Dilse Omni : Talks - with Saurabh Agrawal

Saurabh Agrawal
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Today, every brand is chasing Omnichannel growth—but the world of Omnichannel is complex, with multiple moving parts. This podcast is an honest attempt to decode Omnichannel success across industries, exploring how businesses can leverage technology, analytics, AI, and growth marketing to scale. Hosted by Saurabh Agrawal, a seasoned Omnichannel expert with deep experience in tech, analytics, and growth marketing, each episode brings candid conversations with leaders and practitioners who have built growth stories in B2B and B2C brands alike. 🔹 New episodes every fortnight starting October

  1. 4d ago

    Why Conversational AI Could Be the Future of Customer Engagement | Beerud Sheth | Dilse Omni Talks

    AI is changing more than how we use technology. It is changing how businesses talk to their customers.Gupshup now powers 120+ billion messages every year for 50,000+ customers across 130+ countries. But Beerud Sheth believes the bigger shift is still ahead: moving from one-way marketing and clicks to AI-powered conversations where every customer can have a more personalised interaction with a brand.In this conversation, Saurabh Agrawal sits down with Beerud Sheth, Co-Founder and CEO of ⁨@gupshupdotai⁩ to explore how AI agents are transforming customer engagement, marketing, sales and the way businesses build relationships with consumers.What will you learn in this episode?• How AI is changing the way brands communicate with customers• Why the atomic unit of marketing could shift from the click to the conversation• Why AI agents could become the new front door for brands• How personalised AI agents could change advertising and marketplaces• What marketers need to rethink in an AI-first world• Why proprietary context may become one of the biggest advantages in AI• How companies should think about building versus buying AI capabilities• Why lightweight AI wrappers may struggle as foundation models become more powerful• How Gupshup evolved from messaging to conversational AI• What the future of omnichannel customer engagement could look like00:00 - Preview & Introduction03:27 - 30 Years of Autonomous AI Agents & MIT Media Lab05:16 - Founding Elance (Upwork) & Pioneering the Gig Economy08:23 - The Genesis of Gupshup: SMS-Based Social Networking10:31 - Redefining Omnichannel: The Shift to Conversational Surfaces15:35 - Platform Strategy for CMOs: Build vs. Buy in the AI Era26:43 - Why Context is King: What Frontier Models Can't Do30:16 - AI Harnesses Explained: Inside Gupshup's SuperAgent34:39 - AI Superhuman Campaigns & Real-Time AB Testing40:17 - Gupshup's Evolution: From Messaging to AI Platform43:03 - Good vs. Bad AI Bots: Rufus vs. Loop Traps46:03 - From Broadcast Messaging to a Conversational Mindset53:23 - The Convergence of Marketing, Sales, and Support58:04 - Taking Gupshup Global: Building a Multi-Local Company01:02:01 - Regional Differences in Conversational AI (India, LatAm, Middle East)01:06:10 - Evolution of UI: Moving from Structured Clicks to Natural Conversation01:10:00 - The Rise of Voice & Ambient AI Interactions01:14:13 - Premium 1:1 Brand Experiences for Every Customer01:20:22 - The Disintermediation of Marketplaces & Ads in the Agent Era01:27:12 - Why Horizontal SaaS is Getting Disrupted & What Survives01:31:47 - Framework: Humans → Prompts → Loops → Graphs01:35:05 - Advice for Young Entrepreneurs Building AI Products01:40:27 - Beerud's Mantra for Continuous Learning01:43:01 - Health, Energy Management & One Meal a Day (OMAD)About the Guest:Beerud Sheth is the Co-Founder and CEO of  @gupshupdotai , a global conversational AI platform for marketing, commerce and customer support. He graduated from IIT Bombay and completed his master's at MIT, where his research at the MIT Media Lab focused on autonomous learning agents for personalised news filtering.In 1998, Beerud co-founded Elance, one of the early pioneers of online freelancing and the gig economy. Elance later became Upwork, which is now a publicly listed company. He went on to build Gupshup, which has evolved from a messaging platform into a global conversational AI company.About Dilse OmniDilse Omni is a podcast hosted by Saurabh Agrawal, Founder of  @daiom-ai . The show features conversations with founders, business leaders and industry experts on omnichannel growth, marketing, retail, consumer brands and building businesses that last.Subscribe to Dilse Omni Talks for conversations on entrepreneurship, technology, AI, marketing, investing and the future of business.

  2. Sep 9

    Founder to Investor: Arjun Vaidya’s Omnichannel Playbook | Dilse Omni Talks E23

    Arjun Vaidya on Omnichannel, Dr Vaidya’s mistakes, Advice for founders and Why He Gave Up on Offline | DilSe Omni Talks E23He signed 6 distributors, sent ₹10 lakh worth of stock into general trade, and got back ₹9 lakh in returns with only ₹1 lakh in payment. That failure is what taught Arjun Vaidya everything he now knows about omnichannel, and it's the reason Dr. Vaidya's became one of India's most-watched D2C exits.In this episode of DilSe Omni Talks, Saurabh sits down with Arjun Vaidya, founder of @DrVaidyas , mentor to 1,500+ entrepreneurs, and Idea Baaz judge, and now Managing Partner at V3 Ventures, to unpack what omnichannel really means today, why "D2C" has become the wrong word, and what changes when you go from founder to mentor to VC.What we cover in this episode:→ What omnichannel actually means today → Why did Arjun give up on offline entirely → Building "Founders for Founders" from a beach house, and teaching 1,500+ entrepreneurs → What it's really like shooting Idea Baaz → The three stages of quick commerce → India vs. US, Europe, and Pakistan: how D2C energy differs across markets → Brands he missed investing → Two pieces of mentor advice that shaped his investing: don't chase "the next Flipkart," and never raise a fund over $50–70M → His investment framework: 50% founder, 20% market, 30% numbers → Sectors he's bullish on: sports, specialised beauty, men's grooming, and pet humanisation → Advice for young founders → The most underrated founder metric: organic, non-paid share of revenueChapters:00:00 Preview03:37 The GT Disaster That Taught Arjun What Omni Really Means08:01 Giving Up on Offline, and Arjun's exit from Dr Vaidya's12:57 Online Teaching to 1,500+ Entrepreneurs19:11 Shark Tank, Idea Baaz, and What TV Doesn't Show You21:51 Adil Qadri's fragrance business and the secrets23:01 Reading Category Signals: When Does a D2C Brand Need Offline?27:25 Quick commerce role in omnichannel29:09 Distribution, Owned IP, and the Content Playbook 37:14 Arjun's views on Influencer marketing39:17 Honest Labels, and Why D2C Is a Philosophy Now 42:41 D2C brands outside of India46:52 Confessions of a VC: PE vs. VC, and the Missed Deals 56:03 The Investment Framework and Pitch Advice for Founders59:32 From Pickleball Courts to What He's Betting On Next 01:05:11 Legacy Brands, & advice to brands going from offline to online01:11:00 Rapid Fire and ClosingAbout the Guest:Arjun Vaidya is the founder of Dr. Vaidya's, the Ayurvedic wellness brand he built and scaled before its exit, choosing to sell rather than take the business offline himself. Since then, he has taught more than 1,500 entrepreneurs through GrowthSchool cohorts and his own "Founders for Founders" mentoring, judged on Idea Baaz, and now serves as Managing Partner at V3 Ventures, where he invests across consumer brands and consumer technology, with a portfolio spanning wellness, beauty, sports, and D2C.About Dilse Omni:Dilse Omni is a podcast hosted by Saurabh Agrawal, Founder of @daiom-ai . The show features conversations with founders, business leaders, and industry experts on omnichannel growth, marketing, retail, and building businesses that last.Download our FREE 50-page Omnichannel Guide: https://tinyurl.com/daiom-omni-guideVisit our website: https://dilseomni.talk/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sauag/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sau_ag7/Nominate a Guest on DilSe Omni Talks: https://forms.gle/g4eAJde59jXHBki76Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/dilse-omniArjun Vaidya, Dr Vaidya's, V3 Ventures, D2C, omnichannel, quick commerce, Shark Tank India, Idea Baaz, consumer brands, venture capital, founder branding, owned IP, DilSe Omni Talks, DAiOM podcast#ArjunVaidya #D2C #Omnichannel #ShikhaTankIndia #VentureCapital #QuickCommerce #ConsumerBrands #DrVaidyas #DilSeOmniTalks #DAiOM

  3. Aug 28

    The ₹2.5 Lakh Crore Gifting Economy Nobody Talks About | Nitin Jain | Dilse Omni Talks | Episode 22

    India’s gifting economy is estimated nearly ₹2.5 lakh crore - but gifting is much more than products, packaging, and occasions. It is an industry built around emotion, culture, creativity, and human connection.In this episode of Dilse Omni Talks, Saurabh Agrawal sits down with Nitin Jain, Founder of  @Indigifts , to explore the evolving world of gifting and the opportunity it presents for Indian creators, brands, and entrepreneurs.Nitin is an animator, creator, entrepreneur, and founder who brings together creativity, technology, culture, and commerce to rethink how we gift and how products are created.From his journey through  @SharkTankIndia  to building products like Seed Rakhi, Nitin shares how gifting can move beyond commodities to become more personal, meaningful, and rooted in Indian culture.In this episode, you’ll learn:- Why India’s gifting economy is a ₹2.5 lakh crore opportunity- Why gifting is fundamentally about emotion, not just products- What the Orange Economy means and how creativity and culture can translate into capital- How AVGC-XR fits into India’s creative economy- Nitin’s journey from animator to entrepreneur and creator- The thinking behind IndiGifts and products like Seed Rakhi- How Shark Tank influenced his entrepreneurial journey- What it means to be a CoPreneur- The Power of Co and the role of community in entrepreneurship- How CoCircle creates accountability and a safe space for founders- How culture, content, technology, and commerce can come together- Why phygital experiences could shape the future of retail and gifting- Nitin’s vision for building and promoting Rajasthan’s startup ecosystem- What it takes to build businesses that create impact beyond just revenueThis is a conversation about gifting, creativity, culture, entrepreneurship, community, and building from India for the world.Get our free 50-page Omnichannel Guide — your playbook for driving Omni growth → https://tinyurl.com/daiom-omni-guide👤 About the guest:Nitin Jain is an animator, creator, entrepreneur, and Founder of  @Indigifts  building at the intersection of creativity, technology, culture, and commerce. Through IndiGifts, he is reimagining gifting as a more personal and meaningful experience while also working to strengthen Rajasthan’s startup ecosystem.🎙️ About Dilse OmniDilse Omni is a podcast by Saurabh Agrawal, Founder of  @daiom-ai  featuring honest conversations on omnichannel growth, marketing leadership, customer experience, retail innovation, entrepreneurship, and building businesses that last.Through conversations with founders, CXOs, creators, and business leaders, Dilse Omni explores the ideas, decisions, and experiences shaping the future of modern businesses.Subscribe to Dilse Omni for more conversations on building brands, businesses, and experiences that matter.Nitin Jain, IndiGifts, Indigifts founder, Nitin Jain Shark Tank, gifting industry India, gifting economy India, ₹2.5 lakh crore gifting economy, Indian gifting market, gifting business India, gifting brands, gifting startup, Orange Economy India, Orange Economy, creative economy India, AVGC XR, Indian entrepreneurship, Rajasthan startup ecosystem, Rajasthan startups, CoPreneur, CoCircle, Power of Co, phygital, phygital retail, culture and commerce, Indian culture, Seed Rakhi, Shark Tank India, entrepreneurship podcast India, business podcast India, DilSe Omni Talks, Saurabh Agrawal, DAiOM

  4. Aug 9

    Omnichannel playbook of Financial Service industry | Souparno Bagchi X Saurabh Agrawal | DilSe Omni Talks EP21

    India has 9,000+ registered NBFCs, 90% bank account penetration, and a formal credit system barely one generation old. Money can now reach a borrower's account faster than they can cook a packet of noodles.So why does banking still feel like it doesn't know you?In this episode of DilSe Omni Talks, Saurabh sits down with Souparno Bagchi to decode how omnichannel is transforming financial services and fintech in India: from micro-lending unit economics and the India 1-2-3 framework to UPI, account aggregator, tech debt, AI, and why customer experience has become the only real differentiator left.What we discussed in this episode:- Why every company in India wants to become a lender- Fintech vs. financial services - The India 1, India 2, India 3 framework- What digital public infrastructure actually unlocked- The economics of micro-lending- Banking's customer experience problem- Tech debt, AI, and what comes nextAbout the Guest: Souparno Bagchi is a financial services and technology leader whose career spans nearly nine years at TCS over six years at Goldman Sachs, and time in consulting, before crossing into the startup world to build and scale micro-lending businesses. An ISB alumnus who also teaches there, and the son of a banker who spent 32 years in the profession, he has watched Indian banking change from both sides of the counter. His work today sits at the intersection of AI, risk, and the credit divide, who gets access to capital in this country, and who still doesn't.About Dilse Omni:Dilse Omni is a podcast hosted by Saurabh Agrawal, Founder of  DAiOM technologies . The show features conversations with founders, business leaders, and industry experts on omnichannel growth, marketing, retail, and building businesses that last.

  5. Jul 28

    The Agri Business Playbook: Branding, GI Tags & Building a Premium Food Brand | Nitin Puri

    Nearly half of India's workforce depends on agriculture, yet the sector contributes only around 18% of India's GDP. The opportunity is not in adding more farmers. It is in helping farmers earn more by building better businesses, stronger brands, and efficient supply chains. This conversation explores how KisaanSay is working to make that happen.In this episode of Dilse Omni Talks, Saurabh sits down with Nitin Puri, Founder of KisaanSay, to talk about Indian agriculture, food brands, and what it really takes to create more value for farmers.From the story behind KisaanSay and the legacy of Dr. Verghese Kurien to GI Tags, Basmati rice, food quality, omnichannel growth, and the future of farming, this conversation explores the challenges and opportunities shaping India's food ecosystem. Nitin also shares why consumers should look beyond labels and understand where their food comes from.What we cover in this episode: → Why farmers are India's most underrated entrepreneurs → The story behind KisaanSay and its mission → Why the origin of your food matters more than the label → What a GI Tag is and why it matters → The story behind Basmati rice and food fragrances → How KisaanSay selects its products → KisaanSay's business model and omnichannel strategy → The role of technology in agriculture → Lessons from Dr. Verghese Kurien and the story behind IRMA → Why India needs more productivity, not more farmersAbout the Guest:Nitin Puri is the Founder of  @KisaanSay , a farmer-first food brand that works closely with farming communities to bring authentic, high-quality products directly to consumers. An IRMA alumnus, he is passionate about building better value chains and creating a stronger connection between farmers and consumers.About Dilse Omni:Dilse Omni is a podcast hosted by Saurabh Agrawal, Founder of ‪ @daiom-ai . The show features conversations with founders, business leaders, and industry experts on omnichannel growth, marketing, retail, and building businesses that last.📩 Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/dilse-omniNitin Puri, KisaanSay, Indian agriculture, farmers, food startup, D2C food brand, GI Tag, Basmati rice, Dr. Verghese Kurien, IRMA, omnichannel, food supply chain, farmer entrepreneurship, sustainable agriculture, DilSe Omni Talks, DAiOM podcast

  6. Jul 15

    Is the Future of Marketing Agentic AI ? - Conversation with Sidharth Gopalakrishnan X Saurabh Agrawal Dilse Omni Talks

    In this episode of DilSe Omni Talks, Saurabh sits down with Sidharth Gopalakrishnan, COO of  NetcoreCloud  , to unpack the one shift every marketing leader needs to understand right now — Agentic AI.Marketing has moved from automation to autonomy. Agents that plan, decide, and act on their own are no longer a research demo — they're already running campaigns. Drawing on insights from a recent seminar hosted by Economic Times, Google, and Netcore, Sidharth breaks down what happens when Google Cloud's infrastructure meets Netcore's marketing stack, and why most brands are still thinking about AI the wrong way.What we cover in this episode: → What Agentic Marketing actually means, beyond the buzzword → How the Google Cloud x Netcore partnership is built, and why it matters → Where agent-based systems are already changing campaign efficiency → The operational reality of deploying Agentic agents at scale → What marketers get wrong aboutAgentic Marketing → Where customer engagement is headed in an agent-first worldAbout the Guest: Sidharth Gopalakrishnan is the COO of Netcore, a leading customer engagement and marketing technology platform, where he drives strategy on AI-led marketing transformation and enterprise partnerships, including Netcore's collaboration with Google Cloud.About DilSe Omni: DilSe Omni is a podcast by Saurabh Agrawal, CEO of DAiOM consulting , focused on honest conversations around omnichannel growth, marketing leadership, and building businesses that last, one insight at a time.

  7. Jun 30

    E18: Growth Playbook by India's First Internet Entrepreneur | Sanjeev Bikhchandani X Dilse Omni

    In this episode of DilSe Omni Talks, Saurabh sits down with Padma Shri Sanjeev Bikhchandani — founder of Info Edge, the company behind Naukri.com, 99acres, Jeevansathi, and Shiksha — and one of India's most celebrated venture investors, having backed Zomato and Policybazaar before anyone else believed in them.What makes Sanjeev's journey truly remarkable is not just what he built — but how he built it. Every business in the Info Edge portfolio started with a customer insight so simple it was hiding in plain sight. Why do people read job magazines from the back? Why do property seekers need local, not national, inventory? Why do students need authentic reviews, not institute-published rankings? These were not market research findings. They were observations about real human behaviour — and they became the foundation of four companies that have touched hundreds of millions of Indian lives.What we cover in this episode:→ The observation in an office that led to Naukri→ The traffic magnet strategy that beat Monster.com without spending on ads→ The full untold story behind Hari Sadu Naukri ad→ The anti-portfolio — saying no to Flipkart, Ola, Lenskart, and Snapdeal twice→ Why Info Edge's best investment decision was simply waiting→ The four rules for naming a brand — and the mistakes most founders make→ How to shortlist a startup idea when you are getting five ideas a day→ The right questions to ask a founder before backing them→ Inspiration behind Ashoka University→ India's AI strategy→ Advice to young entrepreneurs, teenagers, and anyone trying to figure out what to build

  8. Jun 16

    How to Build Iconic Consumer Brands in India | Ankur Khaitan | DilSe Omni Talks E17

    What does it actually take to build a brand that lasts — not just one that scales?In this episode of DilSe Omni Talks, Saurabh sits down with Ankur Khaitan, Principal at Fireside Ventures — one of India's most respected consumer brand-focused venture funds — for one of the most grounded conversations we've had about brand building, omnichannel strategy, and what investors actually look for when they back a consumer brand for the long term.They have backed some of India's most recognised consumer brands — and Ankur brings a rare combination of investment rigour and genuine brand empathy to this conversation.What we cover in this episode:→ What makes a consumer brand truly iconic — and what separates the ones that last from the ones that plateau → How VC's think about investing in consumer brands — the thesis, the filters, and what gets them excited → The omnichannel lens — how investors evaluates a brand's offline and online strategy together → Real playbooks from brands — what worked, what didn't, and what every founder can learn → The mistakes most consumer brands make when scaling from D2C to omnichannel → What the next five years of Indian consumer brand building actually looks likeIf you're a founder building a consumer brand, thinking about raising capital, or trying to understand what separates good brands from iconic ones — this episode is essential listening.

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Today, every brand is chasing Omnichannel growth—but the world of Omnichannel is complex, with multiple moving parts. This podcast is an honest attempt to decode Omnichannel success across industries, exploring how businesses can leverage technology, analytics, AI, and growth marketing to scale. Hosted by Saurabh Agrawal, a seasoned Omnichannel expert with deep experience in tech, analytics, and growth marketing, each episode brings candid conversations with leaders and practitioners who have built growth stories in B2B and B2C brands alike. 🔹 New episodes every fortnight starting October

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