About

The Road Less Traveled

“Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference” – Those are the immortal words of the poet Robert Frost and they capture the essence of my story.

Although I was technically born in Kakinada, I consider myself a native of Hyderabad. I grew up in this city, did most of my schooling in Bhavans, learnt to cycle in the lanes of Sanikpuri, and had by any measure, an idyllic childhood.

As I grew older however, the specter of my mediocre academic performance began to cast a shadow on my prospects, and sometime around Jr college, I was confronted with that eternal question.

To be, or not to be - - - an engineer.

You see it was around this time that I came to the realisation that while I was a great believer in scientific rationality my aptitude left a lot to be desired, when it came to the sciences. The sciences demand a mindset focused on facts, figures, and a rigorous attention to detail. I on the other hand thought and learnt in terms of stories, narratives, and archetypes. So rather than completely abandon the scientific enterprise, I decided to split the difference between the hard sciences & humanities and instead go into the social sciences. I took the path less traveled, and this turned out to be the greatest turning point in my life.

I got my undergraduate degree in Social Work from Osmania University, did my masters in Social Entrepreneurship form the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, worked for a few years and went back to finish my M.Phil from the school of humanities and social sciences at IIT Bombay.

The social sciences gave me a unique opportunity to bring an analytical approach and scientific rigor to how I understood the world. I excelled academically and flourished socially. I received awards and accolades for my work, learnt fascinating things that gave me a new perspective and met equally fascinating people that challenged that perspective.

I hung out with pickpockets & sex workers while doing empirical research on the streets of Mumbai, participated in policy discussions with politicians & civil servants in the halls of Delhi and even had a chance to break bread with some “former” Naxalites in the forests of central India.

Don’t get me wrong, my life was by no means a bead of roses. I started a business and failed at it. I tried to find love but had my heart broken a couple of times, and while I have managed to achieve some level of professional success, the journey here was not without my fair share of missteps and mishaps. Throughout all this however, I have never regretted the choice that I made all those years ago, because it is at the root every amazing experience and accomplishment I have in my life.

So, I invite all of you to live recklessly and occasionally, choose the road less traveled. Who knows when and where you may find your turning point.

My name is Prem and I thank you dear reader for giving me this opportunity to introduce myself.