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 A
veteran in the IT industry, Shakti Sagar has always believed
in doing things differently. He tells Venkat Pulapaka why
he considers himself to be a facilitator in his organisation, and
not the big boss
Shakti
Sagar knows how to convert the challenges of life into opportunities
for the growth of his organisation and associates. The managing
director of ADP Wilco India (a fully-owned subsidiary of the $7
billion Automatic Data Processing Inc), and a member of the Global
Excom of Wilco, Sagar is also president of the Hyderabad Software
Exporters Association (HySEA).
After
graduating with honours from Bombay University in 1976, he joined
Microcomp’s Office Automation division as a marketing executive.
Fresh out of college, he had minimal knowledge of the equipment
that was being manufactured and marketed by Microcomp (then the
parent company of HCL). However, he was determined to make it big.
With loads of self-confidence and determination, coupled with commitment
and positive thinking, Sagar worked smartly and soon rose to head
direct institutional sales for the Western region. What helped him
grow was his commitment to his company and his ability to connect
with his clients easily.
During
the seventies, computers were yet to impact the Indian market, and
it was calculators that were expensive and wowed consumers. Sagar
cashed in on the fact that he could play a major role in revolutionising
the calculator market in India.
After
working for four years with Microcomp, Sagar joined Microsense Computers
in 1980, as a regional manager. From commerce to marketing of efficiency
equipment to marketing of computers, Sagar’s transition to
information technology
was
smooth but challenging. Microsense was the first joint venture of
ANRICH (Andhra Pradesh Non-Resident Inves-tment Corporation). As
he gained in confidence as a marketing man who understood the needs
of his customers, he gained the trust of his management. In recognition
of his exemplary service, Microsense moved him to his hometown Hyderabad,
the company’s headquarters, as product manager in 1983.
Sagar
was involved in the launch of the first IBM PC compatible computer
system in the Indian market. This was a major challenge because,
besides his product management responsibilities, he was also responsible
for the purchase and maintenance of systems in the company. His
ability to adapt to new environments and learn new skills helped
him immensely.
It
was during his productive stint with Microsense that Sagar met four
other like-minded professionals who have stood together all these
years, advocating and implementing common values. The four professionals,
who are today part of the management at ADP Wilco in Hyderabad,
include A Tyagarajan who heads finance and HR; V Laxikant, who heads
BPO, ADP and Systems; S Ganeshan, who is the director for quality
assurance and client service; and, B Balaji, the director for products
and production. Says Sagar, “We may be different persons, but
we honour the same values. This is the key for any relationship
to last.”
This
unity, and Sagar’s rich and varied experience, motivated the
five colleagues to branch out on their own and make it big in a
challenging field. Thus was born the first IT business consultancy
in Hyderabad. Sagar and his friends established the consultancy
firm, Caray Infoware Systems in 1986, with a small capital and backed
by loads of confidence.
Within
a short span of time, the consultancy bagged two major orders—one
from CMC and the other from Intergraph Corporation, USA. In 1987,
Intergraph was the first multinational company that was planning
to start operations in India by setting up a 100 percent EOU software
development centre in Hyderabad. Sagar and his associates played
a major role in Intergraph, establishing its centre in Hyderabad.
During the eighties and early nineties , IT was still an unfamiliar
industry for the Andhra Pradesh government. And thanks to the innumerable
rules and licences, setting up a software development centre in
Hyderabad seemed next to impossible. But Sagar and his friends overcame
every hurdle and ensured that Intergraph successfully opened its
centre in a short span of time.
His
association with Intergraph India Software took an interesting turn
in 1987, when looking at his go-getting leadership qualities, Intergraph
Corporation offered him a position on the board of its India operations.
The team of five dissolved their company Caray Infoware Systems,
and became a part of Intergraph India Software. Sagar joined as
the head of Intergraph India. The success of the company encouraged
other American organisations to set up operations in Hyderabad.
After
nine long years with Intergraph India, Sagar’s career took
another challenging turn. D E Shaw & Co of USA (an investment
bank) was keen to set up its offshore operations in Hyderabad. In
1996, Sagar was instrumental in establishing D E Shaw India Software
Private Limited, a subsidiary of D E Shaw & Co, and became the
company’s managing director. His four friends also joined him
in different capacities.
During
all these years, Sagar honed his HR skills. At D E Shaw, he advocated
a culture of openness in the office. He strongly believes that the
office ambience plays a vital role because it gives employees a
sense of pride, shows the company’s commitment to its people
and a better work environment definitely enhances productivity.
And the office environment at D E Shaw reflected just that—a
dynamic, creative organisation with an open and informal culture.
This bridged the gulf between the management and the employees and
motivated the staff to excel in their functions.
This
open and informal culture stood in good stead when the company suffered
a major setback in 1999, with the collapse of the Russian economy.
D E Shaw’s future was at the crossroads. The parent company
was seriously considering either selling or downsizing its Hyderabad
operations. ADP Wilco offered to take over D E Shaw’s Hyderabad
centre. After prolonged discussions, D E Shaw agreed to sell a part
of its software solutions division to ADP Wilco, but was afraid
to lose its skilled staff. A feeling of uncertainty engulfed the
employees and they were afraid of losing their jobs.
“Building
confidence in your associates is a big challenge in today’s
knowledge-based IT industry,” says Sagar. He stepped in to
sustain confidence levels among the employees. He requested the
management at D E Shaw to be open with the employees about the sell-off
and give them a choice to either stay back or join the new company
being formed. Some of the employees switched over, while many stayed
back. Thus Sagar was successful in tackling a major HR challenge.
After
this success, Sagar, along with his friends and some of the D E
Shaw associates set up the Hyderabad development centre for ADP
Wilco. He continued to introduce innovative HR initiatives at ADP
Wilco too, such as an open and creative office culture. One interesting
concept that he introduced at ADP Wilco is that of rotating jobs
at the top. All the five directors, including Sagar, regularly rotate
their assignments. The idea is that every director gets enough opportunity
and exposure to all the functions of the organisation. This would
help in the seamless functioning of the organisation on a day-to-day
basis and facilitation of the decision-making process.
Says
Sagar, “If a person has the will, a positive attitude and self-confidence,
and he has an exposure to all the segments of an organisation, he
can create many milestones in his career. And with the support of
committed associates any person can reach the pinnacle of success.”
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