T.M. Ramakrishnan, CEO, Devices, S Mobility, is excited about the company?s recent launch of cloud services in the country. The service, he believes, has enormous potential and will open up new business opportunities?
When T.M. Ramakrishnan took over as chief executive officer (CEO) of the devices business at S Mobility, the company was bleeding. He acted fast, creating a core team and identifying the reasons for the losses. Within two quarters, the company had dragged itself out of the red. Since then, it has been steadily increasing its market share.
No wonder then that Ramakrishnan considers this job as one of the most significant and memorable of his 22-year-long career. He is responsible for the entire operations and profit and loss of the business. ?My focus is on growing the company?s presence in terms of the number of retail counters, thereby touching new heights in profitability, ASP, volume, revenue as well as market share,? comments Ramakrishnan.
With pride, he points out that Spice has a reputation in the telecom industry for being innovative. It is, for instance, credited with being the first company to introduce dual-SIM phones for consumers. This was followed up with the 12 megapixel camera phone with optical zoom. Then, it offered the country?s first 3D phone. That is precisely where its strength lies, he says, in being the first to offer consumers new products.
Ramakrishnan intends to build on this reputation, which is why the company has been busy launching new products over the past six months. One such launch, on consumers? smartphones, was the Spice Cloud Mobile Synchronization Service. With this launch, Spice is set to upgrade consumer experience to the next level. The service will work with all flagship smartphones and tablets from Spice.
Spice Cloud enables consumers to automatically and wirelessly store and secure data, provide anti-theft features that protect users? content and help them locate the device.
This medium gives the consumer access to data on multiple devices. Spice Cloud exclusively features the call log retrieving facility and makes it stand out in its cloud crowd globally. Users can access files, big or small, on the go, make a backup and share it with a million other users via Spice Cloud storage services.
Spice Cloud provides consumers with cloud backup of 2 GB of free data storage. They can use this to seamlessly access photos, documents, media files and contacts across devices along with advanced security and anti-theft features. Users can access these using the web interface at www.spicecloud.in.
This is an important launch as the potential for the uptake of cloud services in India as well as other emerging markets is phenomenal. Ramakrishnan is excited by the fact that consumers will enjoy enormous benefits from cloud services, including the flexibility to access files and data anywhere.
?They can even use the remote wipe option in case of theft or loss of their smartphones, ensuring data security. Our cloud services reflect our focus on constant innovation and technology advancement,? he says.
The company has taken this initiative forward and launched the Spice Pinnacle FHD 3G dual-SIM smartphone, which offers access to the Spice Cloud facility. This device packs in a 1.5 GHz quad-core processor and functions on the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean platform. Its other features include an 8 megapixel main camera and a 2 megapixel front camera, 8 GB ROM and 1 GB RAM, support for video recording and expandable memory of 32 GB. It has a host of connectivity options as well, including Wi-Fi tethering, Bluetooth 4.0, FM radio, HSPA+ and GPS/AGPS.
The pace of change in the industry keeps Ramakrishnan motivated. As he sees it, the challenge is not just to keep developing the technology but also to ensure sustainable growth and future development.
With the new Android version 4.4 Kitkat and 4G on the anvil, he feels that things are set to get even more exciting in the telecom sector.
Of his 22 years? work experience, 17 have been in telecom. Prior to joining S Mobility, he was associated with Videocon, MTS, Bharti Airtel and ITC. He took over as CEO of S Mobility?s devices business in June 2012. Prior to this, he had been heading the south zone.
?Changing jobs, in a way, broadens one?s perspective by making one work in different capacities to achieve different yet distinct goals. The idea is to learn as well as unlearn,? he says. Working for organisations such as ITC and Airtel, he says, helped groom him into becoming a ?better person?.
He is all too aware of the need to cater to consumers looking for a premium-looking handset that is affordable. For this segment, the company has launched the Smart Flo Mettle 5X. This dual-SIM (2G+2G) smartphone runs on the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean platform and is powered by a 1.3 GHz dual-core processor, which enables the running of apps, games, data and media at a fast pace.
Rich features like pre-integrated BBM, eight unique unlock styles including voice unlock, and quad band on 2G, he says, make the Mettle 5X best suited for those looking for superior experience.
A self-confessed workaholic, Ramakrishnan?s management style is to empower his team. ?Making mistakes is a very important part of learning and, as a leader, I give my employees the freedom to make mistakes. I allow my team to experiment with new ideas. A risk-taking ability needs to be encouraged. While freedom with accountability allows the team to accomplish the task, I do keep a close tab on them in order to ensure that the company?s interests are well served,? he comments.
An engineer by training, Ramakrishnan went on to do his executive MBA from IIM Bangalore. From the outset of his career, he has set firm short-terms goals so as to be able to achieve his long-term objectives.
?In the telecom field, I feel a focus on short-term goals is more important as this helps adapt to changes. My long-term goal was to head the country operations and I have got this opportunity. By focusing on the short-term goals, I have achieved one milestone of my ambition. During this journey, I have changed and learned a lot from my superiors who have always been willing to coach me and guide me. I have never let them down, which in itself motivated me a lot,? he says.
Ramakrishnan likes to organise his day by defining the activities he needs to complete, and these include his personal work. It?s only when he has achieved all these tasks that he can sleep at night.
Ramakrishnan?s day is long but his family is very understanding. Of course, they do grumble occasionally.
Throughout his childhood and education, Ramakrishnan sought opportunities for growth. He was lucky enough to study on a scholarship from Class 10 to graduation. He was as focused about his basketball and football as he was about his studies, winning a number of certificates for both sports, as well as being a member of the gymnastics and yoga teams.
