Anindita Das Veluri is beaming as she talks to me about everything under the sun, including her notoriously fun neighbour — a master of ceremonies — in Bengaluru. “You should hear how he broke his foot,” says the 49-year-old director of marketing of Adobe India, comfortable in her dye-free brilliant white hair. Das was born in Kolkata but grew up and studied in Bengaluru before starting her career at a PR agency. “My first job was delivering press releases by hand,” she recalls with a chuckle. “I learned the art of storytelling from my stint in the PR agency, but my heart was always in marketing and I wanted to do a lot more so that I could build brands.”
From public relations, Das Veluri moved to a Bengaluru-based venture FabMart, where she “learned the facets of brand building” and then to a logistics company TNT, from where she jumped to IBM, where she worked till she moved to Adobe India last June. She always used to wonder what do big companies actually do because the brands were already established and that’s exactly what she found out while working in various capacities at IBM, including as chief of staff to the IBM India head and also held a role in sales. The sales gig was important, she argues. “If you can’t sell to a client, you cannot appreciate what marketing can actually help you achieve,” she says.
Das Veluri, who has a post graduate diploma in marketing management from Times School of Marketing in New Delhi, turned her attention to personal fitness about a decade ago to ensure she was able to keep up with her children. It was also her “me time.” Edited excerpts from an interview:
Your health and fitness routine…
Fitness is a state of mind… it encompasses physical, emotional and financial well-being. I am a strong believer in power walks, strength and conditioning, and yoga. Mental wellbeing is equally important too… I meditate daily.
Favourite fitness activity…
Walking. It allows me to listen to all my podcasts. My second favourite is yoga as it really helps me relax my mind, builds strength and flexibility.
The toughest?
Head stand (sirsasana). I have also always struggled with push-ups. I can’t do them at all.
The new normal…
Ever since the pandemic, most of us have tried something new, experimenting with something we have never done before. I think that has never stopped and taking out time for ourselves has now become an integral part of our lives.
Professionally, I love interacting with people, meeting with clients and learning from them. My work allows me to observe different perspectives and views on topics that are close to my heart.
Has your fitness routine helped you navigate the uncertainties of recent times?
Regular exercise has helped me focus, be positive and have a sense of achievement. Given the uncertain times we live in, it is important to channelise our energies in a manner that mitigates the negative effects of stress and uncertainty and promotes an overall sense of wellbeing. Personally, exercising regularly has truly helped me drive towards being with myself, showing the self-love that is so needed and help me stay positive and active.
The one change you would encourage your teammates to make to deal with the challenges of current times.
Undertake any physical activity of your choice for at least 30 minutes a day. We must also listen to our bodies and take 1-2 days’ rest whenever required to allow it to recover.
Leadership lessons in your fitness journey…
Fitness is a lifestyle choice we make. Persistence, discipline and consistency are key… it is not time-bound and there is really no end date. Additionally, mental wellbeing is something that needs constant attention. So, some of the lessons I learnt are:
a. Set your own goal
b. Start small and think big: Start with small steps and slowly build on the journey. This is where persistence and discipline will play a major role.
c. Stay focused: This journey is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. You must be committed.
d. Be patient: You will see results, but there is no fast-food formula here. Perseverance truly pays.
e. Be a team player: One of the best ways to stay fit (physically and professionally) is to be part of a larger group that not only supports each other but also helps in driving healthy competition.
What impact does your image of a “fit leader” have on your team?
I would like to believe it motivates them to be fit too and join the journey of leading a healthy lifestyle. The biggest myth about being fit is that it is associated with abstinence – stay away from the food you love, stay away from enjoying yourself, etc. It’s quite the opposite of that. It is more about giving your body as much as it needs and eliminate unnecessary items as much as possible… have a balanced approach and do things in moderation.
Has being fit helped you become a better leader and a better version of yourself?
Absolutely. I think it has brought in discipline, resilience, commitment, focus and the ability to handle multiple things and still stay calm. My approach is to set a goal and work meticulously towards it. This is something that I have purely learned from my fitness journey.
Your leadership style.
Prescriptively collaborative.
Goals and challenges for the next year…
At an overall level, I think I would like to be able to travel widely and be healthy and fit enough to do treks that help me explore countries that I have never visited. However, trekking to the Everest Base Camp or running a marathon are goals that I would like to keep on the horizon and work towards getting myself fit enough to accomplish them.
On the work front, I’d like to make more connections in the CMO community and grow my network. As brand leader at Adobe India, I want to make “Think Experience, Think Adobe” a buzz word.
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