When culture traveled across continents — in a yoga mat, not a suitcase.
🌟 Time for a corporate fairy tale
This story comes from a personalized book I created to honour N. Chandrasekaran, then CEO of TCS.
It’s about what happens when employees aren’t just empowered to deliver projects — but also to share their passions, across continents.
Here it goes -
In 2007, a young project manager, Gyan, returned from Delaware after a two-year assignment. But what he brought back wasn’t just another delivery milestone.
He brought back a story of impact that couldn’t be measured in billable hours.
He was excited to share his story with the top man. “Chandra,” Gyan said when he secured an opportunity to meet Chandra, “I just wanted to teach yoga after work. But it became something bigger than I imagined.”
🧘♂️ Gyan, a certified yoga teacher, began hosting free sessions for client employees. What began with questions about snake charmers and elephants in India, it led to deeper conversations — about breath and balance.
✨ And this was the impact
- A happier client workforce
- A glowing testimonial for Gyan
- An extended assignment
- And ultimately… more business
- All without a single ‘change request’.
📘 Chandra recalled a phrase from Edward de Bono: ValuFacture — the art of delivering unexpected value. Gyan had done just that. No contracts. No scope documents. Just contribution through passion.
🌍 Could every employee become an ambassador of goodwill beyond their job role?
A lively debate followed:
- Should yoga be formalized into the service offering?
- What about certifications, legal liabilities, and expectations?
- Should this be monetized? Or kept voluntary?
- Was this scalable? Or just a beautiful anomaly?
The answer was honest: Not yet.
📣 But the story was told.
Gyan spoke to senior leaders. His experience echoed through corridors and coffee chats.
No policies were created. But a seed was sown.
🪷 Weeks later, the client asked for a new project. With one condition:
“Can Gyan be part of it?”
They missed his code, yes.
But they longed for his company.
🔁 Not every legacy needs a framework. Sometimes, all it takes is one person offering what they are great at — with no expectation in return.
📌 Dear HR and CSR leaders:
What passions live within your people that could become your next brand differentiator?
Your next innovation might not come from a lab or a budget —
It might come from someone quietly rolling out a yoga mat, far from home.
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This is just the tip of a beautiful iceberg. For the full journey, you might have to charm Chandra into sharing the book.” ❄️📘
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