This post was triggered by the gesture of my friend Manish Jain, Chairman of Indus Business Academy (IBA) Bangalore of throwing his weight behind our vague idea of pushing cycles once again back in the reckoning. Manish heads one of the highly rated business schools of the country and also owning a large manufacturing and services company set up and managed until his passing recently by a maverick entrepreneur deeply passionate about education B M L Jain, an alumnus of IIT Kanpur (65-70 batch). Besides being a friend, Manish has a penchant for ideas and very sharp in recognising the potential of an even a vague idea, a trait that has helped him into smoothly moving into his father's shoes once is passed to the other side of the world.
Personally we have experienced this aspect of his personality when we set up the Standards for Educational Advancement & Accreditation (SEAA), literally based on a mere idea and innate passion way back in 2008. SEAA Trust, New Delhi is the promoter of this website looking at a Cycles led future once again for mankind.
Manish has stayed with us as a motivating force believing in our passion even when he himself was ready to be tested on a global scale through accreditation adoption, something which he did nearly six years after starting to support us unquestioningly from the start, whether it benefited him or not. This is exactly the kind of leaders who change the world with simple ideas and great conviction. I am personally happy to publish a comment of his which is due to appear in a magazine article (Autotrack, annual issue due to hit the newstands sometime later this month).
"As the future is brightening up on the cycle’s front, people like Thothathri Raman are on to setting up a website www.cycletofuture.com to promote cycle use in the country. The website is going to focus attention on cycling during Covid 19 times and senior cycling (people over 50 years of age). "In the long run, Raman also expects to use the website as a platform to launch cycle donation in a big way", (Manish Jain, Autotrack anniversay issue 2020)
That being said, it takes a forever young mind to take interest in keeping fit, cycling to work, encouraging professional foot ball matches, setting up serious sports activity in the campus and playing table tennis in the wee hours of the morning, just to unwind. That is Manish Jain for you!
It is people like my friend with fire in the belly and a great vision who shape the world of today and there are many among my friends in this quest who might also be cyclists which I will discover as the pace of this website and its reach picks up. Personally we at the cycles to future team are very confident that the website would emerge ultimately as a powerful platform for connecting people, celebrating life and spreading the awareness of environment and contribution to its preservation by simple pedal power. Watch out for more profiles of people whom you never thought have taken to cycling big time!
We are trying to connect the dots that may eventually link the vast pristine coastline with majestic Himalayas and the beautiful barren deserts of Rajasthan promoting eco-tourism, health for the seniors, entertainment for the young and great new business opportunity for the nation where millions would pick up new businesses of maintaining cycles, conducting tourism camps, making special gear for people, cloths, fashion.....you name it, everything will role on ubiquitous two wheels whether pedaled by human or powered by environment friendly batteries.
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