Publication
What does it mean to belong — across countries, cultures, and identities that never stand still?
In this episode, we speak with Arvinn Gadgil, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Royal Norwegian Embassy in New Delhi.
With roots in Maharashtra and a childhood shaped in Pune, his return to India has often been described as a homecoming — but what does “coming home” truly mean when life has unfolded across continents?
From early experiences in India to global roles in government, international development, and institutions like the Norwegian Refugee Council and the United Nations, Gadgil reflects on a life lived between worlds.
Together, we explore:
- How the meaning of “home” evolves over time
- What it feels like to be read differently across cultures
- The quiet complexity of identity beyond nationality
- The double awareness of living between two worlds
- What belonging demands — and what it gives in return
This is a conversation about movement, memory, and the spaces in between — where identity is not fixed, but continuously shaped.
Tune in here:
Women Who Refused Silence: The Gulabi Gang Story
She founded the Gulabi Gang, a grassroots movement of women who dress in pink saris and come together to fight injustice. What began as one woman refusing to accept violence and corruption has grown into a powerful collective voice for 270 000 of women across India.
In this episode, Sampat Pal Devi shares her remarkable journey, from her early life in rural Uttar Pradesh to becoming the founder of one of the most extraordinary women’s movements in the world.
We talk about courage, fear, resistance, and the power of collective action.
What happens when women refuse to remain silent?
🎧 Note: This episode is recorded in Hindi. Listen to it here:
Guest: Tanya Singhal – Founder, SolarArise | ClimateTech & Renewable Energy Expert
Air pollution does not lie. It reveals the true cost of development.
In this episode of The First and Only, we speak with Tanya Singhal, founder of SolarArise and a leading voice in India’s clean energy transition. From scaling renewable energy solutions to shaping climate conversations, Tanya has been at the forefront of building sustainable infrastructure in one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.
We discuss:
• India’s renewable energy transformation
• The urgency of clean air and climate responsibility
• What it takes to build and scale climate-tech ventures
• Leadership as a woman in the energy sector
• Why the Global South must be central to climate solutions
Tanya combines sharp strategic thinking with deep purpose. Her journey reflects both entrepreneurial courage and environmental responsibility.
A powerful and necessary conversation on energy, impact, and the future we are building.
In this episode of The First and Only, we speak with Sara Abdullah Pilot, co-founder of Centre for Equity and Inclusion (CEQUIN), about what it truly costs for girls to play — especially when they are the first and only in their families.
Before the pitch, there is permission.
Before ambition, there is justification.
Before talent, there is negotiation:
Is it safe? Is it respectable? Is it necessary?
Sara works with girls who are fighting systems they should never have had to fight — families to convince, institutions to educate, silence to push against. Our conversation makes one thing clear: resistance is systemic, not personal.
This episode is not just about football.
It’s about power, voice, and what it takes to claim space without apology — so that the next generation doesn’t have to fight the same battles alone.
In this episode, we travel into the world of elite youth football with Minerva Academy — one of India’s most respected football academies, known for developing young talent through discipline, belief, and world-class training.
We meet Chetan Tiwari (14) from Minerva Academy U14, whose journey recently reached an international milestone at World Youth Cup, Dana Cup and the Norway Cup — the world’s largest youth football tournament.
Minerva Academy’s U14 team emerged as champions, marking a proud moment not just for the academy, but for Indian grassroots football on a global stage.
Beyond the win, this episode is about:
As Chetan shares, his journey is inseparable from his older brother — who gave up his own dream so Chetan could live his.
Listen to the episode here:
In this episode of The First and Only, Ranjit Bajaj — founder of Minerva Academy — shares how he’s transforming Indian football from the grassroots. With 183,000 annual applications and no government or corporate backing, Minerva has produced champions who’ve won the Norway Cup, Dana Cup, and World Youth Cup.
Ranjit talks about spotting raw rural talent, building discipline and belief in young players, and what India must change to become a true football nation. A powerful conversation about opportunity, ambition, and the future of Indian football.
Listen to the conversation here:
Our newly released book The First and Only celebrates bold trailblazers across industries—those who’ve chosen the harder path of leading without precedent. Sanjam Sahi Gupta is one of them.
In this powerful episode, Founder of Maritime SheEO and Director at Sitara Shipping Ltd , Sanjam Sahi Gupta opens up about what it means to lead in one of the world’s most traditionally male domains: maritime. As a changemaker and policy advocate, she’s redefining what leadership looks like—not just for women, but for the global industry as a whole.
We talk about breaking through old hierarchies, resisting the pressure to conform, and disrupting exclusionary systems without apology. Sanjam shares what kept her going when no one else had done it before, what invisible barriers still need dismantling, and what legacy she hopes to leave behind.
This is an episode for anyone who’s ever felt like the only one in the room—and decided to stay anyway.
In this episode, we speak with Mali Hole Skogen, a leading voice on digitalization and sustainability in Norway, to explore the current state of gender diversity in the Nordic IT sector.
This episode is part of the series “What can the Nordics learn from India’s IT gender balance?”
Earlier in the series, we spoke with:
– Sunita Cherian from Wipro
– Sunita Mohanty from Invest India
You can listen to their episodes here:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0OwJ0tzdsQDxzg865NWJsB
https://open.spotify.com/episode/41MNSY0nBmgfOIyrySJF1b
In this conversation, Mali highlights progress and persistent challenges across the Nordics, pointing out what’s working—and what’s not. We also look to India, where IT companies are setting bold gender diversity targets. What can the Nordics learn from India’s approach? Mali shares valuable insights on mentorship, leadership development, and the importance of aligning business goals with policy.
Topics discussed:
– Gender diversity in the Nordic IT sector
– Leadership development for women in tech
– Lessons from India’s gender strategies
– Mentorship and networking
– Cultural and policy influences on equity
– Opportunities for Nordic–Indian collaboration
This podcast episode is funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers.
Listen to the episode with Mali Hole Skogen here:
What does it take to reimagine leadership from the ground up—and build a digital economy that centres 100 million rural women?
In this powerful episode of the Det Moderne India Podcast, we sit down with Ajaita Shah, the dynamic founder of Frontier Markets and the visionary force behind She-Leads Bharat. From Wall Street to the heart of rural India, Ajaita’s journey is a masterclass in courage, innovation, and systems change.
She opens up about:
– What drew her from New York to India's villages
– Breaking barriers in male-dominated spaces
– The setbacks that shaped her deepest resilience
– Why rural women are the frontline leaders of climate and digital transformation
– What funding and policy must do to catch up with women’s potential
Ajaita doesn’t just imagine an inclusive future—she’s building it.
Tune in now for a conversation on equity, agency, and the unstoppable power of rural women:
The First and Only — Featuring Dr. Sulagna Chattopadhyay
What does it take to be the first and pioneering woman in polar research, climate journalism, and policy advocacy in India?
In this special episode of the Det Moderne India Podcast, we speak with Dr. Sulagna Chattopadhyay — a pioneer whose work has shaped environmental discourse for over two decades. From founding Geography and You to leading polar policy platforms like SaGAA, Sulagna’s journey is one of relentless perseverance, quiet resistance, and visionary leadership in a male-dominated field.
She opens up about:
- Being systematically excluded from academic spaces
- Building her platform when doors were closed
- Leading with purpose in a world that rarely listens to women the first time
Listent to the conversation here:
Sulagna is also featured in the book The First and Only: India & The Nordics—Breaking Barriers, Building Futures, which we officially launched in Oslo on May 14 during India–Nordic Business Week.