Mugdha Kalra

Mugdha Kalra is an award-winning television journalist, Consulting Editor with CNBC-TV18, author, researcher, keynote speaker and content strategist with over 20 years of broadcast experience. She has interviewed some of India’s most influential business leaders, policymakers and changemakers, building a reputation for making complex business and social issues accessible through compelling conversations and storytelling.

She began her television career in the live newsrooms of Aaj Tak, Zee News, NDTV India and IBN7, where she became a familiar prime-time anchor. Today, as Consulting Editor with CNBC-TV18, she anchors flagship conversations on business, entrepreneurship, technology, sustainability, education, climate change and leadership.

In 2021, the BBC named Mugdha among the world’s 100 Most Inspiring and Influential Women for her work in advancing neurodiversity awareness and inclusion. Inspired by her journey of raising her autistic son, Madhav, she co-founded Not That Different, a movement dedicated to promoting acceptance, disability inclusion and caregiver awareness. The initiative created India’s first children’s comic book on autism and continues to advocate for a more inclusive society.

Mugdha is pursuing a PhD at Symbiosis International University. Her research focuses on assisted living models and lifelong support ecosystems for neurodivergent adults in India, examining how families, communities, policy and organisations can work together to create sustainable futures for people with disabilities. She serves on the Advisory Committee of the Assisted Living Federation of Care Organisations (ALFOC), contributing to national conversations on disability policy, assisted living and long-term care.

Mugdha is the founder of Think Indic, a leadership and culture design studio that helps organisations build more thoughtful, inclusive and human-centred workplaces. Drawing on contemporary research, Indian knowledge systems and lived experience, Think Indic designs programmes on leadership, workplace culture, neurodiversity, disability inclusion, caregiving, women’s leadership and the future of work. She is a sought-after moderator, keynote speaker and corporate facilitator, working with organisations across sectors on leadership, inclusion and organisational culture.

Beyond television, Mugdha has built an extensive body of work as a writer, documentary filmmaker and podcast host. She has written documentaries for Netflix and Audible, including four seasons of The Regiment Diaries, chronicling the history and legacy of the Indian Army. She also wrote the award-winning documentary commemorating 75 years of the National Defence Academy, recognised at the Dadasaheb Phalke Awards. Her podcast and long-form interview work spans business, leadership, innovation, maritime, sustainability and public policy.

She is the author of I See You, I Get You: The Self-Care Guide for Special Needs Parents, a book that places caregiver wellbeing at the centre of the neurodiversity conversation. Through her writing, research and public speaking, Mugdha continues to bridge journalism, academia and lived experience to shape conversations on leadership, inclusion and social impact.