Rajagopalan’s Life of Learning, Perseverance and Forming New Bonds!

etSetUp Community member and Kotak Bank account holder Rajagopalan shows us that ageing is what we cultivate it to be. He proves that by opening our lives to learning alongside - and from - others, we can discover our purpose anew in each phase. His life story further reflects how opportunities for learning, growth, and pursuing passions are present for all if one perseveres.

"My name is Rajagopalan.  In Tamil culture, we don't typically use surnames, so Rajagopalan is my name," he begins. This year, he will celebrate his 70th birthday. Born in Jharia, Dhanbad district, now part of Jharkhand but formerly in Bihar, his journey began amidst the coal mines where his father worked. However, they soon moved to Madurai when he was four or five. He lost his father at a young age but was raised by a mother who fiercely believed in the power of education. This ignited in Rajagopalan a lifelong passion for learning. "We were all self-made individuals," he recalls, crediting his mother for their survival.

Rajagopalan pursued his education in Madurai, culminating in a Bachelor of Science in Special Physics. Financial constraints redirected his initial aspirations of becoming an engineer. "I was fascinated by physics, and I did my special physics degree," he reflects. He began his career in automobiles and worked his way around the world, gaining experience across borders. But through it all, the family served as his anchor. "When I joined TVS, there was no motorbike company. It was a parent company like Tata Sons," he explains. His 16-year tenure at TVS saw significant growth and expansion. Following this, he worked with Rane Madras and Shalimar Tar Products, which is owned by the Times of India Group. In the mid-1990s, Rajagopalan ventured to the Middle East, working as a marketing manager and later as a marketing research consultant. "I used to work with big audit firms like Grant Thornton and PKF," he shares. His work took him to over 20 countries, conducting feasibility studies and market research for various governments and multinational corporations. "Dubai is a very happening place. It was much easier for companies to set up shop there and cover the entire Middle East region,". 

On the personal front, his family has been a cornerstone of his life, providing support and motivation throughout his career. After retiring in 2020, Rajagopalan could have slowed down. Instead, he embraced a new role—becoming a homemaker so his educator-wife could continue empowering others. "I get up at 5:30 in the morning, do the breakfast and lunch, drop my wife to school, come back, and start my stock trading," he describes.

‍It was around this time and phase of reinvention that Rajagopalan discovered GetSetUp. What started as a social lunch grew into a community, activity groups, and, most of all, friendship. When he read the message to attend a lunch that GetSetUp organized at a Chennai restaurant at a discount, he shared, "I thought that it was quite a bargain, and I would get to meet a lot of new people; we were a total of 16 of us. I was the only odd man out. One of the females asked me if I was in this group. I looked at her and said that I hoped. See, friends are friends. Whether they are males or females or whatever it is. They are friends. It's wonderful. I had a wonderful afternoon there with all of them. And all of them are good friends now. We keep in touch with each other," 

On the platform, he rediscovered joy in pursuing hobbies he had long put aside, such as writing poems, singing songs, and advocating for others. He also recently participated in the GetSetUp Singing Star Competition and made it to the finale. But he shares that his favorite aspect of GetSetUp has been the new friendships he has formed. "The best moment of my GetSetUp is meeting all my new friends. What is better than that? Meeting new faces, making new friends. It's wonderful. I'm telling you honestly, it comes from my heart. It's beautiful. And they're all very lively people." 

Getting older is a journey, not a destination. As Rajagopalan proves, each stage of life can be full of resilience, community, and reinvention. He encourages us all to redefine what it means to age actively and successfully. Our later years are what we make of them. 

To joinour community of active agers on GetSetUp and start your journey of learning, growth, and friendship today, download our App from the Google Playstore or drop us a "Hi" on WhatsApp.