Taking Chances

Our guest today is Sunil Kumaran, Chief Brand & Digital Officer with Reliance Broadcast Network Limited. Sunil is an MBA and has worked in reputed organisations like Dentsu Aegis Network, Universal McCann, Rediffusion DY&R and Lowe Partners.

Sunil's vast experience and expertise in media and advertising is on full display. In this episode he discusses the importance of brands, defines what good content means and the criticality of understanding the consumer. His life and work insights will help you experience true success.

This is Taking Chances.

In this episode we speak to the President and CEO of FIPP James Hewes, who having worked with some of the best media companies and magazine brands in the world, knows print media inside out.

Having held various positions in his 12-years at the BBC, most notably leading the international development of the magazines business, he was also the Publishing Director for Top Gear, Good Food, Easy Cook and Lonely Planet Magazine and a Director of BBC Haymarket Exhibitions. He has also worked with Gulf News Publishing running more than 30 products.

He sits on various boards, is an Advisor to Dojoko, an education-focused start-up and the Founder & CEO of Soho Consulting

In this episode he talks about the value of print publishing and its challenges, the need for adaptability and what FIPP is doing to show the path ahead.

This is Taking Chances.

Our Season 2 starts with the inspirational Apurva Purohit – Co Founder Aazol Ventures, Independent Director and Author. Apurva is well known for her people oriented leadership and focus on culture in all the organisations she leads.

Her 2 books “Lady you’re not a man” and “Lady you’re the boss” are pertinent and real for women in the workplace.

This episode is for everyone who wants to find their voice and lead with confidence.

This is Taking Chances.

Our guest Anuradha Gupta has an innate ability to connect with people and infuse her positive approach to living life. And her work naturally follows her personality. She is the CEO and Founder of Vows for Eternity, a global matchmaking service that stands apart for its personalised and confidential approach, specialising in bringing together individuals based on shared values, education, socio-economics and a commonality of interests.

Anuradha also feels very strongly about giving back to society and is an involved investor in several not for profit organisations.

In this conversation she talks about her journey, her beliefs and insights, and what it takes to get two people to come together and make one of the most important decisions of their lives.

Match making across borders!

This is Taking Chances.

We have with us Harshil Karia – Founder Schbang. Harshil has been in the digital space in India for over 12 years. He has set up 2 agencies - Schbang and FoxyMoron.
He has been selected as the top 50 Individual in the Digital Eco System in India and has won multiple Indian and Global awards like The Shorty’s Award, The Internationalists Award, and is part of the first team from India to win a Facebook Studio Award. Brand Equity has consistently labelled his agencies as the ‘Hottest Digital Agencies in India’.
In this episode Harshil talks about his journey, his future plans and what success means to him. His ambitions sound daunting but his track record speaks for itself.
This is Taking Chances.

Our guest today is Mohammed Sadriwala – a writer, storyteller and poet from Mumbai.

In this episode Mohammed uses the power of words and introspection to touch on thought provoking aspects of life, philosophy and love. He also shares a heart breaking poem that will stay with you forever.

Mohammed talks about his journey of becoming a writing and gives interesting lessons and tips for budding writers.

This is Taking Chances.

Our guest today is an artist who lets her art and her life flow spontaneously. Everything about her is unrestrained.

It is a pleasure to meet Brinda Miller - a master of many forms and mediums. She is well recognised and well awarded in the world of art and deservedly so. She is presently the honorary Chairperson of the Kala Ghoda Association and has been responsible for bringing art into public places.

In this episode she speaks to us about her passion, style and ambition. And her appreciation of what art galleries have done for the arts.
She believes that you have to not just dare to dream but follow it to its conclusion.
 

This is Taking Chances .

Our guest today is an Italian winemaker who calls India her second home - Polina Bosca.

She is a 6th generation member of the 190 year old Bosca wine company in Canelli where she heads R&D and multiple other functions. 

Polina has given life to many a new flavours. Anyone who has had Dia wine from the Sula stable in India will have tasted one of her many creations. 

 In this episode she talks to us about her vision to take the company to new heights across generations, her challenges, the importance of family and why she loves India so much.

Innovation and invention are very important. You have to keep giving the consumer new experiences - she says.

That is Taking Chances.

Our guest today is the ever frank and candid Prashant Panday - MD and CEO - ENIL.
With over 30 years of experience across companies like Citibank, Pepsi, HUL - he has, in his current role, been an integral part of the growth and success of the only public listed company of the Times of India.
In this episode, Prashant shares with us his experiences, challenges, concerns and regrets. Here is a man who strives to make a difference and calls for responsibility and accountability in the media world.
This is Taking Chances.

Our guest today is Abraham Thomas - CEO, Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd. Abe’s track record of building brands and his ability to scale businesses is well known. He has worked in varied industries, grown many a companies and understands the media and entertainment landscape best. His leadership style is transformational and his personal style is cool.

In this episode, Abe shares with us his professional journey, his life experiences, his love for coffee, music, trashy movies and a new perspective on the role of the CEO today.

This is Taking Chances.

In this episode, we have with us Pooja Jauhari CEO Glitch & Founder Seat at the Table. Her journey is truly inspirational. Pooja started working at age 15, right after class 10 and completed her education through work credits. She has worked in JWT, Unilever and Worldwide Media (WWM) before joining Glitch. She has built an organization that is gender blind, inclusive, progressive and high-performance. Pooja firmly believes that marketing must have a positive impact on society.

This is Taking Chances.

In a career spanning over 2 decades Nikhil Gandhi has donned many hats - a media executive, a career coach, a mentor and an angel investor. And has made a grand success of all.

As he readies to move on from TikTok, where he headed India, Middle East, Africa and more, this avid marathoner shares with us his luck by chance stories and what it took to be where he is today, personally and professionally.

This is Taking Chances.

In this episode we have Siddharth Rajsekar the founder of the Internet Lifestyle Hub, one of the world's largest communities for coaches, trainers, teachers and experts. Sid has developed and perfected the Freedom Business Model which focuses on helping people take their expertise online and building a super-profitable digital coaching business, without an office or employees.

His mission is to reform the education and employment system by building a new breed of digital leaders, based on the core principles of humanity, simplicity and social skills.

This is Taking Chances.

Our guest today has featured in the 30 under 30 list of Forbes both in India and Asia - Pooja Dhingra. Pooja is not just any chef but someone who has taken India by storm, with just a little bit of magical sugar.

A passionate entrepreneur who introduced India to the French macarons, she is the founder of the Le15 chain of patisseries and cafes. She firmly believes that success is tied to values and not to things. Steeped in colors and flavors, she is deservedly the Macaron Queen of India.

This is Taking Chances

Our guest today is Dhruvank Vaidya, Head of Podcasts - Spotify India. In a career spanning 25 years Dhruvank has launched several media technology businesses and has held leadership positions in digital media, content, television and technology companies.

In this episode he shares his journey of collecting experiences, what is the responsibility of the person at the top and his dream of starting a coffee business.

This is Taking Chances.

In this episode we have Deval Sanghavi, Partner and Co-Founder of DASRA. Deval’s journey is one that is rooted in change that is so critical for the betterment of the world. He graduated early from the University of Texas and volunteered with children living on Mumbai's streets. He left his career at Morgan Stanley in New York and returned to India to create DASRA . His organization serves marginalized communities, enables NGOs to scale nationwide, advises philanthropists and foundations on their giving strategies and supports collaborative action in dealing with urban sanitation, adolescents and informal workers.

This is Taking Chances.

We all have grown up hearing the phrase ‘no risk - no gain’ and have seen and heard stories about people who have taken big risks leading to big gains.

In this episode we have with us the Co founder and CEO of Agrahyah Technologies and aawaz.com simplifying for us the rules of entrepreneurship, the importance of taking calculated risks and the value of integrity.

This is Taking Chances.

A compulsive storyteller, Koral has published five books where she has explored the complex human mind. She is also the founder of www.tellmeyourstory.biz, a story laboratory of crowd-sourced narratives.

Koral is known for her great sense of humor. And her love for Shahrukh Khan.

In this episode she speaks about her early and varied exposure into the world of literature, which has shaped her voice and has led her to write about powerful women in Indian mythology from a completely unique perspective.

This is Taking Chances.

A man who is India’s flag bearer for the game of golf and the winner of the Padma Shri and the Arjuna award, shares with us his journey into the world of sports and golf.

In this episode he talks about his game, his determination, his goals and even his love of Bollywood.

After almost 3 decades of playing he is all set to travel across continents for the senior tour and looks forward to adding more titles to his game.

This is Taking Chances.

With 3 decades of personally connecting with Bollywood, and being the editor of brand Filmfare, there will be few who will know this world better than him.

A journalist, movie critic, influencer, and talk show host - he is a man who wears many hats, and all have Bollywood written on them.

In this episode he talks about what it took to start out in this career which was not very sought after then. How his temperament and consistency has helped him succeed.  And why actors like Amitabh Bachchan and Shahrukh Khan have managed to stay relevant even today.

This is Taking Chances.

Planning to quit a secure job to follow your passion? 

Radhika, a Sufi vocalist and music composer did just that. She left her corporate career after working in companies like Unilever and ANZ Grindlays to pursue her quest for music.

She is a firm believer that fate favors those who take chances. And it’s the small incremental steps that help you move towards your goals.

In this episode she talks about what it took to leave a well settled career path and the role destiny played in her musical journey.

This is Taking Chances.

Pratik Gupta – Co-founder, Zoo Media and FoxyMoron was just 19 years of age when he started his entrepreneurial journey with FoxyMoron. 12 years later it is one of India’s leading digital marketing companies. Pratik has wasted no time in resting on his laurels and started Zoo Media, a full-service network with seven agency brands. And has already got robust growth plans for the future.

He says that all of this has come about through sheer hard work and by taking some very calculated risks.

In this episode he speaks to us about his journey, challenges, failures and successes, and what it takes to reach where he is today.

This is Taking Chances.

With three decades of a glorious journey in the world of costume designing, Manish Malhotra is known for his path breaking work.

He is the man who redefined the fashion of Indian cinema, and has dressed some of the best names in India and abroad.

In this episode he talks about who he loves dressing the most in Bollywood, his journey from a costume designer to a couturier, fashion influencer and revivalist. And how he changed the whole fashion outlook of India.

This is Taking Chances

This is....Taking Chances