Once the pandemic is over, I wish…
What are the hopes and dreams of ordinary people?
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Masterclass: Reimagining work in the post pandemic world
Harvard professor Tsedal Neeley draws on her research and ICICI Lombard’s Bhargav Dasgupta on his firm’s experiments. They discuss why leaders must prepare for hybrid workplaces
AMA: Dealing with cancelled exams and online schooling
What are the best options for students, parents and schools now? Meeta Sengupta and Piyul Mukherjee have some advice on this Founding Fuel Clubhouse chat
What the media won’t tell you about the media
EY’s recent report on media and entertainment calls it an industry under renovation. What is changing? How should those in the business look at reinventing the business model? Veterans from the industry discuss the lay of the land
Meet The Unconventionals
A bold, new breed of employees is emerging. They don’t wait for management approval, take ownership, and charge ahead. But, are leaders prepared to give them space, freedom and recognition—and to encourage others to work like this?
Teetering on the Edge. Of survival
These three women—a taxi driver, a beautician, and a nurse—had many hopes that seemed within their reach in the City of Dreams Mumbai. Now, with another surge in Covid-19 cases, they are fighting hard to not let it all turn into a nightmare
Systems thinking, state capacity and grassroots development
A learning session with Arun Maira, Harish Hande, Mekhala Krishnamurthy and M Rajshekhar
Be positive. Be kind. Be helpful.
Some reflections on leadership, thinking, what matters most now, gratitude, hope, renewal and more as I review 2020
2021: The Time to Act
Four books show why and how we must reconnect the economy and technology with humanity
A little joy, a tinge of hope
People are reclaiming little bits of their daily life. And life is stirring back to normal
Masterclass: The World in 2021
What were the big changes—beyond Covid-19—that 2020 ushered in? And what can we expect in the New Year? A session in sensemaking
Music and life
In the finale of season 2, Talkin’ ‘Bout My Generation, the Pauls—BBDO’s chairman Josy, doctoral student Shlok, and jazz and gospel singer Marie—share their journey of how music influenced their lives
The soundtrack of our lives
It evokes emotion and nostalgia. It’s about growing up. It’s our connection with ourselves and others. It’s even a call to action
Discovering and committing to one’s passion
Explore, and then commit to your passion. Forget about a Plan B. Only then will you know if it’s right for you. Listen to Kiran Bir Sethi and her son Raag Sethi in S02E05 of TAMG
Courage, conviction, and following the beat of your own heart
Raag Sethi transitioned from teaching to become a music producer and studio owner—rather late in life he says. Here’s what he learned about committing to your passion from his world champion father Geet Sethi, his maverick educator mother Kiran Bir Sethi, and from his own ups and downs in finding what gives him joy
Being a working woman in 2020
Talkin’ ‘Bout My Generation, Season 2 Episode 4: A daughter-in-law and mother-in-law duo talk about the challenges and opportunities for working women post-Covid
For women within the modern home, a glimpse into a more equitable future
As home and office merge, the stress of the double-duty has become widespread. Many corporations are aware of women’s challenges and are attempting a fix. And like millennial men who expect to share the load of maintaining a home, the older generation too is getting used to the idea. A daughter-in-law and mom-in-law duo examine this post-Covid road to equality
Inside the new world of sports in a bubble
TAMG Season 02, Episode 03: Father and son duo Partha and Atreyo Sinha explore how the pandemic has changed our relationship with sports, and how we're likely to experience the game differently as sports fans
The significance of the Bihari
Bihar elections 2020: A deep dive with Sankarshan Thakur, National Affairs Editor at The Telegraph
Sports, the coronavirus, and a father-son relationship
When the pandemic struck and almost all sports were suspended, fans were left with a void. This pair of armchair enthusiasts talk about how it is making them rethink their relationship with sports—especially when sports returned on TV with empty stadiums and simulated crowd noises
On the menu: The changing attitude towards home cooking
Season 2, Episode 1: Master chef Sanjeev Kapoor and his daughter Rachita talk about food, especially home-cooked food, the evolution of the kitchen, and how attitudes around cooking and eating are changing
When the Swiggy generation rediscovers the home kitchen
Home food was boring for millennials, but the pandemic and the sudden loss of options to eat out or order in is forcing them into the kitchen. They are discovering the joys of being creative and the assurance of being self-sufficient, but they still want convenience. Food entrepreneurs are taking note
WFH Daily #183: Facts are better than dreams
September 22, 2020: Winston Churchill on why facts are better than dreams; Don’t focus narrowly: Think systems; The shake-up in Indian farms: Boon or bane?
The doughnut and the hole
A message for social change-makers seeking ‘impact on scale’ even as sources of funding dry up: Stay focused on the purpose (the doughnut) and not the scale and brand of your organisation (the hole). Innovate. And learn to be a catalyst
FF Recommends | Giving: The causes that need your support now
Donor fatigue has started to set in, even as the pandemic continues to wreck havoc with people’s lives, especially the most vulnerable and disadvantaged sections. Here are the biggest causes that need immediate and urgent attention—and here’s how you can contribute
What to do to revive MSMEs
The Growth Factor: Raghuram Rajan on reviving MSMEs; Two SMB lending models for the future; How MSMs are faring: Good, bad or ugly; Emergency funds & rescue teams
Survive, revive, thrive: Pathway to business recovery
How can businesses claw their way back, past survival and into growth? They’ll need to conserve cash, clean up their governance so that banks will not hesitate to lend, and embrace digital transformation. Highlights from a panel discussion organised by Ficci Flo
So, who or what is mofussil?
India’s small towns move beyond the Bunty-Babli stereotype as they emerge as new labour hubs in the post-Covid world
My leap into quantum computing
Shoumik is building a career in deep tech. He shares what prompted him to jump into quantum computing, a hot space in frontier science. And whether the big bets by the tech giants and cutting-edge startups in the Valley will pay off. Resilience is often an underrated, yet critical aspect of any career in tech, says his mom and deep tech entrepreneur, Amrita Chowdhury, drawing on her Valley experience in the 90s
Dad… Can you send me some money?
In Episode 5 of TAMG, ad industry veteran Vijay Bhat and his son Shravan talk money—a subject that’s rarely discussed in Indian families. What value do the two generations place on money, especially in tough times? And how early should you talk about it in the family?
The unintended consequences of price control
The Growth Factor: Shadow banks and interest rate control; Mark Zuckerberg on messaging commerce; Algorithms for SMEs; MUDRA loans during lockdown
A beer of silent triumph
Financial independence was always hard. The pandemic just made it harder.
Dad, I want to start up!
Pallavi Desai wanted to start up seven years ago. Her dad Santosh Desai had serious reservations. She finally launched Creatures of Habit in February 2020. In Episode #4 of TAMG, they share the passions and anxieties, the highs and lows, as Pallavi set up an apparel label.
Everybody loves a startup…
Or maybe not, as Pallavi Desai found out when she told her dad she wanted to take the plunge. But dad Santosh Desai, CEO of Futurebrands, thinks it’s appropriate to ask any venture hard questions. And they’ve both learnt from Pallavi’s startup journey
What’s playing next? And where?
In Episode 3 of TAMG, father-son duo Damodar and Harsh Mall discuss the streaming habit, gaming, what theatres can do to get audiences back, and a lot more around the future of entertainment
Why MSMEs should look at climate financing
The Growth Factor: MSMEs, climate change, and climate financing; how digital tech can break the informal economy trap; investments into fintech
A platform approach to bridging India’s healthcare gap
No single entity can solve COVID-19. So, a diverse group of individuals and institutions came together to launch telemedicine app Swasth. But can it develop into a public utility, providing quality healthcare to citizens? An interview with Nachiket Mor, who’s on the governing council of Swasth
Who took away my film?
Will streaming services decimate movie theatres now? Damodar and Harsh Mall debate what entertainment will look like post-pandemic
Adapting to the post-Covid workplace
It’s Advantage Gen Z in the all-digital workplace of the future. But the old hands have a skill or two to pass on to them. In Episode 2 of Talkin' 'Bout My Generation, father-and-son duo Damodar and Harsh Mall talk about what each generation can learn from the other
FF Recommends: Unlock minds and have fun with your kids in the lockdown
Creative stories of how parents and children are bonding and learning
How to get the workers back to factories
The Growth Factor: Ecommerce giants, startups, and the problem with co-opetition; innovations in the wedding industry; Amazon’s big exports push
Masterclass: The Future of the MBA
There are urgent issues emerging around the need for an MBA as a vehicle for social good. Also, Covid-19 has accelerated the pace of digitalisation by at least 5-10 years across many businesses. This too is forcing b-schools to revamp their curriculum and make it future ready
The mascara effect
During a recession, people go out of their way to look good. It may seem counter-intuitive. But it is to retain a semblance of normalcy and that is why sales of lipsticks boom. But things are different now
Why shopping behaviour during Covid isn't following the recession playbook
Catch the father-and-son duo Damodar Mall and Harsh Mall on episode 1 of Founding Fuel's new weekly show, Talkin' 'Bout My Generation
Gen-Z and the post-Covid workplace
The youngest generation entering the workforce is comfortable in their digital skin. They know how to build rapport and connect naturally in virtual engagements, says Harsh Mall. But are we losing something important in this new online world, asks Damodar Mall
How to brand a humble piece of white cloth
The Growth Factor: How Ramraj Cotton veshtis became a brand; how the pandemic is making exclusion worse; Khadi: sales are up, but what about employment?
Why Kanchipuram should weave stories
The Growth Factor: The way ahead for Kanchipuram’s silk sari weavers; what MSMEs can learn from the school of fish; can MSMEs account for 60% of exports in two years
I want my MTV
That line from the Dire Straits classic Money for Nothing says it well: people facing the uncertainty caused by a pandemic, are turning to familiar, comfort brands. Here’s a view on the phenomena from a millennial in New York, and perspective from his dad in Mumbai
Retail Reset: Lockdown lessons from Reliance Retail
What the CEO of the grocery business of one of India’s largest retailers learnt about managing anxious employees and customers, and meeting their evolving needs, over three months of lockdown
What to copy from China
The Growth Factor: Local problems, global solutions; China strategy; MSME loans
Lessons in crisis leadership from four stories of survival
These leaders defied life-and-death crises. Their stories offer a beacon for business leaders on how to steer their teams out of this pandemic-induced crisis
Why you should invite your competitors to dinner
The Growth Factor: Why you should invite your competitors to dinner; the inventory dilemma; in MSME financing, do women fare better than men?
Setting new foundations for realty
What experiments are being tried on the ground? How are developers and proptech businesses approaching the new normal? And what other shifts need to happen?
Shaping a new economy recoupled with society
India’s planners are being compelled to shift their priorities, to focus on the small and not the big; on rural villages rather than on urban metropolises; and on people first rather than on investors
Masterclass: Personal Journeys with Ashish Vidyarthi
Which are the places you think you are not supposed to be in? A conversation with a creative entrepreneur and actor on breaking out of comfort zones, channelling fear into audacity, and how to not become a voyeur of your own success
How Tiruchengode really became the borewell rigs capital of India
The Growth Factor Weekly: The path-dependent nature of all systems; being opportunistic and strategic; will private banks, NBFCs rise to the MSME challenge?
The curious case of an unused LPG cylinder
The Growth Factor Weekly: Systems view for finance, when going debt-free comes back to bite you, who will fund the MSMEs?
The art of the hustle
Keep it brief. Keep it simple. Land the selling point
My tryst with Covid-19
There are things you can do to care at home, at the first signs of an infection, before you get to go to the hospital
From bricks to clicks: Will real estate catch up on digital?
Developers will need to reimagine a holistic digital journey for homebuyers. For going digital means much more than just creating a website
MBA or work? What should you choose in shaky times?
My nephew, who has five years’ work experience, had planned for an MBA in the US. Should he apply to B-schools now with the pandemic raging?
SpaceX launch; internet and free speech; one nation, one card
Disruptive Tech Weekly | June 03, 2020: A roundup of news and perspectives on how technology is shaping the future, here in India and across the world
Aarogya Setu: Why tech is not the most important problem—or the solution
Technology is often just one piece in a jigsaw puzzle. To solve a problem at a systemic level, other pieces—often harder to crack, boring to implement, thankless at the end—have to fall in place
Six learnings on innovation from anti-Covid efforts
Organisations across the spectrum have been able to get their act together, focus, and solve tough problems quickly. This makes you wonder—why are they unable to muster even a fraction of this ability in normal times?
A long haiku about my locked-down mind
The government is easing the lockdown at last. I would be able to go out again. But, for what, my mind asked? Poems can articulate feelings that the rational mind cannot explain in prose
During lockdown, at midnight. A movie party connects dispersed friends
The Sholay generation knew how to party over movies with friends. Netflix Party wants to recreate the experience for millennials. Apparently, the crazier the movie, the better it is
The apparel industry’s new pattern for a post-Covid comeback
In the lockdown, business is literally closed. And much ground is already lost to Bangladesh and Vietnam. It will take a mindset shift at many levels for the sector to reclaim lost ground
When uncertainty and anxiety come calling
People respond to negative stimuli in their own way. What does it take to ignore the negativity and find a workaround for the stress?
The used and discarded workers of India
Many continue to congratulate state governments for being bold in withdrawing constitutional protections of Indian workers, apparently to attract foreign investors. They’re missing the facts on the ground. What will convince them to open their hearts to the plight of millions of citizens?
The ultimate guide to good journalism
There is content, content and more content. But there is only so much you need
Stability in the storm: Reflections in challenging times
Finding the right path when all is murky is a special challenge today. Deep listening and deep conversations can throw some light. This facilitated conversation does just that
Suspending labour laws means paving a road to nowhere
Far from bringing in new business, the wholescale suspension of labour laws by some states poses a real danger of unleashing mistrust among factory workers. For the move is fair neither to workers nor to employers
Platforms in a Post-COVID World: Masterclass with Sangeet Paul Choudary
The pandemic is leading to fundamental shifts in behaviours. What does that mean for platform businesses? Are there opportunities for incumbents to reimagine business models? And how can country-level platforms help countries gain an advantage in the global arena?
Labour migration, jobs and society in the Age of the Pandemic
The lockdown is taking its toll. What will it take workers in the informal sectors and small businesses to survive?
Lockdown notes on working, living and loving from the Far East
As the national lockdown gradually ends across China and the Far East, many professionals are starting to pick up the pieces of their lives and getting back to work. But it isn’t quite the same again.
Stories of compassion from a cauldron in Surat’s textile hub
The lives of small business owners and migrant labour have been turned completely upside down. But the crisis may have also brought the community closer
How to build Agra-cities
While essential services are in place, people in government managing cities are in limbo. A vast majority of state employees are in ineffective mode because they are working from home and cannot access their systems remotely. It’s time to plan digital transformation in the government.
Leadership in a crisis: How to bend without breaking
How can you deliver business continuity if you are churned up and anxious inside? More importantly, how can you use this crisis as a springboard to shape the future, instead of merely coping with it? A 7-day practical plan to cultivate resilience in a crisis.
What employers don’t know about employee monitoring
Monitoring people at work from home is something employers are thinking about. But what about the economic costs, technical issues, legal implications and ethical aspects?
How Corporate India needs to think about managing the pandemic
Manish Sabharwal has been watching what’s going on in the economy, in the society, and in the government from multiple vantage points. He talks about the possible scenarios and how business—and indeed the country—will need to sequence and calibrate their response
The Satara uprising
Across Maharashtra, fresh farm produce was rotting after supply chains were disrupted by the national lockdown. The local administration in one of the districts offered a window of opportunity to small farmers’ collectives to build a farm-to-home model—and dramatically turn the tide
India is hurting. Why? What next?
Local systems solutions, investments in healthcare and public institutions, cross-pollination of ideas—a panel moderated by Arun Maira discusses how to extract the economy out of the morass it is in
What is the shape of the new economy we will build?
CEOs and entrepreneurial founders are rolling up their sleeves to save their businesses and also save livelihoods so that the economy doesn't sink further. An introduction to ‘Survival Strategies’, an urgent theme Founding Fuel is exploring
What you can do in uncertain situations
Three great books on handling uncertainty
Stories from inside India’s corporate war rooms
Even as they grapple with the operational aspects of the crisis, many business leaders are bringing a beginner’s mind and experimenting. They are discovering slivers of opportunity and preparing for a post COVID-19 world
WFH: An unbalancing act (Or, I am distracted!)
The whole family is at home. I’m bombarded with calls all day. There’s housework too. I can’t find quiet corner to hunker down and focus
WFH: Drinking from a fire hose
We’ve pitchforked into action without any process or an established way of working. As a leadership team, what can we do right now to handle this disruption and help settle things down inside our enterprise?
Housebound, and working hard
Everyone is working from home. No one knows how long this will last. This is unprecedented. It can be fundamentally transformational as well