Blume Podcast

This episode offers invaluable insights into India's economic transformation and its aspirations to become a global powerhouse. Amitabh Kant shares his diverse experiences from grassroots development in Kerala to high-level diplomatic roles, highlighting his contributions to India's progress. His perspectives on entrepreneurship, digital infrastructure, and global competitiveness provide inspiration and practical advice for entrepreneurs aiming to build world-class businesses from India. Chapters: 00:02:41 - Early career in Kerala 00:04:55 - Transforming the lives of fishermen in Kerala 00:07:24 - "God's Own Country" campaign 00:10:54 - Public-private partnership in Kerala 00:14:05 - Hosting Prime Minister Vajpayee 00:15:52 - The Incredible India campaign 00:18:40 - Ease of doing business ranking 00:21:02 - Startup India initiative 00:23:15 - Impact of Digital Public Infrastructure 00:26:49 - Global market penetration for India's growth 00:29:30 - Vision for India as a developed nation by 2047 00:32:46 - Key qualities of team members 00:34:48 - Leadership skills 00:36:48 - Navigating cross-border cultural differences 00:37:45 - Rapid-fire questions

This episode offers invaluable insights into building a successful FMCG business from scratch and expanding it globally. Harsh Mariwala shares his journey of transforming a family commodity business into Marico, a leading multinational FMCG company. His experiences and perspectives on talent management, innovation, brand building, and international expansion provide inspiration and practical advice for entrepreneurs aiming to create world-class businesses from India. Key Topics: Harsh Mariwala’s early years and transition from family business to building Marico The journey of converting unbranded commodities to powerful consumer brands Importance of talent acquisition and retention in building a successful company Strategy of focusing on categories where MNCs were not strong Going public early and its impact on corporate governance and growth International expansion strategy starting with neighbouring countries Acquisition approach to enter new markets like Egypt, South Africa, Vietnam Transforming Saffola from an edible oil to a health brand Approach to D2C brands  Creation of ASCENT Foundation to support and mentor entrepreneurs Marico Innovation Foundation's work in accelerating innovative startups Leadership transition and importance of clear roles post stepping down as CEO Hiring practices and key leadership qualities sought in executives Advice for entrepreneurs on grit, continuous learning, and creating differentiation #HarshMariwala #Marico #FMCG #IndianEntrepreneurs #GlobalBrands #Innovation #InternationalExpansion #D2CBrands #Entrepreneurship 00:58 - Early days and family business background 07:36 - Lessons for entrepreneurs from Harsh Mariwala's experience 10:00 - Transition from unbranded to branded products 15:43 - Importance of talent and learning in building Marico 17:55 - Portfolio strategy and becoming market leaders 22:58 - Acquisition strategy and international expansion 26:05 - Going public and its impact on Marico 29:57 - Transforming Saffola into a health brand 32:54 - Views on D2C brands and Marico's approach 38:50 - International expansion strategy 45:32 - Future of international expansion 48:51 - Transitioning out of CEO role 52:40 - Hiring practices and leadership qualities 53:50 - ASCENT Foundation for promoting entrepreneurship 55:35 - Marico Innovation Foundation 58:16 - Rapid fire questions

Guest: Mahesh Bhupathi, Tennis Grand Slam Champion and Entrepreneur  Host: Karthik Reddy, Co-founder of Blume Ventures This episode provides insights into what it takes to achieve global success and excel on the world stage. Mahesh shares his journey from a young tennis prodigy to a Grand Slam champion, offering valuable lessons applicable to both sports and business. His experiences and perspectives on talent development, overcoming challenges, and transitioning to entrepreneurship provide inspiration and practical advice for anyone aiming to win beyond boundaries. Key Topics: Mahesh's early years and his father's influence on his tennis career The journey to becoming a Grand Slam champion Partnership with Leander Paes and dynamics of doubles tennis Memorable Olympic experiences and dealing with tough losses Physical and mental discipline required for a long-lasting tennis career Transition from professional tennis to entrepreneurship Founding and growth of Globosport Insights on talent spotting and development in tennis The state of Indian tennis and challenges in building a robust ecosystem Parallels between sports and entrepreneurship Advice for aspiring tennis players and young entrepreneurs Current focus on sports management  #MaheshBhupathi #Tennis #IndianTennis #LeanderPaes #Olympics #GrandSlam #FrenchOpen #Wimbledon #USOpen #AustralianOpen Timestamps [00:00:00] - Introduction [03:17] - Mahesh talks about his early tennis beginnings and his father's influence. [05:25] - Discussion on the importance of family support in sports careers. [06:59] - Mahesh recounts his first visit to Wimbledon at age 12. [11:58] - The story of Mahesh's first Grand Slam win in mixed doubles at the 1997 French Open. [16:03] - Mahesh discusses his partnership with Leander Paes. [18:49] - Insights into why the ‘Indian Express’ clicked and how they overcame challenges [21:23] - Discussion of the 2004 Athens Olympics match against Federer and Allegro [24:52] - Mahesh talks about recovering from tough losses, particularly the Athens Olympics bronze medal match [28:22] - Discussion on maintaining physical and mental discipline over a long career [31:10] - The importance of continuous learning and improvement in tennis [33:19] - Mahesh shares insights on coach-player relationships [36:30] - Discussion on the right time to retire [38:48] - Mahesh talks about starting Globosport and his business endeavours. [41:39] - Insights into spotting tennis talent and the state of Indian tennis. [45:41] - Discussion on developing a system for nurturing tennis talent in India. [49:05] - Rapid-fire questions

Guest: Girish Mathrubootham, Founder and Executive Chairman of Freshworks Host: Karthik Reddy, Co-founder of Blume Ventures This episode provides deep insights into building a global SaaS company from India, scaling a startup to a public company, and the future of SaaS with AI. Girish Mathrubootham shares his journey from Chennai to NASDAQ, embodying the spirit of "Winning Beyond Boundaries." Key Topics: Girish's background, including his admiration for Superstar Rajinikanth and early entrepreneurial experiences The founding story of Freshworks (originally Freshdesk), inspired by a customer service experience Building a global SaaS company from Chennai, India, and overcoming cultural barriers Freshworks' journey from startup to NASDAQ-listed company, including key funding rounds Critical decisions in Freshworks' growth: inbound business model, multi-product strategy, enterprise sales Hiring strategies and talent development at different company stages, from campus recruitment to executive hires Experience in becoming and running a public company, likened to a "big fat Indian wedding" The impact of AI on SaaS and Girish's decision to focus on AI as Executive Chairman The growth of the Indian SaaS ecosystem and initiatives like SaaSBoomi to create a "product nation" Girish's involvement in Together Fund and supporting the next generation of SaaS founders Freshworks' culture and the emergence of a "Freshworks mafia" in the startup ecosystem Girish's venture into sports with FC Madras, expanding his influence beyond tech The episode showcases how Girish Mathrubootham and Freshworks have put India on the global SaaS map, achieving a successful IPO on NASDAQ and creating a blueprint for other Indian SaaS startups. It highlights the importance of "Winning Beyond Boundaries" in building world-class products from India and nurturing the SaaS ecosystem through initiatives like SaaSBoomi. PS- Special thanks to Ultrahuman for gifting their cutting-edge rings to our guests and to IDFC First Bank for being our annual partner. Links: Blume podcast transcripts: https://blume.vc/podcasts/blume-podcast  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/227rW4Ee4ob6wRT8U7pJ8s?si=9e43c6b4c7d54ea0  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BlumeVenturesIN/  Timestamps:  0:00 - Introduction of Girish Mathrubootham and Freshworks 2:38 - Girish talks about his love for Superstar Rajinikanth  5:55 - Early days and college friendships that backed Girish's ventures 7:31 - Girish's journey at Zoho (AdventNet) and becoming a product manager 11:57 - Origins of building global products from India 13:20 - The idea and impetus for starting Freshworks  16:23 - Early challenges in building a global company from Chennai 18:47 - Disruptive business model of Freshworks 26:55 - Getting funded by Accel and Tiger Global 36:58 - Key pivotal decisions in Freshworks' journey 39:30 - Going multi-product and choosing what to build 45:33 - Hiring and talent strategies at different stages 52:20 - Experience of becoming a public company 57:48 - Girish's decision to move to Executive Chairman role and focus on AI 1:10:52 - Motivations behind SaaSBoomi and Together Fund 1:15:43 - Pride in seeing the "Freshworks mafia" 1:16:30 - Rapid fire questions

Karthik Reddy, Blume Ventures co-founder and host of the Blume Podcast, unveils the exciting theme for Season 3 of the Blume Podcast. Discover how Indian startups are making waves on the international stage 🌏 in this must-watch explainer video. Understand why 'Winning Beyond Boundaries' is more than just a slogan Learn about India's transition from IT services to innovative global products Hear success stories of Blume portfolio companies like Ultrahuman, Gray Orange, and Carbon Clean 🌟 Key Insights: •⁠ ⁠The surge of confidence in Indian tech and deep tech startups •⁠ ⁠How SaaS unicorns like Freshworks and Chargebee are inspiring a new generation •⁠ ⁠The rise of Indian D2C brands in global markets 💡 Karthik breaks down: The 'You ain't seen nothing yet' mindset driving Indian entrepreneurs How brand India is evolving and gaining recognition worldwide The diverse range of guests for Season 3 - from arts and sports to policymakers and startup founders 🎙️ Get ready for an inspiring season showcasing Indian innovation, entrepreneurship, and cultural impact across the globe. Subscribe now and hit the notification bell to catch every episode!

We've reached the end of the road for the second season of the Blume Podcast, which was championed by its theme: the power of compounding. Karthik and Rohit discuss, analyse, and deconstruct their favourite moments from the season, which featured stalwarts like Manish Sabharwal, Nithin Kamath, and Radhika Gupta. They haven't just built companies. But rather, institutions, in their own right. Understand why Karthik encourages everyone at Blume to listen to all episodes, his utmost belief in step-function compounding, and how every founder journey is inherently unique, even if it bears similarity with others. It's been a true pleasure bringing you these conversations across industries, sectors, and domains. Tune in for episode ten, and see you very soon again!

Diamonds are forever.But in 2008, they also went online. In our first ever video episode of the Blume Podcast, which happens to the last episode of Season 2, Karthik Reddy sat down with Mithun Sacheti, the CEO of CaratLane who spilled some gems on the glitzy yet laborious world of being a D2C jewellery brand. In a traditionally ‘low-trust’ society like India, Mithun and his team went from his early days selling jewellery with the family-owned Jaipur Gems to becoming an indispensable part of the Titan group. The journey has is fair share of ups and downs, including a riveting conversation with Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, the topsy-turvy process of raising capital, and solving for trust through brand-building.You can find Transcripts on Blume's official website - https://blume.vc/podcasts/blume-podcast

Join us in this insightful episode of the Blume Podcast as Karthik engages in a candid fireside chat with Radhika Gupta, the dynamic Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Edelweiss Mutual Fund. Delve into Radhika's fascinating journey from a diplomatic upbringing to becoming a trailblazing entrepreneur in the financial services sector. Discover the twists and turns, the challenges faced, and the strategic decisions that led her to her current role. Gain valuable insights into the world of asset management, entrepreneurship, and the power of compounding success.

Join us as we delve into the remarkable story of R.G. Chandramogan, who went from selling ice cream on pushcarts in the 1970s to becoming the chairman of India's largest private-sector dairy company, Hatsun Agro. Discover his pioneering journey in the world of dairy, entrepreneurship, and resilience. With a 7,000+ crore revenue company, Chandramogan's insights and determination to build a generational business are truly inspiring.

For the latest episode of the Blume Podcast, Vinati Saraf Mutreja of Vinati Organics takes us through her journey of growth, innovation, and resilience, leading one of India’s most respected chemical manufacturing companies that she joined all the way back in 2006.In conversation with Blume Ventures’ Karthik Reddy, Vinati spoke about the importance backward-integration in a heavily commoditised business like chemicals, why equity is the important source of capital, and some hidden insights around India’s misunderstood manufacturing industry.Later on in the episode, Vinati speaks about the changing landscape of women leadership in the corporate world and why staying healthy is more important than being successful.It’s an episode for the ages.Listen now!You can find Transcripts on Blume's official website -[https://blume.vc/podcasts/blume-podcast]Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel for all our latest videos and follow the Blume Podcast on your favourite podcast app.#blumevc #podcast #vinatiorganics #chemicalmanufacturing

In this episode, Manish Sabharwal from TeamLease discusses the origins of the staffing company and the key traits that contributed to its success. He shares his memories of India Life and how it eventually led to the creation of TeamLease. Additionally, he talks about the differences in decision-making between the two companies and the advantages of being a second-time founder. Manish discusses the key areas that need attention for India's development. He emphasizes the need for civil service reform, as it plays a crucial role in regulatory reform and ease of doing business. The conversation also touches upon the significance of human capital for a country's growth. Manish cites India's achievements in software exports and the pharma industry as examples of successful utilization of human capital. However, he acknowledges the need for basic school education to ensure a strong foundation for the entire population. Manish discusses the concept of balancing short-term and long-term goals, drawing on the distinction between Amanat and Jagir from his Kashmiri upbringing. He explains that Amanat refers to a trusteeship, where one is expected to pass on something in better condition to the next generation, while Jagir represents personal ownership and consumption. Drawing on this analogy, Manish highlights the importance of expanding time horizons beyond immediate gains and optimizing for long-term growth, rather than focusing solely on short-term profits by emphasizing the achievements of companies like HDFC, Infosys, and TCS, which have built lasting value through decades of consistent growth and compounding. In this conversation with Karthik B. Reddy, Manish discusses why, for long-term growth, a company should adhere to certain principles. Firstly, it should differentiate between a "baby" company poised for growth and a "dwarf" company that remains small, based on a balance between short-term and long-term goals. Manish emphasizes the importance of the cap table and funding sources to secure perpetual capital for future aspirations. Additionally, he stresses the need for cognitive diversity within the team to incorporate different perspectives and skills. Lastly, Manish advises companies to avoid making detrimental decisions, such as diversification, excessive debt, or non-compliance and recommends having safeguards in place to prevent such mistakes. Check out the entire episode for lessons on building a long-lasting business.

In this podcast episode, Dinesh talks to Karthik B. Reddy of Blume Ventures about his journey starting a business in India around the time the internet was first introduced there. He was passionate about doing some business that would be centered around the internet and in India. He waited for the internet to be announced in India, and as soon as the announcement was made on August 15th, 1995, he asked his manager to transfer him back to India. Dinesh also shared his thoughts on business growth and profit margins. The compounding can come to you when your margins are expanding. He encourages entrepreneurs to aspire to this kind of compounding. He also talks about the importance of having a mix of talent in a team, including those who are operationally strong and can focus on present problems, as well as those who are forward-thinking and consider future trends. On India’s growth story, he emphasizes the importance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in creating employment and income in India. He argues that ignoring SMEs could lead to disastrous consequences for the country. Dinesh's thoughts on SMEs and the importance of employment highlight his commitment to building a successful business in India that benefits all stakeholders.

In this episode, Nithin Kamath, founder and CEO of Zerodha sat down with Karthik B. Reddy, Managing Partner at Blume Ventures, to talk about building and scaling an online brokerage firm without any external capital. Nithin's idea was to attract a small niche group of active online traders, which is how Zerodha started. The company was never meant to be a large brokerage, but rather a boutique firm to cater to these traders. Nithin's journey serves as an example of the power of compounding and his ability to inspire young entrepreneurs.He emphasizes the importance of building trust before buying a financial product, which is built through word of mouth. They have worked on building trust by answering customer queries on forums and providing market intelligence.Highlighting Zerodha's self-sustainability, Nithin argues that having growth capital could have allowed them to grow faster, but also acknowledges it still happened at the same pace nevertheless minus the pressure of raising one round after the other. Nithin discusses the importance of long-term thinking in business, contrasting with other peers who focus on short-term goals. At Zerodha, the core team has been together for at least five or six years, ensuring their understanding of the business and skill sets compound over time. This approach has kept the business together, as the top hundred members are dedicated to the company's philosophies, such as treating customers right and using success to give forward.In this season of Blume Podcast, we hosted another eminent personality in the finance space, Raamdeo Agrawal of Motilal Oswal Financial Services. Check out our last episode here - https://blume.vc/podcasts/blume-podcast/raamdeo-agrawal-podcast

In the second episode of the Blume Podcast, host Karthik B. Reddy of Blume Ventures engages in a captivating conversation with Raamdeo Agrawal, Chairman and Co-Founder of Motilal Oswal Financial Services, one of India's leading financial services firms. Agrawal shares his insights on various topics, including his investment philosophy, the dangers of building a startup for the wrong reasons, and his views on the growth of India. Throughout the conversation, Agrawal emphasises the importance of being passionate about one's work and having a strong sense of purpose. He shares how he and his co-founder built their company from scratch, starting with a small office and gradually building it into a national brand. On his investing outlook, shared his experience with Bharti Airtel to discuss the value of having a framework for understanding the value of a company. He also talks about the importance of creating a solid brand identity and the role that marketing plays in building a successful business, and how Jagdeep Kapoor of Samsika Marketing inspired him. The conversation concludes with Agrawal offering some advice to startup founders. He emphasises the importance of having a clear vision and patience in building a sustainable business instead of focusing on short-term returns and a temporary valuation bump. Watch this space for more.

In this podcast, Peyush Bansal, founder and CEO of Lenskart, India's largest eyewear company talks to Karthik B. Reddy, co-founder and managing partner of Blume Ventures, the importance of hiring the right people in building long-lasting businesses, the pathological obsession of founders to solve a particular problem, which is essential in India's small market, and balancing short-term objectives with long-term goals.  Bansal built Bagskart, Watchkart, Jewelkart, before focusing his energies on Lenskart, and the disturbing statistic where said that 75% of people in India who need specs are not them helped “focus his vision.” And as a reward for his clarity of purpose, IDG Ventures was soon on board.  Bansal was also inspired by Uniqlo’s growth in the West, where it managed to create differentiation in the same category of products. He gives the example of shoes: People no longer just want sports shoes. There’s one for walking, one for fast-paced running, and one for slow running. This trend is expected to continue in the future, with eyewear products being offered to cater to every single need of a consumer.  Bansal also emphasizes the need for long-term thinking and sustainability in the business. They discuss the success of Maruti and the importance of considering the long-term impact of their decisions. Peyush also shares his thoughts on wealth and the influence of Indian entrepreneur Ronnie Screwvala, who has significantly impacted his outlook on life and career.  For more on the importance of hiring right, check out Naveen Tewari of Inmobi’s episode on X-Unicorns.  https://open.spotify.com/episode/2b0PgICcwg2DQI49zqpWay https://blume.vc/podcasts/blume-podcast/naveen-tewari-on-the-quest-for-a-purposeful-life-the-beauty-of-creating-versus-competing-and-building-a-culture-of-compounding-trust All episodes: https://open.spotify.com/show/227rW4Ee4ob6wRT8U7pJ8s https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/blume-podcast/id1651800944 https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cub21ueWNvbnRlbnQuY29tL2QvcGxheWxpc3QvNGJiMzM3MDQtNjE1Yi00MDU0LWFhZTktYWNlNTAwZmQ0MTk3L2IxZjk3NGJiLWUxMWMtNDZlYy1hNzFkLWIwMTgwMDlkZjk1Ny8xMTViMzZlYi0yNzY0LTRiZTEtYThmYy1iMDE4MDA5ZGY5ODEvcG9kY2FzdC5yc3M

S2 E0. Karthik Reddy and Rohit Kaul talk about the Power of CompoundingBlume PodcastAugust 02, 202300:20:58S2 E0. Karthik Reddy and Rohit Kaul talk about the Power of CompoundingAudio Player103000:00:0000:00:001x The Blume Podcast is compounding! Our new season will feature remarkable founders who have dedicated their lives to building generational companies. The focus will be on their tales of courage, anecdotes of resilience, and the stories of compounding. Why are we doing this? Because there is an urgent need to shift the narrative away from the obsession with unicorn valuations and instead highlight the importance of building sustainable and profitable organisations. Karthik B. Reddy, co-founder and managing partner of Blume Ventures, takes us through the motivations that drive an entrepreneur to persist and ride on incremental wins only to create outsized returns in the long term. Warren Buffet attributes his wealth to living in America, fortunate genetics, and compound interest. He is known as one of the best investors and wealthiest individuals globally, with a net worth exceeding $100Bn. Interestingly, almost 98% of it accumulated after his 60th birthday. This is the Power of Compounding, the overarching theme of the current season. In the trailer, we talk about how this compounding can create institutions out of companies and why these stories need to drive upcoming founders to build for the long term. Think of it as the story of the hare versus the tortoise race. Who cares about who leads when 25% or 50% of the race is done? What matters is the end outcome. And as Buffet has shown, it's clear then which path gets you favourable results. In our last season, we covered X-Unicorns. These aren’t your blue-eyed, pedigreed, get every round systematically every year or two and rapidly scale to a Unicorn status in five-six years. They didn’t fit the traditional mould of the type of Unicorn that the media was obsessed with, yet attained long-term success. Check out all the episodes here: https://blume.vc/podcasts/blume-podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/227rW4Ee4ob6wRT8U7pJ8s https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/blume-podcast/id1651800944 https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cub21ueWNvbnRlbnQuY29tL2QvcGxheWxpc3QvNGJiMzM3MDQtNjE1Yi00MDU0LWFhZTktYWNlNTAwZmQ0MTk3L2IxZjk3NGJiLWUxMWMtNDZlYy1hNzFkLWIwMTgwMDlkZjk1Ny8xMTViMzZlYi0yNzY0LTRiZTEtYThmYy1iMDE4MDA5ZGY5ODEvcG9kY2FzdC5yc3M

This episode provides a deep dive into the journey of Persistent Systems, from its humble beginnings to becoming a global technology powerhouse. Anand Deshpande shares insights on company growth, leadership transitions, and the importance of adapting to market changes. His perspectives on entrepreneurship, technology trends, and social impact offer valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs and established business leaders alike. Key Topics: Persistent’s growth journey and evolution through multiple business orbits Entrepreneurship challenges, scaling strategies, and leadership transitions Technology trends, including the impact of AI on the IT industry Social impact initiatives and philanthropic efforts  Global expansion and understanding international markets Timestamps  00:03:18 - Early life 00:06:55 - IIT Kharagpur experience 00:09:59 - US education and work 00:19:34 - Founding Persistent Systems 00:26:29 - Indian IT challenges in 1990 00:32:00 - Business model evolution 00:35:25 - Persistent’s S orbits  00:39:46 - Transition from ‘My’ to ‘Our’ company 00:56:18 - VC funding and IPO 01:01:42 - Philanthropic initiatives 01:08:16 - Research projects 01:14:12 - AI impact on IT 01:16:36 - Rapid-fire questions

In the finale episode, Sanjay Nath chats up Naveen Tewari of InMobi on building two unicorns, creating an "institution" vs an organization, and not getting phased by feedback. Sanjay also shares how Naveen has been a major influence in his journey of co-founding Blume. Tune in for more.

In this episode, Manish Taneja of Purplle tells Ashish Fafadia of Blume about the perils of moving away from your vision because "some VC told you to" and the mistakes that entrepreneurs should avoid in their journey.

In this episode, Karthik B. Reddy sat down with Prashant Pitti of EaseMyTrip to talk about his journey from IIT Madras and working in the US to returning to the homeland and starting up with his brothers.