Zacco Adventures – We join Deb Kundu on his adventure across India

29 January 2021

One of our colleagues, Debasish Kundu, recently completed a 4,850 km motorbike round trip across India between his home city of Bengaluru and the Great Rann of Kutch, one of the largest salt deserts in the world. Taking in the sights, sounds and cultural highlights along the way, Deb wanted to create a cherished and memorable story and Zacco was pleased to accompany him on his journey.

Deb has been with Zacco for over two years and, during that time, he has had the opportunity to work together with some of the world’s most innovative companies. Behind the scenes, he had always wanted to attempt such an adventure and believed that to explore different dimensions in life, one must step outside of their comfort zone and take calculated risks – only then can you add another interesting chapter to your own story. It was always a very personal trip but Deb felt that he wanted to carry Zacco with him because of a personal bond with the organisation. It was working alongside innovative clients, colleagues and friends, many of whom are always willing to explore something new, that formed part of what inspired Deb’s decision to make the journey.

The trip offered an opportunity to drive across some of the most interesting terrain on the planet, from urban jungles to natural ones, off-roading through dense national parks where lions roam freely, over mountains, across deserts and braving temperatures from 46ºC in Mumbai to 9ºC in the Great Rann. More than just the landscape, as spectacular as it was, the trip also offered the opportunity to take in some of India’s most impressive cultural highlights. There was a stopover in Dwarka, one of the oldest religious cities in India and believed to be the ancient kingdom of the Hindu Deity Krishna; A visit to the Ellora Caves, a set of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain temples carved directly into the face of a cliff between the 6^th and 8^th Century and now shortlisted for the 8^th Wonder of the World; A drive  over the spectacular Sahyadri Mountains; Finally reaching the Great Rann of Kutch, a 7500 km² salt marsh in the Thar Desert in Gujarat.

Deb described the journey as similar to the innovation process itself. “There was a lot of planning because we knew it was a lot of distance to cover and we did not want to rush it. We needed to plan our route carefully, discuss what supplies we would need with us and decide on what was most important to us to accomplish. There will always be surprises and we are judged on how we respond to unexpected situations. We were often asked why we were making the journey and our only explanation was that an experience like this can be a test of one’s character – determination, patience adaptability and flexibility to name a few traits, so you need to make sure you choose the best people to join you on your journey”

We agree with Deb that the best way to plan and mitigate risk on any journey, innovative or otherwise, is to make sure that those who join you along the way are there to guide you, support you and to work with you so that you can achieve your goals together. Innovation stems from the creation of your own story, the development of your own ideas and the opportunity to share knowledge, learning from other’s perspectives and experience.

Here at Zacco, we know that the innovation process is more than just planning and crisis management. It is about trying to create something better, to open yourself up to the risk of failure and to learn how to adapt to whatever you find in front of you knowing that the best plans may still find themselves facing unforeseen circumstances

Zacco is there to support hundreds of companies, from SMEs to Fortune 500s, throughout their innovation and developmental journeys with everything from helping to identify potential market opportunities to monitoring and protecting their international IP, to ensuring the safety of their private data and securing their networks from intrusion.

Deb’s journey is far from over and he has already begun to plan his next trip. He knows it will not always be easy but, with the support and advice of his family, his friends and his colleagues, he is looking forward to the planning process almost as much as the eventual roadtrip.

If you would like Deb, and the rest of us here at Zacco, to join you on your next innovation journey then we look forward to hearing from you. All you need to do now is get in touch.