First woman president. A 110-year-old chamber. More than 300,000 businesses reached.

Sandhya Mendonca speaks with Uma Reddy, the first woman president of the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

Uma Reddy’s story shows what leadership looks like when you don’t just talk about change, but build it. From building up support networks and creating opportunities for women in business and technology, her journey is a powerful reminder: When one woman breaks through, others see what’s possible.

Listen to the full conversation on Spotlight with Sandhya.

This is part of Raintree Media's C-Suite Publishing series, where we work with founders and leaders to capture their life stories and leadership lessons. 

What part of Uma’s leadership journey inspires you most? #WomenInLeadership #LeadershipMatters #WomenWhoLead #IndianBusiness #Entrepreneurship #FKCCI #SpotlightWithSandhya #RaintreeMedia

How does a filmmaker turn a natural disaster into a creative breakthrough?

In this episode of Spotlight with Sandhya, filmmaker Mallika Prasad discusses her award-winning short film, For My Ela, with podcast host Sandhya Mendonca. They trace the journey from a total script rewrite in just three days following devastating Himalayan landslides to shooting in the challenging -10°C weather of Spiti.

This conversation explores the resilience required to bring an independent vision to the global festival circuit, and we dive deep into:

️ Creative Adaptability: Rewriting a film on the fly when the landscape changes.

️ Landscape as Character: Using the raw beauty of Spiti to mirror themes of grief and loss.

The Independent Journey: Navigating funding, open auditions, and distribution.

Artistic Identity: Mallika’s multi-faceted career, from theatre director to playing a villain in Mardaani 3.

Watch now for an essential look at filmmaking born from adversity and the courage to find a story amidst the shifting mountains.

 @QubixHiFi  Museum Road - Venue Partner 

Edited by  @raintreemediaoriginals  

To be featured on this show, write to us at [email protected] 

Instagram: @raintreemedia

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/hPt90-ZNhSs?si=OfV5SNH_sU8MGkPu

#Spotlightwithsandhya #ForMyEla #IndependentFilmmaking #CannesShorts #SpitiValley #BehindTheLens #NewEpisode #FilmmakingJourney

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We sat down with Geetha Panda — a global business leader with 30 years of experience transforming organizations across IT, shipping, biotech, banking, pharma, and now the startup world. 

In this episode of Leadership Decoded on Spotlight with Sandhya, Geetha shares:

→ The leadership skill no one talks about 

→ What it's like to be the first—and often only—woman in the room 

→ How to negotiate salaries and power without apology

 → Why so many digital transformation efforts fail

 → How to fix a struggling organization in 30 days

 → What she'd tell every woman returning to work after a career break 

This is part of Raintree Media's C-Suite Publishing series, where we work with founders and leaders to capture their life stories and leadership lessons.

️ Raintree Media Originals

Leadership Decoded Series #LeadershipDecoded #SpotlightWithSandhya #InternationalWomensDay #WomenInLeadership #GCCIndia #GeethaPanda #RaintreeMedia #WomenWhoLead #LeadershipLessons

Watch the video on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@raintreemediaoriginals

Kicking off a series on leadership with Sandhya Mendonca, transformation strategist Paddy Rao shares his leadership journey, the essence of transformation without a fixed playbook, and how self-awareness and courage drive success. In this insightful interview, discover counterintuitive principles, managing failure, and the deep connection between ancient wisdom and modern leadership.

Watch the video on https://youtu.be/85zSf2k4P20?si=YLFNzReZ4qtv812J

#SpotlightWithSandhya #kathymcleish #sandhyamendonca

What happens when a media entrepreneur, former crime reporter meets a war correspondent?

This Raintree Media Original goes beyond the byline into the realities of women in media. Sandhya Mendonca (Founder, Raintree Media, Bangalore) hosts Kathy McLeish (Women in Media Australia, Brisbane) for an India–Australia dialogue unpacking:

• Newsroom harassment: Moments when "we didn't realize it was gendered"
• Mid-career washout: Why women exit at peak potential
• "Mates over merit": Unconscious bias in action
• Reclaiming public spaces post-assaults
• Women-led media rise and networks as lifelines
• Mentorship that builds independent leaders

Key quotes:

• "The guys who did it are wrong. We reclaim our spaces." – Sandhya
• "Workplaces designed for men with wives." – Kathy
• "Post-MeToo, women challenge and speak up." – Sandhya
• “Changing industries through networks and courage.” - Kathy

Your male-dominated space story? Comment: RaintreeMedia.com.

When did you spot gendered bias? Share below.

▶ RaintreeMedia YouTube​: https://youtu.be/zjuoIs0Qfv0

#SpotlightWithSandhya #BeyondTheByline #WomenInJournalism #RaintreeMedia #WomenInMedia #NewsroomCulture​

In this episode, Sandhya Mendonca, Founder & Chief Editor of Raintree Media talks to Arundhati Raja, co-founder of Jagriti Theatre, about theatre, freedom & relevance in today’s world.

Tell us in the comments or at [email protected] - what’s the most powerful play you’ve ever seen — and why did it stay with you?

Don’t forget to Subscribe, Like & Share to support more conversations on art, culture & creativity.

Read more: The Female Gaze – The Sunday Guardian

https://sundayguardianlive.com/feature/a-1930s-spanish-story-tracks-womens-timeless-quest-for-freedom-137936/

This episode is part of Raintree Media Originals, bringing you conversations that spotlight leaders, artists, and changemakers who are shaping culture and ideas today.

#spotlightwithsandhya #RaintreeMedia #RaintreeMediaOriginals #ArundhatiRaja #JagritiTheatre #IndianTheatre #WomenInArts #PerformingArts #TheatreDirector #BengaluruCulture #ArtAndFreedom #StageStories

World-famous musician and sarod maestro Pandit Rajeev Taranath, in this multilingual interview with Sandhya Mendonca, reflects on music, the greatness of Chandrashekhara Kambara’s writing and Rahman’s music, and other experiences of a rich and varied life. He captivates both as a musician and a person, with a blend of audacity and humility. Deeply influenced by his guru Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and Pandit Ravishankar, Pandit Taranath has greatly impacted music, literature, theatre, and cinema. He is a ‘Renaissance’ person who excels in everything he does - as a performing artist, a guru, a music composer, a professor, a writer, a literary critic, and a translator. At 92 years of age, he continues to practice music daily and to teach students at his home in Mysuru and online.

Watch the video of this podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zf5EOb4OpGA

This episode is supported by The Windflower Resorts & Spa

Filmed & Edited by Vishwas Krishna

To be featured on this show write to us at [email protected] or https://www.facebook.com/raintreemedia or https://www.instagram.com/raintreemedia/

Sindhu Sreenivasa Murthy is the lead actor and debutant director of the delightful coming-of-age film ‘Aachar and Company’. Set in the 60s back when Bangalore was still a small town, it's about siblings growing up in Bangalore, tackling patriarchy and gender roles. This little Kannada film has taken everybody by surprise with the kind of impact that it had when it was released this July. It had a good run in theatres before streaming on Amazon Prime.

Sindhu talks to Sandhya Mendonca about the gentle humour she uses to approach issues of women claiming their agency by going out to work, the subtle nuances within families, and her fascination with nostalgia.

Watch the Video of this interview on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RaintreeMedia1/podcasts

Recorded at The Hub

Edited by Capital Studio

To be featured on this show write to us at [email protected] or https://www.facebook.com/raintreemedia or https://www.instagram.com/raintreemedia/

“Profits are important, but it's also important to be driven by morals and ethics”, Vinita Bali says. 

Known for her skills in building brands and leading companies in five continents including Coca-Cola, Cadbury's and Britannia. In this episode of the podcast, she talks to Sandhya Mendonca about why and how to build healthy companies. She emphasises character and work ethics over expediency – traits that make her a sought-after Independent Board member by global companies.

Bali is also deeply involved in efforts to increase nutrition levels in India and in promoting the arts. She also talks about the pervasive gender gap in the corporate world and why men need to actively work to bridge it.

"We need more Dangal Dads", she says.

Watch the video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RaintreeMedia1/podcasts

Recorded at The Hub

Edited by Capital Studio

To be featured on this show write to us at [email protected] or https://www.facebook.com/raintreemedia or https://www.instagram.com/raintreemedia/

Indians are over the moon with the success of its lunar exploration mission Chandrayaan-3 in August 2023. The joy and pride are greater as ISRO sprang up unfazed from the failure of the previous mission. The first country to land a craft on the moon’s South Pole and doing it at a fraction of the cost that advanced countries would have spent is just one of many in a string of steady successes notched up by the Indian Space Research Organisation. Gita Aravamudan, journalist and co-author of a book on ISRO talks about India’s spectacular journey to outer space and the building of this unique organisation.

“ISRO is a truly nationalist organisation. The people who work here wanted to work in India and not work abroad”, she says.

#isro #chandrayaan-3 #indianmoonmission #space #nasa #sarabhai #kalam #danaravamudan #gitaaravamudan #spotlightwithsandhya

#sandhyamendonca

Edited by Capital Studio

To be featured on this show write to us at [email protected] or https://www.facebook.com/raintreemedia or https://www.instagram.com/raintreemedia/

You can watch this podcast as a video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUusJ0LtVOM