In an interview with TimesTech, Manoj Swarup, Founder and CEO of LyfeIndex, reflects on how a personal loss inspired the creation of a global platform for digital remembrance. Sharing insights on cultural sensitivity, data privacy, and global expansion, Manoj discusses how LyfeIndex is blending empathy and technology to preserve human legacies and emotional bonds across generations and geographies.
Read the full interview here:
TimesTech: LyfeIndex was born from a deeply personal place, honouring your mother’s memory. How did this emotional genesis shape the platform’s mission and approach to digital remembrance?
Manoj: Losing my mother inspired LyfeIndex, a platform to preserve not just dates but the essence of lives. Her memory drives our mission to anchor people to their roots, countering societal disconnection. By safeguarding ancestors’ stories, we foster emotional value and cultural grounding. In a world where uprootedness fuels insensitivity, LyfeIndex ensures vital information endures, connecting generations. Our empathetic approach helps users relate to their heritage, reducing alienation and nurturing sensitivity. We’re building a space where emotional bonds and cultural balance thrive, ensuring no one forgets their start or the beauty of their ancestors’ lives.
TimesTech: With LyfeIndex already hosting over 16,000 digital memorials, including tributes to heroes like Captain Vikram Batra and Col. Trilok Singh Anand, how do you ensure each memorial retains cultural sensitivity and emotional depth?
Manoj: At LyfeIndex, we honour heroes like Captain Vikram Batra and Col. Trilok Singh Anand by ensuring memorials are crafted by close family, like a son sharing his father’s legacy or close family members. This preserves cultural authenticity and emotional depth, unlike platforms allowing third-party contributions. We focus on who they were and how they lived, capturing their essence for future generations. Loved ones share heartfelt stories, revealing the beauty of their character and values. This process fosters deep connections, ensuring each of our 16,000+ memorials resonates with cultural sensitivity and emotional truth, preserving legacies with dignity and care.
TimesTech: You’ve combined a tech-driven mindset with empathy-led innovation. How do you balance stringent GDPR compliance and data privacy with the emotional nuances of storytelling on your platform?
Manoj: As a UK-based company, LyfeIndex strictly adheres to GDPR, ensuring no sensitive data of the living. We collect only essential details about the deceased, like the cause of death, safeguarding the privacy of the living. This balance protects users while preserving heartfelt stories. Our tech-driven approach secures data, and our empathetic design amplifies emotional narratives, creating meaningful digital memorials. By prioritizing respectful storytelling, we honour the deceased with dignity, ensuring legacies are shared securely and sensitively for future generations, fostering trust and emotional connection.
TimesTech: You were recently featured on Legacy Makers TV alongside global icons. How has this exposure influenced LyfeIndex’s global footprint and your upcoming expansion plans, especially in India?
Manoj: My upcoming feature on Legacy Makers TV, to be aired on Apple TV, positions LyfeIndex before a global niche of legacy makers, amplifying our mission to preserve family stories. This exposure is expanding our footprint, sparking interest across diverse communities. In India, with its rich cultural heritage, we’re accelerating expansion to connect families with their roots. The platform’s growing visibility fuels partnerships and user engagement, reinforcing our commitment to honouring ancestors. This milestone drives our plans to make LyfeIndex a household name in India, fostering emotional connections through digital remembrance for generations.
TimesTech: From receiving recognition at the House of Commons to leading a London-based IT company and mentoring writers, how do your diverse professional experiences inform your leadership style at LyfeIndex?
Manoj: My journey—from House of Commons recognition to leading a London IT firm and mentoring writers—shapes my empathetic leadership at LyfeIndex. I have been travelling globally all my life, and it has taught me cultural sensitivity, which I instill in our diverse team. We handle every employee with care, fostering a safe space for all backgrounds, religions, and genders. This empathy extends to our platform, where we amplify unheard voices. By prioritizing understanding and inclusion, I ensure LyfeIndex remains a safe space for preserving legacies, encouraging authentic storytelling that honours the deceased and connects generations with respect and dignity.
TimesTech: Looking ahead, you envision LyfeIndex as a global standard for digital remembrance. What are the key innovations or partnerships you’re exploring to make this vision a reality?
Manoj: LyfeIndex aims to set the global standard for digital remembrance by blending technology with human connection. Our partnerships with Kazakhstan locals, which embraced LyfeIndex, fuel our global reach. We’re exploring innovative cloud solutions to ensure secure, accessible memorials while creating jobs worldwide. By prioritizing human stories over technology alone, we foster emotional bonds across cultures. These collaborations and innovations strengthen our mission to preserve legacies universally, ensuring every family, from India to Kazakhstan, can honour their ancestors with dignity, making LyfeIndex a beacon of remembrance for future generations.
