League of Innovators 2022 ciolookindia.pdf

I N D I A
LLC
Your B2B Brand Accelerator
Jason Gladu
President
TechnOvate
Future Media Industry
of the Metaverse
VOL 04
ISSUE 01
2022
New League
Changing Dimensions of
Industry 4.0 Innovations

Editor's Note
A SAGA OF THE PIONEERING
LEADERSHIP SPIRITS
The evolu onary process is very simple. Nature
records living organisms’ responses to the changing
environmental scenarios surrounding that organism. It
is stored in the cells in the form of genes.
Taking those genes, a fundamental survival and
reproductory framework is created. Genera on a er
genera on, every organism then operates, survives and
reproduces according to that pre-established
framework.
This process con nues if the surrounding environment
remains unchanged. How can it happen when change
is the only constant? Change keeps happing, and the
organism keeps adjus ng itself to that change, again
keeping a record of everything in the RNA or DNA at
the gene c level.
However, when an avalanche of changes occurs, giving
the organism li le me for adjustment, chaos erupts.
The simplest mechanism of natural selec on termed
‘survival of the fi est’ kicks in. It naturally selects only
those who are fi est to survive.
Nature further inves gates into it and finds that those
organisms who challenged the established framework
and kept themselves changing even when that change
was not needed are the ones from the fi est category.
Nature calls them innovators. We, as species homo
sapiens, survived, thrived, formed and advanced our
civiliza on because of the fi est spirits of such leagues
of innovators, genera on over genera on, challenging
the established status quo and always asking ques ons
to themselves and finding out innova ve answers and
solu ons to the many and all human problems.
Underlying innova on is their nature. An innova ve
approach is their frame of reference. They look at
challenges as opportuni es, problems as chances to
prove their worth, and crises as possibili es to explore
their shortcomings and correct themselves so that they
can seek their ul mate goal, improvisa on. These
noble spirits and innova ve minds are the torchbearers
of our collec ve genius. They will lead us in the race to
the future—humankind in the race of survival of the
most innova ve minds.
CIOLOOK India’s exclusive edi on tled ‘League of
Innovators – 2022’ brings you gems of such pioneering
leadership spirits and their stories to reassure you that
our future is safe in their awe-inspiring acumen.
You can further quench your curious mind’s thirst by
reading two crisp and trendy ar cles wri en by our in-
house editorial team.
So, don’t you wait. Just read, learn, and innovate!
Abhishek Joshi
Deputy Editor
abhishek.joshi@insightssuccess.com

Dr C. S S Bharathy,
Founder
Jason Gladu,
President
Punit Rastogi,
MD
Muthoot FinCorp Ltd., the flagship company of Muthoot
Pappachan Group, is one of the largest NBFCs in India,
registered with the Reserve Bank of India.
Fusion VR is India's leading Customer Focused VR, AR
and Industry 4.0 solutions company that is focused on
helping businesses in their Digital-Transformation.
Avani Media is a B2B Marketing and Advertising
Agency based in Nashville, Tn.
Harish Kohli,
President & MD
Acer Inc is a Taiwanese multinational hardware and electronics
corporation specializing in advanced electronics technology.
Solutions India System Pvt Ltd – (SISPL) is an Audio-Visual
solutions and system integration Company, for turnkey
greenfield projects.
Sadaf Sayeed,
CEO
Brief
Company Name
Avani Media
Solutions India
Systems Mumbai
Muthoot Microfin
Ltd
Fusion VR Chennai
Acer India
Bangalore
Featuring

C
O
V
E
R
S
T
O
R
Y
08
LLC

c
o
n
t
e
n
t
Acer India
Connecting People and Technology
16
Fusion VR
Bringing Forth Indian Industrial
Revolution Via Enterprise Metaverse
Muthoot Microfin Ltd
Micro-Financing Indian Dream
for a Better Future
Solutions India Systems
Delivering Top-Class Unified AV
Communications to The World of Business
24
28
36
Articles
20 32
TechnOvate
Future Media Industry
of the Metaverse
New League
Changing Dimensions of
Industry 4.0 Innovations

CONTENT
DESIGN
Visualizer Sandeep Tikode
Art & Design Director Rashmi Singh
Associate Designer Revati Badkas
SALES
Operations Head Megha Mishra
Assistant Manager Tejaswini Whaval
Sr. BDE Suraj Gadekar
Business Development Executive Meera Patel
TECHNICAL
Technical Head Aditya K.
Technical Consultant Tanaji
APRIL, 2022
Copyright © 2022 CIOLOOK
India, 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
India. Reprint rights remain
solely with CIOLOOK India.
FOLLOW US ON
www.twitter.com/ciolookindia
www.facebook.com/ciolookindia/
WE ARE ALSO AVAILABLE ON
Email
sales@ciolookindia.com
For Subscription
www.ciolookindia.com
CONTACT US ON
Pooja M. Bansal
Editor-in-Chief
sales@ciolookindia.com
I N D I A
SME-SMO
Research Analyst Amol Wadekar
SEO Executive Sujay Bhavsar
Abhishek Joshi
Gaurav PR Wankhade
Deputy Editor

C
o
v
e
r
S
t
o
r
y
Jason Gladu
President

Our USP is our people, our ability to understand
the industry, and our proprietary database of
B2B publishers worldwide
LLC

To thrive in today’s digital arena, every brand needs
an accelerator that helps it navigate the
complexities of outbound marketing and generate
high-impact demand.
Avani Media LLC, a B2B marketing and advertising
agency based in Nashville, Tennessee, is that accelerator.
Its tight-knit team of experts specialise in demand and lead
generation; it focuses on planning, managing, and executing
marketing programs that transform its customers’
businesses.
With deep roots in content syndication and outbound
marketing, the company works with brands and venture
capital firms of all shapes and sizes to accelerate their
outbound marketing and drive new customers. It always
aims to do things a little differently.
Rising Faith, Scaling Mountains
Avani Media was founded in 2007 as a publisher’s rep firm
representing publishers based in Europe who wanted to sell
media to the United States. In 2019/2020, the firm pivoted
to becoming a demand gen agency that focuses primarily on
B2B technology companies largely driven by customer
requests.
The clients loved the campaign management and insights
they were receiving from Avani Media. They were
increasingly asking the company to expand its service
offerings. It was their client’s faith that pushed Avani Media
to move and grow in this new direction.
From NVIDIA, Sage, Khoros to LogMeIn, the Avani Media
team has created complex, multi-vendor demand generation
programs for some of the best brands around.
“We’ve been lucky enough to collaborate with and plan
programs for a broad range of industries including fintech,
automotive, healthcare, physical security, and artificial
intelligence,” says Jason Gladu, the President of Avani
Media.
An operator by nature, Jason has played a pivotal role in
taking the company to where it is today. Prior to his current
role at Avani Media, Jason built and scaled Spiceworks’
lead generation business and moved to Ziff Davis to run
their B2B partnerships.
In addition to running Avani Media, Jason also speaks on
podcasts and at conferences, usually on demand and lead
generation, and invests in commercial real estate - but, if he
had it his way, it might be more about wine, whiskey, or
soccer – ideally Liverpool Football Club.
Jason mentions that for all of Avani’s clients, the company
stays on top of the latest trends in B2B marketing, be it
developing relationships with new publishers or leveraging
previously unavailable data. Its job is to constantly innovate
and accelerate outcomes by refining programs and
executing tailor-made solutions. Its proprietary technology
and dedicated client success team allow the company to sift
through leads to deliver unparalleled quality assurance.
An Inspirational Compass
When asked Jason about his inspiration to venture into the
advertising industry, he said that he had always enjoyed
advertising - and Lead Gen was more or less an accident.
He was introduced to demand gen at Mindshare, where he
worked on the SAP account.
Avani Media has collaborated with and planned
programs for a broad range of industries
including fintech, automotive, healthcare,
physical security, and artificial intelligence
League of Innovators - 2022

From there, he moved to Spiceworks. There, he ran multi-
channel demand gen programs for some of the largest
advertisers in the B2B space, such as Microsoft and Dell,
and also built the lead gen product line, which encompassed
everything from product management to building an intent
model and a delivery and campaign management team.
The biggest draw to running the lead gen business at
Spiceworks was being able to run a business unit that grew
from under $1M annually to north of $20M in a short span
of time.
Surmounting the Challenges
Jason believes that the media and demand gen agency space
is very crowded. You've got very large holding companies
that do billions of dollars a year of revenue, and then you've
got a more recent push where brands are moving to more
independent and smaller agencies.
There was no shortage of competition when Jason made
this jump in 2020. He knew that based on Avani’s history of
knowing how the lead gen and international media space, it
could provide additional value to its customers and help
them accelerate their growth.
Team-work is the Key
The quality of work is only as good as that of the team
behind it. With decades of combined experience in the
demand and lead generation space, Jason states that his
team strategises and develops top-notch services and
programs.
From complex, global media buys to lead generation
programs spanning six continents, the team at Avani Media
continues to increase its value to its clients, resulting in
long-lasting, fruitful relationships.
While defining Avani Media’s uniqueness, Jason puts,“Our
USP is our people, our ability to understand the industry,
and our proprietary database of B2B publishers worldwide
which contains the audiences they cater to, the media they
offer, and how they perform for current and past clients.
Our team comprises folks who show up and want to help
our clients succeed and want our clients to feel like we're
an extension of the team rather than just an agency or a
vendor. No request from our clients is too small or too big
of a burden because, at the end of the day, our job is to
make their lives easier, save them money and time, and
ultimately drive growth for their brand.
So when you combine the passion that our people have for
helping our customers, our unique database of hundreds of
B2B media publishers worldwide, and our team, we are
able to plan and execute more efficiently. Those three things
are what contribute to our growth and the growth of our
customers.”
Success, A Journey of Relationships
Talking about the core values, Jason states that the people at
Avani Media operate with below key values in mind:
• Being Agile
• Treating everyone with respect
• Being Transparent
• Putting people first
• Going the extra mile
These five values are reflected in everything Avani Media
does. These values allow the company to get programs into
the market very quickly as it focuses on ensuring that it has
great relationships with its clients, the vendors who are
important to execute programs for its customers, and its
people who need to be in an environment that allows them
to be fresh, be themselves and operate at the highest level
for its clients.
We understand that the B2B marketing and
technology world moves very quickly, and we
are here to ensure our clients feel supported
every step of the way

Jason notes, “We understand that the B2B marketing and
technology world moves very quickly, and we are here to
ensure our clients feel supported every step of the way.”
The Future Digital Navigator
Jason firmly believes that the digital advertising landscape
only intensified during the pandemic, and he doesn’t see
that slowing down in the near future.
Talking about the roadmap ahead for Avani Media, Jason
marks, “We are scaling up our team and spaces to meet the
needs of our clients, which entails ensuring we have enough
coverage in all of the timezones our clients operate in,
building out a new office to ensure we have a space where
clients can meet when they are in Nashville, and building
out unique specialities to ensure our clients can take
advantage of the increasingly complex digital media
landscape.”
Valuable Wisdom
In his advice to the budding aspirants, Jason states, “Your
career path will not be linear, and you're in control of your
career path. It is imperative that you take control of your
growth and career path. Lean in and go solve problems for
the business.
Don't be complacent, and don't wait for your business, boss
or the world to hand you something. If you can find
problems that need to be solved in the business (and you are
already doing a great job in your current role), solve
them!”
He concludes, “You'll become invaluable to not only your
current business but also to other businesses in the future. If
you're going to start your own business, you’ll certainly
need the mindset of being able to solve multiple problems
while keeping the business moving forward.”
We are scaling up our team and spaces to
meet the needs of our clients

16 | April 2022 | www.ciolookindia.com

Future
Media Industry
of The
Metaverse
elieve it or not, we are already into the future.
BBecause of a futuristic conception of an
entertainment event based not on physical but
virtual reality. Where instead of real people, a huge crowd
of 3D avatars cheering and jeering has already happened.
It all began when Travis Scott held his virtual concert in
April 2020 in the immersive surroundings of Fortnite,
where an audience of over twelve million was playing. K-
pop group BTS followed it at the same virtual venue by
debuting in September 2021 with their new single.
Although the trend began, thanks to the COVID-19
pandemic restrictions on physical gatherings, metaverse as
virtual reality was already in enthusiastic tech companies'
fancy. As the industry has started its foray into the
metaverse realm, extended reality – XR – entertainment
brings in renewed momentum.
Instead of being standalone events like a VR app service or
even a live webinar, our future media and entertainment
experience in the metaverse is going to be beyond our
imagination.
It will be a universe converged of interoperable virtual
spaces in which users from all around the globe,
irrespective of their physical location, will have a choice. A
choice of multiple kinds of entertainment venues, services,
and events as they liked and preferred.
The Future is Here:
Metaverse media and entertainment is going to be truly
futuristic. The metaverse can be defined as a unified virtual
space integrating multiple extended realities – including
augmented, virtual, and mixed realities – into single,
inseparable, and interoperable localities that multiple users
access.
In science-fiction language, the metaverse reflects our
physical reality into a stunning verisimilitude amplified by
advanced conveniences, content projection, teleportation,
infinite appearance personification, and customisation. This
surreal reality will be based on technologies like advanced
Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI),
Augmented Reality (AR), big data management,
blockchain, cloud computing, and mixed and virtual reality.
It will enable users to perceive, sense, and intermingle in
virtual reality with other metaphysical entities just like they
are real.

TechnOvate

The metaverse can be seen as a highly seducing and
entertaining experience in its early sensations. Because the
very fact that users could escape their physical reality and
engage with familiar-yet-unfamiliar surroundings is beyond
sensational.
Media Psychology of Virtual Engagement:
The human brain as hardware and its operating system
called the mind is a truly extraordinary creation of natural
evolution. Some facets of it are amazingly bamboozling
even for the scientists. One such aspect is a phenomenon
called psychovisualisation, or a fact that the human brain –
including its mind – cannot distinguish between actual and
virtual realities. That is because our sensory perception and
consciousness lead us all the time to suspend our disbelief
and accept the virtual/visual as 'real' although we know
otherwise.
This is why watching a genuinely immersive movie in a
theatre; we forget that we are sitting in a chair but feel like
we are a part of that on-the-screen story. Now imagine that
we are watching a movie not in 3D but inside the virtual
reality of the metaverse, where we as an avatar can move
around in that imaginary world, believing it to be real.
Are you getting why the media and entertainment industry
are so excited about the metaverse? That is because such
key phenomena – like psychovisualisation – of media
psychology explain perfectly why we are so hoping for the
metaverse to succeed.
Another such phenomenon called synesthetic describes how
a deep cumulative impact could be created with multiple
sensory experiences. Media psychology also explains the
science behind our emotional attachments, habit-forming
through self-influencing behaviour, and the capacity of
emotions to influence our brain, mind, and behaviours.
These factors altogether affect how we intermingle with
digital and virtual entities and why we are always eager and
excited to do so.
A Global Survey of DFC Intelligence, in 2021, revealed
that not only amongst teens and adults, content streaming is
hugely popular – 96% – but also that if it is possible, then
84% of the audience are ready to virtually interact with the
content. What is more, half of them (50%) are ready to pay
for these experiences.
Practical Cases of Metaverse:
As the media and entertainment industry explores
practicalities within the metaverse realm, three possible
scenarios are to consider.
Metaversal Concerts:
The leading artists have already established and exploited
the idea of virtual concerts, showcasing its effectiveness
even during the pandemic. So, if media and entertainment
providers could imagine and conceptualize future VR
concerts similar to those organized in the last two years by
leading artists like BTS, Dragons, Muse, Post Malone,
Travis Scott, and other contemporary artists.
Then similar to real life, the metaverse will become a
successful platform where multiple artists can perform, and
everybody wins. Since it will ensure flexibility and greater
visibility for the user, and greater guaranteed reach for
artists.
Metaversal Theme Parks:
Theme Parks are always a rage amongst the hardcore fans.
Since the pandemic, they too struggled like every other
industry. However, come metaverse, and such theme and
amusements parks are prime candidates for XR.
Because building them in physical reality is very costly
compared to extended reality, where they could be created
and executed efficiently and safely. Similarly, physical
parks have limitations of localities, as visitors from long
distances must travel to that place, which is still difficult
during the restricted times. However, XR parks have no
such limitations. Global visitors can visit them without
moving out of their homely comforts. The metaverse
defying physical laws could also enable complex parks to
give easy access to international visitors while rapidly
innovating without extra costs. How Amazing!
Virtual Sports and Competitive Tournaments:
VR Sports, competitive tournaments and betting would be
an incredibly futuristic and monetarily profitable
phenomenon in the Metaversal media and entertainment
business.
VR would allow global players to participate in erasing
physical boundaries and enable betters to make better
decisions by observing the game closely.
In other words, the metaverse phenomena fulfil the basic
human psychological desire of socializing by finding
commonalities, connecting and having shared experiences.
As a result, the future of the media and entertainment
industry is extended into the metaverse.
- Gaurav PR Wankhade

The disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic
has forced the Indian (and global) industry to adopt
fast, disruptive technologies coming under the
umbrella of extended reality (XR). The globe's
technological and social media giants have already
immersed themselves into this eminent virtual reality (VR).
The hesitancy on the part of India Inc. is due to their
profoundly conservative attitude and age-old traditional
business mindset. Dr CSS Bharathy, Certified Industry 4.0
Professional and the Founder and CTO, has taken a
pledge to replace that hesitancy by infusing his positive
attitude, caring nature and visionary leadership style
reflected in his futuristic mission called Fusion VR.
In an interview with CIOLOOK INDIA for its ‘2022
League of Innovators,’ Dr Bharathy is compellingly
detailing his very promising plan, demonstrating the reality-
altering future scenarios of this alternate reality.
Highlights of the discussion are produced below so that you
can enthral yourself by going beyond your imagination.
Describe your professional journey.
My professional journey began as a humble plant operator
in the petrochemical industry twenty-seven years ago. Such
a beginning has made me appreciate the struggles and the
meaningful contributions of people at every level of an
organisation. I had the opportunity to work in India and
Singapore and gain expertise in plant operations.
My passion for multimedia and a creative drive motivated
me immensely, and I became the first Adobe certified video
specialist in Southeast Asia. I have been closely associated
with the Panasonic SEA core team and worked on the
celluloid to digital film making production pipeline design
in 2004.
I have trained innumerable professionals with my expertise
during my teaching stint in Singapore. I became an
entrepreneur and succeeded in multimedia training and
stereoscopic imaging, and in the process, I helped many
people achieve their dream careers in multimedia.
With a doctorate in Stereoscopic 3D and a team of
engineers, technologists, and creative professionals, I
founded Fusion VR, becoming one of the very first to
commercially launch a VR experience, ImmeX Zone, for
the general public. I helped develop indigenous VR-HMD
and a simulation chair integrated with dynamic haptic and
effects for experiencing VR in 2014.
We have developed the technological and domain
experience to provide many Industry 4.0 solutions in the
areas of VR, AR, MR, and digital twins. We have
successfully developed VR training modules for local and
international clients. We have developed a proprietary XR
platform to deliver top-notch solutions to customers with
compressed development timelines.
I’m a keynote speaker at industry conferences and
seminars, in addition to being recognised by Forbes and
Fortune magazines for technological leadership. I’m also
actively contributing to the Government of India in the
framing of the new XR policies for the nation.
I am also looking ahead as there is an excellent future for
the manufacturing industry in what I call the Enterprise
Metaverse.
Bringing Forth Indian Industrial Revolution
Via Enterprise Metaverse

Who inspires you to wake up every day and keep
making a difference in the respective industry you are
catering to?
The unlimited potential and benefits of immersive
technologies such as VR, AR and MR is the most important
reason. And wondering how companies can tap into these
benefits is what gets me up each day.
The future of Industry 4.0 and the enterprise metaverse is
promising and opens the door to provide huge advantages
to all manufacturing sectors. I really want all verticals of
the manufacturing industry to step boldly into the Fourth
Industrial revolution and help make this country a leader in
manufacturing.
As a leader of Fusion VR, what challenges have you
faced while establishing and running the business?
The most significant challenge is convincing the
manufacturing industry leaders about the benefits of
industry 4.0 technologies.
Except for a few, there are many manufacturing companies
that are hesitant to implement disruptive technologies; this
hesitancy disappears after a demonstration of use cases and
the finer aspects of our products and services.
With the government’s focus, energy, and incentives, I hope
to see greater adoption of VR/AR/MR.
Brief us about the operations of Fusion VR, its mission,
vision, and core values.
The focus of Fusion VR is to deliver innovative Industry
4.0 solutions to the manufacturing sector.
Our expertise is in the oil and gas, chemicals, utilities,
mining, and automotive sectors. We have diversified our
operations, collaborated with like-minded partners, and
entered the education space where we deliver end-to-end
solutions for VR infrastructure and training. We have also
delivered innovative projects in the digital museum’s space.
The focus of Fusion
VR is to deliver
innovative Industry
4.0 solutions to the
manufacturing sector

Our mission is to make Industry 4.0 technologies more
accessible for all manufacturing companies. Fusion VR is
not just a technology company, but one with extensive as
well as deep domain expertise to develop and implement
effective solutions, unlike companies that have come out of
the VR gaming and entertainment sector.
Our vision is to become India’s leading provider of all
Industry 4.0 services such as VR, AR, MR, Digital Twins
and become a key player in the Enterprise Metaverse. Our
core values are innovation, excellence, and exceeding
customer expectations.
How has the current pandemic affected your business,
and what steps have you taken to safeguard your
employees while catering to your clients?
While the first and second waves of COVID infection
affected, our employees readily embraced remote working
technologies, which significantly minimised the impact on
our operations. What is important to note is that our
processes were geared for remote working through our
secure infrastructure even before the pandemic began. Such
technological leverage helped us sail through the pandemic
without hiccups and any such situations in the future. In
fact, Fusion VR delivered on significant projects within
agreed timelines amidst the pandemic. Perhaps the only
constraint created by the pandemic was our inability to
meet potential customers and conduct product demos and
interactions due to quarantine and travel restrictions. We
always believe in direct discussions with our clients to
establish a personal connection and tap into the unlimited
potential of immersive technologies and the Enterprise
Metaverse.
What creative ways have you employed to make the
work environment of Fusion VR vibrant?
At Fusion VR, we strive every day to foster an open and
inclusive work environment. We promote an informal and
results-focused approach with our internal and external
customers. Our work culture promotes excellence and
rewards employees who deliver that. Employees are indeed
our partners in the many growth initiatives we undertake.
We believe a positive and caring leadership style makes our
workspaces more vibrant and working more fun.
According to you, what are the essentials of being an
innovative business leader?
In my humble view, an innovative leader demonstrates a
keen willingness to embrace opportunities. This inspires the
team to develop a can-do attitude and always view
challenges as opportunities. This kind of leader also needs
to be open, inclusive, and caring. A leader who eliminates
fear and job insecurity promotes greater innovation. To
become an innovative leader, transparency in all aspects
and walking the talk are a must.
What would you like to share with the young generation
of entrepreneurs looking to step foot in a leadership role
in their respective businesses?
The young generation stepping into leadership roles need to
foster a work environment that is open, flat, inclusive,
empathetic, and results-oriented. They also need to focus on
creating a learning organisation and demonstrate that they
have something to learn every day. Humility, respect for
experience and genuine caring from leaders will enable
employees to contribute more than what they are asked for.
In terms of future growth, where do you see yourself
and Fusion VR?
Fusion VR will continue to provide excellence in delivering
innovative solutions to the manufacturing industry and play
a key role for companies embrace in joining the Fourth
Industrial revolution. We will continue to work with a broad
spectrum of industries and customers in the private as well
as government sectors. We firmly believe we will be part of
the tremendous manufacturing growth path and blaze our
own innovative trail towards the Enterprise Metaverse. As a
leader, I will continue to evangelise the enormous potential
of Industry 4.0 while encouraging young leaders to be bold,
innovative, and persistent in their endeavours.

Mr Sadaf Sayeed
CEO

Micro-Financing Indian Dream for a Better Future
At the beginning of the twentieth century, Mahatma
Gandhi said, ‘the soul of India lives in its villages.’
Though the percentage of rural India came down
from 89% to today’s 69%, it is safe to say that the real India
still lives in its villages and semiurban population.
And after seventy-five years of Independence, the biggest
challenge faced by real/rural and semiurban India is
inequality in the provision of basic needs to live a life of
dignity, including financial inclusion.
Currently, out of the 1.35 billion people, over eighty million
people (or 6.5%) still lives below the poverty line, which
means surviving on the daily income of meagre ₹93.
This is where micro-finance ushers the rays of hope to
bridge this ever-widening rural-urban divide. And Muthoot
Microfin Ltd. is leading this mission to elevate India out of
poverty and put it on the growth pedestal.
In an interview with CIOLook India for its edition of
‘League of Innovators – 2022,’ Mr Sadaf Sayeed, an
enigmatic leader and the CEO, is speaking
compassionately to achieve their goal of helping Indian
families enhance their financial well-being and empowering
the entrepreneurial spirit by mainly focusing on the women,
the real transformers of the humanity.
Below are the highlights of this pathbreaking vision.
After completing my MBA in Finance and Marketing from
Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, I decided to
pursue a career in the banking and financial services
industry. Before joining Muthoot, I have worked with
organisations such as HDFC Bank, GE Money, Spandana
Sphoorty Financial Limited and Satin Creditcare Network
Ltd.
Being passionate about the financial inclusion drive, I opted
to head the microfinance business of Muthoot Pappachan
Group in 2010. The microfinance business was started from
scratch and emerged as the fifth largest microfinance
company in India.
I am also the longest-serving Chief Executive for Muthoot
Pappachan Group. And our company - Muthoot Microfin,
has won several accolades, including Great Place to Work
certification in the meantime. We have envisioned the
company to become the most prominent microfinance
institution in India by 2025.
catering to?
The 190 million unbanked population and 8500 Muthoot
Microfin employees working on a mission to eradicate
poverty from India motivates me every day. The
opportunity and the vast canvas of the financial inclusion
landscape inspire me to think of new ideas and innovate to
fill the gap between the have and the have nots, along with
the opportunity to alleviate millions out of poverty and
change the lives of many households.
As a leader of Muthoot Microfin, what challenges have
you faced while establishing and running the business?
The challenges in establishing or running a business are
continuous, and the secret of overcoming them is to invent
solutions every day. Lately, the COVID-19 pandemic posed
the biggest challenge for us, but we managed to overcome
all three waves of the pandemic with a collective effort of
all the employees and management.
We protected all our employees and maintained the
business with minimal damage though our door-to-door
collection process was hit hard. Despite all, MML
registered a modest growth of 5.08 per cent in its portfolio
during the period.
With systematic planning and a long-term approach, we
have been managing risk and unsolicited instances such as
COVID quite efficiently.
Brief us about Muthoot Microfin’s operations, mission,
vision, and core values.
Muthoot Microfin offers micro-loans to women
entrepreneurs from the remote rural sectors of India. Our
operations are designed to promote entrepreneurship among
women and financial inclusion.
Our financial inclusion drive aims to deliver financial
services to the masses, including underprivileged and
disadvantaged people, living in the rural sectors of the
Indian society at affordable terms, in quick turnaround time
and with hassle-free processing.

We have adopted the joint liability group model of
microfinance, which caters exclusively to women in lower-
income households and is premised on the fact that if such
individuals are given access to credit, they will be able to
identify new opportunities and supplement and grow their
existing income.
Our vision is to become the most innovative and successful
financial institution in India, serving the life cycle needs of
the underserved. And our mission is to be the No. 1
microfinance company by 2025, managing the best
portfolio quality, highest level of customer satisfaction and
highest wallet share among our customers.
How has the current pandemic affected your business,
Microfinance is a touch-and-feel business. Our operations
and collection of funds are all community oriented.
Microfinance is one of the worst affected businesses during
this pandemic.
However, we could resume the operations after the
government of India categorised this industry as an
essential service. Our competence and leadership in the
market helped us survive the pandemic with minimal
impact.
As far as the safety of our employees is concerned, we took
all the necessary precautions for the wellbeing and safety of
our workforce.
The staff from our head office individually called up the
7000 employees in the field and offered them all the help
and guidance throughout the lockdown. The company
ensured the much-needed emotional support to our
employees during the period. We protected all our
employees and paid them full salaries throughout the
lockdown and pandemic. Further, employee loans were
extended, and COVID vaccination reimbursements with
paid leave were provided.
We also provided free online doctor consultations through
video calls, chat, and phone calls for all the employees
during the period and most of these services are still active.
What creative ways have you employed to make
Muthoot Microfin’s work environment vibrant?
Muthoot Microfin has been a Great Place to Work certified
company for the last four consecutive years. We won the
The 190 million
unbanked
population and
8500 Muthoot
Micron
employees
working on a
mission to
eradicate
poverty from
India motivates
me every day

challenges they face and never give up. We live in a world
filled with Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexities and
Ambiguity (VUCA); businesses face challenges all the
time, but only those businesses/entrepreneurs who do not
give up and adapt to the changing environment survive and
thrive.
As Jeff Bezos said on entrepreneurship, “You can be
grinding for four years with no result and in the fifth year, it
becomes the biggest thing on the planet,” Don’t be afraid of
failing; keep hustling.
and your company?
We have set our target to become the largest microfinance
company in India. We have been growing phenomenally
well in the last decade. The company will double its AUM
to Rs 10,000 crore over the next two years, with an
immediate target of Rs 6,200 crore AUM by March 2022.
We’ll also go for an IPO within a couple of years. The
company will open around 500 branches in the near term
and establish itself as the market leader.
Personally, my growth is aligned with the organisation. My
core team at the organisation and I have a long vintage and
enduring commitment to the company. Our promoters have
always held us closer and have helped us grow with the
company.
Being a continuous learner, I experience new things here
every day, and of course, I can utilise the tons of experience
I am gaining from this business. We are looking forward to
a brighter future.
certification for retaining a “high trust, high performance”
culture in the organisation.
Muthoot Microfin considers employees as its greatest asset.
As a Pan India organisation, our workforce is diverse, with
people from different regions, ethnicities, traditions, and
social structures working for a common cause.
To take care of our employees, especially during pandemic
times, we availed the best insurance coverage to our staff,
including special COVID protection policies.
Apart from healthy incentive schemes, we have plenty of
employee recognition and rewards schemes to boost the
morale of our employees. Every employee becomes an
integral part of our company culture the moment they join
the organisation. Our Internal and external communications
always reflect employee contributions and recognitions.
We have quickly adopted the latest technologies to our
business, making our employees' work easy and more
productive. Professional training is provided to all
employees at regular intervals to ensure our workforce's
personal and professional development.
Our company’s values have been pivotal in grooming our
culture for the well-being of employees. We are a “Purpose”
driven organisation, which is the key factor in stimulating
our daily work culture.
As I mentioned above, coming out with solutions for
continuous business challenges is an inevitable quality for
any business leader. Further, an innovative business leader
needs to think out of the box to lead his team, especially
during troubled times.
They need to apply technology along with creativity to run
the business in the modern era and always involve their
team before taking critical decisions. Thinking and moving
along market trends and inspiring a team is vital. A leader
should be willing to take risks and ready to explore new
opportunities.
of entrepreneurs looking to step foot in a leadership role
in their respective businesses?
My advice to the young entrepreneurs would be to hustle
hard and stay focused irrespective of the size of the

Changing
Dimensions of
Industry
4.0 Innovations
ivilization has undergone important industrial
Crevolutionary phases to reach the level of
productivity that the industry has arrived at today.
In Industry 1.0, the development of steam-powered and
mechanical production facilities changed the game. In
Industry 2.0, these mechanical production facilities were
powered by electricity resulting in mass-scale production
levels.
In the third stage, or Industry 3.0, electronics and
information technology wholly automated the production.
The further advancements in electronics, information and
communication technologies (ECT and ICT) as an
extension of these three industrial revolutions became
st
Industry 4.0, an early 21 -century revolution in production.
The Dawn of the Fourth Industrial Revolution:
Industry 4.0 describes an ecosystem of new production
techniques; automated systems are fully integrated with
technologies so that the exchange and flow of data happen
across the entire entity in real-time. Industry 4.0's
characteristics are
Ÿ Advanced digitalization
Ÿ Integration of industrial processes of
manufacturing and logistics,
Ÿ Use of the cloud computing and Internet of Things
(IoT) and 'smart' objects – automated machines and
products
Ÿ Amalgamating the tangible and the virtual realities
by adopting ICT.
Industry 4.0 fosters novel organizational business models
combining human and mechanical production systems,
enhancing the overall value chain, environment, and
society. It is already positively influencing sectors like
manufacturing, construction, supply chain management,
logistics, shipping, etc., transforming all aspects of
humanity and civilization.
Industry Four Rise:
Over the last few decades, Industry 4.0 has gained
widespread recognition and popularity due to ongoing
innovations in cyber-computing capabilities.
The virtual-physical divide is narrowed down by advanced
techs like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cloud Computing,

New League

Extended Reality (XR), and the Internet of Things (IoT). It
creates an interoperable digital environment between actual
physical operations and Information Technology (IT).
This cyber-physical domain is leveraged by Industry 4.0.
Then combining it with Big Data science, 3D printing, 5G,
Drones, Communications etc., it is leading to hi-tech
innovations of smart machines within the framework of
streamlined processes.
The entire assembly is thus capable of a smooth decision-
making process through real-time information exchange
over the Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT). The result is
less human effort and time investment, error and accident-
free assembly lined manufacturing, and enhanced industrial
productivity.
Industry Four Tech:
Today, along with the human-to-machine interactions and
interface, machine-to-machine real-time communication is
already happening. The advanced visualization and
augmented simulation techniques have been striding rapidly
due to increased semiconductor chips' processing power.
Various complex, personified, customizable, and modular
products designed with the help of computers can directly
be communicated to assembly line machines to follow and
produce. Thus, in a cyber-physical environment, designers,
planners, engineers, and workers within the embedded
systems of factories connect over the IIoT to collaborate
and work together.
Today's digital industrial robots equipped with pre-
programmed AI, ML, Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
and IoT are so flexible that they can make real-time human
decisions by themselves in a factory environment.
So, now, we have Autobots: Automated Robots performing
almost all of the human activities and taking many critical
decisions, Cobots: Collaborative Robots joining
intrinsically through human-like activities, and Chatbots:
Communicating Robots used to answer FAQs (Frequently
Asked Questions).
Welcome to the Smart Factory:
XR (Extended Reality) technology is an umbrella term
which contains the Augmented, Mixed, and Virtual Reality
(VR) techniques. This reality is a combination of both the
real as well as the digital world synced together to enrich
the virtual world's applicability.
In the XR Industry scheme, various cyber-real systems
function together to make self-corrective decisions
enhancing the final output. Further, to ensure uninterrupted
assembly functioning, timely alerts of predicted cause and
likely maintenance needed are generated and passed on to
humans for their timely intervention.
An analytics framework is created by a centralized
decision-making hub that logically distributes the
processing of regular tasks. This framework is extensively
utilized in Industry 4.0 scenario.
The process happens like this: First, using the smart
sensors, information is generated, stored, and shared across
the cyber-physical systems. Then, the emanating
information and data are processed on the cloud servers.
Second, mathematical models based on AI analytics run
predictive algorithms on that data and information in the
cloud servers. It is then utilized to assist in guiding the
process of manufacturing and improve productivity.
The implementation of Industry 4.0 requires a complete
inter and intra organizational transformation. Because it
achieves horizontal factory-to-factory integration and a
hierarchical production line vertical Integration. This leads
to smart factory intelligence, which is achieved by
converging information processing technologies
streamlining the digital ecosystem.
The Future is Surely Here:
In the past decade, the concept of Industry 4.0 was initiated
in Germany and accepted globally. Today, it has
revolutionized the industrial civilization of the modern era.
But the story does not end here. It is only the fourth chapter,
as the European Commission already announced the fifth
chapter called Industry 5.0 on the eve of Industry 4.0's tenth
birthday.
Industry 4.0 is technovation-driven, while, Industry 5.0 is
and will ultimately be value-driven. Innovation and
technological advancements keep our civilization on the
evolutionary path.
The co-existence of two Industrial Revolutions promises a
future beyond our wildest imagination. A future of
innovation, technological advancements, and a futuristic
value continuum. The future is surely here, in our present
moment, that is for sure.
- Gaurav PR Wankhade

There are n-number of enterprise or consulting
organizations in the world. To be an honourable and
reliable organization one must exhibit a high degree
of proficiency through a notable and sustainable
contribution.
Moreover, consulting services is one such square-shooting
industry. They often bridge the gap between the evolving
needs of the industry to current practices in the industry.
One such reliable and the evergreen firm is achieving new
heights year after year. Solutions India Systems PVT LTD
is a multifunctional consultancy firm that provides unified
AV solutions to numerous settings like corporate offices,
educational institutes, retail industry, and many among
them. It plays a major role in seamlessly incorporating
technology and helps provide a smooth and efficient system
for the constructive functioning of the business world.
In a talk with CIOLOOK INDIA, the Founder and
Managing Director Punit Rastogi have helped explore the
25 years of their miraculous journey. Let’s see some of
the ways they have implemented various strategies to
become a pioneer and leading consultancy firm in the
country.
Began my journey in 1993, right after my graduation with a
Bachelor in Electronic Engineering from Pune VIT. That
too became a matter of chance that I opted for Electronics
when all my friends were all set for Mechanical
Engineering!
My 1st stint was with Plus Business Machines in the year
1993-94 was there for 1 year. with HCL which lasted for
Delivering Top-Class Unified AV
Communications to The World of Business
Punit Rastogi
Founder and
Managing Director

another 1 year. I was selling high-end photocopiers and
Oﬃce Automation to Corporate and SMB clients before the
Entrepreneurial bug bit me. By June 1995, I was clear that I
would want to do something on my own.
Technology has always fascinated me and the Audio-Visual
Industry in the late 90s had just begun to grow or boom. It
was a leap of faith that made me jump from being an
employee to an entrepreneur to launch my own company in
1995-96. Having understood the nuances of the market and
gaining knowledge from my previous experiences, we
entered the market with the inception of “Solutions India”
with a team of three people. With our product base to be
projectors from Philips and security systems from Zicom.
In March 1997, Solutions India Systems was registered as a
Pvt Ltd. company and incidentally, this year happens to be
th
our 25 year of foundation!
Early in 1998 -2000, the Economy had started to liberalize
and the eﬀects of the reduction in customs duty were adding
to the use of High-End Projectors and other display
products in use. We started promoting Philips and Sony
Projectors and during those days they were heavy and
expensive.
In 2000, we introduced NEC Japan to India for their high-
end projectors and were appointed as distributors for
projectors in India.
In 2001 and 2002, our need to grow and expand operations
across Pan India was the only way forward and so we set up
branches in Delhi, Pune, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad,
and Kolkata.
We had now specialized and moved from box sales of
Projectors to Smaller AV Integrations Jobs by providing
complete AV setup other than Projectors as well, giving our
expertise in complete solutions to the AV needs.
In 2005, we partnered for Videoconferencing with Poly-
com & Tandberg, as the future became more evident in the
“Meeting on Video” though it had challenges on Bandwidth
and several other issues.
By the year 2008, we had consolidated quite a bit and
started working on larger AV projects saw our achievement,
and crossed the Rupees 20 Crore turnover mark. The team
size also grew to 100 members. We had decided to take a
leadership position in the industry.
In the year 2010, we established State of Art Experience
Centre at a new facility in Mumbai. We are even today one
of the few players who have our own Experience Centre
where the customer can come in touch, see the kind of work
we do, and what they can expect from us. We are constantly
updating and adding to our facility. It works as a tech Lab
where we try out and evaluate new technology and
solutions for the future.
In 2014 and 2015, we crossed the Rupees 40 Crore turnover
mark, and the team is now 150 members strong.
The year of 2017, Solutions India Systems completed 20
years in the AV Industry. We are a name that instills trust
and where customers have complete faith in our ability,
proven time and again with repeat business.
In 2020, we have ventured into retail spaces and home
automation as well. Broadening our base and extending our
expertise in these sectors as well.
catering to?
To do what we are doing requires a passion for Audio
Visual Technologies. How do we work and how do we use
them to solve the various problems that customers face in
day-to-day operations? The approach to “Problem
Solving”, and “Putting a Smile on the Customers Face” is
what drives us on a day-to-day basis.
We are
committed to a
consistent,
honest & reliable
way of action
with empathy
“
“

What differentiates us, is that we understand that all
stakeholders need to be given attention and, if we don’t take
care of them someone else will. We also differentiate by
going that extra step in serving our clients to meet or
exceed their expectations. This relationship-building is the
reason why we have so many returning clients.
I strongly believe that I am responsible for the 150 families
that are a part of the SISPL family and that is my biggest
inspiration to strive to do better each day.
As a leader of your company, what challenges have you
faced while establishing and running the business?
We had to compete with businesses that were ahead of us in
the industry years before we entered. And that is true for
anyone that starts afresh. So, our struggle was not a new
one but unique in its own way because we had to handle the
market differently with an approach that would be unique.
Being a startup with just three people, to begin with, and
trying to break into the big leagues from day one has been
nothing short of a fascinating journey for us. Proving our
capabilities and delivering the promises with sheer
dedication, hard work, and commitment we could run the
race with the established firms in the industry.
Brief us about the operations of your company, its
mission, vision, and core values.
Customers are at the center of everything we do.
Our Values: reflect who we are and what we stand for as a
company.
Ownership: We take responsibility for our area of influence
with a strong sense of ownership or involvement.
Trust and Integrity: We are committed to a consistent,
honest & reliable way of action with empathy.
Diversity and Inclusion: We embrace differences and use a
consultative approach with our clients and partners.
Team Spirit: We actively contribute to facing and
overcoming challenges as a team.
Transparency: We provide the full information required
and communicate openly and sincerely.
Customer Focus: We create state of art solutions for our
customers by carefully listening to their needs and trying to
exceed their expectations.
Our Mission: “We aim to create value and make the
difference in the lives of people through innovative
solutions and thus helping our clients improve their
workspace efficiency and business productibility”
Our Vision: “To be the trusted partner of choice that
inspires and fulfills every audio-visual need and in creating
an amazing experience for their customer”
How has the current pandemic affected your business
This has been a very difficult time for everyone globally
and we were surely not an exception. But having said the
difficult part was that of physical and emotional challenges
that everyone passed through in one form or another. The
discipline that has been instilled in our culture luckily
played out to be a huge boon and we were able to stay
afloat through the finances even when there was no income
generation due to lockdown.
We didn’t have any layoffs and managed with minimum
pay cuts, jumped up right back to the pre COVID times as
soon as the markets opened up.
To ensure the safety of our SISPL family we organized a
vaccination drive. Also, we made sure that medical
assistance was given to those who needed it. Sanitizing our
premises and ensuring regular monitoring has been
maintained.
Our client visits were only through video conferencing
early on and since some time that the client visits have
begun, COVID regulations are followed.
What creative ways have you employed to make the
work environment of your company vibrant?
We spend so much time at work and to be able to be
comfortable, work well, but giving in your best consistently
requires a lot of commitment. This is possible only if the
work environment is conducive. We have our own
sprawling office of over 3500 square feet, where we have
made creative workspaces. This also includes our branch
offices which are adequately furnished and thus enhance
productivity.
Talking about the work front, we have empowered teams
that take complete ownership of what they do and they with
their trust and merit provide for a superlative customer
experience.

We also ensure to celebrate all the festivals together.
Saturdays are birthday celebrations. We have sports
activities and similar team-building activities to bond with
each other. Annual picnic, movie evenings, a disco night
post-sales meet are all a part of bringing in the good vibes
and celebrating our hard work together.
However, cliched it may sound but “thinking out of the
box” or rather not confining to thinking there exists a box is
a way to go. For a Business Leader to be out of the box, one
of the attributes is that he or she must be innovative in
everything that they do.
Innovation is not only about using the latest technology but
also about ensuring that you create an experience for the
customer, in a way that they come back to you repeatedly
for all the good work that you do. All the while when we
do a Consulting Role with the customer, we are always
thinking out of the box for creating AV Solutions that
simplify the customers’ user experience and help to
Collaborate with the Best and “At Par with the World”
Solutions.
In 2010, when experience centers were a thing of awe and
caught eyeballs, we created one in our own office to let the
customer come and experience the beauty of technology he
can expect us to create for him. For him to touch, feel, and
see before he would set up his own. This was something no
one in the industry had done at that point in time.
of entrepreneurs who are looking to step foot in a
leadership role in their respective businesses?
It is a very different time to do business in today’s scenario
where the concept of funding and investments is quite
active and prevalent. With ample liquidity in the markets
there are lots of opportunities, but eventually, what
entrepreneurs require is a long-term vision and goals to
deliver value to the customer in a manner that can meet
their pain areas and solve problems. Proper handling and a
committed approach to growing with the customer is what
should be the Mantra towards building leadership.
and your company?
We are what we Build.
If we construct a process-driven, disciplined company
where “Ownership towards the Customer” is a Motto,
then Sky is the Limit. We are working steadily to meet
customers’ high expectations in a challenging business
environment where technology changes rapidly and the
costs of Electronic Products are becoming affordable. In
such situations, there is a process of continuous learning
and evolvement is inevitable.
Having said that, we have built an organization that is
Solid and reliable with strong Fundamentals, for whom
Quality is at the Core of Customer Excellence. Hence
there is only one way for us to go. Higher, Faster, and
Stronger. We have been one of the pioneers in the industry,
and in the future, we will continue to work on our
leadership position.

League of Innovators 2022 ciolookindia.pdf

League of Innovators 2022 ciolookindia.pdf

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Similar to League of Innovators 2022 ciolookindia.pdf

Similar to League of Innovators 2022 ciolookindia.pdf (20)

More from CIOLOOKIndia

More from CIOLOOKIndia (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

League of Innovators 2022 ciolookindia.pdf