The Tech Factor - A Purple Quarter Podcast

Hosted by Purple Quarter

Technology

Website RSS feed

Episodes

Latest episode

Sep 2025

Language

EN-US

About the show

The Tech Factor by Roopa Kumar – A Purple Quarter Podcast brings you straight into the minds of the brightest tech leaders shaping today’s digital landscape. We chat with innovators and decision-makers from startups and enterprises to explore the evolving world of technology, leadership, and disruption. Join us as we host industry pioneers like Varun Dua (Founder & CEO, ACKO), Aruna Rajan (ex-Director, Google), Dale Vaz (ex-CTO, Swiggy), Rahul Chari (Founder & CTO, PhonePe), Jyoti Ahuja (Engineering Leader, Microsoft), Pradeep Desai (Group CTO, DP World), Abhinav Yajurvedi (ex-Group CTPO, PharmEasy), and many more, as they share their journeys, challenges, and insights. Backed by Purple Quarter, a leading CTO search firm that has mapped over 15,000+ tech leaders globally, the podcast is a window into the experiences of those driving technological change. With a clientele spanning Walmart, DP World, UiPath, Swiggy, Razorpay, BrowserStack, InMobi, ACKO, PharmEasy, Urban Company, Clari, and beyond, Purple Quarter is at the forefront of tech leadership hiring. For more information on Purple Quarter visit https://www.purplequarter.com/ Watch all podcast episodes here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRf6fzq1SAI0hc4WN4elCdQ/featured

Listen to episodes

55 recent

September 1, 2025Episode 1245 min

AI, Consumer Behaviour, Fintech Regulation, & more with Dr. Eduard Müller

Dr. Eduard Müller, former Board Member of Austria’s Financial Market Authority and now MD of Nexus.M, shares why regulation isn’t a barrier in fintech, but part of the product. In this episode of The Tech Factor, he examines how smaller, regulated markets compete with Silicon Valley, why global expansion necessitates reinvention, and whether Big Tech will supplant traditional financial services. We also dive into how AI is reshaping user behaviour and the hidden risks behind simplicity in financial interfaces. It’s not any other episode – it’s a fintech regulations masterclass!

December 10, 2024Episode 1145 min

S5 E11 | The Power of ICs, Leadership & Collaborative Growth with Jyotiswarup, CTO, Angel One

Discussing his evolution from an individual contributor to the CTO at Angel One, Jyotiswarup Pai Raiturkar brings a wealth of knowledge to The Tech Factor podium. He reflects on the pivotal moments that shaped his career and the lessons learned while tackling complex tech challenges.Jyotiswarup delves into the intricacies of building for FinTech, sharing how his team ensures seamless performance under immense scale. From optimizing latency to navigating regulatory hurdles, he sheds light on the strategies that power Angel One’s operations."You dream it, I’ll build it" defines Jyotiswarup’s leadership philosophy. This episode delves into Jyoti’s valuable takeaways for tech enthusiasts: how he empowers teams, drives innovation, and precisely addresses real-world challenges.

October 21, 2024Episode 1050 min

S5 E10 | AI-Powered Supply Chains, Data-Driven Decision Making & Differential Leadership with Ajit Narayanan, Licious

Discussing the critical shift of building platforms for scale in B2B to focusing on agility and personalisation in B2C in complex domains like fresh food supply chains, we have tech visionary Ajit Narayanan in this riveting The Tech Factor episode. As the current CTPO of Licious, Ajit shares his journey from corporate giant SAP to founding startups and his transition from Myntra to Licious. His experiences have empowered him to drive innovation across B2B and B2C domains, from implementing AI-driven fashion models at Myntra to managing intricate, real-time inventory challenges at Licious.Ajit offers forward-looking thoughts on omnichannel commerce, the future of supply chains, and the increasing role of AI in customer experiences and business optimization. In the course, he touches upon innovations like demand prediction, inventory rebalancing, and leveraging machine learning to optimize supply chain efficiency.The loaded conversation dives further into Ajit’s leadership philosophy, his eclectic passion for music as a lead guitarist, and how both have shaped his approach to mentoring and building strong engineering teams.

September 16, 2024Episode 946 min

S5 E9 | Decoding Data Bias, Responsible AI & Women Safety Online with Anusha Dandapani, UNICC

Anusha, an action-oriented leader, has consistently harnessed the power of data and AI to address diverse real-world challenges—from identifying war crime evidence in the Middle East, to improving the efficiency of data processing and addressing the challenges of working with unstructured data. Presenting the very inspiring journey of Anusha Dandapani, Chief Data and AI Services Officer at the United Nations International Computing Centre (UNICC) in this episode of the Tech Factor.Anusha emphasizes ‘cultivating a design mindset’ in tech, where innovation and creativity are keys to reinventing processes. She also discusses the critical need for responsible AI governance, stressing the importance of being mindful of generative AI (GenAI) to prevent unforeseen consequences. The loaded conversation also showcases her efforts to mitigate bias in data and highlights her passion for solving everyday issues, such as food waste. Her workshops with schoolchildren to track and reduce food waste are a step towards a sustainable existence. Additionally, she advocates for women's safety in digital spaces and the importance of supporting women in tech and data science.

August 12, 2024Episode 829 min

S5 E8 | Dissecting the Future of Online Retail, Scaling Technology, & Leadership Philosophy with Rohit Kaila, Wayfair

Join us for a deep dive into the world of technology and leadership with Rohit Kaila, Head of Technology and Site Leader at Wayfair India. From buying a computer with his pocket money to leading engineering teams at Walmart Global Tech India, Yahoo, and Intuit – Rohit shares his inspiring journey in this episode of Tech Factor. Rohit discusses the future of the online retail customer experience, powered by Augmented Reality (AR). He comments on how India's supply chain industry is transforming owing to a diverse customer base, changing infrastructure, a complex ecosystem that spans rural areas, tier 1, 2, and 3 cities, and a decentralized supplier system mechanism. Further, he dives into the intricacies of scaling technology and innovation in established enterprises as opposed to nimble startups. Get ready for a power-packed episode—from unraveling his leadership secrets to decoding growth mantras for aspiring techies!

July 16, 2024Episode 738 min

S5 E7 | Kinshuk Mishra, CTO, Cedar on AI for Healthcare Revolution and Product vs Engineering

Join us for an insightful discussion with Kinshuk Mishra, CTO at Cedar, on Season 5 of The Tech Factor. Venturing into the ever-evolving realm of healthcare, Kinshuk unveils Cedar's groundbreaking initiatives utilizing machine learning to decode the complexity of medical billing codes. Dive into this fascinating conversation to discover how AI is revolutionizing healthcare payments, offering a smoother journey for patients while streamlining processes and reducing inefficiencies.Commenting on the synergy between product and engineering teams, Kinshuk also explores the significance of cultivating a healthy tension between these two pillars of tech, emphasizing how great product managers must grasp the technical intricacies underlying recommendation systems.

June 14, 2024Episode 633 min

S5 E6 | Hemant Adarkar on Risks of AI in Data Leakage, CBDC, Rise of Crypto & more

Introducing our guest on this episode of The Tech Factor— Hemant Adarkar, Technology Advisor & Public Interest Director. A trained nuclear physicist turned tech advisor at multiple banks, stock exchanges, brokers, and insurance companies; Hemant traces the fascinating journey of the BFSI domain – from the initial days of paper ledgers to the cutting-edge world of cryptocurrency. Did you know Hemant was one of the very first users of email in India? He takes us back to the 1970s and tracks the monumental shifts in banking over the last fifty years, including the rise of core banking solutions, mobile banking, AI/ML, and blockchain. He tackles critical issues such as data security and the risks of AI in data leakage, and addresses India's challenges with Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), emphasizing significant infrastructure and privacy concerns.

May 17, 2024Episode 533 min

S5 E5 | Genomic Innovation for Healthcare Advancements with Mahesh Pratapneni, MedGenome

The Journey of Innovation: In this riveting episode of The Tech Factor, Roopa Kumar’s conversation with Mahesh Pratapneni forays into the world of genomics, led by MedGenome’s efforts at solving diverse challenges. From IIT Madras to becoming a pioneer in the genomics industry with MedGenome, Mahesh discusses the challenges and triumphs of creating high-paying jobs in India, the significance of interdisciplinary learning, and the impact of genomics on healthcare, science, research and technology. Mahesh delves into the evolution of genetic testing, the importance of creating awareness and accessibility and how innovative diagnostics are transforming patient care. Furthermore, the conversation touches upon Mahesh’s overview on beta blockers, pharmacogenomics, polygenic risk score, and biological age vs calendar age, Indian population and their unique issues.

April 22, 2024Episode 439 min

S5 E4 | Jyoti Ahuja, Microsoft on Copilot, impact of AI, organizational culture and efficiency

Join us for an insightful discussion with Jyoti Ahuja, Engineering Leader at Microsoft Teams, on Season 5 of "The Tech Factor Podcast”. From her early days as a software engineer to her current role in leadership, Jyoti shares her insights on purpose-driven leadership and continuous learning. Her experiences at Yahoo under Marissa Mayer and Intuit offer valuable insights on leadership, culture, and personal growth. At Microsoft, she discusses her current work on MS Teams, sharing first-hand instances of the project’s influence on lives and technology’s transformative power for good. Jyoti's reflections on her career journey shed light on the challenges faced by women in leadership roles. She candidly discusses the biases, stereotypes, and routine challenges she has encountered as a female leader and an employee. Stressing the importance of self-perseverance, Jyoti advocates that the work we do is reflective of our identity and a proof for naysayers.

March 18, 2024Episode 353 min

S5 E3 | Google’s Aruna Rajan on Machine Learning, Sustainable Agriculture and more

Introducing Aruna Rajan, Ex-Director of Machine Learning, on Season 5 of The Tech FactorFrom her core academic roots in mathematical physics to corporate stints at IBM, Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, and Google, Aruna dives deep into her multifaceted career with her trademark humour. She credits her leadership insights to her curiosity and her diverse experiences across research, industry, and startups.At Google, she explores the transformative potential of ML in refining search algorithms, enhancing productivity, and revolutionizing user experiences. Delving into the realm of LLMs, Aruna envisions applications beyond language processing, such as revolutionizing education, tackling climate change, and advancing medicine.