Natarajan Chandrasekaran : The crown jewel of TCS

Amidst all the gloom of the global financial crisis and the slowdown back home, Natarajan Chandrasekaran- The bigwig believed there was enough of an opportunity for the Indian software services sector. And the good seed sown in TATAs orchid was not sown in vain. Born to a Tamil family, Chandrasekaran pursued his wildest dream opting against his fathers will to succeed their familys agricultural business. It all started one and a half decade back, when Chandra, as he is fondly referred, an alumni of Regional engineering college joined the multinational organization- TCS, right after finishing his masters in computer application. There was no looking back until becoming the chief operating officer- the architect of the new organization structure unveiled in 2008 which created multiple agile business units focused on domains and markets as well as built strategic business units to pursue new initiatives with the ability to invest, develop and mature new ideas. Under his leadership, TCS has pioneered the creation of its unique Global Network Delivery Model (GNDM) across five continents and ventured into new markets including Europe, China and Latin America. It added new business lines like BPO, Infrastructure and Assurance services. Chandra has also driven the domain diversification drive which has seen the company enter new verticals like Media and Information Services as well as Hi-tech. All of these have matured into sizeable businesses under his mentorship and guidance.

While Nasscom is looked to temper its growth estimates for the IT sector to around 14%, the MD and CEO of Tata Consultancy Services realized that his company could do better. Indeed, TCS has reported a strong set of numbers, endorsing Chandras confidence. The TCS chief, cautions that India shouldnt be complacent, else it will lose out to countries such as the Philippines in the BPO space. Where Ramadorai gave TCS a truly global footprint, Chandra is pushing the envelope by creating centers in markets like the US and hiring more local people in geographies like France, Germany and Japan. Revenue is important, but customer satisfaction is even more crucial, he says. Ive always believed that it's not just what you do but how you do it thats important. With his focus on taking on new leadership challenges and imparting best practices, world says he is a leader to watcheven beyond the realm of information technology.