Vikas Malhotra

CUET may be just an exam, but it also represents a powerful shift in how India can democratise access to higher education. In this op-ed for Hindustan Times, Hemant Joshi and I explore how CUET is reshaping college admissions and why schools need to go beyond board exam prep to become true enablers of higher education and career pathways. The focus is not just on exam success but on helping students discover aspirations, make informed choices, and access opportunities regardless of geography or background. This piece reflects our shared belief in the role of school systems as the bedrock of an equitable education ecosystem, one that is aligned with national goals like improving GER and building a future-ready workforce. #Education #HigherEducation #CUET #SchoolLeadership #NEP2020 #ViksitBharat #GER

44

2 Comments

Is there a point to these posts on Hawa Mahal and “ancient climate solutions”? I’m struggling to see it. If the point is “go back to our roots”, that idea has been repeated endlessly — and ignored just as consistently. At some stage, it’s worth asking: Is the idea incomplete, or is it simply impractical at scale? Also, there’s nothing uniquely Indian about this. People across geographies have always adapted to their environments: - Desert regions developed passive cooling - Arctic communities built for extreme cold - Tropical regions designed for heavy rainfall Humans solve for time and place. But times have changed. We now have: - Urban density at an unprecedented scale - Resource constraints very different from the past - Expectations of comfort that didn’t exist earlier - And importantly, structures like Hawa Mahal were built for a tiny, privileged section of society — not something that can be generalized for millions. If the goal is to drive change today, the conversation needs to move from “look at what royalty built centuries ago” to “what scalable, modern solutions can work for today’s realities.” Otherwise, it remains an interesting history lesson — not a practical direction.

3

1 Comment

Nice discussion about advancements in the learning and reasoning models, about how math and physics plays a role in machine learning etc. Listen & share…

15

The GCC Shift No One Is Talking About: “Decision Altitude Design” After returning to Hyderabad and meeting leaders across the GCC ecosystem, I’ve noticed something that rarely gets discussed, yet quietly determines whether a GCC becomes a strategic engine or stays a delivery shop. It’s not AI maturity. Not talent density. Not cost structure. It’s something bigger: The altitude at which decisions get made inside the GCC. Every GCC operates at one of three decision altitudes: Level 1-> Task Altitude Teams execute. They wait for clarity. They follow instructions. Great for output. Terrible for influence. Level 2 --> Ownership Altitude Teams manage outcomes. They shape how something is built. They add velocity and solve problems locally. Good for innovation. But still dependent on HQ for direction. Level 3 --> Enterprise Altitude (The Rare One) Teams think like the mothership. They understand the customer, the business model, the risk, the trade-offs. They influence what gets built, not just how. This is where a GCC becomes a global strategy center. Very few centers operate here , but the ones that do are redefining what “India-led leadership” means. Here’s the truth: You can hire hundreds of brilliant engineers. You can run 24×7 pods. You can automate everything in sight. But if your decision altitude stays low, your impact will stay low. The next wave of GCC transformation will come from redesigning - how context flows - how decisions are distributed - how India teams influence upstream thinking This is the real unlock. Now that I’m back in Hyderabad, this is the work that excites me the most: Building GCCs that operate at enterprise altitude, not just delivery altitude. If you're building a center here or scaling one, happy to connect, meet in person, and exchange notes. Hyderabad is ready for its next era of global leadership. And leaders who think at enterprise altitude will shape it. #GCC #Leadership #Hyderabad #IndiaGCC #DecisionDesign #DigitalTransformation #AI #FutureOfWork #ReturningLeader EY EY Technology Solutions Viswanathan K S GCC Pulse™ Susheel Kumar Achyut Menon "AK" Vishnu BG Amrish Kumar Shankaran (Shanks) Srinivasan Accenture in India Reshab Shaw LinkedIn News India T-Hub Vishwanadh Raju Supriya Sethi (She/Her/Hers) KPMG India Naveen Gullapalli Amgen India Lilly India McDonald's Global Office in India Vanguard India Covasant Pavan Kumar Bandaru Korn Ferry Kamal Karanth Xpheno Talentiser Michael Page PageGroup ANSR Subu Boyinapalli Lalit Ahuja Southwest Airlines StarRez, Inc. Happening Hyderabad Zinnov

18

1 Comment

I am not an IITian, I wasn’t sure what to expect when stepping into the IIT Bay Area Leadership Conference today(https://iitbayconf.org). Instead, I found myself deeply inspired and grateful for the chance to be among such brilliant minds. Most of them are the leaders in AI, healthcare, and venture capital who are truly shaping the future. Listening to the visionaries like Vinod Khosla and Bipul Sinha (Rubrik) and hearing their perspectives was not just an opportunity to learn, but also a moment of reflection for me. It was humbling to be around people who are not just talking about innovation, but living it, leveraging AI to transform how we live, work, and connect. A few personal takeaways: - Building AI agents is everyone job, including companies outside tech, is making this leap. - AI in the digital space feels almost routine now, but hearing about the promises and challenges of physical AI reminded me that real world impact is complex and still unfolding. - Watching Walmart’s aggressive push with AI, and realizing how everyday businesses are transforming, made me reflect on my own journey and aspirations to be part of this wave. In the end, it wasn’t just about knowledge or networking; it was a reminder of how important it is to surround you with big thinkers and embrace the change.

91

1 Comment

Who’s a Real Friend? In this reel, Amit Rai, GM of AI and Enterprise Cloud at Vultr, shares his heartfelt definition of a real friend. Watch the Full Episode of Code Chaos Clarity here - https://lnkd.in/gVxd-jNp #AmitRai #Friendship #RealFriends #CodeChaosClarity #LifeJourney #InspiringStories #TrueFriendship #Relationships #LifeLessons #FriendshipGoals

8

As Promised in My last post, Let's start with the Summary of my experience of listening to, and learning from the very best (GOATs) of their Domain. Amit Jain, Infamous Founder and CEO, that you may all know from Shark Tank India. 1. "When I began, I Put up on LinkedIn that I want to billion dollar company, even if I did not know how many zeroes are there in a billion dollars" This statement of his, throws some Light on the importance of Ambition and the nature of being able to continue something once started. Not giving up even when you feel like it. 2. Hire the best Talent. He aimed for IITs and went for freshers. This process usually becomes easier after you raise funding. And once on it, The word of mouth takes over. 3. Every Intern, Every Employee, Every STUDENT is a brand ambassador for his/her respective institution. Use that to your advantage. This is literally a free Marketing Hack. Use their Network as your own. See the reach compound. 4. It Does not matter how many years of experience you have. What truly matters is how much experience have you had in an year. (Let that sink in) Don’t count your years of experience — count the experience in your years. Feel Free to comment/ repost your opinions ideas, build a community, a Network for an idea that you think can be bought to life. Like a wise man once said "Your Network is your Net worth" until next time, Adios!

27

This year’s budget genuinely felt personal to us. The renewed focus on education, skilling, and stronger pathways to employment reinforces something we witness every day on the ground that talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. When policy places employability at the center, it sends a powerful signal that the future of India’s youth is worth investing in. At Xcelevate Skills Foundation, our mission has always been aligned with this thinking: elevate underprivileged youth by equipping them with industry-relevant skills, mentoring them closely, and placing them into multinational companies where they can build dignified, sustainable careers. We don’t believe in short-term relief; we believe in long-term transformation. This budget strengthens our conviction that teaching real, market-ready skills is the most impactful way to create inclusive growth. When intent at the policy level meets execution at the grassroots, excellence is no longer limited by background. For us, this budget isn’t just an announcement. It’s validation of a shared purpose and a reminder that together, we can turn potential into progress at scale.

12

Moving fast is easy when you’re small, but harder when you’re building at global scale. Prashant Verma's recent conversation with ETGCCWorld looks at how Harness is structured to handle both with its “startup within a startup” model giving teams real ownership over features and outcomes. That structure shows up clearly in the work happening out of India, where teams are building products like AI SRE and resiliency testing to help companies manage production environments more effectively. If you’re interested in how global engineering teams stay nimble as they grow, this is a good read. Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gPKBhZ8U

12