HR Spotlight: “We believe competition helps us work harder which helps us to stay ahead”

Mr. Ajay Tewari, CEO, smartData Enterprises

smartData Enterprises is a global IT solutions provider offering business critical and strategic solutions for Application Development, Database Management, Quality Assurance, IT support, Visualization and Web Enabled Services says Mr. Ajay Tewari, CEO, smartData Enterprises in an interview with Ms. Avneet K. Chhatwal . Excerpts:

Q. To start with, could you articulate on the growth of your company since its inception?
SmartData started its operations in the year 1999 at Chandigarh with mere five people and one client. It has been a long journey of wonderful experiences, which only made us grow stronger.
Our move to “fixed cost bids” which were looked down upon became the best strategy for not only survival but growth post 9/11. We not only prevailed in the market downturn but also were successful in raising investment from Angels as well as Venture Capitalists funds who found smartData Enterprises an attractive proposition for ROI. Despite facing stiff opposition in terms of competitive market dynamics, smartData has prevailed and has been able to create a niche for itself.

Q. Being a global IT solutions provider offering business critical and strategic solutions for Application Development, Database Management, Quality Assurance, IT support, Visualization and Web Enabled Services, a sea change in the Information Technology industry has been observed, what is your assessment on the current market scenario?
The market is looking good and I feel that the trend will continue to grow with all the economic drivers of global markets looking fairly stable. This will ensure that the companies will have more budgets for IT initiatives and hence spendings, helping the outsourcing market. Specific to smartData we have identified real estate, healthcare, e-Learning, and sports and entertainment as the prime key areas to focus our energies on in coming years.

Q.What is the reason for the company's consistent progress and its position vis-a-vis its competitors?
From a modest start up, we have grown into a middle-sized company having a dedicated team of more than 75 personnel. For us competition is a ground reality but achieving consistent growth despite market pressures has to be an effective amalgam of sheer professional superiority and unwavering focus towards satisfying our valued customers by invariably exceeding their expectations, in quality of work, timelines and costs and any other specifics that they might seek from us. We believe that “once our customer, always our customer”. This helps in building our reputation that spreads and brings us business even from unexpected areas. This always results in renewing our expertise and skills (both market and technology wise) helping us to remain always ahead of the pack.

Q.What are the major challenges that you face in this business today? How has the market changed?
Finding new markets, sustaining and enlarging them globally and getting accustomed to the cultural challenges these new geographies bring along with them. Constant upgradation of know-how with changes in technologies and market space. Challenges of reduced pricing versus increased focus on quality output have affected the bottom lines. Creating a niche to ensure that although doing “same thing”, we do it “differently”

Q.What according to you is the future of IT industry, especially the e-commerce, data warehousing, database design in India?
I must say that future in this industry is very bright, with growing penetration of internet into mass households, and also the specific needs of users to use data in their own way to get the desired results as part of business intelligence. This will keep the database market and its associated activities always as the main area of focus for both corporate and individual ventures.

Q.What is your key mission as the CEO of Smart Data Enterprises?
As a CEO of this company its my duty and responsibility to achieve Set goals by my board in terms of ROI on shareholder value. In addition, to provide ROI to my people and look towards their growth and well being, strive to be ahead of the competition and contenders. Last but not the least to make smartData an “ideal” company which will be emulated by others in years to come.

Q.How do you look at your people assets?
With gathering momentum in numbers of big players in and around the region, the loyalty of the work force becomes paramount. Effective man management and involvement of all echelons of management towards our work force through thick and thin goes a long way in building highly functional team spirit.

With due recognition for the contribution by our happy and motivated work force, secure and stable with assured flow of challenging assignment makes us a company with a great present and a greater future. Bottomline, we are where we are today, because of them and as such looking after their welfare, growth and getting their fierce loyalty is our credo. Believing in one to one solutions to individual problems without any set hierarchical protocols is another factor which helps.

Q.What are the essential personal attributes that you would look for in a candidate, before appointing him?
While recruiting a candidate, I believe that the people who think differently are always the one who grow faster than others and are always welcomed in this organisation. Apart from that the other key important element is passion, focus and stability.

What is the corporate vision that drives your company?
Growth of business and the company resulting in strong bottom lines with satisfied share holders is basically what drives the company. Alongside the community stands to gain by investing itself with a pool of highly skilled and professional work force under a sound and business savvy management with focused and hard working people who form an enviable core resource for the nation, contributing to its economic strength. Successful conduct of business adds to the economic well being of not only the company work force but of the community, society and the country as such. This is the larger vision that drives the company to ever growing target and objective.

Q.Would you tell us what business philosophy you follow?
We follow a very straightforward approach and believe in conducting business in a professional manner driving towards set goals as envisioned in the company’s charter. Business must result in the economic growth and well being of all those who are involved both internally and externally.

How do you define success? In the context of organizations success how would you say you have been successful?
Success is not easy, I will call it positive hardship” as it does not come without facing huge obstacles. The fun is in overcoming them. Its your competitor who helps you get to the top, we believe competition helps us work harder which helps us to stay ahead.

Can you briefly run us through the important achievements that your company has been successful in?
SmartData has been felicitated with ‘Software Export Award’ by Chandigarh Administration in the year 2000. Then it received ISO 9001:2000 certification for being the first software company in the region for year 2002. In addition, it was the first software company to be chosen for venture funding by Punjab Venture Fund in year 2003. And it was selected among 15 Indian companies among 80 software companies by Ernst and Young Worldwide as a potential investment opportunity by US Investors.

What kind of growth are you looking at in the coming years?
In the coming years we are looking at a steady growth of 100pct in FY 2005-2006. This followed by year on year growth of 30-40pct should set us on the desired path.

Mr. Ajay Tewari with his 10 years of international maritime work experience and exposure of dealing with multiple nationalities brings to smartData his enriched experience in people management, business promotion and overall operations acumen. Mr. Tewari holds a B.Tech HND Degree in International Shipping & Trade from Liverpool, UK and a Bachelor's degree from University of Mumbai. He also brings in people management skills having led large teams of engineers and support personnel on marine projects and has over 10 years experience working with leading foreign companies in Europe, USA and Far East.

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