The mood at a star hotel in the city was electric on Saturday as Kamini Saraf, Chairperson, Ficci FLO Hyderabad Chapter, organised and conducted an interactive session entitled ‘Thinking Refreshed’. Nara Lokesh, AP minister for information technology, panchayat raj and rural development, and his wife Brahmani, executive director of Heritage Group, were present at the event and spoke about shifting goalposts. Here are a few excerpts from their conversation:
Q You are often called beauty with brains. How do you manage your personal and professional life?
Brahmani: It’s complicated, but I think most of us go through the same problem. I work during weekends as well because there are many stores opening now. My son Devaansh has a holiday on Saturday, so I started taking him to work with me. He learnt about vegetables and he can even do the billing now. Basically, whenever there’s a conflict, I merge my personal and professional life. My family, especially my husband, has been helpful too. Lokesh even takes care of our son when I am at work.
Q Both of you graduated from the prestigious Stanford University, but is that helping you? Business and politics here are very different…
Lokesh: One can learn a lot from Western education as it is case-based. Also, people from different countries come and learn together. There are even discussions that happen post classes. They have a good value system… if a student copies in an exam or otherwise, they are reported to the authorities. Back here, we sometimes don’t even have invigilators! Jokes aside, Stanford has been a phenomenal transition for me.
Brahmani: Experience was greater than classroom learning there. You could even run into someone like Mark Zuckerberg on the streets and talk to him. Someone like Eric Schmidt would take classes. What I could have learnt in 10 years, I learnt in two years at Stanford. It was the most formative experience for me.
Never fear making...
Q What do you have to say about the future of Indian retail brands?
Lokesh: Did you know there are 12 million kirana stores in our country? Even now, we love walking down the street and buying things on credit at the store. Local retailers will always have a market. They will continue to exist.
Q Do you think relying too much on technology is bad?
Lokesh: There’s a lot of debate on the issue. It’s the fourth industrial revolution right now. The fact that we are using drones to identify bad roads and relay them in AP before we receive a complaint, shows how technology can make our lives easier.
Q What advice would you give to the youth?
Lokesh: There is no shortcut to success. The only way you can be successful is by working hard. With the proliferation of drugs, it is very important that the youth stay away from them. We are the future of the country and we are a very young nation. We have an important role to play in politics, development and advocacy. Misguided youth can be dangerous. We must remain focussed. There are several opportunities in India and we are the fastest- growing economy. Hope the youth put in extra effort to see things through.
Brahmani: Opportunities don’t always come your way, so when they do, always grab them. Also, education brings confidence. Never fear making mistakes, I learnt it early in my life. If you don’t make mistakes, you will never learn. Take accountability and responsibility and correct yourself as you go forward. Don’t fear things – I was a very shy person and my education made a lot of difference and opened me up. Lastly, solicit feedback from people.
Throughout the event, what one couldn’t help but notice was Brahmani’s gentle nature — she was extremely polite while answering questions. When a woman told her that her Heritage milk was frothy, she took the woman’s number and said that she would resolve the issue.
During the conference, Lokesh said that it was overwhelming to talk in front of so many women. And Brahmani spoke about how her father-in-law, AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, taught her that ‘with great power came great responsibility’. Post the session, the women from Ficci were excited to meet the couple personally and even clicked selfies with them.
Addressing the gathering, Kamini praised Lokesh and Brahmani’s dedication and hard work, calling them a power couple. She then asked the couple a few questions before speaking about the initiatives Ficci has undertaken in recent times. “It’s an honour to have Lokesh and Brahmani here today. I hope the questions I asked answered everyone’s queries!” she said.
