"An ordinary beginning can grow into an extraordinary journey when faith, effort, and passion are never abandoned.”
Introduction
The life of Dr. Kunal Saurabh is a living testimony to how resilience and self-belief transform an average story into one worth remembering. Born in Dumka, Jharkhand, into a modest middle-class family, he grew up in a household that valued discipline, stability, and quiet perseverance. His father, Mr. Ashok Kumar Gupta, served in a government job, while his mother, Mrs. Asha Gupta, cared for the home and family with devotion. As the youngest among siblings Siddhartha and Shivani, Kunal was nurtured with both responsibility and affection. His elder brother Siddhartha has always been a guiding force—an inspiring mentor, a father figure, and a source of unwavering support throughout his life. His elder sister Shivani has been a wellspring of love, affection, and encouragement, adding warmth and emotional strength to his journey. He often reflects on his childhood as “average,” but in that ordinariness lay the seeds of his character. It was the kind of upbringing that did not promise glamour, but instead instilled values of patience, humility, and determination.
His early education was steady and unspectacular, yet it provided the framework for deeper growth. Kunal completed his schooling in the science stream and gradually found his curiosity expanding toward psychology. He pursued a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Psychology from Sido Kanhu Murmu University, Jharkhand. For him, psychology was not just a subject but a way of understanding human nature, emotions, and decision-making. Alongside, he explored the world of art through a Bachelor in Fine Arts, which he pursued with remarkable seriousness. While his peers may have been content with walking the standard path, Kunal chose to keep one foot in science and another in creativity, allowing both reason and imagination to shape him.
What makes his journey compelling is not just the choices he made but the context in which he made them. Coming from a region where most young people dreamed of becoming engineers, doctors, or government officers, he too felt the weight of family expectations. His father, a man of discipline, encouraged him to attempt UPSC, believing that the stability and prestige of civil services would be the right destination. Kunal tried, but life had different plans. His pursuit led him instead toward management studies, and he completed his Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) in 2010 from ACCMAN Institute of Management, Greater Noida.
Graduating during a recession was not easy. Jobs were scarce, and opportunities were painfully limited. He spent long months submitting applications, waiting for responses, and struggling with uncertainty. This phase tested not only his patience but also his belief in himself. Many might have given up or accepted defeat, but Kunal learned to endure. His breakthrough came when he joined IBM Daksh in early 2012. Here, he began his professional career in Human Resources, focusing on onboarding, recruitment, induction, and compliance. It was not a glamorous start, but it was a step into stability, and Kunal treated it with seriousness.
As the years unfolded, he grew in both expertise and recognition. In 2016, he joined Mercer Consulting (India) Pvt. Ltd., where his focus shifted to Total Rewards Consulting. His work expanded into compensation analytics, payroll leadership, survey design, and client advisory. He contributed to projects that required precision, confidentiality, and responsibility. Over time, his dedication earned him recognition, including the Mercer Process Champion Award in 2020 and a Mercer Values Award in 2025. These honors did not come overnight; they were the fruit of consistency, learning, and humility in the workplace.
“Strength is not always born in extraordinary places. Sometimes it is quietly nurtured in the small towns, ordinary homes, and simple routines of life.”
Phase 1: The Roots of Simplicity
The beginning of Dr. Kunal Saurabh’s journey lies in the small but soulful town of Dumka, Jharkhand, where he was born and raised. His childhood was not one that boasted of wealth, privilege, or unusual talent, but one that reflected the reality of millions of Indian families who built their lives on the foundation of sincerity and perseverance. His parents, Mr. Ashok Kumar Gupta and Mrs. Asha Gupta, were the steady anchors of the household. His father served in a government job, a position that symbolized security and respect in their community, while his mother’s devotion shaped the emotional warmth of the family.
As the youngest among siblings Siddhartha and Shivani, Kunal experienced a childhood where love was abundant and responsibilities were balanced by the presence of elder brother and sister. His elder brother, Siddhartha, played a guiding role in his early years—a mentor and father figure whose wisdom, patience, and encouragement helped Kunal navigate life’s uncertainties. His elder sister, Shivani, filled his childhood with affection and emotional warmth, offering constant motivation and care that shaped his compassionate outlook. He often recalls his growing-up years as being “average,” not in a dismissive way but as a recognition that life was simple, predictable, and grounded in routine. In his words, there was nothing that set him apart as a child of extraordinary ability or genius. He was like every other child in his neighborhood—attending school, playing with friends, listening to the advice of elders, and growing up in the watchful shadow of a middle-class family’s discipline.
As the youngest among siblings Siddhartha and Shivani, Kunal experienced a childhood where love was abundant and responsibilities were balanced by the presence of elder brother and sister. His elder brother, Siddhartha, played a guiding role in his early years—a mentor and father figure whose wisdom, patience, and encouragement helped Kunal navigate life’s uncertainties. His elder sister, Shivani, filled his childhood with affection and emotional warmth, offering constant motivation and care that shaped his compassionate outlook.
“Dreams are often born in the spaces between expectation and reality, and it is there that resilience begins to take shape.”
Phase 2: The Struggles of Learning and Expectations
As Dr. Kunal Saurabh grew beyond the simplicity of his early childhood, he began to encounter the layered complexities that every young person faces while stepping into the world of education and societal expectation. His journey through school and higher studies was not one marked by brilliance or an extraordinary spark, but by consistency, humility, and the will to keep moving forward in a culture that demanded more than just average results.
From his earliest days in school, Kunal considered himself “average.” He was not the child teachers pointed to as an academic star, nor was he one who gave them worry. He existed in the middle, steady, compliant, and respectful, someone who quietly got through his work and passed his examinations without drama. Yet, within this ordinariness was a remarkable lesson that would define his life: the understanding that being average does not mean being without potential. It means one has to dig deeper, find strength in persistence, and chart a path with quiet determination.
Completing his higher secondary education in the science stream, he stepped into a world where expectations were louder than personal choice. The small towns of Bihar and Jharkhand carried a clear script for young men: either become an engineer, a doctor, or pursue the prestigious path of the Indian Administrative Services. To deviate from this script often invited doubt or disappointment. His father had served in government service, knew the respect and influence such positions commanded. He envisioned his son carrying forward that legacy, rising through the ranks of authority, and giving the family the pride of being associated with power and prestige.
Kunal understood these expectations and tried to follow them. He attempted to align himself with the dream of civil services preparation, but his inner world was not fully in sync with this path. He respected the vision of his father but also realized that his own abilities and interests leaned toward different directions. This realization, however, was not immediate.
“Every door that finally opens is a reward for the countless knocks made in faith, not despair.”
Phase 3: First Breakthroughs and the Season of Persistence
The third phase of Dr. Kunal Saurabh’s journey begins with the transition from education to professional life, a stage where dreams and reality often collide. After completing his PGDM Kunal was eager to step into the corporate world. Yet, as fate would have it, he graduated into one of the most uncertain times for young professionals—the recession. Companies were downsizing, opportunities were scarce, and the enthusiasm of fresh graduates was often met with silence or rejection.
For Kunal, the journey into employment was not immediate. He spent months searching, applying, and preparing, yet the calls that came were few and far between. There were moments of doubt, long days spent carrying résumés to offices, and evenings of questioning whether his choices had been the right ones. This period could easily have broken his spirit, but instead, it became a season of persistence. He refused to give up. Each rejection was painful, yet each rejection also became a lesson in resilience.
Finally, in 2012, he found his breakthrough when he was hired at IBM Daksh. This opportunity, while modest in position, was a milestone that brought him into the structured world of corporate responsibility. At IBM, he worked in Human Resources operations, where he was entrusted with critical functions such as onboarding, induction programs, recruitment processes, MIS reporting, and compliance support. It was here that he learned the rhythms of organizational life—the importance of precision, professionalism, and reliability.
Kunal did not enter this role as an expert. He entered as a learner who understood that growth comes from humility and willingness to adapt. The environment at IBM challenged him to sharpen his skills, interact with diverse people, and develop confidence in his ability to contribute meaningfully. He was no longer the “average” boy from Dumka; he was now a professional carving his place in a competitive world.
Note of Thanks
In reflecting on the journey of Dr. Kunal Saurabh, it becomes clear that no story is ever the work of one individual alone. Behind every step forward, there have been hands of support, voices of encouragement, and hearts that believed in him when challenges seemed overwhelming. This note of thanks is not simply a formality but a heartfelt tribute to all who have shaped his path.
He expresses his deepest gratitude to his parents, Mr. Ashok Kumar Gupta and Mrs. Asha Gupta, whose values of simplicity, discipline, and resilience became the roots of his character. Their unwavering belief, even when he thought of himself as average, built the foundation on which his achievements stand today. Elder brother Siddhartha for a continuous support and guide and sister Shivani for love and affection.
To his wife, Ritu, he owes an immeasurable debt of gratitude. Her patience, companionship, and quiet strength turned years of uncertainty into seasons of growth. She stood by him when the journey was hard and celebrated with him when success arrived, reminding him that true partnership is about walking together in both struggle and triumph.
His children, Pragya and Anagh, have been both his inspiration and his reward. Their joy, innocence, and pride in their father’s achievements remind him daily of why perseverance matters. They represent not only the continuation of his legacy but also the purest reason to strive for balance and meaning.
He also acknowledges his mentors, guides, colleagues, and all those who trusted him in his role as a corporate professional and as a numerologist. Their faith affirmed his purpose and gave him the courage to continue.
This note of thanks, above all, reflects his gratitude to life itself—for teaching him that with resilience, humility, and balance, even an “average beginning” can grow into a story of meaning and inspiration.
Thanks
Dr. Kunal Saurabh