The Exponentially Growing Demand for Investment-grade Intelligence
Pooja Daryani, Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer, Zenworx, 0
The pace of digital transformation worldwide is astonishing. We are talking about a market valued at $1,070.43 billion in 2024 (according to GrandViewResearch), with a whopping projected growth of 28.5 percent CAGR from 2025-2030. India contributed around $26.7 Billion in 2024 to this. If the reports (by IMARC Group) are anything to go by, the market will hit $126.8 Billion by 2033, exhibiting a CAGR of 17.50 percent during 2025-2033.
India's digital transformation has led to significant data generation capabilities. However, the real opportunity for global investors lies in sophisticated analysis and interpretation of this data-rich environment. This is where specialized research partners become valuable—helping bridge the gap between raw data availability and investment-grade intelligence for India-focused investment decisions. Navigating this scenario and more through an exclusive interview with CEO Insights is Pooja Daryani, Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer, Zenworx Knowledge Partners—a company that provides data-driven insights to empower strategic decision-making. Pooja is a Chartered Accountant and Harvard Business School graduate with over 20 years of expertise in establishing, managing, and scaling strategic business units in the Banking & Financial Services and Professional Services sectors. Below is an excerpt from the interview.
How important is data-powered decision-making in investment?
Having worked across WNS, Goldman Sachs, Moody's, and EY before setting up Zenworx, I've witnessed a fundamental shift in investment decision-making. Traditional consulting relied on standardized frameworks and broad market research. Today, successful investment managers harness granular, real-time data to validate investment theses and uncover opportunities others miss.
At Zenworx, we've built our value proposition around this evolution. We deliver hypothesis-driven analytics that help hedge fund and private equity clients make decisions with unprecedented precision. Our automated data extraction capabilities track real-time metrics like app downloads, employee headcount changes, and inventory movements – providing competitive intelligence that translates directly into investment alpha.
We're also exploring the next frontier with an enterprise GenAI research platform that is currently in early development. This represents our commitment to staying at the forefront of technology adoption while maintaining the rigorous standards our clients expect.
Data isn't just supporting decisions anymore; it's fundamentally reshaping how investment opportunities are identified, evaluated, and monitored throughout the investment lifecycle.
What are the roles and responsibilities of a modern-day strategy officer? What are the new skills and traits required?
The CSO role has evolved dramatically from traditional long-term planning. Today's CSO must be part visionary, part operator, and part technologist – architecting agile frameworks that allow rapid pivots based on real-time market intelligence. Three critical skills define the modern CSO:
Technological fluency: You must understand how AI, automation, and data analytics can transform your business model. At Zenworx, our strategic advantage comes from custom technology solutions - from Python-based automation for specific client needs to exploring enterprise GenAI capabilities that could help us reimagine research methodologies. The key is adaptability to leverage the right technology for each unique client challenge.
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Ecosystem thinking: Modern strategy requires understanding entire value chains and identifying disruption opportunities. Our on-the-ground diligence services emerged from recognizing gaps in traditional due diligence processes.
Client-centricity at scale: Success means delivering personalized value while maintaining operational efficiency. We've built proprietary research frameworks providing bespoke insights while leveraging shared infrastructure and expertise.
The modern CSO must embrace ambiguity and rapid iteration – constantly testing, learning, and adapting based on market feedback and client outcomes.
What are the changes in workforce dynamics around the integration of Gen Z into the organization?
Gen Z brings a fundamentally different relationship with work, technology, and purpose that's reshaping how we deliver client value. While this presents tremendous opportunities, it also requires thoughtful adaptation of traditional business practices.
Purpose-driven work is non-negotiable for Gen Z. At Zenworx, our work directly influences major investment decisions impacting businesses, economies, and communities globally. When team members understand their data analysis might help identify the next breakthrough healthcare company, they're naturally more engaged.
Technology-native approach is their superpower. Gen Z intuitively leverages technology for better outcomes, pushing us to explore new automation possibilities. Our industry-leading single-digit attrition rate stems from creating environments for continuous learning and cutting-edge tool application.
However, managing expectations has been crucial. Gen Z often expects flexible structures and immediate feedback, which doesn't always align with conventional project timelines. Their desire for rapid career progression and higher compensation early in their careers requires careful calibration with realistic growth trajectories. We've also had to adapt to shorter attention spans by breaking long-term projects into more digestible milestones.
Communication and collaboration styles have evolved significantly. Strong work-life balance priorities and different communication preferences can impact availability, especially during peak client delivery periods. We've learned to be more explicit about expectations while respecting these boundaries.
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Structured integration programs have been key to our success. We've developed a comprehensive approach: hiring from top MBA programs - both interns and fresh graduates - providing rigorous hands-on training, and implementing buddy coaching systems. This ensures seamless integration while maintaining our quality standards.
Collaboration over hierarchy has transformed our operational model. Gen Z thrives where insights flow across all levels. We've structured teams so junior analysts often identify data patterns that inform strategic approaches for client engagements.
The key insight is balancing Gen Z's valuable strengths with clear structure and realistic expectations. Organizations that can navigate this complexity while harnessing their technological sophistication and fresh perspectives will have significant competitive advantages in delivering superior client value.
How do you perceive the future of data and its uses in the investment landscape?
We're moving toward "intelligence-augmented investing" – where human expertise is amplified by sophisticated data analytics. The future isn't about having more data; it's about having more intelligent data.
Predictive analytics will become table stakes. We're using alternative data sources to predict company performance before it appears in financial statements – tracking social media sentiment, employee satisfaction, and supply chain indicators to forecast earnings surprises.
Enhanced research and analytics capabilities will become increasingly important for investment managers. Our automation capabilities already enable clients to monitor hundreds of companies simultaneously across multiple data dimensions. As we explore GenAI integration, we anticipate even faster synthesis of insights from multiple research sources.
Democratization of sophisticated research is perhaps the most exciting. Advanced analytics, once available only to the largest firms, are becoming accessible to emerging managers through specialized partners like Zenworx. This levels the playing field and drives industry-wide innovation.
However, the human element becomes more crucial, not less. As data becomes commoditized, competitive advantage shifts to interpretation, synthesis, and strategic application. The most successful investment managers will combine technological capabilities with deep sector expertise and intuitive market understanding.
At Zenworx, we're positioning ourselves at the intersection of these trends – providing actionable research intelligence through advanced analytics and automated workflows that help clients make smarter capital allocation decisions. We're constantly exploring new technologies while maintaining enterprise-grade security and governance standards.
Gen Z brings a fundamentally different relationship with work, technology, and purpose that's reshaping how we deliver client value. While this presents tremendous opportunities, it also requires thoughtful adaptation of traditional business practices.
Purpose-driven work is non-negotiable for Gen Z. At Zenworx, our work directly influences major investment decisions impacting businesses, economies, and communities globally. When team members understand their data analysis might help identify the next breakthrough healthcare company, they're naturally more engaged.
The most successful investment managers will combine technological capabilities with deep sector expertise and intuitive market understanding.
Technology-native approach is their superpower. Gen Z intuitively leverages technology for better outcomes, pushing us to explore new automation possibilities. Our industry-leading single-digit attrition rate stems from creating environments for continuous learning and cutting-edge tool application.
However, managing expectations has been crucial. Gen Z often expects flexible structures and immediate feedback, which doesn't always align with conventional project timelines. Their desire for rapid career progression and higher compensation early in their careers requires careful calibration with realistic growth trajectories. We've also had to adapt to shorter attention spans by breaking long-term projects into more digestible milestones.
Communication and collaboration styles have evolved significantly. Strong work-life balance priorities and different communication preferences can impact availability, especially during peak client delivery periods. We've learned to be more explicit about expectations while respecting these boundaries.
Also Read: Industry, Academia and Government Synergy Disentangling Societal Challenges
Structured integration programs have been key to our success. We've developed a comprehensive approach: hiring from top MBA programs - both interns and fresh graduates - providing rigorous hands-on training, and implementing buddy coaching systems. This ensures seamless integration while maintaining our quality standards.
Collaboration over hierarchy has transformed our operational model. Gen Z thrives where insights flow across all levels. We've structured teams so junior analysts often identify data patterns that inform strategic approaches for client engagements.
The key insight is balancing Gen Z's valuable strengths with clear structure and realistic expectations. Organizations that can navigate this complexity while harnessing their technological sophistication and fresh perspectives will have significant competitive advantages in delivering superior client value.
How do you perceive the future of data and its uses in the investment landscape?
We're moving toward "intelligence-augmented investing" – where human expertise is amplified by sophisticated data analytics. The future isn't about having more data; it's about having more intelligent data.
Predictive analytics will become table stakes. We're using alternative data sources to predict company performance before it appears in financial statements – tracking social media sentiment, employee satisfaction, and supply chain indicators to forecast earnings surprises.
Enhanced research and analytics capabilities will become increasingly important for investment managers. Our automation capabilities already enable clients to monitor hundreds of companies simultaneously across multiple data dimensions. As we explore GenAI integration, we anticipate even faster synthesis of insights from multiple research sources.
Democratization of sophisticated research is perhaps the most exciting. Advanced analytics, once available only to the largest firms, are becoming accessible to emerging managers through specialized partners like Zenworx. This levels the playing field and drives industry-wide innovation.
However, the human element becomes more crucial, not less. As data becomes commoditized, competitive advantage shifts to interpretation, synthesis, and strategic application. The most successful investment managers will combine technological capabilities with deep sector expertise and intuitive market understanding.
At Zenworx, we're positioning ourselves at the intersection of these trends – providing actionable research intelligence through advanced analytics and automated workflows that help clients make smarter capital allocation decisions. We're constantly exploring new technologies while maintaining enterprise-grade security and governance standards.