Top Two Podcast brings meaningful, inclusive conversations to India’s growing podcast culture
At a time when podcasting is booming in India and podcast culture is increasingly crowded with male-dominated “dudebros” taking the mic to talk about hustling and self-optimization, audiences are demanding something more. Something positive, inclusive, and substantive. Top Two Podcast, hosted by childhood best friends Dr Ayesha Shaikh and Ms Leena Jani, is carving a distinct niche in this space to deliver just that with expert-led insights that are fun, accessible, and engaging.
Dr Ayesha Shaikh and Ms Leena Jani draw from decades of professional and personal experience across education, pharmaceuticals, oil and gas, luxury travel and travel agency management. Dr Ayesha holds a Ph.D. in Management and has built her career across the education, energy, facilities management, and financial services industries, and today co-founds a boutique strategy and transformation consultancy serving clients across Kuwait and the GCC. Ms Leena brings over 15 years of experience in the luxury and corporate travel industry, specialising in end-to-end travel reservations, GDS Amadeus systems, and client travel policy compliance. This background of theirs gives the podcast a freshly distinctive lens: one informed by real-world experience, people-facing industries, entrepreneurship, and leadership. With themes spanning travel secrets, productivity hacks, personal growth and practical life lessons, every episode offers “Top Two” takeaways through tips or ideas that listeners can use in their own lives. The podcast also features a segment called “Top Two Academy” where guests share practical, real-world knowledge in a way that’s easy to understand and apply.
Talking about the podcast, Dr Ayesha Shaikh and Ms Leena Jani said, “We started the podcast with the belief that every person has a story, a lesson, and valuable experiences that others can learn from. Many of our guests are heroes in their own way – whether they have built successful brands from scratch, overcome challenges, led meaningful initiatives, or achieved excellence in their profession. Through their stories, we aim to uncover what it really takes to reach where they are today.”
In a recent episode, Aakanksha Gupta, CEO & Founder of The Other Circle (TOC), a PR consultancy, joins the hosts for an unfiltered conversation that delves into what really happens behind media headlines, brand image and public perception. Drawing on her experience across B2B sectors like manufacturing to the unpredictable entertainment industry, Aakanksha discusses the complexities of influencer management, reputation building and crisis communication.
Speaking about her experience on the podcast, Aakanksha Gupta said, “Shooting the episode with Dr Ayesha Shaikh and Ms Leena Jani was incredibly fun. It felt less like an interview and more like an honest conversation between lifelong friends. It gave me the space to reflect on my unexpected journey into PR, the experiences that shaped me as a woman leader, and why I eventually built The Other Circle as a more open, democratic space for meaningful storytelling. Their warmth, humour and natural chemistry made even the deeper moments feel effortless.”
While Top Two Podcast currently features accomplished founders, industry leaders, and brand builders, its long-term vision is broader: to spotlight inspiring stories of everyday individuals from all walks of life.
This vision comes at a time when podcast listening is becoming a global habit. Audiences are now feeling more connected to hosts than to traditional celebrities or public figures. Likewise, they are experiencing fatigue from endless scrolling, and consuming so much content in so little time (sometimes, less than 60 seconds). The result is a growing appetite for slower, deeper forms of engagement and longer, detailed conversations.
And the proof is in the pudding. In one and a half years, Top Two Podcast has garnered a total of 1M+ views and built a community of over 15K subscribers. The Indian podcast industry also continues to expand, projected to reach USD 2.6 billion by 2030, according to PwC’s 2020-2024 outlook. As the space continues to grow, Top Two Podcast stands out for blending credibility with comfort. It offers something refreshingly straightforward: conversations that are thoughtful, positive, inclusive and genuinely useful.
Season One: 10 Women of Top Two
Season One, “10 Women of Top Two,” brings the show’s signature Top Two Academy and Top Two Tips formats to ten women entrepreneurs building across architecture, education, design, gifting, and entertainment — including voices from radio and the world of MasterChef and food. Each conversation pairs personal journey with practical takeaway, giving listeners real tools alongside real stories.
