![\"TBI_Anuradha](\"http://www.beyondiversity.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/TBI_Anuradha-Kedia_Founder_The-Better-India_1.jpg\")
Q1: Tell us about your journey. How did you choose the path you are on?
Ive been a Bangalorean pretty much all my life. After graduating from RVCE as a civil engineer, I worked in the construction and real estate sector for four years and then went to the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad. Post ISB, I briefly re-entered the real estate sector in the field of valuation and consulting. However, very soon, I felt the need to do something different and think beyond the conventional. In 2009, I co-founded an online news portal called The Better India (www.thebetterindia.com) along with my husband and ISB batch-mate Dhimant Parekh. Reading the daily newspapers was becoming quite depressing and we figured that in a nation as large as ours, there is bound to be a lot more good than bad. So why should only the bad get amplified? Why isnt someone talking about all the amazing things that people of this country are doing? Why isnt there a media company that focuses on these unsung heroes, these innovations? We decided to start our own platform and hence TBI was born as a side-project. However, it grew very quickly and has become our full-time venture now.
Q2: What were the challenges that you faced on your way?
The biggest challenge during the initial days of running The Better India was to get genuine stories of change, consistently. It was very tough for the 2 of us to try and track down unsung heroes, change-makers across the country.
Q3: How would you compare your career with some… lets say a more conventional one?
I believe every career has its own set of distinctive advantages and disadvantages. Its quite difficult to compare different careers. Conventional careers do give you the security and a better work-life balance. Doing your own start-up comes with its risks and long working hours of work that easily extend into your personal time. But I also love the fact that I get to work on things I am really passionate about.
Q4: What do you love the most about your work?
Everyday is challenging for us because we have to figure out what are the positive stories that are going to go out that day. I love working with our team on identifying subjects to talk about. I also love the fact that almost every story we write ends up catalyzing large-scale impact on the ground.
Q5: What are your biggest achievements so far?
Weve had numerous instances of people writing to us saying that our stories inspired them to go out there and do good. Recently, a story we covered about a Whatsapp group being used by a few farmers in Maharashtra, went really viral. This group helped farmers get advice and support in an extremely suicide-prone area. Our article became so popular that a local officer read it out on a projector to 1200 farmers! These farmers are now hugely benefiting by getting important information via the Whatsapp groups and they continue to thank TBI for writing about the group.
Q6: What keeps you going?
The impact that we create with almost every story makes us want to grow TBI even more. It makes us want to reach out to many more people so that we can help out the unsung heroes of India and amplify the change being done by everyone.
Q7: Who do you look up to for inspiration?
We are inspired when our readers tell us how our work is inspiring them every single day!
Q8: What is your take on biases against women?
Gender biases do exist. And hence it is extremely important for women to stand up for our rights. We should do everything it takes to assert our viewpoints and ensure that gender is never a reason for us not reaching where we want to go.
Q9: What is your message for women who want to pursue their dreams?
Be positive and focus on what you really love doing. Rest all will fall in place.
Q10: What drives you and fulfils you ?
Creating impact, learning history and travelling.
Q11: What do you want to accomplish in the time you have?
We hope to make TBI synonymous with positive news in the country. We want to change the way news is perceived in India, we want to show that news can indeed be used to bring about a positive difference in our society. We are extremely glad to see that by sharing positive stories we have been catalysing so much impact on the ground.
Quite a few case studies of impact created by us are listed here:
Also take a look at the impact we generated in the year 2014:
Q12: What is your Favourite book?
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garca Mrquez.
Q13: What would you advice younger women?
You really have no idea how much time you have on your side when you are young! Make the most of it, learn as much as you can, implement new ideas quickly, and once you believe youve found an area of work that you really like, give it your all and be persistent. Youll love the journey!