Akhil Poddar is a young entrepreneur from Jaipur who blends family legacy with a modern, purpose-driven outlook. He leads the Poddar Group of Industries, a multi-generational business founded in 1979 that is one of Rajasthan’s leading manufacturers and distributors of PCC electrical poles.
Akhil joined the family business at 19 and quickly moved his way up to being a leader. He credits his grandfather, Dwarka Prasad Poddar, and his father, Uttam Kumar Poddar, for teaching him the craft of building an enterprise, and he has since focused on expanding the group while keeping operational discipline at the core.
Based out of Jaipur, Akhil is also a familiar face in fashion, business, and leadership circles, where his style and work ethic often inspire younger peers.
The Milestones
A major milestone for Akhil was reaching a leadership role within three years of joining his family business at the age of 19.
Recently honoured with the Bharat Ki Shaan award, Akhil believes his recognition is a reminder of responsibility rather than a finish line. The award made him gain a foothold in business leadership, social impact, and a steady rise in industry circles.
On the cultural front, he was even invited as a guest of honour and showstopper at the India Cult Lifestyle Fashion Week in Shimla. At the event, he honoured leading designers and spoke about the global potential of Indian designers, highlighting that tradition and craft are ready to meet international stages. He believes that it is a matter of pride that Indian designers are now advancing on the global stage with confidence and creativity. He further added,
“The roots of Indian fashion lie in our tradition, but its flight is now international.”
Akhil made it clear that in the coming years, Indian design and art will not only dominate global runways but will also shape the direction of sustainable and culturally rooted fashion.
The Takeaways
Given how far he has come in life, Akhil Poddar’s lessons learned are practical, personal, and quietly ambitious.
Today, he is a role model for young entrepreneurs, who speaks on mindset, discipline, and the art of building businesses. So far, his practical advice has resonated with many who feel they lack capital but not ambition.
He believes your lifestyle should be worth emulating, so one needs to be guided with dignity and grace when they dress and how they show up. That care for presentation should become a part of a larger habit of self-discipline. About fashion, he said, following trends is good, but it’s better that people follow you rather than you following someone else.
Failure, he says, is temporary. When things go wrong, he gets up, learns, and tries again. He asserts,
“Failure cannot stop anyone. If you take care of few things, anyone can live a good life. I believe stress is natural in life, but during stressful times, one should take time for oneself and have quality conversations with friends and family. This reduces stress and opens up paths to move forward.”
For Akhil, work-life balance is non-negotiable. He makes time for family and friends to reset, knowing that small conversations and rest reduce stress and open new paths forward.
In terms of the advancement of AI, Akhil views AI as a collaborator rather than a threat. He thinks it’s important to have a positive mindset, learning to use new tools instead of fearing them.
To get into entrepreneurship, he also recommends having multiple income streams and a long-term vision. If money is tight, one can always start small while holding a job, save as much as possible, and scale when one is ready.
Finally, leadership for him means modernising legacy with humility. Joining the family business at 19, he assimilated tradition with technology and took his youthful ambition to steer a multi-generational company towards growth.
Practicality guides his advice to the next generation. He emphasises planning paired with relentless execution, and believes small, consistent actions matter more than dramatic gestures.
