The Neon Show Stories from India’s heartland that tell a different story than GDP headlines | Subroto Bagchi, Mindtree
“Push something a millimetre in the private sector, you make an inch of progress. In the public sector, it’s a mile of progress.”
Subroto Bagchi started his career as a clerk in the Odisha government in 1976, leaving postgraduate studies. Today, eight years after serving at the rank of cabinet minister in the same government, he has certainly changed countless lives, not nameless faces. In this conversation, he passionately shares stories of young men and women from Odisha who overcame generational challenges by getting skilled, gaining not just jobs but identity.
While this conversation could have focused on his remarkable journey building Mindtree in 1999 with 9 Co-founders and taking it to IPO, it goes beyond entrepreneurship. It’s about stories from hinterland India, seen through the eyes of a founder who spent 16 years in the private sector before serving his home state. Subroto also reflects on India’s big picture: instead of just chasing the trillion-dollar goal, we should also focus on improving quality of life for the 94% in the unorganized sector.
This episode shares stories beyond metros, it highlights how building scalable solutions in business can translate into meaningful social impact.
0:00 – Trailer
1:47 – 10-6-4-2 Method to evaluate ITIs
6:15 – Muni Tigga: Locomotive Pilot story
9:12 – Basanti Pradhan: Story of 50% of garment workers in Tiruppur from Orissa
15:49 – Sumati Nayak: How skills give us identity
19:16 – Joy of building Mindtree vs. joy of working in govt
20:35 – The difficult stories of people moving away for Jobs
23:32 – How Mr.Subroto accepted the Job?
31:13 – The story behind “The Day the Chariot Moved”
33:26 – How 8 years in hinterland India changed Mr. Subroto
37:14 – India vs. Bharat
42:04 – India’s priorities beyond the $5 trillion economy
43:43 – Quality of life for a gig worker in India vs. a developed country
45:29 – Reality of 94% India that is unorganised
47:50 – What India gives its vocationally trained students?
49:09 – Stereotypes about govt, that maybe not true anymore
52:03 – The highly efficient & incorrupt politicians
54:00 – Where the government has succeeded in delivery?
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This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.
Find Mr.Subroto Bagchi's latest book here: The day the Chariot Moved