The GenAIrous Podcast

In this episode, Nilesh Dange, CHRO at L&T Finance, breaks down how a traditional NBFC is reinventing itself as a “FinTech at scale” by putting AI at the core of credit decisioning, home loan journeys, and day-to-day operations—while keeping people and culture firmly at the center. He shares how L&T Finance now runs largely agentic, AI-led underwriting, offers fully digital home loan copilots, and uses design thinking and cross-functional squads to solve the “meatiest” business problems first.

Nilesh goes deep on the HR side of this shift: from building a global data science vertical and democratizing AI with internal workshops and enterprise-wide Gemini access, to creating bite-sized learning journeys and Idea Express programmes that turn employees into problem solvers, not passengers. He also explains how HR can use AI as a decision-enabler (not a replacement for human judgment) in recruiting and capability building, and why “management attention and intention” are the real levers behind any successful tech transformation.​

If you are a CHRO, CLO, or business leader trying to make your enterprise AI-first without losing the human touch, this conversation offers a candid, field-tested playbook on change, culture, and capability building in the age of generative AI.​

When we talk about AI breakthroughs, we often forget the quiet infrastructure behind them.
Dr. Srinivas Kadaba, who heads the Data and AI Platform at IISc’s Center for Brain Research, has spent his career designing systems that not only scale, but shape real-world impact.

In this conversation, we dive into his philosophy on system design, the fine line between innovation and over-engineering, and why ethics, imagination, and trust matter as much as code. From federated data to brain health, Dr. Kadaba breaks down what it really takes to build responsible AI for science and society.

What if skilling wasn’t a checklist but a culture?
 In this episode, Srikanth Iyengar talks to Abhijit Bhaduri about what it takes to build future-fit learning ecosystems: AI-driven, deeply personalized, and engaging enough to rival Netflix. From multi-generational workforces to skill-based careers, it’s time to rethink how we learn.

When algorithms make decisions that harm — but no one intended harm — who’s accountable?

In this episode, Shirin Rai Gupta, Director - Marketing, upGrad Enterprise, sits down with Dr. Nandini Seth, Phd. IIM Bangalore, Founding Faculty - Masters’ Union, to unpack the legal and moral ambiguity of AI systems. They explore how statistically-driven models can produce socially unjust outcomes, why intent no longer guarantees innocence, and what real accountability might look like in the GenAI era. From biased hiring tools to opaque public systems, this conversation is a wake-up call for anyone building, deploying, or regulating AI.

What happens when AI stops calculating—and starts connecting?

In this episode of the GenAIrous Podcast, host Srikanth Iyengar sits down with Himanshu Goyal, founder of Futr Studios and the mind behind Kyra, India’s first virtual influencer. Together, they explore a powerful shift in the GenAI landscape: from task automation to emotional interaction, from cold code to curated personality.

You’ll hear how Future Studios is building AI companions that remember, evolve, and even comfort—blurring the boundaries between human presence and digital intelligence.

This is not about replacing humans. It’s about creating a new layer of connection—where memory, empathy, and design are written into the code.

"GenAI for Underdogs: How Nonprofits & Startups Can Win Big with Gen AI"

In this electrifying episode, Abhinav Chetan, founder of Digital for Nonprofits, shares how Generative AI is a game-changer for nonprofits and startups—turning them into powerhouses of efficiency and impact. 

From automating monthly reports to scaling mission awareness through AI-driven content generation, Abhinav reveals how small teams can punch above their weight without breaking the bank. Discover how nonprofits went from one social media channel to seven, tripling their reach with the help of AI—without hiring extra staff! 

Abhinav dives deep into how Generative AI is unlocking efficiency, making data privacy concerns easier to navigate, and helping startups optimize digital marketing efforts at a fraction of the cost. Plus, he shares insights on how organizations can measure impact beyond just ROI, ensuring authenticity while scaling at speed.

AI isn’t a luxury—it’s leverage. Tune in to learn how AI-powered tools are revolutionizing reporting, enhancing branding, and giving nonprofits and startups the competitive edge they need to thrive in a fast-changing world.

🎧 Listen now to explore how AI is already transforming the way nonprofits and startups work, grow, and make an impact.

In this episode, Jo Aggarwal (Founder & CEO, Wysa) spotlights a range of crucial topics, from the impact of an overprotected physical world and an unprotected virtual one to whether science is finally fulfilling its long-held promise of computing with Gen AI. She also explores optimal strategies for creating a defensible AI offering and dives into the complexities of making LLMs safe for mental health conversations. Additionally, Jo shares her aspirations for Gen AI to help bridge our polarized world. Don’t miss her compelling insights into why this moment feels strikingly similar to one 3,000 years ago.

Jo Aggarwal is the founder and CEO of Wysa, the world’s​ leading conversational AI with a mission to solve​ global mental health. In a world mired with the ethics of AI,​ Wysa has been awarded the best of privacy by the Mozilla Foundation and the best of safety by ORCHA. Jo was a Top 10 Innovator for Social Good at the World Economic Forum in Davos 2023, in the Top 100 People in Artificial Intelligence by Business Insider in 2023, and one of Top 25 Women Leaders in Consumer Health Tech by The Healthcare Technology Report 2022​. Previously, Jo was the founding director for Technology & Innovation for a UN-backed foundation and the managing director of Pearson Learning Solutions in the U.K. Her work on​ mobile employability helped connect over a million young people to skills and jobs, and won Silver at the Stevie Awards, as well as the Global Telecom Business Innovation award in 2013.

01:43 Introduction to AI and Gen AI 

07:57 The Role of Wysa in Mental Health 

13:17 Safety and Trust in AI for Mental Health 

16:16 The Right Approach to Designing AI Offerings 

19:31 The Future of AI and its Impact on Generations 

In this episode of the GenAIrous Podcast, listen to Srimathi Shivashankar's (Global Head - HCL EdTech Business) compelling take on the critical need for academia and corporates to join forces in embracing Gen AI. You'll also get answers to questions like: could Gen AI be the equalizer gender diversity initiatives have been waiting for? How will the right humanities-technology balance impact professionals? and, what is the power of asking questions in the Gen AI era? Perhaps most thought-provoking of all—could educators using AI become the long-sought bridge between industry and academia? Tune in to explore these insights and more.

Srimathi has spent nearly three decades managing and transforming businesses. At HCLTech she is the Global Head for EdTech business. Her team focuses on designing and delivering Tech platforms for learning and assessments to power the human capital development mission of Enterprises, Education Institutions and Governments. She is passionate about inclusive development and explores ways to build business ecosystem with talent from diverse backgrounds.  Srimathi has been instrumental in setting up HCLTech operations in emerging talent hubs. Earlier, she has served as the architect of key transformational programs such as Diversity and Sustainability practices, HCL Foundation, and HCL Grant. She won the WeQual Award in 2021 in the Business Transformation category, and was named in the top 25 Women leaders in Consulting for 2022 and 2023 by the Consulting report. Srimathi serves as an advisor for key Government bodies in India. She has been a key speaker at various international forums, and mentors those who believe in investing for a better tomorrow, today. 

01:56 Introduction to AI and its Evolution

04:00 Academia and Industry’s Role in AI 

06:18 Gender Diversity in Tech and AI’s Impact

10:38 The Importance of Questioning in AI 

13:25 AI in Education: Opportunities and Challenges

16:33 The Urgency of AI Adoption 

21:41 Advice for Career Professionals 

In this episode of the GenAIrous Podcast, Rahul Singhal (Chief Product and Marketing Officer, Innodata) shares insightful perspectives on how Gen AI is poised to reshape humanity. Beginning with his view that this technology could herald the dawn of a new internet, he takes listeners on a journey through why humanities degrees will gain renewed importance in the Gen AI era, the need for golden data sets, and what makes the reality of a one-person startup achievable. He also delves into the evolution required for Gen AI models to handle deduction and reasoning. Tune in to explore the future landscape of Gen AI.

As Innodata’s Chief Product Officer, Rahul drives the development of innovative AI data solutions trusted by the world’s top tech companies. His teams build cutting-edge platforms and develop solutions across generative, traditional, and enterprise AI, from data collection and annotation to supervised fine-tuning and model safety and red teaming. Under his leadership, he has helped transform Innodata into an AI powerhouse, driving a 15X increase in shareholder value translating into a $400M increase in the market cap, and securing partnerships with five of the Magnificent Seven. Before joining Innodata, Rahul was Chief Product Officer at Equals 3, an AI marketing platform recognized with industry accolades such as Gartner Cool Vendor, CES Top 5, and the IBM Watson ISV Award. Prior to that, he spent over a decade at IBM, where he led the Watson Platform’s product portfolio, growing its services 100X and launching over 15 new APIs in vision, speech, data, and language. 

01:11 The Transformative Power of Gen AI 

02:43 Data: The Core of AI Success

05:28 Evolving Skill Sets in the AI Era

09:15 The Future of Startups in a Gen AI world

11:04 Domain Specific Transformations

13:55 Client Perspectives on Gen AI 

17:29 The Future Landscape of Gen AI 

In this episode, Sangeet Paul Choudary (Founder, Platformation Labs) spotlights Gen AI's true potential — its ability to remove friction in knowledge management and understand highly structured knowledge bases. But what does this mean for businesses and where does competitiveness come into play? Tune in for a fascinating look at how Gen AI unlocks business value, the rise of geopolitical hotspots and the unfiltered truth about what happens when less qualified talent is enabled to do more sophisticated work.  

Sangeet Paul Choudary is the bestselling author of Platform Revolution and Platform Scale and has advised CXOs at more than 40 of the Fortune 500 firms on platform strategy. He has been recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and his work on platforms has been selected by Harvard Business Review as one of the top 10 ideas in strategy, alongside Michael Porter, Clayton Christensen and others. Sangeet is appointed to the advisory boards of ING, Standard Bank, GPA Brazil, and others and has formerly served as a member of the WEF's Global Future Council, the co-chair of the MIT Platform Strategy Summit, and a member of the ministerial advisory committee at the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Govt of India. He is a frequent keynote speaker at leading global forums including the G20 Summit, the World50 Summit, and the World Economic Forum.

00:00 Introduction and Background

02:27 The AI and Competitiveness Link 

04:29 Impact on Decision, Workflow and Relationship Advantages

09:48 Unlocking Value within different Industries

15:16 Gen AI’s impact on the Coding Space

19:32 Hotspots for Building AI Skills at Scale