Explore every episode of the podcast Hindustan Times Leadership Summit Highlights

At the 18th edition of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas spoke about her work with UNICEF, the United Nations body focused on protecting child rights and improving the lives of children and adolescents across the world. Commenting on the cause she champions - education of girls - Priyanka said that women across the world are not given enough rights and are denied an equal share in positions of power. She also spoke on how celebrities can make a difference by using their stature. Tune in for more.

Musician Prateek Kuhad spoke about his songwriting process and how it was impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and the consequent lockdown. Speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2020, Prateek said that his conversion from an introvert into a public personality took many years. He also commented on the charge of being 'shallow' that is often leveled against millennials. Tune in for more.

Senator Mark Warner from Virginia spoke at the 18th edition of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2020 about how the India-US relationship will progress under the Biden administration. ‘I believe we can build on some of the progress made by the Trump administration. Under the Biden administration the level of collaboration will be based on shared values rather than simply a kind of monetary decision,’ Senator Warner said. Tune in for all the details.

Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Bhupesh Baghel commented on the four men who were accused of raping and murdering a 26-year old veterinarian and how they were killed in an encounter on December 6, 2019, at the 17th edition of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit. Click to hear him talk about how the encounter killings reflect badly on the nation's mindset.

Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal talks about how we have evolved as a species but our food hasn't. Speaking at the 17th Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, Heston said he tries to personalize food via multi-sensory cooking, food pairing, and flavor encapsulation in such a way that the consumer is transported back to their past, even childhood. Click to hear him talk about the emotionality of food.

Chef Heston Blumenthal, a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, talks about how there are advantages and opportunities in the perceived limitations of vegetarianism and veganism, at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2019. Listen to what he has to say about the fact that 60% of India is vegetarian. 

World-renowned chef, Heston Blumenthal says Molecular Gastronomy is a misnomer at the 17th Hindustan Times Leadership Summit. Click to hear his rather funny explanation of what it actually is.

Heston Blumenthal, the chef who has bagged 3 Michelin stars in the kitty, walks the talk by guiding you through a very picturesque mindful eating activity at the 17th Hindustan Times Leadership Summit. Listen to his vivid and rather meditative description by clicking on the link.

Winner of the prestigious Catey Award, Heston Blumenthal admits that he is a big fan of Sadhguru at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, 2019. Listen to what he means by mindful eating and why he recommends it.

At the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2019, the proprietor of The Fat Duck - arguably one of the best restaurants in the world - is self-taught. Click to hear what Heston Blumenthal discovered while on his journey with cooking and why that led to him questioning everything. 

A couple of years ago, when told by Jacques Chirac that the British food was the worst in all of Europe, Celebrity Chef, Heston Blumenthal first took offense then realized there was some truth in it. Hear all about how things changed for him when he 1st visited a Michelin star restaurant at the age of 15, at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, 2019. Click to immerse yourself into the visceral experience of what inspired him to be the chef he is today.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman admits at the 17th edition of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit that agriculture has suffered due to a lack of proper infrastructure. She also said that the government will help farmers get better prices for their produce. Listen to how agriculture will get customized assistance so that it can finally be a value-add to the Indian economy.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman spoke at the 17th edition of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit. She said that the government is aware of the problems of home buyers and their demands are being met. Listen to how she assures them that their voices matter.

Abhijit Banerjee, Nobel laureate and eminent economist, spoke on India’s economy this year and the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic. Speaking on Day 7 of the HindustanTimes Leadership Summit 2020, Banerjee said the bounce has been slow. “We're going to end the year at 10% short of what we were,” Banerjee said. He added that one of the reason would be due to a massive demand shock, investment is very slow. Tune in for more.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman commented on the troubles being faced by Non-Banking Finance Companies. Underlining the government's commitment to ensure the firms' well-being, Sitharaman said that she 'doesn't want anyone falling off the cliff'. Listen to what she has to say about the multiple steps announced by the government to help NBFCs.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman attended Day 2 of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2019. She was in conversation with R. Sukumar, Editor-in-Chief, Hindustan Times. When asked whether the government is mulling an income tax cut, Sitharaman said that a host of methods to boost consumption are being considered by the government but the people would have to wait for the next Union Budget to get a definite answer. Click to know what she says on harassment faced by tax assessees and the NDA administration's efforts to curb it.

Currently, there are four key tax slabs—5%,12%,18%, and 28%—under the new indirect tax regime that was rolled out on 1 July 2017. FM Sitharaman gives assurance at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit that eventually GST will be streamlined. Click to hear how. 

Has the center ignored the GST compensation that the state governments were promised? Listen to what Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman has to say about that at the 17th Hindustan Times Leadership Summit.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman reveals how the initial framework for GST was distorted at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, 2019. Listen to how nonchalantly she explains the systems and processes that lead to what GST is now.  

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman spoke at the 17th edition of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit. She said that there is a need to bring back credibility into data. She said that there are times when something goes wrong on the ground and hence the government holds back the data. Click to hear her full response.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman attended the 17th edition of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit. She commented on GDP growth reaching a 6-year low in the September quarter. Listen to Sitharaman talk about the efforts that are underway to provide a boost to the economy. 

At the 17th edition of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, when asked about their experience of social media, Akshay said that he laughs at memes made about him. Kareena commented on her absence on social media, but why did Akshay say that Kareena knows everything that goes on in the industry? Click to find out.

Bollywood actor Kareena Kapoor spoke at the 17th edition of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit. Kareena said that she wanted to be paid as much as Akshay Kumar. Hear how Akshay then made an offer Kareena couldn't refuse.

At the 17th edition of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, Actor Kareena Kapoor Khan spoke about her decisions to get married and have a baby despite concerns being raised about the trajectory of her career. Click to hear Kareena express nonchalance about the predictions that her career could suffer and how her son is learning the ropes from her.

Speaking at the 18th edition of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh explained the logic of legislation against 'love jihad'. The MP administration is mulling a law to regulate inter-faith marriages, close on the heels of a similar law in neighboring Uttar Pradesh. Chouhan said legislation mandating strict punishment is needed to protect women from exploitation and harassment. He labeled it a new 'Beti Bachao' campaign. Some Hindutva groups claim that 'love jihad' is a conspiracy to convert Hindu women. Tune in to know more.

Akshay Kumar opened up on the controversy over his passport at the 17th edition of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit. Hear how and why he got a Canadian passport and added that it hurts when he is questioned on the issue every single time.

CEO of Beautiful Destinations Jeremy Jauncey spoke at the 17th edition of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit. The young entrepreneur said that he would love to collaborate with Incredible India and the India government. Click to find out why.

Speaking at the 17th Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, Michael Phelps said that he isn't sure if he would want his sons to take up swimming at a professional level. "There would be expectations and comparisons to me and that could be unfair and add pressure." Click to listen to the full story.

Champion Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps revealed at 17th Hindustan Times Leadership Summit that there was a phase after winning record 8 Gold medals at Beijing Olympics that he decided to take it easy. "I still look back at it with frustration. There were times I didn't want to live. I dealt with anxiety, depression." Hear how he rose above it all.

Success in sports is as much about mental strength as physical ability. For champion swimmer Michael Phelps, it is a bit more. Speaker at 17th Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, the winner of a record 23 Gold medals said determination, hard work and knowing his rivals intricately helped him win race after race. Click to know more.

Michael Phelps knows more than a thing or two about being great. Speaking at 17th Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, the record 23 Olympic Gold-winning swimmer admitted there were times he felt like choosing his bed over the pool but swam nonetheless. He said that the difference between a good and a great athlete is that "greats do things even when they don't want to."

American streaming platform Netflix is set to spend ₹3,000 crore to create content in India over this year and the next, says CEO and founder Reed Hastings. The streaming service has 160 million subscribers globally but has not revealed its India numbers yet. He also commented on the kind of content which has been successful in India at the Hindustan times Leadership Summit, 2019.

Speaking at the 17th Hindustan Times Leadership Summit in New Delhi, Netflix founder and CEO Reed Hastings said that self-regulation is the pragmatic middle ground. He added that censorship does not really make sense for curated entertainment. Netflix’s big Indian successes in the last year have been Sacred Games, Delhi Crime, Little Things and the animation show, Mighty Little Bheem.

Zomato founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal said at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, 2019 that Zomato now serves 48 million people every month. He also added that the company has hired 2,50,000 people in the last 18 months alone and his parent's response to his decision to start Zomato. 

Commander Abhilash Tomy spoke at Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2019 about the fact that he did not feel fear as long as he was at sea. He said that he is rather afraid of people. He also revealed that he was thinking about his wife & his unborn child the whole time.

Abhijit Banerjee, Nobel laureate and eminent economist, spoke on the migrant crisis in India during the early days of lockdown and the Covid-19 pandemic. Speaking on Day 7 of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2020, Banerjee said we live in a world where no survey tells us about the number of migrants. “We have never really confronted the magnitude of the integration of the Indian economy that has happened,” Banerjee added. The Nobel laureate said India’s urban housing policy is disastrous. 
Tune in for for more.

Commander Abhilash Tomy admitted at Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2019 that he does not blame the sea for everything that he had to endure and added that the sea is predictable. The brave officer added that he relates a lot to Ernest Hemingway’s book, Old Man and the Sea.

Commander Abhilash Tomy spoke at Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2019 at length about what happened on 21st September, 2018. He explained in detail how he managed to hang on to the mast of his boat as that was his only chance of survival. Hear how this brave officer explains the harrowing moments that followed the storm which ended his participation in the race around the world.

From globalization to localization, KM Birla hints at how focusing the business by catering to regional markets could be the future of the Indian economy.

When he'd first joined the Birla Group, KM Birla had promised to get rid of the Group's womb-to-tomb policy, to make the Group less 'Marwari'. Has he been able to achieve that? Let's find out.

Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of Aditya Birla Group, commented on the troubles being faced by the telecom sector after the Supreme Court decision regarding AGR payment by telecom firms to the government. He also said that the joint venture of Vodafone Idea would be forced to 'shut shop' if the government doesn't provide any relief.

Kumar Mangalam Birla reminisced about his journey as a successful businessman. Birla said that he was extremely lazy in his youth, and credited his father for making him the man he is today. He also spoke about dealing with failure, calling it a stepping stone to success at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, 2019.

Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group, Kumar Mangalam Birla spoke on the condition of the economy and what could be possible solutions to overcome the economic slowdown. At the 17th edition of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, he argued that fiscal stimulus is the only solution at the moment. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a push for lateral entry into the bureaucracy by stating that his government rewards performance and not privilege. He added that it is heartening to see people letting go of posh jobs to come work for the government and said that domain experts who are not part of the civil services should also be incorporated into governance.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about his government's decision to reduce the tax burden on individuals as well as corporations. The Prime Minister said that his government's mantra is 'reform and perform' at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, 2019.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed on minimum government, maximum governance during his address at the 17th edition of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit. PM Modi said that the poor should not be abandoned by the government but it should also be ensured that the common man does not feel burdened by the government.

Doug McMillon, President and CEO of Walmart Inc, commented on how the Covid-19 pandemic impacted consumer behavior. Speaking on Day 7 of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, McMillon claimed that many people whom he talks to, want to go out to shops, theatres, etc once they feel safe. He said that omnichannel retail, i.e. a combination of physical and digital stores, would be the 'winning formula'. Tune in to find out more.

While addressing the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that 112 districts had been left like 'blank pages' by previous governments. He also said that the NDA government is sending officers from their air-conditioned offices to these 'aspirational' districts to ensure development.

The Prime Minister slammed previous governments during his address at the 17th edition of the HTLS. He said that in the past political parties would make lofty promises before elections but never fulfill them. PM Modi said that governments should have the pressure to perform and all work should be done with the vision of a better tomorrow in mind.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered the inaugural address at Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2019. He spoke on the government's decision to scrap Jammu and Kashmir's special status, and also the Supreme Court verdict on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute. He also pushed the government's Citizenship Amendment Bill.