Ashish Sikka : Building & Revolutionizing The Logistics And E-Commerce Landscape
Ashish Sikka
Chief Strategy Officer
During our interview, Ashish shared insights into his professional journey, leadership methodologies, and future vision.
Give a brief account of your professional background and experience. What is the motivation that fuels your daily routines?
I graduated from Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies at the University of Delhi and began my career at Kearney, where I spent 7-8 years working across multiple geographies and industries. This experience provided a strong foundation as I tackled diverse challenges. These projects helped me develop problem solving skills while collaborating with high-performing teams. After a 15-month break to pursue my MBA at IE Business School in Madrid, I transitioned into the startup ecosystem. Ecom Express is my third startup, following impactful roles at OYO in hospitality tech and Propstack in big data. During my time at OYO, I led initiatives that drove revenue during the COVID-19 crisis, including 'OYO Care, ' which offered accommodations for those in isolation. I also contributed to stabilising OYO’s Southeast Asian market post-pandemic. At Ecom Express, I oversee strategy, growth, corporate development, and
strengthening of P&L, leading efforts to innovate in logistics and reach 97 percent of India’s households through 3,400+ delivery centres. What drives me each day is the pursuit of incremental improvement, continuous learning, and creating impactful solutions for India's vast and diverse try to give at least one percent extra every single day.
As the CSO, what are the latest strategic plans you have adopted to expand/opti- mise operations and engage new audiences in the market?
At Ecom Express, we are focused on solving the distinct challenges within e-Commerce logistics for a diverse range of customers. Platforms that deal in beauty and personal care products, for example, have different logistics requirements compared to those in the apparel sector. We aim to understand these differences and create tailored solutions that cater to the needs of rapidly growing vertical platforms and D2C brands across India. On the supply side, we’ve established an advanced gig delivery platform that allows thousands of delivery partners to work flexible hours. They can pick up and deliver parcels nationwide, earning income while supporting efficient delivery operations. Our strategic priorities “center” around delivering innovative logistics solutions and empowering a flexible, scalable workforce.
Tell us about your leadership approach. What are the guidelines or methodologies you follow as a leader?
My leadership approach revolves around three core principles. First, I believe in fostering an inclusive culture that promotes learning across all levels. It's important to listen to voices from every corner of the organisation, especially from those with less experience, as their perspectives can drive meaningful change. Second, I prioritise hiring people who are smarter than me. This not only elevates the team’s collective intelligence and emotional awareness but also ensures the best ideas come forward. Finally, I encourage experimentation, even when failure is a possibility. Embracing failure as part of the process helps tackle unknown challenges, disrupt the status quo, and cultivate innovation and leadership within the team.
Learning is a cycle of gaining new knowledge, letting go of outdated ideas, and embracing fresh perspectives
As the CSO, what are the latest strategic plans you have adopted to expand/opti- mise operations and engage new audiences in the market?
At Ecom Express, we are focused on solving the distinct challenges within e-Commerce logistics for a diverse range of customers. Platforms that deal in beauty and personal care products, for example, have different logistics requirements compared to those in the apparel sector. We aim to understand these differences and create tailored solutions that cater to the needs of rapidly growing vertical platforms and D2C brands across India. On the supply side, we’ve established an advanced gig delivery platform that allows thousands of delivery partners to work flexible hours. They can pick up and deliver parcels nationwide, earning income while supporting efficient delivery operations. Our strategic priorities “center” around delivering innovative logistics solutions and empowering a flexible, scalable workforce.
Tell us about your leadership approach. What are the guidelines or methodologies you follow as a leader?
My leadership approach revolves around three core principles. First, I believe in fostering an inclusive culture that promotes learning across all levels. It's important to listen to voices from every corner of the organisation, especially from those with less experience, as their perspectives can drive meaningful change. Second, I prioritise hiring people who are smarter than me. This not only elevates the team’s collective intelligence and emotional awareness but also ensures the best ideas come forward. Finally, I encourage experimentation, even when failure is a possibility. Embracing failure as part of the process helps tackle unknown challenges, disrupt the status quo, and cultivate innovation and leadership within the team.
How do you keep yourself up-to-date with ongoing industry trends to steer your organisation towards the future?
To stay informed and continuously grow, I rely on two key approaches, engaging with people and reading widely. Meeting individuals from various backgrounds helps me gather diverse insights and stay adaptable. I see learning as a cycle of gaining new knowledge, letting go of outdated ideas, and embracing fresh perspectives. This prevents me from getting stuck in one way of thinking. Reading extensively is equally important, as it helps me stay up to date on industry trends and developments beyond my immediate field. By keeping an eye on the bigger picture, I ensure that I remain aware of the context in which I operate. Equally important is fostering a culture of open communication. I strive to foster an environment where knowledge flows freely in both directions, encouraging everyone to contribute their ideas and insights without waiting for direction. Building such an inclusive culture enriches everyone's learning and development. Together, these practices of connecting with others, reading broadly, and promoting a collaborative culture help me stay ahead and continuously evolve in my professional journey.
Could you reflect on some of the toughest challenges you have encountered in your journey so far? How did you overcome them and what did you learn from them?
Rather than focusing on a specific position, the greatest satisfaction comes from driving innovation and scaling it successfully. The excitement lies in taking new ideas, developing them, and expanding them into impactful business ventures. This process is something I genuinely enjoy and intend to continue for as long as possible. The goal is to keep building and scaling innovations as business opportunities, and that’s the journey I want to be on for the long term.
Ashish Sikka, Chief Strategy Officer, Ecom Express
He is an exceptional professional with 15 years of diverse industry experience. As a strong leader, he attentively listens to every voice in the organisation and empowers his team to take bold risks in their experimentation, regardless of the results. He is dedicated to nurturing innovative ideas and fostering a creative culture within the workplace.
To stay informed and continuously grow, I rely on two key approaches, engaging with people and reading widely. Meeting individuals from various backgrounds helps me gather diverse insights and stay adaptable. I see learning as a cycle of gaining new knowledge, letting go of outdated ideas, and embracing fresh perspectives. This prevents me from getting stuck in one way of thinking. Reading extensively is equally important, as it helps me stay up to date on industry trends and developments beyond my immediate field. By keeping an eye on the bigger picture, I ensure that I remain aware of the context in which I operate. Equally important is fostering a culture of open communication. I strive to foster an environment where knowledge flows freely in both directions, encouraging everyone to contribute their ideas and insights without waiting for direction. Building such an inclusive culture enriches everyone's learning and development. Together, these practices of connecting with others, reading broadly, and promoting a collaborative culture help me stay ahead and continuously evolve in my professional journey.
Could you reflect on some of the toughest challenges you have encountered in your journey so far? How did you overcome them and what did you learn from them?
Rather than focusing on a specific position, the greatest satisfaction comes from driving innovation and scaling it successfully. The excitement lies in taking new ideas, developing them, and expanding them into impactful business ventures. This process is something I genuinely enjoy and intend to continue for as long as possible. The goal is to keep building and scaling innovations as business opportunities, and that’s the journey I want to be on for the long term.
Ashish Sikka, Chief Strategy Officer, Ecom Express
He is an exceptional professional with 15 years of diverse industry experience. As a strong leader, he attentively listens to every voice in the organisation and empowers his team to take bold risks in their experimentation, regardless of the results. He is dedicated to nurturing innovative ideas and fostering a creative culture within the workplace.