Ayush Ghai

A bunch of young techies have figured out how to quit the rat race and escape the confines of life on the grid. They've moved to cooler climes, working full-time out of hill-stations in India. While it's an uphill ride financially, the air is cleaner, and the grass is certainly greener. The Nature Lovers of Kodaikanal Kodaikanal's flora and fauna, good air quality and cool weather draw hordes of tourists every summer. For most, their jaunts are a week long at most. However, the spread of 3G networks and Wi-Max connections have enabled a fledgling group of techies-turned-nature lovers to settle here and experiment with sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyles.

For Avinash Peters, a software engineer who worked in the US in his mid-twenties, the decision to sell his apartment in Chennai and move to Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu was a spontaneous one: "It was supposed to be a 3-month break." After four years of living in the Palani hills, there's no turning back. He's currently constructing a home, running a fast-food business and working on his photography, all while managing an online-shopping site for a client. When asked about the pros and cons of living in Kodaikanal, he unequivocally says, "There are no negatives. Everything is a plus point. Financially, I'm really happy with whatever I am making. I can go online and get jobs. The more I work, the more money it brings in." Avijit Michael, the Global Development Director of Change.org, is another full-time resident. He works out of Shala -- a farm with cob-house he built a year ago that overlooks the Palani hills range. His off-grid home is powered by two sets of solar panels and batteries, which power all his laptop and home lighting needs. "I've never run out of power during my time here," he says. Avijit's growing disenchantment with the city he grew up in motivated him to look at alternatives. "By early 2000, I was not happy with the way Bengaluru was going. Was trying to change things, but then I decided it would be probably be better to move out. After looking at various spots that I had been to, Kodai was one of the places I narrowed in on."

Having a supportive employer helps. "They attach a lot more value and importance to the worth of a person, making sure the person who is working is satisfied and fulfilled, whatever their life plans are." Avijit manages his work on a 3G data card, which provides enough bandwidth for Skype calls and Google Hangouts. He says that the charm of living in a holiday destination never gets old. "The greenery and fresh air really charge me up. Every time I have to pick up supplies, I have to walk up a hill. That's my gym membership." He also enjoys living in tune with nature, observing the moon cycles, the bird life, and says that his expenditure is phenomenally lower than living in the city. The Mountain Techies of Dharamshala

Founded in mid-2012, the Infinity Hackerspace in Dharamsala, located in Ghoomakad, amidst the snow-capped mountains of the Dauladhar range in Himachal Pradesh, hosts 8 full-time residents and five organisations. Infinity is now home to Hillhacks, a community of global hackers. Along with Infinity, Rakkar is home to three NGOs: Jagori Grameen, Nishta, and Dharamsala Animal Rescue. Over time, Infinity Hackbase has been involved in local community activities like Dharamsala International Film Festival, TEDxDharamsala. They also facilitated a Cryptoparty with CIS India and then a Congress Everywhere in Rakkar with Chaos Computer Club from Germany. The Congress Everywhere included a Wikipedia hackathon with local school children and even a 'hacked' chess tournament. 3D-print-corner gets filled up more each day - and today even more came! (Not build up so far) pic.twitter.com/cKjUHe32I7 — hillhacks (@hillhacks) October 25, 2014 The story of how Infinity Hackerspace was founded centres around Ayush Ghai, the co-founder of Mindgrep. A computer science graduate from IIT Kanpur, he worked at Oracle and Ixigo for three and a half years before he made the decision to quit the corporate world for good. Life in the concrete jungle did not appeal to him. "I was not living a fulfilling life in the city. I did not know my neighbours. There was a constant cacophony of traffic and the air was full of smog and dust. The corporate and start-up crowd appeared to be in a mad race for making money, and consumerism as a life choice. I did not see a point in that kind of living -- I yearned for something more meaningful, something that resonated with my heart," said Ayush.

"In 2012, the conviction to follow the heart landed me and my team in lap of mountains of Dharamsala (in Himachal Pradesh). On my third trip to McleodGanj as a tourist, some events led me to an old temple in the valley, some 14 kilometres away from our hotel. The temple was in pristine natural surroundings, with a stream of freshly melted snow gushing past in full glory. I felt I was in heaven. I sat by the stream for an hour and there I was deeply moved by an intense oneness I felt with nature and that spot. That is the moment when I heard a calling from deep within -- 'This, is where I belong!'" The decision was made, and within two months, the Mindgrep team made a determined move from the city to village life in the Himalayas. "We landed up in Ghoomakad, a wonderful abode of creativity, the compound lying empty, as if in wait for us." From here, Ayush coded Metataste (a movie recommendation engine) and is coming up with a product around data-driven marketing intelligence. He also takes time out to teach basic programming to a couple of Himachali interns and facilitate community development projects in Dharamsala. Life in the mountains has proved to be full of positive affirmations. "A month after Mindgrep's move to Dharamsala, I found out that the stream where I got the calling is exactly the same one that flows by Infinity! And that very spot where I sat is only 10 minutes walk uphill!" he said.