Meet the SHEROES - Purva Grover

The Indian Trumpet is the only e-magazine for NRI's. Today, let's hear the story behind The Indian Trumpet and how Purva Grover founded the magazine to feel closer to home. Being an NRI can change the way you look at your home country or the way you feel about it, let's read on to hear what Purva has to say,

Tell us more about yourself. 

A journalist by profession, my life revolves around datelines, headlines and deadlines. And I 'still' love it very much. I have over eight years’ experience in the publishing industry and was working as an associate editor for luxury magazines in India in my last position. When I moved to Dubai in 2012, I decided to start a magazine of my own. I have had a stint as a journalist and senior copy editor with some of the leading newspapers in India and have worked on a range of subjects like art, fashion, cinema, food, television, people, etc. I continue to work as a freelance editorial consultant and writer for Indian and international magazines. I am backed with a post-graduate degree in mass communication and literature.

I am happy being the founder-editor of The Indian Trumpet, which also means I play the sales person, marketing head, coffee boy, graphic designer and peon for the magazine! And I love every moment, every role.

What is the story behind starting up The Indian Trumpet?

When I, an Indian girl, landed in Dubai I felt I couldn’t leave behind my passion for journalism & love for home. At the same time, I couldn’t help but play with fonts, colours and words to create something for the fellow NRIs. Little did I know that hearts & minds from all communities would greet my dream with the same passion and love! Ibecame a NRI in November 2012 and felt a strong urge to strengthen my bond with my home, India and also a strong my desire to explore my new home, Dubai. Very soon, this aspiration (first expressed via a blog) became a talking point amongst the huge Indian diaspora not just in Dubai but all across the globe & the magazine was born in July 2013.

The story of The Indian Trumpet magazine has been that of knowing Indians all over the world and falling in love with all things Indian all over again. Running the magazine has been an exciting, fascinating and challenging journey. I have lived through moments that made me smile and scream at the same time. There were times when the laptop misbehaved, fonts got mixed up and writers and photographers missed deadlines, but then these were  complemented with times when my inbox got flooded with encouraging words, download speeds improved and colours and words just fell into place. I even accepted that while I couldn’t do it all in one issue, each day would bring me one step closer than I was the day before to achieving my dream of doing something for the Indian expats.

I began to smile at the thought that as an NRI, I was getting a chance to love, miss and appreciate the ‘home’! And honestly, even if someone had told me that this is how tough the journey would be I would have still done exactly the same thing and with the same enthusiasm. The Indian Trumpet is for all the people I knew, got to know and will know through this magazine.

What is the basic aim of the magazine?

This is a question that I am asked often and find most difficult to answer. Can you describe in words the pleasure of eating the creamy-rich butter chicken? Can the emotion of hearing and singing the National Anthem be described in phrases? Or for that matter can you measure the decibels of excitement when you watch Sholay for the 1000^th time? No. It’s emotions like these that form the aim of the magazine.

Starting and running the magazine has given me a chance to meet lovely and new people every single day, who talk of their love about India. It has given me a chance to re-learn the history & geography of the country. It has given me a chance to talk about all those elements that make India and Indians so wonderful and unique. It has given me a chance to talk of the past, present and future of our country. It has given me a chance to be in touch with India, every waking moment! As an individual, it has filled my waking hours with nostalgic, encouraging and exciting Indian stories. And as a magazine, we aim to create a similar expereicne for every reader. We aspire to connect with Indians& non-Indians across the world with one another and give them a chance to read about and indulge in all things Indian.

The Indian Trumpet is the ONLY e-magazine for Indian expats/ NRIs. Its unique content captures the colour, culture and chaos of India that NRIs crave and miss, once every two months. The magazine is aimed at anyone who wants to be in touch with India and its ethos: The target audience for the magazine includes: Indian expatriates globally, Resident Indians & Non-Indians across the globe. The Indian Trumpet is a celebration of India and Indian-ness.

What is your idea of work life balance?

There’s a famous saying: If you don’t prioritize your life someone else will! I guess the idea of balancing both professional and family life is to love & nurture both: I tell myself each morning that even if I couldn’t do it all in one day at home or at work, each day is bringing me one step closer to my professional dreams and personal aspirations: and that’s what helps me give my best to both my lives.

A message to all SHEROES out there. 

It’s always easy to give up on a goal/dream but remember you can give up only if you make a beginning.Don’t be afraid to both start or give up.

I’d say to every budding SHEROES there that one should make a start irrespective of the result: for there is something about starts:the magic, the frustration, the anxiety, the imperfections, the discouragements, the temptation to give in….But the best thing about starts is the fact that you made one! A beginning towards a dream, a change... It’s not about who wins the race, the tortoise or the rabbit: it’s about who all showed up at the starting line. Find your track and start walking, strolling, hopping, skipping…