If Covid vanished, Brillio's Raj Mamodia would visit an Italian pizzeria, watch F1 live

Raj Mamodia is founder and chief executive officer of Brillio, a digital technologies and big data analytics company.

Note to readers: While we accept the reality of the coronavirus, it is important to be optimistic. We must believe that there will be a day when the disease will no longer be the all-destroying scourge it is today. And when that day comes, we will be able to enjoy life, maybe with a few adjustments, the way we did before Covid-19. To that end, we are starting ‘If Covid Vanished ...’, a series of interviews with corporate heads and achievers, where we ask them where they’d like to travel or eat, who’d they like to meet, and so on, if the world became Corona-mukt. Follow the series here.   

Raj Mamodia quotes a line from Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist when asked about his motto. “The secret of life is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.”

Born in Rajasthan, Mamodia finished his early education in Allahabad and went on to get an MBA at the Kellogg School of Management. He is now the CEO of Silicon Valley technology firm Brillio. And it can safely be assumed that he fell seven times and got up eight times. Post-Covid, the world needs to rise again too. In fact, it is doing that gradually. Mamodia spells out his wish list for life after Covid in this conversation:

If Covid went away or became manageable, which city would you like to travel to first and why?

Tokyo – there is so much history, architecture, and vibrancy – with a bustling city centre. I’d love to pick up on the innovative and bold energy that Tokyo is all about. The sushi doesn’t hurt either.

Which restaurant/ bar would you go to first and why?

I’ve taken up pizza making, so I would love to go to an authentic Italian pizzeria to pick up some great tips from the experts.

Which famous stranger would you like to invite home and talk to and why?

Nelson Mandela is no longer with us, but I’d have loved to meet him because he was a leader who didn’t shy away from being bold in the pursuit of what is right and good. I wonder if he’d have liked my homemade pizza.

What public performance/ occasion would you like to attend?

An F1 Race – speed and high excitement are my favourite things!

What group activity would you like to participate in?

Wine-tasting.

What new skill would you like to learn?

Photography.

A song that comes to mind when you think of a Covid-free world.

Pharrell Williams' ‘Happy’.

What would your approach to money be for life post-Covid?

Responsible, and focused! After all, I’m scaling a company to new heights.

What new invention/ gadget would you like to see that would help us deal with future health crises?

Stay tuned. I’m passionate about mental health, and how technology can be used as a tool for good. That’s all I will say for now.

What would your motto be for life after the pandemic?

The secret of life is to fall seven times and to get up eight times. (The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho).