CII Podcasts

Sudarshan Chari, MD & Head of SME Banking at DBS Bank India, discusses how digital infrastructure from Aadhaar to UPI and ONDC is transforming India’s MSMEs and shaping a more efficient, personalised future for SME banking.

Aniket S Gandhi, Head of R&D, Strategy & Operations, and Site Leader for Unilever’s Mumbai R&D Centre shares how industry–academia partnerships, startups and policy shifts can accelerate India’s rise as a global R&D powerhouse.

Tune in as Neena Gupta, Ambassador for the CII Committee on Senior Care & renowned actor, shares how societal attitudes and expectations around ageing impact seniors’ dignity, autonomy, and emotional wellbeing, while focusing on the shifts needed to support them better.

Dmitry Trubitsyn, Founder, Airvoice and Ashwini K Channan, CEO, Airvoice explore how scalable technology, cross-sector partnerships and a clear vision can turn clean air from an aspiration into a reality.

Listen to Prof. V. Ramgopal Rao, Group Vice Chancellor, Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS) Pilani, share insights on how industry–academia partnerships can power India’s R&D ecosystem, driving innovation, building a future-ready workforce, and strengthening the country’s position as a global research and innovation hub.

Ms Smriti Irani, Founder and Chairperson, The Alliance for Global Good: Gender Equity & Equality & Advisor, Women’s Collective Forum and Dr Randeep Guleria, Chairman, Governing Council, CII Centre for Health, Chairman – Internal Medicine, Respiratory and Sleep Medicine Medanta – The Medicity share insights on how gender inequality affects women’s health and the need to address issues like anemia and access to care. They emphasize integrating gender into health policies, using data to inform decisions, breaking cultural barriers, and leveraging technology for making healthcare more accessible for women, especially in rural and underserved areas.

Anisfatima Jafar Shaikh, known as Salma, shares her journey from starting out as a street vendor to emerging as a transformational leader who has mobilized, protected, and uplifted thousands of Mumbai’s street vendors, turning a historically vulnerable community into a recognized and financially secure workforce.

Vivek Shah, Vice Chairman of the CII National Committee on Intellectual Property and CEO of Meril Life Sciences, shares insights on India’s growing innovation landscape, the power of intellectual property and the role of cutting-edge medical technologies in shaping the future of healthcare.