FICCI - Motivational Talk by Ted Speaker Arjun Vajpai

Youngest Indian to climb Mount Everest, Arjun Vajpai addressed 150 plus FLO members on “Dream Big and Dare to Chase It”

Next big thing on the cards for Arjun Vajpai is to climb all the 14 highest mountain peaks in the world which are above 8,000 meters. Only 28 persons in the world conquered them so far. And there is no Indian in that list. Youngest person in this elite list is of 33 years. And he wants to beat that record by climbing all of them at the earliest.

FLO launches “Swayam”, a support cell to help women entrepreneurs set up Startup Businesses, and help its members to convert their ideas into professional businesses

India needs around 40,000 Independent Directors in near future. To fill this gap, FLO decides to take an initiative nationally to train its members to raise their bar to utilize the opportunity: Rekha Lahoti, Chairperson, FLO Hyderabad Chapter

Hyderabad, August 14, 2015…..Dreams do come true. Have a dream and live it. I have dreamt of scaling Mount Everest, which is 9 kms above the sea level. I inched towards scaling Mt Everest step by step. The only secret behind scaling Mount Everest at such a tender age of 16 was because I had a never give up attituted. I tried many sports except criecket. I never failed. I never gave up. I always worked hard to achieve my dream said Arjun Vajpai, the young Indian to climb Mount Everest while addressing an interactive seminar on “Dream Big and Dare to Chase It”. The Session was organised by FICCI Ladies Organisation. It was his maiden visit to Hyderabad.

Speaking further he said “nothing was impossible in my life. I always dreamt and achieved hard way, he said. After I scaled Mount Everest, I felt like top of the world. I cant describe my feeling in words. I felt like sun raising under my feet, he said. Another beautiful experience I had while I knelt for twenty odd minutes on summit was to experience the purest form of the nature, he said.

80 per cent of accident occur while coming back from the summit. I also landed in a trouble and I have seen the death from close quarters. But, I didn’t give up, said.

Everybody sitting here has a mountain to conquer. It is how well you identify and chase it is what matters, said the 22years old mountaineer. My dream is to to achieve few milestones, not many Indians attempted before. He said there were 14 highest mountain peaks in the world which were above 8,000 meters. All these peaks were climbed by only 28 persons in world, and there was no Indian in that list. Youngest person in this elite list was of 33 years. I would like to make an attempt, he said. He also wants to take up a Three Pole Challenge--Mt. Everest, Unsupported Ski Expedition to North Pole and Unsupported Ski Expedition to South Pole. Youngest person to have achieved this is of 25 years. He also would like to try climbing Seven Highest Peaks in the Seven Continents.

Arjun spoke to 150 plus FLO members gathering and answer their questions.

Earlier, FICCI Ladies Organization (FLO), a national body which is a division of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) launches “Swayam”, a support cell for women entrepreneurs. FLO Hyderabad was the first chapter in India to announce this initiative, which will be nationally launched in a function to be held in Delhi on September 10.

Swayam is our pan India initiative, declared Rekha Lahoti, Chairperson of FLO Hyderabad addressing a press conference here in city. It is our endeavor to create a platform for providing business mentoring and learning opportunities for evolving, existing and aspiring women entrepreneurs enabling them to become more socio economically independent, Rekha added.

Speaking further, Rekha Lahoti informed that through Swayam, FLO plans to provide support to budding and existing women entrepreneurs in establishing a new Business. FLO will also extend Marketing and Branding Strategies for their business, Govt. Finance and Promotional Schemes through MSMEs, Bank Finance (Term loan or working capital), Equity Funding(Venture capital), Tie up with HR agencies etc.

There will be a panel of specialists who understand the needs of the Startups. Backed by FICCI FLO, one of India's premier business associations, the handpicked experts will be made available at hand to convert our members ideas into a business. We will help them set up their businesses professionally. We do a handholding to take them to the next level. We will help them raise funds for their venture, market their products, Rekha added. The entire Swayam activities will be coordinated by Sujini Dundoo, sheinformed.

Our panelists are highly equipped, not only to handhold our members through their Startup journey, but also will provide a roadmap and act as a savvy guides leading to their entrepreneurial destiny. All we want the member is to bring along a handful of grit, determination and conviction to see their business ideas go through, Rekha said.

Sujini Dundoo who is spearheading the initiative outlined the vision and mission of the Swayam.

Followed by the launch of Swayam, held a motivational talk by a 22 years old professional mountaineer and a TED Speaker, Arjun Vajpai who is an exemplary example and had the courage to pursue his dream.

Arjun Vajpai is the Youngest Indian to Climb Mt. Everest. He also holds another world record, “The youngest person in the world to have done three 8000 meter peaks”. He is an avid mountaineer, a Taikwondo and Karate national level player too. He is the recipient of CNN-IBN Young Indian Leader Award, Times Now Amazing Indian Award and NDTV's Marks for Sports Nirmal Lifestyle Award. He is a motivational speaker who addressed the gatherings in Aditya Birla, Proctor and Gamble, Pepsi Co, Ernst and Young, Castrol, various schools and colleges.

Welcoming the gathering Rekha Lahoti said FLO nationally would like to take an initiative to encourage its members to train themselves to be Women Independent Directors of the companies. The New Company’s Act envisages all Listed Public Companies to have at least one-third of the total number of directors as Independent Directors and a certain class of companies to have at least one Women Director. Thus, India needs around 40,000 Independent Directors in near future. That is why FLO soon will embark on this initiative nationally and spearhead the same across the country. Towards this direction, we will in our next meeting on August 17, have a session on Women Corporate Directors. The session will be conducted by four Directors of KMPG, she informed.