This issue of The Smart Manager focuses on a leader who is at the helm of a $ 6.2 billion global information technology services company—Anant Gupta, the CEO and President of HCL Technologies Limited. In an exclusive interview with The Smart Manager, he takes the readers through HCL’s growth story, talks about triggers that will shape the future of business, and gives an insight into his leadership style. This issue’s lead feature explores the connect between workplace design and productivity—Aparna Piramal Raje, author; Sonali Rastogi, Morphogenesis; and Morgen Witzel, Exeter Business School share their views on the topic. Don Tapscott, The Tapscott Group, and Alex Tapscott, Northwest Passage Ventures, break down the concept of blockchain technology, and show how it is going to impact the future of businesses; Howard J Morgan and Joelle K Jay, authors of The New Advantage, talk about the need for gender-balanced teams to drive productivity; Raj Mankar and Akshaya Bhate, Aker Solutions India, highlight how adopting lean methodologies and agile principles has helped the company achieve increased productivity and higher operational excellence; Suresh Lulla, Qimpro Consultants explains why it is crucial for companies to create a culture that thrives on quality. In our regular sections, we have Winnie Brignac Hart and Lorrie Brignac Lee, authors of Stand Out, busting myths regarding how to truly stand out in the corporate jungle. In First Serve, we look at the customer service practices of General Motors India.
The Smart Manager, India's first world-class management magazine, was founded in 2002 by eminent business historian Dr Gita Piramal with Harvard Business School Dean, Prof. Nitin Nohria with the mission of updating managers and business practitioners in India with the latest thought-provoking strategic ideas from experienced, world-class managers, academics and consultants from across the globe. Over the years, the magazine has carried articles authored by illustrious management gurus such as the late CK Prahalad and Sumantra Ghoshal, Jack Trout, Ram Charan, Gary Hamel, Gay Haskins, Jagdish Seth and Lynda Gratton. We believe that "managers are the best teachers of managers" and most of our articles are written in the first person by top-tier CEOs such as Kumaramangalam Birla, Sunil Mittal, Aditya Birla, KV Kamath, Santrupt Mitra, Rajeev Dubey and S Ramadorai. We also have relationships with a number of B-schools around the world, apart from most top-level schools in India. The Smart Manager hosts the Tata Consultancy Services Smart Manager Case Contest, the most prestigious competition of its kind in the Indian print media. The contest, with a cash prize of INR50,000 per issue, sees wide participation from national and international business managers and students. The 'Smart" in The Smart Manager is an acronym for Strategy, Marketing, Analysis, Resources and Technology. Truly useful knowledge when you need it 24 x 365, year after year.