The most consistent theme across 15 leaders is that failure is not a setback. It is a data point.
Kaushik Mitra (CFO, PepsiCo India) framed it operationally: 1 out of 5 products succeed in business. That means 4 out of 5 fail. If the CFO of PepsiCo builds failure into his operating model, the question is not whether you will fail but how quickly you recover. His framework: fail fast, master your internal mindset when you fail, and build the resilience to restart and come again.
Karthik Venkat (Google India, 15 years) made it personal: he lost his first placement at Virtusa in June 2005, two days before his start date. Two days. The job he had prepared for, planned around, and anchored his post-graduation identity to, disappeared in a phone call. His lesson: start again. His career framework after that: curiosity is your superpower, passion drives purpose, and in the AI era, get back to basics. You too can leverage AI mindfully by enrolling in Parul University’s Bachelor of Technology in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science!
Jitendra Jain (PwC India) scored 54 percent in his 10th standard and took a gap year doing nothing before pursuing English Honours. He is now Tax Partner and Executive Director at one of the world’s largest professional services firms. His framework: patience is above everything. There is no such thing as overnight success. The rigid timelines society imposes do not define what you can become. Are you passionate about business consulting? Then create a successful career in same domain by enrolling in Parul University’s Integrated BBA + MBA Course.
“When was the last time you did something for the first time?”
Read a full coverage on Delhi Leadership Tour – PU Students Met Leaders from PepsiCo, RBI, Google & Ducati!
On What Actually Matters in a Career
Ashwini Lohani (Former Chairman Railway Board, Former CMD Air India) reduced it to one sentence: by being a good human being, anything is possible. He committed to spending 25 days a year on front lines, not in offices. Integrity is the ultimate trait. Culture is the core differentiator. Courage to correct what is wrong separates leaders from administrators.
The RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das drew his definition of success from the Bhagavad Gita: Hardwork, Sincerity, Commitment, and Motivation. He warned about the Cobra Effect: sometimes the solution creates more problems than the original problem. The design of any scheme, any policy, any career decision matters more than the intention behind it. His advice: apply your mind, be true instead of being clinical.
Bipul Chandra (MD, Ducati India) came from a non-business family. His framework for career decisions: do what the heart says, do what the head says. Balance both. His sales strategy draws from The Art of War: know your enemy, know your territory, know the person you are meeting. In high-level sales, you cannot afford to make a mistake. Ducati maintains luxury status paradoxically by increasing the price.
“Patience is above everything. Follow your passion is completely not right. Prioritise.”
On Communication, Authenticity, and Standing Out
Marya Shakil (Executive Editor, NDTV) started in the CNN newsroom in 2005 and works 16-hour days. Her framework: anyone who goes on air without doing the leg work should be concerned about their longevity. The core of journalism is bringing stories that are not seen or heard. Her advice to young people: don’t fit in, be unique, read read read.
Rajeev Shukla (MP, VP BCCI) addressed networking: create utility and build your USP before approaching people in authority. It is easy to create relationships but hard to maintain them. No jealousy, no gossip, cultivate reading. True success is uplifting other people along with you.
Sminu Jindal (MD, Jindal SAW) shared a deeply personal story: a life-altering event at age 11 led to homeschooling out of embarrassment. She overcame it by talking to herself truthfully in the mirror, fully accepting herself, and joining the family business at 19. Her framework: talent has no shape or form. Mistakes teach more than successes. Her Qutub Minar accessibility project proved that inclusivity is not charity but an economic investment: the monument earned twice the revenue after becoming accessible.
“Don’t fit in. Be unique. Read read read.”
On Leadership and People
Lt General Sayed, known as the People’s General, served 25 years in Kashmir during the conflict period (1990-2011). His framework: public is the king. Human right is dignity. Listen, do not speak. Reach out to people if you want to know what is going on. He returned dignity to people who had lived with conflict for over two decades. A leader is not someone who just leads but someone who puts his own mind to it, takes inputs, analyses, then acts.
Anish Gawande (NCP Spokesperson) addressed what holds this generation back: we are deeply conditioned to chase the safe path. His counter: tangible activism means bringing actual people on board and showing real numbers. Delulu is not the solulu. Parliamentary debate is dying. Gen Z no longer watches traditional news. Real change requires stepping outside digital rallies into real-world mobilisation.
What 15 Leaders Reveal About Career Building
Failure is operational, not terminal. PepsiCo’s CFO builds it into his model (1 in 5). Google’s Head lost his first job 2 days before starting. PwC’s ED scored 54% in 10th. None of them stopped
- Character beats credentials. Railway Chairman: good human being first. RBI Governor: be true, not clinical. BCCI VP: no gossip, no jealousy. Ducati MD: balance heart and head
- Communication is the differentiator. NDTV Editor: 16-hour days of leg work. PepsiCo CFO: Head, Hand, Heart. Ducati MD: opening statement in an email matters. Lt General: listen, don’t speak
- Authenticity scales. Jindal SAW MD: talk to yourself truthfully. Google Head: curiosity is your superpower. PwC ED: the more you say no, the better your focus. NDTV Editor: don’t fit in
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Frequently Asked Questions
What career advice did the RBI Governor give?
Shaktikanta Das (25th RBI Governor) defined success from the Bhagavad Gita: Hardwork, Sincerity, Commitment, Motivation. He warned about the Cobra Effect (sometimes solutions create more problems). He stressed direct and clear communication. Three pillars of research: Knowledge, Intelligence, Wisdom. Apply your mind, be true instead of being clinical.
What did Google India's Head say about AI and careers?
Karthik Venkat (15 years at Google) said AI is extremely good and will make jobs more meaningful, but it can hallucinate. His recommendation for the AI era: get back to basics and build your foundation from scratch. He shared losing his first placement 2 days before starting as proof that resilience matters more than any single opportunity. Curiosity is your superpower. Passion drives purpose.
