In this episode of This Round Is On Me, Gauri is joined by Yash Kotak who works with the Bombay Hemp Company. Yash started his career as a media & advertising professional at leading global agencies and is now the CMO of BOHECO. He opens the wings of business development and places the company’s central communication strategy, performance marketing initiatives, sales, and conventional media planning in the center of his workday. Bombay Hemp Company was incorporated in 2013, is an Agro-based ...
Apr 27, 2022•39 min•Season 1Ep. 56
For a global brand to target a particular market, it is very important for it to tap into its culture, currency, dynamics, network, and media. And to facilitate this, it needs the help of an insider who understands both sides and can accordingly help with progressive next steps for the same. Times Bridge, as the name suggests, has been one such insider that has been helping global marquee brands thrive in the India market. On this Round, Gauri is joined by their EVP & India Country Head- Vir...
Apr 13, 2022•40 min•Season 1Ep. 55
Women's activewear as a category is often a subset of the larger category that prioritizes men's wear. Minu saw this as not just an issue but also an opportunity and built BlissClub, a company that focuses on the best quality, comfortable, pocket enriched activewear for women. In this episode of This Round Is On Me, Minu Margeret, CEO & Founder, BlissClub, speaks to Gauri about why she chose to build a start-up, how did she identify a problem statement to solve, the fashion industry and its ...
Mar 30, 2022•48 min•Season 1Ep. 54
It's none other than Vidya Balan on the episode today! Catch her in a candid conversation with Gauri about her journey so far, the ups and downs, coping mechanisms and much more. She tells us how did she get her first role, her debut Bengali film, her love for acting and how she has enjoyed working on every project so far. Gauri and Vidya discuss how failure affects them and their various means of dealing with it, what are some support systems they have in place. Further, she tells us how she fe...
Mar 16, 2022•41 min•Season 1Ep. 53
In this Round, Gauri is joined by Jaisal Singh of the Sujan group. He recalls his parents' discovery of Ranthambore and how that place eventually became home for the family, his initial years around forts and wildlife, the love and passion for animals, his business initiatives at a young age, and how they are an established hospitality brand in the region working to provide luxury with a conscience. You can find him @jaisalsujansingh on Instagram Check out Sujan , & Relais Chateux on Instagr...
Mar 02, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 52
It's Valentine's week and a very special episode with a beautiful couple who have known each other for 2 decades, are the most adorable in reel and real life, and have recently launched their own company. Presenting Genelia & Riteish Deshmukh- Actors, and co-founders of Imagine Meats. They tell us how they went from being hard-core non-vegetarians to pure vegetarians and then slowly transitioning to Veganism; and how this laid the foundation for Imagine Meats- a plant based meat venture that...
Feb 16, 2022•46 min•Season 1Ep. 51
We turn the tables and this round is on Kavita Rajwade, IVM Podcasts' co-founder, who takes over host duties as Gauri is on the hot seat. They reflect upon the 50 episodes published so far and recall some special moments from the recordings. They look back at how far Gauri, as a host; and the show, as a way to empower its listener via bringing forth empowering stories of folks, have come. And towards the end, we also put Gauri on the spot with some tricky Rapid Fire questions. We look forward to...
Feb 02, 2022•40 min
A friend of Mother Nature and nurturer to many plants and worms, here is Vani Murthy, the queen of composting joining Gauri Devidayal on the show today. She is an urban farmer, an advocate of sustainability, a practitioner of the zero-waste lifestyle, a citizen activist for waste management, and a social media influencer. In this episode, she talks about her journey into composting, why is waste segregation important for the planet's health and how it prevents global warming, the idea of 'grow w...
Jan 26, 2022•54 min•Season 1Ep. 50
To give you a context about the rebellion mentioned in the title, our guest for the day chose hospitality to avoid the 'told you' statement from her parents. And that worked in her favour for today she is one of the most recognised overseas chefs of India. Aarthi Sampath is a New York-based renowned chef, restaurant consultant, food truck expert and TV personality, one of the industry’s rising stars, now gaining popularity with her stint as judge on MasterChef Tamil.Born and raised in Mumbai, sh...
Aug 25, 2021•51 min•Season 1Ep. 49
She says conversations spark action. And she has struck conversations, pointed out the issues and searched for solutions all her life so far and continues to do so. Championing for the cause of bringing women into the mainstream, yearning for equality at the workplace, and society in general; breaking the shackles of patriarchal thought and encouraging everyone else to do so, questioning the wrong and highlighting the right. Shaili Chopra is the founder of Asia's biggest media platform for women...
Aug 18, 2021•55 min•Season 1Ep. 48
News connects us to the rest of the world, shapes our opinions, makes us concerned, helps us take awareness of our habits and privileges, promotes empathy, and just keeps everyone connected. And it's only fair that we have access to facts and true figures. Indian readership has majorly been newspapers, and the present time has seen a shift to e-papers or digital media outlets that either take sides or bombard you with information. Lakshmi Chaudhry recognised this and based on her rich experience...
Aug 11, 2021•53 min•Season 1Ep. 47
A regular day's commute is just a few kilometres to office and back. Maybe a detour to the cafe/bar/restaurant/departmental store which hardly counts. And if you count for a month, 6 months, or even a year- that amounts to a significant number of days. And imagine the amount of fossil fuel use saved, the amount of pollution avoided, the money saved and the carbon footprint reduced. And all of this is possible by encouraging more Electric vehicles that can sustain a day's commute in a basic charg...
Aug 04, 2021•53 min•Season 1Ep. 46
They say Art is a brave choice. To pursue an art form is purely based on passion and almost always takes you beyond a comfort zone. Our guest today comes from a mixed culture, has led a life at the confluence of tradition and modernity, and has chosen the road less travelled. She is Sukki Menon, known by her stage name- Sukki Singapora, a Burlesque artist with a story of self discovery and empowerment. Tune in to listen to her share her inspiring journey with Gauri Devidayal. Find her on Social ...
Jul 28, 2021•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 45
Some days he is the Chief Executive officer, some days, the Chief Energy Officer and on some days, he even takes the role of a plumber/referee and what not. As much as it has been a tough but adventurous climb to the top, the view is amazing and being able to see the bigger picture is being able to, therefore, solve bigger issues. Having stepped up with the help of a, now slightly archiac, management degree, work and life have been his biggest teachers. To get an almost accurate insight into a c...
Jul 21, 2021•43 min•Season 1Ep. 44
While everything around this place underwent massive changes, it stood tall silently in service and observation. It witnessed generations of buildings, human beings and companies, and lived to tell the tale. What is it we are talking about? Shree Thaker Bhojanalay, nestled in the Kalbadevi street in SoBo, contrasting the tall glass buildings and overlooking the pastas and pizzas of today. It has retained the old world charm, the taste of home and exudes the warmth of the familiar. This Round, Ga...
Jul 14, 2021•55 min•Season 1Ep. 43
Before summiting Mount Everest - the highest peak in the world, Harshvardhan had many more things to conquer- physical health, his mind, the financial difficulties, and it being 2021- even Covid 19. At multiple points, there were obstructions leading to several changes of plans but that did not deter him, and this year in May, he made history. Join Gauri Devidayal as she speaks to Harshvardhan Joshi who shares his journey to the top of the world, his love for the mountains, and how he got there....
Jun 30, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 42
Some actors leave a mark on you because they are so good, so different and so versatile. Poorna Jagannathan was first seen in Delhi Belly, and we could never forget her. And to our surprise, when she came on the screen in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, even for a few minutes, we were so happy to see her and remembered her! And now she is winning hearts with her role as the Desi NRI mum with a difficult teenage daughter in Netflix's series 'Never Have I Ever', the second season of which drops on 15th J...
Jun 23, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 41
If we recollect, the first 20 years of our life were more or less predefined by the state. Preschool, school, college, and university. Like guinea pigs on a wheel, we kept going and stopped only when the state-mandated prescriptions were done and we had to think for ourselves. And in spite of working so hard all through the years, we had no clue what to do next. So, meet Chaitanya Motwane. He is 20, done with the 12th grade and he has been accepted by a prestigious university abroad. But he chos...
Jun 16, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 40
When the second wave hit, nobody was prepared for it. And when things got worse, people who had the resources and ability offered help in whatever way possible. Some donated money, some volunteered with organizations, some mobilized resources via social media, and some, like our guests, arranged fresh and healthy home-cooked meals and bake sales for those in need. It was a situation- grandparents who couldn't cook for themselves, kids whose parents were on duty/hospitalized, people living alone ...
Jun 09, 2021•39 min•Season 1Ep. 39
If you are a Mumbaikar, you're well aware of the very popular and loved 'Mumbai Mirror'. The first page would carry the city's big news and the next one would carry, what everyone would say, gossip, but was actually just news about popular people. You liked it, you hated it, but you'd always read it. And one of the major contributing members, Namrata Zakaria joins Gauri Devidayal on this round. Namrata is a journalist and columnist for various publications where she mainly writes on fashion &...
Jun 02, 2021•59 min•Season 1Ep. 38
The hospitality industry was badly hit by the pandemic. With most of the staff leaving for their respective hometowns owing to the lockdown, and a responsibility to those staying back, combined with low business; restauranteurs like our host Gauri, and our guests- Yash & Sameer had a big challenge in front of them. From opening up deliveries to setting up cloud kitchens, and at the same time being accountable to both staff & consumers- they have lived through it to tell the tale. This ro...
May 26, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 37
Starting 2020, the world more or less entirely moved online. And for most of us, we check emails in the same system as we browse Twitter or conduct transactions. The same system has multiple personal and professional data stocked up and all of this lies at a huge risk of being wiped out in a single click. You read that right. Remember those lottery emails that gave us joy for precisely one second before our rationale kicked in? Or a random call asking for OTP? If this is the case on an individua...
May 19, 2021•52 min•Season 1Ep. 36
Empowered women, empower everyone. Here is someone who draws inspiration from the previous generation of strong women and leads the way for the coming generation, someone who believes in herself and her upbringing. Today on the show, we have Gauri's mom- Meera Devidayal. She is a mom to 3 daughters and is here to share all the wisdom she has gained through the years of nurturing 3 daughters- all as different as chalk, cheese & chocolate! As all moms would say, these hair aren't white for not...
May 12, 2021•33 min•Season 1Ep. 35
Brands personify a product but PR grooms them, makes them presentable and spotlight-ready. It connects the brand to the public, builds and maintains those connections, protects its image, and is one of the pillars of its standing. PR in India and the world has seen massive growth and maturation. It started as press conferences, press releases to newspapers and journals, to digital presence, to making it big on social media, and to now- the influencer and digital content creation and trends age. ...
May 05, 2021•59 min•Season 1Ep. 34
We are amidst a pandemic, a public health emergency. And there is a clutter of information available out there on the internet, on social media, on 'Whatsapp University'. In order to declutter all of that and bring forth important handy guidelines to refer to in these times, we invited Dr. Pankaj Narvekar to talk about the situation and share some important information. Dr. Narvekar has been working with the Covid facility at NSCI Dome, Worli for more than a year. He tells us about:-His life as ...
May 03, 2021•31 min
Not every product is a brand but can be. For that, the business must think like its target audience and offer them a piece of their personality as well. People not only look for quality and/or quantity but also how does it add value and flavour to their lives? Old school branding would bank on just quality but with multiple players, there needs to be something that stands out. Also, businesses need to keep a tab on trends and evolve along with the customer to stay relevant. And to help with that...
Apr 28, 2021•56 min•Season 1Ep. 33
We all turn to desserts on our rough days. Desserts are sweet. And so is this episode where Gauri invited her little daughter Dia to talk about her take on recent times. As grown-ups, we are trying hard to innovate and strategize for the post-Covid times, a lot of us are in the safe confines of home but battling frustration, some of us are digital nomads working from the beaches and mountains fighting bad WiFi. But here is a 7-year-old, representing her cohort, finding happiness in being able to...
Apr 21, 2021•24 min•Season 1Ep. 32
We all love some lazy time where everything else is taken care of and all you have to do is relax. What makes it better is if you have beverages and food at your disposal without even having to lift a finger. And if all this is in a homely environment, it'll be perfection! When all these dreams lie shattered in recent times as you try to balance work, people and chores like a newbie juggler, we plant a seed of hope in this episode where Gauri talks to Devendra Parulekar about weekend homes and g...
Apr 14, 2021•54 min•Season 1Ep. 31
Traveling is all about exploring a certain place, its culture, food, monuments; catching a vibe and returning with luggage and souvenirs. The only ritual post that is to unpack and get back to life. But for Divia, it is all about unpacking the brain and memory of all the input it has had in the days of travel and purging them into a document which will be dissected and published, and bits of it will find their way into social media and be immortalized forever. Yes, she is Divia Thani- now the gl...
Apr 07, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 30
He has represented India in 105 international events over the past 16 years. He has 13 medals at the national level, and two golds at the international stage. With these credentials, ideally, most of us would have been able to recollect who this person might be but we don't because- what happens in Kashmir, stays in Kashmir! The person in consideration is Arif Khan- professional Alpine skier from India, now looking forward to representing India at the Beijing Winter Olympics scheduled for Februa...
Mar 31, 2021•34 min•Season 1Ep. 29
