Closing 2025: Exits, Beginnings, and the Human Thread That Binds It All
What an exciting 2025. For me, it has been a year of profound transitions, not away from purpose, but deeper into its core.
The year began with two significant, heartfelt exits. After foundational chapters, I stepped back from Wingify and the Wingify Foundation. Gratitude will always define my time there. But it made space for a new beginning: the launch of the Nexus3P Foundation (People, Planet, Profit). This venture is built on a conviction that solidified this year: sustainable, scalable social impact cannot rely on charity alone. To truly serve People and the Planet, the projects—and the people running them—must have a model for Profit. It’s not a contradiction; it’s the engine for lasting change.
This work continues to refine my personal ‘theory of change.’ I’ve spent much of the year wrestling with a central question: what is the primary catalyst for societal transformation? Is it Technology? Public Policy? Behavioral nudges? My reading, especially of history, is pulling me towards a powerful, fundamental answer: Activism. The conscious, collective will of people to demand and build a better reality remains, I believe, the most potent change agent of all.
Perhaps that’s why reconnecting with over 50 long-lost classmates, 50 years on, felt so significant. The joy of ‘re-friending’ was immense. Sharing stories of the roaring 70s—a time teeming with its own activism, music, and idealism—wasn’t just nostalgia. It was a reminder of shared roots and the long arcs of our lives.
This theme of shared humanity was underscored by my travels. Having journeyed across continents, a simple, powerful truth has crystallized for me: What is true for a person in Ushuaia or Svalbard is true for someone in Jalandhar. Our skin, clothes, languages, and cuisines differ wonderfully. But our hopes, fears, joys, and struggles are universal. (Well, perhaps except for the practicalities of post-defecation hygiene—a humbling reminder of our varied adaptations!).
To make sense of this journey, I’ve started writing my autobiography. It’s a snapshot, really—the 70s through the lens of a middle-class university student. It was an era where existentialism sat beside Dostoevsky, the Vietnam War fueled campus debates alongside Naxalism, and the idealism in the air was scored by a dizzying soundtrack: Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Hotel California, ‘Love to Love You Baby,’ Glen Campbell. It was shaped by Buckminster Fuller’s visions, Alvin Toffler’s futures and shocks, and the articles in JS. Thank you Desmond Doig and Jug Suraiya for minting such a fabulous youth magazine. And how can I forget the soulful voice of Kuldeep Manak, a friend as well connecting me to my rural roots.
2025 was also the year I consciously let books reshape how I see the world. Not by chance—by choice. During the last two months, on Audible, I dove into a fascinating mix that challenged me in completely different ways:
📖 “1929” by Andrew Ross Sorkin — A deep dive into the crash that changed everything. What struck me most wasn’t just the financial collapse, but how human psychology repeats itself. The warning signs were there. We just didn’t want to see them.
📖 “Outlive” by Peter Attia & Bill Gifford — This one reframed my entire relationship with health and longevity. It’s not about living longer for the sake of it—it’s about living better, with clarity and purpose in those extra years. The science is fascinating, but the philosophy is what stayed with me.
📖 “My Experiments with Truth” by Mohandas K. Gandhi — Reading Gandhi’s autobiography in 2025 felt surprisingly timely. His honesty about failures, his commitment to principles over popularity—it’s a reminder that movements are built by people who are willing to be imperfect and persist anyway.
📖 “Altruism” by Matthieu Ricard — A profound exploration of what it means to care for others. Ricard makes the case that altruism isn’t just moral—it’s scientifically tied to our own wellbeing. A beautiful blend of neuroscience and philosophy that resonates deeply with the Nexus3P mission.
📖 “India” by Patrick French — A complex, honest portrait of a nation that defies simple narratives. It’s messy, vibrant, contradictory—and utterly compelling.
What I learned from this mosaic is that the best ideas connect. Finance and philosophy. Health and history. Longevity and ethics. They all weave together into a richer understanding.
And finally, this year of looking back, reaching out, and listening deeply ended with the purest forward-looking joy. I discovered the unbridled kid within me still alive and well, closing the last day of 2025 with my grandson, watching dolphins dance in a show at Phuket. It is 10 pm. Getting back to my cruise ship.
How nonsensical is the notion of keeping time.
As an Indian on a Singaporean cruise liner anchored in Thai waters, I’ll be closing 2025 at three different times. When Singapore cruise celebrates end of 2025 at 12 tonight, it’ll be 11 pm in Phuket and 10 pm in Delhi at same time for a same person which is me.
So, 2025, thank you. For the lessons in letting go, the courage to begin anew, the wisdom in reconnection, and the timeless truth that change starts within, radiates through our closest circles, and ultimately, is about protecting the wonder in a child’s eyes for the world they will inherit.
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