Niranjan Nadkarni, CEO, TÜV SÜD South Asia

What are you reading at the moment? What did you recently finish reading? What have you learnt from it?
I am currently reading ‘Steve Jobs’ by Walter Isaacson. Isaacson has written a gripping story of a person with the most complicated emotions. By far, it is one of the best written biopics I have ever read.

The one book all leaders must read... and why?
I would like to recommend all readers to read 'Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard' by Chip and Dan Heath. A brilliant collaboration by Chip and Dan Heath, it stands out for its simple and lucid language, it’s wonderful insight into personal and organisational behaviour and its great illustrative case studies. This is the best books on change management I have read and highly recommend it all.

One book everyone in your sector should pick up... and why?
‘The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done’ by Peter Drucker is a must-have on every executive's bookshelf. This book has consciously put together concrete practices that advance executive effectiveness and these ideas can be immediately put into use. If you don’t have a copy yet, pick one up at the airport before your next flight. You will dog-ear at least one page from each chapter before you land.

What kind of books would you normally buy while travelling?
I usually like reading biographies of leaders and entrepreneurs. Lonely Planet travel guides are an all-time favourite that I usually pick up at airports when travelling to a new country. At times, I even end up buying books by famous local authors to get the cultural flavour of the cities that I am travelling to.

Have you written any books? If not, do you plan to write in future?
I plan to write one on TÜV SÜD as it completes 20 years in India and so does my association with the company. I’m proud to be part of this organisation since its inception.

The books you grew up with? What did you like most about it?
While growing up I read everything from novels by Ruskin Bond, Enid Blyton, Agatha Christie to comics like Amar Chitra Katha, Superman, Spiderman and Chacha Chaudhary. Not only did these books inspire me as a kid but also helped in becoming more imaginative. While in high school, Iwould regularly subscribe to Reader’s Digest for its inspiring real-life stories, laugh-out-loud humour, and insightful articles about health and lifestyles. These books have shaped my life and help define the person I am today.

Your book shelf consists of....
My book shelf has a wide array of collection — from management to spiritual to fiction and biographies. I also have a lot of books on Indian mythology that have been passed on to me by my grandmother. Some of these books are very close to my heart and helped seed a reading habit at a very early age.

Where do you shop for books?
I usually end up shopping for books at airports, hotel bookstores or online.

Have your reading habits changed in the past four or five years? If so, how....
For the last couple of years I have been unable to read as much as I would earlier, however I still try to make some time to read either when I am travelling or before going to bed. In the last four or five years, my preference has changed from spiritual and fiction to biographies.

One book you cherish that you received as a gift... and who gave it to you.
'The God of Small Things' by Arundhati Roy is one of my favourite possessions that my wife gifted me. I find it strikingly clever and very well crafted.

Which is the e-reader you read on?
I prefer reading on my iPad.

(Compiled by Sanjitha Rao Chaini)