Grad2Guide
Welcome to your roadmap for life beyond the classroom, where aspirations meet experience. An initiative by the Placement Committee and the Career Development Office, Grad2 Guide bridges the gap between campus life and career realities. We host candid podcast conversations with alumni, entrepreneurs, industry leaders, professors, and placed peers to offer grounded advice on internships, placements, and professional growth. Season 1 is brought to you in collaboration with the InfoEdge Centre for Entrepreneurship, bringing entrepreneurial thinking and industry expertise directly to our community.
S1E1 | Space, Strategy and Startups: Anand Waghmare, Co-founder of Yugen Space
In this episode, we sit down with Anand Waghmare, astrophysicist, entrepreneur, and founder of Yugen Space. From Ashoka University to the University of Tübingen, Anand's journey bridges deep scientific research with real-world impact. He shares how he's working to make Earth observation data more accessible and actionable, and why space-tech matters for a sustainable future. We also talk about building something from scratch, navigating academia alongside entrepreneurship, and what it really takes to move from curiosity to creating change. A must-listen for anyone interested in science, startups, or the future of our planet.
S1E2 | Building Systems and Businesses: Anushka Mimani on Entrepreneurship and Impact
In this episode, we sit with Anushka Mimani, founder of MCode. Anushka helps small and medium-sized businesses streamline projects and workflows through project management, Al and automation. After pursuing undergraduation at Ashoka University, she went on to work with organisations like UNICEF, Mentora, BuzzFeed and dentsu. Her experience spans program leadership, consulting, marketing and building operational systems. Anushka talks about moving from internships to leadership, starting MCode and learning how to design workflows that help teams work better. We also speak about taking early risks, building confidence through experience and turning ideas into actionable work.
S1E3 | Designing Meaningful Brands: Aarya Jhaveri on Jewellery, Tech, and Entrepreneurship
In this episode, we sit with Aarya Jhaveri, an Entrepreneurship and Politics, Philosophy, and Economics graduate from Ashoka University. Aarya is building Modera, one of India's first multi-designer fine jewellery stores, focusing on curation, craftsmanship, and personal style. Additionally, Aarya is developing Candid, a digital-first brand that combines jewellery with NFC and Al to transform memories into modern keepsakes. Aarya talks about building on a legacy business while creating something entirely new, exploring the intersection of emotion, design, and technology, and learning how to turn abstract ideas into tangible brands. We also speak about entrepreneurship at a young age, taking creative risks, and designing products that carry meaning beyond utility.
S1E4 | Inside Pet Set Go: Scaling a Made-in-India Pet Brand with Muskan Jain
In this episode, we sit with Muskan Jain, Founder of Pet Set Go, a made-in-India D2C pet lifestyle brand redefining how pet products are designed, manufactured, and scaled. An Ashoka University alum and former Business Analyst at Zomato, Muskan brings together data-driven thinking and hands-on brand building. Muskan talks about building a category-first pet brand from the ground up, navigating manufacturing, quality control, and scale, and what it really takes to grow a D2C startup beyond just aesthetics. We discuss taking ownership early, learning through trial and error, and building systems that allow a brand to grow sustainably. We also speak about entrepreneurship straight out of college, working at the intersection of operations and creativity, and staying deeply involved in the day-to-day while building something meant to last.
S1E5 | Turning Dialects into Disruption: Harsh Mani Tripathi on Building STAGE
In this episode, we sit with Harsh Mani Tripathi, founder of Stage India's leading regional OTT platform and a Young India Fellow (YIF) from Ashoka University. Harsh is building Stage with a bold vision: to bring regional cultures, dialects, and stories to the digital forefront through hyperlocal content that resonates deeply with its audience. What started as a niche idea has grown into a powerful platform celebrating identity, language, and grassroots storytelling. Harsh unfolds his journey of building an OTT platform in a market dominated by giants, identifying untapped audiences, and turning cultural insight into scalable business strategy. We also explore entrepreneurship at a young age, navigating uncertainty, building the right team, and creating impact-driven ventures that blend culture with technology. Through this conversation, he shares what it truly takes to move from idea to execution and how founders can think long-term while building in fast-changing industries.