Why Did Rama Walk Barefoot During Exile?

Dr. Sanjay Wahal is a systems thinker, sustainability and climate strategist, and storyteller working at the intersection of science, technology, sustainability, culture, and embodied intelligence.

With a PhD in Chemical Engineering, an MBA in Strategy and Innovation, and over three decades of experience across industry, research, and global advisory roles, Dr. Wahal brings rare clarity to complex challenges. As the Founder of Decarbonization, LLC, he advises companies, investors, and governments on climate innovation, clean technologies, green, circular economy models, and the transition toward regenerative systems.

He is the author of The eCarbon Card Blueprint: Digital Solutions for Carbon Accountability — India as a Model (Armin Lear, 2025), A Quantum Walk Through Sustainability: Nonlinear Thinking for a Nonlinear World (The Press at Cal Poly Humboldt, 2026) and Climate Orgasm: The Planetary Sustainability Sutra (Armin Lear, 2026 & Motilal Banarsidass Publications, 2026).

Dr. Wahal is widely recognized for his ability to connect disparate systems—from renewable energy and materials & polymer science to industrial transformation,human behavior, and sustainability. His thought leadership spans disciplines and sectors, reflecting a unique capacity to synthesize deep technical insight with social, cultural, and ethical dimensions of change. He has advised sovereign wealth funds, chaired technology roadmaps, and mentored executive teams on innovation, commercialization of green science, and operating within planetary boundaries.

Beyond the boardroom, he is a lifelong seeker-of patterns in chaos, wisdom in ancient texts, and meaning in the metaphors we often overlook. Drawing from Indian epics, Buddhist philosophy, and contemporary leadership science, his work brings an integrative voice to enduring questions of purpose, simplicity, humility, and long-term impact.

Whether engineering better materials or writing about barefoot kings, his work is guided by a singular inquiry: What does it mean to lead with integrity in a world of noise?

Dr. Wahal is the author of multiple forthcoming books on nonlinear leadership, sustainability, and embodied living, and speaks internationally on systems thinking, decarbonization, and conscious innovation. He believes that the most profound transformations often begin with the smallest gestures—sometimes as simple as how we walk, how we listen, or how we touch our food.

This is his second book, following Mudra on the Plate: The Yoga of Eating with Your Hands, blending Eastern philosophy with modern leadership and systems thinking. In Why Did Rama Walk Barefoot During Exile?, Dr. Wahal invites readers to engage ancient metaphors not as relics of the past, but as living templates for authentic leadership in today's hyper-complex world.

Dr. Wahal lives between Wisconsin (USA) and New Delhi, and continues to walk gently across both. He can be reached via his websites: www.decarbonizationllc.com and www.sanjaywahal.com.