“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
Dedication
This biography is dedicated foremost to the proud spirit of every Indian citizen who, like me, comes from humble beginnings but carries the unyielding flame of hope and resilience. To those who face life’s toughest battles with courage—especially to all cancer patients around the world—your strength inspires me every single day. You embody the true meaning of bravery, reminding us all that the human spirit can triumph over even the darkest moments.
To my beloved village in Kerala, where my journey began, a place that taught me the value of hard work, community, and the power of education. To every family who struggled alongside mine, sharing dreams in the face of adversity, this story is a tribute to your perseverance and faith.
To my family, whose sacrifices and love shaped the foundation of my life. To my parents, who taught me the value of knowledge and the importance of hope, even when resources were scarce. Your belief in me was the first gift that made all the difference.
To my wife and children, my steadfast partner and pillar of strength, who stood by me through every trial and triumph. Your unwavering support and love made it possible for me to pursue my dreams despite every challenge. Together, we have transformed hardships into milestones.
To the many souls who struggled with cancers or other illness and pain, I dedicate this to your courage. May this story serve as a beacon of optimism and proof that no diagnosis can define us unless we allow it to. May you find within yourselves the willpower to fight, to hope, and to live beyond expectations.
To all the teachers, mentors, and friends who nurtured my growth—thank you for lighting my path and believing in my potential. Your guidance was the bridge from my small village to the global stage of health and safety.
Finally, this book is for anyone who has ever been told they cannot, who has ever faced a seemingly impossible journey. Let my story be a reminder: where there is hope, there is a way. Where there is will, there is victory.
Dr. Haridas S. Nair
Phase 1 : From Streetlights to Building Dreams
“Stop being afraid of what could go wrong, and start being excited about what could go right.”
In the humble village of Kattachira, nestled deep within the paddy fields and backwaters of Alappuzha district in Kerala, a child was born into the grip of poverty—his name, Dr. Haridas S. Nair. From the very beginning, life offered him little but demanded much. He came into a world crowded under a single, aging roof—a joint family of 32 children, where the only constant was struggle. The household was steeped in scarcity: food was insufficient, clothing was shared, and electricity, when available, flickered like a privilege. Even a full meal twice a day was a luxury that eluded most.
In that house, childhood wasn’t a period of ease or play. Long before the village school bell rang, Dr. Haridas S. Nair had already labored alongside adults: cutting grass for cattle, hauling firewood from distant groves, helping with paddy farming, and drawing water from open wells. These weren’t chores; they were lifelines. Showers were hurried affairs in murky canals or public ponds, done minutes before racing to school. Each school day began with a 4-kilometer walk, barefoot and weary, across uneven paths that turned treacherous during the monsoons. When skies broke open with rain, little Dr. Haridas S. Nair would shield himself with banana leaves, an image both heartbreaking and heroic—a child determined not to miss a day of learning, despite the world conspiring to keep him away.
Yet, it wasn’t just the body that endured hardship, it was the heart. At home, a single kerosene lamp was the only source of light, guarded fiercely by elders who rationed every drop of fuel. Once extinguished by dusk, there was no option but to walk over a kilometer and a half to the nearest streetlamp. There, under the yellow glow of a flickering public light, Dr. Haridas S. Nair would lay out his books and do his homework. Other children slept peacefully indoors, their stomachs full and bodies warm.
He, by contrast, sat hungry, often shivering, on a pavement, trying to memorize his lessons with frozen fingers and a burning resolve. It was not just physically taxing—it was humiliating. But in that humiliation was born a vow: he would rise. One day, he would never let another child in his village suffer the same fate.
That determination found its voice when a schoolteacher once asked a question that would forever shape his destiny: “What do you want to become in life?” Without pause, young Dr. Haridas S. Nair replied, “What is the highest education one can achieve?” The teacher answered, “A doctorate.” In that moment, Dr. Haridas S. Nair looked him in the eye and declared, “Then I will become a doctorate.” That bold proclamation, made not with arrogance but with burning hunger, wasn’t just a dream. It was a decision.
Phase 2 : The Hunger to Conquer
“Defeat is a state of mind; no one is ever defeated until defeat is accepted as a reality.”
Leaving behind the mud-soaked trails of his village and the humble routines of his childhood, Dr. Haridas S. Nair stepped into the next stage of life with only one thing in abundance—his determination. Having cleared his matriculation through sheer persistence, he now faced a new challenge. College, once a distant dream, stood tall before him like a mountain cloaked in mist, desirable, but intimidating and far out of reach. Financially, his family simply couldn’t afford it. There were no savings, no sponsors, and no safety nets. But he knew one thing clearly: stopping was not an option.
With limited choices and unlimited responsibility, Dr. Haridas S. Nair made a life-altering decision. He applied for the Indian Air Force, not out of a patriotic instinct initially, but as a practical step to earn and save for higher studies. Yet, destiny has a way of revealing greater meanings. What started as a means to survive became a deeply respected calling. He embraced the discipline, rigor, and responsibility that came with serving the nation. He was stationed in locations such as Hyderabad and Nashik, often traveling for specialized training programs that exposed him to new technical and operational experiences.
His determination and mental strength carried him forward. While in the Air Force, he rose to the rank of Senior Non-Commissioned Officer, undertaking responsibilities that included conducting fire risk assessments of airfield medical facilities, organizing emergency evacuation drills, and coordinating air evacuation programs. Every uniform he wore added to his sense of discipline; every salute exchanged built another layer of confidence. Amidst the rigid schedules and demanding duties, he often studied late into the night, poring over textbooks under dim lights after long shifts, driven by an unyielding ambition to better himself. Financial constraints meant he had to budget tightly, sometimes skipping comforts to pay for exam fees or learning materials.
And yet, amid the structure and duties of military life, his drive for education never waned. He made use of every opportunity to learn. While others spent weekends on rest and recreation, Dr. Haridas S. Nair pursued knowledge. His ambition was louder than exhaustion. With time and relentless effort, he completed his Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. It was a significant academic milestone, marking the moment when the barefoot boy who once studied under streetlamps had become a graduate engineer.
But for Dr. Haridas S. Nair, one degree was never enough. He was driven by a mission not just to educate himself, but to grow in a way that allowed him to serve others and uplift those around him. So, he went further, completing a Master’s degree in Business Administration, expanding both his technical understanding and managerial skills. Alongside these formal degrees, he also immersed himself in the fields of occupational health, safety, and risk management, a domain that aligned deeply with his values of protecting and empowering others.
Phase 3 : From Uniform to Visionary
“Failure isn’t the end of the road. It’s a big red flag saying to you, ‘Wrong way. Turn around."
When Dr. Haridas S. Nair took his first steps in the Indian Air Force, he did so with modest intentions: to earn a living, to one day afford his education, and to help lift his family out of poverty. What began as a means of survival slowly evolved into a foundation of purpose, responsibility, and deep national pride. As a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer, Dr. Haridas S. Nair not only fulfilled his duties with excellence but built a reputation grounded in discipline, tenacity, and clear foresight.
His work involved high-pressure responsibilities, fire risk assessments, emergency evacuation planning, and the health and safety oversight of airfield medical facilities. These were not ordinary jobs. They required precision, quick judgment, and the kind of calm courage that he had cultivated since his days under banana leaf umbrellas. During his service, he was posted in various parts of India, each location bringing its own set of logistical challenges and climate extremes. Adapting to new routines while managing high-stress duties was physically and mentally taxing. His service wasn’t just about routines; it was about ensuring the safety of others, about standing between danger and those who were unprepared. This sense of responsibility would become the central theme of his professional life.
Balancing military life with his passion for education was grueling. Often, after completing demanding shifts, he would stay up through the night studying for exams, poring over engineering textbooks and safety manuals by dim light. Financial limitations forced him to delay buying books or traveling for certifications. There were moments of doubt—when isolation or exhaustion made him question the path he had chosen—but his ambition always prevailed.
After his honorable service in the Indian Air Force, Dr. Haridas S. Nair transitioned to the private sector with clarity and intent. In 1987, he joined the Al Hanouf Group in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as an HSE Manager. The shift from a regimented military environment to the world of corporate risk management came naturally to him. He thrived in this new terrain, developing HSE manuals, conducting critical trainings, interacting with clients, and introducing structured structured protocols. Adjusting to a corporate environment after years of military service wasn’t easy—he had to recalibrate communication styles, navigate unfamiliar business hierarchies, and prove his worth in a competitive new world. Still, his adaptability became his strength.
His wife played a crucial role in supporting these career transitions, offering encouragement and managing responsibilities at home during his frequent international travels. Her steady support became the emotional anchor that allowed him to focus on his growing responsibilities.