Episode 1 | Decoding Impact – Season 4

Host: Rathish Balakrishnan, Co-founder & Managing Partner, Sattva Consulting

Guest: Dr. R. Balasubramaniam (Dr. Balu), Member–HR, Capacity Building Commission (Government of India) and Chairperson, Social Stock Exchange Advisory Committee (SEBI)This thought-provoking episode of Decoding Impact spotlights the evolution of state capacity in India and its critical role in India's development. It features an in-depth conversation with Dr Balu, an acclaimed development scholar, author, and founder of the Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement (SVYM), as he shares powerful insights from over four decades of work spanning grassroots development, advising major institutions, and shaping public policy from within the system.Together, they explore the paradoxes of India’s relationship with its government, the tension between public reliance and skepticism, the evolution of the state from a colonial apparatus to a citizen-centric enabler, and the deep-rooted challenge of building effective state capacity.Rathish and Dr. Balu also unpack the historical, philosophical, and practical lessons behind public administration in India, with reflections from the Ramayana to the present-day Mission Karmayogi initiative.Key Topics Discussed1. The true meaning and evolution of state capacity in India2. Why “training is for circus animals”, rethinking capacity building beyond repetitive skills3. Lessons from India’s heritage on governance4. The shift from individual heroism in bureaucracies to system-wide effectiveness5. Why civil service competencies must be rooted in historical and cultural contexts6. The on-ground realities: workforce shortages and systemic performance barriers in public service7. How Mission Karmayogi aims to future-proof India’s civil services for a tech-enabled, citizen-centered future8. The shared responsibility of citizens and the state in nation-building#StateCapacity #Governance #India #PublicPolicy #SocialImpact #MissionKarmayogi #Leadership #podcast

From the macro to the micro and everything in between, in this episode of Decoding Impact, Manish Sabharwal illuminates the economics of India's current job market and the systemic levers needed to thrust India into grasping its full potential as an economy, society and nation. As one of the foremost experts on India's job market and the plight of Education in India today, Manish shares his expert insights, critical frameworks, and orbit-shifting views on how India can address its challenges at scale across its diverse geography, complex beaurocracy, and challenging education system. Some of the key insights he shares with host Rathish Balakrishnan include: • India does not have an unemployment issue, but a wages issue & there are five key levers where this can be addressed • However, across these five drivers regulatory cholesterol is a key limiting factor to India's labour market • Addressing the discrepancies between formality and informality means solving for poverty • Moving beyond the current drudgery in education requires five key design principles • Apprenticeships need to play a more significant role in how India is skilling its future workforce • We need clarity of vision in what education is giving children in India, which includes the traditional three "r's", but also important soft skills Manish elucidates each insight with clarifying data and global comparisons to ground the Indian story of where our labour market is today, and where it could be in as little as five years time with certain critical changes. Tune into the latest episode from season three of Decoding Impact today! Manish Sabharwal is is Vice-Chairman of TeamLease Services, one of India’s leading staffing and human capital firm. Additionally, he co-founded India Life, an HR outsourcing company in 1996, and is a member of the National Skill Mission, Central Advisory Board of Education and has served on various policy committees for education, employment and employability.

The Indian energy sector is at a critical juncture. Electricity consumption, a key indicator of economic growth, has grown significantly over the past 50-60 years, and India is primed to leapfrog into a sustainably powered future.

This transition calls for a robust policy foundation, technological advancements in demand-supply and storage mechanisms, and a keen study of economic incentives for users of green energy. In this episode of Decoding Impact, Rathish Balakrishnan is in conversation with scientist Dr. Nikit Abhyankar to unpack the unique opportunity India has, to transition to renewable energy, with economic viability and technological feasibility at the centre.

Through this conversation, you will learn about:

• The interplay between energy consumption and economic growth;

• The potential for the energy sector to leapfrog mirroring India's telecom boom;

• The policy environment, key shifts necessary in demand management, and

• The role of digital public infrastructure (DPI) in facilitating efficient energy transactions.

Tune into this latest episode of Decoding Impact today!

Dr Nikit Abhyankar is a Scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and a Senior Scientist at the Center for Environmental Public Policy of the University of California, Berkeley. Dr Abhyankar has conducted extensive research and policy analysis on a range of key energy issues such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, electric vehicles, and energy access in the United States and key emerging economies such as India, China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. He regularly advises governments, regulators, and utilities in multiple countries on designing clean energy policies and programs.

Guest: Dr Nikit Abhyankar

Host: Rathish Balakrishnan

Producer: Meenakshi Iyer

Produced by: Pickle Jar Media

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