Ajay Kumar Gupta, CEO and MD, SVARN GROUP

Ajay Kumar Gupta established SVARN in 2005 as a manufacturer of in-building solution materials and base transceiver kitting materials. The company soon achieved several milestones by becoming a passive infrastructure material vendor for key industry players such as Nokia, Huawei, Vodafone and Indus Towers. The company later diversified its operations and is now a leading equipment supplier in various fields including refrigeration, retail and IT.

Gupta counts his success in securing contracts from Nokia and Ericsson within a few months of starting his telecom venture as his most memorable achievement so far. In his current role as chief executive officer (CEO) and managing director (MD) of the company, he is actively involved in overseeing the company’s overall operations. He is targeting a growth of 25-30 per cent in the next three years by remaining focused on the existing business as well as exploring opportunities for new products and markets. He is also working on opening a branch in the UAE.

He feels that low customer awareness and unstable de­mand patterns are some of the key challenges that need to be addressed in order to grow in this field. He is of the view that the Indian telecom industry offers huge opportunities and promise. He elaborates, “I believe that 4G is going to revolutionise the telecom sector. Conti­nuous technological up­gr­a­dation, the use of multiple technologies over multiple spectrum bands and huge data demand are the key growth drivers for the telecom industry.”

Gupta counts his core strengths as his ability to think strategically and make quick decisions, his sincerity towards work and his strong communication skills. Comm­en­ting on his management style, he says, “Constant innovation and effective implementation of strategic decisions are my key focus areas. All operations are managed by experienced teams that take independent decisions. Fur­ther, I ensure every individual’s growth along with the company’s growth.”

Gupta has a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Pune University and an MBA in finance and management information sys­­­­tems from the University of Leeds, UK.

In his spare time, he enjoys playing the keyboard and spending time with his two sons. His wife is a homemaker and has been a source of constant support during his journey in SVARN. S