Anurag Srivastava brings to the table 20 years of industry experience. As senior vice-president (VP) and global head of Mahindra Comviva?s managed services business, he leads the company?s business in India as well as in markets like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Europe and Africa. He is responsible for the P&L unit of the managed services business.
Talking about the key challenge that his current role entails, Srivastava says, ?Traditionally, the managed services business has been synonymous with large companies such as Ericsson and Nokia Solutions and Networks (NSN). Clients prefer to align with established names and, therefore, it is tough to convince them about the ability and expertise of small and new companies in delivering quality services. Limited geographical reach is another disadvantage with smaller managed services companies.?
The challenges notwithstanding, Srivastava is confident about leading Mahindra Comviva into new geographies. Besides focusing on the company?s key markets in Asia, he is exploring business opportunities in Europe as well. He is working towards achieving the right mix of skills and talent to ensure that the company establishes itself as a leading managed services provider in the fast growing value-added services industry.
Over the years, Srivastava has worked with organisations such as Ericsson, Nokia Siemens Networks (rebranded now as Nokia Solutions and Networks), Alcatel-Lucent, Vodafone India and Xerox. Drawing lessons from his current and past assignments, he says that the key to success is persistence. He recalls that while working with Ericsson, it took him five years of hard work to bag the first managed services deal from a leading operator in India for the company. ?I have seen professionals losing interest after chasing a client for a long time. One must go after a deal however time-consuming it might appear. Also, one must be thorough with numbers to survive in this business. An individual needs to keep a tab on business and push for margins.?
Srivastava is a believer in teamwork and motivates his team by keeping the goal-achieving process transparent. Time away from work is spent with his daughter. Srivastava, who belongs to Lucknow, says he has a ear for music and unwinds by listening to ghazals. He also enjoys reading and working out regularly at the gym.
