New Delhi, May 13 -- In a world bursting with tech, talent and transformation, what still governs trust? A good old-fashioned, "Do you know someone who knows him?"

powered board meeting, a CEO joked that between LinkedIn, family WhatsApp groups, golf circles and London holidays, there were barely any outsiders left in the room. Everyone laughed. The truth is, in India Inc, the lines between professional networks and personal affiliations are blurrier than ever.

The more populated and connected the world becomes, the more our behaviour resembles that of ancient tribes huddled around campfires. We have satellites in the sky, but still whisper in closed circles. Social media boasts of billions of users, yet we function in cliques tighter t...