Meet the face behind Positive News - PIYUSH GHOSH

Tete-a-Tete With Piyush Ghosh

  When you wake up in the morning, the first thing your eyes search for is a Newspaper. As soon as you skim through it, you find news related to all the negative that is happening around us in abundance. With a unique idea of a purely positive newspaper, Piyush Ghosh laid the foundation of THE OPTIMIST CITIZEN. The newspaper focusses on the lives of the unsung heroes, Bravehearts, changemakers and the ones whose positive efforts can inspire the world. Being a dynamic personality, Piyush has presented his research papers at International Conferences and had won 'Best Presenter' award at the Second International Conference on Global Business, Economics and Sustainability held in Hyatt, Chennai for presentation on the Research Paper on "An Alternative Social Security Model for the Poor". He is also the youngest to win the prestigious Manthan Awards South Asia Pacific for THE OPTIMIST CITIZEN. In a candid conversation with BananiVista, he spoke about his passion and experiences.   Manthan Awards Winner   BV: Something about THE OPTIMIST CITIZEN? How did the idea of getting started with this strike you? Piyush:  THE OPTIMIST CITIZEN is a purely positive newspaper that revolves around the positive stories. Its main motive is to bring forth the inspiring stories from around the globe that can restore hope in the society.   Waking up every morning to news about rapes, murders, violence, natural disasters used to spoil my happy mood and that is when I decided to go ahead with the idea of TOC. Moreover, my parents are social entrepreneurs. The upbringing naturally directed me towards doing something for the betterment of the society. We launched the newspaper in 2014 but it came out officially in July 2015.   I firmly believe that incredible stories of optimistic people should be recognized and mentioned so that a positive action can be stimulated in the society.   The Optimist Citizen   BV: How does it feel to be a successful entrepreneur at a young age? Piyush: Honestly speaking, Achieving success is difficult and maintaining it is yet another challenging task. I have always wished to be at the center of everything. I wanted to be on my own. Being an entrepreneur is something I desired and it is really nice. Success has turned out to be addictive for me.   BV: What were the set of challenges you faced while coming up with TOC? Piyush: The market does not consider the young people. They are seen as unreliable and the investors fear to invest in them. Since we all belonged to humble backgrounds, there was a need for the capital to materialize our vision. We were knocked out and had to face the financial setbacks. With time, things got better.   BV: If not TOC, then what? Piyush: I am an ardent follower of cricket and loves to play it since childhood. I have played in the Under-16 team at my school. So yes, if not TOC, then I would have been a cricket player.   BV: You have been a TedX speaker. How was your experience being the one? Piyush: It was an overwhelming experience. Firstly, I felt that I shouldn't be doing this since it is a big platform. But then it was really a matter of immense happiness sharing my experiences and opinions with people on a big platform. I felt honoured. I was not at all scared. In fact, I lived those moments.   The TedX Speaker   BV: Few words for the youths? Piyush: When you are young, this is the right time to do things. Your mind is still fresh and you are bubbling with enthusiasm. Channelise your energy and invest your time judiciously.   BV: What are your plans for the future? Piyush: I dream to take forward the idea of THE OPTIMIST CITIZEN at a global level thereby making it a better media house, a better product. I also wish to play cricket with Virat Kohli at World Cup 2019. Also, I plan to pursue my master's degree.  

Rapid Fire:

• Your favourite food?

Anything that is non-veg. Maggi is love.

• Your favourite destination?

Istanbul

• Your Ideal?

My father is the inspiration for me.

• The thing you like the most about yourself?

I am a practical and a logical person.

• Your definition of success?

The definition of success for me is quite critical. If you are able to leave an impact on the minds of others, then you are successful.