Hari TN – From Steel Factories to Deep-Tech Unicorns
Meet Hari TN, the man who's spent over two decades in the trenches of India's startup ecosystem – scaling teams, navigating exits, and turning complex challenges into clear, actionable insights.
An IIT Madras and IIM Calcutta alumnus, Hari started his journey at Tata Steel for nearly 15 years, moving from engineering roles to HR during a massive restructuring crisis. But the slow pace of a corporate giant pushed him to leap into the high-octane world of startups in 2002.
From scaling Daksh's workforce from 2,000 to 25,000 before its IBM acquisition, to leadership roles at Virtusa (NASDAQ listing), Amba Research, TaxiForSure, and seven transformative years as CHRO at BigBasket (which found its home in the Tata fold) – Hari has been part of five startups across diverse sectors, each ending in successful exits, including three unicorns.
A prolific author of seven category-leading books like From Pony to Unicorn, Sailing Through a Storm, and Saying No to Jugaad, Hari demystifies scaling with counter-intuitive wisdom that creates real 'aha' moments.
Today, as Executive Chairman of STEER World – a deep-tech powerhouse in materials transformation and advanced manufacturing – he's laser-focused on building a world-class group, steering innovations in pharmaceuticals, polymers, food, and biorefining, with a bold vision to take it public by 2028.
In this raw, thought-provoking episode, Hari opens up about:
If you've ever wondered what it takes to build organisations that last, spot patterns others miss, or make bold leaps that redefine careers – this conversation is pure gold.
Listen now on your favourite platform. What was your biggest 'courage moment' in your journey? Share in the comments!
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