As the Editor of Clay, the travel and holiday blog, I had the opportunity to meet Anand Mahindra, the scion of the Mahindra and Mahindra conglomerate, for an exclusive interview (about 35 minutes). Friend and blogger Kiruba Shankar was the host for the interview. The interview was held at the Mahindra and Mahindra head office at Worli, Mumbai.

Anand Mahindra. Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Mahindra & Mahindra

The first thing that strikes you about Anand Mahindra is his poise, presence, and the attention he commands from people around. He has a certain charm and humility that makes him one of the most admirable business leaders in our country.

The fact that he is also very articulate makes interviewing a pleasure (which also means spending little time at the editing studio).

Since we went on behalf of Clay, the questions started with travel and holidaying, the inception of Club Mahindra and proceeded with a myriad of questions.

The questions included his educational background (transition from arts to business), his stint at Harvard and his Harvard connections, his views on work life balance, his interest in film making, failures and successes as an entrepreneur.

So without much ado, here is the interview …