'I don’t think only jobs related to IT per se are stressful'

Chella Namasivayam, CIO, iGATE speaks of his interest in agriculture after having developed a taste for the field from his parental roots to his decision to pursue IT. Currenly, as the CIO of iGate, he speaks about how IT has helped him mould himself and also achieve the goals of his life. Excerpts...

Role Model...My father, was my role model. He was an agriculturist and like him, I wanted to become an agriculturist as well. In fact, I got the admission for Agricultural Engineering. However, with the counsel of family and well-wishers, I decided to pursue a degree in Engineering, with electronics and telecommunications as the core subjects. On completing my BE in 1990, I received an offer from the Delhi-based Unicorp Industries Limited (UIL) to join them as a Systems Engineer. I was deployed on the production floor where I was involved in the testing of printed circuit boards (PCBs), as well as, production and quality control of desktop computers, network equipment and peripherals. I used to manage the process end-to-end. A few months later I was promoted to the position of Head-Quality Control, and put in charge of production. This was helped by the fact that few government agencies had insist on engineering degree holders for production and quality control works. I played a key role in the growth of the organization.

Initial Stages...A few years later, in 1992, I spotted an opportunity to break the mould, move away from my comfort zone and be part of creation of a new line of business. I felt that networking would be the future of the IT industry. Having evaluated the prospects of the emerging technology to understand how it could be turned into a new business model for the company, along with my manager, we started a new business unit called Unicorp Network Division (Uni-Net) that specialized in areas like structured cabling, networking hubs, high availability servers, server based operating systems and related applications. A few months later, I was transitioned from my role of Head-Quality Control, and was put in charge of a techno-sales function within Uni-Net.

Through regular engagements and the excellent relations I had developed during my stint as quality head, I was able to create inroads for Uni-Net in a market that was dominated by other big players.

In 1995, I decided to quit UIL and join Arthur Andersen as a Consultant where I worked until 1997. My stint at Unicorp had equipped me with a lot of knowledge on systems, networks and applications, and I thought that consultancy would be a good option.

Current Role...At iGATE, in 1997, I started off with heading and managing the local IT infrastructure at the company's headquarters in Bangalore. I was soon given the task of managing IT for Chennai, and subsequently appointed as head for the entire IT operations in the country. With time, I started adding new portfolios to my role. Today, in addition to my CIO portfolio, I also look after the procurements and commercial division, looks after new project expansions, and manages Administration and Facilities. I have always believed that CIOs should be valued for not just their technical savvy, but also their contributions as a member of the senior management team with organizational responsibilities. I feel the early years of learning and the vast opportunities I have received in iGATE has molded me to be the professional I am today.

Second Option...I come from Tamil Nadu, and grew up with a passion to become an agriculturist. As a child, my inspiration was my father, who though a lawyer by training, had pursued a career in agriculture. After passing out of school, I had even secured a seat in a college to study agricultural engineering. However, my two brothers-in-law, one an MIT engineer and the other a doctor advised me to pursue a course in Engineering with electronics and telecommunications as the core subjects. A few friends of my father, who were professors at engineering colleges, also gave me the same counsel. I decided to take the advice and earned a bachelor's degree in electronics and telecommunications. If not for my career in IT, I perhaps would have been an agriculturist by profession. However, I feel no regrets and still pursue it as a hobby now. I look forward to devote more time to this passion post my retirement.

Spare Time...I enjoy sports. I love playing frisbee and have enjoyed it since my childhood days. While in school, we used to have frisbee tournaments on a football ground. With no referees, the crux of the game is its spirit of sportsmanship and the expectation of fair play. Physically, and in terms of the teamwork involved, the sport is a lot like football, soccer, hockey or basketball. Even now, I play the game with my friends and relatives. It helps me to stay fit. Also, since it is a no contact sport, there is no danger of getting injured.

Favourite Angle...In addition to this, my all-time great interest is ofcourse agriculture and I will pursue it at greater length when I retire and have more time. I have been making the necessary preparations by purchasing agricultural land and modern agricultural equipment. My goal is to own and grow a new range of farm produce that has never been produced in the State.

Destress IT...I don't think only jobs related to IT per se is stressful. I am a strong believer that in whichever industry you are, one must always create opportunities and seek to better oneself. You will get stressed only if you feel the work is burden with full of challenges and obstacles. If you consider the work as opportunities, then where is the question of stress? When not at work, I enjoy playing sports such as cricket and frisbee. Sports is a great way to keep fit and active. Incidentally, I am the manager of iGATE's cricket team and enjoy some of my off days playing cricket with the team. Apart from that, I enjoy learning about new types of agricultural techniques and equipment, types of crop and new methods of farming.

IT decisions...The best part of IT decision-making is that you are in the thick of things for the most part. Being a part of an IT services organization, we live in a dynamic environment where we constantly look to innovate and offer cutting-edge technology to our customers as well as employees. As a CIO, I think the best part is being in a position to adopt technology not just to help our customers meet their business objectives but also enhance the user-experience and empower our very own workforce. Being responsible for the effective, competitive and strategic use of IT in the organization is the best part related to IT decision making.