30-08-2023
Karan Virwani - CEO, WeWork India
Karan Virwani is a dynamic entrepreneur who, as CEO of WeWork India, has been at the heart of the flexible workspace movement in India as both a pioneer and a leader for the industry. With Karan at the helm, WeWork has experienced tremendous success and in six years, has grown to over 6.5 million sq ft of space spread across 47 locations. Today, the company’s workspaces are dotted across Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad and the NCR region. Karan has made it WeWork’s mission to create a world where people work to make a life, not just a living, with 70% occupancy in India by enterprises across multiple industries, including 43% of the Global Fortune 500. In India, the brand is helping shape the future of work by transforming workspaces into dynamic environments for creativity, focus, and collaboration.
An enterprising thought leader and team player, Karan, a graduate of the University of Kent, started his journey working as the EA to the Chairman and Managing Director at the Embassy Group. Karan has been at the forefront of creating a strong, sustainable growth model for WeWork in India. Over the last year, he’s led the organisation on the path to profitable growth. As a leading voice in the current crop of dynamic, young leaders in the country, Karan’s entrepreneurial zeal and passion for the start-up community has also helped position WeWork as a launchpad for other entrepreneurs willing to dream big.
Through his tenure at WeWork, Karan has been bestowed with many prestigious awards including being a part of the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia List, GQ’s Most Influential Young Indians, Grazia’s 2020 Cool List, and ET Real Estate Conclave & Awards 2022.
In this conversation, Karan talks about his personal growth, growing up years and his mental model of Leadership and Life.