Inside Forbes India

Homegrown innovators, policymakers, and startups are laying the groundwork for an AI future where Indian languages, datasets and social context will shape the future of AI. Forbes India's Naini Thaker unpacks our AI special which has identified 30 Indians who are leading the revolution in their own fields

In this special edition of the Inside Forbes India Podcast, Kunal Purandare discusses the magazine's 16th anniversary issue, themed around disruption. The episode explores essays on India's resilience to global shocks, the rise of longevity science, AI's evolving role in work, why sport matters beyond medals and much more. The edition takes stock of India's present and future potential with insights from leaders like Abhinav Bindra, Sanjeev Bikhchandani, and Rohan Murty.

In the latest episode of the Inside Forbes India podcast, Salil Panchal discusses Axis Bank's transformation under CEO Amitabh Chaudhry. From bold leadership shifts to the pivotal acquisition of Citibank's India consumer business, Axis Bank is now scaling up in credit cards and wealth management. Chaudhry's hands-on yet non-micromanaging style, focus on tech, and clear sector priorities are driving growth. With his term running till 2027, the bank has time to sharpen its edge.

In the latest episode of Inside Forbes India Podcast, Naini Thaker discusses her deep-dive profile on Dilip Shanghvi, the low-key founder of Sun Pharma, India's largest pharmaceutical company. Starting with just $200, Shanghvi's strategic focus on chronic therapies and high-value acquisitions—most notably Ranbaxy—helped shape Sun Pharma into a global force. The conversation explores how the company weathered challenges, such as price erosion, by doubling down on R&D and pivoting toward complex speciality drugs. It also highlights that Shanghvi's leadership is marked by humility, passion for his work, and a focus on patient care rather than wealth accumulation.

In this Inside Forbes India episode, Anubhuti Matta talks about the W-Power 2025 issue, spotlighting 20 inspiring women across business, mental health, and sports. It features Savita Balachandran, CFO of Tata Technologies, who led the group's first IPO in 19 years; Dr. Pratima Murthy, Director of NIMHANS; and Olympic shooter Manu Bhaker, who won two bronze medals at the 2024 Games. These stories underscore the importance of representation, perseverance, and the need to highlight women's achievements to inspire the next generation of leaders.

Family businesses in India have thrived across generations, with leadership often staying within the bloodline. But there are notable exceptions where family businesses have turned to seasoned professionals for day to day operations. Gracing Forbes India's cover for the latest issue, Anish Shah is one such leader. He is the first non-family CEO of the Mahindra Group. Anand Mahindra has given Shah a free rein to run the group, and his focus on efficiency is already yielding results. In this podcast, Samar Srivastav looks at Shah's results-oriented leadership style and pinpoints some challenges the CEO of Mahindra Group needs to overcome.

Zomato's latest rebranding to "Eternal" made headlines and generated curiosity about founder Deepinder Goyal's future plans. In this podcast, Rajiv Singh highlights Zomato's journey from 90-minute to 10-minute delivery post-pandemic, Goyal's long-term vision for profitability in quick commerce, and challenges like falling average order values and high order frequency. The conversation about Zomato and Eternal underscores the evolving consumer behaviour, the competitive landscape in the quick commerce space, and Zomato's survival.

Forbes India's flagship Leadership Awards celebrate leadership, entrepreneurship, value creation, and philanthropy. For our 14th edition, FILA jury members chose Rajesh Jejurikar, executive director and CEO (Auto & Farm Sector) of Mahindra & Mahindra, as the CEO of the Year. Our cover star was chosen for encouraging strong innovation, his risk-taking abilities, and launching new electric-origin SUVs as the company strategically shifts towards premiumisation. In this podcast, Salil Panchal discusses Jejurikar's approach and other winners.

Ajay Singh, chairman and MD of SpiceJet, calls himself a survivor. He bought ModiLuft in 2005 and turned it into SpiceJet. The budget airline faced turbulent times in January 2015, and once again, it was Singh who revived the outfit. A decade later, SpiceJet is at a similar crossroads again. Singh's resilience remains unchanged, but now the odds are stacked against him too. The cover story of Forbes India's latest issue looks into the depth of these challenges and Singh's survival strategies.

Another year, another class full of winners who have launched disruptive businesses or made a mark for themselves in their organisations as professionals, all under the age of 30. Some are driving social change through their ventures. Others are winning medals and putting India on the global map, and more. Dive into the podcast with Anubhuti Matta who discusses how the list is made, the criteria, and the biggest question—how much do the winners pay to get a spot on the Forbes India 30 Under 30 list? Here's all you should know about those who dare to dream and believe in the power of possibilities.

Investment experts speculate that geopolitics—the Russia-Ukraine war, Donald Trump's second presidency—stock market corrections, a decline in corporate earnings, and consumer demand will be crucial to how investors could rebalance their portfolios in 2025. In this podcast, Salil Panchal discusses the year's investment landscape and why investors must be nimble and opt for a multi-asset strategy while navigating the uncertainties.

One of Forbes India's most glamorous editions--Showstoppers 2024-25--is out now. This special edition is about stars from cinema, OTT, music, and sports who made headlines with their extraordinary performances during the year. In this issue, you can read about the secrets behind Jasprit Bumrah's scorching pace, Rajkummar Rao's balancing act, the rise of Tripti Dimri and Hanumankind, and the transformation of Ananya Panday. In this podcast, Divya Shekhar and Kunal Purandare detail the process of selecting these performers and stories you cannot miss

Forbes India's latest issue highlights that the Indian beauty market is evolving beyond traditional products like soaps and lipsticks, driven by a shift towards self-care and investment in small luxuries. The industry is seeing significant demand even in tier 2 and tier 3 cities, influenced by social media and quick commerce. In this cover story podcast, Neha Bothra discusses the rapid growth and transformation of India's beauty and personal care industry.

0-100 could be a founder's journey but beyond, say from 100-1000, you need a seasoned manager who has been there and do that to take the company to the next level. Founder/Manager Mode issue anchor Rajiv Singh explains that it's not a battle between the two but a beautiful melting pot that may bring the best results to the brim 

The annual Forbes India's 100 Richest issue is live now. The special package chronicles the journey of India's 100 richest billionaires and how did they get there over time. In this podcast, Manu Balachandran discusses how TS Kalyanaraman of Kalyan Jewellers beat the odds and how GM Rao of GMR Group took full advantage of the infrastructure boom in India to stage their return to this prestigious list

Forbes India's annual Hidden Gems issue is out now. The aim is to shine light on companies that have remained under the radar but have been doing phenomenally well in terms of innovation and market performance and also hold a lot of potential to grow. In this podcast, Harichandan Arakali gets into the workings of one such company--Tata Engineering and Automation Limited

Companies in Asia are always eager to grab a spot on the coveted Forbes Asia 100 to watch list because it's a stamp of approval for the innovation and positive disruption they are bringing about. This year, 20 Indian companies have featured on the list. In this podcast, Nasrin Sultana talks about the process of selection, these innovative companies, and other stories readers should expect from this issue

Forbes India's latest issue pays a rich homage to legendary business leader Ratan Tata who was also crucial in changing the future of India's automobile industry. The auto special would have been incomplete without mentioning his vision for Indian families as Tata Motors launched Nano and Indica. In this podcast, Manu Balachandran talks about Tata's impact, the current status of the Indian auto industry, and Mahindra and Mahindra's bet with Thar Roxx.

Annual India's Top 100 Digital Stars issue looks at the influencers who are not only fan favourites but also have managed to woo marketers. They stand out because of their constant efforts to create something new and engaging despite the challenge of social media trolling. Once again anchoring this Forbes India-Goat effort, Naini Thaker takes us through the current status of the influencer industry, what it takes to become a digital star, and the selection process for this coveted list

The latest edition of Forbes India is dedicated to understanding the efforts of Indian tech startups to build an artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure accessible to everyone. But what is AI infrastructure? What is its importance? Which are the startups dedicated to this cause? What are other Indian startups breaking barriers in AI development? To answer all these questions and more, Harichandan Arakali dives deep into the stories of our AI issue.

 The Indian government's push for capex and the overhaul of railways have been under the spotlight for quite some time. One of the beneficiaries of these efforts is Jupiter Wagons. Vivek Lohia, managing director of Jupiter Wagons, has kept up with the changing times, which has helped the company become the third-largest wagon maker in India. After reading the trends, the company is now gearing up to make containers that house data centres, wheelsets, and brakes for metro and Vande Bharat coaches. In this podcast, Manu Balachandran gives detailed insight into this side of the manufacturing industry and the role of Jupiter Wagons.

Forbes India's newest issue chronicles family businesses that have stood the test of time, sometimes over a century. It also focuses on how the next generations of these families are taking forward this legacy on their terms. One such gen-next member is Nyrika Holkar of Godrej & Boyce MFG Co Ltd. In this podcast, Jasodhara Banerjee discusses one of the cover stories featuring Holkar and her approach to combining startup learnings with legacy lessons.

India's performance at the recently concluded 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris had strong support from Parth Jindal, founder of JSW Sports and IIS. It is the result of focused efforts made by the scion of the JSW group to change the Indian mindset towards the sports ecosystem from 'Idhar toh aisa hi hota hai' (this is how it works in India) to 'Duniya mein kaise hota hai' (How it works as per global standards). In this cover story podcast, Kathakali Chanda takes us through Jindal's work so far and what lies in the future

The fourth edition of Forbes India's annual Regional Goliath issue has a remarkable collection of regional players making the mark in their respective territories. In this podcast, Rajiv Singh, who anchored the issue, gets into the details of what drives a regional goliath, and stories you can't miss

Sobha Group's founder PNC Menon and his son Ravi Menon, the chairman of Sobha Limited, and co-chairman of Sobha Realty, feature on the cover of our luxury real estate issue. In this podcast, Manu Balachandran discusses the rise and rise of the Menons' business and sprawling empire in the context of the increasing demand for opulent living spaces.

The yearly special issue focusing on India's deeptech sector has arrived. In this podcast, Harichandan Arakali overviews how the sector has evolved so far and discusses the traditional challenges awaiting close-to-commercialisation companies.

This Indian summer saw most of the country engulfed in extended heat waves. Even the plains of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, a respite for people in these months, weren't spared. Forbes India's Divya Shekhar takes you through our latest issue which delves into India's energy transition and climate challenges while it still keeps on developing to meet its ambition

After garnering close to two decades of experience in the business of storing gigatonnes of data and operating 19 third-party data centres, Sunil Gupta co-founded Yotta Data Services in 2019. Suddenly, the pioneer sees himself hemmed in by India's biggest conglomerates and the world's largest tech multinationals, all investing top dollar in data storage. In this podcast, Gupta, the star of the current issues cover, walks us through his journey so far and shares what lies in the future

Forbes India is today not what it was 15 years ago—not at least in form, as digital storytelling takes precedence over printed words. Yet, the essence of Forbes India remains the same, as the team stays faithful to the pillars on which the product is founded: Leadership, entrepreneurship, innovation and wealth. In this podcast, learn about Forbes India's trajectory as we celebrate the achievements and reflect upon the lessons.

Tata Technologies was founded in the late 80s as an outsourced engineering arm of Tata Motors. More than three decades later, it has become a global engineering research and development powerhouse. In this podcast, Naini Thaker gets into the details of the cover story and gives insights into the challenges Tata Technologies faces ahead

The planet's billionaires—2,781—are 120 percent richer than a decade ago. 14 of these individuals, worth $2 trillion collectively, figure in the $100 billion club. Forbes' annual list includes 200 Indians, a record for the country, collectively worth $954 billion, up 40 percent from a year ago. In this podcast, Manu Balachandran shares the journey of India's richest jeweller, Joy Alukkas and looks at other wealthy Indians who made the cut

Forbes India's Manu Balachandran talks about Vasant 'Vas' Narasimhan, CEO, Novartis, the youngest amongst his pharma peers at 47, a trained doctor who has come up the ranks from R&D. Balachandran delves into our latest cover story which dissects Novartis' play in India

The latest issue of Forbes India focuses on the newly listed companies and what keeps them ticking and thriving even after the initial enthusiasm simmers down. In this podcast, Nasrin Sultana and Manu Balachandran explain the need to check how these companies are performing and the stories you cannot miss out on reading

Forbes India W-Power list of self-made women celebrates founders, authors, bureaucrats, entertainers, activists, and achievers in various fields who have left an indelible mark on the history books of women empowerment. Talking about the latest issue celebrating the endearing journeys of these women, Naini Thaker gets into the details of how these leaders are bringing change and the stories you cannot miss on these pages

The Forbes India Leadership Awards celebrate trailblazing individuals and organisations shaping India's future across diverse sectors. This flagship issue recognises innovation, resilience, and the vision of exemplary leadership that drives economic growth and societal progress. Forbes India's Naini Thaker flips the pages of this special edition to talk about must-read stories—from Sunil Vachani's global ambition to Zarina Screwvala's crusade against mental poverty.

Forbes India 30 Under 30 is a cohort of more than 300 alum who are excelling in their respective field. The Class of 2024 is no exception. From Asian Games gold medal winners Parul Chaudhary and Sumit Antil to 21-year-old founders of Zepto, Aadit Palicha and Kaivalya Vohra, to big screen star Rashmika Mandanna, the list is filled with young achievers who are already changing the world. Anubhuti Matta shares the highlights of the list and breaks down the process of choosing the winners

The latest Forbes India issue highlights some significant philanthropists and how the Indian IT and technology industry is at the forefront of giving. In this podcast, Divya Shekhar dissects how they choose the causes to support and why they back underfunded causes with patient capital

Businesswomen in Asia-Pacific are pushing forward with new ventures and rising to secure top spots at some of the region's largest and most prestigious enterprises. Forbes Asia's Power Businesswomen list features 20 such leaders, and three of them are leading Indian businesses. In this podcast, Divya Shekhar puts the spotlight on the package and tracks the record of cover star MR Jyothy of Jyothy Labs.

To give you a peak into our Funding Winter special, Forbes India's Rajiv Singh decodes why despite the funding winter, capital will find its way to good businesses and good founders

Forbes India's Showstoppers special edition is all about the headline-makers of 2023. From the fields of films, OTT, and music, to sports. In this issue, you will find what drives Vijay Sethupathi to give his best, why the camera loves Kareena Kapoor Khan, what makes Ram Charan and Upasana Kamineni Konidela a power couple, and how 2023 was an exemplary year for Shubman Gill. In this podcast, Kunal Purandare and Divya Shekhar walk you through one of our most glamorous editions.

The latest issue of Forbes India is dedicated to the small-town founders who have built and rebuilt their lives on the fearless foundation of big dreams and hard work. In this podcast, Rajiv Singh walks us through how these entrepreneurs, from iD Fresh Food's PC Musthafa to Wakefit's Chaitanya Ramalingegowda, are making it big by shunning fear and rejection.

The Forbes India Rich List special is a flagship issue and it has some fascinating stories of those who have built large enterprises over the course of a few decades and are now reaping the fruits. In this podcast, Manu Balachandran talks about the billionaires on the cover of this special edition and the stories you cannot miss while flipping the pages.

The annual Forbes Asia 100 to Watch list is out now. Six Indian companies from the country's young startup ecosystem feature on the list that focuses on ventures targeting underserved markets or applying new technologies. In this podcast, Manu Balachandran walks us through the special issue and the stories you cannot miss.

After being burnt with the strict COVID-19 policies of China, once every luxury brand's sales paradise, global houses like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Jimmy Choo, Bulgari, Dior, Cartier are looking at India as their next stomping ground. According to a Bain & Co. report, India's luxury market could be $200 billion by 2030. One could call the glitzy opening of the Jio World Plaza in Mumbai the beginning of new times for the Indian luxury market. These signs were pointing towards a coverage of this prominent trend. Pankti Mehta Kadakia takes us through the nuances of this shift and the must-read stories from the issue.

The digital creator economy in India is close to Rs1200 crore, growing by a CAGR of 25 percent. Does this explain why creating digital content is no longer a hobby but a well-strategised business? Anchoring the second edition of Forbes India and Goat India's Top 100 Digital Stars list for 2023, Naini Thaker gets into the details of the creator economy and the stories you can't miss on this issue.

From BPO to the rise of the SaaS product companies from India, the tech landscape has seen big changes over the last 30 years. And deep tech is green shoots today. Our latest issue is dedicated to these startups and venture capitalists working in the deep tech ecosystem. It explores some fascinating organisations across the board. In this podcast, Harichandan Arakali, who anchored the issue, gives an overview of the book this fortnight and talks about the stories you can't miss.

If one carefully looks at India's roads, there is a surge of two-wheelers bearing green and white number plates, smartly weaving through traffic and dodging potholes. This hike is supported by the ambitious drive of Bhavish Aggarwal, maverick founder of Ola Electric. The cover story of our EV special issue revolves around him and his audacious gambit. Forbes India's Rajiv Singh gets into the details of Aggarwal's new high-risk, high-return plan.

Every year, we come up with a special issue highlighting the contribution of family businesses to India's economic and cultural growth. This year, the focus is on Gujarat—a state that has given us big names such as Ambani, Adani, Lalbhais of Arvind, Modis of Cadilla Pharmaceuticals, Engineers of Astral, and many others. In this podcast, Naandika Tripathi and Naini Thaker talk about their experience anchoring the issue and writing the stories about the impact of these family businesses.

In the run-up to the G20 meetings in New Delhi, where climate is a key issue, and COP28 in November, Divya J Shekhar puts together a ready reckoner on the prominent issues relating to climate change that we need to talk about. With deep dives and insights on GDP loss due to climatic events, job losses, ESG funds, and even a clutch of entrepreneurs who are using tech to solve for India, this issue is a packed one

Samsung has become a household name in India with its televisions, home appliances, and—the biggest category of all—smartphones. Over the last decade, the South Korean electronics giant ousted Nokia, Micromax and Xiaomi to claim the lion's share in the fiercely competitive smartphone market in India. But Vivo and Apple are making some aggressive expansion moves to improve their stake in the country. For the cover story, Rajiv Singh delves deep to understand Samsung's playbook for India.

The windfall of the Covid-19 crisis happened in the backyard of edtech companies in India. The startup ecosystem saw many edtech companies mushroom, and some even reached unicorn status. As the world adjusts to the new normal, this edtech special issue of Forbes India looks at the canvas of the sector caught in the funding winter, course correcting to a hybrid model, and searching for what's next—for students, parents, and founders. In this podcast, Rajiv Singh takes you to the depths of the stories in this issue.