Bala Sabari D. Unconventional, Open-Minded & Progressive Leader
Bala Sabari D.
Founder & Managing Director
As an esteemed podium that crafted the lives and personalities of numerous stalwarts, the position of VIT remains quite eminent among the top technology and engineering schools in the country. As a prolific alumnus of VIT, Bala sternly believes that the institution has played a great role in his life. Today, he is an entrepreneur equipped with expertise in setting up PLM Processes and his knowledge spans across Strategic Consulting, End-to-End PLM Implementation for Green Field, and Transformational Implementation for Augmentation to Sustaining Services in PLM.
Bala has held fecund appellations at Mahindra & Mahindra, Barry-Wehmiller International, Siemens and Nibana Solutions before founding Thinkinnov Solution in 2015. While interacting with CEO Insights, he has articulated his journey as an entrepreneur and leader. Here are the excerpts!
Tell us about your professional background and experiences. What factors influenced you to establish Thinkinnov Solution?
I completed my Masters back in 2005 when PLM was a niche burgeoning domain. Interestingly, it still remains a niche domain with a lot of scopes and opportunities. I was campus hired by Mahindra & Mahindra, where I got an opportunity to understand the automobile industry well backed by my knowledge in mechanical engineering.
We were able to spend adequate time on R& D and got exposed to different departments and clients through their intensive one-year induction program. Subsequently, I worked in the US for six months and then joined Siemens PLM Software and gained a good hold on the technology availability and market demand at that point. Later, I joined a startup called Nibana Solutions and worked there for over four years, understanding enterprise architecture and several other ground-up solutions.
After a decade of work experience and gaining deep knowledge of PLM solutions, I wanted to address several white spaces in the segment; especially, to bridge the gap in innovation. That marked the start of Thinkinnov Solution to offer innovative and quality solutions to enterprise customers.
What impact did those experiences have on the way you developed as a leader?
Being a national level basketball player, I entered VIT through the sports quota. The institution has played a magnanimous role in my personal and professional voyage because it transformed me as an individual. It gives anyone a 360-degree development opportunity and teaches students to look beyond competency and become an all rounder in terms of education, extracurricular, multicultural exposure or others. While giving us the confidence and courage to chase one's passion, it equips us to fill our skill gap with special courses.
How would you define Thinkinnov Solution as an organization and its position in the market?
Thinkinnov Solution is a brand built with the perfect blend of best practices, domain expertise, and Technical Knowledge. I must say that these three factors are the cornerstones of innovative solutions offered by our company. On the bigger picture, our dextrous team carries extensive domain expertise of over a decade on average, and our core competency lies in PLM and allied areas. Moreover, we aim at utilizing the best management
The highly motivated, energetic tenacious & expert team of Thinkinnov Solution can meet complex challenges and provide innovative solutions to our customers
After a decade of work experience and gaining deep knowledge of PLM solutions, I wanted to address several white spaces in the segment; especially, to bridge the gap in innovation. That marked the start of Thinkinnov Solution to offer innovative and quality solutions to enterprise customers.
What impact did those experiences have on the way you developed as a leader?
Being a national level basketball player, I entered VIT through the sports quota. The institution has played a magnanimous role in my personal and professional voyage because it transformed me as an individual. It gives anyone a 360-degree development opportunity and teaches students to look beyond competency and become an all rounder in terms of education, extracurricular, multicultural exposure or others. While giving us the confidence and courage to chase one's passion, it equips us to fill our skill gap with special courses.
How would you define Thinkinnov Solution as an organization and its position in the market?
Thinkinnov Solution is a brand built with the perfect blend of best practices, domain expertise, and Technical Knowledge. I must say that these three factors are the cornerstones of innovative solutions offered by our company. On the bigger picture, our dextrous team carries extensive domain expertise of over a decade on average, and our core competency lies in PLM and allied areas. Moreover, we aim at utilizing the best management
and compliance practices according to global standards to be effective and serve the best quality. Our domain and technical expertise facilitate us to create scalable solutions to achieve clients' big goals. Needless to say, client feedback is the crux of our improvisation and innovation.
Highlight a professional milestone that you cherish the most.
Right in the initial phase of our business journey, we got to work on one of the transformative projects in Mahindra Group, while they were acquiring companies to bring in engineering synergy, and cross functional knowledge. They wanted a good digital partner and we happened to work with them it became a huge success. Of note, we were awarded by the CIO of Mahindra Group for innovative solutions under the category 'Alternative Thinking'.
Today, we are a preferred partner for Mahindra Group across verticals and also working with several brands that are setting new benchmarks in their own industries such as EV, industrial machinery, and others. For instance, we have worked with an EV startup called Simple Energy and we pioneered the implementation of a solution stack on Cloud.
How has been the company’s journey? What are the goals that you wish to invest in the further?
It has been seven years of a rewarding journey. Last year, we were able to double our team strength with more than 30 plus fresh talents who are well trained now. Our team comprises mixed talents from juniors to experts. For the next three years we have set aggressive targets because digitalization is no more a
choice but need of the hour.
Further, we are moving into Aerospace and Defence space, while being a part of one of the very prestigious programs under the Government of India. We are working at the Pan India level along with a couple of global projects paving our footprint to expand in the UK and the US as well.
Bala Sabari D., Founder & Managing Director, Thinkinnov Solution
Under Bala’s able leadership, Thinkinnov Solution is currently focused on helping enterprises with setting up PLM Processes. Bala is striving towards making Thinkinnov Solution the first preferred service provider in PLM, nationally and globally.
Highlight a professional milestone that you cherish the most.
Right in the initial phase of our business journey, we got to work on one of the transformative projects in Mahindra Group, while they were acquiring companies to bring in engineering synergy, and cross functional knowledge. They wanted a good digital partner and we happened to work with them it became a huge success. Of note, we were awarded by the CIO of Mahindra Group for innovative solutions under the category 'Alternative Thinking'.
Today, we are a preferred partner for Mahindra Group across verticals and also working with several brands that are setting new benchmarks in their own industries such as EV, industrial machinery, and others. For instance, we have worked with an EV startup called Simple Energy and we pioneered the implementation of a solution stack on Cloud.
How has been the company’s journey? What are the goals that you wish to invest in the further?
It has been seven years of a rewarding journey. Last year, we were able to double our team strength with more than 30 plus fresh talents who are well trained now. Our team comprises mixed talents from juniors to experts. For the next three years we have set aggressive targets because digitalization is no more a
choice but need of the hour.
Further, we are moving into Aerospace and Defence space, while being a part of one of the very prestigious programs under the Government of India. We are working at the Pan India level along with a couple of global projects paving our footprint to expand in the UK and the US as well.
Bala Sabari D., Founder & Managing Director, Thinkinnov Solution
Under Bala’s able leadership, Thinkinnov Solution is currently focused on helping enterprises with setting up PLM Processes. Bala is striving towards making Thinkinnov Solution the first preferred service provider in PLM, nationally and globally.