Diaspora Dialogues by TOI™

Dr. Ram Charan — advisor to the world's biggest CEOs — reveals why business strategy execution, not strategy alone, is what separates winning companies from failing ones. In this episode of Diaspora Dialogues, we break down the real CEO challenges nobody talks about: how China is playing a different economic game entirely, what business schools get wrong about global leadership, and why execution...

Growing up in North America with South Asian roots often means living between two worlds. Kal Penn sits down with Diaspora Dialogues by TOI™ to break down the real pressures of balancing Indian American identity with professional success. Whether it was navigating the stereotypical roles in Hollywood or finding his voice in the White House, Kal’s story is the story of so many in our community. In...

Why is Indian food always expected to be affordable? Chef Vijay Kumar has been asking that question for years, and Semma is his answer. Sujatha Padmanabhan speaks with one of the most celebrated South Indian chefs in the world about food racism, diaspora identity, and the restaurant that made New York rethink Tamil cuisine entirely. From his grandmother's snail curry to a James Beard Award, Vijay...

At a time when America saw chai as a sugary latte, Ani and Ayan Sanyal decided to change the story. Sujatha Padmanabhan speaks with the founders of Kolkata Chai Co. about how they built a million-dollar business rooted in culture, not trends. In this episode of Diaspora Dialogues by TOI™, we go behind the scenes of the Hasan Minhaj partnership and the long road of entrepreneurship - from selling a...

30 trial shows. 6 months of writing. One finished set. What looks effortless on stage is anything but. Sujatha Padmanabhan speaks with Amit Tandon about the unseen side of comedy. This is a conversation about the constant rewriting, the failed jokes, and the discipline behind every performance. From recording every set to rebuilding material night after night, Amit walks us through how a single ho...

Vidya Vox sits down with us for an honest, unfiltered conversation about growing up Indian in America, navigating her desi identity, and building a global music career — entirely on her own terms. From Chennai to California, Vidya's journey is one of the most inspiring Indian American stories on the internet. In this episode, she opens up about the moments that shaped her sound, her viral mashups,...

Not everyone who leaves, leaves completely. Diaspora Dialogues by TOI™ is a podcast about the South Asian experience abroad. The identity, the memory, the ambition, and the quiet pull of where one came from.  Hosted by Sujatha Padmanabhan from The Times of India, each episode is a conversation with someone who has built a life between places. Innovators, artists, entrepreneurs, athletes, and chang...