Chairman (Mahindra Group), Tech Mahindra Limited
“Focus on Quality, Not Quantity”: Anand Mahindra Speaks on Work-Life Balance to Palki Sharma
... “Quality matters more than quantity,” says Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra, offering insights on work-life balance.
About Anand Mahindra
Anand Mahindra, chairman of the Mahindra Group, addressed the impact of artificial intelligence on the IT services industry during a shareholder meeting on July 20, 2026. He stated that AI will not kill the IT services industry but will make it more vital, arguing that while AI is moving to the center of business operations, making it work reliably and securely at enterprise scale is difficult. He said that companies like Tech Mahindra are needed to integrate, govern, and shape AI around each enterprise's context, comparing AI to a smartphone that becomes indispensable through the enabling layer provided by IT services. Mahindra also discussed the concept of "enterprise alpha," which he described as a company's data, workflows, judgment, and domain knowledge. He said that while building sovereign models is important, enterprises will increasingly need the ability to work across models, and that Tech Mahindra's role is to help preserve that alpha through platforms, solutions, and workflows that sit above and around the model.
Transcript (32 segments)
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Host0:03
We are extremely grateful and extend our deep regards to Union Cabinet Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports and Labour and Employment, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya ji, a true champion of youth. We also have with us Shri Anand Mahindra ji, Chairman of Mahindra Group, the national icon for today's event. His strategic foresight and dynamic leadership have elevated the Bharat manufacturing sector to a global scale. We also have Smt. Pallaki Sharma Upadhyay ji, a trailblazer in journalism. Ladies and gentlemen, an exceptionally vibrant morning to everyone. This is the celebration of youth, the celebration of Viksit Bharat, the Reimagine National Youth Festival, Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2025. The talented youth here have been selected through three categories: Viksit Bharat Challenge, State Level Youth Festival, and Young Trailblazers. 30 lakh participants from 12 languages and 4 stages brought together 3000 remarkable young leaders. This event is of the youth, for the youth, and by the youth. I request our My Bharat volunteers to welcome our honored guests. Let us welcome Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Raksha Khadse, Shri Anand Mahindra, Pallaki Sharma, ISRO Chairman S. Somnath, and Pawan Goenka. Swami Vivekananda ji once said that Mother Bharat will ascend the throne to guide the world, and that time is only a century away. We stand a century later, proving that great men's words never go in vain. We are the youth of Bharat who want to perform our duties, reform the present, and transform the future into Viksit Bharat. Thank you.
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Sarika Rana11:06
Good morning everybody! The strength of a nation lies in its young people. Today we are honored to have a trailblazer among us: Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya ji, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports and Labour and Employment. He has transformed healthcare through Jan Aushadhi Kendras and led India's vaccination drive to 2 billion doses. Please join me in welcoming him with a thunderous round of applause!
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Manusukh Mandaviya14:30
On the occasion of the Viksit Bharat Young Leader Dialogue, we have gathered here with Anand Mahindra ji, Pallaki ji, Somnath ji, Raksha ji, Pawan ji, and young leaders from across the country. Every year on 12th January, we celebrate National Youth Day in memory of Swami Vivekananda. This year, inspired by Prime Minister Modi ji, we have organized this festival in a unique way. Our youth volunteers have done all the planning and execution. 25 youth volunteers decided to hold a competition. Over 30 lakh youth participated in a quiz, from which 2 lakh wrote essays on 10 tracks. 6000 essays were evaluated, and 3000 young leaders are here today. This program is of the youth, by the youth, and for the youth. I am confident that you will build the Viksit Bharat of Modi ji's dreams by 2047. India has suffered centuries of subjugation, but now under Modi ji's leadership, we are moving towards becoming a developed nation. I urge you to participate fully in these two days and present your visions to the Prime Minister tomorrow. My best wishes to all.
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Sarika Rana27:00
Thank you once again sir for leading us towards a brighter future. Now it's time for the most anticipated interaction with a national icon. Let me introduce the moderator for this conversation: Pallaki Sharma Upadhyay ma'am. A fearless voice who has made India's story resonate globally. Please welcome her.
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Pallaki Sharma Upadhyay28:59
There are leaders who build businesses, and visionaries who build legacies. Shri Anand Mahindra ji belongs to the latter. Chairman of the Mahindra Group, he has driven innovation across automobiles, IT, and aerospace, and empowered underprivileged girls through Nanhi Kali. He has modernized sports with Pro Kabaddi League and promoted chess globally. Please welcome him to the stage. Sir, please take your seat. Now I request you to start the interaction.
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Anand Mahindra31:49
Thank you for the warm welcome. It is a privilege to be part of the Young Leaders Dialogue. Viksit Bharat 2047 is the most transformative goal we have set as a nation. It is a shared mission requiring the active participation of every citizen, especially the 600 million young people in this country. Their energy will drive our transformation. We have visionaries like Mr. Anand Mahindra with us.
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Pallaki Sharma Upadhyay32:58
Mister Mahindra, good morning, how are you?
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Anand Mahindra33:10
Good morning Pallaki. This is the first time I've been in this hall. I'm amazed at its scale and the organization. Today, the future of India is sitting here. I want to thank the minister for inviting me. When he said it's a youth program, I joked that I'm 69, why are you turning this into a party? But he didn't take no for an answer. I'm delighted to be here. Pallaki, back to you.
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Pallaki Sharma Upadhyay34:40
We're talking about young leaders. How do you envision the role of youth in nation building in the journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047? What qualities should they nurture to achieve this feat?
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Anand Mahindra34:57
They never give a perfect answer to such questions. But what was useful to me was about a month ago, at our annual leadership conclave, I described the reasons for our group's success. The first quality is audacity. Look at the independence struggle: Bhagat Singh was thinking of a goal that seemed impossible. Audacity is needed to overcome the colonial mindset, which is psychological rather than economic. The second quality is integrity. A developed nation cannot be defined only in material terms. It's not how big you become, but how you become big. You have to do it the right way. And there is one more quality: adaptability to change.
Because you come to innovation, you will always stumble, fall, and fail. The fear of failure is what we must overcome. The head of ISRO goes into space almost every day because he is not afraid of failing. We need to understand we will fall but we have to get up and rise again. Those are the three qualities we need to become a developed nation. This event was a collective effort, not managed by an event manager. Young people don't want an anarchic situation; they want empowerment to be part of the solution. We don't like to be pushed, we like to be led. I don't see a leaderless future; collective leadership like this event will be the most powerful. Purpose and profit go together. Our group was born in 1945 on the cusp of independence. My grandfather and grand uncle were working with the British government but were fired up by the idea of independence and created our company out of purpose. We have made more profit and been more resilient because of purpose. Every entrepreneur is building the nation. The biggest growth opportunities are in nation building. India is the fastest growing economy. So let's do away with the distinction: purpose and profit go together. For young innovators, I flip the question: it's not how we can help them, but they will help us rise. I started Enterprise Bharat on social media to invest in grassroots innovators. I am now supporting Professor Anil Gupta of IIM.
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Pallaki Sharma Upadhyay44:27
This is fantastic. This energy is amazing. I was going to ask you about advice for young entrepreneurs, but first a question from Jigyasa Jan from Madhya Pradesh. She asks: 'Young people need guidance to enter startups and business. How should we choose a mentor or guru?'
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Anand Mahindra44:54
The best thing is our tradition of mentorship, the guru-shishya parampara. It is in our nature to help young people. You don't have to search; everyone will come willingly. Today we can use technology to create a platform. There is the Aspire Institute started by Professor Tarun Khanna of Harvard Business School. He created it for first-generation college-goers. You can sign up for a 10-week immersion course and get mentors. This year he targets a million people. Minister ji, we should connect with them. Viksit Bharat should become a platform, not just an event. It should be a permanent platform where young people can log on for mentors, courses, network support. I am sure Satya Nadella will sign on. If we get all resources on one platform, it will be a revolution.
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Pallaki Sharma Upadhyay47:21
Corporate leaders have created many jobs in India, but the young have their own understanding of how they want to lead their lives. There is a debate about work-life balance, with prescriptions of 70-hour or 90-hour work weeks. How do you address that? What is your idea of balance and how much is too much?
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Anand Mahindra47:44
I have huge respect for Mr. Narayana Murthy, but I think this debate is in the wrong direction. It's about the quantity of work, but we should focus on the quality of work. It's not about 40, 70, or 90 hours. What output are you doing? Even in 10 hours you can change the world. The minister just sent me a note saying the My Bharat platform will integrate with Aspire. That's an action-oriented government. Coming back to your question, you need leaders who make wise decisions. A mind exposed to holistic thinking, open to inputs from arts and culture, makes better decisions. That's why we support art and culture. If you don't spend time with family, friends, reading, reflecting, how will you understand what customers want? There is no such thing as work-life balance; it's about making good decisions with a holistic life. Sometimes you need to push, like Narayana Murthy, but you shouldn't be in a tunnel all the time.
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Pallaki Sharma Upadhyay51:18
You are very successful. If I could ask, how many hours a week do you work?
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Anand Mahindra51:23
I want to avoid that question. Don't ask me about the time; ask about the quality of my work.
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Pallaki Sharma Upadhyay51:47
It's not a trick question. How much time in a day do you spend on social media? You use social media so well and yet you have managed time so well because you've built institutions. We can all learn.
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Anand Mahindra51:53
I am often asked this. If anyone thinks my office can write my tweets, then I have a fabulous team that lives inside my head. I don't know why people ask that. I am on social media not because I am lonely. My wife is wonderful, I love staring at her. I am here to make friends? No, it's an amazing business tool. On one platform I get feedback from 11 million people. If I asked a research firm for a sample of 11 million, you know what they charge. I once asked Microsoft to create a cockpit for me that tells me what's happening in my factory. They said a million dollars. I said do it, and then it came for free. So everybody, take out your mobile cameras. I'll tell you a story: a person tweeted to me thanking me because his girlfriend got sick at a concert in Nasik and a security guard from our factory helped them. I called the factory manager and asked to find that guard and felicitate him in front of people. That sets the culture.
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Pallaki Sharma Upadhyay55:10
You talked about AI, audacity, and integrity. The other kind of AI is also coming and being talked about a lot, and most likely coming for a lot of jobs. How can the youth upskill themselves and prepare as they enter the workforce? They are not even clear about what sort of workforce or job market there will be.
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Anand Mahindra55:30
On a light-hearted note, they should use AI to upskill themselves. Go to ChatGPT, it will probably tell you how to upskill. I am not one of those people saying there are no risks. Obviously there are risks. We run many schools. In a board meeting, they were talking about AI and we set up guidelines. Students using ChatGPT for essays? I hope none of you use it for your essays. There are tools to find out if you did. Safeguards have to be done. But having said that, look, from the time fire was created, some cave man sat down after some cave man rubbed two stones together and created... advancing advantage. From the time Gutenberg invented the press, people have found ways of envisioning a very dark future. Every technology has a dark side. Think about Star Wars: you were on the dark side and on the other side. So AI is probably the best tool for upskilling India. It will enable our young people to become the best in the world. So how do you upskill? The answer lies in AI and technology and digital connectivity.
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Pallaki Sharma Upadhyay57:22
Addressing young leaders, political awareness is a part of India you should have for nation building. What kind of trap? For me, your wit question: we have a politician here, the minister. We should ask him that question. What political awareness should people have?
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Anand Mahindra57:44
I am never happy when a young person tells me they are not interested in politics. Politics is dirty, it's about corruption. I'm not telling you to become a politician, but what she asked me was how politically aware they should be. Let's keep that away from election politics and parties. Politically aware, of course you have to be. If you are going to be in this room that got the future of India, you can't be politically unaware. You have to make your votes, make the right choice because you are the government that you bring in. Don't blame anyone else. You people decide who rules us, who creates policy, who will lead us to become developed. Political awareness first and foremost comes from casting your vote and making sure you have a hand in determining who is going to run this country. That much awareness I would ask everyone to have.
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Pallaki Sharma Upadhyay58:51
We'll take one more question from the audience. Harsh Shat Kumar from Gujarat.
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Audience Member58:58
We can do better in manufacturing units. We have ample labor force as well as a huge market. As young leaders, how can we contribute to the manufacturing sector so that there is better growth?
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Anand Mahindra59:14
You can contribute first of all by deciding to opt for a manufacturing career. I started my career on the shop floor of our alloy steel plant and then worked in an automobile plant. There is nothing as exciting as manufacturing. People see it as back-office work, like a dungeon. If you haven't been to a modern factory, please go and visit. It's the most exciting place. Just a couple of days ago I posted a video of our new plant for electric vehicles. It's like an opera, like a ballet when you look at the robots, the people, the precision. There's drama everywhere. Manufacturing is probably one of the most exciting jobs you can have. So my appeal to all of you: please, and borrowing from President Trump, make manufacturing great again.
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Pallaki Sharma Upadhyay1:00:37
Right, you said audacity, integrity, resilience. That was your last question? I was just going to add something very humbly. Listening to you, I think you didn't mention passion, but when you speak it comes through. I think you cannot achieve anything if you are not passionate about it. I think you are living an example of that. So hats off to you. A final question, and hold to it, please make sure it's the final question. I am a journalist. How can platforms like this help? You already gave ideas on what can be done and how we can make it a continuous process rather than one event and forget about it. But how important do you think it is to bring so many young leaders from across the country to one platform to engage with them? What sort of difference do you think it makes?
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Anand Mahindra1:01:37
It's what I call a rhetorical question because you know the answer. This is the difference. Why am I passionate? I just posted why I was excited on social media by coming here because we are talking about electric cars, renewable energy. This is energy. So my batteries get recharged with younger people. Platforms like this allow people to network, get resources, support, and above all, they make them passionate.
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Pallaki Sharma Upadhyay1:02:48
Absolutely. Thank you very much for your insights. I am sure everyone here is inspired. All the leaders inspired to work together to create a Viksit Bharat that is developed and proud of its heritage. Thank you. Thank you sir, thank you ma'am.
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Host1:03:07
May I request you to please be on the stage? Because now ladies and gentlemen, it is my great honor to invite our very own My Bharat volunteers to felicitate our esteemed guests with paintings made by them in this momentous event in our very own Bharat Mandapam. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Jagannath to felicitate Anand Mahindra. Sir, these paintings are made by them here in this event in Bharat Mandapam. And now Ajay Kumar to felicitate Pallaki Upadhyay. Ma'am, you can see the talent of Bharat coming here on the stage. Now at this point, may I kindly request our guests to please be on their seats. Thank you so much. And now as we come to the conclusion of this wonderful event, it is only fitting that we express our gratitude to everyone who made this day so special. For this, I would now like to invite Smt. Raksha Khadse ji, Minister of State of Youth Affairs and Sports, whose unwavering support and guidance have been instrumental in making this event a success, to deliver the vote of thanks. Ma'am, the stage is yours. Please welcome her with a thunderous round of applause, everybody.
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Raksha Khadse1:05:36
Respected dignitaries on the stage, distinguished guests, national youth icons, and all young friends present here. Today, I have the privilege to present the vote of thanks on the successful organization of this important and inspiring 'Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue' program. First of all, we express heartfelt gratitude to our honorable Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya ji, Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, who started this big platform to realize the dream of our Prime Minister ji of a developed India through the Viksit Bharat Young Leader Dialogues. And today this program is being realized in this grand Bharat Mandapam. I also want to thank Dr. Anand Mahindra ji, who took time out of his busy schedule and shared his excellent thoughts with us. Special thanks to Smt. Pallaki Sharma Upadhyay ji, who is a fearless journalist and an example of women empowerment, who always brought forward ideas for all women in our country and inspired us. Along with this, I thank Shri Somanath ji, Chairman of ISRO, who is present here, and also Ronnie ji and Abhitabh Kranti ji. I also thank all the national icons present here. I thank our ministry and all the officers of NYKS, NSS, and all My Bharat volunteers. I also thank ITPO for providing all the arrangements. I hope that the program happening today in Bharat Mandapam and the dream of our Prime Minister to see India as a developed nation by 2047 will be realized. I urge all the children present here to join this mission and see a developed India. Jai Hind, Jai Bharat.
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Host1:09:34
Thank you so much ma'am for your kind words. And now a surprise for you all. We are going to take a photograph. So I request you all calmly and quietly arise on your seats. Please all the young leaders, very calmly quiet. We have to show the discipline of My Bharat volunteers. And I request the photographer to please come on the stage and take a group photo of everybody. Please do not move from your seats. Everyone stand at your place. A picture of the future 3000 young leaders with the present India, which depicts the resolve of Viksit Bharat. What a wonderful sight. Thank you so much. Team, I request everyone be at your places until our honorable guests and minister leave the auditorium. Maintain decorum. Please remain seated.