I am a bigger gadget nut than my husband: Radhika Sharma

Meet Radhika Sharma, who has been around long enough to reflect fondly upon those good ol’ days of journalism- as an insider, and a veteran at that. This tech-geek brewed the best concoction of her science education, and her gift of the gab for a decade- to build a career that she fell passionately in love with. Read on to know how this accidental journalist began her journey at a notice board and ended up with her own show, her own channel, and soon- her very own spot in the women entrepreneur league.

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 You were an out and out science student- an engineer in the making- who made a jump to an entirely different industry, upon graduating. What motivated that move? What lured you into the journalism industry?

It’s such a funny story! I graduated with a BSC in Computer Science from Jai Hind College in 2004. Luckily, my college had a notice posted - CNBC TV18 was looking to hire news trainees. I said, "Ah, what the heck? Let's join and see what the deal is". And since then, I have never looked back. It’s been over 10 years in the media industry now and it’s been the best 10 years ever. Being in a newsroom- that energy is contagious; an instant high. And the opportunity to report for my favorite beat- consumer technology is what made me take the decision of being a full time journalist.

You hosted one of the first few technology shows on television. As a woman anchor, did anyone ever try to be condescending towards you? Going by the grossly inaccurate stereotype that technology is a boy thing?

- You know, I want to say yes, but it’s never ever happened to me. I have had the pleasure of working with some of the best in the industry and it’s always been solidly professional right from the start. Men have been associated with being gamers, engineers, but it has changed and how! Women are as interested if not more, and it’s no longer a boy's playground. Ask me, I am a bigger gadget nut than my husband!

Radhika Sharma

Picture Credits: LinkedIn

You have embodied various roles as a journalist, but which job did you enjoy the most?

- I have literally worked every job there is to do- from rolling a news anchor's auto cue to directing a live news show to even anchoring one. By the best has been anchoring my own Technology show. And I don’t mean it a megalomaniac way at all! The feeling of deciding content- I could give my views about technology and at the same time meet the who's who of the tech world and learn so much in return. And who wouldn’t like to play with the latest gadgets every week on National Television?

You have completed a decade in the industry. What is your reading of it? You had the opportunity to spearhead the launching of the ZeeQ. How are women doing in the field? Do you get to see many others on top too? 

I had the pleasure of working with Miss Aparna Bhosle (programming head of ZeeQ) and thoroughly enjoyed it. One of the few women in the TV industry who knows her work in and out, she is an example of great women in great places in TV. Women are doing great in the media. Most of the top and middle management positions are being held by us and we are bloody good at it! Even the men say so. Most of the production houses and channels I have worked in have always had the woman on top!

We heard that you got married recently, and shifted camp to Pune from Bombay. What career move beckons, now? Continuing as full time journalist, or is something else brewing? 

Firstly, I am going to enjoy marital bliss for a while and relax! Currently I write for a website titled www.thepunekar.com and also write for some magazines in Pune. I am trying to get myself away from technology and into the lifestyle and restaurant sector in this city. Big plans include my own start up- being married to a software engineer, so am pretty sure it’s going to be a tech startup, a food blog titled bausgirl.wordpress.com and of course more on SheThePeople TV! Wish me luck!

Watch out for Radhika Sharma, hosting  SheThePeople’s new series “The Next Generation Woman”. Coming soon!