Elpro Echoes Ep. 01 | Amish Tripathi on History, Storytelling, AI & India’s Future

[music] Hello and welcome to Elpro Echos, the official podcast of Elpro International School. We at Elpro believe that education doesn't only come from learning what's written in the books, but from exploring new ways of thinking, discovering new perspectives, and challenging other people. That's exactly why we created Elrochos, a platform where people and students can have meaningful conversations. Our very first guest is someone who has transformed the journey of history into a very fascinating one. His latest book, the great Indian history quiz encourages readers to know more about history and it's not just a collection of dates but a fascinating journey of thinking. Mr. Amish Praati, it's an honor to have you. >> Thank you so much, >> sir. We're delighted that you've joined us today. Most people choose paths that are already walked. You've chosen something different. You left a successful career in finance behind to tell stories that have moved millions. What inspired that? >> Pra um so much of the choices of life are defined by what atmosphere you're growing up in. >> Absolutely. >> Okay. I'm 51 years old. >> The India I was growing up in there were very few opportunities. Uh we were very poor in those days. Right. We've chosen socialism as our economic policy. Socialism is always a disaster economically. U so when I got out of college in the mid 1990s there were very few options yeah >> MBA medicine engineering CA is >> nothing else right >> so we were forced to kind of restrict ourselves but you guys are growing up in an India but there are so many opportunities the world is your oyster man you know uh India was poorer than three American car companies you know 40 years ago >> today we're the fifth largest economy on earth, right? Very soon we'll be the third largest economy. What that means is you guys have so many opportunities. Grab them, right? And when you do well, India will do well as well. >> Yeah. >> Be confident. Just >> just jump because you live in a wonderful India. Sir, at ELT we're grateful to [clears throat] have an uh environment and teachers where they encourage us to ask more questions >> and seeing you, you have a history or a journey in being a writer, a diplomat and a thinker and it seems that your greatest weapon is your curiosity. >> So in your experience, what changes a perspect a young person's perspective more? Always learning to have the right answers or asking better questions? Actually both of them are actually the same if you think about it because you learn better answers because you ask better questions right so see how it works is you must be a questioning person but you can either ask those questions from a place of ignorance where you're just doing it for ego harassment I'll ask some question but actually it's not coming from knowledge but if you have knowledge then you ask a smart question >> and when that person answers then you learn something then you become even smarter Then you ask smarter questions. Then you become even smarter. So the key thing is this. Learn as much as you can. But never believe that you know everything that there is to know. You are an expert now and you don't need to ask questions. No matter how smart a person is, they should always ask questions to those who they think are smarter. >> Right. That's how you learn. But ask questions from a place of knowledge, >> not a place of ignorance. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. So to add to that um we our generation is growing up in the generation of AI. Um it it literally gives us what we ask for >> at your fingertips. Yeah. >> So do you think that AI will or might change the way we think or learn? >> It's 100% going to change the world. It's 100% going to change your life. >> Mhm. >> The problem is we don't know how it'll change. Right? That's if anyone tells you they know exactly how AI will work out, they're lying. Okay. This is the biggest invention ever made by humanity. There's just a few things that are clear to me. Okay. One, remember that AI is a machine. It is not a human being and it is driven by just to force you to just stick to it. Okay? So, it's a people pleaser in a way. So, I know there are some kids, not you guys, you guys are too young, but college kids who ask relationship advice from AI. That's a serious thing to do. Or they think of AI as a friend. It's not your friend. It's a machine learner. Okay? So, be clear on that. Second, use AI as a tool, not as a crutch. I'll tell you what I mean by that. Okay? You can use a bicycle to move faster because if you're on a bicycle, you'll always be faster than running by yourself. Or you can use a motorized, you know, two-heer, right? >> Yeah. >> Imagine if you stop using your legs at all. You don't walk at all. You are only on your motorized two-wheeler all the time. 6 months later, your leg muscles will become weak because you haven't used it. But if you get on a bicycle, that's also a two-heer, but you're using your legs, right? You're actually strengthening your legs. So use AI like a bicycle, not a motorized two-heer. Use it as a tool to make your mind stronger. Don't use it as a crutch. Like if you if you have some submission to put in and you just say, and you submit it, you're using it like a crutch. It's not strengthening your mind. But if you use it like a tool, these are my ideas. What do you think? And expand some of these ideas. Give me the research for these ideas, but I will write it myself. You're using your mind then. And you're using it as a tool. Then it'll be much better for you. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> So connected to that, we know that AI can summarize anything and everything we want. If AI can summarize a book in simply like 5 to 10 seconds, then why should a student still spend days reading one? What does the experience of deep reading give us that technology simply can't? >> Because deep reading gives you your insight. AI gives you a general insight which everyone else will have. Then how are you unique? How you compete with others? If you have the same insight that everyone else has, then you're not unique. Imagine if you're running a 100 meter race and everyone out there is at the same speed. No one has any advantage, right? So if you're all depending on AI, all you're absorbing is the AI's insight. Then how are you different? So you have to make your own insight. For that read yourself. The point I made earlier, you have to strengthen your own muscle. Your brain is also muscle. You have to strengthen it. Best way to strengthen it is to use it, right? >> Yes. >> That's the way to approach it. Uh at LPRO we have uh people coming in from so many different backgrounds. We have um uh CBSC, IB and Cambridge all under one roof. So um conversations about um Indian heritage and global communities is something that we navigate on a daily basis. Um how do we how do us young students how do we young students stay on that path stay with the heritage and also be confident uh in terms of global perspectives >> it's a balance beta uh you must learn from everyone around the world cuz everyone has been blessed with some insight which could help you right there's a lovely lovely Sanskrit line ano badra yu vishaha let noble thoughts come to me from all corners of the Right? Our ancestors had that approach. Knowledge can come from anywhere. Learn from anywhere. But >> do not lose your own grounding. Cuz if you lose your own roots, what happens to a tree that has no roots. What happens to you know any any plant anything which has no roots? It'll die. Right? So you need your own roots. But let knowledge also come from all corners of the world. Have a balance of both. Right? So the rituals that you do, the fact that you read Indian stuff keeps you rooted. But the fact that you read other cultures will help you sore. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> So many students think that why does history deserve so much attention when the future seems to be changing so quickly. >> Yet you spent years bringing history alive for modern readers. What do you think history gives us that other subjects simply can't? >> History gives you to the point I to the point I made earlier. History gives you roots. >> Okay. It gives you a sense of connection to your ancestors. uh it gives you your grounding from which you can build the future. It's a bit like to draw a simile. Uh have you ever seen a building being constructed? >> Yes. >> Yeah. So a tall building first they'll build the foundation. Right. Why do they build the foundation first? >> It's the base. >> Exactly. If there is no foundation, the building will not stand. It'll fall. Right. The foundation is what gives it the grounding. The taller the building, the deeper the foundations, right? >> Yeah. Because taller buildings need much deeper foundations. It's the same way with you guys. You guys are building a bigger future, you need much deeper foundations, right? >> That's what makes your building strong. If you if you're only focusing on the future and you don't have any roots, then you have the problem that happens in some western countries. You find many of the youngsters in western countries are totally disconnected. You know there's a lot of unfortunate things that happen. Why is that? Because there's no foundations, right? If they have a problem, they don't have deep connections in their family, their parents who they can go and ask for help. They turn to Instagram, right? But the Instagram guy is not your friend, >> right? Your real friends are actually your foundations. your mother, your parents, your siblings, your close friends, you need this to build a good future. >> Yeah. >> So, >> it's the same thing with history. History does that for you at a national level. What is done for you at an individual level is done for you at a national level through history. It grounds all of us Indians to our past >> so that we can sort. >> So, sir, uh just a few questions and then we'll be moving on to the rapid fire. This a short three question session. So um your shift trilogy and the Ramchandra series it's it's based on mythological fiction right so now you have written uh about the Chola tigers as well so does writing on history limit creativity because it has to be written on the factual basis >> yeah you're right yeah so you have it's it's a bit like you're coloring a book but the borders have been set right yeah you're right you're right uh you know if I'm not writing on history or epics then there are no borders. I can write whatever I feel like. Right? You're right. But in some ways it's challenging but in some ways it's even more it drives you even more that I have these restrictions. I have to figure out somehow to make it all fit and make it an interesting story. So that challenge itself makes it worthwhile if that makes sense. >> Yeah. So like how does a typical day of work look for you? And are you reading any books? >> I I am reading all the time. Mhm. >> I read at least five to six books per month, but I mainly read non-fiction. Okay. Right. >> So, do you like reread or annotate or something like that? >> Yeah. Yeah. Because most of my reading is non-fiction and all of that actually then goes, you know, into my books to build as you said the boundaries, right? So, for example, this book through Tara and the great Indian history quiz, all the historical facts in it are all real, right? So, and look, I mean, your teachers also have to like the book, right? Your parents also have to like the book otherwise they'll not let you buy it. Right? All the historical facts are all referenced. There's a long list of references at the end of the book chapter wise. Every historical fact there's a proper primary source or a scholarly secondary source reference. But the story around it of dhu tara that's all fiction. Okay. Uh that's fun for you guys. You can have fun with the story but through it you learn historical facts. historical facts are all referenced which is what I get in my reading. >> Okay. >> So, >> so we have one final section. That's the rapid fire. No overthinking allow. Instinctive answers and really quick answers. >> Oh my god. This year is quite strict here. Serious questions. Very. >> How do you two work together? [laughter] She's very strict. >> Okay. Tell me. >> So, yeah. Books or conversations? >> Books. [snorts] >> Sorry. I like conversations. But yeah, but yeah, books. Yeah. >> Uh, if not a if not a writer, what would Mr. Mr. >> Banker? I was a banker. [laughter] >> Uh, one final one. >> Um, if is there something that school taught you that life later on proved wrong? [snorts] >> Yeah. You know, when I was young, this is okay. Sorry, this will have to be a slightly longer answer. uh in school, college and my banking job, I actually believed that the destination is more important than the journey that I have to succeed no matter what. Right? I was very ambitious. Right? By the time I started writing my first book, I realized actually the journey is more important than the destination. You have to enjoy the journey otherwise if you're if you're just you know every day is a torture but somehow you're trying to justify it because I'll become CEO sometime and I'll make money then the that journey is not worth it right >> but now that I'm 51 I realize actually neither the journey nor the destination is important what is truly important is the company the people who walk with you right and then you're at this age you realize man the only things that matter. My family, my close friends, you you guys are too young for it right now. But when you grow old, you'll realize this is the only thing that matters. Bakisab is there. Destination journey, it's all important. Truly matters those people really close to you who make life worth it. Yeah, that's what I've learned. >> So when you guys go home, hug your parents. Okay? And if you have siblings, hug them too. Trust me, this is all that matters at the end of the day. >> It does. >> Okay. >> Mr. Amish Praati, thank you for being the first voice on our podcast. You reminded us today that we our identity gives us courage and on behalf of every student, we would like to thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> So um one final thing sorry [laughter] we would just like you to give one thought for the future generation that would stay with us. You are living. You guys are the luckiest generation because you are living in the age when India will come back to a rightful position. Right? We had a bad few centuries. We were we were the wealthiest most powerful nation on earth for centuries. Then we had a bad few centuries. Foreign invaders destroyed. A lot of it is our fault as well. But we are coming back now and you guys will see it happen. What a time to be alive. What a time to be Indian. Enjoy the journey. >> Thank you for watching Elro Echos. Until next time, >> keep questioning, >> keep discovering, >> and keep creating echos [music] that inspire.