In this episode, we feature 29-Year-Old Azaan Feroze Sait, who identifies himself as Founder, Creator and Community Builder at Hubverse. He graduated from USC Marshall School of Business in 2015 and has since been involved in Curating his Entrepreneurial Spirit. Coming from a traditional old economy business family that has been into Real Estate and Retail, he has chartered his own course. He has been one of the first to set up a co-working space in Bengaluru visualized as a Community rather than just a workspace. The Theme of Community has helped him visualize and participate in Media, Communications Food Enterprises and other areas of Life with admirable felicity. He espouses causes in Animal Welfare, Children, Economic Empowerment, Education, Environment and Art & Culture and is clearly a role model inspiring and involving a workforce average age of 25 who work with him Experimenting with Empowerment to Create.

The MSME Sector is the backbone of India and also the global value chain. it is this sector that has the onus to change the context of Globalization to Glocalization.

India manages the fourth largest national railway system in the world by size, with a total route length of 68,103 km (42,317 mi) as of 31 March 2022. While the average train speeds of the Mail / Express trains have peaked at 50.6 KM / Hr, the Vande Bharat introduced recently is capable of running at 180 KM / Hr. Yet they only average around 76 KM / Hr because of the lack of tracks / infrastructure. Meanwhile the Shanghai Maglev runs at 460 KM / Hr and the CR400 ‘Fuxing” at 350 KM / Hr in China, the ICE3 at 330 KM / hr in Germany, the TGV at 320 KM / hr in France and the JR East E5 at 320 KM / HR in Japan. The Vande Bharath is undoubtedly a major upgrade or improvement t the current Mail Express Trains that operate in the country but only a marginal Improvisation barely addressing any of the five dimensions of transactional value including Quality, Cost, Delivery (Time), Service and Flexibility. While we celebrate its success, we must not forget that it falls neither in the Mind 2 Market nor Time 2 Market categories of Innovation. Indian Railways is one of the biggest employers in the country with over 1.4 Million employees. 70% of its estimated expenditure revenue is towards wages and pensions. It is struggling with eliminating obsolete jobs while being found wanting in both efficacy and efficiency of its operations. It works on outdated technology, is poor on Security and Operating Standards and yet transports the people of goods of the largest populous country in the world; which is a miracle in itself. It is a microcosm view of the legacy of the British Raj that the country over 75 years of Independence is yet to overcome. It is not the brightest and the best of minds in the country who seek a job wit the railways. Nor has the Railways found a way to build private partnerships due to the inherent corruption of contracts in the system. Against this background, our featured guest Sudhanshu Mani is a refreshing profile to pick. He spearheaded the making of the Vande Bharat and succeeded against great odds in delivering it within the scales of economy and time. A Poet at heart and an Engineer by Education, he brought the rare quality of Leadership to his job and work that is refreshing and reassuring at the same time.

Sports is a major contributor to economic growth and therefore mainstream. It is a major feed into the Media and Entertainment Industry. Even in the good old days when newspapers were published and most people read it, they started from the back pages where sports was featured and made it to the front pages where politics and economics is featured. Today one has feature stories of sports on the front pages. The work here is not seasonal but an annuity-oriented one with very well-paying careers for not only the ones that play the sport but also for the ones that participate in its ecosystem. Giggr Technologies is bringing into focus the four main dimensions of the sports industry: Athletic Development: Data Science taking a major leap in shaping the Capabilities of an athlete from Grassroots to Professional / Elite and or Amateur Sports. Sports Science Development: Sports uses analytical data at all levels to varying degrees of success but has still not managed to provide a higher level of assurance for all shareholders and stakeholders with Cognitive Intelligence Sport Development: Many sports find advancement and encouragement at the professional level and many are neglected because of a lack of popular appeal. This brings great inequity among its practitioners and this needs attention as well. Sports Operations and Fan Management: Even though nearly an estimated $75 Billion Dollars are spent in fan management, unless the above three aspects of Athletics, Sports Science and Sports Development is paid attention to, there is a great chance of losing the real demographic that helps this industry thrive. This means the above three discrete events have to be tied into the process of Sports Operations with Innovation. In this episode, we are proud to feature Danish Manzoor, a Taekwondo athlete from Jammu & Kashmir. He has a great aspiration to serve the sport as an ambassador grooming more athletes and popularizing the sport. But first, he must find expression for the abilities he has honed from a very early age, focusing on a sport rather than the tragedies around him that have crippled the society of Jammu & Kashmir.

President Joe Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act and with it brought this Social Inquiry right into the middle of a global discourse. This legislation and protection that the law is required to provide highlights that Governance is key in a Social Environment that is divided by discord. Unfortunately, the discord is not based on any Principles but rather on Parity. The history on the planet has evolved with a few Privileged and Powerful who have usurped the Power of Politics, Money and Position to control a majority. And that has been perpetrated with the conditioning of mindsets through the strategy of Collective Illusions to follow rather than lead with freedom. We are on the Cusp of a New Era with the first of the five markers being A new World Order. There is no scope for negotiation that this must be a flipping of the conventional Financial Ecosystem led Societies to a Human Ecosystem led one. Where Humans are free to define their identity through their work and in the process find expression to their latent which we know as talent. Diversity therefore should not be restricted to Gender and Sexuality but to Socio, Economic and Political Power. There is a need to break free of the Structures we have come to live with for Centuries. Because these Structures that manifest as Relationships are no longer relevant to the modern world. The jingoism of nationalism and regionalism can only be countered with every human being given the opportunity to Pursue Excellence where their Passion leads with Data Autonomy and Trust that enriches the Social Fabric. We need to consciously shape-shift the Conventional Structures with Synergies and Systems concurrently. It is in this context that Diversity, Equity and Inclusion become very important tools of Social Change. The Respect for Marriage Act brings Access to New Rights for the LGBTQ+ communities that must find expression in systems not just locally in the US but rather globally. It would be absurd to restrict these communities locally. There is no retreating on globalization even from the perspective of the Financial Ecosystem. The War in Ukraine is a Posturing of Democratic versus Autocratic principles. And it appears the autocratic principles have brought the world to its knees simply because of the weakness in the principles of democracy being implemented. It is time we changed that.

Innovation and Design have been the subject of great abuse throughout history; mostly viewed through the lens of Industrialization and Commercialization. It is a refreshing change that we hear a celebrated designer Mauro Porcini, Chief Design Officer, PepsiCo abhor the term Consumer and exhort people to Create out of love for other People. Indra Nooyi calls the work at PepsiCo that Mauro and his global team have produced a Language and the Chairman & CEO Ramon Laguarta announced that design created reservoirs of Value for the Universe of PepsiCo. The Journey in Excellence which is otherwise Innovation when centered in Love creates Engagement and Experience that is remarkable and soulful. More people need to embrace this approach to being led by Curiosity that informs Creativity to create products and services. We are on the Cusp of a New Era where life is going to be very different from anything we have known until this point in the history of the planet. This Strategic Inflection Point (SIP) offers each one of us the opportunity to be a Creator. This needs Preparation of course. Hopefully, this episode will serve as that call that also shines a light on the book authored by Mauro Porcini titled “The Human Side of Innovation: The Power of People in Love with People”.

Motorsport has come a long way over the course of its 154-year history, from 8 mph steam carriages puttering around the outskirts of Victorian Manchester to aerodynamic £10 million Formula One speed machines flashing down straights at 220 mph. The development of motorsport has mirrored the technological advances of the modern age to continuously deliver faster and more thrilling racing spectacles. The Future of Motorsport is Humanizing Technology to several notches higher with Virtual Designing, Changes in Engine led by Intelligent Machines and Alternate Fuels, Diversifying the Sport into New Categories such as Drone Racing and Robot Racing, generating New Markets and Fanbases. New Sustainable Materials that are enabled by Nano and Bio Technology will continue to revolutionize the sport and bring a different kind of challenges to its drivers, teams and ecosystems to meet other than the skills of driving. We feature Atharva Desai, an Indian Origin American Racer who is an emerging star in Formula Racing. Being inspired by his father, he took a fascination for the sport and started racing at the age of 9. Currently, in his third year at Oxford Brookes, UK, pursuing his Bachelor of Engineering (Motorsport Technology), Atharva has graduated experience in the world of motorsport from go-kart to Formula specification cars in a short period. If one realizes, Motorsport is thrilling and yet has come through tremendous innovation in Humanizing Automotive Technology. With the advent of Digital, a New Era in Motor Sport is about to unfold. We believe young athletes such as Atharva will be the leaders of that era. With his educational background aligned with his passion to being a Formula Champion, he brings the understanding of converting the Process of Education, Training, Practice and Performance with Learning to Realization. Even though he is the only one that races and climbs the podium, there is not just his team but an entire ecosystem that is helping prepare his journey towards a Championship. And every Championship is the beginning of a new journey in excellence. Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Michael Schumacher, Aryton Senna or Nikki Lauda have all done their bit to bring the sport to the current day status. It is about to take a different trajectory with markets such as India, US, Africa, the Middle East and South East Asia opening up new possibilities of bringing Athletes and fans together.

According to World Economic Forum’s (WEF) latest Chief Economists Outlook, economic discontent has been fuelling “febrile political dynamics”. Such sentiments are echoed by United Nations (UN) and International Monetary Federation (IMF). A recently published index found that more than 198 countries surveyed at increased risk of civic unrest tied to the cost of basic amenities. Aristotle described Poverty as “The Parent of Revolution and Crime”. This economic crisis has been brewing for the past 8 decades and has seen many boom and busts. But what is coming is unlike any of the previous ones with the Covid Pandemic pushing the buttons of intolerance beyond the limits. Reason demands that we find a new way to Create and Consume: 1. Where a New World Order Learns to Unlearn the Past and Creates Business Models of the Future. 2. Using Transversal Technologies that create a Human Ecosystem that brings access to more people to contribute to a greater Rate Of Innovation (ROI) in our Societies. 3. Addressing the Demographic Shifts and equipping the Future Generation of GenA and GenZ with the power to realise their Potential 4. Using Resources and Materials that enable the accomplishment of the UN Sustainability Development Goals (UNSDG). 5. Funnelling Financial Capital that is defined by the Sweet Spot of Value, Intellectual and Human Capital. This is a complex subject and needs a tools such as Design Thinking to drive engagement in societies, institutions and enterprises covering all spheres of life. “If we are indeed in the early throes of a Seismic Shift - as the evidence appears to suggest - Leaders must both Prepare for the Possibility of a New Era and Position themselves to Shape it.” McKinsey OnPoint At the ground level, this must manifest in three connected points that includes: 1. Product Market Fit 2. Innovation 3. Go - To - Market (GTM) This episode examines through the lens of Four Founders how they are addressing these three dots in their Business Models and also follows up with advise on the two different paths available; The Path of Regression: The need to get rid of the Conditioning of the Past. The Path of Progression: The need to embark on a Learning based Transformational Journey.

One would have thought the Covid was the most dangerous pandemic the world had ever encountered. It turns out that is not true. The Virus of Mediocrity has been far more potent with no Vaccine and no Process to Track, Trace, Test and Treat. In the case of the Corona Virus it was more severe on People with prior conditions of core-morbidity. In the case of the mediocrity virus, it impacts the educated and privileged. Giggr Technologies is announcing a digital documentary “Design Thinking a New Era” for changing this narrative. 1. Create Practitioners who are Certified through the right process. 2. Advance the Creation of Solutions with the Intellectual Property (IP) rights vested with the Creators. 3. Create a new class of Entrepreneurs, Intrapreneurs and Solopreneurs who will bring about Social Justice, Increased Rate of Innovation and Sustainable Platform, Products, Processes and Projects to life in our Societies.

There can be no denying that we are on a Strategic Inflection Point (SIP) on our Planet. McKinsey Global Institute has produced a Discussion Paper asking the Question if the World is on the Cusp of a New Era?. The paper traces life post World War 2 that gathered momentum for the Industrialization and Globalization processes to the current day when we have arrived to the point of Commercialization or what they call the era of the markets. The Four Pegs used to examine this shift from the current market driven era to a new era are: The World Order Technology Platforms Demographic Forces Outgrowing Debt The Path to Progression needs a break from our past and a clear sense of excellence must drive the intent to cross the chasm to the future. This demands both an accurate understanding of the status quo and the desired state as well as the urgency to make it real. Both Individuals and Industry must arrive at the future by design and not by accident; as life has at this point in time. The new era should be marked by a Conscious Process of Shifting from: Exploitation to Empowerment Building Access to Aspiration Connecting Creation to Consumption with Value This will establish the foundation of a New Era that is Sustainable and the Planet a better place for life to thrive and flourish.

In this episode, we briefly go over episodes 1-10. Find the links to the episodes below: Episode 1: Education & The Future of Work: https://youtu.be/Na18UNrpZjc Episode 2: Human Capital: https://youtu.be/AAiFtrLQpSg Episode 3: Innovation: https://youtu.be/cMMV2mofzJM Episode 4: Leadership: https://youtu.be/16RC0wzui64 Episode 5: Rural Development and Livelihood: https://youtu.be/WWIsERYm4f0 Episode 6: Work Culture: https://youtu.be/NDZW4Empshk Episode 7: Startups and Investments: https://youtu.be/GlmnKjy99vc Episode 8: Information & Digital Technology; Not the same: https://youtu.be/DXhTvh2ybaw Episode 9: Innovation; Mind & Time to Market: https://youtu.be/KBv9g5WRFSM Episode 10: Advancement of Science: https://youtu.be/Gc1xQlBdPow

Science is at a critical fork on our planet. It has the potential to leap forward exponentially. First, the science deniers have to be confronted and persuaded to be reasonable with their arguments. Second, the approach of science must be an integrated one starting early at the age segments of 08 - 18 and 18 - 25. Thirdly, Learning mechanisms must inform the advancement precisely marking the progress from Innocence to Awareness, Understanding , Definition, Competence and Excellence. Scientific Education must start early with a connected understanding of Concepts / Theories to Engineering and Life Applications. What is lacking in our global ecosystems is the connected transportation of Intellectual Property from Conceptualization to Engineering Industrialization and Commercialization in a Continuum. Rigor is demanded in developing a pipeline with Artifacts being Authored with Security & Privacy provisioning Title for the rightful creators in an open ecosystem. Scientific Minds must be developed early to frame questions and seek the aspirational; not just sense for opportunities or see only what is convenient. A sense of urgency is required to improve the rate of Innovation and the basic threshold of Sustainability because the existential threats and challenges that life faces have the potential to implode quickly if we did not do something about it.

We must understand the fundamental difference between an Enterprise and a Business. The former frames questions and provides the inputs for Conceptualization and Engineering in the Context of Life while the latter enquires about the Cohort and Segmentation to deliver Industrialize Applications that take the shape of Products and Services. In essence, there is a need to connect the four stages of Conceptualization, Engineering, Industrialization and Commercialization. Because Innovation is not magic but rather a deliberate process of Simplification, Modernization and Disruption. Which mutually includes both the Mind 2 Market known as the Invention to Innovation Cycle and Time 2 Market known as the Innovation to Improvisation cycle. Imagine the front and the back wheels of a bicycle that helps a bicyclist stride forward. You need to take charge of the journey of your life through the roles you play in them. Traversing through the 0 - 5 scale of Innocence; Awareness; Understanding; Definition; Competence; & Excellence As an Individual or an Industry you need to navigate this scale with minimum dysfunction to accomplish success; with a minimum threshold of a score of 3. Definition to remain relevant at Pursuing Excellence. Remember, as you are Transforming, so is the environment around you. Your rate of Learning has to be greater than the forces of change around you. This is the onset of the Creator’s Economy. And it starts with Data about you. And it also ends with you Consuming it. Everything in between is the work that gets executed by different roles that you and others play in this newly connected ecosystem that is Globally Local.

IT and Digital are not one and the same. The former has progressed this far from the concept of collecting and processing data. It essentially made the manual process for enterprises and industries more efficient. And was called Management Information Systems (MIS) for heaven’s sake. Well, it relied on the Internet and progressed into Web 3.0 with Mobile Applications and a little bit of self-help. But predominantly forms based where someone was collecting the same data for various things, again and again. Digital on the other hand is shifting that power to create, connect, curate, contextualize and collaborate data from enterprises to individuals. There are no forms. The creation of data is continual and contextual and therefore incremental. The needle is moving from Processing of Data to Automating and Orchestrating the data. Who in the world is there yet? Well, this is a paradigm shift and the usual suspects like Alphabet, Apple and Amazon are already there with the technology. But Digital will be successful only when the controls shift to individuals. And that is a lot of Work In Progress (WIP). We need People to believe that this is Possible and Potentially Life-Changing. It is their Participation that will encourage the adoption and democratization of systems. Despite the current recessionary trends, this is a committed and evolutionary part for humankind. And it has so little to do with perpetrating or continuing with the past. In fact, it is a complete breakaway from the past and a new way of Life Systems being established. The challenge is to find the conviction to cut the cord to the past and anchor to the future with renewed Structures, Synergies and Systems. In this episode, we explore with Prof. Rahul De, the intricacies of this shift with Dr. Rahul De who is the Professor of Information Systems and teaches courses in Artificial Intelligence and Information Systems at IIMB. His primary research interests are in AI Ethics, e-Government systems, Open Source, Digital Payments, Tele-medicine, and ICT for Development. He is also the Chairperson, the Office of International Affairs.

Funds are chasing ideas today but the question is whether the ideas are sustainable. There is no dearth for ideas. Globally, India has the third largest startup ecosystem after the US and China. The country also has the third-highest number of unicorns; 44 were founded in 2021 and 19 in 2022. The combined Valuation of Indian Startups is $450B+ which is still significantly lower than the US which is the No.1 with both the number of startups as well as unicorns. The Future is Digital and the big looming question is how many of those Unicorns are architected for a Digital Future? The answer may be not many and there lies the conundrum around Capital Adequacy and the emerging debt burden of nations and societies. Even with the good intentions to create digital systems, is the available Capital (Value, Intellectual and Human) able to justify the required financial capital? This episode explores some of these questions in the emerging challenges of a recessionary economy the world is facing in addition to the existential threats. Ninad Karpe is an industry veteran and has made a tremendous impact through a Unique Funding Process with iSAFE notes.

Culture is nothing but a collective of Human Behavior. Values, Beliefs and Assumptions have defined it so far. In that Beliefs have to be Transformed into Convictions; given the fact that Digital Technologies can create a human ecosystem where every individual on the planet will be able to register their own impressions not with a belief that is based on hearsay but rather the conviction of their own engagement and experience.  We need to see the use of Artificial Intelligence which is currently used to a large extent to alter human behavior and multiply the biases to being a Probiotic Culture Generator that increases the Human Ecosystem Value.  Giggr -The Future of Work is striving to create an Intelligent Infrastructure As Service (IIAS) Platform that becomes the engine of a collective Glocal Culture where humanity engages and experiences sustainable growth.

This episode brings forth the landscape of the Rural and Urban divide through the lens of Suhas Ramegowda, Co-founder, IndianYards who personally transformed not only himself but his wife and son as well to live a life committed to simplicity. Living a simple life is about paring back so that you have space to breathe. It’s about doing with less because you realize that having more and doing more doesn’t lead to happiness. It’s about finding joys in the simple things, and being content with solitude, quiet, contemplation and savoring the moment. And as a gradual process, they have discovered the joy of participating in community development without the associated tags of Rural Development, Employment and Entrepreneurship. There is a great lot to learn here and the most important one is the Enrichment and Empowerment of Lives. How can we make people feel valued anywhere and hence begin to Contribute more than they Consume is the Challenge of Sustainable Growth? We must engage in a dialog as Societies and Communities to resolve this Conflict between Exploitation and Empowerment through the shift in the Structures, Synergies and Systems. At its core, we must find a way to orchestrate Value, Intellectual and Human Capital to progress life; be it in a rural or urban setting without creating dysfunction to the settings that are unique to both. We must evolve a balance in the spatial distribution of the population that is conducive to Social Justice.

Are you able to challenge the Status Quo? If not, you can safely assume you are not a Leader. Because, a leader is someone who cannot find peace with it. You are someone who is constantly looking for challenges. But these challenges are not Explicit or Outside. They are within. You are constantly looking at the relation between your life and the life outside. And searching for answers. That not only benefit you but the planet itself at large; of which you are a very fractional element. So instead of arrogating upon yourself with achievements, you are making an effort to accomplish Goals and Objectives that align with a Mission and Vision that is commonly understood as the direction of Progress. Aspiration is the foundation of societal success and Ambition the foundation for regress. Look at history and you won’t be disappointed with the examples it brings through time immemorial. The former Empowers others while the latter Powers the self. And it goes without saying goes; Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. These are extraordinary times and call for a great amount of Leadership that shows Agility, Anticipation, Authenticity and Ability crowned by Aspiration. Without Aspiration any of the other four dimensions of Leadership are irrelevant. To be even more precise, these will not be evident characteristics in a Leader but the PR machine is not stopped. Making a Measurable difference to life is the hallmark of Leadership. In this episode on Leadership, we use the lens of Santhosh Babu to peer into the topic of Leadership. He is the Founder & CEO of OD Alternatives and Orglens. Over the years from being a teacher in the North East to being a facilitator of Change for all types of organizations worldwide, Santhosh has seen them all. A silent observer of human behavior, he has institutionalized Leadership Coaching and now working on understanding and course correcting Adaptive Behaviors in organizations.

One of the most abused words in the English Dictionary is the term ”Innovation”. Through ages, it has been branded as the ”Eureka Moment of Archimedes”. Nothing could be far from the truth. My special guest for this episode, Prof. (Dr.) Prabhu Rajagopal, IIT Madras, calls that history is laden with many such ordinary moments that we have come to recognize as Innovations such as the falling of the apple or the accidental discovery of Penicillin and so on. Innovation does not occur by accident. It is deliberate, first in its thinking followed almost instantly in action. To bring a greater Value to Life in terms of Solutions and Applications. There is no innovation unless an application is commercialized. And there are far more greater priorities than just consumer durables commerce that needs to find expression in life. In this episode, we dialog on the need for the discipline in Innovation and how it is important for more people to participate inclusively and immersively. IIT Madras is doing a great job bravely fighting the odds. How can an institution such as this produce greater contributors to society? By getting endowments and research grants on the scale of MIT, Harvard and Stanford. Please share your perspectives with us so that we can bring about a systemic change in our societies. Made in India will be possible when a majority of the people become Contributors more than Consumers. When the current 10% of IITians increase substantially to participate in the drive to find the next generation systems that will reshape a better planet.

India celebrated Ganesh Chaturthi last week and this edition uses the backdrop of Lord Ganesha who symbolizes wisdom as it pertains greatly to the Capabilities we need to acquire to stay relevant. This is the essence of Human Capital. Please follow the link (bit.ly/3qeCkKN) for the story on Ganesh Chaturthi. Capital must first be understood as the Sum Invested in Growth. Usually understood in the context of money alone, it is now clear that Money will not meet the requirements of growth; from now into the future. The three fundamental Capital required will be Human, Intellectual and Value Capital. Prof. Vasanthi Srinivasan, Professor, Organizational Behavior & Human Resources Management Chairperson, Digital Learning; who is the Featured Guest on this episode brings not only a deep understanding of the subject of Human Capital but also actively addresses it through her Professional and Social engagements. Let us understand the connection: Human Capital is the Capability that Humans bring to the equation of growth. Where Capability is a dual word; representing the Capacity for Transformation and the Ability / Skills for Execution. It should be crystal clear that without Transformation any execution or Performance is meaningless. That Capacity we talk about is the Willingness of Humans to engage with ambiguity and find Clarity or Purpose to which they need to pair skills. We are in a digital age where there is a great need for every human on the planet to understand the emerging Challenges and Threats and prepare themselves for education. 1. Are we Extracting and Exploiting or Enabling and Empowering? 2. Do we see the Capacity to Transform and the Ability to Perform mutually inclusively? 3. Are we seeing Humans as the Engines of Growth or mere appendages of work? Hope this episode enables us to engage and create a society that underpins Learning & Capability as a Continuous mechanism to drive sustainable growth in our societies.