A New Book Reveals the Remarkable Story of a Leading Indian Social Enterprise

The Agastya International Foundation is an Indian education trust and non-profit organization, whose mission is to spark curiosity, nurture creativity and build confidence among economically disadvantaged children and teachers in India.

The Moving of Mountains, a new book written by a trustee of Agastya Foundation Adhirath Sethi, is an insider’s viewpoint of the remarkable origins of the organization and the individuals who devoted their resources and efforts to make a difference. It reveals the vision and beliefs behind Agastya and tells the stories of the many children who have benefitted from its renowned experiments in educational innovation and project-based learning programs.

Adhirath Sethi says why he decided to write the book: “Agastya’s story is unique. If viewed from above, it is a highly inspirational journey that lends a multitude of learnings. These learnings can be utilised not only in the non-profit space but for anyone looking to build a world-class institution from the ground up. However, as one delves deeper, a plethora of anecdotes emerge, each one outlining the humanity that remains at the core of Agastya. Together, these factors make a compelling argument for a tale that simply must be told.”

Agastya was founded in 1999 by a team of scientists, educators, and entrepreneurs led by Ramji Raghavan, and has since become one of the most remarkable social enterprise stories in the world. They aim to transform India’s education system and achieve this through unique projects and programs such as the Mobile Science Labs. These are vans that carry science models and experiments and traverse long distances across the country to reach students at under-resourced schools.

The Moving of Mountains is a true and inspiring story of humanity, compassion and the desire to create positive change in society. The book Includes photographs and interviews with the key people involved in starting and growing Agastya.

Adirath Sethi is a businessman and author. He was formerly a management consultant at the Boston Consulting Group. Today Adhirath is a Director of Poly Fluoro Ltd, his family’s business in India, and a trustee of Agastya.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

• The Moving of Mountains is published on 22 February 2024 by LID Publishing, available as paperback and e-book
• For all media requests, please contact Teya Ucherdzhieva (E: teya.ucherdzhieva@lidbusinessmedia.com; M: +44 (0) 7928 666 131)
• For more information about Adhirath Sethi, please visit his LinkedIn
• For more information about Agastya International Foundation, please visit www.agastya.org
• For more information about LID Publishing, please visit www.lidpublishing.com