Q1. Could you start by giving us a brief overview of your professional journey and how your experience across operations, HR, M&A integration, and coaching has shaped your approach to leadership and human development?

My career journey has been all about embracing change and learning through transitions. I’ve had two distinct professional phases. The first was entrepreneurial — running my own venture for over a decade. The second was in the corporate world, where I spent more than twenty years with Genpact, an organization that actively encourages people to explore diverse roles.

At Genpact, I led across multiple domains — operations, business HR, large-scale talent acquisition, and even M&A integration. One defining experience was during the integration of a company in Pune, where I spent over two years as the face of Genpact, aligning people, cultures, and processes. That’s where I realized that while you can merge systems or balance sheets overnight, merging mindsets and cultures takes time, empathy, and understanding.

Over time, I recognized that my real strength wasn’t just in processes or structures — it was in working with people, helping them adapt, grow, and realize their potential. That insight naturally led me toward coaching.

In fact, I often say that a coach is like a data scientist for human thoughts. Just as a data scientist helps an organization make sense of unstructured data, a coach helps individuals organize their internal clutter — their beliefs, emotions, and experiences — to find clarity and insight.

My foundation in operations and HR taught me structure and systems thinking; M&A gave me perspective on transitions; and coaching helped me bring it all together through empathy and human connection. Ultimately, my approach to leadership and human development blends structure, awareness, and mindset — because sustainable change always begins with how we think.

 

Q2. From your experience, which industries or sectors are increasingly investing in professional coaching, and what factors are driving this adoption?

One of the most fascinating trends I’ve seen recently is how public sector organizations — nationalized banks, and large enterprises like the Navratnas and Maharatnas — are now investing significantly in coaching. Contrary to the popular belief that these organizations resist change, many of them have robust learning cultures and are consciously using coaching as part of their leadership development programs.

This shift is being driven by the need to stay competitive with private sector players. Industries such as oil, energy, manufacturing, and even defense are realizing that agility, innovation, and people transformation are critical to long-term relevance. Coaching is helping leaders in these spaces become more adaptive, collaborative, and forward-thinking.

Private organizations, startups, and tech firms are also embracing coaching to manage transformation, change, and scale. The pattern is clear — whenever there’s transformation, there’s coaching. It helps people navigate uncertainty, reframe challenges, and grow into roles that demand new ways of thinking.

Another important factor driving adoption is the realization that staying in one’s comfort zone doesn’t enable progress. Organizations are understanding that the same behaviors that once made them successful may now be holding them back. Coaching is becoming the bridge that helps leaders and teams step out of that comfort zone — not only professionally but also personally.

Coaching works at both levels because professional transformation is often impossible without personal growth. As people develop self-awareness and emotional agility, they start leading more authentically and effectively, driving cultural and performance shifts across the organization.

 

Q3. When companies  approach coaching, what types of training or methodologies tend to be most effective in developing leadership, behavioral skills, and performance improvements?

It’s important to understand that training and coaching are not the same. Training focuses on building a specific skill or imparting knowledge, while coaching is about helping individuals unlock their potential through reflection, awareness, and action.

The most effective coaching engagements address both the professional and personal dimensions of a person. I prefer to think of it not as “work-life balance,” but as “work and life balance,” because the two are inseparable. When someone grows in one area, it inevitably reflects in the other.

Organizations typically approach coaches with broad objectives like improving collaboration, developing leadership capabilities, or breaking down silos. The coaching process then helps individuals identify their own blind spots and limiting beliefs and work toward actionable behavioral changes.

For example, I’ve worked with teams where people hesitate to ask for help, fearing it might be perceived as weakness. Coaching helps them challenge such assumptions and realize that seeking help can, in fact, be a leadership strength. The outcome isn’t just better teamwork — it’s deeper personal growth and higher self-awareness.

Structured methodologies like 360-degree feedback are also very effective. When feedback is collected from peers, managers, and even clients, it provides a full picture of how an individual is perceived. This reflection becomes the foundation for coaching conversations that create lasting behavioral shifts.

So, the most powerful coaching combines structure, reflection, and self-awareness — turning insights into sustainable action.

 

Q4. How do organizations prioritize coaching initiatives within their overall talent and organizational development strategies, and what drives that prioritization?

Organizations typically prioritize coaching when they identify a strategic need — such as preparing for growth, addressing leadership gaps, or building a stronger succession pipeline. Coaching is increasingly being seen as a proactive investment rather than a corrective measure.

One driver is the desire to reduce risks associated with external hiring by grooming internal talent for future leadership roles. Coaching helps high-potential employees develop both the capability and mindset to step into these roles effectively.

Interestingly, the true cultural shift happens when leaders experience coaching firsthand. Once they see its impact on their own growth and decision-making, they begin to adopt a coaching mindset themselves. They listen more, question more effectively, and create psychologically safe environments for their teams.

Over time, this behavior starts to seep into the organizational culture, creating a ripple effect. That’s when coaching evolves from being an isolated HR intervention to becoming a cultural foundation — shaping how people communicate, collaborate, and grow across the company.

 

Q5. In terms of market awareness and adoption, how mature is the professional coaching industry in India, and what challenges exist in scaling its implementation?

The professional coaching industry in India is expanding rapidly but is still catching up to Western markets in terms of maturity. The encouraging part is the increase in certified coaches from globally recognized bodies like the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC), which signals rising awareness and credibility.

However, several challenges remain.

• Perception: Coaching is still sometimes misunderstood as a remedial measure rather than a developmental one. Many organizations bring in coaches only when performance issues arise, instead of using it to strengthen leadership potential from the outset.
• Awareness: There’s still confusion between coaching, mentoring, therapy, and training. Each serves a different purpose, but the boundaries often blur.
• ROI measurement: Because coaching impacts behavior, mindset, and culture — outcomes that unfold gradually — it’s harder to quantify results in the short term. Many decision-makers still look for immediate metrics rather than trusting the long-term cultural impact.
• Scalability and consistency: The number of trained and credentialed coaches in India is growing but still limited. For organizations looking to implement large-scale programs across regions, consistency in quality and ethics remains a challenge.
• Cultural readiness: In many organizations, leaders still operate within hierarchical, top-down structures, which can conflict with the openness and vulnerability that coaching requires. Building that trust-based environment takes time.

Despite these challenges, the trajectory is positive. Coaching is steadily being recognized not as an expense but as a strategic enabler of leadership, culture, and performance. As more leaders experience its benefits, its adoption will only accelerate.

 

Q6. With emerging trends like AI-driven learning tools, digital coaching platforms, and hybrid work environments, what innovations do you see shaping the future of executive and life coaching?

Technology and AI are reshaping how coaching is delivered, but not the essence of coaching itself. I often compare this to fitness apps — they can track data and give recommendations, but they don’t replace the human trainer who understands your motivation and mindset.

AI can be an excellent enabler — it helps with assessments, analytics, and tracking progress. It can even make coaching more accessible and scalable by supporting hybrid or digital-first models. These tools can help coaches and organizations gather data-driven insights and identify behavioral patterns faster.

However, AI cannot replicate empathy, intuition, and contextual understanding — the core of coaching. It can analyze what someone says, but not how they feel. Coaching often involves emotions, trust, and vulnerability — dimensions that technology can’t authentically capture.

Another critical factor is data privacy and ethical standards. Coaching conversations are deeply personal, so as digital platforms expand, ensuring confidentiality and psychological safety becomes paramount. Industry bodies are beginning to develop frameworks for this, but it’s a work in progress.

So, the future of coaching will likely be blended — where AI and digital tools provide structure, data, and scalability, while human coaches continue to provide empathy, nuance, and transformation. It’s not about replacement; it’s about enhancement.

 

Q7. From an investor or strategic standpoint, what indicators or benchmarks should be evaluated to understand the long-term impact and scalability of coaching programs within organizations?

Measuring coaching impact can be challenging because so much of it involves mindset and behavior — things that aren’t immediately visible in metrics. That’s why clear contracting at the beginning is essential. A three-way conversation between the coach, the coachee, and the manager helps define what success means for that engagement.

Using tools like 360-degree feedback both before and after the coaching cycle can provide tangible evidence of behavioral shifts and perception changes across teams and stakeholders.

From an investment and organizational perspective, I see three distinct levels of investment in coaching:

1. External coaching engagements: Organizations bring in certified, independent coaches to work with senior leaders. Here, benchmarks include the coach’s credentials, methodology, feedback mechanisms, and alignment with business goals.
2. Internal capability building: Some companies are training managers and HR leaders to become internal coaches, embedding a sustainable coaching culture. Success is measured by how well coaching principles are integrated into daily leadership practices.
3. Coaching as a scalable business or platform: From an investor’s lens, it’s important to assess scalability, client retention, quality of coaches, ethical frameworks, and technology integration. As coaching becomes more digital, the ability to combine human expertise with data-driven insight is emerging as a key differentiator.

Ultimately, the most meaningful ROI lies in how leaders think, engage, and lead differently after coaching. When people become more self-aware, empathetic, and decisive, it transforms not just performance but the entire organizational culture — and that’s where the true long-term impact lies.