I Came Upon a Lighthouse Review: Mentorship Lessons for Young Founders
Team Lighthouse Crew reviewed Shantanu Naidu's memoir of his friendship with Ratan Tata at HNIMR Pune. Here is why every young founder needs a lighthouse.
On 29 October 2026 I was chief guest and judge at "Ink & Insights", a book review competition at MKSSS's Smt. Hiraben Nanavati Institute of Management and Research for Women (HNIMR), Karvenagar, Pune. The theme was "Entrepreneurship: From Vision to Venture". Twenty-one MBA teams each brought one book to life in seven or eight minutes, and then faced my questions.
Most teams chose books about companies. Team Lighthouse Crew chose a book about a friendship: Shantanu Naidu's I Came Upon a Lighthouse, his memoir of his years with Ratan Tata. In a room in Pune, it felt close to home, because Shantanu is from Pune too.
The book in one line
Shantanu Naidu was a young engineer at Tata Elxsi when he noticed street dogs being killed by vehicles at night. He started Motopaws, making reflective collars so that drivers could see the dogs in the dark. Ratan Tata, a well-known dog lover, noticed the work and called him to meet. That small project opened the door to a lifelong friendship. After an MBA at Cornell, Shantanu came back to work closely with Ratan Tata, and later started Goodfellows, a companionship service for older people that Ratan Tata backed. The book is about mentorship, humility, kindness, and how a great leader can live simply.
How Team Lighthouse Crew presented it
The team began by thanking their director and the library team for the opportunity, which I always like to see. Then they asked the hall a quiet question: have you ever met someone who changed the way you think about your life, not through long speeches, but through small actions? That, they said, is what this book made them think about.
They explained why they chose it. First, the title. A lighthouse guides ships in the dark, and they felt that is exactly what some people do in our lives. Second, as management students they spend their days on strategy, profit and leadership models, and this book made them look beyond those things. Ratan Tata's life, they said, shows that success is not only about profit. It is about understanding people, helping society and staying humble. They wanted to learn how ambition and humanity can go hand in hand.
Two teammates shared the story chapter by chapter: the dog collars, the first meeting, Shantanu's lonely early days at Cornell where he learned to be independent, his return to work on social causes, and the lessons in patience and teamwork he saw during the COVID-19 pandemic. They closed with a short video of Ratan Tata saying he would like to be remembered as a person who made a difference, and that it is our job to remove the myths of "this can't be done". Their final line stayed with me: success makes us proud, but kindness makes us memorable.
What I asked them: who is your lighthouse?
This book is about a mentor and a mentee, so I asked the team the obvious question. Who is your lighthouse? Who is your Ratan Tata?
One student answered without a pause: her mother, a single parent who has done everything for her and her younger sister. Another said that, for the whole class, it was the faculty mentor who runs their personal development sessions and teaches them how to be confident, how to speak and how to carry themselves as professionals.
Earlier that morning, in my speech, I had told the students that our careers are like kites. So I reminded them. How does a kite start flying? Someone has to hold the kite first, and then let it go into the wind. That someone is the lighthouse relationship. In entrepreneurship, a mentor is very important. Apart from your mother and father, you should always have different mentors who can inspire you and guide you, because mentorship makes the path easier. Just as Hanumanji had Jambavan to remind him of his strength, all of us need someone.
Five lessons for an Indian student or young founder
1. A small project can open a big door
Shantanu did not write to Ratan Tata asking for a job. He made reflective collars for street dogs, and the work spoke for him. If you want a mentor to notice you, give them something to notice. Start a small, useful project now.
2. Find mentors beyond your family
Parents are our first lighthouse, and the students were right to name them. But a founder also needs people who have walked the road she wants to walk: a teacher, an alumna, a local business owner, someone in your industry. Look for two or three, not one.
3. Approach a mentor with a clear question
A specific question is easier to answer than "please guide me". Ask how they got their first customer, or what they would do in your place. Busy people say yes to small, clear requests.
4. Overlooked people are an opportunity
Goodfellows serves older people who are lonely. Motopaws served street dogs nobody thought about. Some of the best businesses begin by noticing who has been left out, whether that is the elderly, small-town students or women returning to work.
5. Stay humble as you grow
The team's third learning was to stay humble, follow your passion and help people whenever you can. A good leader, they said, is not someone who only gives orders, but someone who understands and supports others. That is also how you become someone else's lighthouse one day.
What I took home
Lighthouse Crew chose a gentle book on a day full of startup stories, and it was a wise choice. Their review reminded the whole hall that behind most founders stands someone who held the kite first. My wish for these students is that they find their lighthouse, and in time, become one.
If you run a college or company
I run book-review and entrepreneurship sessions for colleges and companies, where people do not just read a book, they argue with it, act it out and turn it into a plan they can try on Monday. If you would like one for your students or your team, write to me here.
With thanks to HNIMR
My thanks to Dr. Priyanka Singh, Director of HNIMR; Mrs. Manjushree K. Nawale, Librarian, and her library team, who organised Ink & Insights 2026; Mr. Vishwajeet Deshmukh, Placement Officer; Mr. Devadatta Sant; and Ms. Minal Kotwal, for hosting me so warmly and making the day run so smoothly. And to every student who stood on that stage with a book in hand: thank you for the courage and the creativity.
Related Articles by Avinash Chate
- Why Being "Indispensable" at Work Is Actually Holding You Back
- How to Improve Skills at Work: The Robot Bird Lesson
- Workplace Psychology: How Leaders Should React to Good News
Work with Avinash Chate
- Best Motivational Speaker in Maharashtra →
- Team Building Trainer in Pune →
- Best Motivational Speaker in Mumbai →
| AC | Avinash ChateIndia's Leading Corporate Trainer | TEDx Speaker | Author With 1000+ organizations trained including RBI, JSW Steels, and Ferrero, Avinash Chate delivers high-impact corporate training across India. Creator of the KITE Leadership Framework and bestselling author of "The Winning Edge." Website YouTube |
Avinash Chate services
Corporate Trainer in Pune · Top Corporate Trainers in Pune · Leadership Trainer in Pune · Top Leadership Trainers in Pune · Team Building Trainer in Pune · Top Team Building Trainers in Pune · Motivational Speaker in Pune · Top Motivational Speakers in Maharashtra · All service locations
← Back to all articles · Book Avinash Chate
By Avinash Chate — Maharashtra’s #1 Corporate Trainer & Motivational Speaker. .