Mint Techcetra

In this episode of Mint Techcetra, host Nelson John explores the evolving role of Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in India with Santhosh Rao, Partner and Executive Director at IBM Consulting, India & South Asia. The conversation delves into how AI and digital transformation are reshaping enterprise operations, accelerating value creation, and enabling GCCs to become Global Value Centres (GVCs). From IBM’s journey with AI to the rise of AI-first and agentic models, the episode also looks ahead to 2026, examining the opportunities, challenges, and critical skills professionals will need in this rapidly evolving tech landscape. Santhosh also shares some great examples of the work IBM is doing with its clients across key industries.  Tune in for an insightful discussion at the intersection of technology, business strategy, and global innovation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A year ago, AI was still moving faster than everyone else, outpacing companies, governments, and just about anyone trying to keep up. By the end of 2025, that finally started to change. In this episode, our host Leslie D'Monte and Shouvik Das recap 2025 - the year AI stopped being just a breakthrough story and became a governance story. As generative models gave way to agentic systems, and as frameworks like India’s DPDP Act came into sharper focus, AI entered a new phase, one where rules, guardrails, and accountability mattered as much as capability. The conversation looks at how 2025 forced a reset. Enterprises rushed to deploy GenAI and agents, only to encounter hallucinations, broken integrations, and the limitations of legacy systems. At the same time, the question shifted from what AI can do to where it should actually be used. A big part of the episode zooms out to India’s approach. Instead of heavy regulation, the focus has been on setting boundaries about content labeling, competition oversight, and applying existing laws while still pushing investments in GPUs, data centres, and Indic language models. The goal isn’t dominance; it’s relevance. And then there’s the bigger test: can AI work outside the bubble? In a country where most people don’t live in metros or use cutting-edge devices, success looks less like chatbots and more like IVRs, public services, healthcare tools, and systems that disappear into daily life. By the end, the takeaway is simple: 2025 wasn’t about AI replacing humans or reaching artificial general intelligence. It was about learning where AI fits, where it fails, and how human judgment, guardrails, and local context still matter more than raw capability. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Mint Techcetra, host Nelson John discusses India's newly released National Quantum Roadmap with Dr. Amith Singhee, Director, IBM Research Indiaand CTO, IBM India, and South Asia.They explore India's ambition to become a global leader in quantum computing by 2035, the roadmap's key priorities including talent development, industry investment, and translating fundamental science breakthroughs into real-world applications. Dr. Singhee explains the potential implications of quantum computing in various sectors, and IBM's role in expanding access to quantum systems across academia, startups, and industry in India. Tune in to understand how India plans to navigate the future of quantum technology. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DHRUV64 is India’s first homegrown 64-bit dual-core microprocessor, and it quietly says a lot about where the country’s chip ambitions are headed. In this episode, our host Lesli D'Monte and Shouvik Das talk about what DHRUV64 means for India and why it matters for infrastructure and industry and how it fits into the push to reduce dependence on imported chips.From there, the conversation moves to consumer tech experiments, starting with Samsung’s tri-fold phone, a device that clearly wants to be a tablet when opened up. We talk about what Samsung is really testing with this form factor, whether folding phones are solving a real problem, and where they sit in a world where people already juggle phones, tablets, and laptops. That leads into AI tools making their way into everyday use, including ChatGPT’s Image 1.5 generator, how it stacks up against Google’s recent image models, and why image generation has suddenly become such a crowded and competitive space.We wrap with the Foundation Model Transparency Index, which puts data behind a growing concern in AI. As models become more powerful and more widely used, the index shows how little most companies still disclose about training data, risks, and design choices, raising uncomfortable questions about trust, regulation, and accountability. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If AI is the brain, memory and storage are the nervous system.” In this Mint Techcetra episode, host Nelson John sits down with Anand Ramamoorthy, Managing Director, Micron India, to flip the spotlight from models to the memory and storage backbone powering AI. They discuss why memory & storage — not just processors — decide how fast, efficiently and intelligently AI can think, learn and scale, and how Micron is building that capability in India.Anand shares Micron India’s rapid journey - a 4,000+ workforce across Bangalore and Hyderabad, 600+ patents and disclosures, and homegrown DRAM engineering that produced multiple first-silicon passes with no respins. Tune in for candid takes on edge-to-cloud product strategy, skilling, R&D vs. manufacturing, and what the next five years mean for India’s semiconductor ambition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's episode of Mint Techcetra, our host Leslie D'Monte and Shouvik Das talked about ISRO's trusted workhorse, the PSLV, which is now set to become a private "rocket taxi" for India, marking a major milestone in the commercialization of the country's space sector. The PSLV, known for its exceptional reliability over 32 years with more than 62 launches, including the Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan missions, is being manufactured privately by a consortium of Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). This shift allows ISRO to focus on core research and high-profile missions while private players handle commercial launches. The private PSLV is designed to cater to small satellite launches up to 500 kilograms in low Earth orbit, providing an on-demand space taxi service that eliminates the long waiting times associated with larger rideshare rockets like SpaceX's Falcon 9. This opens up new revenue streams and opportunities in India's growing $8 billion space economy, expected to reach $44 billion by 2033.Alongside this, the episode also touched upon the advances in AI with Google's Nano Banana, praised for its speed and improved accuracy in image generation, but raising concerns about misuse, such as fake ID creation. In the en,d we talked about a Chinese robot that walked 100 kilometres only to ask for new shoes a reminder that robots are still far from human-level dexterity, with significant progress yet to be made before true artificial general intelligence is reached. To catch the full insights on these tech turns from space taxis to AI antics and robotics, listen to the entire episode. If you have any questions, we’d love to answer them on the podcast. We’re also open to any suggestions on how we can make it even better because we want to have a fun time with all of you. Reach out to us on our social handles. We can’t wait to hear from you! Leslie D'Monte - https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-d-monte-4985993/ Shouvik Das - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shouvik-das-77a4bbba/?originalSubdomain=in HT Smartcast  -  https://www.linkedin.com/company/ht-smartcast/posts/?feedView=all Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the first episode of the new season of Mint Techcetra, your host Leslie D’Monte brings over his old tech friend Shouvik Das to talk about the Cloudflare outage that quietly took big chunks of the internet offline and stalled everything from trading desks to the everyday apps we barely think about. They also dig into the recent data leak that exposed the details of nearly seventy-five million people in India and what it says about how casually platforms collect our information and how easily it slips out into the world. The conversation moves into the DPDP Act, now officially in force,  and what it actually changes for anyone using a phone or app in India. Clear consent, under-18 safeguards, what platforms can and can’t do with your information, and why companies will have to stop burying rules in walls of legal text and because privacy and AI are now inseparable, the episode also touches on India’s early AI governance approach and how it tries to guide innovation without strangling it. It’s a breakdown of outages, leaks, and new rules landing all at once and what that mix means for anyone living their life online.   If you have any questions, we’d love to answer them on the podcast. We’re also open to any suggestions on how we can make it even better because we want to have a fun time with all of you. Reach out to us on our social handles. We can’t wait to hear from you! Leslie D'Monte - https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-d-monte-4985993/ Shouvik Das - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shouvik-das-77a4bbba/?originalSubdomain=in HT Smartcast  -  https://www.linkedin.com/company/ht-smartcast/posts/?feedView=all Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join host Nelson John in a riveting episode of Mint Techcetra as he explores the future of AI infrastructure with IBM's business leader for IBMZ and LinuxONE, Suresh Jayanthi. They discuss the critical aspects of building a robust, secure, and sustainable IT infrastructure crucial for AI adoption. Learn about the types of enterprise systems, the latest innovations like on-chip AI accelerators, and quantum-safe technologies. Discover how IBM's solutions are helping enterprises, especially in India’s BFSI sector, to scale their operations while maintaining high security and reliability. Get insights into how to make AI systems more efficient and sustainable, and understand why now is the perfect time to invest in AI-ready infrastructure. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Mint Techcetra, host Kartik is joined by Suja Chandy, Managing Director of Zafin India and Global Chief Sustainability Officer, for a conversation on how Zafin is modernising the future of banking. Discover how India has become a strategic growth hub for Zafin, playing a pivotal role in supporting the development of advanced solutions such as Zafin IO, Deal Manager and much more. Learn how Zafin’s consultative, platform-led approach helps banks reimagine relationship-based pricing, accelerate innovation, and deliver hyper-personalised propositions at scale. Suja also shares how Zafin India fosters a purpose-driven culture with career acceleration programs, deep expertise in product, design, and consulting, and a strong commitment to sustainability and inclusion. Whether you are in banking, fintech, or technology leadership, this episode provides an inside look at how Zafin is empowering banks to compete, grow, and create lasting value in the age of AI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

India is going digital at a record speed, but without intelligent information management, the transformation won’t be complete.In this episode of Mint Techcetra, host Nelson John is joined by Arvind Subramanian, EVP & MD of Iron Mountain India, and Manish Yadav, Senior Principal Consultant at TechCircle, for an in-depth look at how intelligent information management is driving India’s digital leap forward.They unpack the complex challenges of moving from paper-heavy processes to secure, AI-enabled digital platforms like Iron Mountain InSight® DXP. Learn why digitising India’s 30 million tonnes of paper records is more than just a technical task; it’s a strategic necessity impacting compliance, operational speed, and customer satisfaction. The discussion explores how sectors such as BFSI, healthcare, and public services are using cloud, AI, and machine learning to unlock new efficiencies, meet regulatory demands, and deliver superior user experiences. Plus, get insights into India’s growing digital maturity, the critical need for structured governance, and what the next phase of predictive records management will look like. If you want to understand the intersection of technology, strategy, and India’s digital future, this is an episode you can’t afford to miss. Visit www.ironmountain.com/en-in to learn more about Iron Mountain in India. If you want to understand the intersection of technology, strategy, and India’s digital future, this is an episode you can’t  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s episode is a little different. Our co-host Leslie D’Monte, who’s been making AI, science, and all the complicated technology easier to understand for you, is stepping down from Mint and from this podcast. A journalist who started with crime reporting. Filed stories on typewriters. Watched the Indian tech industry grow from floppy disks and getting your first email address cost ₹15,000 to AI that can build itself. He takes us through the days of Express Computer, Chip Magazine, ZDNet, the early internet in India, and that one time he walked into a basement lab in Boston to talk to a scientist building a robotic exoskeleton for human brains. Sounds interesting? It is. listen more about the time when NASSCOM was just finding its feet, IBM servers were big deal, and people were still wrapping their heads around something called HTML. GUIs and browsers had just arrived, JavaScript was going mainstream, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Mint Techcetra, we speak with Anubrata Biswas, MD & CEO of Airtel Payments Bank, about the growing role of digital banking in India and why having a Safe Second Account is a necessity.As digital payments surge, so do the risks. Anubrata unpacks how evolving user behaviour and rising fraud have redefined what people expect from a bank and how Airtel Payments Bank is responding with mobile-first, secure, and accessible solutions. No paperwork. No hidden conditions. Just simple, smart, and safe banking. He also shares how the bank anticipated this shift early on, building safety features like Sleep Mode and Fraud Alarm long before fraud became a concern. Whether it’s a gig worker in the city or a homemaker using UPI, this conversation explores how the Safe Second Account is designed to protect your primary bank account while making everyday money management effortless. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Mint Techcetra, host Nelson John is joined by Siddhesh Naik, Country Leader – Data & AI Software at IBM India & South Asia, to unpack the rise of Agentic AI, a powerful shift from traditional automation to intelligent, decision-making systems. As Indian enterprises hit a digital inflexion point, Siddhesh explains what Agentic AI means, why it matters now, and how businesses can adopt it at scale. From high-ROI use cases in banking and manufacturing to IBM’s role in enabling secure and strategic AI deployment, this conversation offers actionable insights for leaders ready to move beyond AI pilots. Whether you're a CXO, tech professional, or curious listener, this episode reveals how Agentic AI is shaping the next chapter of enterprise innovation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"We’re not just innovating for India, we’re innovating from India for the world.”In this episode of Mint Techcetra, we sit down with Girish Raghavan, Vice President of GE HealthCare Technology, India and Global CTO for Women’s Health and X-Ray, to explore how artificial intelligence is changing the way healthcare is delivered from hospital beds to rural clinics. With over three decades of experience and leadership at GE HealthCare’s largest R&D centre, Girish shares why India’s clinical diversity, talent ecosystem, and policy support are turning it into a global testbed for healthcare innovation.From AI-assisted ultrasounds and faster diagnostics to predictive insights that help clinicians intervene earlier, this conversation unpacks the real-world impact of AI in the medical field. We discuss why AI isn’t replacing doctors but giving them superpowers and how trust, data, and design play a critical role in this transition. Tune in to hear how India is building healthcare technologies not just for today, but for the future of care everywhere. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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“Nvidia is doing in AI what Apple did with the iPhone—it’s built an ecosystem that people don’t want to leave.” That’s where we start this week. Nvidia has crossed $4 trillion in market value, overtaking names like Microsoft and Apple. But does that valuation make sense? In this episode, we break down why Nvidia’s chips have become the backbone of modern computing and why some still question how long this lead will last. We also get into Samsung’s latest foldable phones. They’re slimmer than ever, but are they actually useful or just a flashy engineering trick? We unpack whether slimmer really means better and finally, a quick look at Jack Dorsey’s new messaging app that works without the internet. Can a Bluetooth-based chat app really offer anything meaningful in a world ruled by WhatsApp Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"AI is not here to take your job, it’s here to take the grind out of it." In this episode of Mint Techcetra, Chander Damodaran - Global CTO ‪@Brillio‬ talks about what it really means to build for the future in a world where customers expect everything instantly. From spatial computing and VR to hybrid cloud and micro-personalised experiences, Brillio’s Chander breaks down how enterprises can design for speed without losing the human touch. He explains how different industries, from banking to healthcare, are rethinking the customer journey, and why it’s no longer about standard solutions, but about personas and precision. We also get into how Brillio is training its teams for this shift from re-skilling developers to building internal AI marketplaces, and keeping it all ethical, especially in regulated industries like finance and healthcare. If you’re trying to understand how modern enterprises are using tech to move fast and smart, this is where you get the expert insights. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Mint Techcetra, brought to you by HT Smartcast, host Karthik explores how enterprises in India are scaling smart and staying secure in the age of AI. Joining him is Mr. Venkat Sitaram, Senior Director and Country Head for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at Dell Technologies India. Together, they discuss Dell's collaboration with NVIDIA on the Dell AI Factory initiative, the performance advantages of PowerEdge R770 servers, and the growing importance of cyber resilience. Discover how Dell’s end-to-end infrastructure solutions are helping Indian businesses modernise IT, embrace edge computing, and ensure data security in a rapidly evolving threat landscape. Subscribe for more insights on technology and business transformation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"You can only become a product nation if you invest in R&D. Otherwise, you stay a service economy.” In today’s episode of Mint Techcetra, we talk about what India’s $12 billion R&D push could actually mean beyond just numbers and press releases. We look at why India’s tech sector has lagged in deep research, what it will take to build serious intellectual property here, and whether this new funding will finally shift the dial. We also get into the growing unease around AI. Sam Altman says people trust ChatGPT too much. But who decides how much trust is too much? Is it on the user, the platform, or the regulators who still haven’t shown up? and finally, we look into Microsoft’s 9,000 job cuts, and ask the harder question: is AI really replacing humans, or is it just a convenient scapegoat for bigger structural shifts? It's a packed episode of policy, people, platforms, and how all three are clashing in real time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If India can rival SpaceX and send a person to the International Space Station, why can’t we have better roads back home?” In today’s episode of Mint Techcetra, we start with Group Captain Shukla’s journey to the International Space Station. The first Indian to do so in over four decades and why this moment goes beyond national pride. It marks a key milestone ahead of the Gaganyaan mission and India’s ambitions to build its own space station by 2035. Then we get into Sam Altman’s World ID, the iris-scanning, crypto-incentivised identity system that’s being pitched as a solution to bots and fake accounts. But here’s the thing: it’s already banned in India and several other countries. Why? Because when you mix biometric scans, private companies, and vague promises about data privacy, things get murky fast. We also talk about the latest round of copyright lawsuits against tech companies. Meta and Anthropic just won theirs but only because, as the judge said, the lawyers arguing against them didn’t get the case right. That doesn’t mean scraping and using copyrighted books is now fair game. So yes, it’s a packed episode. One astronaut, one crypto-powered ID system, and a copyright battle that’s far from over. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices