Ajay Garg: Ascending To The Summit Of Success As A New-Age Leader
Ajay Garg
Director & CEO
Apart from being pragmatically engaged in business development of Corporate Client Group (CCG) and handling of Corporate Hedging Desk (SCHD), Ajay Garg is also instrumental across Internet Based Trading and Mobile Trading, FPI, NRI and B2B Businesses. Leveraging his business expertise to yield benevolent solutions for the SMC Global, Ajay Garg is gradually ascending to the summit of success as a new-age leader encompassing his personal and professional development.
Engaging in an exclusive interaction with CEO Insights, Ajay Garg reflects on his pioneering voyage till now and covets catapulting contemporary as well as innovative initiatives in the near future.
Give us a brief detail about your educational background and professional background and how has it helped you in your journey so far?
One of my earliest achievements included topping my class during B.Com. (Hons.) from Hans Raj College and being recognized as a merit holder (amongst the top 50) in the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India Examination (ICAI).
My father’s passion for business always inspired me to seek this exciting opportunity! My maternal uncles, on the other hand,were all Chartered Accountants, and my closeness with them inspired a passion for finance in me too. As a result, I chose to pursue CA instead and ended up becoming the Director and CEO of the company founded by my uncles SMC Global.
Please describe your management style and what was your biggest business success?
From an early age, I’ve always been
drawn to the power of technology. I think it’s even fair to say that had I not been a Chartered Accountant, I would have become an engineer! While in 2002, India’s internet and telecom connections were still fairly weak, we introduced SMC’s Computer to Computer Link (CTCL) trading terminal through a private Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) network developed by HCL Technologies. This helped SMC expand its wing and develop a strong network of Franchise and Branches of 2500+ and more than 550 cities & towns all across India, thus, making us a force to be reckoned with in the market! Knowing what a big step this was, many members of the regional stock exchanges also became our business associates and flourished by our side.
As the Group CEO of SMC Global, what are the strategies/methods you put forward to align your organization with your vision and mission? How do you generate great value to your organization?
Established in 1990, SMC is an award-winning financial services company in India offering brokerage services across the asset classes of equities, commodities and currency, investment banking, wealth management, distribution of third party financial products viz. IPOs, mutual funds, bonds & FDs, research-based advisory, financing, depository services, insurance broking (life & non-life), institutional broking, clearing services, mortgage advisory and real estate advisory services to corporate, institutions, high net worth individuals, retail clients, NRIs and FPIs. SMC has a presence across 550+ cities with over 2550 offices in India having an overseas office in Dubai. It has a strong base of over 1.9 million clients supported by over 3,650+ employees.
We have also sharpened our focus on offering a superior user experience by using robust innovations. With proprietary features like Auto-Trender (our research- based tool that decodes market trends and helps generate buy and sell signals), SMC ACE (our mobile trading app for investors on the go), AlgoTrader (an automation software that takes the emotion out of trading), our Robo Advisory enabled platform, and our Portfolio Health Checker (which enables investors to monitor the health of their portfolio for both equity and mutual funds and restructure it, if required), we have transformed trading from a complex chore to a convenient experience for investors.
In your professional journey so far,
SMC Global has already carved quite the name for itself in India, and armed with our success and innovative thinking, we are ready to take on global markets
As the Group CEO of SMC Global, what are the strategies/methods you put forward to align your organization with your vision and mission? How do you generate great value to your organization?
Established in 1990, SMC is an award-winning financial services company in India offering brokerage services across the asset classes of equities, commodities and currency, investment banking, wealth management, distribution of third party financial products viz. IPOs, mutual funds, bonds & FDs, research-based advisory, financing, depository services, insurance broking (life & non-life), institutional broking, clearing services, mortgage advisory and real estate advisory services to corporate, institutions, high net worth individuals, retail clients, NRIs and FPIs. SMC has a presence across 550+ cities with over 2550 offices in India having an overseas office in Dubai. It has a strong base of over 1.9 million clients supported by over 3,650+ employees.
We have also sharpened our focus on offering a superior user experience by using robust innovations. With proprietary features like Auto-Trender (our research- based tool that decodes market trends and helps generate buy and sell signals), SMC ACE (our mobile trading app for investors on the go), AlgoTrader (an automation software that takes the emotion out of trading), our Robo Advisory enabled platform, and our Portfolio Health Checker (which enables investors to monitor the health of their portfolio for both equity and mutual funds and restructure it, if required), we have transformed trading from a complex chore to a convenient experience for investors.
In your professional journey so far,
which are the milestones that bestowed you with utmost satisfaction?
I believe establishing SMC as a well known & trustworthy brand having pan India presence is one of the key milestones which gives me utmost satisfaction and as a testimony of this, I have been recognized by The Economic Times as ‘The Most Promising Business Leader of Asia’ at Asia Business Leaders Conclave 2019. My dedication to improving our offerings also got me recognized as the ‘Entrepreneur of the Year Innovation in Financial Services’ during the Entrepreneur India Awards 2015, organized by Franchise India.
What is the future roadmap for SMC Global?How are you planning to assist the organization in its future expeditions?
SMC Global has already carved quite the name for itself in India and armed with our success and innovative thinking, we are ready to take on global markets. While we have already setup operations in Dubai, we are also looking at other global markets to expand our reach too. Additionally, because less than 5% of Indian citizens invest their funds in the equity market as compared to 20-50% of the population that does so in developed countries, I see that the Indian Capital Markets are highly underpenetrated and there is a huge scope for financial service providers like SMC.
With that in mind, we are striving to grow many of our verticals, some of which include online trading, financial planning, wealth advisory which comes with an array of investment products like equities, mutual funds, AIFs, structured products, PMS, real estate, and bullion investment. We aim to offer the global capital market to our Indian clients, while also increasing access to the Indian Capital Market for NRIs and FPIs.
Ajay Garg, Director & CEO, SMC Group
Ajay is a qualified FCA with a wide experience of more than 20 years in the Capital Market and he is currently Director & CEO of SMC Global. Considering every challenge to be a learning opportunity, Ajay believes ‘Success’ is to be the amalgamation of inspiring innovation, creative-thinking, and undying devotion in others for the organization. He has been recognized as ‘The Most Promising Business Leader of Asia’ by The Economic Times at the Asian Business Leaders Conclave 2019 held at Singapore. Apart from being a successful corporate professional, Ajay is a traveler by heart and loves traveling to places around the world. With Switzerland being one of his favorite destinations, he enjoys exploring the stunning Alpine trails, experiencing ecstatic European winter, and glancing back on his life while sitting in a quaint café over looking any of the country’s beautiful crystal-clear lakes. Eveready to explore India’s destinations, Ajay also loves travelling to Goa and Shimla.
I believe establishing SMC as a well known & trustworthy brand having pan India presence is one of the key milestones which gives me utmost satisfaction and as a testimony of this, I have been recognized by The Economic Times as ‘The Most Promising Business Leader of Asia’ at Asia Business Leaders Conclave 2019. My dedication to improving our offerings also got me recognized as the ‘Entrepreneur of the Year Innovation in Financial Services’ during the Entrepreneur India Awards 2015, organized by Franchise India.
What is the future roadmap for SMC Global?How are you planning to assist the organization in its future expeditions?
SMC Global has already carved quite the name for itself in India and armed with our success and innovative thinking, we are ready to take on global markets. While we have already setup operations in Dubai, we are also looking at other global markets to expand our reach too. Additionally, because less than 5% of Indian citizens invest their funds in the equity market as compared to 20-50% of the population that does so in developed countries, I see that the Indian Capital Markets are highly underpenetrated and there is a huge scope for financial service providers like SMC.
With that in mind, we are striving to grow many of our verticals, some of which include online trading, financial planning, wealth advisory which comes with an array of investment products like equities, mutual funds, AIFs, structured products, PMS, real estate, and bullion investment. We aim to offer the global capital market to our Indian clients, while also increasing access to the Indian Capital Market for NRIs and FPIs.
Ajay Garg, Director & CEO, SMC Group
Ajay is a qualified FCA with a wide experience of more than 20 years in the Capital Market and he is currently Director & CEO of SMC Global. Considering every challenge to be a learning opportunity, Ajay believes ‘Success’ is to be the amalgamation of inspiring innovation, creative-thinking, and undying devotion in others for the organization. He has been recognized as ‘The Most Promising Business Leader of Asia’ by The Economic Times at the Asian Business Leaders Conclave 2019 held at Singapore. Apart from being a successful corporate professional, Ajay is a traveler by heart and loves traveling to places around the world. With Switzerland being one of his favorite destinations, he enjoys exploring the stunning Alpine trails, experiencing ecstatic European winter, and glancing back on his life while sitting in a quaint café over looking any of the country’s beautiful crystal-clear lakes. Eveready to explore India’s destinations, Ajay also loves travelling to Goa and Shimla.