From the early morning gratitude rituals to timeless lessons from the Bhagavad Gita, Agarwal shares how these practices shape its clarity, resilience and leadership style, so that it can be scaled with both the intention and the goal. Edited fragments –
V) Your mornings seem like a holy space. How did your gratitude form your way of thinking as a founder and leader?
A) I have always believed in the saying: “The early bird catches the worm”, both literally and figuratively. My mornings start early, often at 4:30 or 5 hours, and that silent time is sacred. It is the only part of my day that is completely mine.
I start with gratitude for about 10 to 15 minutes, sit still and thank. It is a simple habit, but deep down.
As a founder you are constantly on the move, I solve problems, chasing results. Gratitude slows you in a good way. It helps me to get in the day with clarity and empathy, and acts as a calm memory that, no matter how fast we grow or how intense things become, there is always something to be grateful for.
It not only sets the tone for my day, but also for how I lead – with clarity, perspective and an anchor for what really matters.
V) You say that the Bhagavad Gita has helped you through dark periods. Can you share a fresh or teaching that mainly resonates with you?
A) A line that resonates deep with me is: “Karmanye Vadhikaraste, Ma Phalehou Kadachana, Ma Karma Phala He Tur Bhuh, Ma at Sangvasta Karmani.” For me this means essentially: you have the right to work, but not on the fruits of your actions.
As a founder, this fresh is both liberating and grounding. It reminds me to concentrate on doing the right thing with full intention and effort, while I let go of what my control is outside, especially during moments of loss or setbacks.
V) How do your yoga and gym sessions influence your performance and decision-making as a CEO?
A) Yoga and exercise are two non-negotiable anchors of my day, for which I consciously make time. Morning Yoga helps me reset mentally – it releases the sound, focuses on my thoughts and enables me to breathe before the day starts. In the evening, no matter how long or intense the day has been, I make it a point to touch the gym. I use this time to decompcriminate, charge and concentrate again before I dive in late night meetings.
For me these are not only fitness routines, they are performance tools. They have an immediate influence on how I think, lead and make decisions.
When you build on a scale, mental clarity and resilience are competitive benefits. The energy and focus that I win from these practices translate into better decisions, deeper presence and a more balanced mindset – at work and beyond.
V) You often talk about building with intention. What does ‘intention’ look like the scaling of a company such as Insurancedekho?
A) For me, intention means solving real problems, not chasing vanity statistics. It is easy to get caught up in large announcements, flashy campaigns or growth hacks and to be distracted. But when you are planning to challenge the status quo of an industry, an intention becomes a core driver.
Whether it is about expanding access for partners outside Metros or building an omnichannel experience that combines AI with a human touch, our focus is on tackling real gaps.
We don’t just make functions; We create impact. We build solutions that add real value to people’s daily lives – or that means they secure their health, protect their resources of existence or make financial stability possible in times that matter.
For me, intent is about staying faithful to the problem you want to solve and build solutions that improve lives on scale and deliberately.
V) What is on your training list? Is there a go-to pump-up number for early mornings?
A) My workout playlist is high energy all the right kind of jive to start the day or strength through a training.
V) You have built up a company that is based on humility and goal. How do you bring that culture between teams and new employees?
A) Culture starts with how you lead every day – it is rooted in action. For me I try to be accessible, honest and consistent, especially during heavy phases. I think people respect more than anything else.
From day 1 our teams are informed of our goal. During onboarding we not only talk about goals, we talk about the “why”: why insurance matters, why trust our currency is and why we have to be treated every user – whether in a metro or a small town – with empathy and respect.
We don’t just build a company; We try to build trust in a category that is historically misunderstood. If our people believe in that goal, everything else follows.
(Disclaimer: recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions of the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of economic times)
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