Named by Bhagawan

Born into a family of Sai devotees, Madhukar experienced early on in his life, many of the typical aspects of domestic devotional practices from Bhajans to Bal Vikas classes. His father and grandfather were both Army men and it was the latter, who had first been introduced to Swami in the early 70s and brought the former to Swami’s fold some years later. Since his infancy and through childhood, Madhukar would often visit Puttaparthi and Brindavan to visit his grandparents and to get Swami’s Darshan. It was during one such early visit that Swami gave him his name. Much later in life, his mother got the opportunity to serve in the General Hospital in Puttaparthi running the physiotherapy department while his father was directed by Swami to construct and take charge of the Chaitanya Jyoti Museum.

Joining the Higher Secondary School

As in the case of most army children, Madhukar’s childhood was spent in different places as his father was transferred periodically. As an introverted child, Madhukar found it challenging to make new friends and adapt to new environments, but this was a valuable experience as it helped him later. Not naturally confident, his school career was unremarkable. A seismic shift came in the form of his grandfather’s insistence that Madhukar apply for the 11th standard in Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School. While Madhukar did gain admission, the first year as a student was a difficult one as he was away from his parents for the first time in addition to handling the challenging academic syllabus and dealing with a new culture and way of life. Swami’s presence was the main comfort and was critical in helping him complete his schooling in 1994.

Falling in Love with Computers

While school life was just about manageable, it was his subsequent BSc program in Brindavan that proved pivotal in his development. It was there that he gained a great deal of confidence and self-sufficiency — not to mention a clear sense of his future career goal.

His childhood fascination with computers was channeled during the final year of his undergraduate program when Computer Science was introduced as a subject.

During his first year, Swami spent most of His time in Brindavan due to the construction of Sai Kulwant Hall. This was an unexpected, yet supremely blessed and extremely fascinating period and through the next three years, Brindavan provided the all-round living routine which served as a template for the rest of his life. The dedicated lecturers of Brindavan — true mentors in many ways – were instrumental in Madhukar’s growth.

Delhi, Chennai and the UK

Following his BSc, Madhukar began working in New Delhi and subsequently Chennai, in the software industry. It was not smooth sailing though and after another challenging period, Madhukar found himself in the UK on an assignment. In an interview during Madhukar’s school days, Swami had indicated that both the field of computers and the UK as a location lay in the future. After working on software development projects in the UK and Mumbai for three years, Madhukar decided to enrol in an MBA course from Cranfield University and subsequently began a career in management consulting.

Consulting was a challenging field with performance and outcomes monitored very closely and linked to career progression (not to mention remuneration). Madhukar’s attitude was to draw upon the lesson from the Bhagavad Gita of focusing on strong delivery, free from anxiety about results. The next ten years saw Madhukar build a strong reputation and an increasing expertise in healthcare technology working with clients including some of the biggest names in the world of pharmaceuticals as well as the UK’s National Health Service. The unrivalled sense of purpose when working in the healthcare space made it a vocation of choice for Madhukar. When the opportunity came to work on an assignment with the UK government, Madhukar welcomed it and over the next two years delivered new initiatives in markets such as China and the Middle East.

From Consulting to Civil Service

Through a strange twist of fate, the opportunity then arose to become a full-fledged civil servant and Madhukar embraced it with the feeling that this was Divinely directed even though the pay was lower. Over much of the next eight years, Madhukar also took on the wider role of leading the team’s work in India across all aspects of healthcare and life sciences covering both exports and foreign direct investment. Strong joint working with colleagues in India has set an example of what can be achieved. Giving credit and encouragement to others while keeping a strong focus on wider goals, has proved critical in engendering a strong and shared sense of purpose. The role has also meant working with industry and government leaders in healthcare in the UK and overseas.

Madhukar has looked to constantly innovate and improve, to achieve these goals as a public duty and as an offering to God. Projects such as the UK-India Healthcare AI Catalyst, which Madhukar took from concept to delivery, have showcased the power of technology in addressing unmet needs of underserved segments of society. The initiative was announced by the prime ministers of both countries in 2018 and completed in 2021. Madhukar often represents the UK’s healthcare sector in international fora and draws upon his Brindavan experience in public speaking which helped him become comfortable with presenting to large audiences.

Rather than seeking constant career progression, Madhukar has focussed on ensuring his expertise is best utilised within his chosen domain while remaining open to being directed by Swami’s will. The importance of balanced living manifests in Madhukar’s life through regular study and practice of the Bhagavad Gita and regular exercise (as an avid tennis player). Madhukar’s practice of yogic meditation has clearly indicated to him the primary goal of his life and the choice of career and vocation are in alignment.

While much work remains to be done, Madhukar is committed to the effort and the journey knowing that the Lord will look after the outcome.

Brother Madhukar Bose (BSC Maths 1994-97 – Brindavan campus) is a specialist in digital healthcare technologies and a civil servant, currently working in the British government’s Department for Business and Trade as Head of Digital Health. He is responsible for creating international commercial collaborations between companies based in the UK and global institutions. He was also responsible for leading the department’s work in healthcare and life sciences in India between 2016 and 2022. In addition to his 10- year civil service career, Madhukar spent a decade as a management consultant in the UK and holds an MBA from the Cranfield School of Management (UK). He also set up and briefly ran a remote healthcare monitoring service in Mumbai.