BAJAKO Transmuting Peer Learning into Power Craft

BAJAKO is more than a name; it is a movement. It is a vibrant network for Biharis and Jharkhandis, seamlessly blending heritage with ambition. By connecting professionals, creatives, and leaders across cities like Delhi, BAJAKO transforms networking into a meaningful experience. Through dinners, meetups, and mentorship, it fosters instant camaraderie, challenges stereotypes, and unlocks new opportunities.

The name carries history: as a surname, it traces family roots; in Nepali music, it resonates through traditional compositions like Bajako Dhoon and Panche Bajako Katha. Bold, proud, and purposeful, BAJAKO celebrates cultural roots while driving growth—a modern renaissance of regional pride, professional excellence, and global connection for Biharis and Jharkhandis.

In an exclusive conversation with The Interview World, Anup Sharma, Founder of BAJAKO, shares the inspiration behind the organization. He emphasizes the need for an exclusive platform for media and communications professionals from Bihar and Jharkhand, outlines strategies to scale the network, and explains how BAJAKO aims to engage members in shaping a positive narrative about their states. Additionally, he discusses plans to support emerging talent in media and communications from the region.

Here are the key takeaways from his insightful conversation.

Q: What inspired the creation of BAJAKO, and what was the core idea behind it?

A: The roots of BAJAKO lie in quiet conversations and shared memories. They are deeply personal. I was born in Dumka, now part of Jharkhand, but my family traces its roots to Bihar. My childhood unfolded across railway colonies and hostels throughout India. My father, a senior officer in South Eastern Railways, had a transferable job, and we moved through places like Chakardarpur, Bokaro, Jamshedpur, Howrah, Kharagpur, and at one point, I attended a boarding school in Mussoorie while he was deputed to Nigeria. That nomadic upbringing taught me the value of community and the comfort of belonging, even amidst constant change.

Over years of travel, newsroom deadlines, client meetings, and late-night chai sessions, I noticed a familiar expression on faces when someone mentioned a village, a teacher’s name, or a festival from Bihar or Jharkhand. It was recognition laced with relief: you understand me. That feeling, rare in sprawling cities, sparked a shared nostalgia and an unspoken bond.

I also carried a practical model in mind. Diaspora groups like BJANA in the United States and BJUK in the United Kingdom inspired me. They connected communities, preserved culture, mentored young talent, and raised funds for projects back home. They did not build overnight; they cultivated trust and consistent routines. This raised a question in my mind: could we create a homegrown, India-centric version rooted in our lived experience, one that combined cultural pride with professional purpose for those with roots in Bihar and Jharkhand?

Encouraged by my wife, Richa Sharma, and supported by friends, senior journalist Barun Jha, policy advisor Manash Kalita, and public affairs consultant Sashee, this spark became BAJAKO: Bihar and Jharkhand KOumUnity.

BAJAKO began as an experiment, transforming private nostalgia into public possibility. Our first Year-End Dinner, hosted by Richa and me, proved the concept. Guests arrived as professionals and left feeling they belonged. Today, the annual BAJAKO Year-End Dinner has become a tradition. Professionals from diverse sectors gather to share laughter, reminisce, and forge new friendships. Conversations are warm, stories familiar, and connections instantaneous, built over pride in our dialects, journeys, small towns, the sweetness of Silav ka Khaja, and the spicy tang of Dhuska.

From these small conversations emerged a simple promise: learn from one another, share knowledge generously, and take pride in your roots, without prejudice.

Q: Why is it important to have a platform exclusively for media and communications professionals from Bihar and Jharkhand?

A: For decades, the professional journeys of people from Bihar and Jharkhand have been shaped by migration, first for survival, then for education, and now for ambition. I firmly believe that these communities need a collective voice. By creating spaces where professionals feel seen, heard, and supported, we can build shared confidence and amplify impact.

Storytellers from small towns bring two invaluable assets: deep local insight and a relentless drive to make things happen. Growing up in Purnea, Gaya, Ranchi, or Bokaro gives you an instinctive understanding of audiences across social and economic strata: the farmer, the shopkeeper, the student studying late by lamp, or the young professional moving to a metro. This nuanced understanding is rare among city-based reporters or generalist communications teams.

Moreover, those who leave small towns to pursue careers in metros develop extraordinary grit. They work twice as hard, learn rapidly, and stay endlessly curious. When combined with the craft of media and communications, this grit produces professionals who are both empathetic storytellers and intensely performance-oriented.

This combination is crucial for shaping the narrative of Bihar and Jharkhand. We need professionals who can write with context, design campaigns that resonate across classes, and mentor the next generation. A dedicated platform can sharpen this edge by facilitating peer learning, providing shared resources, and building a network that ensures local stories are told with nuance rather than caricature.

Q: What strategies are you considering to scale this organization effectively?

A: BAJAKO is a community of action. Its founders, well-wishers, and active members lead and contribute to initiatives that create tangible impact in Bihar and Jharkhand.

We scale through three interconnected levers, people, programs, and platforms, each already in motion.

First, people. Several key members are building scalable initiatives that extend BAJAKO’s reach. Former journalist and social activist Mayur Shekhar Jha, public policy expert Vivek Singh (ex-OSD to the Union Finance & Corporate Affairs Minister), policy consultant Sashee Singh, seasoned media professional Amitesh Kumar, and policy advocate Jaiprakash launched Behtar Jharkhand, an ambitious transformation effort driving holistic social and economic reform in the state. This is more than dialogue; it is a vehicle for engaging policymakers, youth, and professionals across cities like Delhi, Ranchi, and Bokaro. Behtar Jharkhand sessions have brought together lawmakers, including former Jharkhand Chief Minister Babu Lal Marandi, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and former Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, with trade bodies, professionals, and civil society members, fostering meaningful, actionable discussions.

Second, programs. We are formalizing repeatable, high-impact formats: mentorship circles, regional salons, bootcamps, media labs, and a digital hub for resources and job leads. Small, measurable steps, quarterly salons in metros, annual mentorship pairings, yearly bootcamps for early-career communicators, build cumulative momentum. The Bihar Startup Showcase (Invest Bihar), championed by Manvendra Prasad (founding BAJAKO attendee and senior professional at CEDS India, founder of IntelliNexus Ventures) in collaboration with CIMP-BIIF and partners, attracted serious VC participation. These initiatives establish credibility and create touchpoints beyond Delhi.

Third, platforms. A lightweight digital hub connects activities and spotlights member work. We avoid bureaucratic scaling; instead, we turn informal rituals into reliable programs. Flagship initiatives like Behtar Jharkhand and Invest Bihar amplify local stories nationally. In essence: local leaders drive local programs, flagship initiatives generate momentum, and a simple digital backbone keeps the network connected.

Q: How does BAJAKO plan to engage its members in shaping a positive narrative and image for Bihar and Jharkhand?

A: BAJAKO embodies the modern evolution of Bihari and Jharkhandi identity: confident, grounded, and global.

It celebrates the fact that our people now shape industries, ideas, and institutions worldwide. We envision our members as active storytellers, mentors, and rapid-response advisers. Practically, this translates into three interconnected pillars: capacity, action, and channels.

Capacity: We conduct workshops on solutions journalism, constructive reporting, crisis communications, and digital narratives. Members who participated in Behtar Jharkhand sessions or the Startup Showcase feedback sessions have already begun mastering the discipline of balanced storytelling. We will expand this learning to reach all members.

Action: We will form small, agile squads, comprising experienced reporters, PR strategists, and content creators, to support district hospitals, tourist circuits, or social enterprises in shaping media strategies. In times of crisis, these squads offer rapid, ethical counsel. In normal times, they craft long-form explainers, data-driven stories, and human profiles that replace stereotypes with nuance and complexity.

Channels: We amplify these stories through curated newsletters, coordinated op-eds, filmed interviews, and social campaigns. The Bihar Startup Showcase, for example, generated investor interest and success stories that we can package and share nationally. By consistently publishing narratives of entrepreneurs, educators, healers, and artists from our states, we aim to shift the national conversation, from deficit to possibility.

Engagement is practical and continuous, spanning mentorship, editorial projects, campaign squads, and a steady stream of positive, evidence-based stories. Through this ecosystem, BAJAKO empowers members to transform insights into action and local narratives into national impact.

Q: Does BAJAKO have plans to support emerging media and communication professionals from Bihar and Jharkhand in the future?

A: Yes, this is central. New-age media demands three pillars: craft, access, and credibility. We are building all three.

Craft: We offer live bootcamps and mentorships that pair young creators with senior editors, PR leads, and content strategists for 3–6 month stints at communication firms like PRP Group, Kommune, Grey Matters, and Tarmac, all founded and led by professionals with roots in Bihar and Jharkhand. Participants gain practical skills in podcasting, short-form video, data visualization, and impact pitching, guided by Foto Plane and Zefmo Media, both led by entrepreneurs from our states.

Access: We provide curated fellowships and shadow-days at media houses and agencies. Startup showrooms like the Bihar Startup Showcase have already opened doors to venture capitalists, and we aim to replicate that access for communications projects. Sponsorship-backed stipends allow promising creators to focus on their work rather than survival, ensuring talent can thrive.

Credibility: We organize portfolio clinics, pitch practice sessions, and maintain a small micro-grant pool to help field projects prove their concept. Peer cohorts, groups of 6–8 young communications professionals, will critique each other’s work and launch small collaborative projects, fostering both rigor and community.

Through these three pillars, we equip creators with the skills, networks, and validation they need to produce meaningful, high-impact media.