Tag: Digital

  • The Incredible Sixteen-Year Journey @ Infostretch & Apexon

    The Incredible Sixteen-Year Journey @ Infostretch & Apexon

    Today marks the end of one of the most defining chapters in my journey.

    After 16 incredible years at Apexon (formerly Infostretch), I sign off with a heart full of gratitude, pride, and purpose.

    In 2009, I walked into the Infostretch office with curiosity, energy, and ideas. The reception desk bore a powerful message by Mahatma Gandhi—“Be the change you wish to see in the world”—and I knew I was at the right place. That message became my mantra.

    Over the years, what followed was nothing short of extraordinary—a journey across continents, business verticals, strategic pivots, and cultural transformation. From startup energy to scaled enterprise; from late-night brainstorms to global partnerships—I’ve had the privilege of helping build something meaningful.

    Infostretch Founders Rutesh Shah & Manish Mathuria gave me complete freedom and encouragement.  With their intellectual humility and supreme trust, they inspired beyond measure. The company was being built with great alignment of vision, mission and values. As Infostretch moved from one orbit to another, I relished the opportunity to take multiple challenges and make a difference. The Infostretch story reached a new peak with the investment backing of Goldman Sachs and Everstone Group to create a strong platform called Apexon, which unlocked a new level of learnings and opportunities.

    Beyond all of these, I am really proud of Infostretch and Apexon for creating the amazing culture, ownership of executing customer’s business vision, winning the customer trust and confidence, and learning from best and brightest minds.

    🔑 5 Timeless Lessons I Carry Forward:

    1. Entrepreneurship = Ownership: Act like an owner, think like a founder.
    2. Excellence is a Habit: Relentlessly chase excellence—success will follow.
    3. Culture Wins: Culture eats strategy for breakfast, lunch and dinner—but when they align, magic happens.
    4. Leadership Multiplies: Leaders create more leaders. True leaders are humble, secure and rise by lifting others. They elevate, empower and energise people!
    5. Learn. Unlearn. Relearn: Technology business keeps changing and only curious minds with passion for continuous learning thrive successfully. Be lifelong learners! Stay curious, stay humble.

    💡 Highlights & Memories That Shaped Me:

    • Annual planning offsites, night long brainstorming, animated discussions & Bollywood stories
    • Designing new business models for Indian telcos
    • Mobile app development and certification business
    • The making of the Infostretch house
    • European expansion
    • Leading key deals in fintech, payments, and healthcare
    • Building the Global Alliances
    • Spearheading Ignite program: Global giving back & philanthropy program
    • Hosting events like Mobile Monday, Koffee with Karania, Hot Seat, Filmy Fridays, and our legendary Sales Super Saturdays
    • Winning trust, building culture, and co-creating lasting impact with an amazing team

    These are not just career milestones—they’re life moments. They shaped the leader I am today.

    🙏 A Thank You Note From The Heart:

    To all my customers, partners, colleagues and friends – they are the reason that each day of the sixteen years journey was filled with purpose, energy and joy!

    Rutesh Shah for being one of the biggest cheer leaders for me – While he has led with example, showcased passion with compassion and treated everyone with respect, he has been an amazing mentor and guiding light to me.

    Apexon Leaders—Sumitra, Somesh, Sriniketh, Vamsi, Sandeep, Anil, Anand, Vinu—your leadership sharpened mine.

    To my early crew at Infostretch—Manish, Shalin, Pinakin, Avery, Siva, Vipul, Palvinder, Leila, Anil, Padmini, Michael, Kanhai, Deven, Kinjan—we built something beautiful.

    Awesome Champions: Jay, Gaurav, Vaibhavi, Rajesh, Rupal, Chinar, Niraj, Anushree, Bhavana, Aris, Brijal, Avani, Harish, Yatendra, Ankit, Sheetal, Murali, Chetan and others who made this journey joyful!

    Alliance Rockstars: Rama, Adarsh, Kavita, Geetanjali, Prashant, Viveck for creating amazing impact with frugal resources

    Amazing Ignite Team: Geetanjali, Zil, Heli, Pravin, Kashish, Charu and local leaders Krunal, Jankit, Sejal, Anand, who work for a cause and not applause!

    Family & Friends: Aditya, Aangi & Komal & Friends for accepting that Apexon was the fourth family member for 16 years – the one who was part of all our vacations and weekends!

    (If I’ve missed names, forgive me—so many memories flooding in!)

    📖 As I Turn the Page…

    While the celebrated thinker Daniel Kahneman states that we only remember our most intense and concluding experiences – ‘Peak-End Theory’, I remember it all. Because Apexon wasn’t just a job—it was a mission, a family, a journey.

    I leave with no regrets—only deep gratitude, enduring friendships, and a renewed sense of purpose.

    Here’s to new beginnings. To applying everything I’ve learned to what comes next—at the intersection of technology, innovation, and impact.

    Forever a cheerleader and well-wisher of Team Apexon.

    Thank you for the 16-year magic. 🙏

  • The Agentic AI Reality Check: Strategy Over Spectacle

    The Agentic AI Reality Check: Strategy Over Spectacle

    💡 The Agentic AI Reality Check: Strategy Over Spectacle

    The promise of Agentic AI is powerful—but so is the risk of chasing hype.

    According to Gartner’s latest study, more than 40% of Agentic AI projects will be cancelled by 2027.

    What’s driving these project failures?
    🔻Skyrocketing costs without clear ROI
    🔻 Vague business value propositions
    🔻 Insufficient risk management frameworks

    The truth: Agentic AI is riding a wave of hype. Many initiatives are half-baked experiments with no clear ROI.

    And worse—“Agent Washing” is everywhere. Vendors are rebranding RPA, chatbots, and assistants as Agentic AI. It’s old wine in a new bottle.

    🧠 But here’s the real insight for strategic leaders:
    Gartner’s latest poll shows:
    ✅ 33% of enterprise apps will embed Agentic AI by 2028
    ✅ 15%+ of daily decisions will be autonomously made
    ✅ Only 130 vendors qualify as truly Agentic AI solution providers

    🚀 The future is bright—for those who invest wisely.

    Focus on business outcomes:
    ✅ Improved customer experience
    ✅ Operational scalability
    ✅ Agile decision-making
    ✅ Cost optimization

    🔍 The smart play?
    Avoid the Agentic hype trap. Cut through the noise. Choose business driven use cases. Curate & collaborate with authentic players.

    Make it strategic. Make it real.

    Gartner Research: Anushree Verma

    Image Credit: The Kirby Foundation

  • CTRL: Promising Idea Gone Out Of Control

    CTRL: Promising Idea Gone Out Of Control

    CTRL: Promising Idea Gone Out Of Control

    CTRL has all the right ingredients but its a stale dish on arrival! 

    AI
    GenZ 
    Ananya Panday
    Social Media
    Talented Director

    All the above elements fail to make a compelling and refreshing story. The movie seems a packaged product designed to fill the Netflix shelves of new content. 

    Teenagers Nella and Joe are the GenZ couple living a dream life on social media. The influencers blissful life gets punctured when Joe is caught cheating – live on camera of course! 

    Nella gets Geet’s ‘Jalaa Do Saali’ inspiration from AI App where Joe’s images and videos are erased from her digital footprint and possibly life – The Eternal Sunshine of Spotless Mind!  But the AI Avatar is not a noble friend philosopher and guide – it takes over her data, privacy and soul for sinister gains. The evils of technology, data security and digital life are showcased – even prompting us to switch off our cameras and microphones. 

    Ananya is effortless in her GenZ avatar – her third outing on GenZ, social media and evils of technology after the very recent ‘Call Me Bae’ and ‘Kho Gaye Hum Kahaan’. While the movie maybe a project to showcase Ananya’s talents, it has nothing new to offer. 

    Full credit for getting the look and feel of the movie right but the impact is missing. 

    Vikramaditya Motwane is a genius but he fails to convert a good idea into a credible movie!

    #CTRL #CTRLReview #CTRLMovie #Ananypanday #Ananya #GenZ #Netflix #Netflixandchill #AI #digital #privacy #digitallife #bollywood #newreleases #hindicinema #hindimovies #weekendwatch

  • Artificial Intelligence Lipstick

    Artificial Intelligence Lipstick

    AI Lipstick

    Are You Leveraging Artificial Intelligence & GenAI To Redefine Your Business And Accelerate The Achievement Of Vision? 

    Are You Taking Bold Bets For Customer Experience, Employee Engagement & Operational Efficiency?

    Are You Redefining & Transforming Your Business?

    Or Are You Using AI & GenAI As A Lipstick – Superficial & Cosmetic Change To Just Remain In Conversation?

    Reflect, Redefine & Roar With The Power Of AI

    Image: Ashley Piszek

  • Kho Gaye Hùm Kahan: The Insta Movie Of The Goldfish Generation

    Kho Gaye Hùm Kahan: The Insta Movie Of The Goldfish Generation

    Friendship. Ambition. Romance. Heartbreak. Situationship. Adulting. Personal Demons. Coming Of Age. All In The Digital World.

    A story of three buddies Ahana, Imaad and Neil – who face different challenges of life behind the happy shining mobile screens. Smart business marketer Ahana’s boyfriend has broken up with her, Gym instructor Neil is trying to rise above his sub-par existence and Stand-up comic and Tinder addict Imaad has intimacy and trust issues.

    The movie gives a subtle nudge on the perils of fake social media crutches and embrace the no-filter reality with healthy relationships. The constant validation seeking behaviour is as addictive as drugs and causes emotional upheavals and mental health challenges. The non-preachy messages are powered with smart lines and sharp editing. The conversations seem very real and authentic. Special mention for the catchy music – English songs are apt and give the right vibe!

    The trio of Ananya Pandey, Siddhant Chaturvedi and Adarsh Gaurav are relatable and perform with effortless elan. Kalki adds depth to the movie – We might be more connected now but we are lonelier than ever.

    Zoya Akhtar & Team bounce back after The Archies!

    Kho Gaye Hum Kahan – Predictable. Relatable. Relevant. Easy Breezy. Like Insta – Smile, Like & Move On!

  • The Future Of Money – Digital Rupee

    The Future Of Money – Digital Rupee

    Experience The Future Of Money With Digital Rupee – India’s First Digital Currency!

    Digital Rupee app is a e₹ wallet application that enables users to conduct transactions using Digital Rupee tokens. It can be used to pay for goods & services and send money to anyone in form of digital currency.

    Digital Rupee is the legal tender issued by RBI in a digital form – It is equivalent to our sovereign paper currency. It is a legal tender and an accepted medium of payment in India – since backed by Government and RBI.

    Based on Blockchain Technology, it is secure, fast and real-time. Since it is a digital currency, it’s always on – instant and convenient way of making and receiving payment. Heartening to note that India continues to spearhead the payments revolution – as we march towards a digital and cashless society!

    All leading banks including ICICI, Kotak have their Digital Currency Apps! Try Digital Rupee App today – Celebrate the festival of wealth Dhanteras and festival of lights Diwali in an unique way!

  • A Long Story Short: Short Films Are Trending Big Time!

    A Long Story Short: Short Films Are Trending Big Time!

    Short Films are trending big time in India and other regions of the world.

    The current rise of short films in India can be contributed to the following factors:

    1. Digital Technologies:
    The proliferation of affordable and reliable internet has created new opportunities for content consumption. The ‘mobile first’ generation is hungry for good content on their personal screens. The cheap internet has opened up the entire nation and regions for consuming short films – one does not need to visit a cinema. And short films are ideally suited for the personal screens and small time window.

    2. Demand for Diverse & Innovative Content:
    Young Generation is more eclectic in their choices. They are looking for new and diverse content. They are more experimental in nature and reward a good story regardless of the star cast. The young and impatient generation has a short attention span and they are look for instant gratification. Short films are “Any Time Movies”.

    3. New Distribution Platforms:
    Online Platforms like YouTube gave a big boost to short films. Today, there are numerous platforms including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hotstar, Zee5, ErosNow etc. providing a great distribution reach to these movies. Humara Movies, Pocket Films, Terribly Tiny Tales, Alt-Balaji etc are dedicated to the short films.

    Tata Sky has a dedicated Shorts channel which has more than 2000+ movies. Shorts TV is the global leader for short movies and it produces and distributes short movies.

    In addition, there are large number of Film Festivals dedicated to the short movies.

    4. Creative Freedom:
    Film makers love the creative freedom provided by the medium of short movies. There is no big pressure of formula movies and and other commercial considerations to bow to.

    Film makers from across the nation and globe can bring their original stories. They do not need censor certificates for these movies – a big factor.

    Short movies can be a launching platform for new makers. Existing players can use the platform to diversify their portfolio. Lot of big names have taken a leap in the world of short movies – Anurag Kashyap, Sujoy Ghosh, Neeraj Ghaywn, Jackie Shroff, Irrfan, Tapsee Pannu, Manoj Bajpayee, Radhika Apte.

    5. Monetisation:
    Short movies also provide strong monetisation opportunities for unique content. The monetisation opportunities can be: direct brand associations, sale to platforms, film festival reward money and online ad revenue shares. The revenues can be global. The Royal Stag Large Short Films is truly a unique model – which can be exported to the world.

    Apart from the monetisation opportunities, film makers get a lot of Finanical support to get started. In US, film makers also get crowdfunding via Seed & Spark, Kickstarter, Indiegogo and other platforms.

    The rise of short movies is a great development. Does it send warning signals to full feature films? Not really. Both short movies and full feature movies can co-exist. T20 and Test Cricket both co-exist. The short movies are actually inspiring full feature movies. The rise of content-driven cinema is a positive influence of short movies.

    Short Film are the Haiku of the Cinema. Short Films are the Jamun Shots – small but they pack a strong punch. Short Films prove that when it comes to entertainment, size does not matter.

    Short movies are an art form in itself – the movies are completing the circle as the motion picture started in form of short movies only!

    Want a quick taste of short movies?
    Check Anukul…

  • The Future Of Fintech

    The Future Of Fintech

    Technological changes and overall trends are often difficult to predict. What seems as the obvious future often fails to deliver, and new innovations take over! Look around and many of the technological tools that we take for granted, were never predicted…The Fintech world continues to present new ideas, solutions and business models.

    The future of Fintech, money and payments is linked to the evolution of the society. In next 10-20 years, we may see the emergence of robots, machine to machine interaction, smart cities, universal basic economy, ageing population, climate change and prosperous mankind.

    In that age, payments between machines will be automatic and invisible. Cashless economy will be a reality with secure, invisible, hyper-connected, data-driven money and payment system becoming a backbone like internet and electricity.

    Payments will be integrated as a part of buying experience. Pricing and offers will be specific to you as per your financial score. Secure micro-payments will be order of the day. Micro-payments will also mean more access to everyone.

    Technological innovations in payment will allow the remaining less-privileged to get access to basic income and help from across the world. The credit scoring, mortgage options etc. all will be seamless and real-time.

    Property will be tokenized. Agricultural land will be tokenized. Equity tokenization will unlock liquidity. Blockchain will be leveraged for tokenization in the future and new business models will emerge. Privacy, legal and security frameworks will ensure the required safeguards.

    Quick and easy barter mechanisms will become an alternative to the money economy.

    The cumulative effect will be help unbanked and underbanked individuals and SMEs to get benefits of the financial system and accelerate job creation, equitable and balanced economic growth.

    Image Credit: Joshua Reddekopp on Unsplash