Can SMBs Revitalize Indian IT?

How has the past one month been for you?

I got a good sense of the opportunity in India and my appreciation for it has grown. I would like to reaffirm our commitment to India and we would continue to invest here.

Your uppermost priorities?

Growth, developing the employee base, and driving innovation. I have seen significant innovations happen out of India. I am very optimistic, energized, and excited about these opportunities. One big part of my mandate is to align Cisco to the national agenda, the priorities of the government. These include broadband access, healthcare, education, and social responsibilities and we would want to take these to the next level.

What was the biggest surprise?

The market opportunity is bigger that what I thought. There is massive urbanization, rising middle-class, and demographics of one-third of the population below 15. The potential for broadband in tier-2 and -3 cities is huge. Secondly, I was incredibly impressed by the talent of the people here. I had heard about it-that we had around 10,000 people, but their quality was equally impressive.

What's on your plate right now?

I am in the midst of defining the company's priorities here with my senior team. We will eventually create an India board comprising people from all across Cisco.