Stories of Human Transformation: Reflections from Subroto Bagchi’s The Day the Chariot Moved

Embracing displacement is what builds character. It is through experiences that unsettle and challenge us that growth takes shape. Reflecting on his own journey, Subroto Bagchi spoke about the importance of stepping beyond the familiar. Displacement is not only geographical but also intellectual and emotional. Staying only within what is familiar builds comfort, not character.

At Ahmedabad University, in conversation with Professor Pankaj Chandra, Subroto Bagchi brought to life stories of grit and transformation from his latest book The Day the Chariot Moved. Each narrative showed that human transformation begins when people are trusted to believe in themselves and are supported to chart their own path.

Among these stories was that of Basanti Pradhan, the third of seven daughters from a village near Patnagarh, the same town where Bagchi was born. Once a goat herder, she began as a sewing machine operator and rose to become a line supervisor in a Tiruppur textile company. She shared lessons in leadership that Bagchi believes every management student should learn, that true leadership is mastering one’s work, supporting one’s team, and taking responsibility for others’ growth and well-being.

He recounted spending 300 days travelling across 30 districts of Odisha while building the state’s skilling ecosystem, meeting students and instructors, and discovering the rhythm of how change takes root. From that experience emerged a powerful way to measure progress in any Industrial Training Institute: ten alumni to be proud of, six succeeding outside the state, four women, and two entrepreneurs.

After spending decades in the corporate world and co-founding Mindtree, Bagchi chose to enter public service to build Odisha’s skill development ecosystem. Crossing over, he explained, is not about a job change, a cross-functional shift, or a post-retirement role. It is a conscious decision to embrace something radically different, to let go of safety nets, rebuild networks, and start again. It is a "Ctrl Alt Del" moment, a choice to burn the bridge behind and not look back. It is this courage and conviction that have the power to drive transformational change.