As storage needs escalate, small time players are getting their act together to make their presence felt. The same holds true for IP storage networking player, Adaptec (India).

And by roping in Gopalakrishna Ramavana as the new Managing Director, they have taken a step further towards strengthening their position.
Managing the R&D operations of the India center, the newly appointed MD candidly admits, “Retaining talent that
we nurtured is the biggest challenge today.”

That is probably why he is insistent on a company having complete product ownership. While ownership is something that has to be earned over time with great output and quality, Ramavana is of the opinion that the challenge would in turn attract more talent and evolve the Indian IT industry.

An electronics and communications graduate from Mysore University, Ramavana was tackling hardware right from the start. Working on operating systems, his job profiles at Wipro and then GE Medicals gave him the necessary global exposure. But it was his role as lab director at HP that eventually carved his niche. Developing products with a team of 40 members gave him the belief that product development was here to stay if nurtured the right way.

‘Help, guide and innovate’—this motto is what keeps this stoic manager on his toes. “The organization is responsible for recognizing the potential in innovative ideas and from there on to appropriately seed it, nurture it and grow it into its full potential.”

The new chief is secretive about future plans. “Right now it’s just focusing on more quality work from the India center,” he concludes.

We will just have to wait and watch.