Mr. Rishikesh SR of Rapido, Mr. Sanjeev Kumar Singh of Ather Energy, and Mr. Ankit Rastogi of Angel One on First Principles Thinking, Trust as the Default Operating Mode, and Building Across 350 Cities

Mr. Rishikesh SR is the Co-founder of Rapido. The host began the session by describing Rapido as India’s largest bike taxi platform, but Mr. Rishikesh SR corrected the introduction.

• Other companies were solving urban commute problems for four-wheelers (cars)
• A cab problem could theoretically be solved at one-fourth the cost by a two-wheeler
• India is the largest manufacturer, consumer, and exporter of two-wheelers globally
• Bangalore had the highest number of two-wheelers in India, which meant the highest number of two-wheelers in the world
• Automobile system + engineering = if this combo interests you, then enrol into Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) in Automobile Engineering of Parul University!

Mr. Rishikesh SR went philosophical on the topic of trust:

“When you’re born as a kid, you don’t know anything called trust. You basically have 100 percent trust in everybody. It’s the world that teaches you that you can’t trust something. When you put this philosophy back into how you work with people, teams, drivers, and customers, what you can do is pretty phenomenal.”

The operational expression of this principle at Rapido:

• The company does not measure the number of days employees show up at the office
• The entire company can access operational data, not just senior leadership
• When an employee encounters a problem, they do not need to request additional data from above; they already have it
• Empowerment happens with transparency, and transparency comes with trust

Ms. Kripa Patel’s LinkedIn Post on Angel One

Mr. Rishikesh SR spoke openly about the regulatory roadblocks Rapido has faced:

• The first priority in any regulatory challenge is the captains, whose livelihood depends on the platform
• The team works to ensure drivers are not cut off from their regular source of earnings
• For new industries, there is no existing policy framework because governments cannot anticipate entirely new models
• If you’re equally passionate about building a career in Legal Compliance, delay not and enrol into Parul University’s Law Programs after 12th!

Ms. Aisha Nagina’s LinkedIn Post on Angel One

On the subject of profitability, Mr. Rishikesh SR framed it as an enabler rather than an end:

• The amount of confidence profitability gives to the company is different from the confidence that external funding provides
• The preparation for Rapido’s profitability took approximately three years of deliberate changes
• Rapido still does not charge exuberantly to drivers or customers
• The company provides the lowest price guarantee in its segment
• Economics of scale worked out in Rapido’s favour
• Profitability enables independence for individual team members to do more, not just shareholder returns

Mr. Vikash Mishra’s LinkedIn Post on Rapido

One of Rapido’s internal principles that was quoted by multiple students in their LinkedIn posts:

“You can’t solve a problem that you can’t empathize with. Your eyes only see what your mind knows.”

The operational expression of the principle:

• Every Rapido employee is required to take a minimum number of rides as a customer every month
• Every Rapido employee is also required to take a minimum number of rides as a captain (driver) every month
• The mandate is enforced, not suggested
• The principle prevents employees from building products in isolation from the people they build for

The host’s introduction mentioned that Mr. Rishikesh SR had once hacked a tool to help himself confront a lifelong speech impediment. The resulting message from his life, shared in the session, is that creating content matters more than consuming content, and that people should use artificial intelligence to polish their thinking rather than outsource their thinking to it. Here’s what Parul University’s students noted and shared their experiences on LinkedIn –

1. Prashwet Khobragade’s LinkedIn Post on Rapido
2. Bhoomika Dharmesh Masrani’s LinkedIn Post on Rapido

Mr. Sanjeev Kumar Singh is the Chief Operating Officer of Ather Energy, India’s premium electric vehicle manufacturer. Ather’s flagship products include the Ather 450X, 450S, 450 Apex, and Rizta.

• Design first: products are built around real rider behaviour, not just engineering specifications
• Software and hardware integration: vehicles receive software updates and improve with time
• Charging infrastructure focus: building ecosystems, not just selling products
• Transparency and community: open conversations with users and data-backed performance claims

Mr. Prashwet Khobragade captured the core leadership line from the session:

“Take accountability for every action you do, whether it turns out good or bad. And if it’s bad, be the first one to own it.”

The cultural logic:

• Accountability flows top-down
• When leaders visibly own mistakes, teams follow
• When leaders deflect, teams deflect
• Culture of an organisation is a reflection of its leadership, not a separate policy document

Ms. Bhoomika Dharmesh Masrani directly asked Mr. Singh about EV battery production sustainability during the session. The question was specific: even though electric vehicles are a greener alternative, their batteries often involve processes that can release harmful substances into the environment. Mr. Singh gave a detailed response that Ms. Masrani wrote cleared all her doubts about the EV industry. This direct engagement on a contested environmental question rather than a deflection is one of the specific indicators of the substantive quality of the session.

• Keep learning because curiosity is the foundation of progress
• Embrace failures because they shape the journey toward success
• Do not chase trends, focus on long-term impact and potential
• Freedom builds ownership: when people take pride in work and have freedom to decide, they deliver more than expected
• Best decisions come from the ground: listen to those closest to the work because they understand it best
• Stay calm under pressure because the whole team feels grounded when a leader is composed

PU students are super inspired and they’ve redirected their energies by sharing their heartfelt experiences on LinkedIn –

1. Bhoomika Dharmesh Masrani’s LinkedIn Post on Ather Energy
2. Prashwet Khobragade’s LinkedIn Post on Ather Energy

Mr. Ankit Rastogi is the Chief Product Officer of Angel One, formerly known as Angel Broking. The company rebranded in 2021 to reflect its evolution from a conventional brokerage service to a leading digital-first financial services firm. Mr. Rastogi’s background is unusual for the fintech industry: he transitioned from hospitality to finance, which became a core part of his message to the students.

• One of India’s most prominent fintech platforms
• Comprehensive digital platform for retail investors
• Supports trading and investment across a wide range of financial products
• Originally established in 1996 as Angel Broking
• Strategic rebranding in 2021 to Angel One

Mr. Vikash Mishra’s LinkedIn Post on Ather Energy

Mr. Prashwet Khobragade, who also has a hospitality background, captured the central line of the session in his LinkedIn post:

“Business is the reflection of a person’s personality. If your leader is arrogant or careless, that attitude spreads through the team and results suffer. But if the leader is disciplined, humble, and driven, that energy flows across everyone.”

The principle extends beyond individual leadership: you attract the kind of team and results that match who you are, not who you wish to be.

• Starting is always the hardest part
• The brain resists change
• The comparison Mr. Rastogi used: stopping mid-workout even though the body can do more
• You do not need to have everything figured out; you just need to begin

Ms. Kripa Patel’s LinkedIn Post on Ather Energy

• Artificial intelligence is not the future; it is the present
• Knowing how to use AI smartly gives an edge in any field
• Even if a college does not teach prompt engineering formally, it can be learned through YouTube and other free resources
• It is a skill that compounds over time

PU students are super inspired and they’ve redirected their energies by sharing their heartfelt experiences on LinkedIn –

Mr. Prashwet Khobragade’s LinkedIn Post on Angel One

Ms. Bhoomika Dharmesh Masrani’s LinkedIn Post on Angel One

Mr. Vikash Mishra’s LinkedIn Post on Angel One

These three sessions are directly relevant to several Parul University programmes:

• Tech Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Mechatronics, and Automobile Engineering: connects to Ather Energy’s EV manufacturing and charging infrastructure work
• BBA and MBA with Finance specialisation: connects to Angel One’s digital fintech platform and product management
• Tech Computer Science and Engineering with product management focus: connects to Rapido’s trust-based transparency model and product thinking

Ms. Aisha Nagina’s LinkedIn Post on Ather Energy