At Brilliant Read Media, it is our constant endeavour to identify and share some of the unique and compelling stories from the startup ecosystem. As part of this, we invited Mohan Rangarao for an interview with Brilliant Read Media. To say further, Mohan is an Entrepreneur, Author and CEO of Arvee Syntthesis Private Limited. Let’s learn more about his background, inspiring journey so far and his advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Mohan:
Could you please talk us through your background and your journey?
I am a 66-year-old businessman, trekker, writer, tennis player, and the kind of guy who takes his double espressos neat. My first book, “Inner Trek, A Reluctant Pilgrim in the Himalayas,” is about my 30-mile trek at 19000 feet altitude around Mount Kailash, a holy Tibetan Mountain revered by over a billion people – it was self-published and received well internationally. The book is available on Amazon.com. The book has won two awards, the Hearten Chanticleer International Book Awards program and the BIBA award.
I have two adult children, my daughter Rachita a PR professional aged 31, and my son Rahul, a data analyst doing his master’s at UT Austin, Texas aged 27. In my 30s and 40s, I fathered a blind daughter, lost her to cancer when she was barely 9, set up and sold many brands and businesses, and built a world-class pharmaceutical facility.
Finally, in my late 50s, I cashed out of my businesses, built a temple for the poor, donated to institutions for children with special needs, completed 25 treks, several of which were in the Himalayas at more than 12000 feet altitude, and won a silver in 10K cross country race in the Veteran category.
My first book, “Inner Trek, A Reluctant Pilgrim in the Himalayas,” is about trekking around Mount Kailash, a holy Tibetan Mountain revered by over a billion people. What started as merely a challenging high-altitude trek soon became a life-changing adventure. With a blend of humour, honesty, and keen insight into the transformative power of a trek around Mount Kailash. I have narrated my journey toward a deeper understanding of the world around it. It is a true story of self-discovery at 19,000 feet.
My second book, Myopia, a memoir of Love, Loss, and Learning is about his life journey with his blind daughter and his struggling start-ups. As of date, my book has 84 Amazon reviews with a 4.50-star rating and 121 Good read reviews with a rating of 4.52.
At the age of 67, currently, I’m holding a degree in Engineering (B.E.) and a master’s in business administration (M.B.A). I’m married to Mamatha and have two adult children, Rachita aged 33, a PR professional and Rahul aged 28 who is working in the U.S. I get up early, see the sunrise, walk 20 miles a week, play tennis almost daily, reads, meditates for half an hour every day, and cooks a couple of times a week.
Please share with us more about ‘Amopia’ and its vision;
Amopia’s vision is to provide the world with a pathway to transcending suffering and achieving deeper spiritual and personal growth.
This vision reflects our commitment to fundamentally change how the world perceives suffering. Instead of viewing suffering as something purely negative to be avoided or quickly resolved, Amopia aims to shift the global perspective to see it as a natural and potentially transformative part of the human experience.
Your second book which is “Myopia”, could you please share with us a brief about it?
The vision emphasizes that through a deeper understanding and acceptance of suffering, individuals can transcend pain—rising above it to achieve greater spiritual awareness and personal growth. By guiding people to this realization, Amopia seeks to inspire a more profound, compassionate, and enlightened approach to life’s challenges.
After leaving the stability of his family business, marrying his soulmate, and setting out to forge his own path, Mohan anticipates challenges, but nothing prepares him for the life-altering birth of his first child, Yogita.
Born blind, Yogita becomes the centre of Mohan’s universe, reshaping his understanding of success, love, and perseverance.
As Mohan struggles to balance the demands of his faltering new businesses, which mirror the weight of his daughter’s needs, developmental delays, and subsequent cancer diagnosis—he questions his past choices and grapples with guilt, ultimately redefining happiness through Yogita’s brief yet radiant life. His story is one of profound transformation.
Told with unflinching honesty, Myopia explores the beauty and pain of parenting a child with unique challenges and the gifts of resilience, acceptance, and spiritual growth that arise from suffering. Mohan’s journey teaches us that life’s hardest trials often contain the greatest treasures, revealing strength we never knew we possessed.
For anyone who has faced life’s deepest sorrows and is searching for a way to endure—and even thrive—this memoir is a testament to the power of love, the wisdom of loss, and the enduring light that guides us through the darkest times.
How difficult/challenging is it to create an awareness about mental health, especially in Indian societies?
Creating awareness about mental health in Indian societies is challenging due to the stigma surrounding the word mental. Mental health issues are often stigmatized, considered a personal weakness, or seen as a taboo.
There is a lack of understanding, and many people in small towns and villages in India attribute mental health conditions to supernatural causes rather than recognizing them as medical issues.
Absence of education about mental health at a young age.leaving many unaware of how to identify or address mental health issues. Indian society places a strong emphasis on family image and reputation. This can discourage individuals from speaking out about mental health struggles, fearing ostracism or judgment.
Mental health is often not seen as part of general health care. This separation means that many people don’t receive holistic care that addresses both physical and mental health needs.
Efforts to create awareness need to address these complex factors through educational campaigns, policy changes, and community engagement to foster a more understanding and supportive environment for mental health discussions.
Mental health issues are rising in the workplace. Would you like to see big companies arrange for people to speak to people like yourself to reduce that problem?
Of course. I am starting Amomia for a business called Ambyanse to propagate the importance of spirituality in the corporate world.
What can people with their mental health issues do to alleviate suffering?
We are offering a free course at Amopia which will give tools and techniques for coping with mental disturbances.
What are some of the strategies that you believe have helped you grow as a person?
A holistic approach of a healthy lifestyle:
-30 minutes meditation
-150 minutes cardio per week
-1 hour of reading
-Vitamins and supplements.
In your opinion what are the keys to success?
Real success is when one feels one has grown within, not when people clap.
BrilliantRead is committed to bringing stories from the startup ecosystem, stories that reshape our perspective, add value to our community and be a constant source of motivation not just for our community but also for the whole ecosystem of entrepreneurs and aspiring individuals.
Note: If you have a similar story to share with our audience and would like to be featured on our online magazine, then please write to us at [email protected], we will review your story and extend an invitation to feature if it is worth publishing.
