Ajay Tewari: Journey of Scale & Continual Improvement
Ajay Tewari
Co-Founder & CEO
The superior quality and timely delivery/ offerings and the transparency of the operations have helped the Organization build a promising reputation in the industry and create a niche in the market. The Organization has also been able to clock in impressive growth consistently, owing to its Commitment to never compromising on its offerings' quality. Under the stewardship and guidance of Ajay Tewari, the Co-Founder and CEO of the organization, smartData has been able to break new business frontiers and grow stronger in the market. Ajay is a pioneering industry stalwart who constantly aims to learn and reinvent himself to stay relevant. His relentless Commitment for consistent improvement exalts Ajay as a front runner and trendsetter in the industry. Undeniably, With him at the helm, the Organization will grow into a market leader that prioritizes constant innovation and improvement.
In an exclusive interview with CEO Insights, Ajay talks more about his professional journey and the evolution of smartData.
Brief us about your professional background and experiences. What sparked your inspiration to construct your professional journey in the IT services industry?
My father was with the armed forces, and hence I spent my childhood moving around in disciplined environs. I Joined the Training Ship Rajendra and spent 11 years out at sea as a merchant navy officer, eventually rising to the rank of Chief Officer. I did my master's in Marine shipping from Marine Safety Agency, UK, during this period. The shipping industry exposed me to the different nuances of multimillion dollar businesses, along with exposure to diverse cultures and people in over 60 countries.Then the entrepreneurial bug bit me ignited by my elder brother's push along withthe urge to impact people's lives and share the wealth with them. I left a well paid, successful career at its peak to start a five people startup smartData in 1999. I worked
in the capacity of VP operations and COO before finally taking the helm in 2004. The undying zeal to scale ahead and curiosity of a growing start up helped us keep our focus on our core goal of "customer value." Our goal constantly pushed us to better our performances with each passing day.
Could you tell us about your business mantra that helped you soar beyond boundaries shaping you into the person you have become today?
Customer is at the core of everything we do via customer centricity, Commitment, and credibility. As an organization, all three of these are mutually interdependent. We believe in Big Thinking, Big Collaboration, and Big Communication to consistently deliver the best quality services to our clients.
Also, to achieve this, we ensure that we groom our workforce for Right Talent, Right Technique, and Right mindset. Another key differentiator which we continuously work on is to understand the business paradigm of our customers and assist them as business consultants via software and not merely a software vendor who can build software. This requires us to be always at the leading edge of an ever-changing learning curve regarding business know how. Additionally, we make sure that we strive for consistent improvement through constant innovation. This has helped us succeed and make a name for ourselves in this ultra competitive and ever growing industry.
What makes the company stand out amongst its peers in the industry? What is its USP?
The key differentiator for smartData is our start-up mindset driven by frugality, learning mode, and talent management. Sustained efforts towards continual improvements in all we do eventually result in continual success and not a one off event.
In your professional journey so far, which are the milestones that bestowed you with utmost satisfaction both as an individual and an entrepreneur?
The first $1M was the number that announced that we are good, the 500 people headcount established that we are here to stay and grow, and the $10M indicated that we are here to create a legacy. These moments gave me immense joy and motivation to continue, thrive and succeed. As an entrepreneur, I celebrate the success of my team and teamwork and firmly believe that.
The creation of leaders around me at smartData gives me immense satisfaction of living up to the paradigm that the first goal of a
Reprioritisation of time with family has become the key customer wants to spend less time, wants more info before the decision, and has become very focused on sustainability
Could you tell us about your business mantra that helped you soar beyond boundaries shaping you into the person you have become today?
Customer is at the core of everything we do via customer centricity, Commitment, and credibility. As an organization, all three of these are mutually interdependent. We believe in Big Thinking, Big Collaboration, and Big Communication to consistently deliver the best quality services to our clients.
Also, to achieve this, we ensure that we groom our workforce for Right Talent, Right Technique, and Right mindset. Another key differentiator which we continuously work on is to understand the business paradigm of our customers and assist them as business consultants via software and not merely a software vendor who can build software. This requires us to be always at the leading edge of an ever-changing learning curve regarding business know how. Additionally, we make sure that we strive for consistent improvement through constant innovation. This has helped us succeed and make a name for ourselves in this ultra competitive and ever growing industry.
What makes the company stand out amongst its peers in the industry? What is its USP?
The key differentiator for smartData is our start-up mindset driven by frugality, learning mode, and talent management. Sustained efforts towards continual improvements in all we do eventually result in continual success and not a one off event.
In your professional journey so far, which are the milestones that bestowed you with utmost satisfaction both as an individual and an entrepreneur?
The first $1M was the number that announced that we are good, the 500 people headcount established that we are here to stay and grow, and the $10M indicated that we are here to create a legacy. These moments gave me immense joy and motivation to continue, thrive and succeed. As an entrepreneur, I celebrate the success of my team and teamwork and firmly believe that.
The creation of leaders around me at smartData gives me immense satisfaction of living up to the paradigm that the first goal of a
leader is "to create more leaders" because eventually, the legacy you create as a leader is what you shall be remembered for when you are gone!
Also, Impacting and improving the lives of our customers and their end customers by delivering solutions via software more so delivering healthcare solutions which eventually leads to improving the health of so many around the world, profoundly gratifies me, and I contemplate that it is worth repeating the journey all over again.
On a personal level, my satisfaction stems from the fact that I have become a better, more informed human and that I have played some part in improving the quality of life within and around me.
As we advance, what are the changes in market behavior that you anticipate and the opportunities you foresee?
As we continue to battle the virus, one thing is clear that the experience has changed more than just our work, hobbies, and shopping habits. Reprioritization of time with family has become of crucial importance. Customers want to spend less time but want more information before deciding and have shifted their focus towards sustainability. Consumers think differently now; they have different values and expect brands to help them live by those. The challenge is really on how brands meet those expectations. Pandemic has fundamentally changed the buying behavior, and it is no more driven by just price & quality but also by what matters to them in life, what they value, and how they spend their time. Finding things quickly and having items delivered to you in minimum time has become a priority for customers.
All of the above adds up to something unique and significant. Yes, if smartData as a service organization can meet these reconceived consumer expectations, we can tap into growth. But on the other hand, if we do nothing,we risk losing the customers we once had. Because customers are thinking differently now, just offering the best quality at the lowest prices might not be enough anymore.
As far as my future goal as an entrepreneur is concerned, I want to scale our Organization in the manner it was planned post-pandemic ensuring that all the learning/hardships are put into action to achieve our core goal. With all this, we aim to be at the epitome of top-notch quality and innovation in the industry.
Ajay Tewari, Co-Founder & CEO, SmartData Enterprises
Ajay is a pioneering entrepreneur under whose guidance smartData has consistently worked towards sustainable success in the industry for many years. He has won various awards, including the Asia Pacific award for most promising Entrepreneur 2011, Certification of Good Status by the Secretary of State of California, and Award of Excellence as Socially Active Unit in Punjab, to name a few. He has also served as the President of TIE Chandigarh Chapter for the 2015-16 term and is one of the group's founding members & regularly mentors budding entrepreneurs. He is currently the chairman of Chandigarh Angel Network, which provides seed funding money.
Also, Impacting and improving the lives of our customers and their end customers by delivering solutions via software more so delivering healthcare solutions which eventually leads to improving the health of so many around the world, profoundly gratifies me, and I contemplate that it is worth repeating the journey all over again.
On a personal level, my satisfaction stems from the fact that I have become a better, more informed human and that I have played some part in improving the quality of life within and around me.
As we advance, what are the changes in market behavior that you anticipate and the opportunities you foresee?
As we continue to battle the virus, one thing is clear that the experience has changed more than just our work, hobbies, and shopping habits. Reprioritization of time with family has become of crucial importance. Customers want to spend less time but want more information before deciding and have shifted their focus towards sustainability. Consumers think differently now; they have different values and expect brands to help them live by those. The challenge is really on how brands meet those expectations. Pandemic has fundamentally changed the buying behavior, and it is no more driven by just price & quality but also by what matters to them in life, what they value, and how they spend their time. Finding things quickly and having items delivered to you in minimum time has become a priority for customers.
All of the above adds up to something unique and significant. Yes, if smartData as a service organization can meet these reconceived consumer expectations, we can tap into growth. But on the other hand, if we do nothing,we risk losing the customers we once had. Because customers are thinking differently now, just offering the best quality at the lowest prices might not be enough anymore.
As far as my future goal as an entrepreneur is concerned, I want to scale our Organization in the manner it was planned post-pandemic ensuring that all the learning/hardships are put into action to achieve our core goal. With all this, we aim to be at the epitome of top-notch quality and innovation in the industry.
Ajay Tewari, Co-Founder & CEO, SmartData Enterprises
Ajay is a pioneering entrepreneur under whose guidance smartData has consistently worked towards sustainable success in the industry for many years. He has won various awards, including the Asia Pacific award for most promising Entrepreneur 2011, Certification of Good Status by the Secretary of State of California, and Award of Excellence as Socially Active Unit in Punjab, to name a few. He has also served as the President of TIE Chandigarh Chapter for the 2015-16 term and is one of the group's founding members & regularly mentors budding entrepreneurs. He is currently the chairman of Chandigarh Angel Network, which provides seed funding money.