Designed to Win: Turnaround of Tata Elxsi & Scaling Cisco without CapEx | Conversations in Bangalore

Описание: While Part 1 explored the birth of Indian IT, this episode focuses on crisis management, the art of the corporate pivot, and the human side of leadership. Devarajan reveals the inside story of how he was brought into Tata Elxsi when its product was essentially "Designed to Lose". You’ll hear about the high-pressure meetings with Ratan Tata that saved the company from bankruptcy and the creation of "Force 50," the mission-critical task force that quadrupled revenue in a single year.

 

We also explore his time at Cisco India, where he navigated the dot-com bust and a global hiring freeze. Learn how he strategically scaled the team from 350 to 7,500 people using unconventional "OpEx" models and how he fought for work-life balance by restructuring global calls to end the "Friday evening syndrome".

 

Finally, we discuss his remarkable second act as a world-class photographer with 47 international awards, proving that leadership is about more than just the boardroom.

 

Watch Part 1 here:    • Designed to Win: The OG Bangalore Leader &...  

 

Key Topics Covered:

*   The Tata Elxsi Turnaround: Transforming a failing product into a market leader in VFX and engineering design.

*   Leading Under Ratan Tata: Insights into Tata’s delegatory leadership style and the battle over the "Elxsi" name.

*   The Cisco Expansion: Scaling a tech giant during a global market crash.

*   Leadership Philosophy: Why "people work for people" and how to maintain passion in your career.

*   A Passion for the Lens: The transition from CEO to award-winning photographer.

 

About the Guest:

S. Devarajan is a veteran of the Indian IT industry, having served as the youngest director in the Tata group and later as the CEO of Cisco India. Today, he is a sought-after consultant and a renowned photographer who has captured the world from Morocco to Uzbekistan.

 

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