On this train journey there are no shouts from the familiar seller “chaai” and “samsa”.
Instead, words like “startup”, “business plan” and “SWOT analysis” are heard in the AC chair car. In another place, in another place antaksshari continues, the participants sing “Kabhi Kabhi” in unison.
Life inside the special Jagriti Yatra train is special. Every day is unique, and every hour you live is an experience. The Yatris, as its passengers are called, often describes it as a “life-changing moment.”
This. Conceived in 2008, this year’s Yatra attracted 525 participants from different parts of India, selected after screening 47,000 applicants aged 21 to 27 years interested in entrepreneurship. Participants will then visit 12 destinations across India, covering 8,000 kilometers over a 15-day trip during which they will meet role models, observe business ventures and gain insight into how India works, with a special focus on Tier 2 areas and level 3. .
Some yatris from the 525-strong Jagriti Yatra
Traveling with them is a team of volunteers, a few former yatris, and a few foreigners trying to get an idea of how life is in rural India. They eat on platforms, share seats and duties on buses, and wait their turn in toilets. As the train moves through central India, friendships are formed, introverts open up to strangers, and somewhere along the way, business ideas are formed.
Jagriti Yatra, organized by the non-profit organization Jagriti Sewa Sansthan and running for 17 years, aims to do one thing: build India through entrepreneurship. “We want to create more job creators than job seekers,” says Ashutosh Kumar, CEO, Jagriti Yatra. According to some estimates, more than 800 million Indians live in tier-2 and tier-3 cities. “They don’t have ecosystems or role models, so they all migrate to larger cities in search of jobs that aren’t there. We need businesses that will contribute to local development.”
Different dreams
“I hope to meet my co-founder here,” says Agam Agarwal, a chartered accountant by profession and entrepreneur by passion, who runs the yatra. “I have a crazy idea that I want to do with someone on this train.” The majority of the rural population does not pay taxes, which deprives them of access to loans and government subsidies that they can take advantage of.” To achieve this, Agam hopes to create an information dissemination platform that will help rural people submit IT reports.
He is looking for a technician on the train to bring his plans to life. Just like Agam, there are several other people who have business opportunities. Take for example Tejaswini Kapadia from Solapur, who quit her corporate job to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams. “My younger brother and I are now engaged in the production of ghee and are planning to expand it. Ghee is an ancient Indian superfood and we want to take it to a global level,” says Tejaswini, who says she is doing this yatra to develop her personality and expand her network.
Yatri on a train |
This is also what Shivam Porwal, founder of IT consulting firm Expertsmania, does. A multi-talented professional based in Ahmedabad, Shivam’s driving force was connecting with like-minded people. “I firmly believe that your network is your net worth,” he says. “I was amazed that I could meet 500 people on one train. Through this journey you will understand the real India.” He thanks his fellow yatris, everyone he met during this journey, for helping him during the journey. “Affordability is an issue. I felt tired on the train and had a hard time at the stations. I understand that we are a minority, but just building a ramp will have a big impact on our lives,” says Shivam, who encourages every Indian with entrepreneurial dreams, including the physically challenged, to embark on this journey of a lifetime.
During this trip, some participants find investors or employees, and some find their life’s purpose. Some find life partners, as Jignesh Talasila, a graduate of Gitam University in Vishakapatnam, did in 2014 when he went on a yatra with his current wife Vishali Sagar. Many other established professionals also attribute their success to train travel, such as Prachi Shevgoankar (Cool the Globe), Aditi Madan (BluePine Foods) and Ayush Bansal (iDream Career), who also appeared on the popular business reality show -show. row, Shark Tank India.
Back to basics
While in Sri City (75 kilometers from Chennai), these yatris were able to get a glimpse into the manufacturing units and a visit to the Akshaya Patra Foundation in Vishakapatnam gave them insight into the organization’s work in providing nutritious meals to school children. As the train headed to Brahmapur in Orissa, Yatris went to Gram Vikas, an organization that helps rural communities lead a decent life by focusing on aspects of sanitation, hygiene and education, among others. Explains Chinmay Vadnere, executive director of Jagriti Yatra: “Someone is on the train from IIT, but there is also a farmer. The common desire of both is the development of the country. In this diverse crowd, we see not only communication, but also a sense of cooperation because they are all traveling together.”
Entrepreneurial Session on Board Jagriti Yatra |
Of the more than 8,500 people who have made the journey in recent years, 28% have started their own businesses after the yatra. According to Ashutosh, he has even more plans for the future. “We are thinking of conducting two yatras a year given the demand. We also want to conduct a ship yatra along the coast. Someday we hope this will happen,” he says.
Water will have to wait, but for now, the Jagriti Yatra 2024, which currently runs till December 1, is passing through places like Rajgir (Bihar) after which it will cover Deoria (UP), Delhi, Tilonia (Rajasthan). and will end in Ahmedabad.
As the train passes these towns and villages, late at night, just before the lights go out at 11 pm, the yatris are still discussing the day’s events. During this time, they also touch upon business ideas and processes in their home cities. In the morning, when the clock strikes six and the sun timidly appears, the yatris wake up to the stirring song of A.R. Rahman’s “Yeh Jo Des” from Shah Rukh Khan’s song. Swedes, which is played from speakers installed in all compartments. This is a completely new beginning – they could be in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa or Bihar – and they are awake and ready.
India is waiting.
Participants of the Jagriti Yatra.
ON THE TRAIN
WHO?
Anyone between the ages of 21 and 27 who hopes to become a changemaker or entrepreneur can apply. Professionals over 28 years of age can apply for the position of facilitator. This year, 47,000 applicants were received, of which 525 were selected for the trip. Selected participants will have to pay around Rs 70,000 for travel expenses, for which scholarships are provided for the underprivileged sections of society.
How?
This special train of Indian Railways is for yatra only and has 19 coaches. It stops at 12 locations across the country. Along the way, passengers not only interact with each other, but also meet social entrepreneurs and observe their business models.
What?
The train, designed as a university on wheels, usually runs overnight to its next location. Food is sometimes served on the train by a special catering team or on the platform. Although the amenities are much the same as any other train, each compartment has speakers for communication, chargers, clothes hangers and several bathing areas. Every morning, when passengers leave the house, it undergoes a deep cleaning.
For information and to apply for the yatra 2025, visit www.jagritiyatra.com.
