Ravi Venkatesan, former chairman and corporate vice-president of Microsoft India, has quit the company after a seven-year stint. The company’s Indian business has grown several-fold during this period. In an interview with Bibhu Ranjan Mishra, he shares the reasons behind his decision to quit and his future plans. Edited excerpts:
You were the face of Microsoft in India; what is the reason behind the decision to quit?
It was a personal decision I took six months ago. I have been working with the company to ensure there is a smooth transition and I will stay for a few more months.
When you told the board, were they surprised?
I don’t think people were surprised. Seven years is a long time for someone to stick to a particular company. Back in 2004, we had set a wholesome objective in terms of financial goals. Those have been met. We have a sound leadership team in place now. We are growing faster and India is the fastest growing area for Microsoft is Asia. So, if you are going to make a change, it is better to make changes when things are going on well rather than when things are not going on well.
How has the company grown in these seven years?
Our India revenues have grown five-fold and it is nearly $1 billion now. The headcount has grown five times to 5,300 people. India is the largest geography for Microsoft outside the US. We have the highest customer satisfaction in the IT industry in India.
Is it true you did not attend your business review meetings recently owing to some dissatisfaction?
I have been fully involved in all decisions taken so far. I just returned from Redmond last week. There were so many reviews; I attended some, but could not attend all.
Three top people have quit Microsoft India in less than a year. Is there some sort of dissatisfaction brewing within the company?
People love good stories. The exit of the three (India sales head Rajan Anandan and Microsoft India Development Centre MD Srini Koppolu), including me, are completely unrelated. Koppolu left the company after 21 years, which includes 10 years in building and running MIDC. That is completely a natural thing. Anandan resigned after two years, it was his personal decision. I resigned to make a shift in my personal life.
You are leaving the company at a time when the domestic market is opening up. Will the existing leaders in the company be able to harness the opportunities?
The Indian domestic market will explode in the next 12 to 18 months. I have a strong faith in the capability of our existing and future leaders.
There are reports that your decision to quit might be a follow-up to the decision of Microsoft to do a management shake-up, globally?
It is not factual at all. As I said, this was my personal decision. Last summer I decided to make certain changes in my life and got married in October. I will make more changes.
Will your successor be someone within the company?
Microsoft will announce my successor and it is likely that the person will be from outside the company.
Do you intend to be in the IT sector? There are talks that you might join Reliance Industries.
These speculations are natural, but I will take some time off as I intend to work on my book. I will look at all options and then decide. At this stage, I am not going to rule out anything.
What is your book about?
My book is called Winning In India. It looks at why is that so few MNCs and global companies have successfully built large businesses in India and what can be learnt from these experiences. I have been fortunate to have built two large businesses — for Cummins and Microsoft, and I am also on the board of Volvo. So it is something I am really passionate about.
So what do you think the MNCs lack to succeed here?
You have to find the right approach for the Indian market and customers. It is very different from the developed market and their home countries. Most companies find that very difficult for a variety of reasons. If one wants to enter India, it is wise to get in early, rather than late and make sure you have a good combination of local and global approach.
How far has the book progressed?
I have finished the outline and have zeroed in on a publisher.
Will your exit be followed by some changes in your India strategy?
The strategy continues to be the same for our existing business. As I said, there is going to be a big IT adoption in India by consumers and small businesses, and therefore, the company obviously will focus a lot on that new space. But the existing focus on enterprise and government will continue.
Where done SMEs stand in this strategy?
The small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have not shown any interest and readiness in using information technology. It is beginning to change with the emergence of cloud computing and rolling out of 3G and 4G networks. I think Microsoft is well-positioned to tap those opportunities.
