Shrikant Navelkar,
Director, Clover Infotech
Shrikant Navelkar, director, Clover Infotech, has over 25 years of experience in computers, programming and technology. He has seen technology evolve from an administrative expense to a business driver and accelerator. “Today, every function within an enterprise – finance, marketing, HR – is reimagining itself with technology at its core. Organisations are increasingly feeling the need to undertake a complete digital makeover and revamp processes and systems,” he says. The pandemic and the increasing focus on customer experience have, moreover, compelled industries to turn to the cloud. Some of the key trends in this space include growing adoption of hybrid cloud, cloud optimisation, and cost optimisation for on-premises infrastructure and security.
A civil engineer by training, Navelkar worked with the military engineering services for seven years before he stepped into the world of computers and programming in 1992. He joined Clover Infotech in 1994 and has been associated with the company since, taking up several leadership roles along the way. He has been involved in managing business development, sales and expansion to international markets, and forging partnerships.
In his current role, he is spearheading the company’s alliance with Oracle for extending Clover Infotech’s expertise across the Oracle suite of products to various geographies and industry verticals. “It has been a two-decade-old partnership. We have established our expertise and trained human capital across Oracle applications and underlying technology stack. We are jointly taking our expertise across the industry. And this has led to further interest in the work that we do as a part of our Oracle practice across enterprise applications, databases and technology infrastructure,” he explains. Navelkar also leads Clover Infotech’s business in the US market.
A technology enthusiast, he loves to read about technology and apply that knowledge to solve customers’ technology dilemmas. He counts his close associations with OEMs, customers and internal teams as his key strengths, while not being able to say no is a weakness that has often resulted in him and his team becoming overburdened. “That said, we always find a way to deliver everything with perfection,” he adds.
In terms of management style, he believes that leadership must be inclusive so that every team member feels significant and has a sense of belonging.
As for his favourite pastimes, Navelkar says, “If I had to pick two, it would be travelling and cooking. During my travels, I try cuisines of different origins and then attempt to make some of that food when I get time.” He also enjoys reading.
