Dr. Surya Tahora
Dr. Surya Tahora is a Professor of Science of Spirituality at SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai, India and Head of CWIL (Centre for Wisdom and Leadership) Before entering into the academic domain, Surya worked for several years for multinational organizations in marketing and strategic planning at a global level in Europe and Asia. His areas of competence and interest are Eastern Philosophy, Contemplative Practices, Cognitive Neurosciences, Personal Growth and Ethics and their applications for organisations and society.
He has co-authored a book titled ‘Living the Vision of Oneness: exploring realities and growing as an individual’ on the relevance of Indian wisdom tradition for the modern world, translated several books of traditional Vedanta from Sanskrit and English to French, written cases, articles and chapters for books in the field of Wisdom and Leadership. He is regularly invited to give talks, seminars and retreats on Indian Philosophy and Human Development around the world.
Some of the popular courses and corporate trainings he is conducting are Leading with Wisdom; Insights & Practices for Lasting Success; Journey to Self-Mastery; The Quest for Meaning and Fulfillment, Practices to anchor yourself in a chaotic world, Contemplative Practices for Leaders, freeing yourself from limiting mental models, Navigating intelligently through ups and downs of life
Dr. Dinyar Patel
Dr. Dinyar Patel is a historian of modern India, focusing on Indian nationalism, the city of Bombay/Mumbai, and the Parsi Zoroastrian community. He is interested in biography as a tool for understanding political and economic leadership and decision-making processes. He is currently Assistant Professor of History at the S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR) in Mumbai, where he is developing courses on the history of capitalism and Indian economic and business history. Prior to joining SPJIMR, he was Assistant Professor of History at the University of South Carolina, where he received Fulbright and National Endowment for the Humanities fellowships. Patel earned his PhD in History from Harvard University in 2015 and his BA in International Relations from Stanford University in 2004.
Patel’s first book, Naoroji: Pioneer of Indian Nationalism, was published by Harvard University Press and HarperCollins India in May 2020. The book is a biography of Dadabhai Naoroji (1825-1917), India’s first nationalist leader, the first Asian elected to the British Parliament, and one of the most innovative economic thinkers from the colonial world. It demonstrates how Naoroji contributed to the growth of global anti-colonialism by putting Indian nationalism in touch with Irish nationalism, British and European socialism, American Progressives, and African-American and West Indian political activists.
Patel is the co-editor of two published volumes: From Ghalib’s Dilli to Lutyens’ New Delhi, with Mushirul Hasan (Oxford University Press, 2014); and Dadabhai Naoroji: Selected Private Papers with S.R. Mehrotra (Oxford University Press, 2016). He has written for the New York Times online, BBC News, Atlantic, Indian Express, Hindu, India Today, Scroll.in, and Himal Southasian. At the moment, he is researching and writing a book on Indian nationalism through 1920.
Publication
The following book chapter by Dr. Dinyar Patel is published in Srinath Raghavan and Venu Madhav Govindu, eds., The Fourth Lion: Essays for Gopalkrishna Gandhi, Delhi: Aleph, 2021, pp. 57-67.
Chapter Title: "Pa Rishi': Gandhi's Constructive Critiques of Parsi Culture and Society"
Web link: https://www.alephbookcompany.com/book/the-fourth-lion-a-festschrift-for-gopalkrishna-gandhi/
During the Non-Cooperation Movement, Mohandas K. Gandhi initiated a sustained engagement with the Parsis of India. In spite of his quip about a Parsi being a ‘pa rishi' (one-fourth a sage), Gandhi was an insightful and objective commentator on the community’s internal affairs, poking holes in Parsis’ self-assuredness and calling into question their self-congratulatory demeanour. This article delves into his specific critiques and investigates why Gandhi became so involved in the affairs of the Parsi community during the early 1920s. It forms a chapter in a festschrift volume for Gopalkrishna Gandhi, scholar, administrator, diplomat, and former governor of West Bengal.
Dr. Dinyar Patel's book, 'Naoroji: Pioneer of Indian Nationalism' has been reviewed by the London Review of Books.
Weblink: https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v43/n17/priya-satia/a-few-heroic-men
Rachna Wadhwa is a Faculty Associate (Research) at SP Jain Institute of Management & Research, India, and currently pursuing a Doctorate of Business Administration from Manipal GlobalNxt University, Malaysia. Before joining SPJIMR, Rachna was Asst. Professor at Manipal University Bangalore Campus training probationary officers from public & private sector banks and conducting faculty development programs.
Her academic achievements include MBA (HRM), MA (Edu), MCom, BCom & BEd. She has over 12 years of experience working as a Trainer/Facilitator, Content writer, Instructional Designer and Researcher. Rachna has published papers in National & International journals on topics such as Emotional Intelligence, Human Capital Management and Organisational Culture. Her research interests include Leadership, Spirituality in Management, Training & Development, Emotional intelligence, Organizational Culture & Diversity.
