PNN
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], April 4: Brand Torque recently concluded its inaugural edition of Synods in Bengaluru amidst a bevy of delegates from across industries. The event was hosted at the JW Marriott Hotel, UB city, Bengaluru on March 28, 2025, and boasted a houseful audience. Synods, an exclusive event presented by Brand Torque, aims to connect businesses and influence trends. Incorporated in the year 2018, by a seasoned team of investment bankers, with 2 decades plus experience across Financial Services, Real Estate and other industries, Brand Torque runs on the model of Research, Content, Connect. Synods is an extension of its core principles, igniting and exploring ideas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_lb5XCaDXw
The event was sponsored by reputed names - Synods Bengaluru tied up with IIFL Capital as its Presenting Partner, Suntory Global Spirits as its Beverage Partner, and Nature Gate as its Gifting Partner. It featured some top voices from multiple industries and was an extremely engaging few hours with a diverse set of speakers.
The Emcee called upon the first speaker to kickstart the event - Madhushree Dutta, Founder and CEO Brand Torque. Dutta introduced the audience to the world of Synods, highlighting its achievements over the years. She went on to mention how Brand Torque Brand has reached new heights with more than 150 investors and clients and has successfully completed more than 200 top delegate workshops. More importantly, she mentioned that Synods will eventually spread across cities in India.
The first speaker of the day, Bijay Anand, received a warm welcome from the audience. He spoke on The Power of Mindfulness: How Inner Transformation Fuels Business Growth. Next up, Prakash Bulusu, JT CEO, Private Wealth & Securities, IIFL Capital, who addressed the gathering on The Strength of Legacy: Building on Generations of Wealth to Drive Tomorrow's Growth. Bulusu, who bring 20 years of experience made a remarkable impact with his speech, giving an in-depth understanding on the topic. Curious members of the audience posed a few questions for him at the end of his speech.
The Honorary Consul of Peru, the Vikram Vishwanath came to the stage alongside Kailashnath MS, CFA, Head of Seed, Chiratae Ventures. The topic of their discussion was Family Office: Inheritance and Parenting. Vishwanath, who is the founder and Chairman of Anuradha Holdings Pvt. Ltd., and has built a diversified enterprise spanning infrastructure, healthcare, technology, real estate, and hospitality, had many impactful points to make on the subject. Vishwanath on the other hand has driven sourcing, investments, portfolio management, and exit processes, focusing on DeepTech, SpaceTech, Life Sciences, and Climate Tech.
An interesting fireside topic, Unlocking India's Growth Sectors: Key Opportunities for CEOs and Business Leader, was up next. Rajeev Gowda, Former Member of Parliament and Professor IIM Bangalore, has the right credentials to address the audience on the topic. He was accompanied by Sandhya Vasudevan, Independent Director, Strategic Advisor & Start-up supporter. Ms, Vasudevan has held various roles at Deutsche Bank, Thomson Reuters, AXA/Guardian Royal Exchange, and the TVS Group. The conversation was a pertinent one, where the duo discussed India's policies and opportunities for growth.
The evening eventually went towards a much-awaited panel round that was chaired by Khushroo Panthaky, Chartered Accountant. The eminent members of the panel were - Gappan Annamalai, Director, MAL Group, A Family Business Portfolio, Satish Grampurohit, Co-founder and CEO, Cogniquest, Sheetal Jain, Co-founder and CEO, LeRemitt, and Amit Kulkarni, Director- Finance and Investor Relations- Fireside Ventures. The members of the panel discussed the topic - Merging Legacy with Innovation: Paving the way for the next Business Evolution. Each member was uniquely positioned to speak on the subject and offer their own experience. The panel consisted of two rounds, with industry macro-overview in Round 1 and a more in-depth discussion through Round 2, "A Step Ahead: Catalyzing Innovation & Growth"

Srikanth Iyer, Co-Founder and CEO of HomeLane, India's largest technology-first home decor startup, gave a keynote address on the topic - From Vision to Reality: Building a Scalable Startup in a Competitive Market. Later, Nakul Gupta captivated the audience with the story of Barbeque Nation. Gupta, the Chief Marketing Officer of Barbeque Nation Hospitality Ltd., spoke on his experience and the decision he took to build the brand, while also looking over its other new businesses. The audience loved both the sessions as the topics of conversations went beyond conventional ideas and gave them things to ponder on.
The event also saw the participation of Madhushree Dutta of Brand Torque as she took the stage next to discuss Fostering Entrepreneurship: TIE's Role in Empowering Innovators with Ritu Sharma, Executive Director - TiE Bangalore. The two spoke on TiE Bangalore's contribution to the startup ecosystem, the challenges faced by startups today, the collaboration with Synods and how it may help startups, among other things. Dutta also roped in Prakash Bulusu of IIFL Capital and Gappan Annamalai of MAL Group who offered their views of investing in startups.
Finally, Bijay Anand returned to deliver a closing keynote speech on Wellness as a Lifestyle: Integrating Wellness into the High-Net-Worth Lifestyle.

Not only this, but the event also saw some incredible podcasts on its sidelines. Prakash Bulusu of IIFL Capital, Bijay Anand of Anahata Retreats, Srikanth Iyer of Home Lane, and Rajeev Balani, Founder, Nature Gate Premium Snacks, all spoke to Madhushree Dutta of Brand Torque individually, reflecting on their journeys and speaking a bit about their personal lives.
The event was a resounding success to say the least, as networking post the event went on until the wee hours of the night. Team Brand Torque is already looking forward to the next edition of Synods in another city.
Brand Torque Link- www.brandtorque.in
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