After Hours with India Inc

Gamer Santanu Basu has come a long way. Defying his parents, travelling penniless and without a ticket, he took part in his 1st national level championship in 2007. Recovering from pancreatic cancer, the gamer-turned-entrepreneur is now steering his startup Lets Game Now into the Metaverse. He talks about his journey and what it takes to be a winner – both in the virtual and the real world – when odds are stacked against you.

Every year, temples in India dump 8.5 tonnes of flowers into rivers and landfills. Ankit Agarwal decided to tackle this issue through his startup Phool. In this episode, listen to how Agarwal began a business from fading flowers and the challenges of founding a startup in a place like Kanpur.

Atul Satija, founder of Give India and the Nudge foundation, who has worked with companies Google and InMobi, is borrowing generously from the startup world’s playbook to make a difference in the social impact sector. He talks about his journey and some important lessons learnt.

The Maliks -- Ranjan and Reva -- have made a business out of a simple, off-grid life. Their company, Primalise, works with individuals and companies, helping them connect with what they call the core essentials. And they do this from their mud house that runs on solar energy.

A sport isn’t just about a game. It is about learning to win and learning to lose; how to deal with failures and perform under pressure. Rohit Chennamaneni, cofounder of Darwinbox - a newly minted unicorn from Hyderabad – talks about playing tennis and how it shaped him as an entrepreneur

Radhika Gupta, MD, Edelweiss Asset Management, is the only woman in an industry dominated by men. But that's not her claim to fame. As she steers a Rs 60,000 crore business, she has also built an enviable brand for herself on social media.

Low cost, better quality of life, great hook for new hires...Rishi Raj Rahul, founder of startup Aviate moved the office to Goa during the pandemic. The advantages of the move are numerous, but there are still some who prefer a big city. Aviate is now experimenting with a distributed office -- straddling Bangalore and Goa.

Corporate cafeterias don’t just serve food. They are great places to socialise. As offices open up, cafeterias too are readying to welcome workers back. Sandipan Mitra, founder of HungerBox, a startup that manages corporate cafeterias, talks about how the pandemic has changed community eating.

Work from home meant comfortable t-shirts and shorts. Getting back to office will mean getting back into formals. Or will the post-pandemic office mean a change in dress codes too? Vishak Kumar, MD of Madura Fashion & Lifestyle talks about the new trends shaping office wear in India and globally.

With empty offices and remote work gaining traction, what will be the future of corporate campuses? Amit Diwan, MD of Hines India, shares perspective on commercial real estate, the trends in demand and rentals, and the ways in which the pandemic will reshape the market.

Productivity may have gone up during the remote working months, but it’s psychologically important to have human contact, says Manish Sharma, chairman of Panasonic India. And so, armed with vaccines and plenty of precautions, Panasonic is asking employees to come back to the workplace.

Through the pandemic and many death moments, the Capillary Technologies fight for survival and its victories makes for an interesting story. But more fascinating is how its co-founder Aneesh Reddy reinvented himself from a bully boss to one who knows how to lead from the front.

Deep Kalra's travel portal MakeMyTrip has become synonymous with online travel booking in India. In business for over 20 years, Kalra has weathered many storms and survived many death valleys. He talks about the industry, the pandemic reset, important leadership lessons he has learnt, and his evolution as an entrepreneur.

Mercedes-Benz, India’s largest luxury car company, is taking steps to reinvent itself for the EV and digital era. Its MD Martin Schwenk talks about the carmaker’s India drive, sales outlook, its direct-to-customer strategy and the highs and lows of the pandemic era.

Fighting all odds, from cancer to business setbacks, Kanika Tekriwal has proved naysayers wrong and has built India’s largest private jet startup, JetSetGo. She talks of her story, how she piloted her startup to the top despite turbulence caused by the pandemic, and what it takes to keep flying above troubles.

Nikunj Sanghi, former president of car dealers association FADA and managing director of a car dealership, understands the travails of being an automobile dealer in India today. He talks about the disruption in the automobile industry, the pandemic and its aftermath, and how technology will change how cars are bought and sold.

What makes Xiaomi India’s largest cellphone company? CEO Manu Jain shares insights on the Chinese MNC’s success formula, the pandemic crisis, key trends in India’s mobile phone market and the China factor that is shaping both politics and businesses in India.

Armed with some important leadership lessons, Patu Keswani gets ready to welcome guests and prepare for a brighter future.

Rashesh Shah of Edelweiss gets candid about his failures & regrets, what he has learnt about hiring leaders, WFH and the pandemic re-set that is underway.

Serial entrepreneur Meena Ganesh talks about Portea, the pandemic, her journey as a serial entrepreneur, the life of a power couple and the missing women in the technology world

Ikea India CEO Peter Betzel reflects on the pandemic, its fallout, his India stint and how our homes and office are changing in the WFH era.

On this episode, learn how R S Sodhi has steered the dairy cooperative firmly to become India's largest FMCG company over the last decade - and even through the pandemic.

As the pandemic ravages business, PVR’s Ajay Bijli reflects on life, leadership, parenthood, cinema and the future of PVR

Join Malini Goyal as she brings you water-cooler conversations with the people who matter in corporate India. Season 1: chats from the c-suite.