India's Young Hottest Executive

When Madhu Kannan, now running India's oldest stock exchange, turned up at the Bombay Stock Exchange at 6.30 a.m. on his first day at work, the guard posted at Phiroze Jeejeebhoy Towers, where the bourse is housed, stopped him. He did not know that BSE had recruited the youngest CEO in its history, and thought that Kannan, 36, was pulling a fast one (Kannan's predecessor was 45).
"It was tough getting in. It was easier to get the job," chuckles Kannan, who is just one among several top executives finding their youth an advantage— and a burden at times—as they race into the CEO's room in record time. Others: Rajesh Kamat at entertainment TV channel Colors, Varun Bajpai at SBI Macquarie Infrastructure Management, Tarun Katial at Reliance Media World, Gagan Banga at Indiabulls Financial Services, Akshay Gupta at Peerless MF and Sameer Kamdar at ASK Investment Managers.
Here are some useful words from India's hottest young executives:
R Balakrishnan - Chairman & Chief Creative Officer/ Lowe
"I believe that focus, ability etc. are all hygiene factors. It is finally a lot of luck involved in success...I still don't have an idea how and why the right idea comes, so it is about having the patience and resilience to hang in there till you get lucky."
Prasoon Joshi - Executive Chairman/ McCann Worldgroup India
"Achievers never take themselves too seriously, they take their job and the moment seriously and are constantly practising their craft. They are constant learners and are stupid enough sometimes to not know that things can't work-and they do!"
Santrupt Misra - CEO of Carbon Black, & Director, HR/Aditya Birla Group
"Have a keen interest in things that may not have any relevance to your immediate business. Gain knowledge about different aspects of business; put oneself behind people and harness the power that various people have in the organisation."
Madhabi Puri-Buch - MD & CEO/ICICI Securities
"Seek out difficult assignments. This is where you can add maximum value. Have the stomach to do them differently. More of the same never solved a problem. Create systems and a strong second line so that there is no hesitation to let you move on."
Kamesh Goyal - CEO, India, Middle East & North Africa/Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance
"In my view, the qualities that are required in a person for the top job are a sense of ownership, an ability to learn beyond the area of responsibility and also have an ability to take risks. Good leaders are usually equipped with these traits."
Rajesh Kamat - CEO, Colors; Group COO, Viacom 18
"What compensates for lack of grey hair is the point to prove and passion to prove. You can always find people who want to aspire to get to the next level"
Madhu Kannan - MD & CEO, BSE
"There is absolutely no replacement for high quality relevant experience, right attitude and the willingness to adapt to the changing environment. These are bigger drivers than age"
Tarun Katial - CEO, Reliance Media World
"The work life cycle one would cover in 3-5 years, is now completed in one year"
Rishi Khiani - CEO, Times Internet
"Companies in the forefront of innovation globally (the large Internet companies or the media companies) are the ones with a younger CEO"
Varun Bajpai - Senior Managing Director, Macquarie Capital; also CEO at SBI Macquarie Infrastructure Management
"What matters is the maturity of an individual, the professionalism one operates with and also the competence one brings to the table"