Page 5 - CIOs Edition June 2021

Achievements &
contributions as a Leader
I started my career with Tata Unisys
and worked there in low-code
development. After a three year
stint, I got an opportunity to join
Spice Telecom as a billing
manager. While there, I built one of
India's first billing system and also
many applications. I joined Airtel
after that as head of IT for the
Punjab circle and that's where my
career in terms of leadership
actually started. I was later given
Haryana, Himachal Pradesh,
Rajasthan and Jammu & Kashmir
circles and was made the Northern
hub CIO, before finally attaining the
role of CIO for enterprise business.
From telecom I made a shift to
retail when I was made the CIO at
Bharti Retail.
When Bharti signed a deal with
Walmart to form an Indian joint
venture - Bharti Walmart, I was
moved from Bharti retail roles to
Walmart roles, which allowed me
to become the CIO for Walmart. I
took care of three businesses -
Walmart India, Bharti Walmart and
Bharti Retail and started putting up
Easy Day and Best Price stores
across the country. Again, when -
June 2021
Airtel had bought the licenses for 17 That was a biggest challenge I
African countries from Zain faced from a cultural standpoint -
Telecom, I was immediately asked to win the trust from the team and
to take on the role of Group CIO for t o b e a b l e t o d e m o n s t r a t e
Airtel Africa to set the IT system leadership. But these challenges
there. I shifted gear to FMCG when I actually helped me in broadening
joined Hindustan Coca-Cola my leadership skills.
Beverages as the CIO for Southeast IT deployment close to heart
Asia and then finally moved to
Adani Group, which was again a A project which has made a
diversified area for me. significant big difference for me
was the implementation of Airtel
I build the vision, digital strategy, IT Money in Africa. Airtel Money was
initiatives and leadership across d o n e i n I n d i a a f t e r i t w a s
various sectors including Logistics, implemented in Africa. Likewise, the
Ports, Utilities, Manufacturing, Salesforce automation project
Airports, etc for the conglomerate. which I had done for Coca Cola is
Biggest Challenge faced another huge project, because it
was not only to get the business
Africa is a vast continent and all the done, but it also changed the lives
50 countries are different. For the 17 of employees who were 'feet on
countries that I handled, we used to street'. This project was done on a
b r e a k t h e m i n t o t w o p a r t s massive scale for India, Nepal, Sri
Francophones and Anglophones; Lanka, Bangladesh markets.
Francophones are the countries 2021's Top 3 technologies
where French was spoken, and Shift to cloud, Investments
happening around data science,
Anglophones are the countries
where the people speak English. I data analytics (which is AI & ML)
didn't know French and I was given and cyber security.
the charge in that region to be
leading as an Indian.