Attitude, AI, and Jail: Stories On Success and Progress
Unlikely Lessons from a Hollywood Star, AI, and India’s License Raj
I build businesses to pursue a rich life. I share lessons I learn along the way.
Here are this weeks insights:
When Success Meant Jail: A Story from Pre-1980 India
What a Hollywood Star and a Security Guard Taught Me About Success
What If AI Could Speak to Every Indian in Their Language?
You can access previous editions of my weekly emails here. Let’s begin!
(1) When Success Meant Jail: A Story from Pre-1980 India
Can you imagine going to jail because your business did better than expected? It sounds absurd, but this was the reality of India during what is defined as the first era post independence (1947–1979) as described in Behold The Leviathan: The Unusual Rise of Modern India. Businesses in those years operated under stringent regulations now referred to as 'License Raj', where success could be a criminal offense.
Breaking the Law by Meeting Demand
During a flu epidemic in India, sales of Vicks cough and cold products skyrocketed. To meet the soaring demand, factory workers put in overtime, and the company declared record profits. What should have been a moment of celebration turned into one of dread.
The company had unknowingly exceeded the production capacity authorized by its government license. This was illegal. The company secretary and lawyers, visibly shaken, informed management that they may face a jail sentence.
Sure enough, the government summoned them to Delhi for a preliminary hearing. Two lawyers accompanied Mr. Das to the joint secretary’s office, where they waited for hours. The officer, absorbed in his newspaper, greeted them with indifference.
A Battle of Logic and Bureaucracy
When Das explained the situation—that they had worked overtime to ensure pharmacies were stocked during the epidemic—the officer was unmoved. “But you have broken the law!” he thundered. Das argued that punishing a company for helping millions during a public health crisis seemed absurd. Yet, his logic fell on deaf ears. The officer abruptly ended the meeting, leaving no room for negotiation.
As Das reached the door, he turned back and asked how India would appear on the world stage if news broke that the government punished a company for alleviating suffering during an epidemic.
“Are you threatening me?” the officer roared. Das calmly replied, “No, sir. I’m appealing to your common sense as a fellow citizen.” He was told to get out of his office.
A Glimpse into Pre-1980 India
This story captures the paradox of India’s early years of independence. Success, even during a public health crisis, could be punished under draconian regulations. Businesses were tightly controlled, and innovation often clashed with bureaucracy.
During those years the only ones who did well were families that had already achieved success pre-independence like the Tatas, Birlas, M&M, Godrej and TVS. For everyone else, the first thirty years after independence was a challenging time. It’s a reminder of how far India has come.
(2) What a Hollywood Star and a Security Guard Taught Me About Success
What do a Hollywood star and a night-shift security guard have in common? It turns out, more than you’d think. Both Margot Robbie and Kawade reminded me that curiosity and persistence are often the most valuable skills in achieving what you want.
Margot Robbie’s rise to fame didn’t start with red carpets and blockbuster movies. It started with relentless phone calls. She wanted an audition for Neighbors, a popular Australian TV show, so she called Fremantle Media every day. Most times, she was dismissed or redirected. But Margot didn’t give up. One day, someone made the mistake of putting her through to the casting agent.
When she finally spoke to Jan Russ, Margot said “I’m in town working on something,” —the truth being that she was in town working at Subway. But it worked. The casting agent needed a 17-year-old girl, and Margot fit the bill. The rest, as they say, is history. Today Margot Robbie is a successful actress that has had nominations for three Academy Awards, six BAFTA Awards and four Golden Globe Awards.
Even after making it big, Margot hasn’t stopped reaching out to the people she wants to work with. This habit reminds me that if I am persistent enough and willing enough to chase opportunities, then I am likely to get what I want.
Kawade, though from a completely different world, embodied the same spirit. I read his story by Gurcharan Das in The Victory Project: Six Steps to Peak Potential. As a night-shift security guard, he could have stuck to his job description. Instead, he approached everything with curiosity and enthusiasm. He taught himself to operate the telex machine, answered the phones after hours, and even mastered the film projector. Kawade’s mindset was: If there’s something to learn, why not learn it?
Like Margot, Kawade didn’t wait for permission to grow. When an opportunity arose to temporarily take over the office switchboard, he asked for the chance—even when others doubted him. And when he got it, he proved them wrong. His attention to detail and attitude of service transformed the workplace.
Both stories highlight a powerful truth: you don’t have to start with all the answers, the perfect skills, or the ideal circumstances. What matters is showing up every day with curiosity and persistence. Margot’s unrelenting phone calls and Kawade’s willingness to dive into any task share the same lesson: Opportunities often come to those who don’t give up on what they want to do.
It’s a reminder that whether you’re reaching for Hollywood or striving to make an impact in an office, the principles are the same. Be curious. Be persistent. And above all, don’t wait for permission to grow into who you want to be.
(3) What If AI Could Speak to Every Indian in Their Language?
India is a land of staggering contrasts. With a population of approximately 1.4 billion, it is the fifth-largest economy in the world. Yet, it is categorized as a poor country, ranking 136th out of 194 nations in per capita income, which stands at a modest ₹2.4 lakh or $2,700. Despite its global stature, India grapples with immense challenges: only 10.6% of its population speaks English, 26% remain illiterate, and nearly 48%—690 million people—lack access to the internet.
But there’s more to India than statistics. Over the past week, I’ve been reading Behold The Leviathan: The Unusual Rise of Modern India, and it’s deepened my understanding of the contrasts and complexities that define my country. This is a country as diverse as Europe, not just in language but in culture, religion, and standard of living. Walk a few kilometers, and you’ll encounter a new dialect, a different cuisine, and a unique way of life. It’s this diversity, paired with technology, that holds the promise of transformation.
What If AI Could Transform India?
Imagine a world where AI bridges the knowledge gap across India’s 28 states and 8 union territories. What if it could seamlessly communicate in all 22 official languages, empowering every Indian in their mother tongue?
Let’s dream further. Imagine AI creating hyper-localized data models tailored to every district, town, and state. Picture a farmer in rural Bihar being advised, in his local dialect, on the best fertilizer to use, while also learning about government subsidies and market opportunities to sell his produce.
What if children in remote villages could receive a world-class education through AI-powered tools? Credentials earned digitally could be linked to their identities, connecting their skills to employers in Mumbai—or even Switzerland.
This isn’t just wishful thinking. It’s already happening.
The Foundations of Change Are Being Built
At the forefront of this revolution is AI4Bharat, a lab at IIT Madras, building a digital public good for India. Its open AI stack includes high-quality data, models, and tools for Indic languages. With support from initiatives like Bhashini, AI4Bharat now supports speech capabilities in 11 Indian languages and text capabilities in 22 languages, bringing AI closer to every corner of the country.
On another front, ONEST (Open Network for Education and Skilling Transformation) is working to align India’s vast labor market by matching supply with demand.
India’s technology backbone is already world-class. Aadhaar has given every citizen a unique digital identity. Jan Dhan Yojana has provided financial access to millions. Affordable mobile phones and the world’s cheapest data—₹14 ($0.17) per GB, compared to $5.62 in the US—have democratized the internet. Platforms like UPI have made money transfers instant and free, facilitating $2.17 trillion in annual transactions.
A Slow, Steady Revolution
Change takes time, but the signs are undeniable. India is on a path to redefining its global image—not just as an IT hub or a pharmaceutical powerhouse, but as a country where technology and innovation uplift every citizen.
As AI continues to evolve, it holds the potential to transform India into a model of inclusive growth. The journey is long, but with the foundations in place and dreams aligned with action, India is changing—for the better.
Harsh Batra (LinkedIn)
Thank you for reading. If you’re curious about the businesses I build, here they are:
iDeals VDR - If you are running M&A transactions, planning an IPO, or sharing anything confidential online, you won’t find a better Virtual Data Room partner than us. Here is a 90 second video of iDeals. Companies like Pfizer, Mercedes and Tata trust us. Thousands of investment bankers, lawyers and insolvency professionals use us everyday to run their due diligence processes. If you have a need to share anything sensitive online, send me an email on harsh@idealscorp.com. I’d love to work with you.
Happy Ratio - I founded Happy Ratio because I am immensely passionate about health. To get the most out of life you need to be healthy. To be healthy you need to eat the right foods and drink the right beverages. But this is not always possible or easy. Happy Ratio provides clean, tasty and healthy foods and drinks. Check out our menu on Zomato and Swiggy. Or visit us at our quick service restaurant at CyberHub in Gurgaon. We serve employees from Deloitte and Marks & Spencers and do events for companies like Samsung and Oppo. If you want us to do an event for you reach out to us at ops@happyratio.com.
Marcellus Investment Managers - I am a Marcellus client because their investment philosophy resonates with how I think about investing. Their approach to investing in clean, honest and cash flow positive businesses can yield stupendous results over time. I trust them with my savings and evangelize their approach. Investing comes with inherent risks so please do your own due diligence before deciding where to put your money. I am also an Independent Financial Advisor with Marcellus.