About Guest:Sharad Sharma is a veteran technology leader and co-founder of iSPIRT Foundation, a think tank shaping India into a product nation. With 30+ years across Yahoo, Symantec, Lucent, and multiple startups, he’s been instrumental in India’s R&D and digital infrastructure journey. A former NASSCOM Product Forum Chair and angel investor, Sharad champions policy, innovation, and entrepreneurship, helping Indian startups navigate orbit change and compete globally.In this podcast, Sharad Sharma discussed why India missed the manufacturing revolution and how China strategically became a superpower by building scale before opening up. He shared lessons on enabling “orbit change” in companies, the role of digital public infrastructure like India Stack, and the importance of building foundational capabilities. Sharad also reflected on India’s startup mindset, the D2C wave, and what it truly takes for India to become a product nation.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction02:38 Global Value Chains and India's Position03:26 The Journey of Value Addition05:04 Challenges in the Value Chain05:31 The Airline and Aircraft Analogy06:04 The Concept of a Product Nation07:20 The Winner Takes All Mentality08:07 The Sports Analogy10:21 The Role of Ecosystems in Success11:07 The Importance of Competing Globally12:58 Job Creation and the Garment Sector14:50 The Decline in Garment Exports16:22 The Need for Design and Innovation17:18 Breaking Down the Problem Statement18:47 The Role of Ecosystems in Entrepreneurship19:33 Learning from Global Examples37:03 The Role of Think Tanks and iSPIRT48:17 The Importance of High-Quality IT Services49:04 Convincing Industry Leaders to Adopt CMM49:58 The Role of Fortune Magazine in Promoting Indian IT50:32 Early Adoption of CMM in India51:29 The Rise of SaaS in India51:48 Desk Marketing and Selling in India53:35 Creating a Digital Ecosystem for Bharat54:48 The Impact of Jio on India's Digital Transformation55:34 Building Ecosystems for Global Success56:47 Challenges in the Drone Industry58:01 The Importance of Specialty Industries01:06:53 The Middle Income Trap01:07:49 China's Strategic Industrial Growth01:09:31 India's Potential in Pre-Commercial R&D01:11:10 The Role of Ecosystem Builders01:20:12 The Importance of Contrarian Thinking01:30:13 The Value of Intellectual Skepticism01:35:42 Citizen Research in India01:37:42 Underdog Startups and Future Prospects01:38:40 Final Thoughts and ReflectionsCredits: Host: Shivank Joshi - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shivankjoshi-2001/Thumbnail: YaaSPost Production: YaaSSupport: Zerodha ( https://zero1byzerodha.com/network )Disclaimer:The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by the speaker and host are their own and do not represent those of the Exploring Minds platform. The information provided in this podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. All products and company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners, and their use does not imply any endorsement or opposition.#Marico #coconutoil #FamilyBusiness #IndianMiddleClass #D2C Burnout #Leadership #SharadSharma #iSPIRT