Each arrived with its own crisis — a glacier, an insurgency, a river, a narrative war — and its own constraints of terrain, culture or politics.
What stayed constant was the method: diagnose the real problem beneath the obvious one, design a strategy few would have attempted, and hand over a result stronger than the day I arrived.
Below are nine such cases, each with its own strategy, resistance and outcome. Read any one alone, and it looks like luck. Read all nine together, and a pattern emerges — the same one I now bring to any organisation’s hardest problem.
My book Lage Raho Leadership contains my leadership philosophy and strategic ideas. I am writing a new edition to share more knowledge.
Our Judima Festival led to a GI tag for India’s best tribal wine, Judima, 2015
Smt Pooja’s art of the Tricolour on Haer (Hari) Parbat, for influence operations (2021—22)
Prof. Najma, Vice-Chancellor of JMI, to Honorary NCC Colonel Commandant, 2023
‘We Love Marigold’ in the Marigold Fest of the Kangundi Climbing Festival, 2026
In spite of being a company commander (senior manager), I convinced our team to accept the vision of ‘No loss of life’. Thereafter, we planned training, equipping, medical weeding-out and an extended acclimatisation schedule to break the trend. The Universe helped with the rest.
‘Lolab (in North Kashmir) votes for India in Plebiscite 2010’ transformed 18 RR, suffering from the causes and effects of three soldier suicides, to win the Army’s award and a peace that spared 1,200 soldiers for the Line of Control.
With toffees, candles, songs and more, we united 13 tribes and 6 non-tribes under the ‘All Tribes, One India’ Tricolour Revolution for peace in Dima Hasao (Assam) and Jiribam (Manipur). The peace won spared 2,000 soldiers from rear-area security for deployment on the Northern border.
Studied the Quran, Political Islam and more for the role of Defence & Military Advisor in the High Commission of India, Islamabad, 2017–19. Warned the Government of India: ‘The Pulwama attack is a trap for Prime Minister Modi — the Pakistan Army wants the Bharatiya Janata Party/ National Democratic Alliance to lose the Indian General Election 2019’.
Coined #PakistanLiesDeceitDeception, #CPEC_Fraud, #HowPakistanArmyRunsPakistan, etc
A Tricolour Revolution, built on exposing Pakistan and winning the trust of Kashmiris. With the Army’s support, Kashmiris hoisted the Indian Tricolour at Lal Chowk, Hari Parbat, 90 government buildings in Srinagar and all 10 district courts, and protested against the killing of innocent citizens by Pakistani terrorists. Women of Kashmir stitched and sold 16,000 Tricolours for Har Ghar Tiranga. The bloodless peace that followed brought record tourist footfall.
Instilled a sense of pride in NCC staff and cadets by initiating the campaign ‘Once a Cadet, Always a Cadet’ and connecting it to the need to transform from ‘pride in ragda’ to ‘Amrit Kaal Ki NCC’ and ‘Amrit Kaal Ke Cadets’ for ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’. This, along with ‘ADG At Home’ for 60 annual camps, motivated cadets and staff, and attracted the best students to NCC. Finally, our staff’s focus on cadets under the policy of ‘Cadets First Always’, the Indian Armed Forces’ first podcast ‘Voice of Red Hackle’, and other initiatives motivated cadets to win the Runners-Up Cup among the 17 state directorates in India.
Used the social service component (25% of the syllabus) to engage Delhi’s 36,000 cadets in rebuilding the links between Maa Yamuna and Delhiites, and the Yamuna – Delhi Culture, through street plays and more. This led to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) including Yamuna revival in its Delhi Election Manifesto in January 2025, and to Prime Minister Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and the BJP Delhi Government of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta embracing ‘Maa Yamuna’ from February 2025 onwards.
As seva of Mahavatar Babaji TadEkam Foundation, led the transformation of a forgotten village into India’s newest bouldering and rock-climbing destination, in synergy with the Andhra Pradesh Government and the Indian Mountaineering Foundation. The theme ‘Climb in Culture’ aims at protecting and promoting local culture.
The strategy culminated in the First Kangundi Bouldering Festival and Kangundi Climbing Cup in January 2026. We are working to host this again in January 2027.
As seva of the TadEkam Foundation, strategised the revival of our holy rivers as life-givers by restoring the 1,200-year-old Sanatan tradition of Kumbh and Pushkaralu as platforms for Ruler, Saints and Society to join forces to clean them — beginning with Maa Godavari, 2026–2028.
The Maa Godavari Kumbh & Pushkaralu Strategy, 2026–2028, rests on three pillars: (1) Government to enact a Godavari Heritage River Act and a Brahmagiri Heritage Site Act, making encroachment and pollution illegal; (2) Saints and Swamis to declare the Godavari ‘Maa’ (Mother), with ecological seva to Her as the ritual dip (#SevaHiSnan); and (3) Society to make the villages on Her banks free of plastic, flex banners and Jal Tattva pollution.
"Assumed supremacy of tribal ethnicity is the key reason — I.E., Nagalim for Jesus Christ of the Nagas, Kukiland of the Kukis, Zoland of the Mizos, and so on."
Youth of 13 tribes and 6 non-tribes of Haflong, Assam, singing ‘Dima Hasao-19 Unity’ Song during World Tourism Day, 2015