From Rangpur to the World

A Journey Built on Purpose

From the glow of a kerosene lamp to global leadership stages this isn’t just one man’s story. It’s a reminder that where you begin never limits how far you can lead.

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From the Lamplight of Rangpur

Where simplicity shaped purpose.

Upendra Giri’s journey began in the quiet village of Rangpur, Northern India a place where the nights glowed not with electricity, but with kerosene lamps and hope.

His mother would rise before dawn to grind wheat and light a lamp so he could study. Those moments became his foundation where discipline met devotion.

Growing up in a joint family taught him resilience, humility, and gratitude the values that would become the pillars of his leadership.

Evenings under the chopal were his classroom. Listening to the Ramayana and Bhagavad Gita, he learned to focus on the process, not the prize. Those lessons became his compass teaching him that no situation is permanent and that even a humble hut can be the birthplace of great ideas.

“Service to others and simplicity of life are the true measures of success.”

— Upendra Giri

Because the light that once flickered in Rangpur didn’t fade it multiplied.

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A Young Engineer’s Dream

Turning curiosity into conviction.

As a boy, Upendra would watch airplanes slice through the sky and wonder how can something made of metal soar when humans cannot? That question ignited a fire that’s never gone out.

When a civil engineer arrived in his village to install a water tubewell, one conversation changed everything. Upendra realized that knowledge could lift not only machines but lives.

At Jamia Millia Islamia, he fought language barriers and self-doubt. But perseverance became his power. His pursuit led him to Lehigh University in Pennsylvania the same school that shaped automotive icon Lee Iacocca.

There, under Dr. Sibel Pamukcu, he combined scrap tire rubber and iron slag to create stronger, more sustainable highways. Where others saw waste, he saw potential proving that even discarded materials can build the foundation of something stronger.

“Never settle for less.”

— Upendra Giri

That experiment became a metaphor for his life: Resilience can turn rejection into renewal.

Building AstroWix and a Culture of Execution Excellence

When vision meets alignment.

After Lehigh, Upendra and his wife, Seema, co-founded AstroWix Corporation in Silicon Valley in 1999 built on a single principle: execution excellence.

Their mission was bold to empower organizations with global best practices in project and portfolio management. Soon after, they returned to India and partnered with Microsoft, PMI, and multiple governments to embed project-management culture nationwide.

Over the next decade, Upendra trained and mentored over 100,000 professionals across 25+ countries from CEOs to young entrepreneurs proving that leadership is not about hierarchy, but about humility and learning.

“Inner Strength — Intuition, Thoughts & Feelings.
Experiential Learning — Learn, Unlearn & Relearn.
OKRs — Inputs, Outputs & Outcomes.”

— The Power of Three Framework

From that mission emerged his guiding framework — The Power of Three — a philosophy aligning purpose with process and strategy with humanity.

A Life Dedicated to Purpose

Recognition, reflection, and reinvention.

In 2009, Upendra became the first Indian and youngest recipient of the Eric Jenett Award from PMI honoring his global impact on project leadership.

But for him, awards were never the destination. What mattered was transformation the lives changed, the cultures shifted, the leaders awakened.

From Silicon Valley boardrooms to India’s ministries, he continues to mentor leaders and transform organizations worldwide promoting a culture of alignment, inclusion, and sustainability. He believes that purpose and performance must coexist, and that world peace begins with inner peace.

“Your reality is built out of your thoughts… whatever we wish to be in the future can be produced by our present actions.”

— upendra giri

Learn, Unlearn, and Relearn is my evolution mantra.

A Life Dedicated to a Greater Purpose

From lamplight to legacy.

Upendra’s story from studying under a kerosene lamp in Rangpur to standing on global stages is proof that vision, purpose, and perseverance can transform circumstance into contribution.

He continues to inspire thousands through leadership programs, cultural-transformation projects, and sustainability advocacy. Every initiative he leads circles back to one belief that knowledge and kindness are meant to be shared.

Today, as an author, coach, and globally recognized strategist, Upendra Giri is redefining how individuals and organizations think, lead, and act.

“I decided that I was going to find a way, somehow, someday, to give back and pay it forward.”