Interview: Selvaganesh M.P – CEO of SMI and Technology Management Specialist

At Sugermint Media, our aim is to bring to our entrepreneurs community some of the inspiring and motivational stories from the entrepreneurial ecosystem. As part of this endeavour, we invited yet another passionate entrepreneur Selvaganesh M.P for an exclusive interview with us.

Selvaganesh M.P is a young entrepreneur. He is a Technology Management Specialist and founder and CEO of SMI. Let’s learn more about his inspirational journey and his advice for our growing community!

This is the interview of Selvaganesh M.P, Successful Indian entrepreneur and CEO of SMI, global technology solutions provider in India.

Tell us a little about yourself

Selvaganesh M.P: Hi, I’m Selvaganesh M.P, born and brought up in Sivakasi, a small town 75 km away from Madurai.

I have over 25 years of working experience, out of which 12 years in the Textile Industry, and 19 years in IT services.

I’m currently the CEO and technology management specialist in SMI — one of the leading IT firms in the country. 

How did you get your idea or concept for the business?

Selvaganesh M.P: Prior to SMI, I have worked as an architect at IBM. I have always been a passionate technical architect and wanted to do something bigger and better.

This led me to establish my own business venture, SMI in 2006. Today, we are named among the leading global IT solution providers. 

What service(s) or product(s) do you offer?

Selvaganesh M.P: As I have mentioned earlier, SMI is a leading global IT solution provider. We deliver a full range of IT services to our local and global clients.

What makes us different from our rivals is the fact that we never compromise on the quality of service.

With over 25 years of experience and a team of talented software and IT professionals, we are continuously helping our clients to grow and thrive. 

What is unique about your business?

Selvaganesh M.P: We are customer-oriented. Customers are everything to us. When a client visits us, we understand their business, the problems they are dealing with, and the goals they are planning to achieve.

It is only after this assessment, we plan and devise customized solutions to help them meet their goals and requirements. The customer experience we provide is what makes us stand apart from our competitors.

What made you choose this type of business?

Selvaganesh M.P: I’d say passion. The biggest reason why I started this business is because of my passion for providing innovative IT solutions.

Before SMI and IBM, I worked in the textile industry for more than a decade. While the pay and position was good, it never gave me the satisfaction I was looking for.

I felt something was missing, and then I came to know that I belong to the IT industry, and it is my destination. 

What was your mission at the outset?

Selvaganesh M.P: Back in 2006, I started the company with a mission to provide innovative and high-quality IT solutions to help our clients increase their performance and boost their efficiency while maximizing their ROI and profits. 

How many employees are in your organization?

Selvaganesh M.P: We don’t call them employees, instead we work like a family. So, currently, SMI is a family of very talented, experienced and well-trained professionals. 

What’s your company’s goals?

Selvaganesh M.P: Our goal is to utilize innovative technologies to tailor unique and highly efficient solutions to meet our client’s needs.

Ultimately, we are working towards becoming a technologically advanced and most trusted organization known for providing supreme quality and cost-effective solutions to the customers. 

How do you build a successful customer base?

Selvaganesh M.P: I believe, customer base is not something you can get in exchange for money.

Sure, you can invest in great marketing campaigns to earn a handful of customers, but to make them stay and become loyal, you need to offer them what they’re looking for.

So according to me, the key to building a successful customer base is understanding your customer requirements and providing them with the finest quality solutions at a reasonable price. 

What have been some of your failures, and what have you learned from them?

Selvaganesh M.P: No successful journey is complete without a fine line of failures. Well, I too had a fair share of failures and disappointments, especially during the initial years of SMI.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned from my own failures is to never make decisions in a hurry. Be practical and do what feels right to you. Also, never give up until you get what you want. 

Who has been your greatest inspiration?

Selvaganesh M.P: I’m a person who takes inspiration from everyone. So, there is not a particular person I can call my inspiration.

I take inspiration from the people working around me, including my team, my juniors as well as the pioneers in my industry. 

What are some of the biggest mistakes you’ve made?

Selvaganesh M.P: Taking everything on my own. During the early days, I used to hesitate from taking help.

I quickly learned that asking for clarification, and getting the issue solved right away is far better than being unsure and doing things in the wrong way. 

If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?

Selvaganesh M.P: ” If you’re tired, learn to take rest, not to quit.”  As I already mentioned, never give up until you get what you want. 

Does your company help the community or society?

Selvaganesh M.P: Yes, we do help the community by providing trailblazing IT solutions. 

Website / URL: https://www.bautomate.com