Rajiv Seeras : the journey of an engineer into literary world 

A business coach and consultant, Rajiv Seeras has released his first novel, “Last words of the magnate.” From an engineering background, Rajiv Seeras, an author today, has surprised many with this novel, which explores the pathway of a poor man towards gaining wealth. A thoughtful story that depicts the materialistic world we are living in. 

After having reoriented his career to coaching and consultancy, Rajiv Seeras stepped into the literary world with his recently launched novel, “Last words of the magnate.” He reveals that the idea to write a book germinated several years back, as he was really concerned with the materialistic path towards which the world was heading. Writing is linked to his passion and he started to write around two years ago. He explains that the “Last words of the magnate” is the captivating story of a gentleman who struggled with extreme poverty to eventually reach the status of a billionaire.

“The first part of the novel narrates his life struggles and the second part deals with his insatiable desire to become the richest man on the planet. His obsession towards money and wealth accumulation makes him deviate completely from life’s true mission. During the last moments of his life, he realizes that he completely failed to live a purposeful life when he took a blinkered approach towards money and the material world.” The novel is now on sale at Edition Le Printemps and the main book stores in Mauritius.

He confides that he chose this theme, as he perceived that growing materialism in the world was more suffocating than liberating. “We are living in a world where extreme global inequality is becoming a matter of great concern. Just to state a fact from Oxfam which is a confederation of NGOs – 26 richest people in 2018 owned the same amount of wealth as the poorest half of humanity which accounts for 3.8 billion people. The situation will even be worse in future. On the other hand, many people lose the essence of living a purposeful life when they make material acquisition and money their only life objectives. Life is meant to be lived holistically. The last words of the magnate are a spiritual fable that every individual who is in search of life’s true mission should read.”

He adds that his novel conveys a profound and powerful message.  “We should never forget the ephemerality of the world we are sheltered in nor the impermanence of our existence on earth. As human beings, we need to find the right balance between the material world and a life of purpose. Human desires are insatiable. The ‘Last words of the magnate’ convey life-changing lessons of how, as individuals, we should live and lead life. The novel has the potential to profoundly and positively impact the lives of millions of individuals worldwide and with the ultimate aim – to make the world a better place to live in.”

A second book in view 

Rajiv Seeras dreams of a better world for the new generation. “I envision a world with every individual on earth having access to basic needs. We need to remember that the world has enough resources to satisfy the needs of everyone but not enough to satisfy the greed of one individual.”
He has already started to write his second book and he looks forward to pursuing his career as a life coach. “One of my dreams is to travel the world and coach people and businesses in their mission.” 

Philanthropic causes 

The author supports many philanthropic causes, as he strongly believes that philanthropy can address the root cause of many social issues that the world is facing today.  He avers that although charity deals with empathetic responses due to an immediate crisis, his personal belief is that philanthropy is the long-term and more strategic process that can make this world a better place to live in. “I have recently integrated a group of professionals and youngsters where we share a common mission - to help people get out of poverty. Our short-term goal to end poverty is helping people with their basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing.”

He states that the long-term goal is to ensure that the upcoming generations do not follow the same fate where getting out of poverty will remain a colossal task. “The only way to achieve this is to ensure that the young generation has access to education. Several global reports have demonstrated that education, in the long run, can reduce poverty significantly. I am also giving copies of my book for free, as I am sure that the profound message that the ‘Last words of the magnate’ carries will have an everlasting impact on people about how as human beings, we can end poverty and improve our life style for a better world.”

Career pathway 

Rajiv Seeras started his career in 2003 as a Network Engineer in the Information Technology field, as he holds his first degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering. He assumed the role of IT Manager after two years being in service. He later worked as IT director from 2010 to 2018. “My main area of focus after my first degree was specifically on my career. I remember being a workaholic during the early stages. In 2010, I have been able to complete a Master’s degree in Information Security and Forensics and later a Master’s in Business Administration from IAE Paris Sorbonne Dauphine.”

Recently, he graduated from the University of Mauritius with a LLB degree. “Although I was in Information Technology for over a decade, I could not foresee my career ending in Information Technology. In 2018, I incorporated my company Mindshift Consulting to pursue my dream as a business coach and consultant. Since my early childhood, I have had a passion for coaching.”