Chapter 12: The Corporate Crusader
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Aditya's first day at SELTech Global didn't start in an office.
It began in a village called Devgarh, tucked amidst the red soil plains of Madhya Pradesh.
He stepped out of the company's rugged jeep into a world of mud huts, solar panels, cattle sheds, and curious eyes.
His job title: Innovation Associate.
His real role: Listener. Learner. Bridge-builder.
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The company's mission was to bring sustainable energy and technology to underserved regions.
Aditya's first assignment involved deploying a new microgrid solution powered by solar energy, coupled with smart water management systems for local farms.
It wasn't about just installing panels or setting up sensors. It was about earning trust.
He learned how to listen to elders, how to negotiate through silence, how to communicate science without jargon.
He drank chai with farmers under banyan trees, walked miles with women carrying water pots, and spent evenings adjusting circuit boards by lantern light.
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His project partner was Aarav, a veteran field engineer who had seen more voltage surges than most saw birthday candles.
"Theory doesn't flow through wires," Aarav told him. "Patience does."
They made a good team.
Aditya brought innovation. Aarav brought intuition.
Together, they revived a dying irrigation system, set up ten microgrids, and trained local youth to manage them.
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Back at headquarters in Pune, Aditya would spend a week every month analyzing field data, improving device schematics, and pitching new designs.
His proposal for modular energy units—kits that villages could assemble themselves—earned attention.
He soon became the youngest member of the company's Field Innovation Council.
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But it wasn't all smooth.
Once, a prototype battery overheated and damaged a farmer's pump.
Once, a local leader rejected a project due to rumors and politics.
Aditya learned to apologize. To accept failure. To revisit every blueprint with fresh eyes.
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Months passed. Seasons changed. So did he.
His beard thickened. His shoulders squared. His vision sharpened.
Yet, his core remained the same—the village boy who looked at stars with questions.
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In his second year at SELTech, Aditya proposed a bold initiative:
*"Tech by Locals"* — a rural innovation accelerator to train young villagers to become creators, not just consumers of technology.
He pitched it to the company board, backed by case studies, testimonials, and a prototype curriculum.
They approved a pilot.
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He traveled across districts, set up small innovation labs in government schools, brought in local engineers, and even roped in professors from IIT via remote workshops.
One of his students, Meera, designed a solar-powered grain dryer that reduced spoilage by 40%.
Another, Raju, built a water-level indicator using scrap parts.
Aditya watched them grow and felt something deeper than success—he felt legacy.
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Back home, Baba followed his son's journey through newspaper clippings and radio mentions.
"Tu toh sach mein kuch alag kar raha hai," he told him during Diwali, voice proud.
Isha, now in Denmark, sent him architectural sketches of green cities and messages that said, "Still rooting for you."
They weren't together. But they were connected.
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At the end of three years, SELTech offered Aditya a corporate role in Delhi, with better pay and international travel.
He declined.
He had bigger plans.
He wanted to launch his own foundation: *TechRoots India*.
A non-profit dedicated to rural tech education, local entrepreneurship, and sustainable engineering.
He gathered support from mentors, old professors, NGOs, even some of his IIT juniors.
By the time he turned 26, TechRoots India was real.
And Aditya was no longer just an engineer.
He was a crusader.
For dignity.
For development.
For a future where no child would walk ten miles for water that could be brought with a tap.
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The journey ahead was uncertain.
Funding wasn't guaranteed. The terrain was rough. Politics, resistance, bureaucracy—they were all waiting.
But Aditya had built something tougher than circuits.
He had built resolve.
And so, with a backpack of dreams and a heart wired for impact, he took his next step.
Into the unknown.
Still learning.
Still building.
Still beginning.