What does it look like when a Google VP, a Flipkart CTO, and a 30-year technology veteran stop managing people — and start building again with AI?

In this episode of SparX, Mukesh Bansal (Founder of Myntra & Cult.fit) speaks with Peeyush Ranjan (former VP of Engineering at Google Pay and Group CTO of Flipkart) about what’s actually happening inside companies as AI agents begin to reshape how products are built.

This isn’t a conversation about the future of AI.It’s about what’s already happening — in their companies, on their laptops, and in the way builders are now working.

This is a builder’s conversation.

Peeyush shares how he built Enrico-  an AI chief of staff (AI agent) that has become the most productive “employee” in his company. With company-wide memory, a virtual board of advisors featuring Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, Charlie Munger, Peter Thiel, and Sam Altman, and the ability to autonomously improve itself, it represents a new way of operating.

Mukesh shares how he went from watching others build to launching a fully functional v1 product in under 10 days — faster than what a $100,000 outsourcing agency failed to deliver.

But this goes far beyond productivity.

They explore what this shift means for how companies are structured, how capital is deployed, how hiring changes and what happens when revenue per employee jumps from $40,000 to potentially millions.

• How to build an AI chief of staff (AI agent) for your company

• Why curiosity + agency now matter more than expertise

• The real risk of AI: intellectual laziness and cognitive debt

• Why distribution — not innovation — is becoming the new moat

• What a 10-person, billion-dollar company could look like

• How to think about open source vs frontier AI models

• Why the idea of a “non-technical founder” is disappearing

The gap between imagination and instantiation has never been smaller. The question is whether you're on the right side of it.

Guest:Peeyush Ranjan : Co-founder Fermi.ai, Partner at Meraki Labs, Former VP Engineering Google Pay & Google Assistant, Former Group CTO Flipkart

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What happens when the most powerful technology ever built is also the one nobody fully understands - including its creators?

Connor Leahy, US Director of Control AI and one of the clearest thinkers in the AI safety space, joins Mukesh Bansal for a conversation that cuts through the hype and lands somewhere far more unsettling: we may have two to five years before AI systems cross a threshold we cannot reverse.

This isn't a doom scroll. It's a strategic briefing.

In this episode of SparX, Connor breaks down why the race to superintelligence is a national security issue, not a technology one and why the people building it aren't villains, they're just operating inside a system with no brakes. 

He challenges Yann LeCun's repeated prediction that we're nowhere close, explains why Dario Amodei's admission that we understand only ~3% of how AI works should terrify us, and unpacks why Sam Altman and the labs he leads are racing toward a goal they cannot fully control. He also explains why the "we'll run out of data" argument keeps being wrong, how AI systems are now learning by interacting with environments (just like humans do), and why the moment superintelligence arrives, we probably won't recognise it.

We also ask: What can India and other middle powers actually do? Why did the climate movement fail? What must the AI safety movement learn from that? Is Senator Blackburn's Trump AI Act a sign that Washington is finally waking up? And with Bernie Sanders and AOC now speaking out, could AI safety become a defining issue in the 2026 elections?

Plus - in a first for the podcast - four frontier AI models (Claude, GPT, Gemini, and Grok) listen live to the conversation and jump in with questions. The results are equal parts fascinating and telling.

Guest: Connor Leahy : AI Safety Researcher | Co-founder of EleutherAI | US Director at Control AI

In this episode of SparX, we sit down with Priyamvada Natarajan, theoretical astrophysicist at Yale University and author of the acclaimed book "Mapping the Heavens", for a wide-ranging conversation about black holes, dark matter, alien life, and the future of modern astrophysics.

From her early fascination with science to her years at MIT and her groundbreaking research at Yale, Priyamvada takes us through the ideas and experiences that shaped one of the most compelling minds in contemporary science.

In this conversation, she breaks down the search for life beyond Earth, the discovery of new planets, and the scientific quest to understand black holes and the hidden structure of the cosmos. She explains why these extreme phenomena are key to understanding how galaxies form, reflects on the current state of scientific research in India, and offers her advice for young scientists stepping into the field. From fundamental questions about alien life to the future direction of astrophysics, this is a conversation about the boundless possibilities of science!

CHAPTERS:

Keywords :

[astrophysics, black holes, dark matter, dark energy, alien life, extraterrestrial

life, exoplanets, search for life in space, Priyamvada Natarajan, Yale University,

MIT astrophysics, theoretical astrophysics, Mapping the Heavens, galaxy formation,

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STEM, physics podcast, astrophysics podcast, space podcast, science interview,

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what is dark energy, how galaxies form, is there alien life, life beyond Earth,

new planets discovered, astrophysics for beginners, science motivation,

advice for young scientists, career in science, career in astrophysics,

future of space science, modern astrophysics, cutting edge science,

deep space, NASA, James Webb Telescope, event horizon, singularity,

cosmology, theoretical physics, quantum physics, science education]

0:00-02:53 Intro

02:54-21:33 Priyamvada’s Journey

21:34-32:46 Priyamvada Achievements

32:47-36:49 Detecting Life Beyond Earth

36:50-49:15 Understanding Blackholes

49:16-57:59 The State of Science in India

58:00-58:47 Outro

In this episode of SparX, we speak to Roman Yampolskiy, a leading AI safety researcher and professor of computer science, about the risks of creating superintelligence and whether humanity is prepared for what may come next. Roman argues that we may be closer to human-level AI than many assume, and that permanently controlling a system more intelligent than humans could prove fundamentally impossible. He lays out why some researchers believe development should slow down, and why the window for meaningful intervention may be narrowing.

Roman discusses the rapid acceleration toward AGI, early signals of job displacement that could become visible by the end of this decade, and why traditional patterns of technological disruption may not apply this time. He explains why large companies continue investing heavily in AI despite debates around scaling limits, how the global race toward superintelligence is unfolding, and why no scalable safety mechanism currently guarantees control. The conversation also explores AI consciousness, digital labor, the simulation hypothesis, and what widespread automation could mean for identity, purpose, and humanity’s long-term future.

If you’re looking for a rigorous and research-driven perspective on the technical, economic, and existential implications of advanced AI, this episode offers a serious examination of what the next decade could hold.

In this episode of SparX, we speak with Neelkanth Mishra one of the leading voices of India Semiconductor Mission. He talks about India’s semiconductor journey from the origins of the Semiconductor Mission to the realities of execution and global competition.He breakdown how the semiconductor ecosystem works, why entry barriers are so high, and what India’s roadmap looks like today. The conversation also explores Micron’s entry into India, early implementation learnings, India’s geopolitical advantage, and the question of whether the country can truly challenge global leaders like NVIDIA.If you’re looking for a clear, grounded understanding of India’s semiconductor ambitions beyond the headlines, this SparX conversation offers context, realism, and long-term perspective.0:00 – 1:42 Introduction1:43 – 3:34 Neelkanth's journey in Semiconductors 3:35 – 11:46 India's Semiconductor Mission11:47 – 14:44 Semiconductor Manufacturing Process14:45 – 17:44 Objective of Semiconductor Mission17:45 – 18:50 Early days of Semiconductor Mission implementation18:51 – 21:08 Entry of Micron in India21:09 – 26:30 Early Implementation Challenges26:31 – 30:34 First Implementation Results30:35 – 32:28 Current State Global Semiconductor Industry32:29 – 35:41 India's Semiconductor Roadmap35:42 – 37:41 Entry Barriers in Semiconductor Industry37:42 – 41:09 India's Geopolitical Advantage41:10 – 44:10 India's Emerging Companies44:11 – 47:50 Can India Challenge NVIDIA?47:51 – 51:56 Why India Can't Be Aatmanirbhar51:57– 52:46 Outro

In this episode of SparX, Mukesh Bansal speaks with Emad Mostaque about the rapid acceleration of artificial intelligence and how it could fundamentally reshape work, daily life, and global power over the next decade.Emad breaks down why AI is advancing faster than any previous technology, the role of data, scale, and open-source systems in driving this shift, and what it means for jobs, companies, and countries racing to stay relevant. From the rise of AI-first organizations to how life may look by 2030, this conversation offers a clear, unsentimental view of the future that’s already unfolding.

0:00 – 2:31 Introduction

2:32 – 7:34 Rapid Growth of AI

7:35 – 13:38 China’s Rise as an AI leader

13:39 – 19:47 Scaling AI Models Using Meta Verifiers

19:48 – 30:42 Future of AI in Everyday Life and Jobs

30:43 – 39:39 How Companies Should Approach AI and Technology Shifts

39:40 – 46:12 What Emad’s New Company Is Trying to Build

46:13 – 53:54 Who Is Driving the Future of AI

53:55 – 59:49 What India Needs to Get Right in AI field

59:50 – 01:01:07 Outro

In this episode of SparX, Mukesh Bansal speaks with Stanford behavior scientist B.J. Fogg about how habits are designed, how they break, and the science that governs lasting behavior change.

With over 30 years of research in behavior science, Fogg is the creator of the Tiny Habits method and the author of Tiny Habits, widely regarded as one of the most practical frameworks for building habits in real life. He has taught at Stanford since the mid-1990s and has personally coached tens of thousands of people in applying behavior design at scale.

If you’re looking for a grounded, evidence-based way to build better habits without pressure or perfection, this conversation with B.J. Fogg offers clarity, practicality, and lasting value.

Chapters:0:00-1:36 Intro

1:37-5:54 BJ Fogg's journey into Habit Science

5:55-9:29 Influence of technology in behaviour

9:30-14:49 Science behind building habits

15:00-23:09 Role of the environment in daily habits

23:10-29:55 How to stick to new year resolutions

29:56-35:21 Staying consistent with habits

35:22-38:59 Using self reward to build habits

39:00-45:21 Science behind breaking bad habits

45:22-48:01 BJ Fogg's personal story with addictions

48:02-51:41 How identity shapes behaviour change

51:42-55:03 What's next in habit research

55:05-57:19 AI's role in self improvement

57:30 - 57:39 Outro

In this episode of SparX, Mukeshl sits down with, Debjani Ghosh, leader of  the Frontier Tech Hub within NITI Aayog for a critical discussion. They dive deep into India's technological future, the existential role of AI in national growth, and the dramatic changes impacting careers and geopolitics.

Debjani, who brings a unique perspective from 21 years at Intel and leadership at NASSCOM, discusses her experience driving change from within the government and why technology is now the "axis of power" globally.

In this episode of SparX, Mukesh Bansal sits down with economist and policy thinker Neelkanth Mishra to unpack why he believes this is the true golden age of Indian entrepreneurship.

They talk about:

• Falling cost of capital and a stronger banking system expanding access to debt and equity.

• Massive domestic flows via SIPs, EPFO, and insurance fueling startups and exits.

• Policy shifts in GST, decriminalization, and state reforms that slowly ease doing business.

• The next wave beyond internet startups: fintech, precision manufacturing, hardware, semiconductors, and data centers.

• The next wave of entrepreneurship beyond internet companies: fintech, precision manufacturing, hardware, semiconductors, data centers, and chip design.

• Aadhaar’s evolution into a trust and KYC layer, and how lower unit costs in finance, education, and health can break vicious economic cycles.

• Navigating big tech power, US–China tensions, and political noise while staying focused on India’s long runway from $4T to $20T GDP.

If you’re interested in where India’s economy is really headed, how policy and infrastructure shape founder opportunities, or what it takes to build in the middle of geopolitical churn, this conversation with Neelkanth offers rare clarity, realism, and optimism.

In this episode of SparX, Mukesh Bansal sits down with Sanjeev Bikhchandani, founder of Info Edge (Naukri.com), the man who quietly built the foundation of India’s internet economy.

From bootstrapping Naukri for 10 years without a salary to backing iconic startups like Zomato and Policybazaar, Sanjeev’s story is a masterclass in patience, conviction, and timing. He reflects on his early dreams of entrepreneurship in the 1970s, quitting his stable job in the 80s for independence, surviving the dot-com bubble, and helping shape India’s startup ecosystem.

They talk about:

• How Naukri was born before the internet arrived in India.

• The 7 years Sanjeev lived without a salary and how he made it work.

• Missing early investments in Flipkart, Ola, and Lenskart and what he learned.

• The mental models around luck, timing, and persistence.

• Why India still hasn’t built trillion-dollar tech companies and how that could change.

• His hopes for India’s next wave of startups in AI, deep tech, and IP creation.
  

Sanjeev also opens up about his personal evolution from a restless 25-year-old marketer selling Horlicks to one of India’s most respected entrepreneurs and investors.

If you want to understand the real DNA of Indian entrepreneurship, this conversation is a rare glimpse into the mind of the man who started it all.

Chapters:

00:00 – 01:18 Introduction

01:19 – 03:38 Missing Flipkart, Myntra & Ola

03:39 – 10:10 The JRD Tata Moment

10:11 – 17:36 Early Career & Struggles

17:37 – 24:08 First Startup Experiments

24:09 – 30:09 How Naukri Was Born

30:10 – 41:44 Dotcom boom & crazy valuations

41:45 – 44:14 The Role of Luck

44:15 – 51:27 Betting Early on India’s Unicorns

51:28 – 54:09 What He Seeks in Founders

54:10 – 1:03:03 Can India Build Trillion-Dollar Tech Giants?

1:03:04 – 1:10:22 Career Advice from Sanjeev