Q Your autobiography What It Takes launched this year. Tell us about your journey.
I started in middle-class America; my father had a small store and I used to work in it. I hated that; I liked playing sports, and being with my friends at school, but I had to learn what it was like to work in a retail store. And I was lucky enough to go to Yale University. And then I went to Harvard Business School. My math skills were terrible, but somebody thought I should go into finance. I just didn’t like doing statistical work; I like dealing with people. And it took a few years to learn the basics, because finance is really about solving people’s problems. It’s very important to listen to what they’re saying, and what they’re not saying, but they’re probably thinking.
I started my own company when I was 37, an age when you know a bunch of stuff but you don’t know everything. And as we grew our business, we became the first investment banking boutique. We did merger and acquisition advice, and started in private equity and expanded into other areas. We started with two people and $400,000, which, in in the world of large corporations, is not much. We now have about $560 billion, and about 3,000 people working at our parent company. With all the businesses and real estate we own, it’s around 500,000 people.
We became the largest owner of real estate in the world. I buy things and operate everywhere. And that’s gotten me involved with politics and philanthropic work to solve problems. So my life is a lot of fun.
Q How have the past six months been?
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Home-Cooked Meal Is Now Greatly Valued
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Paytm 3.0 - Reaching Near Breakeven In Two Years
As of 2020, Vijay Shekhar Sharma’s super app for financial services had run up losses in thousands of crores. Now, as digital payments gets yet another boost courtesy Covid-19, he’s hopeful of reaching near breakeven in two years
THE PANDEMIC HAS CAUSED WOMEN GREATER LABOUR PAIN
Covid-19 has shown that women are more likely to face the brunt of job losses than men, and find fewer opportunities when they want to resume. That apart, several have to deal with increased hours of unpaid work at home and even domestic abuse
LEADERSHIP WILL BE ABOUT SEEING THE BIGGER PICTURE
Leaders must not only guard their teams first during a crisis, but also deal with stakeholders with respect and dignity. And apart from pursuing business goals, they should remain committed to our planet and the environment
PHILANTHROPY SHOULD BE HUMBLE, BUT NOT MODEST
Apart from building a flexible and resilient framework for the future, philanthropists, civil society and the government must work in tandem so that every rupee is absorbed on the ground
INTEGRATED HEALTH CARE, TECH WILL DISRUPT SECTOR
While clinical research will get a boost, having a skilled workforce and public spending on health care will be challenges in the near term
DIGITALISATION WILL HELP IN VALUE CREATION
As the pandemic brings technology and innovation to the core of business and daily life, the next decade will see about 150 million digital-first families in India
Industry 4.0: Climate Revolution?
Augmenting sustainability alongside digital capabilities is an economic, competitive and global opportunity for India’s businesses, but regulations need to reflect intent
EV Dream Still Miles Away
Electric vehicles have remained a buzzword in India for years. But not much has moved on ground due to high upfront costs, range anxiety and charging infrastructure
Living Waters
A virus has caused us to scramble for oxygen but our chokehold on the environment is slowly strangling the very waters that breathe life into us. The virus is a timely reminder: We are merely consumers, not producers of life’s breath on this planet
