1. What have you found most challenging as a CEO or executive of a large enterprise?

As the Founder & Editor-in-Chief of Electronics Clap, a digital media company, the most challenging thing about my role is to ensure we stay true to our vision and mission of providing the updated news, views and insights about the electronics industry to our audience. In other words, it is about keeping our readers apprised with the latest know-how of the industry that can help them build their business more strongly. Also keeping the team on their feet to bring the most insightful content from the global leaders from the electronics industry is, though, a challenge but a work that I love to do. Building a team that stands by your values, mission and vision is critical and hence I always try to ensure that the people we include in our organization are more than 100 per cent inclined to our purpose.

Just like in my earlier role at siliconindia, CEO Insights and Women Entrepreneur India, where I had held multiple roles starting as a content writer to being the managing editor of the publication’s India edition, I had and am having great learnings from the challenges I face, whether it is creating a team or handling clients and their concerns, whilst ensuring all is best!


2. How did you become a CEO or executive of a large enterprise? Can you please briefly tell the story?

My learning from the past paved my way towards being a thought leader in the industry. The journey from being a content writer to handling tens of magazines every month entrusted my confidence in me. Also, handling large teams, including content writers, graphic designers, proofreaders and others, cemented by self-assurance.

On the other hand, the pandemic provided me time to self-retrospect on my abilities, and that is when I decided to start my own company – Electronics Clap. It is not a job or a work but a vision I had lived by since I remember. I guess this was the impact of my upbringing and the family business background I come from. Being involved in the family business since childhood, for just assisting my father, introduced me to all aspects of running a business.

Thanks to my parents who gave me enough freedom to decide my career path and always stood by me. I always had their back.


3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?

Well, my days have always been structured. Since early childhood, I have been involved in teaching, earlier to my neighbouring kids, and then at small institutions providing art and fashion coaching. I had been a teacher ever since till I joined journalism in 2011.

This taught me to live a life that is well structured and organise my days in advance.

My days start with walking, yoga and pranayama, followed by helping my mother in preparing breakfast for our family. Once I am done with these, I get ready to start my work at my home office. It starts with catching up on emails from my team and clients. My usual workday includes many rounds of meetings with my teams – sales, design, marketing and content, interviewing industry experts and veterans, writing and editing stories, and providing constructive feedback.

In between work, I take short breaks apart from lunch. As working from home has its own perks, I enjoy them all with my family. A family dinner at my home is kind of a ritual and we never miss that. I end my days with reading inspiring books and biographies, and about the electronics industry to keep self-apprised.


4. What's the most recent significant leadership lesson you've learned?

Identifying every team member’s greatest strength and ensuring they keep growing to excel in their work is my most recent leadership lesson learnt.

I believe that leadership is not about gaining more followers but about creating more leaders. This is my mission each day – empowering them a little more and pushing them beyond their boundaries.


5. What's one book that has had a profound impact on your leadership so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted your leadership?

‘Mahabharata’ has influenced a larger portion of my leadership and management skills. From learning the right leadership and mentorship skills to having targeted and smart strategies, learning and development, commitment, common goals, larger women participation, this book is one of the most reliable guidebooks for corporations.

The knowledge gained is unparalleled and contributes to every sphere of my management skills. It not only has made me a more patient person but more responsible and inclusive too.


6. How do you build leadership capacity in a large enterprise?

Delegating tasks and letting people use their creativity to accomplish them. While they brainstorm to zero in on the best moves to get work done, I am always standing by their side to guide them.

Leadership is not about micromanaging a person but giving them wings to fly, explore their potential, fall and then rise again.

Sometimes, people choose the wrong profession or department. As a leader, I have always been observant of every team member’s work, delivery and potential. This let’s me understand their true strength, which they might have missed. I then try assigning them to work with the department I believe they can deliver their best performance and grow. Once I feel they are ready to take larger roles, I push them hard to crack the nut and build a team of their own, like hiring their own team members. I assist them in training their new people, guiding them through tough challenges and helping them learn the nuances of being a people’s manager.


7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a CEO or executive of a large enterprise so far?

If you wish to grow, you learn to grow!

A very young and recently joined recruit was moved to my team from another department. She had no experience in journalism, nor did she graduate in the field. All she had was the confidence that she can do anything.

While speaking to her before inducting her into my team, I realised this potential of hers. This is what intrigued me to add her to my team despite her not having any know-how about the industry. I found out that she was quite a talkative girl and could speak on various topics with much confidence. However, she had the MTI (mother tongue influence) and having studied in her respective vernacular language, she wasn’t much fluent in English speaking.

I started providing her training to take interviews and call clients. I took her with me to every virtual and one-on-one interview to help her learn how to position herself and speak with confidence. In a matter of time, within just three months of her moving into my team, she started taking interviews of global clients with ease and confidence. I believe I helped one person gain self-confidence and have a goal in life. And I am proud of her accomplishments since then.