Seema Singh on Unfolding Humans: Purpose, Grace and Why Every One of Us Can Change One Life

In a world of curated feeds and polished highlights, some conversations still manage to slow you down.

That's the space Akanksha Aggarwal has built with her podcast Unfolding Humans. The show skips the usual interview script and looks for what sits beneath the title: the values, struggles and turning points that shape a person. Her latest guest, philanthropist Seema Singh, fits that brief perfectly.

From Patna to Worli

Seema Singh grew up in Patna, Bihar, in a home that valued learning and integrity. Her father, a professor, was actively involved in community service and taught his children the importance of education and empathy.

She describes growing up in a conservative, close-knit society where a woman's independence came with limits. Still, a sense of leadership showed up early. At 18, after finishing school, she married into the family behind Alkem Laboratories and moved to Mumbai.

Life in a large joint family in Worli, with several generations under one roof, taught her patience, adaptability and the art of living together. She also watched closely as her father-in-law, the late Samprada Singh, a farmer's son who went from distributing umbrellas to building one of India's leading pharmaceutical companies, lived by hard work, humility and a strong social conscience. That example, she says, became her compass.

Meghashrey: turning comfort into purpose

Despite the comfort around her, Singh says she was searching for a deeper sense of peace. Wealth alone, she realised, couldn't answer that.

When her daughter Meghna began medical school, and with encouragement from both her children, Meghna and Shrey, she founded the Meghashrey NGO. Its work today spans:

• Child education and sponsorship: supporting more than 1,500 children with schooling and career guidance

• Women's health: leading a Cervical Cancer Free India movement, with screening camps and awareness drives alongside institutions like Tata Memorial Hospital and the BMC

• Dignity and hygiene in rural India: building sanitation facilities for young girls and distributing menstrual hygiene products to break long-held taboos
  

From CSR to ISR

One of the most powerful ideas in the conversation is what Singh calls Individual Social Responsibility. Corporate social responsibility, she points out, is often driven by legal mandates. Real change, she believes, happens when individuals take ownership.

"We may not be able to help everyone, but every single one of us can transform at least one person's life."

It's a refreshing counterpoint to the hustle-everything mindset we wrote about in the art of running your life. For her, it isn't about how much money you have. It's about intent: a donation, a skill shared or simply a kind word to someone who needs it.

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Fashion with a purpose

Her label, SS by Seema Singh, works the same way. Rather than being just another luxury brand, it champions independent artisans, handloom weavers and regional designers who struggle to reach mainstream markets. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when many artisans lost their income, she focused on keeping them employed and promoting Indian craft.

On criticism and second chances

Public life brings judgement, and Singh has had her share, whether over high-profile celebrations like her daughter's wedding or over sharing her charity work online. Her response is calm: criticism is natural, but when your niyat, your intentions, and your actions are honest, critics eventually come around.

That clarity deepened after a serious post-COVID health scare that put her in intensive care for several days. She describes surviving it as a kind of rebirth, one that taught her to live fearlessly, serve tirelessly and carry no regrets.

Spirituality as service

For Seema Singh, faith isn't about rituals. It's about daily kindness, a clear conscience and real service to others.

Akanksha closes the episode with a verse from the Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 3, Verse 21) about how people follow the example set by those they look up to. It's a fitting end to a conversation about leading by doing.

If you're looking for a podcast that trades hot takes for depth, Unfolding Humans is worth your time, and this episode is a great place to start.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Seema Singh?

Seema Singh is a philanthropist and entrepreneur, the founder of the Meghashrey NGO and the fashion label SS by Seema Singh.

What is Unfolding Humans?

Unfolding Humans is a podcast hosted by Akanksha Aggarwal that explores the mindset and turning points behind remarkable lives.

What does Meghashrey do?

Meghashrey supports child education, women's health including cervical cancer awareness, and sanitation and menstrual hygiene in rural India.

What is Individual Social Responsibility?

It is Seema Singh's idea that, beyond corporate social responsibility, every individual can take personal ownership of improving at least one person's life.