LinkedIn Top Voices 2020: India

LinkedIn News is unveiling our 5th annual Top Voices list in India, a collection of 20 local experts driving today’s professional conversation. From how to withstand crises to what it takes to ace your resume, these members are helping us parse today’s changing world of work, navigate our industries and find balance through it all. 

To compile the list, we used a combination of qualitative and quantitative signals — including engagement (including reactions, comments and shares across each member’s content); posting cadence; and follower growth. You can learn more about the methodology at the bottom of this article.

This year’s Top Voices in India include an HR veteran who sketchnotes on contemporary issues, a communications strategy consultant who analyses ads and a software engineer-turned-product professional who advocates self-learning for people changing careers. As COVID-19 continues to upend our lives, these voices are fostering meaningful conversation and community in a time when many of us crave it more than ever. 

Check out this year’s #LinkedInTopVoices worth following in India. 

What he talks about: An HR expert with decades of experience at companies like PepsiCo, Microsoft (LinkedIn’s parent) and Wipro, Bhaduri uses sketch notes to simplify ideas and make information memorable. His pithy and wide-ranging posts cover everything from hiring trends and mental health to personal branding. He also shares snippets from his latest book Dreamers and Unicorns, and links to podcasts and interviews with corporate leaders like Aditya Ghosh.

Follow Abhijit Bhaduri

What he talks about: Thota has a penchant for storytelling that’s evident from his posts. His areas of interest cover career and education, disruptive technology and software, resumes and the importance of soft skills, and he often shares personal anecdotes that make his writing relatable. Where does he draw his inspiration from? Everyday life, the news and things he is working on.

Follow Aditya Vivek Thota

What he talks about: Kulkarni suffered some losses in the stock market soon after he started earning – an incident that would later inspire him to create a digital platform for investing in low-risk, high-yield debt assets. A proponent of passive investing, he shares tips and he busts myths on all things finance: equities, insurance, loans, taxes and government bonds. His mantra for content sharing: a combination of the rare and the relevant, with actionable insights.

Follow Ajinkya Kulkarni

What he talks about: Mobile gaming firm Games2win is serial entrepreneur Alok Kejriwal’s fourth startup, with the China arm of his previous venture Mobile2win acquired by The Walt Disney Company. Under #dhandekibaat, he frequently shares insights on trending business topics such as corporate diversification and remote work, besides book reviews of famous titles. His recent book The Cave is a candid account of his journey as a successful digital entrepreneur.

Follow Alok Kejriwal

What he talks about: Warikoo, who co-founded deal-discovery platform Nearbuy, is an angel investor, startup coach and public speaker. His consistency and authenticity are valued by his large following and the virality of his posts speaks to the power of heartfelt content. He shares career and life lessons on topics like getting a promotion, taking a sabbatical and overcoming jealousy. One piece of content he’s proud of: his “failure resume”.

Follow Ankur Warikoo

What she talks about: A three-decade veteran of the media and entertainment industry, Purohit leads multiple firms across digital, print and radio at the Jagran Group. Her posts mainly revolve around withstanding crises and turning around businesses, along with views on leadership and the economy. She is also an ardent advocate of gender diversity in the workplace, whether it’s women reclaiming their choices or organisations empowering women to succeed.

Follow Apurva Purohit

What he talks about: Bhatnagar, who leads seed investments for Venture Highway across categories like edtech and SaaS, also runs A Junior VC – a newsletter that enables conversations around the startup ecosystem. His posts typically offer deep-dives into business models of companies like Dunzo, Cred and Licious and marquee brands such as Fevicol and the IPL, besides observations from personal and professional life. He posts at the same time on set days of the week and says he is “in awe of the power of compounding, consistency and content.” 

Follow Aviral Bhatnagar

What she talks about: Gokulnath, who appears on this list for the second year running, is co-founder of Byju’s, the world’s most valued edtech firm. She describes herself as “a teacher by passion and choice,” and writes about the future of classrooms, women’s low participation in STEM fields and the importance of curiosity. She also draws on personal experiences to talk about collaborative parenting and learning from home for kids.

Follow Divya Gokulnath

What she talks about: Mehrotra, a LinkedIn Top Voice 2018, is a financial services expert who now runs a blog that aims to simplify investing for laypeople. She posts bite-sized videos on personal finance covering topics such as mutual funds and exchange-traded funds, besides more specialised subjects like term sheets and shareholder agreements. Mehrotra also shares anecdotes from her personal life on pressing issues like financial independence and mental health.

Follow Hansi Mehrotra

What she talks about: Poddar uses data to derive growth strategies for Axis Bank’s cards business and she applies the same analytical mindset to her posts. She has tackled Netflix’s decision to stop charging inactive customers and Quibi's unceremonious demise. Poddar comments on current affairs from around the world and produces in-depth articles explaining startup business models.

Follow Kamalika Poddar

What he talks about: Kamal Karanth co-founded talent solutions company Xpheno in 2017, after spending nearly 16 years in leadership positions at Randstad and Kelly Services. A credible voice on workplace dynamics and HR practices, the staffing industry guru shares his thoughts on varied topics like severance pay, remote work, reskilling and interviewer biases. His advice to content creators: develop writing muscle by penning your thoughts every day, find your niche, don’t chase page views and likes; followers will come.

Follow Kamal Karanth

What he talks about: Srinivasan is a sought-after commentator on social media, public relations, marketing and advertising. The Ogilvy alumni’s seasoned analysis of ads by marquee brands strikes a chord with members, as do his takes on companies’ communications strategies. Check out this post, where he used his prominent voice to elicit positive change in the advertising space. 

Follow Karthik Srinivasan

What he talks about: Serial entrepreneur Kunal Shah, a two-time Top Voice, uses one-liners and witticisms in a way few can. His posts deal with a variety of workplace-related topics in straightforward style, whether it’s tips for founders, career advice, work culture or self-improvement. He also writes on the drawbacks of rote learning and the importance of entrepreneurial mindset.

Follow Kunal Shah

What she talks about: Kaushik, who crafts and executes integrated marketing programmes for emerging technologies at Wipro, is an avid content creator. She writes about personal legacy, women at work, skills of the future and storytelling, among other things. She also shares her perspectives on frequently asked questions by students and young professionals.

Follow Nischala Murthy Kaushik

What she talks about: Gupta is a sought-after commentator on the financial services industry and in behavioural finance. However, what makes her truly stand out is how relatable her posts are to members – they encompass lessons from her personal and professional journey, stories of building careers and workplaces, and people and incidents that inspire her.

Follow Radhika Gupta

What she talks about: As a leader spearheading diversity initiatives at India’s largest IT services firm and holding several advisory roles, Anand has her plate full. But that doesn’t stop her from sharing nuggets of workplace wisdom with #ThursdayRITUal, where she shares her thoughts on leadership, self-improvement and other life lessons.

Follow Ritu Anand

What she talks about: Kudva heads Omidyar Network India, an impact as well as for-profit, early-stage venture capital investor, and she previously led ratings agency CRISIL as CEO for eight years. A prolific content creator who regularly gets published in leading dailies, her posts and articles provide insights into entrepreneurship and impact investing, responsible technology, inclusive leadership and remote work. Her favourite posts: this three-part series on finding purpose.

Follow Roopa Kudva

What he talks about: Venture capitalist Sajith Pai shares insights from the intersection of technology, business and culture, often stringing together ideas that may seem disparate at first. His newsletter, A Commonplace Book, is a melting pot of topics ranging from the core jobs of a founder-CEO to the future of wearables to highlights from Reed Hastings’ book No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention. One article he’s proud of: coming up with a new nomenclature for elite colleges and analysing how Indians perceive merit.

Follow Sajith Pai

What she talks about: A software engineer-turned-product professional, Sugandha shares experiences and observations from her own journey. That sometimes means decoding the essence of ‘product’, chronicling how she broke into product management through self-learning, or busting myths around corporate jobs. Follow her for nuances and insights on building a career in technology, whether it’s job hunting, product case studies, or soft skills.

Follow Sugandha

What she talks about: Goenka leads Kool Kanya, an ecosystem for women to connect with each other, get and give career advice and find freelance work. She loves to talk about gender equality, the challenges faced by millennial entrepreneurs and the pandemic’s impact on the workplace. A weightlifter and a trained Kathak dancer, Goenka has a keen interest in the power of empathy in product design.

Follow Vanshika Goenka

How we compiled the Top Voices list: 

To compile the list, we use a combination of quantitative and qualitative signals. This includes engagement (including reactions, comments and shares across each member’s content); posting cadence; and follower growth. But engagement is just a start. Our next filter is qualitative. LinkedIn News editors refine and curate the list by looking at an eligible member’s body of work: Are the contributions insightful, conversational and timely? Do they seek to give and get help vs. being self-promotional? Finally, does this list reflect the world we work and live in today? 

All sharing activity measured took place over a 12-month period, from October 1, 2019 through September 30 2020. As with all LinkedIn Lists, we excluded current LinkedIn and Microsoft employees from consideration, as well as any members who are being or have been paid by LinkedIn to participate in brand campaigns or courses.