The Influential Business Leaders to Watch.

1. I N D I A NOVEMBER 2020 Influential LEADERS TO WATCH THE BUSINESS Alternatives to Financing New Financing Options for Self-redevelopment JENNY FOUNDING PARTNER & CEO GATEWAY GROUP OF COMPANIES HUNT Dynamics of WFH Remote Working the New Normal JENNY HUNT An Epitome of Compassion, Expertise, and Persistence

4. EDITOR’S NOTE Changing Leadership Landscapes T ake a moment to think about who has the opportunity to change someone’s life every single day. Constantly developing and improving in every way possible, from empowering and nurturing employees to creating faster and better products and services, a leader develops his own knowledge and skills. Leaders can transform any organization or team. As they are accountable to themselves. However, one of the most important traits that all leaders must possess is a passion to develop and maximize the potential of others.

5. THE nfluential BUSINESS LEADERS TO WATCH The definition of leadership varies from person to person, true leadership is to focus on solutions and doing the right things even when nobody is watching. Leadership is much more than dominance and acknowledgement from the outside world. Leadership is about leading the way and supporting others to reach their full potential. changes and move on in our respective businesses. For a leader it could be growing and developing into stronger and wiser human beings. These are some qualities that one must need to become a fantastic leader. Leadership means having a vision to innovate and the courage to make changes, a determination to be out leading and driven by results. A leader’s passion, zeal, and will-power must motivate those around them to find solutions, execute and deliver. A leader must possess the aura and ability to engage and influence whilst improving the lives of others and their own. Ultimately, it is about breaking down barriers and leading others through the uncertainty of the future. The spread of Covid-19 is seriously hampering all the dimensions of our businesses. It has already impacted far more than expected by the uncertainty it caused. Leaders have implemented and delegated work with the same efficiency from their homes. They emphasized to stay strong in the worst environment. Great leaders believe in the change that can be changed. This pandemic has changed the graphs of the leaderships. It is time to bounce back into their businesses for the leaders. Along with leaders, we must also accept some Darshan Parmar

6. CONTENTS COVER STORY 10 Jenny Hunt An Epitome of Compassion, Expertise, and Persistence 32 Alternatives to Financing New Financing Options for Self-redevelopment 40 Dynamics of WFH Remote Working the New Normal

7. Akshat Tyagi and Raghavendra Suryavanshi Driven by Responsibility, Excelling through Sustainability 20 CARE Ratings Professional Risk Opinion 28 Dax Bamania Dax Bamania A Leading Name in the A Leading Name in the HR Solutions Sector 34 Dax Bamania 24 ARTICLE Devendra Kumar Bajaj An Accomplished Leader In The ITES Sector 38 In Context How Quality Content Creation Helps Businesses Scale Efficiently! Suraj Nayak Changing Perspectives, One Landscape at a Time 44

8. I N D I A Abhishaj Sajeev Editor-in-Chief CONTENT FOLLOW US ON www.twitter.com/ciolookindia www.facebook.com/ciolookindia/ Senior Managing Editor Sumita Sarkar Managing Editor Darshan Parmar Assisting Editors Sneha Sinha WE ARE ALSO AVAILABLE ON Sourabh More DESIGN CONTACT US ON VisualizerAsha Bange Art & Design Director Mayur Koli Associate Designer Deepanjali Jena Email sales@ciolookindia.com For Subscription www.ciolookindia.com SALES Copyright © 2020 CIOLOOK, All rights reserved. The content and images used in this magazine should not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission from CIOLOOK. Reprint rights remain solely with CIOLOOK. Operation Head Megha Mishra Sales Manager Ashwini Pahurkar Sales Executives Neha Bhilare TECHNICAL Technical Head Aditya K. Technical Consultant Tanaji abhishaj@ciolook.com sales@ciolookindia.com NOVEMBER, 2020

11. THE nfluential BUSINESS LEADERS TO WATCH Company Name Featuring Brief Shobhit Agarwal Managing Director and CEO Shobhit Agarwal talks about different financing options that can help in personalized growth in the real estate space through his article. ANAROCK Capital anarock.com Umesh Ikhe The dynamic partners Umesh Ikhe and Shiju Rawther are providing credible credit solutions to the vast clientele of CARE Ratings and CARE Risk Solutions. CEO and Shiju Rawther - Chief Information and Technology Officer CARE Ratings careratings.com Devendra Kumar Bajaj is a business leader having a foothold in the cyber security space for 21 years through his company D M Systems Pvt. Ltd. The company under his leadership has recently expanded its operations to Punjab and Jammu. D M Systems Pvt. Ltd. dmsystems.in Devendra Kumar Bajaj CEO and Director Datapotential datapotential.com Ashutosh Sharma Founder and CEO Ashutosh Sharma has shared some insights through his CXO, Remote Working. Suraj Nayak Founder and Managing Director Ecoscapes Landscaping Private Limited ecoscapes.in Suraj Nayak is leading a dedicated staff which is highly experienced at every level of landscape desgning and landscape maintainance at Ecospaces Landscaping Private Limited. Jenny Hunt is a significant leader having an extensive experience in working with the British Business Group in Abu Dhabi. She is the author of a bestselling ebook, Gateway to Abu Dhabi - How to expand your business into the capital of the UAE, published on Amazon Kindle The duo Akshat Tyagi and Raghavendra Suryavanshi through their enterprise Sustainable Biosolutions (SUSBIO) LLP are on a mission to develop and commercialize sustainable technological solutions for solving environmental issues, especially pertaining to solid and liquid waste management. GATEWAY Group of Companies gatewaytoabudhabi.com Jenny Hunt Founding Partner and CEO Akshat Tyagi and Raghavendra Suryavanshi Co-founders Sustainable Biosolutions susbio.in TIGI HR Solutions Pvt. Ltd. tigihr.com Dax Bamania leads a top-notch recruitment company in India called TIGI which is on a mission to create maximum employment opportunities in the country. Dax Bamania Founder and CEO

12. The Influential Business Leaders To Watch COVER STORY JENNY HUNT An Epitome of Compassion, Expertise, and Persistence

13. JENNY HUNT FOUNDING PARTNER & CEO GATEWAY GROUP OF COMPANIES COVER STORY

18. Having made the decision to start a business of my own in Abu Dhabi, I knew from personal experience the potential pitfalls, opportunities and stumbling blocks that would have to be navigated. In Jenny and her colleagues at Gateway I found the ideal partner, they provided me with a friendly, enthusiastic and knowledgeable team with attention to detail who, on my behalf, successfully managed the business registration, statutory submittals and visa application process, while keeping me engaged and in-formed at every stage. put the necessary measures in place to handle any changes. Jenny takes pride in how the Gateway team has really grown alongside the company. “I can honestly say that each staff member has flourished in their own way, learned amply, and taken on more responsibilities. I am so proud of each of them. Empowering them gives them the confidence to strive forward and the result is that both they and our clients benefit,” she adds. - Leigh Lenaghan, Strategic Design Services Working with Gateway was the best decision to start our business in Abu Dhabi. Jenny and the whole team were always available, very professional, and efficient. Everything we agreed on was diligently covered. But most importantly, they really care! They reached out for us, gave us ideas, suggestions and always made us feel that we were not alone in our journey! - Alejandra Gomez de la Vega, Tequeland Employee welfare is extremely important to Jenny. She believes that we should treat people how we would like to be treated. Pertaining to the same she has tried to create a working environment that she would love to work in as an employee. Jenny likes to think that Gateway Group is a very fair employer. “We have never lost a member of our Gateway Family, even when they have been approached with higher salaries. I am extremely proud of this and I think that says a lot about the environment we try to create. I want each team member to be happy and enjoy what they do. They each know that their contribution makes an impact for the company, so they can see the value that they add,” Jenny expresses. Since appointing Gateway, they have been outstanding to work with, and have been instrumental in getting our business set up done on time and within budget. We have worked with other partners in region that will do what you ask for but no more and do not necessarily understand the end state and the why behind it. The Gateway team take the time and make the effort to understand what we are trying to accomplish, why we are trying to accomplish it and go above and beyond to come up with creative ways to get to where we want to go. - Neil Harrington, Kingsbury There is a saying in the US, "You pay for peace of mind". That is what I had when I decided to let Gateway handle my business set up. Peace of mind, organisation and reliability is what you need when starting a business. Gateway provided all of that and more. It is definitely one of my best business decisions. Talking about what the future holds for her team and the Gateway Group, Jenny says, “Very generally speaking, as I can’t divulge too much until things happen, the plan is to continue to build the Gateway brand and empire. To continue to be a strong support for our clients in the UAE, sticking to our values. We will also continue to diversify into new sectors and territories.” - Babe Savage, Babe’s Hair & Wig Company

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22. Raghavendra Suryavanshi Akshat Tyagi Co-founder Co-founder 20 NOVEMBER 2020

24. ‘ ‘ in collaboration with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre – Government of India. Biogas technologies are also available for unconventional sources like slaughterhouse waste, fish waste, food processing industry waste and municipal solid waste. the most important factors to grow and sustain in a competitive market. As the market is evolving quickly and customers always need updated technology. If someone is rigid and does not tend to change as per market requirements, the customer will put them out of market. We believe, an entrepreneur with a long-term vision should always look into the drawbacks of their technology and keep improving it for sustained growth.” Leadership is setting and achieving goals, tackling the competition, and solving problems decisively and quickly. ‘ ‘ common occurrence for every enterprise. No matter how small or how troublesome, every company must address its challenges and derive efficient solutions to overcome them. The team at SUSBIO always believes in giving flawless and technically better product than competitors and unconditional after sales service and support to all our customers. “That trust of our customers in our products and solutions is long term which helps us to attain recurring orders and positive customer feedback,” says Akshat. Towards a Bright Future Similarly, SUSBIO’s initial challenges were those of resistance in initiating their venture when already established market leaders were in dominance. However, they could easily overcome this obstacle through strong belief in their own capabilities in seamlessly delivering top-notch products and solutions, thus helping them win the trust of their clientele. For their plans to voyage into another successful year, Akshat and Raghavendra have lined up a diverse range of various products and services related to solid and liquid waste management and recycling, and they will keep adding new technologies and products to this line up. Redefining Norms Talking about their philosophy of efficient leadership, Raghavendra states, “A leader directs, educates, guides and trains their team and sets an example for team members to follow and excel. Efficient Leadership is setting and achieving goals, tackling the competition, and solving problems decisively and quickly.” Currently SUSBIO has ongoing projects in Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka and is planning to expand pan India, and in coming future SUSBIO envisions to be one of the leading and trustworthy companies in India for waste management planning, implementation, and consultancy. Talking about the challenges that the pandemic has brought to SUSBIO’s doorsteps, Akshat expresses, “It is just a phase; business are definitely slowing down but as a developing economy, we have a huge consumer market and fastest growing middle class population that will again push our economy back on track. We must survive 1 to 2 years of lean phase because of the impact of COVID on the global economy. As an entrepreneur, one should be always be ready for these kind of uncontrollable risk factors.” SUSBIO strongly believes that a company is nothing without its employees. “We treat our employees as we treat our family. First step is training them correctly about the company’s product and vision and secondly fulfilling their priorities and giving them good physical and mental working environment so that they love their work. Achieving those things always keep the employees motivated to work harder and align themselves with company’s goal,” Akshat adds. www.susbio.in The co-founder duo believes that being ignorant about the technological aspects of a business turns into the most prominent challenge for an entrepreneur when it comes to scaling their business. They assert, “Technology is one of Tackling Challenges Challenges and roadblocks are a 22 NOVEMBER 2020

26. How quality CONTENT CREATION CONTENT CREATION helps businesses scale efficiently! I Gives visitors additional touchpoints to come back to marketers! n an apple to apple comparison, who do you think would win, a marketer with average products that are backed by the great information in the right format at the right time or a great product backed by less-than average information? From all indication, it shall be the former which may win hands down and keep doing so for quite some time, unless competition improves the quality of its content. These are interesting days for a marketer given the number of fora and platforms on which a product or service can be sold. Practically every day a new system/ platform is reported with user-friendly features which if used the right way with the right content, can help marketers get additional touchpoints. For instance, a marketer with a website, and social-media presence can use the latter to lead visitors to the website. Where the content is informative and inviting enough, the engagement shall surely result in a conversion! Why, you may ask, is content important when it comes to increasing business and visibility? In one sentence, it is important because what gets sold is what can be seen. More the visibility, more the confidence and hence, more the sale! Lets a marketer do no-strings attached marketing which gets higher yield! To elaborate further, quality content creation helps businesses scale efficiently for the following reasons: There was once a time when marketers first concentrated on getting the required clients on board. Once they did, the rest of the time was spent serving them…and them ONLY! Competition put paid to this idea with loyalty being a virtue available to only those who bring forth quality, both in their products (and services) and the content of their marketing efforts and campaigns. The idea today has shifted to putting forth quality content to the world without strings attached with the expectation that it appeals to the audience in general and brings forth easy conversions. Gets you the right audience and hopefully the right reasons to scale up things! Where the right audience get the right product and accompanying content, there is just about no reason why things will not look good and result in desired action, including sales and eventual scaling-up. That precisely is the effect of great content. It gets you your desired audience, and they either give you business or take you to those who can. Either ways, it is a win-win. 24 NOVEMBER 2020

27. In Context Brings the benefit of SEO and a larger audience which can help scale a business Brings recognition on the right forums leading to increase in leads and conversions Search engines these days are led by AI and advanced algorithms which can decipher the difference between great content and its opposite. For this reason, quality content with the right keywords and ideas can get a marketer the benefit of higher ranking which shows the value of one's content, and can get more leads, conversions and engagements. Scaling up business thus need the support of quality content. What can be seen can be sold being the adage, frequent and inspiring content across forums, media, sites and platforms can give a visitor the reassurance that the brand/ business is there for a purpose and a cause, and can be trusted with the latter's time, money, patience and perseverance. Once the connect is, and provided the marketer keeps putting across quality and interesting content, the relation could last for a long, long time and bring fruits in the form of further business that customer(s) themselves might refer. Quality content in blogs and white papers can get you repeat audience all the time. Quality content, and a solid, identifiable audience- base leads to authority and a sense of competency! Irrespective of product type, marketers who post quality content frequently including articles, blogs, success stories, social-media posts and the likes are sure to have repeat audience who may come to the site just to catch up on the latest, and with luck the same could convert into a sale. As opposed to this, marketers who do not post frequently or post uninteresting things may miss out on account of this one great point. Quality content curated and created with the intention of informing a large customer base speaks of the writer/ marketer's position as an authority on the subject. An important point to be remembered while on the way to being acknowledged an authority is to write frequently and on trending topics. One-off articles do not get any traction beyond a point as people move on to those who post 25 NOVEMBER 2020

28. quality content frequently. To get people's attention, the writer/ marketer while holding authority over the subject, should have a list of subjects to write and present on. What it calls for is originality along with the use of keywords for easily location by search engines. Leads to conversion of clients' clients and leads! Conviction leads to conversions, and the most convinced convert helps with more conversions! One of the best ways to generate conviction on one's goods and services is by the use of quality content across mediums! A satisfied client they say is the best salesperson. In fact, not only is such a person a great sales-tool but also a great motivator for others to follow his/ her/ their patch and try out the products of the marketer! All this takes place for a start with great content! Once done, and with the leads coming in, subsequent work becomes cheaper If quality content seems expensive, do remember that it pays for itself initially by bringing in more conversions, and with the systems falling in place, only incremental work needs to be done. In the end, with the kind of leads and conversions it brings, in most cases good content turns out to be one of the most cost-effective ways of marketing. And besides, the kind of name, fame and following it brings is something nothing else can ever match. Helps in making a content creator an influencer It is only an authority who can influence! And an authority is one who creates the best, most contemporary, and authentic of content around a business and its products. Be it a great content creator who gets the position of an influencer or the influencer who has come up the hard way with great content, what's primary is great content, every time. In the end, it is content which is king. To be there right on top, there is no alternative to great, self-curated and customized content across languages and cultures which excites people and gets them to act decisively, not once, not twice but always! 26 NOVEMBER 2020

30. L experience. A successful leadership is never indispensable as it is an effort for a larger cause. “Leadership for me is setting up vision and translating it into reality with result oriented, process driven mission,” says Umesh Ikhe, CEO of CARE Risk Solutions Pvt. Ltd. ““ eadership is not always about managing people, but more about selecting and mentoring the right ones. It is a role that evolves with ENABLING RISK AND COMPLIANCE SOLUTIONS TO FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS Umesh Ikhe CEO of CARE Risk Solutions Pvt. Ltd. 28 NOVEMBER 2020

31. The Influential Business Leaders To Watch A leader’s approach must be neutral when he works with his team. Having said that Umesh also does not hesitate in taking difficult decisions for achieving companies’ goal. “I always believe mentoring and continuous guiding helps employees to walk the same path as company,” states Umesh. Involved working approach is the way to have employees aligned. Team and responsibility driven work culture ensures everyone feels equally responsible for the organisation’s goals. Umesh has never hesitated in acknowledging/rewarding the deserving ones. banks and financial institutions gain a competitive advantage,” the team adds further. With process driven, well researched, and customer centric approach, CARE Risk Solutions delivers quality product and services to its clients. Being close with customer helps the team to get insights about the market needs and based on users’ feedback which in turn results in continuous evolvement of products, maintaining a healthy competition. The team’s expert knowledge on varied markets gives the company an edge over others to deliver exactly what is expected. “Over the years I have observed that a well-trained and domain rich manpower is the most crucial part of our business process,” adds Umesh. He is of the opinion that substantial amount of time and energy should be invested in training manpower regularly. Having an ownership mindset is at the centre of Umesh’s working style. Once someone considers their workplace as their own entrepreneurial venture, it brings forth a change in mentality which makes it easier to reach the goals one sets for oneself and the team. The most challenging things that he has experienced in his career are instilling confidence about quality, functionality supremacy and user experience about product. “We are niche software product company, which is rare from India, otherwise India is home for service sector companies,” comments Umesh. An Entrepreneurial Spirit Speaking about his motivation, what keeps Umesh going is the drive to deliver best of the breed and insightful agile business product to customers. “I am focused in establishing CARE Risk Solutions amongst the top risk management and financial compliance solution providers for the BFSI industry,” he describes. Every challenge was unique and needed a unique approach. As the CEO of an ambitious, diverse, and growing company, decisions made during such challenges would define the near- and long-term future for the organisation. As part of a good leadership, good principle involvement of team in most of the things gave him a holistic view of the challenge and the combined efforts helped his team to sail over the challenge. Umesh’s approach towards this ongoing pandemic also defines his outlook on the business that has experienced a serious impact. According to him, there are only two ways which any organization can go about doing: Caring for Your Credibility - Reflect – improving oneself, make corrections (if any), relook into the products/ services. Basically, utilise the time to perfect yourself, - Focus – Be the change agent, be the one to start the new way of making businesses, grab the opportunities that have not been taken. “Both approaches are relevant but will completely depend on the current situation of your organisation,” conveys Umesh. CARE Risk Solutions Pvt Ltd under the umbrella of CARE Ratings Limited, are a technology driven company with a primary focus on the risk and finance functions of banks and financial institutions worldwide. “We are a company constantly developing world class capabilities and heavily investing in cutting edge AI and Machine Learning technology,” says the team of CARE Risk Solutions. Over the years, the company has gained the status of trusted techno-functional partner with the banks it is involved with. CARE Risk Solutions has emerged as an integral part of their technological ecosystem. “We are working to provide analytical solutions which will help The next five-year plan will be to firmly establish CARE Risk Solutions amongst the top three banking solution providers in South Asia, Africa and APAC in space of Risk Management, Analytics and financial compliance. 29 NOVEMBER 2020

32. UPDATING YOURSELF IS THE MOST CRUCIAL PART OF ANY BUSINESS ““ It is very important to constantly update oneself with the newest trends and platforms to keep up with innovation and competition. Staying prepared to take on new opportunities and challenges will keep one having an upper hand, especially in terms of AI and ML, analytics and making use of predictive technology. Therefore, the team of CARE Ratings Limited and CARE Risk Solutions have defined strategy of technology based on four pillars: Shiju Rawther Chief Information and Technology Officer CARE Ratings Limited The first pillar is the Zero Tolerance which has focus areas of engineering, scalability, and introducing new platforms. This ensures that the setup is built on robust foundations and can be scaled as per business growth. The second pillar is the Customer Experience. This tower focuses on innovations and implementing future technologies to enhance the experience of internal and external customer by delivering the services through superior technology. An Umbrella that Shelters The pandemic is making everyone overthink. Going forward, A. Shiju Rawther, Chief Information and Technology Officerof CARE Ratings Limited, plans to make CARE Ratings an extremely process driven, technology enabled, result oriented, client servicing focused organisation. Information Security is the third pillar in the roadmap. It is given key importance from the design, build and operation phase. This also includes that everything under technology comes under the compliance, get audited, governed by the GRC team, and is protected always. “This pandemic has taught us a lot of things which will now become a part of the new normal,” says Shiju. The importance of technology cannot be overstated. Making solutions and customer deliverables tech-dependent is the way forward. A sure shot way of achieving a lot in this space is by connecting with customers online and catering to their specific requests in line with their current needs. The pandemic has also taught everyone the need to engage with employees and to keep them motivated on an ongoing basis and help them to deliver to their best. The fourth pillar is the Orchestration. Orchestration is to bring in more orientation, synergy and automation. This year, the team is working on many automation projects along with building Data Lake platform. “We are working on the robotic process automation using cognitive services so that manual dependency reduces,” shares Shiju. Automation will also help CARE Risk Solutions and CARE Ratings Limited achieve cost reduction while providing better customer service. The pandemic has shown everyone how important it is to adapt to new ways. The ones who are well prepared for adaptions will have an edge over others. As CARE Ratings is a technologically driven company, it was able to leverage technological solutions to ensure the continuity of business. Going digital is the new normal and has become mainstream now. “It is technology which shall shape the mankind thus focus on AI/ML framework, next generation UI/UX is indispensable for envisioned and scalable ecosystems,” says Shiju. In a conclusive statement, Shiju says “I practise delegative leadership where it is necessary to allot work keeping in mind people’s strengths and abilities to scale up.” The most important task a leader must perform is delegation. Give people tasks and watch them tackle issues and find solutions. A strong leader who stands by the team and shields them in times of need and provides the right fodder for growth can bring out the best in people. 30 NOVEMBER 2020

34. Alternatives to Financing Shobhit Agarwal MD & CEO NEW FINANCING OPTIONS FOR SELF- REDEVELOPMENT - By Shobhit Agarwal, MD & CEO - ANAROCK Capital 32 NOVEMBER 2020

35. I n a bracing and timely new trend, progressive consultancies offering specialised services and financial assistance for the housing sector are beginning to make their mark on the Indian residential real estate landscape. on granting loans to developers, individual societies opting for self-redevelopment can still access finance via these companies. needed to be redeveloped with no further delay. In other words, the opportunities for such consultancies is on the rise. Apart from Government support, they are perhaps the most important link to successful self-redevelopment in cities like Mumbai. They radically empower housing societies to take charge of the redevelopment of their societies based on their preferences and needs, providing a 360-degree, streamlined redevelopment process. An increasing number of housing societies in ageing projects are considering of taking the self-redevelopment route. With the help of specialized services, these societies can not only avoid the risk of delays by developers but also access cheaper loan rates. A society opting for self-development can get a loan for relatively lower interest rates like 12.5%, as opposed to loans to developers which can attract interest rates in the region of 20%. For instance, many consultancies offer rental deposit loans to young professionals who prefer to rent rather than buy properties. Via these consultancies, they can secure loans to pay the security deposit which can equal up to 8-10 months’ rent advance. Unlike in personal loans, the principal payment is made directly to the landlord and returned to the consultancy when the lease agreement ends. The tenant pays interest through the lease tenure. Self-redevelopment of housing projects does not only give housing societies the assurance of time-bound, cost-controlled, and predictable results. It also brings down the cost of surplus apartments, as opposed to the price inflation which results when a developer with the sole objective of hefty profit margins is involved. In other words, housing societies which self-redevelop their premises can sell the resulting extra flats at lower and more competitive rates. In the past, the only real option for such housing societies was to entrust the entire redevelopment project to a developer. Today, self-development by housing societies has become a real possibility - and they can now avail of specialized support. However, an even more exciting service being offered these days is self-redevelopment funding and management. Firms that offer such services to housing societies are becoming very relevant in cities like Mumbai. Rather than involving a developer to carry out the redevelopment, housing societies can outsource the entire task to expert consultancies to both finance and manage the redevelopment process according to exact needs and specifications. We are likely to see more such consultancies entering the fray as the trend of self-redevelopment becomes more prevalent, especially with various state governments making policy changes to promote self-redevelopment. In fact, this new sector would bloom in all earnest if self-redevelopment projects are given more tax exemptions. Considering the various benefits such services bring to the table, a transparent and consolidated management fee - as opposed to the often-gargantuan cost and time overruns of an unplanned or mercenary approach to redevelopment - is indeed a price worth paying. Redevelopment needs to become an exact science, and the industry looks forward to more and more such specialized players coming to the fore to help increase competitiveness in pricing, and overall efficiency. The scope of services offered by such consultancies goes beyond just redesigning and construction and extends to handling the associated manpower management and paperwork, dealing with government agencies and even the sale of extra flats based on the FSI and TDR available to the housing society. The number of buildings that need to be redeveloped in the Island City is constantly rising. Just before the onset of monsoons this year, Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) identified more than 14,000 buildings within Mumbai as dilapidated structures which While banks and housing finance companies are currently not keen 33 NOVEMBER 2020

36. DAX BAMANIA FOUNDER & CEO 34 NOVEMBER 2020

38. ‘ ‘ I strongly believe that one of the most important traits that all leaders must possess is a passion to develop and maximize the potential of others. invoices and in behalf of these services they did charge a certain amount but I actually benefited us to maintain our cash-flow well. • In this competitive environment, it becomes very difficult to create a monopoly in the market. We also faced the same problem due to many competitors in the market in the initial stage. But we have built some unique strategy and technology that can differentiate us from other competitors. • Due to the rapid changes in technology, we must have to be regularly updated. Sometimes this has become a challenge for me but, now TIGI is ready to face new challenges and have the ability to overcome it. business. We must accept some changes and move on in our respective businesses. ‘ ‘ According to you, how important is it to be updated with novel technologies as per your industry sector? • Innovate to differentiate • Know your consumer • Continuously reinvent yourself • The right mindset - the habit of right thinking • The right strategy - the habit of right planning • The right action - the habit of right implementing Yes, it is very important to be updated with novel technologies in every sector. Automation and technology have been rapidly shifting the dynamic in every sector, and HR is no exception. Between 2011 to 2018 more than $50 billion were invested in artificial intelligence-related startups. And in the year 2020 alone $62.4 Billion is invested to bring the technological revolution. As a business leader, what is your opinion on the current landscape of business given the pandemic has been adversely affecting every industry? Like I said, TIGI always stays ahead in this game. We are going to undertake an automatic calling system which will communicate with their prospects and understand their requirements and later will send the data to the team to get it fulfilled. Chatbots and an automatic email system will soon be essential tools for our firm. How do you lead your company and it sustain in a competitive environment? This pandemic proves to us that audacity is the mother of invention. We invented work with the same efficiency from our home. We invented to stay strong in the worst environment. We invented many other things by staying together. Today’s business environment is very competitive. I strongly believe in one of the quotes by Stephen Hawking i.e. Intelligence is the ability to adapt the change. I firmly trust 3T's of business, which is Talent, Technology and Transformation. As well as presenting huge challenges for in-house HR professionals, the spread of Covid-19 is also seriously hampering the work HR consultants and interim professionals do. In HR consultants’ cases, all three dimensions of our businesses have already been impacted far more than by the uncertainty caused. And given the nature of our trade, the immediate impacts may have greater long-term consequences. What are your future objectives and where do you see yourself in near future? TIGI HR is organic, flexible, and ever evolving to allow changes in the environment. As being a leader, it is my job to foresee the problems and implement constant change and innovation time and time again. My objectives related to the future are as follows: • Currently, we own a few branches across India. But, in the coming future, I would like to see the number of branches of our company go on increasing. • TIGI HR owns a long-term goal to be in the Top 20 recruitment consultancy in India. • More focus on automation. When it comes to the use of innovative technology advances, artificial intelligence overshadows everyone. Soon, it will revolutionize our entire organization. Warriors and Great leaders believe in the change that can be changed. This pandemic has changed the graphs of our business. But now it is time to bounce back into the I would like to conclude this answer with my 3 + 3 rules to beat the competition: www.tigihr.com/ 36 NOVEMBER 2020

40. The Influential Business Leaders To Watch Devendra Kumar Bajaj CEO & Director 38 NOVEMBER 2020

41. DEVENDRA KUMAR BAJAJ An Accomplished Leader in the ITES Sector I n an interview with CIO Look India, D K Bajaj, the CEO and Director of D M Systems Pvt Ltd, briefs us about ITES landscape and how his company is working around creating a benchmark in the market. We always believe in long term sustain but increase our self-confidence. relationships which help us not only to Below are the highlights of the interview. offerings. Our main focused products are Sonicwall, Sophos, Fortinet, PaloAlto, BitDefender, Nutanix, Veeam BeyondSecurity etc. employees with continuous training and upskill the technologies, which helps them in developing better personality and confidence from time to time. Kindly take us through the journey of your company. D M Systems Pvt Ltd is in the industry for the last 21 years and focusing on Cyber Security Solutions. We initially started as a System Integrator and doing normal common SI projects. But in 2005, we decided to focus on Cyber Security and signed with Sonicwall as sub-distributor to promote the same in Delhi-NCR. What roadblocks or challenges did you face in your journey and how did you overcome them? This also brings in stability and sustainability. Our top management involve with the concerned team to discuss all the focused issues and try to solve them at the minimum time possible. We have gone through many ups and downs and could survive all through only because of continuous support from our partners, who always stood by us in all the situations. What are your future endeavors /objectives and where do you see yourself in the near future? This relationship become very successful and since then, many other products signed on the same note, including Sophos, Bit-Defender etc. We have extended our operations to Punjab and Jammu also. Another reason of our survival is focusing on existing customer base by selling multiple and upgrading security solutions. As already shared that we are extending our reach to other cities also in 2021 and increasing our portfolio also. How do you sustain your leadership spirit during difficult times and inspire your team? Our company has been recognized and awarded as Top 100 Premier company for the last 7 years by ChannelWorld, Best Gold Partner of the year and Enterprise Partner of the year in SAARC by Sonicwall, Best Security Partner by VarIndia, Super100, SUPER50, InfraSpecialist partner award by SME Channels, Best Security Partner of the year by Dell etc. We are extending our operation to other cities in 2021. We have recently tied up with Veeam for backup and replication, which complements our existing solution One of the recent tie-ups with Veeam (Backup & Replication) is one such an example. as We signed as a sub-distributor for North-India. In addition to the above we have also started Security Audit services. We are in process of signing couple of more products and hope to do better in 2021. www.dmsystems.in We always believe in long term relationship which helped us not only sustain but increased our self-confidence also. We maintain a very healthy and close relationship with our partners and customer, which helped us sustain long term and better business results. We also believe in upgrading our 39 NOVEMBER 2020

46. Suraj CHANGING PERSPECTIVES, ONE LANDSCAPE AT A TIME L of every working individual. eadership skills, in today’s cutthroat world, have become a quintessential part effective. Two, I think leadership means you put people in the right place at the right time. It is tough, but when you help someone find their ‘groove’ and you let them stay there, they excel. Third, leadership means you trust and respect those that you work with. If you do not trust someone (or at least give them a shot), there is no way they can be a productive part of your team.” maintaining a well-balanced relationship with the environment and have sharpened their skills to attain the highest level of workmanship. “We rely on the policy of giving back more than we take from nature,” says the team. To ascend the stairs of professional success, one must possess and exhibit these skills at every opportunity available. Not only does one attain professional success, but also, he/she relishes the fruits of professional relationships ripened through their impactful leadership. The team also takes pride in serving Residential and Commercial Landscaping where it ‘Designs and Executes’ Hotels, Resorts, Hospitals, Educational Institutions, Public Parks, MNC’s and Private Residences. A Benchmark of Quality This edition, The Influential Business Leaders to Watch, highlights such efficient leaders who strive ceaselessly to make a significant impact through their proficient leadership skills. Suraj and his team at Ecoscapes take pride in their range of offerings and their expertise in delivering them. “At Ecoscapes, we dream about landscaping with our eyes wide open. Honestly, with each passing morning we all miss a breath of fresh air owing to our concrete jungles. Our company completely understands you when it comes to the longing of surplus greenery around us. Hence, we pledge to put all our efforts in designing the landscapes and deliver promising results,” Suraj expresses. “At Ecoscapes, our team of dedicated staff is highly experienced at all levels of landscape designing and landscape maintenance. When it comes to project execution, we have accomplished in building a reputation for attention to detail, prospering consumer satisfaction and flexible scheduling,” Suraj asserts. One such recognized business leader is Suraj Nayak, the Founder and ManagingDirector at EcoscapesLandscaping Private Limited. When asked about his definition of leadership, Suraj says, “Leadership means a few different things. One, I think it means you bring others around you up. Great leaders have a way of supporting others and making them more productive and Overcoming Challenges The path of a business leader in laden with adversities and roadblocks. Talking about his own share of challenges, Suraj says, “The The team at Ecoscapes always vows to offer their clients with best quality service. It prioritizes in 44 NOVEMBER 2020

47. Suraj Nayak Founder & Managing Director 45 NOVEMBER 2020

48. major challenge for me was that I come from a family background where people are either in the government jobs or are engineers. My family never understood business as a concept. It was very difficult to make my parents understand and realize that I can do business. In my early days, friends and relatives never took me seriously or supported me, they rather made negative statements that I was not doing the right thing. But if I must be very precise, the most difficult challenge was that people never valued landscaping and gaining that trust of building a business out was a real challenge.” passion brings me happiness which is my major driving force to outperform every time.” Emphasizing on his passion for preserving and caring for nature, Suraj asserts, “At Ecoscapes, we care about a healthy future. We take pride in serving residential and commercial developers, including health care providers, educational institutions, parks, and private residences in Bangalore.” ‘ ‘ We convert every single challenge into an opportunity and eventually a success through constant and ceaseless efforts Sustaining Excellence To scale one’s business to the heights of its glory is every entrepreneur’s unwavering ambition. Suraj possesses the same drive and commitment towards taking Ecoscapes to zeniths of success. When asked about his Ecoscapes has built an unflinching reputation for themselves, through their attention to details, flexibility, and their commitment towards ceaseless customer satisfaction. These attributes have earned the company a diverse clientele that includes renowned companies like Aditya Birla Group, Sobha Group, and Marriott Group. ‘ ‘ way of achieving this success, he says, “Be it constructing a memorial park in the heart of the city, landscaping a residential project, or creating an aesthetic garden in a tiny balcony, every project comes with its own challenges. It can be technical, weather, temperature, or the combination of all them. For instance, the people with a very less amount of sunlight in their residence would still aspire having a garden. We never disappoint them. We always come up with sustainable alternatives like Zen garden and suggest plants that do not require much sunlight. We never disappoint a customer who approaches us even with a sea of expectations. We convert every single challenge into an opportunity and eventually a success through constant and ceaseless efforts.” In the years to come, Suraj, through Ecoscapes, aims to revolutionize the industry. “Most of the products used in this niche industry are im-ported from countries like Singapore and Germany. This makes the costs skyrocket. We want to make our landscaping services more affordable to the customers by locally manufacturing these products,” says Suraj. “The biggest stereotype that I had to overcome was getting into the landscaping business or taking it as an entrepreneurial career for myself. Landscaping was always considered as a hobby and not business. I always knew and believed that there is future if I continued my work and I never stopped hustling,” he adds. Suraj also plans to expand Ecoscapes from Bangalore to other cities soon. He also intends on spreading awareness about the importance of living amidst nature’s shelter and comfort. www.ecoscapes.in Every business leader needs immense motivation to overcome such tedious challenges. Speaking about his source of motivation, Suraj expresses, “The biggest thing that motivates me to outperform is that I have chosen a profession which is also my passion. Every day when I wake up in the morning, the first thing that I do is to water the plants in my garden and somewhere this Driving towards a Green Future Ecoscapes, Suraj, and the team have moulded their expertise and offerings to cater to the changing needs of their customers. 46 NOVEMBER 2020