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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline JANUARY 08, 2021 | The Indian Eye 20

“learn how to balance your dreams and current reality”

S anjay Nagi did his Me- paniit Fellowships | Q&a with sanjay nagi it is interesting to do a contrast

analysis between a 2 eco systems
Engineering
chanical
from IITR in 1983 and
started his career with Larsen than 25 Start- or consultant to derive learning frameworks
to boost innovation
& Toubro Limited. Since 1993, ups in diverse will more focus I can go on and on but let’s
he has been a serial entrepre- lines ranging on the unique move ahead.
neur. Sanjay Is credited with from Biotech to context in Now let’s go to Start ups. With-
the development of the first clean beauty to which a client out doubting your ability to assist
Customer Satisfaction Index in Edtech, to fleet is, understand a Start-up through and on deci-
India which has been used by management the drivers, sion Support- how does it pan out
almost every market leader in to nutrition to motivations, – why would they agree with you in
the corporate sector to improve personality to apparent im- the first place?
interfaces with their customers gamification plementation Yes, this difference be-
– from TATA to Godrej to Adi- etc. His work readiness be- tween the aspiration and cur-
tya Birla to BEL – every market on Innovation fore he designs rent thought of a Founder with
leader has used these Indices research and a research which he/ she has been sleeping
to improve customer interfaces assessment is unparalleled in which could fulfil a client’s or a and what I believe as a mentor,
and take vital strategic decisions India – ranging from proving Government’s need. That is the will manifest as higher and sus-
around sustainable value cre- along with IIMB that the coun- critical difference – and there- tainable value for the enterprise
ation. Sanjay has assisted Ma- try’s competitiveness is depen- fore Decision Support is a mix does require a bit of “selling” –
hindra & Mahindra to get the dent on Innovation rather than of a science and art curated over what makes it easier is that they
coveted Deming Award by de- SCM or Productivity to De- experience. see positive intent – what makes
veloping a Supplier Satisfaction cision Support on India’s first Before we come to Start ups, it difficult is the fact that many
Index for them. After India pri- dialysis centre outside a hospi- can you give us one or two case times they cannot either see so
vatized airports in 2006, Sanjay tal to the relationship of R&D studies of how Decision Support much into the future or process
has been co – working with the with Innovation. Sanjay Nagi is can benefit a Government in its data in their minds in the man-
Aviation industry in enhancing also mentor to AICTE, GOI, policy making? ners we can. I have had a 95%
pax satisfaction as well as as- TIDES, IITR and BSE Ryreson Let me take a clear nation- success rate – in some cases even
sisting revenue enhancement – Incubator. He has been deeply al imperative of boosting Inno- transforming the entire business
GMR, GVK, CIAL, BIAL and involved in IIT Alumni Council vation and give you 2 examples thought out by the Founder and
now Adani – all private players initiatives. of how Decision Support could they have happily agreed as I
are patrons of his Decision Sup- possibly assist the Government was able to first make them re-
port Models. in an interview with the at large. Obviously the GOI rec- alize the limitations of what they
More than 75 global compa- ognizes that Innovation is the were thinking – a kind of a make
nies including market leaders indian eye, sanjay nagi source of a country’s compet- their minds empty first – then
like Caterpillar, DSM, Glan- spoke about his life, work itiveness and various national fill it with a vision pretty much
bia, Toyota, Mitek (a Hathaway initiatives have been taken to triangulated with their com-
Berkshire company) have used and outlook. excerpts: further this – one Decision Sup- petence and starting idea but
Decision Support models of port I was involved was the re- totally altered on the impacts.
Sanjay to either enter India or You introduce yourself as a lationship between R&D and Just about 5% somehow cannot
enhance their Indian business Decision Support Consultant. Innovation. bring themselves to doing what
– these cut across country and What exactly does this mean to a While the GOI wants Inno- we suggest have limitations of
sector and this unique ability to client and how are you differen- vation, it typically funds R&D cash flow or cash burns that do
provide incisive Decision Sup- tiated as compared to a research and there was no known cor- not allow them to take the strat-
port Research across industrial, professional? relation between R&D and In- egy suggested by a mentor.
consumer, luxury and social sec- Every client takes a deci- novation which I assisted the As a parting thought, what
tors is a unique hallmark. sion in a unique context and it GOI to do. So now we know would you like to advise any Start
Sanjay regularly mentors would be virtually impossible how much % of R&D results up in general?
young Start-ups – many of them that the same decision is made in Innovation and which sectors Well, it is difficult to gener-
from the IIT community on Go by a diverse set of clients or lead and which lag, which re- alize but three definite points:
To Market and Business Models start-ups in a uniform manner. gions lag etc. This can assist Pol- One- Spend as much thought
– sometimes in just 2 meetings he A research professional will fo- icy planning and while I cannot on Knowing yourself as you do
is able to redraw the contours of cus on the decision, develop a give you figures – R&D is rather on your business; Two- Develop
the manner the Founder should research design, and deliver a poorly correlated to Innovation the larger perspective and abili-
approach the market. He has fairly Me- Too Solution that will in India which is sad. ty to see your Start up from the
developed a Decision Support typically be same across differ- Another area is how to boost outside; and Three - Learn how
Model for Start-up curation ent clients for a unique context. the eco system in a local region to balance your dreams and cur-
and is currently curating more A Decision Support Researcher that supports Innovation – so rent reality.

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