'Even a Small Grocery Store Should be Able to Experience IBM'

- Aveek Datta

It’s been only about six months since Karan Bajwa, 50, took over as managing director of IBM India. And he is already pulling all stops to achieve the ambitious goal he has set for himself: To make IBM India the number one cloud and cognitive solutions company for businesses in the country.

The former managing director of Microsoft India, who succeeded Vanitha Narayanan (now elevated as chairman of IBM India), wants to position the company as a one-stop marketplace for all the technological needs of an enterprise, and not merely for products. The conducive environment in India— which has emerged as a bright spot for the New York-headquartered $80-billion global technology giant —is likely to aid Bajwa’s journey.

The company’s strategy is to offer end-to-end solutions for enterprises, spanning across the customer lifecycle from consulting on the best solutions to devising them through products and services (even if they include third-party products) and overseeing their implementation.

In an interview with Forbes India, Bajwa says he wants IBM India to become the platform on which applications meant for grocery store owners are built by developers. He also expresses concern about the recent cyber attacks worldwide and says that while digital security occupies high mindshare among Indian companies, the funds allocated for it are meagre. Edited excerpts:

Q What is IBM India’s greatest strength?