in his whole own circle of relatives.
“It changed into critical for my mom that I attended the high-quality feasible English medium college inside what we should afford. She took quite a few delight in it,” he says.
Shiva’s mom firmly believed that an excellent schooling changed into his price price tag to success, and to that end, enrolled him in after college education lessons to assist him together along with his homework.
“She knew that there has been nobody at domestic who should assist me with my lessons. Till I should have a look at on my own, she by some means controlled to ship me to training lessons. It changed into nearly like she went via the whole adventure of training and getting to know together with me,” he says.
Shiva answered in kind. He made certain he gave his high-quality to his lessons. “I changed into continually an excellent scholar and the marks have been a supply of on the spotaneous motivation for me. It additionally helped that I changed into famous among the teachers,” he says with a smile.
Helping His Family Financially
Aware of the monetary scenario of his own circle of relatives, Shiva determined to supply newspapers withinside the morning whilst he changed into in magnificence four. “It wasn’t some thing that every person informed me to do. I could see a few different youngsters supply the morning newspapers and it appeared some thing I should do earlier than college began, and could additionally suggest a few extra cash for the own circle of relatives,” he remembers.
He earned Rs a hundred a month, however for Shiva, it changed into greater than simply cash, “I felt empowered,” he says. “I knew what my own circle of relatives’s economic function changed into. Working helped me deal with my small needs. I didn’t want to invite my mother and father for cash. I endured doing small jobs,” he says.
Working and making a living additionally helped form his worldview.
Shiva in no way checked out any activity as menial or under him — from washing cars, promoting flowers, to running in a retail store — he’s taken all of it as much as aid himself and his own circle of relatives.
“With the exposures I were given, I commenced know-how the cost of cash, what war meant, and what all I should acquire if I placed my thoughts to it,” he says.
Putting Experience To Practical Use
When Shiva changed into in magnificence 10, he were given an possibility to shop for a newspaper dealership.
“Having labored on deliveries for such a lot of years, I knew precisely what the structures have been and felt it'd be a awesome possibility to shop for the dealership,” he says.
A dialogue ensued among mom and son and that they prepare the primary instalment for the dealership via way of means of promoting a number of his mom’s gold jewellery.
Shiva remembers how he labored toward developing the enterprise. “A lot of my time after college changed into invested in making the enterprise better. Over the years from a distribution base of 50, we grew to nearly 800,” he says.
Currently, Shiva’s father manages the dealership. And even these days whilst there may be a scarcity of transport boys, Shiva is going round withinside the morning to supply newspapers.
Cracking His Way Through IIM-C
“My father met with an twist of fate after I changed into thirteen years vintage and the own circle of relatives went into extra economic trouble. We needed to pay my college rate too,” he says.
While considering what to do, Shiva thoughts went to Krishna Veda Vyas – a businessman to whom he brought newspapers. Gathering his courage, Shiva walked as much as Krishna at some point and asked him to pay his college charges.
Taken aback, Krishna nonetheless heard Shiva out and went to his college to confirm the details. Once he discovered out that the younger boy had now no longer most effective been telling the reality however changed into additionally a topper in his magnificence, Krishna determined to fund Shiva’s schooling.
From paying Shiva’s college charges to counselling him toward better studies, Krishna [uncle] has been a regular in Shiva’s existence.
“He has been a dad or mum to our son. Not most effective did he financially assist however additionally guided Shiva at each step. We are thankful for the contribution he has made to all our lives,” Shiva’s mother and father say.
Shiva went on to finish his engineering from the Bangalore Institute Of Technology and in October 2013, he scored 99.86 percentile in CAT examination.
“At each step of the manner Krishna uncle changed into with me – whether or not it changed into to put together for the organization dialogue, interview, or to jot down a be aware approximately myself for the software form. He held my hand via all of it,” says Shiva.
“There had been loopy demanding situations in existence – all you need to do is preserve running difficult and accept as true with that sooner or later matters will alternate and begin searching better,” says Shiva.
