Zahara Kanchwalla: Unleashing the Power of Content to Elevate Thought Leadership & Brand Authority

By: Zahara Kanchwalla, Co-Founder, Rite Knowledge Labs | Thursday, 28 September 2023

The landscape of thought-leadership content in India has undergone a significant transformation in recent years, with organizations recognizing the power of impactful storytelling and industry insights. However, back in 2015, there was a noticeable gap in specialized thought-leadership content, which hindered the effectiveness of brand reputation assets like corporate websites. It was in this context that Zahara Kanchwalla identified the need for a dedicated content-first approach and established Rite Knowledge Labs, a pioneering digital agency specializing in thought leadership. Since then, Zahara's leadership has driven Rite Knowledge Labs, to the forefront of the industry, filling the gap with their storytelling expertise and innovative content strategies.

With an impressive career spanning over 18 years, Zahara has garnered extensive experience in thought leadership content, marketing, and business communications. Her expertise lies in driving stakeholder reputation and trust and thought leadership, through content strategies that yield tangible outcomes.

Following is an excerpt of Zahara Kanchwalla’s exclusive interaction with Women Entrepreneur magazine.

What are some important facets of your life and professional journey?

As an engineer, when I discovered my passion for storytelling, it led me to venture from coding to content. This was during a time when content and its strategic significance to build trust was unrecognized. Today, the world acknowledges the indispensability of content and its role as the backbone of content marketing. Then, from the inception of our company, as an engineer turned content strategist, I harnessed my technical acumen to shape our content strategy and establish thought leadership. Moreover, a logical mindset and clarity of thought have guided my approach. With eight years of being self-funded and profitable with deep-rooted values of humility and integrity, we pride ourselves on delivering exceptional customer value. These facets epitomize my professional journey.

What motivated you to establish Rite Knowledge Labs? Tell us about the underlying idea behind the venture and its key areas of specialization.

In the earlier days, content was often overlooked and undervalued. Agencies focused more on the aesthetics and design of digital assets like corporate websites, neglecting the core elements of content strategy and positioning. Even large organizations often relied on in-house teams for content development. Recognizing this gap, we founded RITE KNOWLEDGELABS with a vision to prioritize content as a differentiator. Embracing a content-first approach, we create compelling corporate storytelling experiences, which we aptly refer to as 'Storytelling as a Service' (SaaS). Our specialization lies in building thought leadership, stakeholder reputation, and facilitating social media engagement by building narratives around numbers. Throughout our eight-year journey, we have cultivated strong, enduring client relationships while navigating the challenging path of being a female entrepreneur and a dedicated mother to my two children. RITE KNOWLEDGELABS has become my passion, fueling me with unwavering determination and an unyielding commitment to excellence in the face of the demanding day-to-day operational realities behind the scenes. Our successes, though not without their challenges, have been truly fulfilling.

“Our eight-year journey at rite knowledgelabs has been focused on thought leadership, storytelling as a service, & stakeholder reputation”

In your opinion what are some of the most critical challenges you encounter as a content and marketing leader in today’s business climate? What steps do you undertake to overcome these roadblocks?

In today's business climate, the value of organic content is recognized and more companies are investing in long-term content strategies. Our eight-year journey at at Rite Knowledge Labs has been focused on thought leadership, storytelling as a service, and stakeholder reputation. Talent acquisition has been our main challenge, as our unique business requires a blend of business, technology, storytelling, creativity, and communication skills. However, we prioritize employee engagement and embrace a democratic leadership style, ensuring a happy and professionally fulfilling workplace. Clients value the distinct advantages we offer and recognize the impact of organic content, so our business development pipeline has remained healthy.

Tell us about the top three professional milestones you have achieved over the years. What has been your success mantra as a leader?

Reflecting on our eight-year journey with RITE KNOWLEDGE LABS there are significant milestones that stand out. Firstly, we take pride in being recognized as one of the top 10 independent content agencies in India. This achievement showcases our ability to deliver exceptional results despite being a self-funded agency. Our success is further amplified by the long-term relationships we have cultivated with marquee multinational clients such as a world leader in software, an industrial engineering global leader, a Dutch multinational in health and nutrition, India’s leading mutual fund house, a conglomerate headquartered in Singapore. Another significant achievement has been the establishment of a strong and dependable team, cultivating a work environment characterized by trust, transparency, and the absence of office politics. Our deep engagement with clients, driven by senior leadership involvement, has earned us a reputation for providing valuable insights, long-term engagements and creating a sense of partnership. Internally, our focus on open communication and a shared vision has nurtured a bond among our team members. Today, although ChatGPT has commoditized content, it has highlighted the genuine value of knowledge-driven deep content and powerful business storytelling enriched by human expertise and the subtle nuances of the craft. In this milieu, our success mantra lies in our niche capabilities, being authentic, resilient, diligent, and maintaining an unwavering belief in ourselves. With these qualities, there are no limits to what we can achieve

Zahara Kanchwalla, Co-Founder, Rite Knowledge Labs

Zahara Kanchwalla, an engineering graduate in plastics with a post-diploma in computer applications, began her professional journey as a programmer. Transitioning to the IT industry, she discovered the intersection of content, communications, and technology while working in global marketing and communications at Tech Mahindra. This experience has greatly influenced her present journey and the valuable expertise she brings to the table.