Albeit the term is widely used in law circles, there are various disagreements regarding what actually entails cyber crime. President of Naavi.org, India's largest cyber law information portal suggests that the term is a misnomer. "The concept of cyber crime is not radically different from that of conventional crime," says in a report on the portal, "Both include conduct whether act or omission, which cause breach of rules of law and are counterbalanced by the sanction of the state. Cyber crime may be said to be one of those species, of which, the genus is conventional crime, and where either the computer is an object or subject of the conduct constituting crime."

Despite the similar legal nature of both conventional and cyber crime, they are substantially different in practice. Cyber crimes are far easier to learn how to commit and require fewer resources relative to the potential damage caused. These crimes can be committed in a jurisdiction without being physically present in, and until recently, their status of illegality has been, at best, vague. The global technology policy and management consulting firm McConnell Institute notes "The growing danger from crimes committed against computers, or against information on computers, is beginning to claim attention in national capitals. In most countries around the world, however, existing laws are likely to be unenforceable against such crimes." What makes matters worse is the fact that efficient law enforcement is complicated by the transnational nature of cyberspace. Security technology has been used extensively by both public and private organizations to protect themselves from those who would steal, deny access to, or destroy valuable information. But in today's rapid world of e-commerce, self protection, however essential, alone cannot make up for a lack of legal protection. Therefore, the need for separate legislation arises.

Two basic types of cyber crimes exist. One in which computers themselves are targets, such as criminal data access, data damage, malicious code, and various other kinds of information theft on computer networks. The other type consists of a situation where the computer is used as a tool to commit virtual versions of various conventional crimes like cyber terrorism, electronic fraud and forgery, cyber stalking and spamming, etc. To handle such a vast nature of cyber crimes, a separate ordinance is a step in the right direction. A rule of law in any capacity always constitutes towards creating a trustworthy environment for business and individuals to work in. But merely passing a law is not enough to curtail any crime. The purpose shall only be achieved once it's implemented properly and its awareness spread among the public.

Read more about Navtej Kohli

Sam Stevens never expected he'd be setting foot in the middle of a Russian winter. After all, he's a Texas oilman, a guy who's spent his entire life amid the dusty fields and hot sun of west Texas. His daddy had been a wildcatter, digging up the fields looking for good holes. Sam, though, used technology to keep his hands cleaner while being more productive.

That's because Sam Stevens helps design and sell drills for oil exploration, and he's done well by it. So well, in fact, that a fella named Navtej Kohli found out about him way down in Costa Rica and came calling, offering Stevens a huge contract to be the equipment supplier for Kohli's new company, Granox, as it staked its claim on some of the world's largest and least exploited oil fields.

"So here i am, on the other side of the planet, eating food I don't recognize and near freezing my butt off," laughs Stevens over a steaming cup of coffee. "But I'm an adventurer at heart, and I could tell Navtej was that way too. We did the paperwork, shook on it an bam, here I am."

As he waits for a new shipment of equipment and looks to the local population for his oil drilling staff, Stevens feels that he's part of something that can help change the world a little bit for the better.

"Crossing cultures, supplying the fuel that everyone needs and making friends across borders, well, that's just a good time," he laughs. "A good time indeed." Navtej Kohli agrees, “My staff and I have searched the world for people like Sam, who bring more than the best equipment on the planet, but the spirit that makes Granox a great company.”

Navtej Kohli

I’m delighted with a review I just received from a business associate! It’s always fantastic when people review you, your expertise or your services “just because” they’ve had a good experience in dealing with you, rather than because they feel they have to.

The author of “My Put Is” writes about me and some of my online ventures, stating that some of my success is not only due to savvy business practices, but due to an inherent understanding of the sectors in which I deal. She believes that I “get” my target audience and understand both their nuances and what they want out of their online experiences. It is truly an honor to receive such a shining review in regards to a section of my business life that doesn’t usually attract much attention. The work of my charitable foundation is far more “interesting” and press-worthy than are the other online properties that I maintain, so I thank this associate for her kind words!

Hope everyone is having a good week, even though it’s only Monday!

~ Navtej Kohli

Navtej Kohli

I’m delighted with a review I just received from a business associate! It’s always fantastic when people review you, your expertise or your services “just because” they’ve had a good experience in dealing with you, rather than because they feel they have to.

The author of “My Put Is” writes about me and some of my online ventures, stating that some of my success is not only due to savvy business practices, but due to an inherent understanding of the sectors in which I deal. She believes that I “get” my target audience and understand both their nuances and what they want out of their online experiences. It is truly an honor to receive such a shining review in regards to a section of my business life that doesn’t usually attract much attention. The work of my charitable foundation is far more “interesting” and press-worthy than are the other online properties that I maintain, so I thank this associate for her kind words!

Hope everyone is having a good week, even though it’s only Monday!

~ Navtej Kohli

By Navtej Kohli

As is the case when anything gets to be successful, the social networking market is saturated to the point that it’s almost nauseating to come across new social networking websites. Sites like Arsebook make fun of the overwhelming saturation of the market, but this doesn’t stop new startups from thinking that they can come in and take over.

From its outset, Facebook did the social networking thing better than anyone else. Its strengths have been touted over and over again, so I won’t go over them again here; however, the thing that amazes me is that other companies think they can lure some of Facebook’s 30 million dedicated users away from the service.

Google has Orkut, and Yahoo! has Y! 360. You’d think that the web’s leading search engines could either come up with some serious competition to Facebook, but it appears that they cannot. Orkut is popular in South America but has never really taken off in other parts of the world. Yahoo! 360 is not particularly popular anywhere. In my opinion, the Bebo brand would fit quite well with Yahoo’s current theme and feel, and that site is very popular amongst a young Australasian and British audience.

As most of my friends are aware, I have accounts at most of the popular social networking services and consider myself somewhat versed in their nuances. I do not understand why Myspace has not collapsed yet due to its awful interface, horrible coding, frequent error messages and overwhelming spam, and I believe that if they young U.S. market discover Bebo in the way that their Kiwi, Aussie and British peers have, Myspace will stop luring 13-18 year olds to their service.

Hi5 is another social networking site that tries to keep up with Facebook and Bebo but fails. Its interface and features are uninspired and unoriginal, and it takes part in the horrible practice of letting users see who recently visited their profiles. This immediately turns users off the idea of surfing through others’ profiles in search of their friends, as no one wants to come across as a stalker who’s been visiting others’ online properties. Services such as MyBlogLog let users “hide” from a site they visit; Hi5 has no such feature. Bebo also lets you choose whether or not your profile visits are public; the default setting is that you surf anonymously.

Trends that become hugely popular always come with people and companies who think that they can do a good thing better. They usually cannot. If you’re thinking about starting a social networking service, please reconsider. It’s unlikely that you’ll come up with something truly innovative (but if you have, go right ahead!). I’m currently quite enamored with Facebook, so have a look at my profile!

Over at my other blog, Navtej Kohli aka Tej Kohli, I’ve put up a post about my name and the social implications and trends surrounding names in general. We’re tied to our names in so many ways and our names tend to give a lot away about us without us having to do anything at all.

Although we may try not to judge people before we meet them, or within a short period of meeting them, their names set a precedent for what we expect even before we’ve laid eyes on them. My post covers some of the oddities and social rules surrounding names and naming.

~ Navtej Kohli

Over at my other blog, Navtej Kohli aka Tej Kohli, I’ve put up a post about my name and the social implications and trends surrounding names in general. We’re tied to our names in so many ways and our names tend to give a lot away about us without us having to do anything at all.

Although we may try not to judge people before we meet them, or within a short period of meeting them, their names set a precedent for what we expect even before we’ve laid eyes on them. My post covers some of the oddities and social rules surrounding names and naming.

By Navtej Kohli

PLEASE NOTE: I realize that American Citizens do not need Green Cards. This review is purely hypothetical. Please read all the text before you make comments, as many of your complaints are addressed therein. - Navtej Kohli

A friend of mine recently went through the process to become a U.S. Permanent Resident, meaning that he got a “Green Card.” The process of obtaining such a thing is very complicated. So complicated, in fact, that almost 17% of the United States’ population would either not qualify to be permanent residents of their own country, or would find significant road-blocks on their way to residency.

Why, you ask, does it matter if you are gay? The answer is this: One of the only ways to get permanent residency in the US is by marrying an American citizen. Employment-based residency applications usually require the immigrant to be a person of extraordinary ability. The likelihood of obtaining a Green Card without “extraordinary” or “exceptional” abilities is very low.

Marriage is the most simple way to get an immigrant visa. As gay marriage is not recognized in the United States, a gay U.S. Citizen cannot act as the sponsor of his or her foreign partner.

Just to clarify, most people enter the United States on “non-immigrant visas”, meaning that their stay in the country has a time limit. If I, Navtej Kohli, came to the U.S. to take a vacation, I’d need a visitor’s visa, which is also (obviously) of the non-immigrant type. Students who come on F-1 student visas, for example, usually have a visa that lasts for four years. Unless the person extends their visa or obtains a new one, they must leave the U.S. after their visa expires.

Here’s a link to the medical examination report that doctors fill out. You’ll see the ailments they test for on Page 3.

Applicants must make at least 25% more money than that which designates “poverty.” In this graph, I’ve only included the 12.7 million Americans who are actually under the poverty line, so there are potentially millions more U.S. Citizens who would fail to qualify on the basis of making too little money.

Acknowledging that many people may fall into more than one category (that is, they may be infected with HIV and be living in poverty), I’ve not included numbers for the people whose income falls between 100% and 125% of the poverty line, and neither have I compensated for the untold number of Americans who may have the mental and physical ailments that doctors are required to look for when examining potential immigrants. You will see the various other limitations, such as “Other physical defect, disease or disability” on the abovementioned medical examination form.

Also, for the sake of citation, here are the sites I consulted in order to obtain figures for the “other” diseases that hinder a person’s acceptance as a U.S. immigrant:

Granuloma Inguinal
Hansen’s Disease / Leprosy
Tuberculosis
Chancroid

Hope you’ve enjoyed this!

~ Navtej Kohli

By Navtej Kohli

PLEASE NOTE: I realize that American Citizens do not need Green Cards. This review is purely hypothetical. Please read all the text before you make comments, as many of your complaints are addressed therein.

A friend of mine recently went through the process to become a U.S. Permanent Resident, meaning that he got a “Green Card.” The process of obtaining such a thing is very complicated. So complicated, in fact, that almost 17% of the United States’ population would either not qualify to be permanent residents of their own country, or would find significant road-blocks on their way to residency.

Why, you ask, does it matter if you are gay? The answer is this: One of the only ways to get permanent residency in the US is by marrying an American citizen. Employment-based residency applications usually require the immigrant to be a person of extraordinary ability. The likelihood of obtaining a Green Card without “extraordinary” or “exceptional” abilities is very low.

Marriage is the most simple way to get an immigrant visa. As gay marriage is not recognized in the United States, a gay U.S. Citizen cannot act as the sponsor of his or her foreign partner.

Just to clarify, most people enter the United States on “non-immigrant visas”, meaning that their stay in the country has a time limit. If I, Navtej Kohli, came to the U.S. to take a vacation, I’d need a visitor’s visa, which is also (obviously) of the non-immigrant type. Students who come on F-1 student visas, for example, usually have a visa that lasts for four years. Unless the person extends their visa or obtains a new one, they must leave the U.S. after their visa expires.

Here’s a link to the medical examination report that doctors fill out. You’ll see the ailments they test for on Page 3.

Applicants must make at least 25% more money than that which designates “poverty.” In this graph, I’ve only included the 12.7 million Americans who are actually under the poverty line, so there are potentially millions more U.S. Citizens who would fail to qualify on the basis of making too little money.

Acknowledging that many people may fall into more than one category (that is, they may be infected with HIV and be living in poverty), I’ve not included numbers for the people whose income falls between 100% and 125% of the poverty line, and neither have I compensated for the untold number of Americans who may have the mental and physical ailments that doctors are required to look for when examining potential immigrants. You will see the various other limitations, such as “Other physical defect, disease or disability” on the abovementioned medical examination form.

Also, for the sake of citation, here are the sites I consulted in order to obtain figures for the “other” diseases that hinder a person’s acceptance as a U.S. immigrant:

Granuloma Inguinal
Hansen’s Disease / Leprosy
Tuberculosis
Chancroid

Hope you’ve enjoyed this!

~ Navtej Kohli

Nanette Himmelfarb is a troubleshooter for an start-up Internet-based business. That’s because she’s also the owner of a collectible poster company. She doesn’t like admitting that sometimes there are problems even she can’t solve, but at the same time she knows that there is one company she can count on to provide solutions in everything from website implementation to media planning and campaign management: Grafix Softech.

Based in Atlanta, Illinois (“What are you gonna do?” she laughs, knowing that everyone assumes she’s in Georgia) she nonetheless feels compelled to sell her products around the world. And just because she’s based in a small town doesn’t mean that she has to run her business like a small timer.

“I’ve gotta compete with big guys from Hollywood and New York, and thanks to Grafix Softech I can,” she says. “I read about the company’s founder, Navtej Kohli, and realized that if this guy could grow from a poor childhood in India to have companies on three different continents, I could also be successful anywhere I want to live.”

So whether she’s from a small Midwest town of 1,649 people or from the Georgian metropolis of millions, Nanette Himmelfarb knows that the world is at her fingertips. And at Grafix Softech, they like to think they can keep it solidly in her grasp.

It takes a man of the world to know how to truly help the world, and Navtej Kohli is that type of man. While he may not be as well known as Richard Branson or Donald Trump yet, he is a prime example of a man of ambition, vision and caring who could very well be in the next generation of the world’s great business leaders.

That’s because Kohli has come a long way from his humble beginnings growing up in New Delhi, India. In the past eight years, since he founded the interactive software company Grafix Softech, he has shown his ability for leaping into the world of new technology and finding solutions for other leaders of big business. The results have been impressive for the Hyderabad, India-based firm, which also maintains facilities in Kohli’s adopted homeland of Costa Rica, as the company has grown to include more than 150 employees.

Now, having mastered the world of technology, Kohli is making a daring move into another, more traditional yet no less risk-taking world of oil production. He has established Granox, Ltd, in Liechtenstein, in preparation for the oil exploration firm’s quest to open up new drilling opportunities throughout eastern Europe.

And it’s in yet another location that Kohli lays out his strategies: England. Knowing that the world is an ever-smaller place, he feels free to commute to any meeting or troubleshooting opportunity from his home in London as well. While some may consider such globetrotting as an extravagance, Kohli knows that to understand the world markets, constant travel is a necessity.

“Seeing life on three different continents helps me to understand both the challenges and opportunities that are out there just waiting for the right person to utilize them,” Kohli explains. “Knowing Latin America, Asia and Europe first hand is an invaluable opportunity that becomes a valuable business tool for my customers. It’s the wave of the future.”

Navtej Kohli:
We’ve just published this press release, so forgive its formal style, but we’re excited about its contents so we thought we’d publish it here on my blog, also!

SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA.

Navtej Kohli founder of The Kohli Foundation which provides food, education, and lodging for impoverished children from the Guanacasta province in Costa Rica announced plans to expand the foundation’s philanthropic endeavors this past weekend.

“It has always been my intentions to broaden the scope of the foundation.” Mr. Kohli said in a phone interview on Sunday. “I am passionate about philanthropy: I believe that helping others is an important part of how we build and maintain a structured society. Furthermore it brings me much joy to be able to offer assistance to more of this country’s poor children. We hope to double the amount of the current endowment by the end of the year bringing the total endowment up to $300,000.”

Hector Gonzales a ten year old boy who, until The Kohli Foundation stepped in last year, had never seen the inside of a classroom, is now attending classes three days a week. Hector’s father, Ernesto says of Navtej, “He is good man. He has much love and compassion for the children. The world could use more men like Mr. Kohli.” Mr. Kohli, who enjoys going to the schools and sitting in on classes, was asked about Hector’s accomplishments. Mr. Kohli replied, “Someday he may be President of Costa Rica.”

Navtej Kohli resides with his wife and two children just west of London, England in the town of Henley on Thames. Mr. Kohli graduated with honors from IIT and is a member of MENSA. Mr. Kohli has business interest in several countries including an oil exploration company in Russia.

Navtej Kohli:
We’ve just published this press release, so forgive its formal style, but we’re excited about its contents so we thought we’d publish it here on my blog, also!

SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA.

Navtej Kohli founder of The Kohli Foundation which provides food, education, and lodging for impoverished children from the Guanacasta province in Costa Rica announced plans to expand the foundation’s philanthropic endeavors this past weekend.

“It has always been my intentions to broaden the scope of the foundation.” Mr. Kohli said in a phone interview on Sunday. “I am passionate about philanthropy: I believe that helping others is an important part of how we build and maintain a structured society. Furthermore it brings me much joy to be able to offer assistance to more of this country’s poor children. We hope to double the amount of the current endowment by the end of the year bringing the total endowment up to $300,000.”

Hector Gonzales a ten year old boy who, until The Kohli Foundation stepped in last year, had never seen the inside of a classroom, is now attending classes three days a week. Hector’s father, Ernesto says of Navtej, “He is good man. He has much love and compassion for the children. The world could use more men like Mr. Kohli.” Mr. Kohli, who enjoys going to the schools and sitting in on classes, was asked about Hector’s accomplishments. Mr. Kohli replied, “Someday he may be President of Costa Rica.”

Navtej Kohli resides with his wife and two children just west of London, England in the town of Henley on Thames. Mr. Kohli graduated with honors from IIT and is a member of MENSA. Mr. Kohli has business interest in several countries including an oil exploration company in Russia.

Looking out among his coworkers in the bustling offices of Grafix Softech, Sabayaschi Sengupta speaks with both pride in his job as a supervisor and with excitement about his future. That’s because the Hyderabad, India-based company is poised to ride the high-tech 21st Century revolution that is sweeping India, and Sengupta is right there at the crest of it.

“The whole world is speeding along now, providing opportunities for countries like ours that used to get left behind,” says Sengupta. “It’s a thrilling thing to see India and companies like ours looked at as a solution to the world’s problems rather than just another source of them.”

Sengupta has seen plenty of growth and exciting changes in the eight years since the company’s founder, Navtej Kohli, asked him to come aboard and share his expertise in helping the interactive software firm grow. And it’s Sengupta’s firm grasp of interactivity and business platforms that has helped Kohli map out specific goals that have not only been attained, but surpassed with flair.

And thanks to his leadership role in the company, Sengupta has also found that he’s able to pass on opportunities for other, younger employees to shine and further accelerate the Indian economic engine. He regularly runs workshops that give his young charges a chance to not only absorb more knowledge, but offer their own cutting-edge insights into the direction of the company and how to both please and expand the company’s customer base.

“The great thing about Navtej Kohli is that he teaches us all to regard each other as family,” says Sengupta. “And as we look out for each other, we’re also looking out for a better world.”

Looking out among his coworkers in the bustling offices of Grafix Softech, Sabayaschi Sengupta speaks with both pride in his job as a supervisor and with excitement about his future. That’s because the Hyderabad, India-based company is poised to ride the high-tech 21st Century revolution that is sweeping India, and Sengupta is right there at the crest of it.

“The whole world is speeding along now, providing opportunities for countries like ours that used to get left behind,” says Sengupta. “It’s a thrilling thing to see India and companies like ours looked at as a solution to the world’s problems rather than just another source of them.”

Sengupta has seen plenty of growth and exciting changes in the eight years since the company’s founder, Navtej Kohli, asked him to come aboard and share his expertise in helping the interactive software firm grow. And it’s Sengupta’s firm grasp of interactivity and business platforms that has helped Kohli map out specific goals that have not only been attained, but surpassed with flair.

And thanks to his leadership role in the company, Sengupta has also found that he’s able to pass on opportunities for other, younger employees to shine and further accelerate the Indian economic engine. He regularly runs workshops that give his young charges a chance to not only absorb more knowledge, but offer their own cutting-edge insights into the direction of the company and how to both please and expand the company’s customer base.

“The great thing about Navtej Kohli is that he teaches us all to regard each other as family,” says Sengupta. “And as we look out for each other, we’re also looking out for a better world.”

All a person has to do to know that the world’s having problems with energy prices is look at their home heating bill or read the signs at gas stations. Prices are going haywire and Middle East tensions are only making things worse.

Many people might consider that situation and feel it’s hopeless. But Navtej Kohli is not one of those people. That’s because throughout his entire life, he’s been a man who finds solutions where others see problems. And these days, he’s diving in to help find new sources of oil for everyone’s benefit.

A native of New Delhi, India, Kohli has a proven track record of success on two continents. For in addition to operating a 150-employee interactive software firm called Grafix Softech in Hyderabad, India, he has also launched a new office for that company in his adoptive homeland of Costa Rica. And in addition, he has invested not only in businesses that could turn him a profit, but donated hundreds of thousands of dollars through his foundation to help improve the lives of Costa Rica’s impoverished schoolchildren.

But it’s his newest venture – an oil exploration firm called Granox, Ltd. – that has provided Kohli with his greatest excitement. Drawing on the help of experts in the oil industry, he is actively seeking to develop oil fields throughout Eastern Europe and Russia that can provide plenty of fuel for the future.

“Life is all about figuring out which choices can produce the best results not only for yourself, but for the world around you,” says the philosophical Kohli. “It’s great to make profits in the present, but helping kids is an investment in the future. And keeping the planet up and running is the most important thing of all.”

All a person has to do to know that the world’s having problems with energy prices is look at their home heating bill or read the signs at gas stations. Prices are going haywire and Middle East tensions are only making things worse.

Many people might consider that situation and feel it’s hopeless. But Navtej Kohli is not one of those people. That’s because throughout his entire life, he’s been a man who finds solutions where others see problems. And these days, he’s diving in to help find new sources of oil for everyone’s benefit.

A native of New Delhi, India, Kohli has a proven track record of success on two continents. For in addition to operating a 150-employee interactive software firm called Grafix Softech in Hyderabad, India, he has also launched a new office for that company in his adoptive homeland of Costa Rica. And in addition, he has invested not only in businesses that could turn him a profit, but donated hundreds of thousands of dollars through his foundation to help improve the lives of Costa Rica’s impoverished schoolchildren.

But it’s his newest venture – an oil exploration firm called Granox, Ltd. – that has provided Kohli with his greatest excitement. Drawing on the help of experts in the oil industry, he is actively seeking to develop oil fields throughout Eastern Europe and Russia that can provide plenty of fuel for the future.

“Life is all about figuring out which choices can produce the best results not only for yourself, but for the world around you,” says the philosophical Kohli. “It’s great to make profits in the present, but helping kids is an investment in the future. And keeping the planet up and running is the most important thing of all.”

When Navtej Kohli heard about the plight of poor farm children in Costa Rica, he felt compelled to do something about it. After all, as a boy growing up in New Delhi, India, he’d seen plenty of hardship himself. And as an adult, Costa Rica had become a splendid new place for him to live.

Kohli had learned that with perseverance and opportunity, any rough circumstance in life could be overcome. And he has spent his adult life spreading that example to others.

As the founder of the Navtej Kohli Foundation, he has spent the past four years providing educational and other aid to needy children. In fact, he has watched the foundation’s outreach programs grow from helping a dozen Costa Rican youth at first, to 72 and now more than 125 students. With well over $150,000 of his own funds already invested in providing everything from school supplies to soccer fields, he is reaching back to help those less fortunate than himself.

“Having come from India to create my own life across the planet, I know that there’s a world of opportunity out there for children, if people will only take the time to help them,” says Kohli. “When a child’s life is made better, their whole life will go better, and they will pay it forward someday as well.”

The Navtej Kohli Foundation is just getting started as well, as its founder vows to spread goodwill to kids around the planet. With more people like him, the planet will be an ever greater place to be.

When Navtej Kohli heard about the plight of poor farm children in Costa Rica, he felt compelled to do something about it. After all, as a boy growing up in New Delhi, India, he’d seen plenty of hardship himself. And as an adult, Costa Rica had become a splendid new place for him to live.

Kohli had learned that with perseverance and opportunity, any rough circumstance in life could be overcome. And he has spent his adult life spreading that example to others.

As the founder of the Navtej Kohli Foundation, he has spent the past four years providing educational and other aid to needy children. In fact, he has watched the foundation’s outreach programs grow from helping a dozen Costa Rican youth at first, to 72 and now more than 125 students. With well over $150,000 of his own funds already invested in providing everything from school supplies to soccer fields, he is reaching back to help those less fortunate than himself.

“Having come from India to create my own life across the planet, I know that there’s a world of opportunity out there for children, if people will only take the time to help them,” says Kohli. “When a child’s life is made better, their whole life will go better, and they will pay it forward someday as well.”

The Navtej Kohli Foundation is just getting started as well, as its founder vows to spread goodwill to kids around the planet. With more people like him, the planet will be an ever greater place to be.

Sanjay Reddy can still hardly believe the way his life has changed in the past three years, thanks to his new career as part of the team at Grafix Softech in Hyderabad, India. Working for the interactive software firm has taught him that anything is possible, even for a man like him who grew up in a poor neighborhood in New Delhi.

“Working in the technology industry not only earns a good living, but it gives a man a sense of self-respect because you get to really use your mind and skills to make a difference,” says Reddy. “I’m very thankful for the day I met Navtej Kohli at a recruiting event and he offered me the chance to make my life better.”

Reddy is just one of nearly 200 people who have come to work for Grafix Softech, which launched in 1999 as the brainchild of Kohli, a fellow New Delhi native, eager to make his mark in a rapidly changing world. But Kohli has hardly stopped there, as he has started two other major ventures so far: an oil exploration firm called Granox, Ltd. in eastern Europe, and a charitable organization called the Navtej Kohli Foundation, which has donated nearly $200,000 to causes benefiting youth in Costa Rica, Kohli’s adopted current home.

“Seeing how far Mr. Kohli has come in following his own dreams makes me realize anything is possible,” says Reddy, “I hope someday to create those same opportunities for others.”

Sanjay Reddy can still hardly believe the way his life has changed in the past three years, thanks to his new career as part of the team at Grafix Softech in Hyderabad, India. Working for the interactive software firm has taught him that anything is possible, even for a man like him who grew up in a poor neighborhood in New Delhi.

“Working in the technology industry not only earns a good living, but it gives a man a sense of self-respect because you get to really use your mind and skills to make a difference,” says Reddy. “I’m very thankful for the day I met Navtej Kohli at a recruiting event and he offered me the chance to make my life better.”

Reddy is just one of nearly 200 people who have come to work for Grafix Softech, which launched in 1999 as the brainchild of Kohli, a fellow New Delhi native, eager to make his mark in a rapidly changing world. But Kohli has hardly stopped there, as he has started two other major ventures so far: an oil exploration firm called Granox, Ltd. in eastern Europe, and a charitable organization called the Navtej Kohli Foundation, which has donated nearly $200,000 to causes benefiting youth in Costa Rica, Kohli’s adopted current home.

“Seeing how far Mr. Kohli has come in following his own dreams makes me realize anything is possible,” says Reddy, “I hope someday to create those same opportunities for others.”

Most people spend their entire lives living inside a box created by societal conventions. Navtej Kohli is not one of those people.

Growing up in New Delhi, India, amid the sweeping cultural changes of the 1960s and 70s, he always envisioned a better life for himself and those around him. He knew that with hard work and a firm belief in himself, he could rise above the poverty that much of his nation experiences and make a true success story that could inspire others.

Now he’s achieved that dream, as the founder of the Grafix Softech interactive software firm, the oil exploration corporation Granox, Ltd., and the charitable Navtej Kohli Foundation. Living amid the lush surroundings of Costa Rica, Kohli might have broken out of the poverty of his past, but he’s never forgotten his humble beginnings and always looks to give a hand up to those who are willing to improve themselves as well.

“I think it’s important to show people that there is a better way to live their lives, and that giving them economic opportunities through jobs and better schooling is key to achieving solid goals,” says Kohli. “If each person who has the opportunity to help others would care enough to do so, the world would be a lot better place to live in.”

Blazing a path for others to follow to success, Navtej Kohli is truly one of a kind. Explore his endeavors and you’ll find inspiration to do the same.

Eight-year-old Svetlana Patakovich has a lot more spring in her step lately. That’s because her dad Viktor has a great new job, working as a wildcatter oilman in the newly mined Russian oil fields for Granox, Ltd. Thanks to Granox, Viktor is able to make the best paychecks of his entire life, and that translates to a nicer life for everyone in his family.

“Papa gives me nice dolls now,” says Svetlana, happily waving a doll in her hand. “It’s an American Girl doll.”

Truly a sign of the times, we think. Remember how, just 20 years ago, Russia was America’s enemy? But now, thanks to a bold new world of economic and political freedom, companies like Granox can seek new opportunities in Russia, and in turn create new opportunities for thousands of oil workers like Viktor. And that’s all because of the forward-thinking vision of Granox founder Navtej Kohli.

“All my life, I’ve sought opportunities for myself and my family, from the time I grew up in poverty in New Delhi, India, to today when I have homes in three different continents,” says Kohli. “There truly is no better way to improve the world and the lives of others than by giving them an opportunity to earn more money and lift their lives up.”

At Granox, Ltd., the company believes in a better future for all: whether it’s by treating its workers right, or finding new oil sources in an energy-hungry world. And as long as there are new opportunities to be found, Navtej Kohli will keep his eyes open for the Viktor Patakoviches of the world.

We often see advertisements on television and on billboards for associations and programs that receive donations for underprivileged children in foreign countries. We’re either moved to call a toll-free number and pledge money to such organizations, or we turn away from the images that make us uncomfortable. It is quite something else to be presented with these images in the flesh, meeting disabled and impoverished children and their families face to face. For me, meeting such people changed my outlook on philanthropy and helped me to understand that calling a toll-free phone line or pledging a couple of dollars to a trust fund isn’t the same as actually working to make a difference in people’s lives.

On Christmas Day in 2001, my company, Grafix Softech treated our staff to a day out at a farm in the Guanacaste province of Costa Rica. During the outing, I was introduced to some of the region’s disabled children and their parents. It was a moving experience. Their experiences with both disabilities and a total lack of resources of coping mechanisms highlighted the disconnect between the act of donating some money and the real people who benefit from those funds. The only real way to help people like this is to work with them, and thus, I was inspired to create what is now the Tej Kohli Foundation.

The Gunacaste province of Costa Rica

Although poverty has been reduced over the past two decades, Costa Rica still suffers from reduced economic growth and a 5.7% unemployment rate. Our government’s efforts to provide universal health care and education are hampered by deficits. This fact - the sticky situation our government is in - is one of the main things that fuels the tragic way many Costa Rican children live. While Costa Rica is quite prosperous in comparison to some of our neighbours, these factors mean that certain sectors of our society need help from the private sector and from philanthropic organisations in order to maintain an acceptable quality of life.

Since its inception, I’ve received immeasurable help from my business partner, Grafix Softech co-founder Juan Bonilla and his wife Alicia. Maria Pais has helped us out as well, and as of right now, the Foundation has helped over two-hundred and fifty children in multiple Costa Rican provinces. My plan is now to extend the Foundation’s reach to children in my native India, and to Africa. They’re lofty goals, but before our company outing, I’d never have known that a small group of people were capable of anything near what we’ve already accomplished.

In order to extend aid to the Far East, I recently met with General AJ Singh (Ret.). Up until now, the efforts of the foundation have been funded exclusively by me, but in order to grow, we’ll need funding from other sources. General Sing and I are attempting to find other donors in order to further the scope of the operation and we’ve had some significant interest, but securing some definite sponsors is still a work in progress.

This said, the Tej Kohli Foundation is far from limited in its achievements. My favourite memory from my time working on this project is probably that of a disabled young woman who was confined to the care and shelter of her parents and completely unable to pay for any education. We are talking about someone whose lifestyle and future are predetermined by her physical and financial constraints; however, with the Foundation’s help, she recently gained a Bachelor’s degree in Organic Chemistry and has since found employment.

Other examples of children whose lives we’ve helped substantially improve include a twelve-year-old boy, afflicted with autism and, again, in a severe state of poverty. With the help of the Foundation, Jose is enrolled in a special education program and enjoys are far more comfortable life than he did previously. Helping children like these is fantastic.

The expansion of the Foundation means that its services can extend from being primarily focused on providing medical and therapeutic care, and continue to offer funds for education, food, clothing and other daily needs. As tough as it can be to see the disastrous situations that children in Costa Rica and abroad have to live in, I really do believe that we’ve made a positive difference and have the potential to make an even bigger dent in the problems poverty creates in our world.