Jyoti Bandopadhyay
CIO,
Torrent Power Ltd

This CIO’s success is in itself a reflection of the quantum of challenges and objectives he has undertaken in his professional career. In this special series titled ‘The One Thing’, CIOL attempts to discover and unravel the many facets of Jyoti Bandopadhyay's challenging and inspiring portfolio as a CIO, a Decision Maker and an IT Leader.

Q: What is the one thing that you draw your strength to achieve your goals?
A: Leadership capability and maturity towards technology and business knowledge, which gat updated all the time as per prevailing business and technology.

This capability of getting myself updated with the above and extra ordinary people management skill only enabled me to lead from the front.

Q: What is the one facet of leadership that has truly inspired you?
A: Right leadership only brings in the confidence for the team to take up challenges and work as team to achieve the goal so that each of the team members specific skill get exploited to its fullest extent to achieve the common objective to bring in the highest value for the business.

Q: What is the one thing that you would advise to upcoming and aspiring CIOs?
A: Get your self-updated with the intricate business issues and the detail knowledge and also the technology, which are getting evolved time to time. So that appropriate buying from the business leads can be obtained for an IT enabled business process, which can bring in more value towards business and the business leads come forward to lead the project.

Q: Who is the one leader that you have admired?
A: Ms Indira Gandhi – ex - Prime Minister of India

Q: What is the one major challenge you face as a CIO?
A: Not getting the opportunity of understanding the business issues and the knowledge. Most progressive Company CIO 's are included in the Business Manager's Round table to discuss on the business issue.

In the event of the CIO 's not included in the business meetings or not appraised about the business issues, it really becomes the greatest challenge for the CIO to facilitate / deliver the IT enabled business process in connection with its quality , timelines , utilization and the ROI.

Q: What is the one successful practice you deploy to motivate your teams?
A: Creation of the environment of challenge all the time through the integration of business and the technology

Q: What is the one thing you do to manage stress?
A: At least once in a week spending sometime with " NO Technology and Business ". Chilling some time with SRK / KAT / DP or discuss on "Picture abhi baki hai" or "Hamne sayad dekha kabhii RAB kisi me " or DHONI or Yuvi or leander or sania or saina.

Q: What is the one thing that decision makers and leaders must avoid as a rule?
A: Sense of Self / Ego as a rule must be avoided while working in team as a rule.

Q: Name one HR best practice that can aid in people retention?
A: Deputing people time to time in to leading institutes for knowledge enhancement program - even acquiring additional qualifications like Executive MBA, etc.

and

Organize time to time some chilling out programs like Quiz competition, Celebration party for successful delivery (Outside office premises / city), Cross functional programs just for chilling out with spouse, etc

Q: What is the one great opportunity you see in these tough times of global recession?
A: Look out opportunity for adding more value towards business to adapting more cost effective and user-friendly systems and special attention towards security and DR solutions.