interview, IT sector, organic growth, technology, software, Arun Nathani, Pune, Sunil Pradhan, Sakal Times
With 23 years of strong presence in IT consulting, relying on organic growth and delivering scientific value to its customers, Arun Nathani, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Cybage Software Private Limited, an IT company with headquarter in Pune, talks to Sunil Pradhan about the company’s value system and DecisionMines, a scientific, data-driven framework to help organisations uncover the value hidden beneath massive layers of data. Cybage is also known for its two corporate social responsibility wings - CybageAsha and CybageKhushboo.
- Cybage has been catering efficiently to global clients for more than two decades, can you highlight how Cybage is different from others?
We are a technology driven company and not a business-driven one like others. We feel business savvy is not as strong as being techno-savvy. What makes Cybage different is that right from our inception, we are catering to technology companies, which have given us an edge over other companies. We differentiate ourselves by what we do and how we do. We are native in digital when others are migrant. In terms of how we do it - we use data science, machine learning and scientific approach.
We transformed ourselves digitally long back and run our operations efficiently, which makes us capable enough to give value to our customers. Currently, we are catering to over 200 customers, with over 80 per cent of business coming from North America, 10 per cent from Europe and rest 10 per cent for rest of the world with India contributing to less than one per cent of our business.
- Cybage has been associated with delivering value scientifically with its decision-making platform DecisionMines, so how does it work?
We were working on DecisionMines for about 15 years. We were using the platform ourselves with a team of 150 people and after we found it to be successful, we thought of monetising it and sharing it with our clients. DecisionMines is about using data for better decision-making. Its algorithms and decision-making process minimise risks, thereby delivering a measurable ROI to the clients. It uses data-driven framework that leverages machine learning and predictive analytics and empowers business leaders to make informed decisions. Imagine if an enterprise is aware of a customer it is about to lose, also if a company is aware about a manager favouring an employee for his appraisals. These patterns can be recorded using data and this is where DecisionMines can help the clients.
- What domains are you targeting for DecisionMines?
Currently, we are focussed on the capital market, travel industry, retail, sports and insurance.
- You have been in the field for 23 years, what principles have you stuck to towards your success journey?
I feel Cybage’s story is the best success story. We were always focussed on doing things right. Once you do things right, you need not worry about anything. We chose to deliver value to our customers. While we grew, we chose to optimise ourselves, be efficient and be a system driven company. We became more organised and we chose to deliver excellence which made us strong in the field.
- How would you like to design the future of Cybage?
We want to grow in providing digital solutions at the enterprise level. Also, we feel there is an untapped gap between consulting company and the executing companies and Cybage has hit the right chord by keeping a balance between the two. With our scale and strength, we feel we are at a sweet spot. We have invested heavily in our centre of excellence and technology and we feel now is the correct time to encash it.
- What do you think of the Indian IT industry?
In my opinion, Indian IT industry is in a strong position. Earlier, in the first phase till 2002, everyone would get business, no matter if were are big or small. After 2002, the number of companies increased, the big became bigger and we all looked similar. This was the time when we chose to become more organised and system driven. This was the time when cost came into the picture and offshore development grew. This was also the testing time, which has now made India strong. We do a lot many things better than our counterparts in North America. Currently, we are in the third phase. As Cybage is catering to many technology companies, we have to design and test our products in the best possible way, as now the products have massive scalability. This makes us strong and gives us edge in the market.
- Many a times, a client is not happy with a vendor, how do you look at it?
Invariably, it is bound to happen. We work with different people all the time. Some clients are focussed on quality, some on time. Some would require better technology and some would require a better process. All we need to do is build the best possible team, which meets everyone’s expectations. If you do not lose clients, it means you are offering him too much and running into losses. So you need to strike the right balance and do the right thing.
