Insights and Updates

India has been a target of attacks in the Western media and press. If one picks up Reuters, Bloomberg, BBC, The Economist, DW, or Al Jazeera, it would appear that nothing good is happening in India and that it is doomed to fail. Most Indians have started to notice this…

There was a period from around 2017 onwards when Chinese diplomats and spokespersons started answering questions in a very brusque, borderline demeaning way. They were called wolf warriors based on the movie by the same name. This sort of language and demeanour from China became more pronounced when COVID struck…

I visited my parents house after the weekend. I was there to attend a society party. It had been a long time since I last visited. Shifting to my own house, with kids growing up and an ecosystem being built around where I lived, made the visits rarer and rarer.

Language is a fascinating thing. So much of our identity, the way we process the world, the way we communicate, is dependent on it. It shapes our worldview, decides who our friends are, and plays a role in our biases and beliefs. And yet, it would be very rare that…

My father was posted in the small town of Bhavnagar, Gujarat, when I was born. I was there till I was four years old. Our landlords, who used to live on the ground floor, were extraordinarily kind and indulged me a lot, to the point that I would have my…

I recently met a hostelmate from my undergrad. He had gone to pursue a PhD from IIT Bombay. He mentioned the confidence that undergrads from IIT Bombay carried. According to him, this confidence took them far. Cracking the JEE at eighteen gave them the confidence to be the best in…

I had started preparing for JEE in eleventh grade. I had done pretty well in the tenth standard, exceeding even my own expectations. So when I came in eleventh, I expected myself to do similarly well. I was completely wrong. The thing was that by the end of the tenth…

My younger daughter asked me the other day to put the do du dudu song. While I was searching for the song on YouTube, she was trying to sing it and was miming the actions—Daddy shak do du dudu, Mommy shak do dudu. I was amazed that a child who…

I was recently covered in the alumni spotlight for my undergrad institution. It is a great honour, and I should be proud that the institute chose to feature me. But I do not feel any pride. Instead, I feel a thousand eyes judging me. Why was I featured when many…

I was recently watching an interview with Bobby Deol. He has experienced a resurgence in his career over the last few years. What was most striking was the vulnerability and the lack of ego that he showed. He looked like a person who had no delusions about himself, was close…

I recently visited my alma mater. I was given a very warm welcome. The students accompanied my family, showing me around, and even had a session of questions and answers with me. I should have been delighted at the homecoming - except I wasn’t. It had nothing to do with…

“ Measure what matters” is an often repeated quote. But to me, the right quote should be “Look at what you want to change.” I lost a lot of weight in 2022. This was due to looking after my diet, measuring my weight and doing the proper exercise. I gained…

In 2014, I was scheduled to start my sales stint in Mumbai. I was part of the prestigious International Graduate program at the Standard Chartered Bank. The program exclusively recruited from top MBA colleges in the country and rotated them across various functions in the bank, including a training stint…

I recently finished reading Pandeymonium by Piyush Pandey. It was a delightful book, though a bit dated. What I liked specifically in the book were his explanations behind unique jingles - his observations and insights into human behaviour. The thing that stood out to me was how rooted in India’s…

“If your days are long and years are short - my friend, you are in the wrong place” - a friend had remarked this to me while we were walking towards our car after finishing the work for the day. Curious, I asked him to explain what he meant. He…

I enjoy reading select newsletters that arrive in my inbox. I have put a filter on Gmail that tags them as a reading list. The list includes news sources and substacks of a few people I enjoy reading. This is the only way I catch up on the news of…

As one grows in life, the key change one needs to make is to get good at asking questions. While one is young, having most of the answers makes one stand out. But as one moves from the doer to facilitator, the key requirement becomes - how well one understands…

As a child, I was told about the adage - “ well begun is half done”. That sounded great. Having taken it to heart, I start many projects with great fanfare—the things that catch my eye. However, looking around, I am surrounded by a plethora of half-finished projects. Starting a…

Over the last two years, I have gained nearly 20 kgs. This was after I had lost 15 kgs through diet, discipline and exercise. Because I was once in a phase where I was losing weight, getting back in shape, and receiving compliments, I thought I could replicate it at…

My daughter was squirming as it was time to write one page of sentences. First grade is a tricky time. The fun and carefree days of SKG are over, and the grind starts. Although only two months have passed, the jump feels substantial. With it comes the expectation of writing…

I am sitting in my study, looking out of the window that faces the trees. It is raining, a slight drizzle with light wind in which trees dance as if they are swaying to a mellifluous tune. The scene is a delight to the eyes, a balm for the soul…

My alma mater invited me to visit my college. While I was excited to visit my college, I was also apprehensive. I was anxious as I did not want any publicity for my visit to the college. In my mind, I had still not achieved anything that deserved to be…

Recently, the US imposed 25% tariffs on India, taking the total tariffs to 50%. The reason given by them was that India was importing Russian oil and hence funding the war. The reason did not pass the smell test as China imports more oil than India, and Europe spends a…

“ After facing Raghu’s 150 Kmph balls in the nets, the best fast bowlers in the world feel like medium pacers. “ - Virat Kohli Virat was asked about India’s improvement in facing pace bowling. He mentioned Raghu, India’s throw-down specialist, who helps the batsmen prepare to face fast bowling…

When I was sitting for my placements in MBA, I really wanted to get into investment banking. However, 2013, being the year before the national elections, there were no investment banking or corporate banking jobs. The ideal approach would have been to take a job in consulting, apply aggressively, and…

The recent India-Pakistan clashes of 2025 resulted in a military victory for India, but it appeared that Pakistan won the narrative war. Indians felt shortchanged and cheated. More so because we were winning but nobody was acknowledging it. I think this is India’s 26/11 moment for our information/public relations industries.

A debate about the new education policy, which aims to introduce two languages apart from the mother tongue, is raging in the country. People are calling it Hindi imposition, while others are worried that their children would have to learn a new language. I have a different take and welcome…

MS Dhoni had once said that he wants players who are confident. Because when the situation gets tough, those who have self-belief come through and win, while the people who doubt or second-guess themselves usually fail. When I first heard this comment, I was angry. It felt personal and like…

There was a wicketkeeper who played for India - KS Bharat. He played seven matches for India. He was a decent wicketkeeper and an ok batsman. He never made a splash in the international circuit and faded away after a few games. One day a news caught my eye (…

I once had a performance review where I got an average rating. I was dumbfounded. Throughout my life, I excelled, and I was unsure why I got an average rating. I was doing everything that was expected, coming and leaving on time; I was, in effect, meeting expectations. I then…

Throughout my life, there has been a peculiar reoccurrence. I have never really been the first pick - the first student, the best sportsman, the best in co-curricular, etc.- but I have been a close second. This has manifested in my attending the second-best engineering school, cracking the second-best MBA…

One of the best cricketing shows on YouTube currently is Dressing Room, hosted by Fawad Alam and joined by Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Ajay Jadeja and Nikhil Chopra. For a show hosted by Pakistanis, it is very popular in India. Part of the reason is excellent cricket analysis. Still, more…

As a kid, I was supremely confident, sometimes bordering on being overconfident. This was especially true when I was in my undergrad. I was the walking and talking representation of the Dunning Krueger effect. In a class full of engineers, I had modelled myself as somebody who understood business. The…

In 1998, my father was transferred to Ludhiana. A small town in the northern state of Punjab. I had to leave my school in Gurgaon mid session when I was in standard six. I was in this school since KG. It was a shock to me to say the least.

“Thinking about the past causes depression, and thinking about the future causes anxiety.” -Me I was listening to a podcast featuring Maj. Vivek Jacob. He is an ex-special forces operative of India’s 9 Para SF. When one works at the edge of life and death as special forces operatives usually…

In my twenties, I decided to try running half marathons. I ran a few half-marathons. My timing was always close to 3 hours 30 minutes. It is an atrocious time for half marathons. But there was once a half marathon in Delhi which I completed in two hours thirty minutes…

I was in kindergarten in Delhi. I remember buying some flashy stickers that can be put on the pencil boxes. I was excited about using them. When I went to school, I wanted to show them off. Vaibhav was a rich kid in the class. His father had a jewellery…

I was a single child with both parents working. That meant there were long periods when I only had myself for company. This was the pre-internet era, when TV was viewed as a distraction that kids should not have controlled. Hence I used to spend long periods of time alone…

I am one of the highest consumers of YouTube. In effect, I think somewhere, I am a slave of the algorithm. I keep going down the rabbit hole and discovering one piece of content after another. So much so that even while working, I would prefer to have a video…

My daughter has an extreme separation anxiety. Going to school in the morning can be a struggle. She would howl, fight, whimper and try to use every tool in her arsenal to avoid going to school. We talked to a counsellor who asked us to appreciate even a small effort…

I have been in the Bay area for last few days. This trip has given me a chance to learn more about the US economy and the American consumer. At nearly 29 trillion, it is 7 times India’s. But this is when it has less than 1/5th India’s population. The…

I was walking towards an event venue yesterday when I saw Girish Mathrubootham, the founder of Freshworks and a legend among Indian SAAS founders, waiting to cross the road. I saw him and took about a minute to look at him and recognise who he was. I thought of going…

I once had a near-death experience. What I clearly remember about it is that when I was going through it, suddenly, the priorities in my life were very clear. In those few seconds, it was clear to me what mattered to me. The thoughts were not about work, targets, money,…

There was a senior of mine in the finance society at FMS, whom I used to respect a lot. I thought she was hardworking, intelligent, empathetic and patient, a quality you look for in a leader. After graduating, we slowly lost touch. I recently came to know that she was…

Courage is often thought of in terms of bravery on the battlefield. We lionise the physical act of putting ourselves in harms way. However, I think courage is a lot more than that. Courage is about fighting and overcoming our internal demons. The voice in our head which keeps telling…

When we are young, we are constantly told to increase optionality. This results in nearly all our decisions - from choosing our course of study, to dating, to food choices and many more. At each point of our life, we end up asking what if this does it work out?…

I was an extremely pampered kid. I was the first grand child for both sets of my grand parents in addition to being an only child. Hence I was showered with gifts. I always had the latest toy or gadget. I think part of having the latest toy was out…

In my life, whenever I have failed, it has come down to the fact that I have not accepted reality in time. I have lied to myself that things are better than they are. I have provided myself with a false sense of comfort and superiority or attributed the conditions…

Yesterday, I had to attend an optional meeting at 1:30 a.m. Some time back, I had decided that I should meet more people and exchange ideas. Working remotely disconnects you from people, and at some point, you realize your network has shrunk, and the bar of excellence has reduced. This…

By the time I got to Psenti sem in BITS, I felt like a failure. I had not done well academically at BITS, had not cleared the CAT, and had not been placed. I was also unhealthy. I was directionless, not having a routine, whiling away my time watching movies…

“Luck is when talent meets opportunity” There have been many times in my life when I was presented with opportunities that have changed my trajectory. The opportunities materialized from nowhere and were presented to me. I could capitalize on these opportunities because I was prepared for them. I was lucky,…

I recently took the Gallup 5 Big Strengths test. My highest strength came out to be significance. This means that the core force that drives me is impact. I need to understand cause and effect. In effect, it means that I need to understand the purpose of why I am…

MBA placements have a thing called day zero placements. The highest paying, most reputable, and the firms having the most snob value come on this day. As the days progress the package and snob value reduces. To a large extent, many MBA students base their self-worth based on the day…

The first time I got an opportunity to lead a bunch of peers was at BITS. I was the cultural representative, then headed publicity at Waves ( cultural festival) and had nearly the same role at Quark (technical festival). I think I did decently well. I had a great team,…

The biggest reality shock I experienced when I joined BITS was at the end of the first semester. My CG card read 6.83/10, which was an average grade. For the first time in my life, I was surrounded by peers who were equal ( and in most cases better) than…

“ People overestimate what they can achieve in 1 year and underestimate what they can achieve in 10 years” - Bill Gates I start many things, I finish a few. The start is always full of energy, motivation, and enthusiasm. I am excited about what I will achieve at the…

The recent India win in the T20 World Cup is a story of the individual redemption of many players, none more so than that of Hardik Pandya. Just a few months back, he was booed on every ground he went to. He was called names and was the object of…

In 2011, I had an interview call from IIM Ahmedabad. The format was that one had to write an essay, and then there was an interview. IIMA had done away with group discussion and used to give 12 minutes to write the essay. I had just taken the GMAT and…

The results of the national elections were announced yesterday. The BJP did worse than expected and could only garner 240 seats. People had expected them to sweep, getting anywhere between 330 - 350 seats. The major damage was in Uttar Pradesh. Surprisingly, they lost the constituency of Ayodhya ( Faizabad).

A few months back, I was traveling through Punjab. The walls were plastered with ads for IELTS, selling the dream of immigrating to Canada, the UK, or Australia. It appeared that that was the only industry flourishing in the state. Selling the dream of untold riches that await beyond the…

I have always wondered why do Russians grind out in any war. They live out the harsh winter and win the war. Why do most Indian teams not win the trophy but accolades for having well-tried? Why do Australians win everything? How is it that traits are usually found in…

As a child, I felt angry when my elders did not take me seriously. I remember when my ideas were brushed aside because the elders thought they knew better. Times like those made me feel small. I thought I was invisible, and my opinions and ideas carried no weight. As…

I started reading English August by Upamanyu Chatterjee. It is a story about a new recruit to IAS and his travails in his first year of training. It is a fun easy read. Reading it, though, took me back to 2009 and my first year of training at BHEL. My…

One truly grows up when one has buried someone from the previous generation and held the next generation in their hands. I had read the above quote somewhere. That time I was not able to appreciate it. But now having done both, I feel there are no truer words. I…

I have two daughters. Having kids is one of the best experiences one can have. They are a bundle of joy. But they also drive you crazy. Both me and my wife are working parents. Our schedules are often packed. In this rearing and tending to two kids comes with…

By the time I hit puberty, I had become fat. This had a major impact on my psyche. While I was never underconfident, I was always ashamed of being fat. This was because I had somewhere categorized fat people as lazy, ugly, and objects of derision. I wanted to lose…

There are times in one’s life when one has to be ruthless, focused, competitive, and primed for success. In such scenarios, the most critical factor is not the things you do, but the things you decide not to do. Prioritizing a few things and saying no to everything else is…

This IPL, the transformation of two players - Riyan Parag and Shivam Dube has made me contemplate the fickleness of perception and human emotions. Not long back these players were made fun of, panned, and were the object of ridicule. But this season with great strike rates and the ability…

I have been on this planet for nearly 36 years and some more time. Being here for so long has given me some perspective and wisened me a bit. It has given me an appreciation of serendipitous events. The unplanned events or decisions that change the trajectory of your life.

Ostrich is a fascinating animal. It is the largest bird but is flightless. It is the fastest bi pedal runner in the world but it usually uses it to run away from danger. Unlike Emu’s which are similar ( and the only animal to win a war against humans), Ostriches…

Staying too long is nearly always as bad as quitting too early. In my life, especially my career, there have been many situations where I feel I have stayed too long. Be it quitting a role I am not enjoying, quitting a company when my intended objective ( and those…

The recent events involving the appointment of Hardik Pandya as the Mumbai Indians captain and the resultant backlash have made me think about power and perception. By all accounts, the decision was made by the franchise owners. Ambanis are the most powerful family in the country, possibly in Asia, arguably…

“It is the acts of omission which hurt more than the acts of commission” Regret is one of the strongest emotions that we feel. It is not strong in terms of its immediate impact like anger, grief, rage, or elation but more in terms of its long-term effects. Like cancer…

Today during my morning run I saw a kid no more than 10 carrying a large cricket kit bag, wearing the India cap, waiting for his cab. Accompanying him was his mother. The kit bag was nearly as heavy as the kid. The time was 6 am, the sun hadn’t…

Roti, Kapda, Makaan ( Food, clothes and shelter) - the basic needs of humans, satisfy them and you can survive. But survival is not what keeps life ticking. The core aim of every specie is to spread its genes. So it is the desire to procreate and find a mate which…