Zinnov Podcast - Business Resilience series

India’s Edge Isn’t Just Talent - It’s the Will to Build ft. Ajai Chowdhry | Legends and Legacies

What does it take to turn a company into a leadership factory — and a country into a product powerhouse?

In this premiere episode of Legends & Legacies, Zinnov’s President Sidhant Rastogi sits down with Ajai Chowdhry, Padma Bhushan awardee and HCL co-founder, to decode the DNA of enduring value creation in people, technology, and nations. From pioneering India’s electronics revolution to driving its semiconductor vision, Ajai shares timeless insights on leadership, aspiration, and nation-building.

He unpacks HCL’s early strategy of hiring for hunger, not just skills, revealing how entrepreneurial culture and structured sales training created a generation of industry leaders. In a candid diagnosis of India’s services sector, Ajai calls out the urgent need for reinvention, with consultative sales, product-led growth, and IP creation at the core. “India responds best in crisis,” he notes, framing AI disruption not as a threat, but a turning point.

Ajai’s advice is clear: Build with intent, lead with confidence, and aim for technology sovereignty - from semiconductors to software. Whether you’re scaling a start-up or steering a legacy firm, this episode offers a front-row seat to India’s tech evolution - and a masterclass in what it takes to shape the future. Tune in Now.

Woman in the Mirror Ft. Rama Bijapurkar

What does it really take to own the room, especially when it wasn’t designed for you?

We’re back with Season 2 of Woman in the Mirror, a Zinnov podcast series hosted by Nitika Goel, CMO at Zinnov. And we’re opening with a powerhouse: Rama Bijapurkar.

Rama is one of India’s most respected thinkers on business strategy, market behavior, and leadership. Author. Board member. Educator. Trailblazer. For decades, she’s shaped how companies, governments, and society make decisions — and in this episode, she lets us into the inner world behind that public power.

In this much-awaited conversation, Rama shares what it means to chart your course through boardrooms, biases, and life’s unexpected turns — especially for women in leadership. She doesn’t believe in destination thinking. She believes in navigation — in responding to what the moment demands, in evolving through instinct and serendipity. Or as she calls it, being from the navigational school of life.

She speaks candidly about building personal support systems, choosing courage over comfort, and staying true to yourself when it would be easier to blend in. It’s sharp. It’s stirring. And it’s filled with the kind of truth that lingers long after the episode ends.

If you’ve ever questioned whether you belong in the room, at the table, or in the story, let this episode be your reminder:
You already do.

Plug in. Reflect. And maybe, rewrite your own script.

Built to Last: AI, Circularity, and the Future of Product Design Ft. Catherine Kniker and Dave Duncan, PTC

What happens when sustainability stops being a cost center and starts becoming a competitive edge?

In this episode of the Zinnov Podcast – Business Resilience Series, host Pari Natarajan, CEO, Zinnov, sits down with Catherine Kniker, Chief Marketing and Sustainability Officer, PTC, and Dave Duncan, Head of Sustainability, PTC. From their personal journeys into the world of sustainability to the surprising ways AI and circular design are reshaping manufacturing, this conversation goes beyond buzzwords.

It’s about why the smartest companies are rethinking products, profits, and purpose — all at once.

If you're a leader looking to future-proof your business or simply curious about how sustainability is becoming the new driver of growth and resilience, this episode is for you. Tune in now.

Want to go deeper?
Product Sustainability for Dummies by PTC is a practical guide to reducing product footprints while boosting profitability. Download Now: https://bit.ly/4dE6X4m

Engineering Experiences: Ciklum's AI Growth Playbook

What happens when AI, data, and experience design collide? In this episode of the Zinnov Podcast – Business Resilience Series, Pari Natarajan sits down with Rajaram Radhakrishnan, CEO & Board member of Ciklum, to explore how Experience Engineering is reshaping enterprise growth in the age of Generative AI.

With over three decades in tech leadership, Raj shares deeply personal stories of transformation — from the early days of India’s telecom revolution to building global delivery models that fuse customer insight, engineering rigor, and AI smarts.

Tune in to hear:
• The real ROI of AI (and why many are missing the point)
• What “Experience-first” truly means, with real life case studies
• How to embed AI into physical products
• And what makes Ciklum’s integrated delivery model a client favorite

This episode stands out not just for its strategic clarity, but for its practical optimism, and Raj’s belief that young engineers are the new agents of transformation.

Woman In The Mirror | Art Edition w/Jahnavi Phalkey, Science Gallery Bengaluru; Shanthamani Muddaiah, Zinnov, and Yamini Telkar, Zinnov

Imagine a world where creativity isn't just a passion - it's a driving force that disrupts industries, shatters expectations, and sparks bold change. In this powerful episode of Woman in the Mirror, Nitika Goel, CMO of Zinnov, steps beyond tech to dive into the world of women in the arts - a space where innovation and creativity break through barriers.

Join Nitika and an incredible panel of trailblazing women, Jahnavi Phalkey, Shanthamani Muddaiah, and Yamini Telkar as they discuss how they navigate the delicate balance between artistic integrity and commercial success.

These women aren’t just making art—they’re making history. Discover how they’re rewriting the rules, amplifying their voices, and redefining what it means to be a leader in the creative world. At Zinnov, we believe that creativity fuels innovation, and this conversation will show you exactly why.

 

 

Simplify, Innovate, Lead: The Modern approach to Tech and Business

"If you cannot explain something in a simple way, you probably don’t understand it." These words from Kamal Natarajan, SVP of Allstate Technology Solutions, encapsulate the challenge—and opportunity—facing the insurance industry today.

Technology has become inseparable from business, but the key to transformation lies not in chasing the latest tech, but in simplifying complex systems to improve customer experiences.

In this episode of the Zinnov Podcast: Business Resilience Series, Karthik Padmanabhan, Managing Partner at Zinnov, sits down with Kamal Natarajan to discuss how he is helping transform Allstate into a tech-driven, customer-first organization.

With over two decades of experience, Kamal has built high-performing teams, led large-scale digital transformation initiatives, and pioneered AI-driven innovations that are reshaping how insurance operates. He shares his insights on leveraging Gen AI, automation, and digital ecosystems to not just modernize, but humanize the insurance experience.

"We don’t lead with Gen AI—we lead with empathy," Kamal explains. He discusses how Allstate is experimenting with AI to create conversational, intelligent voice experiences that guide customers through critical moments, ensuring interactions feel natural and supportive rather than robotic.

Beyond technology, Kamal also delves into the cultural shift required for true digital transformation—from empowering engineers to rethink legacy processes to fostering a mindset that values purposeful innovation over complexity. He emphasizes that the future of leadership will not be about technology ownership, but about technology fluency.

"The role of technology organizations is going to fade away. Every leader needs to have a strong technology quotient—knowing how to think with a tech-enabled mindset rather than relying on a CIO to do it for them."

From reimagining customer engagement to reshaping how insurance is delivered, Kamal’s approach offers a blueprint for companies looking to stay ahead in an era of AI-driven disruption.

Woman In The Mirror | BFSI Edition w/Veda Persad, Northern Trust India; Mamatha Madireddy, HSBC Global Service Centres, India; Sirisha Voruganti, Lloyds Technology Centre

In the world of finance, numbers tell stories, but who are the women behind those numbers? The leaders who turn spreadsheets into strategy, setbacks into stepping stones, and challenges into lasting change.

Welcome to this episode of Woman in the Mirror: BFSI Edition where our host, Nitika Goel, CMO, Zinnov, is in conversation with three trailblazers — Veda Persad, Country Executive, Northern Trust India, Mamatha Madireddy, Managing Director & Head of HSBC Global Service Centres (GSCs), India, and Sirisha Voruganti, CEO & Managing Director, Lloyds Technology Centre.

This isn’t a collection of success stories. It’s an honest exploration of grit, resilience, and sisterhood in one of the most demanding industries. It’s about finding comfort in shared experiences, learning from failures, and understanding that struggle is part of the journey—because it’s through those struggles that we grow and rise.

For every leader or aspiring leader who has ever doubted themselves, and for everyone who believes leadership isn’t about fitting in but standing out—this is your moment.

Dive into the stories that matter. Because leadership isn’t a destination—it’s the moments you rise above.

Welcome to Woman in the Mirror. Tune in now!

Woman In The Mirror | Healthcare Edition w/Lene Hylling Axelsson, Novo Nordisk; Kalavathi GV, Siemens Healthineers; Mohua Sengupta, Novartis

Ever wondered what it really takes to lead in healthcare? Not just the strategies and successes, but the quiet moments of doubt, the unexpected triumphs, and the beautiful chaos of balancing it all? In this conversation on Healthcare Leadership, three industry titans take us behind the scenes.

Join Zinnov’s CMO, Nitika Goel, as she sits down with three remarkable women: Lene Hylling Axelsson, Novo Nordisk; Kalavathi GV, Siemens Healthineers; Mohua Sengupta, Novartis—leaders who aren’t just driving change in healthcare but transforming the industry.

Their stories offer a masterclass in modern leadership. Together, they share battle-tested strategies for navigating boardroom dynamics and building high-stakes operations across continents.

What makes their insights so compelling is their honesty about the trade-offs leadership demands. Through reflections on balancing work and life, managing personal sacrifices, and setting boundaries, they provide a practical guide for leaders striving to make an impact while staying authentic in today’s complex global landscape.

The Healthcare Mixtape: CIO & CTO Voices

In this episode of the Business Resilience Series, Healthcare leaders and CIOs discuss how cutting-edge technologies like AI and Automation along with approaches like Telemedicine are transforming the Healthcare industry. From alleviating administrative burdens to enhancing patient care, these innovations are paving the way for more efficient, intelligent hospitals.

With insights from industry experts, we explore the critical role of technology in addressing resource shortages, improving patient outcomes, and combating clinician burnout. Tune in to discover how CIOs are at the helm of this digital transformation to reshape the future of Healthcare.

Guests:

Dr. Luis Taveras, CIO, Author, Lehigh Valley Health Network
Girish Venkatachaliah, Chief Technology Officer, agilon Health
Hema Purohit, CTO – EMEA, Public Sector & Healthcare, Microsoft
Amit Phadnis, Chief Innovation and Technology Officer, RapidAI
Michelle Greene, EVP, Chief Information Officer, Cardinal Health

Mastering Mission-Critical Customer Success ft. Sarv Saravanan

In an era where cyber resilience can make or break a business, how are Enterprise Software companies adapting their customer success strategies? Dive into this compelling episode of the Zinnov Podcast Business Resilience Series, featuring Sarv Saravanan, Chief Customer Officer at Commvault and Pari Natarajan, CEO, Zinnov.

In this fascinating discussion Sarv shares his wealth of experience and provides unique insights into the evolving landscape of customer success. He unveils:

• Commvault's innovative six-phase customer journey
• Cutting-edge metrics for measuring customer success beyond NPS
• The game-changing role of AI in customer self-service and support
• Strategies for effective partner enablement
• The integration of product management within customer success

As a leader steering a global customer success organization, Sarv offers unique perspectives on leveraging diverse teams to swiftly solve complex customer challenges.

Whether you're a tech enthusiast, business leader, or customer success professional, this episode is packed with actionable insights and forward-thinking strategies. Tune in now.