How Jagriti Yatra Changed My Perspective on Entrepreneurship and Impact
By Rajnish Kumar
In December 2023, I boarded a train that changed the way I looked at entrepreneurship, purpose, and India. That train was the Jagriti Yatra—a 15-day, 8,000-kilometer journey across India with 400 other dreamers, doers, and disruptors.
I had heard about the Yatra years ago. But no amount of research or testimonials could prepare me for what it truly feels like to live in a moving ecosystem of ideas, energy, and empathy.
From Strategy to Soul: A Shift in Mindset
As a marketing strategist and brand builder, I was trained to think in terms of funnels, ROI, and positioning. The Yatra taught me to also think in terms of human dignity, grassroots impact, and inclusive development.
Meeting rural entrepreneurs who had built businesses not just to profit but to uplift their communities reminded me that entrepreneurship isn’t just a business model—it’s a social tool. One conversation with a woman who started a small-scale sanitary napkin unit in her village hit me harder than any marketing campaign I’d ever worked on.
Her business didn’t just create jobs. It changed conversations, normalized hygiene, and empowered women in her area. That’s the kind of impact that sticks with you.
India Beyond the Metros
I’ve spent most of my career in Pune and online—cities and screens. Jagriti Yatra pushed me far beyond those limits. From Deoria in Uttar Pradesh to the coastlines of Tamil Nadu, I saw the real Bharat—and it was brimming with potential.
There’s an entire India waiting to be served—not with charity, but with dignified solutions that blend empathy with efficiency. This realization has deeply influenced how I now approach brand messaging at Shubham EPC. Every campaign I work on now asks: Does it only sell? Or does it also serve?
Entrepreneurship = Execution + Empathy
The Yatra reinforced a simple truth: ideas are everywhere—but execution with empathy is rare. Every mentor session, panel discussion, and field visit echoed this mantra. And for someone like me—deeply involved in both strategy and storytelling—this was a personal awakening.
It’s not enough to build great marketing strategies or scalable tech. What matters is who you build them for and why.
A Network of Purpose-Driven People
Perhaps the most long-lasting value of the Yatra has been its people. I met founders building rural logistics platforms, creators simplifying STEM education, and innovators transforming waste into wealth. We shared cramped coaches, midnight ideas, and morning chai. And in doing so, we shared a collective sense of purpose.
Even months after the Yatra, that network remains active—reminding me that I’m part of a much larger story of transformation.
Final Thoughts
Jagriti Yatra was more than a train journey. It was a mirror, a compass, and a map—showing me not just where India is, but where it can go. As a brand strategist and entrepreneur, I now carry that lens in everything I do.
If you’re thinking about impact, innovation, or just finding your tribe—Jagriti Yatra will give you more than answers. It will give you better questions.
Because sometimes, the journey is the destination.