FROM LUCKNOW’S BYLANES TO INDIA’S DIGITAL CORRIDORS: THE MAKING OF A STORYTELLING MAVERICK
In the bustling landscape of India’s media technology revolution, where algorithms compete for attention and content creators chase viral moments, one voice stands distinctly apart. Rashi Khanna, the visionary founder of Kyaa Matlab Network, has built something extraordinary: a storytelling empire that places human connection above hollow metrics, authentic narratives above algorithmic approval, and empathetic engagement above empty engagement.
Her journey from the cultural heart of Lucknow to becoming one of 2025’s Top Women in Media Tech reads like a masterclass in purpose-driven entrepreneurship. Born into a business family where “numbers and negotiations were just as common as stories and songs,” Rashi’s path to media leadership was neither linear nor conventional. It was, however, deeply intentional.
“From Lucknow’s bylanes to India’s buzzing digital corridors, my journey has been anything but conventional,” Rashi reflects. “I wasn’t made to follow a path. I was meant to build one.”
That path began with academic excellence at La Martiniere Girls’ College and Army Public School, where she discovered her natural affinity for debate, organization, and leadership. A postgraduate diploma in Public Relations from Lucknow University led to her first entrepreneurial venture: a production unit in Chinhat village focused on the terracotta industry. What started as a thesis project transformed into her initiation into hands-on, purpose-driven entrepreneurship.
Over the following 28 years, Rashi immersed herself in corporate leadership, media, and business strategy. But through every boardroom discussion and strategic session, one constant remained: her profound love for storytelling. That love would eventually find its perfect expression in Kyaa Matlab Network, now one of India’s most dynamic podcast production houses.
“At Kyaa Matlab, we don’t just produce content,” Rashi explains. “We build sonic bridges that connect people across platforms, cultures, and emotions.”
THE RENAISSANCE ENTREPRENEUR: WHERE MULTIPLE PASSIONS CONVERGE
What sets Rashi apart in the media technology landscape is her multifaceted background that brings unexpected depth to her professional approach. She is a trained classical vocalist, accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer, certified lay counselor from NIMHANS, and an artist with roots in Lalit Kala Academy’s painting and ceramics programs. This diverse artistic foundation informs every aspect of her business philosophy.
Her certification as a lay counselor has been particularly transformative for her leadership style. Through her training at NIMHANS, Bengaluru, and hands-on work with Aapta Salah Kendra supporting individuals battling alcoholism and substance use, Rashi developed a unique understanding of human psychology that directly influences her approach to business leadership.
“Through my training at NIMHANS, I’ve learned to look beyond the surface,” she shares. “True leadership begins with understanding what drives or derails a person from within.”
This psychological insight has led her to conduct custom workshops for small businesses, helping founders and managers handle HR challenges with emotional intelligence while creating safer work environments. Her approach transforms empathy from a soft skill into a strategic advantage.
KYAA MATLAB NETWORK: AN ECOSYSTEM OF PURPOSEFUL STORYTELLING
Kyaa Matlab Network represents far more than a podcast production company. It’s a comprehensive ecosystem built on the belief that every voice matters and every story has power. The network encompasses several interconnected verticals, each serving a specific purpose while contributing to the larger mission of humanizing storytelling.
Kyaa Matlab Podcast serves as the flagship vertical, offering full-service film and podcast production that creates powerful, purpose-driven content in both audio and video formats. What distinguishes their approach is the fusion of cinematic production quality with podcast intimacy, creating content that doesn’t just inform but emotionally engages audiences.
Ra by Rashi Foundation operates as the soul of the network, using storytelling as a tool for social impact and emotional empowerment. Through campaigns like #BeTheHelp during COVID, #IAmMyBusiness for micro-entrepreneurs, and #Mudita supporting the transgender community, the foundation creates platforms where underrepresented voices can be seen, heard, and supported.
Upodd UAE represents the international arm, bridging South Asian and Middle Eastern creators, entrepreneurs, and luxury brands through sophisticated podcast experiences. With unique concepts like “Zodiac Majlis” and Arabic-language shows, Upodd UAE gives both MSMEs and luxury brands a polished, emotionally rich voice in the global audio space.
iStoryy functions as a digital magazine for founders, thinkers, and creators, delivering curated, meaningful narratives that spotlight people shaping the future. Unlike trend-focused media, iStoryy treats every story with depth and dignity, whether featuring a home baker or a venture capitalist.
Thrive serves as a growth laboratory for micro-founders, solopreneurs, and community builders, offering a space where entrepreneurship meets empathy through offline events, speaker sessions, and strategic partnerships.
REDEFINING PODCAST PRODUCTION: THE P-PAAS REVOLUTION
Rashi’s most significant contribution to the media technology landscape may be her innovative P-PaaS model: Podcast Production as a Service. This approach transforms traditional podcast production from a one-time service into a comprehensive storytelling ecosystem that blends art with agility, creativity with commerce.
“We didn’t just build a podcast production house,” Rashi explains. “We redefined how stories are made, told, and scaled.”
The P-PaaS model offers end-to-end podcast production, film and visual storytelling, platform integration, creative strategy and branding, workshops and capacity building, and tech-enabled studio solutions. What sets this approach apart is its focus on producing outcomes rather than just content.
Her perspective on common podcasting misconceptions reveals the depth of her understanding: “A great podcast is like a well-cooked dish—it needs structure, seasoning, and storytelling. From scripting to editing to distribution, it’s a full production cycle, not a voice note.”
EMPATHY AS STRATEGY: THE COUNSELOR’S APPROACH TO BUSINESS
Rashi’s background as a certified lay counselor has fundamentally shaped her approach to business leadership and content creation. Her work with individuals facing addiction and mental health challenges has taught her to create spaces where people feel safe to share their most vulnerable stories.
“Whether you’re running a startup or saving a life, what people need first is to be seen and heard,” she reflects. This philosophy permeates every aspect of her business operations, from client relationships to team management to content creation.
Her foundation, Empathe, specifically focuses on bridging emotional and structural gaps in mental health support. Rather than replacing clinical therapy, Empathe offers what most systems lack: a safe space to be seen, heard, and held without judgment.
“Empathy isn’t soft. It’s strategic,” Rashi emphasizes. “And when paired with clarity, vision, and resilience, it transforms how you lead—not just businesses, but lives.”
BREAKING BARRIERS: A WOMAN’S JOURNEY IN MEDIA TECH
Rashi’s path in media technology wasn’t without obstacles. Coming from a non-tech background with an academic foundation in Commerce and an MBA in Public Relations, entering the world of media tech was initially intimidating. She didn’t speak the industry’s technical language and often questioned whether she belonged in rooms dominated by coders and production engineers.
“What I lacked in technical know-how, I made up for with vision, persistence, and a willingness to learn from scratch,” she recalls. She taught herself audio architecture, content tech tools, editing workflows, and digital integrations, asking questions and learning from mistakes.
Building the right team presented additional challenges. As a woman founder in a male-dominated media space, being taken seriously by production professionals and tech freelancers required persistence and patience. Today, she leads a high-performing, inclusive team that believes in the mission as deeply as she does.
Her advice to women aspiring to enter podcast production or media entrepreneurship is characteristically direct: “Start before you feel ready—because waiting for perfect knowledge or equipment will only delay your voice.”
TECHNICAL ARTISTRY: FINDING MAGIC IN THE IMPERFECT
One of Rashi’s most compelling qualities is her ability to find beauty in imperfection. She describes her greatest technical challenge as “turning raw chaos into clean, compelling audio art.”
“That one second too long. That awkward pause. That background hum that refuses to go away. For many, it’s a mistake. For me? It’s magic waiting to be crafted,” she explains.
Her approach involves pulling performance from places speakers didn’t know existed, understanding when to cut and when to preserve the quiver in someone’s voice. At Kyaa Matlab Network, they “turn imperfections into intimacy.”
VISION FOR THE FUTURE: REGIONAL VOICES, GLOBAL REACH
Rashi’s perspective on the future of podcasting in South Asian and Middle Eastern markets is both informed and optimistic. She sees the next 3-5 years bringing a regional language explosion, integration with commerce and community, voice-tech and AI-powered content discovery, data-driven creativity, and the emergence of global story hubs.
“Our stories have always been rich. Now, they’re being recorded,” she observes. “With cross-border diaspora audiences and collaborations rising, we’re producing shows that speak to both Delhi and Dubai and resonate just as loudly in Toronto or Doha.”
Her current projects include expanding Ra by Rashi Foundation’s podcasting vertical and launching new creative formats through Upodd UAE, including the upcoming “Zodiac Majlis” in Dubai and the first Arabic-language podcast under Upodd.
THE SHARK TANK EXPERIENCE: CLARITY OVER COMPLEXITY
Rashi’s journey to the pre-finals of Shark Tank India provided a crucial learning experience about the power of clear communication. “My biggest learning was this: clarity beats complexity,” she reflects. “No matter how powerful your idea is, if you can’t communicate it simply and confidently, it loses impact.”
This experience reinforced her belief in the importance of owning one’s story and trusting the value one brings to the table, lessons that continue to influence her approach to business and content creation.
PHILOSOPHY OF THE HEART: INTUITION AS GUIDANCE
When asked to summarize her philosophy in one sentence, Rashi’s response reveals the emotional intelligence that drives her success: “Always listen to your heart.”
She explains, “The mind, though sharp and strategic, often operates from a place of fear, logic, or self-preservation. The heart, on the other hand, knows how to feel, connect, and lead with purpose.”
This heart-centered approach has guided every major decision in her life, from entering media tech without a technical background to building platforms that amplify unheard voices to creating empathy-first ventures.
A LEGACY OF ECHOES
Rashi’s vision for her legacy extends beyond business metrics to something far more meaningful: the creation of lasting emotional connections through storytelling.
“I want to leave behind more than just platforms—I want to leave behind echoes,” she shares. “My dream is for Kyaa Matlab Network to become a household name—not because it’s big, but because it’s deeply human.”
She envisions a future where the voices they’ve amplified continue to play in hearts and headphones everywhere, where their podcast hosts are remembered not just for their words but for the emotions they conveyed, and where their platforms are known for stories that weren’t just told but felt.
RECOGNITION AND RESPONSIBILITY
Being named among 2025’s Top Women in Media Tech represents more than personal achievement for Rashi. “This recognition isn’t just a personal milestone—it’s a reminder of how far the journey has come, especially for someone who didn’t start with a tech background,” she reflects.
The recognition reinforces her belief that you don’t need to fit into an industry to shape it. “You just need to keep showing up with purpose, humility, and grit.”
THE MULTIPLIER EFFECT: BALANCING CREATIVITY AND OPERATIONS
Managing multiple ventures requires what Rashi describes as treating the balance between creativity and operations as “both an art and a discipline.” She operates on a clear structure that gives creativity room to flow while anchoring it with strong systems and accountability.
“I see creativity and operations not as competing forces, but as complementary pillars,” she explains. “When both are aligned, it’s possible to scale meaningfully without losing soul.”
This approach has enabled her to maintain the authentic voice that defines her brand while building scalable systems that can support growth across multiple ventures and markets.
CONCLUSION: THE VOICE THAT AMPLIFIES OTHER VOICES
Rashi Khanna represents a new generation of media entrepreneurs who understand that technology is most powerful when it serves human connection. Her journey from Lucknow to becoming one of India’s most influential voices in podcast production demonstrates that authenticity, empathy, and purpose can build sustainable businesses that create meaningful impact.
Through Kyaa Matlab Network and its various verticals, she has created more than a production company. She has built a movement that celebrates the courage to speak, the wisdom to listen, and the power of stories to transform both tellers and listeners.
As the podcast industry continues to evolve and mature, leaders like Rashi provide essential guidance on maintaining human connection in an increasingly digital world. Her example shows that the most successful media ventures are those that remember their fundamental purpose: to help people feel less alone by sharing the stories that make us human.
In a world filled with noise, Rashi Khanna has built a network dedicated to clarity, connection, and community. Her legacy will be measured not in download numbers or revenue figures, but in the lives touched, voices amplified, and stories preserved for future generations.
The mic is on. The world is listening. And Rashi Khanna is making sure the right voices are heard.
