Your Role And The Challenges That You Face In Your Day To Day Routine:

I am a qualified Chartered Accountant and serve as The Director at Nirmal Bang Group. With over 20 years of post-qualification experience in financial services, mainly the broking industry, I am responsible for the Group's planning, strategy and communications functions as well as new activities and initiatives. I have undertaken transformation initiatives at the organization, some of them include setting up of new verticals, introducing path-breaking ideas to encourage maximum number of clients to invest in the capital markets, mentoring and publishing Nirmal Bang financial magazine called Beyond Market, and spearheaded investor education camps across the country, amongst others.

Passion That Drives You And Managing To Follow Dreams Along With Your Professional Life: 

I am extremely passionate about running and am an avid marathoner. It began with working out to maintain my fitness levels and achieve a healthy work-life balance. Around the same time registrations were on for the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon (now called Tata Mumbai Marathon) in the year 2003. I participated on a whim to test my endurance levels. Since then there has been no looking back and my only aim has been to better myself at this sport. Over 15 years, I have successfully completed 50-plus half marathons and 18 full marathons, including domestic and international running events. I have begun mentoring young athletes as a pacer and also continue to run marathons to achieve my dream of completing 100 marathons in 100 cities. My professional responsibilities are both challenging and fulfilling. To follow my passion and meet my professional obligations requires me to employ time-management, prioritization and a lot of self discipline. My achievements have been possible in part due to my commitment to my vocation along with immense support from my company management and my family.

About Traveling: 

I am extremely enthusiastic about travelling to new destinations. I would like to call myself an explorer as I like to discover everything about the place I visit from culture and tradition to food and cuisines. My passion for running marathons has quite literally taken me places. This way I have successfully managed to blend my passion for running marathons and exploring new destinations. I make it a point to participate in marathons in places I have never been to before. Travelling twice a year has become a norm for me now.

Your Most Treasured/Memorable Trip:

That has to be a family vacation in Switzerland alongside the marathon in Paris. Switzerland was out of this world. I used to see Switzerland in movies so often. But travelling to this scenic locale is truly an unforgettable experience and would definitely recommend it to everyone. Paris holds a special place in my heart because it was my first international marathon. I was taken in by the efficient organization of the event along with the picturesque route of the marathon. Not only this, the crowd of onlookers cheered the marathoners throughout the race. If I may say, the weather was the icing on the cake as we Indian marathoners are used to running in the hot and humid weather conditions.

Your Advice: 

My only advice to newbie is to follow their passion. Not being able to find a balance is all in the head. If you have the will, you will definitely find the way to achieve it. It all depends on how desperate you are to achieve your dreams.