The Secret Sauce

What are the biggest mistakes parents make with their children’s teeth and what actually helps prevent cavities, dental fear and bigger problems later? In this conversation, pediatric dentist Dr. Harsh Vyas breaks down children’s dental health, tooth decay, brushing, fluoride, milk teeth, teething, orthodontics and the everyday habits that shape oral health from infancy through the teenage years....

Is a college degree still enough to get a good job in the age of AI, and what should students actually study to stay employable? In this conversation, Ashish Dhawan explores the future of education, jobs, AI and higher education in India, and why the traditional connection between getting a degree and getting a job is becoming less predictable. He explains why many university degrees have failed t...

What actually happens to your face as you age and how do you know which skincare products or aesthetic treatments your skin really needs? In this conversation, Dr. Harshna Bijlani explores the science behind skin aging, aesthetic medicine, skincare and the growing world of treatments such as Botox, fillers, lasers, collagen boosters and biostimulators. As a leading skin and aesthetic physician and...

How much money is actually enough and can wealth create happiness without a deeper sense of purpose? In this conversation, Amit Chandra explores money, financial freedom, philanthropy, inheritance, success  and what it really means to build a meaningful life. Drawing from his career across DSP Merrill Lynch and Bain Capital, Amit shares how professional success still left him questioning the relat...

Why is India one of the world’s greatest experiments in human-wildlife coexistence, and what does it take to protect wildlife in a rapidly developing country? In this conversation, Dr. Anish Andheria explores the complex relationship between humans, animals, conservation, and the future of India’s ecosystems. As the President of Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT), Dr. Andheria shares insights from...

What are longevity clinics, and why are billionaires travelling across the world for advanced health optimisation treatments? In this conversation, Dr. Mitra Basu Chillar explores the science behind longevity medicine, regenerative approaches, and the future of extending healthspan. From his 25-year career as a scientist at DRDO to his work in preventive and functional medicine, Dr. Chillar explai...

Stress, pressure and overthinking can change how your body performs long before you consciously realise it. In this conversation, mental performance expert Mon Brockman explains how to train your nervous system, manage stress and perform under pressure using lessons from elite sport, Special Forces training and psychophysiology. From his experience in Special Forces to working with high-performanc...

Cancer screening, early detection and modern cancer treatment are changing what a cancer diagnosis can mean. In this conversation, oncologist Dr. Sewanti Limaye explains what everyone should understand about cancer risk, screening and treatment before a diagnosis forces them to learn it. From Sanjay Dutt’s stage 4 lung cancer and his response to immunotherapy to the rise of precision oncology, Dr....

Why do children need boredom? And could constantly scheduling, entertaining and protecting them actually be getting in the way of healthy child development ? In this episode of The Secret Sauce, neuroscientist Prof. Vidita Vaidya explains what the neuroscience of parenting tells us about raising resilient children, from boredom and unstructured free play to failure, stress, screens, sleep, emotion...

You know what to eat, so why does your diet still fall apart every weekend? In this episode of The Secret Sauce Podcast, sports scientist and nutritionist Krushmi Chheda explains why diets fail even when people have the knowledge, motivation and discipline to eat better. The problem is often not willpower. It is an unsustainable diet plan that does not fit your routine, preferences or social life....

Why do people follow certain rules, question others and make exceptions when circumstances change? Devdutt Pattanaik revisits the Mahabharata and Bhagavad Gita to explore privilege, nepotism, responsibility and human relationships. Through the lives of Krishna, Arjuna, Karna, Ekalavya, Dronacharya, Bhishma and other central characters, the conversation connects ancient conflicts with modern questi...

Trying for a baby but unsure whether you need IVF? IVF pioneer Dr. Firuza Parikh explains what couples should check before beginning fertility treatment, why infertility must be investigated in both partners, and why IVF should never be recommended without understanding the real diagnosis. In this conversation, Dr. Parikh explains how long healthy couples should try naturally, how to identify the...

What does it take to train like a corporate athlete and perform better at work without spending hours in the gym? John Gloster explains how movement, strength training, recovery, hydration and nutrition influence cognitive performance, energy, injury risk and longevity. In this conversation, John breaks down the connection between physical health and professional performance. He explains how prolo...

In this deeply personal episode of The Secret Sauce Podcast, Lisa Ray opens up about cancer, chemo-induced menopause, perimenopause, aging, and the silence that still surrounds women’s health. Lisa shares how cancer treatment pushed her into chemo-induced menopause at 37, why she did not speak about it for years, and how that silence reflects a much larger problem: women’s health is still too ofte...

In this episode of The Secret Sauce Podcast, Mukul Deora speaks with the former CEO of Hindustan Unilever about crisis, ambition, failure, ethics and the mindset required to build a high-performance company. Sanjiv shares how his time in the Bhopal crisis team shaped his belief that businesses must serve society, not just shareholders.  The conversation covers the hard parts of leadership: taking...

Stress is not always the problem. The wrong kind of stress, without recovery, is.  In this episode of The Secret Sauce Podcast, Mukul Deora speaks to Dr. Marcus Ranney, longevity physician and high performance specialist, about why stress is not always the enemy. He explains the difference between eustress and distress, how modern life keeps the body in a constant low-grade distress through emails...

India’s top dermatologist Dr. Jaishree Sharad breaks down what is really aging your skin, from sugar and collagen loss to hormones, sunscreen, acne, dark circles and the skincare mistakes Indians are making every day. In this episode of The Secret Sauce Podcast, we go beyond beauty tips and look at skin as a reflection of health. Dr. Jaishree explains why Indian skin is different, why Korean skinc...

Shobana Kamineni is the force behind Apollo HealthCo, a triple-unicorn healthcare business built across Apollo 24|7, Keimed, and Apollo Pharmacy. In this episode of The Secret Sauce Podcast, Mukul Deora speaks with Shobana Kamineni about what it takes to build and scale healthcare businesses inside one of India’s most respected healthcare groups. She shares the story behind Apollo Pharmacy, the cr...

Most people wait for symptoms before taking their health seriously. But some of the biggest risks, heart disease, fatty liver, visceral fat, aneurysms and metabolic syndrome, can build silently for years. In this episode Dr. Anirudh Kohli, radiologist and CEO of Breach Candy Hospital, to understand how preventive imaging can help detect hidden health risks before they become serious. Dr. Kohli bre...

Divorce in India is often seen as the end of a marriage, but the reality is far more complicated. From emotional infidelity and family interference to legal delays, alimony, child custody, and social pressure, separation in India is rarely just about two people walking away. In this episode India's Top divorce lawyer Mrunalini Deshmukh explains why Indian marriages fail, why divorce cases are risi...

A child’s sleep problem doesn’t always look like a sleep problem. Sometimes it looks like poor focus, mood swings, anxiety, weight gain, bedwetting, mouth breathing, snoring, or a child who wakes up tired despite “sleeping enough.” In this episode, Dr. Indu Khosla explains why children’s sleep health is deeply connected to growth, immunity, learning, hormones, behaviour, breathing, and long-term d...

 Your brain is not just where you think. It is where your memory, sleep, behaviour, movement, judgement, personality and identity are being built every day. In this episode, neurosurgeon Dr. Mazda Turel takes us inside the human brain from awake brain surgery and brain tumour cases to sleep, alcohol, smoking, screen addiction, dopamine detox, AI, neuroplasticity and spine health. He explains what...

A painting sells for ₹100 crore. But how does that number actually happen? In this conversation with Mallika Saagar, India’s top art auctioneer, we demystify the Indian art market from how artworks move from artists to galleries, to how they enter auctions, to what really happens when collectors start bidding against each other. Mallika breaks down the difference between the primary and secondary...

What does reading actually do to your brain, your stress levels, your focus, and the way you live?  In this conversation, Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta Asia’s 1st Reading Coach tells us why reading still matters in the age of endless scrolling, short-form content, screens, and constant stimulation. The discussion goes beyond “reading is good for you” and looks at what actually happens inside the brain wh...

Why do so many Indians struggle with metabolic health, sugar cravings, and rising diabetes risk even when they feel “fine”? In this conversation with Dr. Vishakha Shivdasani, Physician practicing metabolic health, longevity and disease reversal breaks down the real problem behind modern Indian health. This episode explores how the typical Indian diet, hidden insulin resistance, and everyday habits...