Abhilash Tomy

I joined the Indian Navy in 1996 and went on to serve as a naval officer and maritime reconnaissance pilot. The sea and aviation became two very different classrooms, both demanding preparation, judgement and the ability to make consequential decisions with incomplete information.

 

In 2012–13, I became the first Indian to complete a solo, non-stop circumnavigation under sail, spending 151 days alone at sea and covering approximately 23,000 nautical miles. It was the beginning of a much longer relationship with solitude, uncertainty and endurance.

 

In 2018, I entered the Golden Globe Race, one of the most demanding sailing races in the world. Deep in the southern Indian Ocean, my yacht was rolled and dismasted in a violent storm. I suffered a severe spinal injury and remained immobilised inside the damaged boat until an international rescue effort reached me.

 

Four years later, I returned to the same race. In the 2022–23 Golden Globe Race, I sailed around the world alone for 236 days and finished second, becoming the first Indian and Asian to reach the podium in the race.

 

Across more than 100,000 nautical miles and over 500 days alone at sea, I have learned how people think and perform when information is scarce, consequences are real and help may be very far away. Today, I bring those experiences into conversations with leaders and organisations about decision-making under uncertainty, resilience, preparation, leadership and performance under pressure.