Interviews

Dot Com Infoway was started way back in the year 2000, exactly at the time when the dot com bust had happened. There were very few IT companies at that point of time and we felt that software development would move on to become huge business as it had great potential for growth. Incidentally we began both our businesses, the software development solutions as well the movie portal Gallata.com just before the dot com crash happened, but fortunately we've been riding the crest of the wave since then.

Where did you set up shop first?

Dot Com Infoway is the result of a merger between GNG Internet and CRV Infotech, a company that I had set up in Madurai in 1996. After the merger we continued to keep the Madurai office, which handles most of the backend work now while the Chennai office handles the marketing side of the business. Madurai we felt is a great place in terms of resources. Being a small city talent is quite untapped and good there and that's one reason why we continue having a branch there.

How did Galatta.com happen?

I should say it was sort of an experiment. People in India do spend a lot of time watching movies, which we felt had the possibility of opening up a good stream of revenue. And well, that hunch has paid off, since we are currently the leader in the movie portal space. We are also the Number One portal in the whole of south India when it comes to offering a legalised access to film music.

Any expansion plans?

Yes we're opening up a base in the Netherlands soon. Other than that we're also planning to open up a marketing division in San Francisco, most probably in the coming financial year.

Any plans to diversify or expand your business' portfolio of offerings?

Yes like every other business DCI too constantly strives to keep innovating. That's why from generic software development we've extended our portfolio to include mobile application development, a lot of which should hit the market in the next 6 months. We've even struck two big deals, one being with Android and other with Blackberry. We've also tied-up with the IPL T20 event, for developing mobile applications. The iPhone Apps that we develop will help fans stay informed of the scores, team-standing and even get schedules. Very soon we'll also be launching a new advanced app that will provide more than just information, as it includes video highlights, scorecards, commentary and other rich features.

Any first-of-its-kind innovations?

Oh that would be the music apps that we've developed. In fact what we've developed is incidentally the country's first music application. With almost non-existent access to the iTunes store here in India, we felt it would be great to come up with our own invention that could allow music lovers to be provided with an all-inclusive legal access to the songs they love. We've also signed a 4 movie contract with Sony Music. The apps for A.R.Rahman's compositions in the film 'Vinnaithandi Varuvaya' was developed by DCI. We now plan to broaden the threshold to include other essential areas of daily living and hope to equip people with a more comprehensive access to information that they are looking for. Say for instance someone wants to eat pizzas; we're looking at building apps that will help the user do a search and get the list of the hotels nearby that sell pizzas.

As an employer what sets DCI apart? Why do you think someone should choose to work with DCI?

Because you get noticed. Every employee of DCI gets recognised and we always make sure that everyone works together as a team, overlooking hierarchies. People have the utmost freedom to pursue excellence, everyday. Moreover the environment at DCI is more congenial than most of the organisations. It's more like being in college with loads of fun, which makes sure all our employees truly enjoy working.

What does your organisation do to motivate employee morale?

Like I'd already told you, we always make sure every employee's efforts and contribution is adequately recognised and celebrated. Other than that, we also have these yearly trips and events that help them let their hair down. We also do an out of the country trip for employees who have completed more than 3 years with us. We've taken people to Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Bangkok, well though they're only places close-by, these outings help everyone connect better and also gives them a chance to visit places abroad.

Tell us something about the way you started. Did you work anywhere before you ventured out on your own?

No, I've never worked for any employer; I've always been my own boss. Soon after completing my college education, I had gone to the US for 3 months. This I would say was the defining moment, since it was then that I learned about email and websites. As soon as I came back I started educating people about the positives of sending emails than postcards. When people started showing interest I helped them create IDs and also assisted in getting them to keep in touch with people abroad. I later started my own business that charged people to send and receive emails. It was a little later that I decided to have my own website and learned the ropes after myriad little enlightening episodes, which has now got me where I am today.

What do you think are the qualities a person should have to make a success out of their career?

Well, passion, determination and the desire to learn. Learning never ends, that's why even today you'll always find me with a laptop, because I think it is necessary to stay in touch with the innovations around you. There is always something that you can learn from everything; all you'll have to do is learn to put that knowledge-gained to good use.