India, June 16 -- In conversation with Prabhat Kumar, IRS (Principal Additional Director General, NACIN, Mumbai, and Chairman of Pan IIT Alumni India)

An alumnus of IIT Delhi, Prabhat has authored the landmark book IIT: The Story of India's Most Prestigious Educational Ecosystem. In this free-wheeling interview, he talks about his journey from a small Bihar village to leading the world's most influential alumni network, his vision of "From Silicon Valley to Indus Valley", and why IITians must now become the architects of a Viksit Bharat.

Q. Your journey began in a village in Bihar. What was the turning point that set you on the path to IIT Delhi and then the Indian Revenue Service?

A: I often say I was a "boy with no dreams" until Clas...