Indian Business Podcast

Deepak Shahdadpuri, founder of consumer-focused VC firm DSG Consumer Partners, has backed Sula, Epigamia, Veeba and Bombay Sweet Shop. He explores the four stages of building a standout brand, finding untapped categories in India, and turning a focused customer tribe into a ₹100 crore business. They also discuss gross margins, founder red flags, lived consumer problems, and how AI may reshape brand discovery.

Kumar Sangakkara, Sri Lankan cricket legend turned real estate executive, discusses his luxury property ventures on the southern coast. He explores The Six’s beachfront villas, an innovative build-sell-operate model, dollar-denominated rental returns, design-led development, and why Sri Lanka may be an overlooked opportunity. They also discuss new projects, ownership risks, tourism growth, and investing during economic uncertainty.

Saad Khaj, a sales strategist and service-business entrepreneur, unpacks the sales system behind a ₹50 crore business. They explore crafting irresistible, specific offers, combining organic trust with paid distribution, finding funnel leaks, responding to leads within five minutes, and qualifying prospects through the “Three Gates of Hell.” The conversation also covers premium pricing, belief-breaking sales calls, objections, and building teams that protect retention.

Eric Ries, entrepreneur, author of The Lean Startup, and startup advisor, explores how to build companies without deep pockets. They discuss genuine product-market fit versus vanity metrics, the Build-Measure-Learn loop, sustainable growth engines, customer validation, hiring without groupthink, mission-driven culture, and three essential skills for founders in the AI era.

Saad Khaja, a sales professional and trainer specializing in cold calling and sales psychology, reveals how to turn conversations into opportunities. He explores validating ideas before building, landing jobs by calling decision-makers, crafting irresistible offers, mastering vocal tonality, and handling objections. Learn the “Old Friend” opening, the BANT framework, and why the right questions can transform a cold call.

Chris Voss, former FBI lead international kidnapping negotiator and author of Never Split the Difference, shares sharp negotiation tactics from hostage rooms to boardrooms. He explains mirroring and labeling, why concise prompts plus silence work, how to spot different liar and negotiator types, and when to use what vs how questions to uncover problems and force implementation.

Jonah Berger, Wharton professor and author of Contagious, studies why people share ideas. He breaks down the STEPS framework—social currency, triggers, emotion, public, practical value, stories. Hear how a $503 Blendtec stunt drove huge sales, why KitKat used coffee as a trigger, and low-cost tricks to make boring products memorable and talk-worthy.

In this episode, you'll discover:Has India really delivered on the 2014 promise? The BJP's case for poverty reduction, infrastructure, digital payments and welfare, and the opposition's counter using unemployment, savings and rural wage data.Why India's demographic dividend could become a demographic disaster if the country doesn't create enough productive jobs before the population starts ageing.The uncomfortable education problem: More IITs, AIIMS, MBBS seats and higher-education enrolment, but are Indian students actually becoming employable?Why paper leaks and police brutality expose a bigger question: Is the government reacting quickly enough, or should a government of 12 years have built systems that prevent these failures altogether?The manufacturing paradox: India has attracted investment, expanded infrastructure and entered sectors like semiconductors, so why hasn't manufacturing's share of GDP reached the target set in 2014?Can India really de-risk itself from global shocks? From the Russia-Ukraine war to Middle East disruptions, how vulnerable is India's growth model to events outside its control?The biggest debate of all: When two sides can produce a statistic to counter almost every statistic, how do we actually measure whether a country is progressing?This isn't a debate about whether the BJP has done everything right or everything wrong.It's a debate about a much harder question:After 12 years in power, what should India's benchmark for success actually be?Watch the full debate and decide for yourself who made the stronger case for India's future.Chapters -Evaluating the BJP governance record after 12 years in power. Understand the current political climate and actual performance metrics.This video provides a critical look at the long-term impact of 12 years of BJP leadership in India. If you are following Indian political analysis, this breakdown examines whether the ruling party is still in its honeymoon phase or if it has entered a new stage of governance maturity.We assess the trajectory of the current administration by moving beyond standard narratives. By focusing on the 12 years of BJP tenure, we clarify the shift from initial promises to current government performance. This session is designed for anyone seeking an objective perspective on modern Indian political evaluation.Subscribe for weekly political analysis breakdowns, and comment below on which policy area you want us to cover next.00:00- 12 Years of BJP: Progress or Propaganda5:21 - Opening speech: BJP Spokesperson9:10 - Opening Speech: Opposition Spokesperson12:05 - Is the BJP open to criticism?15:08 - Is the Police Brutality Real or not?29:42 - Is India failing its students?29:46 - Is India Failing its Students?36:09 - Is India Facing a Job Crisis!37:18 - Is Government Education System Failing?42:57 - Can India become Rich before it becomes Old45:30 - Is "Make in India" Failing47:02 - Do Global Supply Shock Justify Manufacturing Slowdown53:14 - Is Indian infrastructure getting worse or better?01:05:13 - India's Shocking doctor shortage crisis01:12:00 - Why is the trade decifict increasing?01:16:28 - Closing speech

Dr Muffazal Lakdawala, renowned bariatric surgeon advocating supervised GLP-1 therapy. Jitendra Chouksey, FITTR founder promoting lifestyle and prevention over pharma. They debate GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, covering India's obesity crisis, drug efficacy versus surgery and devices, safety and side effects, regulatory and prescribing concerns, and who should qualify for these treatments.

Gayatri Agrawal, founder of AI-native Altrd who helps large companies adopt LLMs, explains how to spot hidden revenue leaks and build AI workflows that deliver measurable outcomes. She walks through a 30-day AI playbook, demos CCTV and Codex use cases, and warns where businesses commonly go wrong. Short, practical steps for uncovering insights, automating SOPs, and turning prototypes into tools.