New Delhi, Feb. 13 -- I came back to rural town Phaltan from the U.S.A. in 1981 after getting a Ph.D. and spending a few years teaching renewable energy at University of Florida, USA. In late 1981 when I returned, very few Indians with an IIT degree came back. Even the ones who did come back went to big cities like Bombay, Delhi, Bangalore, etc. I went straight to rural Maharashtra which was as alien to me as any foreign country since I hardly knew the local language or the milieu.

I came back because of my arrogance and the naive belief that I would change India. India did not change but it changed me since staying in rural India made me aware of the problems and challenges of the rural population, taught me to live a simple life and be...