Avinash Prasad
VP, DIAS-Global Data Centre Services, Tata Communications
Avinash Prasad has over two decades of business, customer and solutions management experience in the areas of IT services, cybersecurity and consulting. Owing to his passion for security and risk management, he has led multiple functions such as data privacy, security engineering, cloud and managed security services, and presales and business development at companies including Infosys and Wipro.
At Tata Communications, Prasad heads the practice and business area of managed and cybersecurity services globally. His responsibilities include customer management, practice and solution development, innovation and partnership in the IT security domain and business development including positioning the company’s security services as a recognised brand and expanding its market presence and reach.
Prasad believes that the wave of new technologies such as internet of things (IoT), artificial intelligence, 5G and analytics has transformed the industry landscape but this transformation comes at the cost of threats to data security and privacy. “The surging adoption of IoT has given rise to new streams of data that needs to be stored and managed on the cloud, which poses a serious threat to data security and privacy,” he adds. “There is a major cybersecurity risk specifically for telcos as carriers of massive volumes of data, and thus a huge responsibility. It is imperative to integrate cybersecurity measures into the network, application and access layers to minimise the risks of a serious data breach.”
Prasad fondly recalls rolling out the Cyber Security Response Centre, which provides an immersive experience to customers as they can view the cockpit of cybersecurity operations of Tata Communications globally, as his favourite. The project required basic blueprinting and multiple subsequent iterations of fine-tuning before the commercial launch.
According to Prasad, collaboration and transparency are the bedrock of his management principles. “I consider my logical skills, my ability to connect with people, to balance pressure with performance, and my problem solving and troubleshooting skills as my key strengths,” he says.
Prasad has a B.Tech from IIT Delhi and an MBA from XLRI, Jamshedpur. He enjoys trekking and exploring nature, going for long drives, playing and following sports. He also supports child education initiatives. His family includes his father, his wife, who is an image consultant, and a son and a daughter. He has three dogs – a red retriever, a German shepherd and a spitz.
