Purpose, people and performance — the three Ps is what Ashu Suyash focussed on to negotiate the most-challenging stint in her 33-year-long career — the pandemic. The net result: During the six months of CY21, it was business as usual at Crisil with income from operations rising 14% to around ₹1,024 crore. "The only message to the team was we are in it together and we will come out stronger," says Suyash. In doing so, rule books were set aside as well. "We let employees not just tend to their immediate kin but to anyone in the family who had tested positive," explains Suyash. High employee morale ensured business plans were met. At the peak of the second wave, the rating agency launched its ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) offering. Suyash though is now charting a path of her own — by turning entrepreneurial. Though it is still in the works, the idea is to create a platform to nurture entrepreneurs. The switchover is an outcome of her philosophy — Never be comfortable where you are. "If you are too comfortable, make a change. That is what has always driven me," sums up Suyash. — V. Keshavdev