Half an hour ago, I got off a call with the advertising legend, Piyush Pandey; the man behind iconic campaigns for Fevicol, Cadbury, IPL and Polycab. I had reached out to invite him to the next edition of Communion, a space where people come together to share, grow, and support each other.
Before I could say how much I admire his work, he told me Arun Lal had said great things about me.
In India, cricketers are larger than life. Arun Lal had hosted me for dinner in Kolkata a few days earlier. Members of Communion from the city were there. So was Kirti Azad - World Cup winner, 1983. I invited him to Communion too. He said yes.
I got connected to Arun Lal through Mudar. Mudar came into the picture because my sister, Sangeet, thought he would add value to the second Communion. She was at the first one. She believed in the idea.
Mudar said yes without hesitation. Because someone he trusted had trusted me.
People didn’t come in because I had some big title or fancy network. They came because they felt I meant it. Because I was honest about what I was trying to build. And because someone they trusted had felt the same.
That is how trust works. It moves through people. Quietly, but powerfully. One person says, ‘I know this is real,’ and the next person listens. That is how it grows.
The first person who trusted me without knowing me was Vijay Shekhar Sharma. I tweeted that I wanted to mentor people working on upstream health issues. He replied in one minute: ‘Count me in.’
That reply started something which I didn’t even visualise at that point.
He believed in me. And because he believed, others started believing too. That is how it began. One person saying yes.
That is the power of support. You help someone move forward. They help someone else. It keeps going. That is how Communion grew. There was no big strategy. Just people standing by each other.
But none of this works without honesty.
If people don’t feel you are real, they won’t trust you. You can’t fake it. You have to mean what you say. You have to give without keeping score.
When people know your heart is in the right place, they will stand with you.
If you are trying to build something; a company, a group, a change, start by standing with someone. Share what you know. Be honest. Be someone people can count on.
Things grow when people feel safe around you. When they know your words match your actions. That is what makes the difference. That is how it all starts.
The Growth Retreat 4.0 is announced
From the sacred banks of Rishikesh in 2022, to the vibrant culture of Kolkata in 2024, and the deep wilderness of Kanha later that year - Communion has been a journey of growth, reflection, and connection. Now, we come together once again for The Growth Retreat 4.0 in Pune, a city where tradition meets innovation, and where leaders gather to pause, reflect, and create the future.
For three days, amidst the serene luxury of The White Resorts, Pune, we will engage in conversations that matter - about business, leadership, innovation, purpose, and life itself.
This is not just a retreat; it is a communion of minds, ideas, and possibilities.
Dates - 18th-21st December 2025
⏮ Missed Last Week? Here's What Hit Home
The Scarcity Effect
Last Sunday we went to Pizza Express for lunch. We made no bookings since the place is usually empty. On reaching Mall of India, we discovered the restaurant had relocated to a smaller space within the mall. It was packed with people. We waited half an hour for a table.
Coming Soon
My New Book - REARVIEW
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Meet you on the Thirty Ninth Sunday (39/52) of 2025. Take care