Chai & Chips Podcast

AI can generate answers. But can it help us build judgment? In this episode of Chai & Chips, I sit down with Ramya Sampath Sharma, CHRO of Saint-Gobain India, to explore how AI is reshaping work, careers, leadership, and learning. We discuss a question that doesn't get enough attention: As AI automates more entry-level and repetitive work, how will the next generation develop the depth, expert...

Everyone is talking about AI. But a more important question is: Where will durable value actually be created? In this episode of Chai & Chips , I sit down with Narendra Bhandari , General Partner at Sea Fund, to discuss the future of AI, deep tech investing, and India's opportunity to build globally relevant technology companies. We explore why some AI companies will create lasting advantage w...

Can AI + India Stack become a global model for digital infrastructure? India has built something few countries have: digital rails at population scale. But what happens when AI is layered on top of Aadhaar, UPI and public digital infrastructure? In this episode of Chai & Chips , Om and I explore a bigger question: Could India have a unique advantage in the AI era because of its digital public...

Can AI Actually Improve How Children Learn in India?  AI is entering classrooms faster than ever — but does it actually help children learn, or does it just give them the answers? In this episode, host Prakash Mallya sits down with Vidya Jayaraman — chemical engineer turned math educator, founder of Math Adventures (acquired by Byju's in 2018), and now founder of StudyMatix — to ask the question t...

What must be true for AI to materially improve India’s cybersecurity outcomes? In this episode of Chai & Chips , I speak with Anil Valluri , a technology leader who has spent over four decades at the forefront of India’s technology and infrastructure evolution. As AI rapidly enters enterprise environments, cybersecurity leaders face new opportunities — and new risks. In this conversation, we e...

Welcome to the Season 2 premiere of Chai & Chips! Season 1 focused on Chips, the infrastructure powering the AI wave. Season 2 moves up the stack. We’re going beyond the hype to answer a harder question:  What must hold true for AI to actually matter in India? We’ll explore this across industry segments, starting with Investing and Wealth Management. Our premiere episode features Sanjiv Singha...

Is legal compliance a stumbling block or a long-term investment for Indian startups? In this episode of Chai & Chips, I sat down with Karishma Sundara, founder of Kintsugi Law. With a decade’s experience advising on TMT (Technology, Media, and Telecommunications) at India’s top-tier law firms, Karishma breaks down the rapidly evolving legal landscape in India. We discuss the philosophy behind...

How does an economist view the complexities of the semiconductor supply chain? While engineers build the chips, it is economics, policy, and geopolitics that determine who leads the industry. In this episode of Chai & Chips , I sit down with Dr. Badri Narayanan Gopalakrishnan, a seasoned economist and Fellow - NITI Aayog. We move beyond the technical specs to discuss the macro-level levers Ind...

What does it take to walk away from the corner office at the peak of your career? In this episode of Chai & Chips, we sit down with Rahul Agarwal, the former CEO & MD of Lenovo India, who did just that to build his "second innings" in life. Under Rahul's leadership, Lenovo India became the #1 brand in PCs and tablets worldwide. But his journey is about more than just corporate success. We...

"Great companies exist because of great people." It's a common saying, but what does it mean in the high-stakes, capital-intensive world of chips? In the latest episode of the Chai & Chips podcast, I had the honour of speaking with Raja Manickam, a true legend of India's semiconductor industry and the founder of Tessolve and iVP Semi. This isn't your typical success story. Raja offers a candid...

What’s the most "foolishly brave" gamble you've ever taken in your career? For Parag Naik, a serial entrepreneur and holder of 50 international patents, it was betting nearly 75% of his family's life savings to keep his semiconductor startup, Saankhya Labs( https://www.tejasnetworks.com/ ), afloat during a tough period. That single moment of conviction is just one of the powerful stories he shared...

What is the real strategy for India to win in the global semiconductor industry?  It's not just about money; it's about mindset, market knowledge, and mastering the 'boring' details. In the latest episode of Chai & Chips , I had the privilege of sitting down with GS Madhusudan , Co-founder & CEO of InCore Semiconductors ( https://incoresemi.com/ ) – India’s first processor IP company. Madh...

Is India on the verge of becoming a global Deep Tech powerhouse?  What will it take to get there? In our latest Chai and Chips episode, I sit down with Manish Singhal, Founding Partner of pi Ventures ( https://www.piventures.in/ ), one of India's pioneering Deep Tech VCs, to unpack this very question. His journey from a hands-on engineer to a leading investor provides a uniquely grounded perspecti...

How does a top executive who helped build India's semiconductor industry pivot to fight one of the world's biggest health crises? On the new Chai and Chips episode, I sit down with Dr. Anand Anandkumar, Cofounder & CEO of Bugworks . He shares his extraordinary journey from designing complex microchips to inventing new drugs against untreatable "superbugs"—a silent pandemic the WHO calls a top...

For decades, India has been a powerhouse of engineering talent. But the next chapter isn't just about supplying talent—it's about becoming a global hub of innovation that solves critical challenges for the world. How do we make that leap? In this conversation, Rose Schooler draws from her rewarding career at Intel and her current role on the board of Arm to lay out a powerful roadmap. She offers a...

Dr. Sridhar Mitta, Wipro’s first R&D hire and longtime CTO, shares the inside story of transforming Wipro into a global innovation powerhouse. We dive into the early days of Wipro, developing defence-grade tech, and how to build a deep‑tech company that matters.  Tune in for sharp entrepreneurial insights, the pillars of a thriving ecosystem, and a visionary’s take on what it takes to lead in...