Entrepreneur's Live Interviews 🎙️

Priya Ranjan Mohanty
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India is evolving to become the next economic superpower. It is essential for everyone to play their part. We are doing so by building a platform where entrepreneurs can share their stories with the masses. We expect the result to be more people joining the path of entrepreneurship and in turn skyrocket our economy. ELI or Entrepreneur's Live Interviews 🎙️ is a social venture that aims to inspire young people into entrepreneurship. India needs a lot of entrepreneurs right now. Entrepreneurs create employment, produce economic value, and bring glory to our country.

  1. 3d ago

    ELI - 546 | From Aircraft Maintenance to AI That Never Forgets You | Dinakara Nagalla (Menthra)

    Dinakara Nagalla spent two decades building mission-critical software for airlines, then sold EmpowerMX to Swedish enterprise giant IFS. His next act is Menthra, an AI-powered emotional wellbeing platform that hit 50,000 downloads in under two months in India.In this episode he explains why he walked away from aviation, how Menthra's memory layer works differently from ChatGPT or Gemini, why he refuses to call it just a chatbot, and how the platform hands you over to a real human therapist the moment AI stops being the right answer.Dinakara began his career as a research engineer at IIT Bombay in 1995 before moving into aviation technology at American Airlines and EDS. He went on to found EmpowerMX, the first cloud-based MRO platform for aviation, which IFS acquired in 2024. He is the author of "Becoming Human: Embracing Imperfection and Finding Purpose" and the speaker behind the TEDx talk "The Algorithm That Broke Me". Menthra is headquartered in Frisco, Texas, with Indian operations through Menthra India Private Limited.Chapters:00:00 - Introduction00:51 - From IIT Bombay to Aviation: The Early Years03:20 - American Airlines, EDS and Deciding to Leave04:22 - Building EmpowerMX: Cloud for Aircraft Maintenance05:26 - The Name "Menthra": Where Mind Meets Heart06:52 - Why Should Everyday Problems Take Years to Solve?07:34 - More Than a Chatbot: AI, Therapists and Coaching10:04 - How Menthra's Memory Differs from ChatGPT12:37 - The User Journey and the Free Tier14:25 - Conversation Styles: Oracle, Best Friend, Therapist16:11 - When the AI Hands You Over to a Human16:53 - Pricing an Expensive AI Product19:21 - Go-To-Market: Digital, Campus Events and CHROs20:28 - 50,000 Downloads in Under Two Months23:36 - The 18-Month Roadmap: Workplaces and Universities26:05 - Going Global: 18 Countries by Year End27:29 - India's Mental Health Gap and the Stigma Problem28:34 - Building a Credentialed Clinician Network29:37 - Closing Thoughts---About ELI Podcast:ELI (Entrepreneur's Live Interviews) brings you inspiring stories from India's startup ecosystem. Real founders, real journeys, real insights.Website: https://eli-podcast.com

    ELI - 546 | From Aircraft Maintenance to AI That Never Forgets You | Dinakara Nagalla (Menthra)

  2. 3d ago

    ELI - 545 | Why Your AI Fails Without Data Engineering | Dr. Kamaljit Anand (KiE Square)

    Dr. Kamaljit Anand, Managing Partner & Chief Data Scientist at KiE Square Analytics and founder of KiEVerse, joins ELI to unpack what really makes enterprise AI work. From IIM Ahmedabad to Gallup and Fractal, he shares two decades of lessons on data science, the rise of data engineering, and why "poor data in means poor outputs out" no matter how good your AI is.KiE Square is a data-to-decisions analytics firm that has delivered 200+ programs globally across pharma, FMCG, retail, and financial services. Its product suite KiEVerse — BrandVerse, SpendVerse, and MarketVerse — brings digital brand equity, ad spend optimization, and marketplace intelligence under one roof. Dr. Anand also makes a strong case for Sovereign AI and small language models as the future of enterprise data.Chapters:00:00 - Introduction01:00 - From IIM Ahmedabad to Gallup & Fractal03:20 - Building KiE Square: Services to Products07:00 - Real Use Cases: Pharma Pricing Engines & FMCG11:00 - Marketing Data Lakes & Real-Time ROI13:45 - Is AI a Disruptor or an Enabler?17:30 - Real-Time Streaming Pipelines (Kafka, Flink, Airflow)21:10 - AI Reality Check: Privacy & Safety Concerns22:00 - How Do You Price a Data Product? Unit Economics22:50 - Inside KiEVerse: BrandVerse, SpendVerse, MarketVerse27:40 - The Future: Sovereign AI, SLMs & Data Sovereignty33:40 - Closing

    ELI - 545 | Why Your AI Fails Without Data Engineering | Dr. Kamaljit Anand (KiE Square)

  3. Jun 2

    ELI - 544 | Building a $300 Billion "Everything Human" Economy | Sanjeev Kumar (Harley of London)

    Sanjeev Kumar, Founder and CVO of Harley Street Healthcare Group and Global CEO of HARLEY of LONDON, joins ELI to share his vision for building the world's first integrated health, wellness, and lifestyle ecosystem. From Wall Street to Harley Street, he talks about the HOLNESS framework, bringing affordable genetic sequencing to India, and why tier 2 cities are the future of healthcare.Harley of London is a London-based luxury healthcare group expanding rapidly into India with its HOLNESS ecosystem and MyCare 360 digital platform. The company recently acquired Mahaveer Hospital in Aurangabad and is partnering with state governments on preventive genomics programs aimed at making healthcare more precise, personalized, and affordable.Chapters:00:00 - Introduction01:00 - The Entrepreneurial Journey: Trial, Error & Curiosity04:00 - The HOLNESS Framework Explained08:50 - India Market Entry & Genetic Sequencing Vision14:00 - Why Tier 2 Cities? The India Expansion Strategy19:30 - MyCare 360: The Digital Health Ecosystem23:00 - AI Agents Liora & Aarav: Your Health Companions26:00 - NBFC Financing for Healthcare29:00 - The Wholeness Dollar: A New Financial Infrastructure33:00 - AI in Healthcare: Practical Reality vs Hype38:30 - Closing---About ELI Podcast:ELI (Entrepreneur's Live Interviews) brings you inspiring stories from India's startup ecosystem. Real founders, real journeys, real insights.Website: https://eli-podcast.com

  4. Jun 2

    ELI - 543 | AI Won't Replace You - It Will Upgrade You | Akash Karnik (1Point1 Solutions)

    In this episode, Priya Ranjan Mohanty speaks with Akashanand (Akash) Karnik, Global COO & Whole Time Director of 1Point1 Solutions Limited - a BSE-listed, AI-powered Business Process Management (BPM) company operating across 9 delivery centers on 5 continents.Akash shares how India's BPM industry, once built entirely on labor arbitrage, is being transformed by AI. But his take is refreshingly human: 'It is not about human elimination - it's about upgrading the human to solve problems faster.' He walks us through 1Point1's growth via 3 strategic acquisitions in 3 years, how their AI platform handles multilingual CX across continents, the real impact of AI on jobs (reskilling vs. replacement), and why the company chose to go public on BSE. A candid conversation about the intersection of AI, people, and global business process delivery.Chapters:00:00 - Introduction & BSE Listing Congratulations00:45 - What Does 1Point1 Solutions Do?03:50 - Growth Strategy: M&A + Organic Sales04:55 - India's BPM Industry & the AI Disruption Question08:30 - Building an AI-First Tech Stack10:43 - AI for Multilingual Customer Support13:45 - AI's Real Impact: Cost Savings for Clients16:15 - Will AI Replace White-Collar Jobs?17:23 - 'It's Not About Elimination, It's About Upgrading'21:00 - Human-in-the-Loop: AI + People Working Together24:00 - AI in Customer Service: Real-World Examples27:27 - 'Upgrading the Human to Solve Problems Faster'29:05 - Closing Remarks---About ELI Podcast:ELI (Entrepreneur's Live Interviews) brings you inspiring stories from India's startup ecosystem. Real founders, real journeys, real insights.Website: https://eli-podcast.com

  5. Jun 2

    ELI - 542 | From 2 People to 500+ in Packaging Automation | Krunal Kantale (Alligator Automations)

    In this episode, Priya Ranjan Mohanty speaks with Krunal Kantale, Co-founder & MD of Alligator Automations - a packaging automation company based in Pune that has grown from 2 people to 500+ employees since its founding in 2008.Krunal and his co-founder Srinivas Choudhary started their journey winning 43 national and international robotics awards while still in college. They quit their jobs during the 2008 recession - against their families' wishes - and landed their first order of Rs 1.5 lakhs. Today, Alligator Automations serves industries from FMCG to fertilizers to chemicals, handling everything from primary packaging to palletizing, warehousing, and dispatch. He discusses the challenge of selling automation in a country where labor is cheap, the role of AI and computer vision in modern manufacturing, and how customization wins projects over standard machines.Chapters:00:00 - Introduction00:31 - About Alligator Automations01:00 - Krunal's Background & Experience04:14 - Starting During the 2008 Recession05:27 - First Order: Rs 1.5 Lakhs from Mumbai08:20 - What Alligator Automations Does09:47 - Is Packaging Automation a Big Market?12:30 - Use Cases: FMCG, Fertilizer, Chemicals15:15 - Pitching Automation When Labor is Cheap19:30 - Customization vs. Standard Machines21:00 - IoT, AI & Computer Vision in Manufacturing23:30 - Global Expansion: Middle East, Africa, Americas27:46 - Advice for Entrepreneurs29:05 - Closing Remarks---About ELI Podcast:ELI (Entrepreneur's Live Interviews) brings you inspiring stories from India's startup ecosystem. Real founders, real journeys, real insights.Website: https://eli-podcast.com

  6. Jun 2

    ELI - 541 | Solar Pays Off in 3 Years, Then 25 Years Free Power | Anand Jain (Aerem)

    In this episode, Priya Ranjan Mohanty speaks with Anand Jain, Founder & CEO of Aerem (meaning 'clean air' in Latin) - a solar-focused FinTech platform making rooftop solar adoption accessible through financing, technology, and an end-to-end ecosystem.Anand, a Yale MBA and former Wall Street investment banker, breaks down a staggering shift: 10 years ago, 70% of energy investment went to coal and gas. Today, 70% goes to solar. Yet India has tapped only 5-7% of its rooftop solar potential. The catch? Lack of financing, fragmented installer ecosystem, and consumer hesitation. Aerem solves this with structured loan products, a curated solar equipment marketplace (SunStore), remote monitoring (AeROC), and training for 2,000+ EPC partners. He also discusses India's dramatic shift from 90% Chinese module imports to 85% domestic manufacturing in just two years.Chapters:00:00 - Introduction00:37 - What is Aerem?01:00 - The Company Name: Clean Air in Latin04:20 - Solar Energy: Current State & Potential05:00 - 70% of Energy Investment Now Goes to Solar09:00 - Solar is 70-80% Cheaper Than Grid Power09:35 - Why Isn't Every Rooftop Solar Yet?10:00 - The Financing Gap Aerem Solves12:50 - 2,000 Projects in 4 Years14:00 - Consumer Hesitation & Technology Maturity16:55 - Standalone Solar vs. Hybrid with Battery21:00 - India's Solar Manufacturing Revolution24:00 - Future of Solar Technology26:40 - Advice for Entrepreneurs29:05 - Closing Remarks---About ELI Podcast:ELI (Entrepreneur's Live Interviews) brings you inspiring stories from India's startup ecosystem. Real founders, real journeys, real insights.Website: https://eli-podcast.com

  7. Jun 2

    ELI - 540 | Who Takes Care of Your Parents When You Live Abroad? | Navneet Gupta (ServiceGTD)

    In this episode, Priya Ranjan Mohanty speaks with Navneet Gupta, Founder & CEO of ServiceGTD (Get Things Done) - a platform solving elder care and concierge services for NRIs whose parents live back in India.Navneet shares his personal journey as an NRI who realized the massive gap in India's elder care ecosystem. With no single reliable platform for NRIs to arrange care for aging parents remotely, he built ServiceGTD - a trusted concierge that handles everything from caretakers and nurses to daily errands. He discusses the fragmented service landscape, partnering with local providers across India, using AI chatbots to bridge timezone gaps, quality control challenges, and the emotional weight of caring for loved ones from thousands of miles away.Chapters:00:00 - Introduction00:36 - What is ServiceGTD?01:04 - Why the Name GTD (Get Things Done)03:30 - The NRI Problem: Elder Care Gap in India04:54 - Problems ServiceGTD Solves08:30 - COVID as an Eye-Opener for Elder Care10:05 - Building the Platform & Service Categories12:45 - Care at Home: Attendants & Nurses16:30 - Using AI & Chatbots for 24/7 Support18:28 - Operating as a Young Company with Partners22:26 - Vetting & Selecting Service Partners25:30 - The Onboarding & Fulfillment Process26:15 - Scaling Pan-India: City-by-City Strategy28:30 - Quality & Trust: Refusing Bad-Fit Customers32:00 - Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs32:52 - Closing Remarks---About ELI Podcast:ELI (Entrepreneur's Live Interviews) brings you inspiring stories from India's startup ecosystem. Real founders, real journeys, real insights.Website: https://eli-podcast.com

  8. Jun 2

    ELI - 539 | 60% of Internet Traffic is Bots - She's Fixing It with Blockchain | Manasa Rajan

    In this episode, Priya Ranjan Mohanty speaks with Manasa Rajan, Co-founder & CEO of Jupiter Meta - a deep tech startup using zero-knowledge proofs and blockchain to deliver privacy-first consumer intelligence.Manasa shares how 60% of internet traffic today comes from bots, making traditional data collection and ad targeting unreliable. Jupiter Meta's solution uses on-device Aadhaar verification (zkKYC) to prove users are real humans without ever storing their personal data. She walks us through their products - Superch (consumer app), Hercules (AI-powered brand intelligence platform), and Poseidon (deep data query tool) - and their recent MoU with the Karnataka government.Chapters:00:00 - Introduction00:33 - Manasa's Background & Entrepreneurial Journey01:33 - Why Jupiter Meta Was Born03:00 - The Data Quality Problem05:35 - 60% of Internet Traffic is Bots08:01 - How Jupiter Meta Solves This08:16 - Zero Knowledge Proof & On-Device KYC10:55 - The Superch App & User Experience13:55 - How Brands Use the Data (Hercules Platform)17:15 - Poseidon: Deep Research & Consumer Insights19:30 - Behavioral Data from Real App Usage21:37 - Is Privacy a Myth? The Decentralized Difference25:04 - Vision: Democratizing Data Access for Entrepreneurs28:08 - Closing Remarks---About ELI Podcast:ELI (Entrepreneur's Live Interviews) brings you inspiring stories from India's startup ecosystem. Real founders, real journeys, real insights.Website: https://eli-podcast.com

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India is evolving to become the next economic superpower. It is essential for everyone to play their part. We are doing so by building a platform where entrepreneurs can share their stories with the masses. We expect the result to be more people joining the path of entrepreneurship and in turn skyrocket our economy. ELI or Entrepreneur's Live Interviews 🎙️ is a social venture that aims to inspire young people into entrepreneurship. India needs a lot of entrepreneurs right now. Entrepreneurs create employment, produce economic value, and bring glory to our country.

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