From the bookshelves of Forbes India

In this episode, Divya Shekhar speaks with science writers Aashima Dogra and Nandita Jayaraj, who run The Life of Science, a platform dedicated to highlighting the stories and voices of women and minorities in science. In late-2015, they decided to visit the labs of women scientists and researchers in India, and their recent book ‘Lab Hopping’, is a result of hundreds of conversations they have had with these women. It navigates the web of patriarchy, isolation and ineffective regulations to highlight the grit, wisdom, victories and challenges these women face in everyday life as they pursue their love for the sciences

In this episode, Divya Shekhar speaks with HCL co-founder Ajai Chowdhry about his book 'Just Aspire', building a career in IT in the 70s, creating a domestic market for computers in the country, whether the recent instances of layoffs, onboarding delays and attrition point to deeper systemic issues in Indian IT, and how India can use its software prowess to become a hardware product nation.

To commemorate the six-month run of From the Bookshelves, Divya Shekhar brings you a special episode featuring a Michelin-starred celebrity chef who is an ambassador for Indian cuisine and culture to the world. Vikas Khanna speaks about his latest book Imaginary Rain, which is the story of an immigrant woman running a restaurant in the US, and a semi-autobiographical dedication to Khanna’s grandmother, who is also an inspiration for his cooking. In a straight-from-the-heart conversation, he talks about why he started writing as a result of a promise made to his father, the challenges of translating Punjabi to English, and why his book—which is also being made into a movie starring actor Shabana Azmi—is another attempt for him to “remain inspired”, which he says, is the most important in life.

What are the numerous untold tales behind a plate of food that you’ve ordered at a restaurant? In this episode, Divya Shekhar speaks with restaurateur Gauri Devidayal about her new book ‘Diamonds for Breakfast’, which she has co-written with writer-editor Vishwas Kulkarni. She discusses how and why she wrote about her experience of running one of the most celebrated restaurants in Mumbai; who are the foot soldiers silently working behind-the-scenes to help run a successful business in India’s hyper-competitive F&B industry, and why running a restaurant, with all its perceived glamour and fun, is a game of patience and perseverance. Gauri is honest, fun, and candid. Listen on.

The Japanese have a long tradition of finding the secret to a sense of purpose, happiness and balance in everyday life. And they have a word—Ikigai—to represent just that. In this episode, Divya Shekhar meets up with Francesc Miralles, who has authored the globally bestselling Ikigai series of books along with Hector Garcia. They speak about whether finding your Ikigai can make you better entrepreneur, whether business and doing good can go hand-in-hand, and making money. And in the age of startup successes, where young entrepreneurs chase dizzying valuations and want to hit it big in a short period of time, does the process of finding one’s Ikigai, and the values of purpose, patience and perseverance, have much resonance?

In this episode, Divya Shekhar discusses a brief history of the biggest corporate failures in India over the past two decades and what we can learn from them with Nandini Vijayaraghavan, who is the director and head of research at the Singapore office of the Korea Development Bank. In her latest book ‘Unfinished Business: Evolving Capitalism in the World’s Largest Democracy’, Nandini tells this story through four businesspersons: Anil Ambani (R-ADAG), Naresh Goyal (Jet Airways), VG Siddhartha (Café Coffee Day) and Vijay Mallya (Kingfisher). In the episode, she talks about why the government, investors and other stakeholders have not learnt from past mistakes, why listing day pop is a risky game, and what her research tells her about Gautam Adani. She also gives insights on the future of Jet Airways, startups that value scale over sustainability, and a lot more

Do you think you will have a better understanding of your country and what it means to be Indian if you travelled over 18,000 kilometres, on the road for more than 50 days? When fourth-generation entrepreneur Bhairavi Jani did that, she discovered new facets and truths about India that are now part of her new book Highway to Swades. In this episode, she speaks with Divya Shekhar about why the definition of entrepreneurship and “starting up” is very different in villages and non-metros, how the history of trade has shaped the way we trust and do business, and what her travels taught her about the purpose of enterprise and giving back to society.

From the Bookshelves of Forbes India is back after a short New Year break, and is happy to present the first fiction title to be discussed on the podcast. Sri Lankan writer Shehan Karunatilaka won the Booker Prize 2022 for his novel ‘The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida’ barely three months ago. He speaks with Divya Shekhar about using ghosts, ghouls and horror to craft a whodunit in the backdrop of the raging civil war in 1990, Sri Lanka, how people in the country use humour to convey pain and trauma, why his next book is on the “absurdities of the corporate world”, why he has barely been able to write after the Booker Prize win, and what his win means to writers and the publishing business for his country Sri Lanka.

Did you know the word computation made its first appearance only in the second Five-Year plan, and the word 'computer' was introduced only in India's third Five-Year Plan? But there were a few individuals who were first-movers, early believers in the power of technology who eventually helped shape the IT industry into the behemoth worth billions of dollars that it is today. One such early believer is Infosys Co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan. In this episode, he speaks with Divya Shekhar about building India's IT industry through his personal experiences, and what the future looks like.

How do women in India navigate their everyday freedoms, both big and small? With the rate of female workforce participation in India low and stagnant at less than 25 percent—how can we bridge the gap between men and women, particularly in terms of economic opportunities and parity? Shaili Chopra's new book, Sisterhood Economy, addresses these issues and more. The former journalist, the founder of the digital platform SheThePeople, speaks with Divya Shekhar about the importance of financial freedom and putting value to unpaid care work, reimagining gender roles and creating role models that are not only aspirational but also relatable​.