CxO Insights: Neelesh Kripalani, CTO, Slonkit

CxO Insights: Neelesh Kripalani, CTO, Slonkit, he has 20 years of experience in building companies, delivering cross-platform payments products and helping BFSI organizations to improve productivity and service outcomes.

Your top priority while making decisions to improve tech infra in your organization?

The technology infrastructure is an enabler. It must empower companies to become agile and enhance operational efficiency. It must also be safe, secure, and robust. The technology infrastructure should be in sync with the requirements of today’s digital era and should allow safe and secure access to authorised systems ubiquitously to enable companies to remain open for business 24*7.

Challenges you face in driving digital transformation?

Digital is a mindset. The biggest challenge is to help people to overcome their own status quo so that they can seamlessly embrace the digital way of business and life. Once the seeds for this mindset change is sown, everything else just follows.

Digital requires a cohesive organizational effort. It requires organizations to bring business and technology together and agree on digital being an over-arching enabler for the business.

Do you feel that freshers in the industry come with only basic knowledge but don’t have the right skills to fulfil job requirements? If yes, your suggestion to students and colleges?

I have seen immensely knowledgeable freshers as well as the ones with basic knowledge. It is important to have the “right” skills, but it is also good to ensure that it reaches the students through the education ecosystem at the right time. I believe universities and colleges should be more tuned to the industry and should develop curriculum based on industry requirements. This will enhance the quality of freshers.

For example, Clover Infotech has taken the onus of skilling freshers through its knowledge arm, Clover Academy. Students are not only exposed to hands-on training under technology experts but also given opportunities to work on live projects under the tutelage of expert tech professionals. This enables students to gain overall exposure to handling technologies and projects as well as dealing with clients.

What’s your mantra to become successful in life?

• Have a dream and a vision.

• Be passionate about achieving it and work very hard

• Set very high standards for yourself and for your teams

• Mentor and guide people to help them achieve their dreams and goals

What would you like to give back to the society?

India’s demographic dividend is a huge advantage for us. However, to leverage this factor, we must ensure that appropriate technology skills are imparted to our youngsters.

I would like to start an academy wherein I can help fresh graduates to channel their knowledge into technology skills that the industry demands. This will not only make young India gainfully employable, but also create a harmonious society which will form the bedrock of our economic prosperity.

Your favourite book and what are you reading now?

Zero to One by Peter Thiel is my favourite book. And, currently I am reading “The Spider Network” by David Enrich.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I like to read and watch latest web series on Netflix such as Dirty Money in my spare time.

Achievements (Awards & Recognitions)

• CEO Special Award for Performance Excellence - TechProcess • CIO Choice Awards 2014 for the Best Application Delivery Platform – Clover Infotech• Recognised as emerging leader and attended the emerging leadership program at TechProcess organized in 2008.

Experience

Currently, I am the CTO for Slonkit have 20 years of experience in building companies, delivering cross-platform payments products and helping BFSI organizations to improve productivity and service outcomes.
First Job: Project Manager at Choksi Technologies since 1999

Professional journey:

• Assistant Vice President – Technology at TechProcess Solutions since 2004

• Senior Vice President – Delivery at Agile Financial technologies since 2010

• Vice President – Application Services at Clover Infotech since 2011

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