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Naveen Jindal is an industrialist and politician.

What does spirituality mean to you?
It is about knowing oneself, and what the real meaning of my life is. It is then about trying to achieve that objective, separating the wheat from the chaff, focusing on what is the point of my being here. In the end, it is about being at peace with myself.

Do you believe you are guided and protected by a superior force?
There is definitely such a protection, whether one calls it luck, or destiny, or force, or God. But to me it is a combination of my own work and the help of that divine force. The harder and wiser I work, the luckier I will get. Once I do my bit and work really hard, there is that extra something that makes things happen. So I am very grateful to God for it, but I know it is not only about Its help, I also need to deliver my part of the job.

Do you believe you have a special mission or purpose in this life?
When I was a kid, I mostly dreamt of being a sports person, or joining the army. I thought that people in uniform are handsome, adventurous, patriotic, they ride horses and shoot, and I had a very romantic view of war. Over time I realized I could carry on those passions no matter what, even without joining the military. And life as an industrialist seemed to be one where I could have an impact, contributing to the development of the country. At first I was still in the fun and enjoying life mode, my father was wondering how to get me interested in work. Then I got involved in a hugely money-losing business and got going. And thank god, things have been good since then. Over time, I also felt that in order to contribute more, politics would be a good medium. So I contested elections from the constituency of Kurukshetra, a historical, religious and spiritual landmark as it is the place where the Mahabharata was fought, and where Lord Krishna gave the sermon of the Gita. I am trying my best in Parliament and in my constituency to improve things, while keeping my business activities in parallel --- living off an MP salary would certainly be difficult to sustain --- and my participation to the Indian shooting team. That means very packed and intense days. And although I know that in order to excel at one thing, one should focus on it solely, we live life once only, and I want to experience it all. I want to live a full life and do as many things as possible. So on the overall, I feel pretty clear about my life’s purpose. When I can have an impact, and there is a need for it, I try my best, and for the rest, I am happy to have fun and enjoy life.

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