Money Majlis

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In this episode, Piyush Gupta, the inspirational CEO of DBS Bank, tells us how a Singaporean bank raced ahead in innovation and digitisation to be crowned the world’s best digital bank. 

Is Technology the new “front office” of a bank? Will pure-play digital banks ever succeed against digitized incumbent banks with scale? How should a traditional bank build a fail-safe culture of innovation? And why should youngsters learn to connect the dots to succeed?

In an uplifting conversation with Suvo Sarkar, veteran banker Piyush Gupta talks about revenue generation from AI use cases, the merits of a gender-equal workplace and the joys of bird-watching.

Research partner : Shekhar Krishnamurthy
Produced by : Poddster

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In this episode, H. E. Ahmed Al Naqbi, CEO of Emirates Development Bank, explains the key differences between a commercial bank and a development bank, and argues that social objectives make a banker's life more enriching. 

How does a development bank carry out financial underwriting to optimize approval decisions? How are employees measured? Does social impact trump profit objectives? 

In an intimate conversation between two ex-colleagues, Ahmed Al Naqbi and Suvo Sarkar discuss how new joiners can create a lasting impact, the ideal career path for aspiring CEOs and the secret to a perfect work-life balance. 

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In this unmissable episode, Suvo Sarkar is in conversation with Arvind Krishna, Chairman & CEO - IBM. 

How does IBM re-invent itself every decade? Why are IBM employees so loyal? And is IBM on the path to becoming an USD 1 trillion company? 

In a free-flowing conversation with Suvo Sarkar, Arvind Krishna answers these and other consequential questions on the future of Gen AI, the practical uses of quantum computing and the value of corporate culture. 

Listen to the CEO of the world’s oldest technology company talk about the future of leadership and the merits of growing roses in your garden. 

Research by : Shekhar Krishnamurthy 

Production : Poddster Studios

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In this technology-special episode, Suvo Sarkar is in discussion with John Duigenan, the General Manager - Global Financial Services Industry at IBM. 

What do banks get wrong in transformation programs? Is hyper-personalization the future of customer service? What technologies will impact the banking industry most profoundly in the next decade? And why do most banks work in silos? 

In an interesting conversation with Suvo in New York, John explains why he still writes code, how he practices servant leadership and how scuba diving has taught him to be calm. 

Research by : Shekhar Krishnamurthy

Location : Gotham Studios, New York 

Production : Poddster Studios

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This is the second edition of Money Majlis XTRA where we cover topics outside banking and finance. In today's exciting episode, we talk to Carla de la Vega, ex-CNN anchor, author and a strong advocate for women's empowerment, about the challenges and opportunities of achieving gender parity in the workplace and at home. 

What are the biases men have about women? Why are only 10% Fortune 500 companies headed by women? Will it take us another 300 years to achieve gender equality? 

In an uplifting conversation, Carla de la Vega argues with Suvo Sarkar that motherhood makes women more effective managers and that career-minded women should stay single unless they can find supportive partners to marry. 

Carla talks about her transformative experience in Turkey, why she named her second book "Shakti" and where she gets her positive energy from. 

To learn more about Carla's work in women's empowerment, please visit : https://www.carladelavega.com/en

Acknowledgements for this episode:

Research partner : Rukmini Sarkar

Production partner : Poddster Studios 

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In this GITEX-special episode recorded on the sidelines of the Expand North Star expo, Suvo Sarkar talks to Vijay Shekhar Sharma, the founder of PayTM, the leading payments app in India that powers over 20 million merchants and businesses and is used by more than 300 million Indians.
Will super-apps like PayTM take over the world? Why are fintechs the “best friend” for banks? What’s the next big thing for the fintech industry in India? How should founders identify a business opportunity? And what should investors look for in start-ups?
In a free-wheeling conversation with Suvo, Vijay talks about financial inclusion of half a billion Indians, the balancing act between innovators and regulators and his dream of forming a Sanskrit rock band one day.
Research by : Shekhar Krishnamurthy
Location courtesy : P K Gulati
Production : Poddster Studios

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Will crypto-currencies replace fiat currencies in the next decade? Will blockchain technology make life easier? Will traditional finance and decentralised finance converge soon? Suvo Sarkar poses these and other consequential questions to Phil Sham, the founder CEO of Aquanow, one of the leading crypto-currency infrastructure companies of the world.


With a telecom giant in UAE launching bitcoin payments for phone bills, can cafes and restaurants be far behind? Regulators are working hard to keep pace with the rapid progress in the crypto world and some governments are about to launch their own stablecoins. Should investors treat crypto as a new asset class? And should high street banks open up crypto trading on their mobile apps?


In an interesting conversation about the future of money, Phil and Suvo discuss why the Middle East is ahead of the curve, how to salvage the reputation of cryptocurrencies and the connection between crypto and cello.

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In this “Marketing special” episode of Money Majlis recorded in New York, Suvo Sarkar speaks to Raja Rajamannar, chief marketing & communications officer of Mastercard, to explore the latest challenges and opportunities in the practice of consumer marketing. 

Is marketing today an art, a science or a craft? Are the 4P’s of marketing relevant any more? Is advertising dead? How do we differentiate in a sea of sameness? 

In a scintillating 90-minute conversation with one of the gurus of modern marketing, Suvo quizzes Raja on the role of AI in marketing, on sonic branding, on the continuing relevance of the Mastercard Priceless platform and on career choices young marketers should make. 

Do not miss this masterclass on marketing where one of the top 5 CMOs in the world speaks eloquently about the golden era of marketing, about emulating Leonardo Da Vinci and about his daily 26-minute meditation routine. 

To order the book “Quantum Marketing” by Raja, please click on the following link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1400223954/?bestFormat=true&k=quantum%20marketing&ref_=nb_sb_ss_w_scx-ent-pd-bk-mw-ext_de_k2_1_10&crid=1N6TLH7SYGQFQ&sprefix=quantum%20ma 

If you want to win a free copy of the book, autographed by the author, all you need to do is to repost this podcast with your comments on your Linked In feed or Instagram story (tag @moneymajlis). 10 lucky winners will receive a copy of the book couriered to them. Happy reading!

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In Episode 11 of Money Majlis, we meet the man behind India’s most successful insurance marketplace, PolicyBazaar.com. In an open and honest conversation with Suvo Sarkar, ironman Yashish Dahiya takes us on the journey from the genesis of this start-up to its successful IPO and beyond.

How did a risk-averse entrepreneur build an industry leader? How do you build a trusted online brand? Should breaking even be a priority or building out the proposition? Is “Fake it till you make it” the right mantra for start-ups? And what is more important : being kind or being right?

Suvo and Yashish delve into these and many other consequential questions, including the merits of authentic leadership, finding an NPV on fitness and inculcating a “team-first” philosophy.

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In Episode 10 of Money Majlis, the founder CEO of Marcus, the digital bank of Goldman Sachs, is in a scintillating conversation with Suvo Sarkar about the guiding principles for starting a new bank, the clash of cultures between old and new and forging successful partnerships.

Will neo-banks upend the traditional banking industry? Why is service quality so poor at banks? Should banks call themselves “technology companies”? Will blockchain rule the banking world of the future?

Suvo and Harit, ex-colleagues from their Citibank days, discuss banking, philanthropy, work-life balance, career planning and much more in this very interesting episode that will make you think, reflect and smile.