Imagine this: your IIT-graduate child earning nothing for six years after completing one of the most prestigious degrees in India. That’s exactly what Saurabh Bothra’s parents went through. But their patience paid off in ways they could never have imagined.

Today, their son isn’t just an engineer; he’s a six-time world record holder in yoga, with over 1.26 million students across 169 countries learning from his methods.

The path sounds extraordinary, but when you ask Saurabh about the challenges behind it, he simply smiles and says he’s never really faced any. Perhaps that comes from the simplicity his parents taught him — a life rooted in minimalism — or from the quiet inspiration of his grandfather, whose footsteps he still strives to follow.

Born in the small village of Dhanaj in Maharashtra’s Washim district, Saurabh traces his roots to Rajasthan. His grandfather, Dr Laxmichand Ji Bothra, completed his MBBS from Nagpur Medical College in 1955. He could have chosen a comfortable life in the city, yet he decided instead to move to a remote village with no roads, schools, or doctors, determined to serve where help was needed most.

Over time, he became more than a physician; the villagers elected him sarpanch, and he worked tirelessly to transform their lives, building roads, opening a government health centre, and starting a school.

Growing up on these stories, inspired by his grandfather’s selflessness and the teachings of Swami Vivekananda, Saurabh found his purpose, not in engineering success, but in the art of transformation through yoga.

“I was very fascinated with Swami Vivekananda. I just wanted to be like him. As a child, I dreamt of a moment where one morning I would wake up and say ‘brothers and sisters’ to a huge crowd,” says Saurabh.

In 1996, when Saurabh was just four years old, his father made a life-changing decision. Having grown up in poverty and been unable to pursue his own dream of becoming a doctor due to financial constraints, he chose a different path to serve people.

Along with his elder brother, he moved to Nagpur to start a business, not merely to earn a living, but to create livelihoods. His goal was clear and selfless: to employ at least a hundred people.

That vision left a lasting impression on young Saurabh. Even as a child, he dreamed of running a business that would offer jobs to a hundred others, continuing his father’s mission in his own way.

The early years, however, were far from easy.

Saurabh and his sister Trishala grew up in a cramped one-bedroom home in Nagpur, sharing it with two cousins, their parents, and their uncle and aunt. Yet, Saurabh looks back on those modest beginnings with gratitude. Living in close quarters, he says, taught him discipline, resilience, and the quiet strength that would later guide his journey.

“We were eight people staying in a one hall, bedroom, kitchen, so we all would wake up really early. The entire house was up by 5 am. This habit stayed with me all my life,” he tells us while cherishing those childhood moments.

Over the years, Saurabh’s parents worked tirelessly to build the life they had once only dreamed of. Their determination paid off, and their children followed in their footsteps.

Both Saurabh and his sister, Trishala,

© The Better India