Perfect Show With Rajan Narayanan - A Passionate Enterpriser !!

The PS Show is Back !!

Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius said it right,

"A man's worth is no greater than the worth of his ambitions."

In this edition of PERFECT show, we have a person who symbolizes and has lived his life based on the strength of his ambitions., It gives me great pleasure to have Mr. Rajan Narayanan, in the PERFECT show. Rajan is a former Vice Chairman & COO, Linc Software and presently the Senior Vice-president, MindTree Ltd.


He did his engineering at REC,Trichy, and joined AV Thomas Software Research, as a Hardware Engineer, after which he switched on to Software to work with Advent Computer Services Ltd for 4 years, and then went on to establish Linc Software with two friends in 1988. He was the CEO at Advent, when he decided to be an entrepreneur and founded Linc Software.Rajan Narayanan is also an active member of RECAL Alumni Bangalore Chapter and is currently the President of RECAL Bangalore Chapter.

Now its over to the Show.

Guest: Mr. Rajan Narayanan : RN
Host: Prashant Sree : PS

PS: Hi Rajan, I on behalf of my readers Welcome you to the PERFECT SHOW. Its a honour to have you in the Show.
RN: Thanks Prashant, Its my pleasure to be in the Show.

PS: Sir,What are you passionate about in Life ?
RN: Iam passionate about Entrepreneurship.

Rajan's favorite topic is Entrepreneurship’ and he likes to speak for hours and also has an affinity for the word ‘passion’. His faith and love for IT industry clearly splashes when he quotes Narayan Murthy many times for saying “For the first time in 400 years is India being respected for something” (referring to software industry in India).

PS: What have you learnt in your life( other than academics), which you would like to share with others ?
RN: I have learnt that there is a need to learn, unlearn and relearn continuously. Learning is a continuous journey.


PS:Yes Sir, That's a perpetual truth.,. Now, the next question.
If you are given a wish to change one thing in world, what would you change ?
RN: Poverty

PS: Who is your Favorite Mythological Hero and why ?
RN:My favorite Mythological hero is Krishna …. Because he was the greatest Management Guru ..

PS: Thats an interesting view,Sir. What would you like to stand for in your life ?
RN: Simplicity.

PS: What do you consider your charm ?
RN: My Down to earth nature and character


PS: Iam sure many of the people who have interacted with you will vouch for that., :) What is your Thumb Rule to be successful and happy in Life ?
RN:To be contented at all times, with what you have.,

PS: Sir, now few more questions apart from the regular PERFECT questions. Since you have been in the software industry for a considerable amount of time, What do you think about the Outsourcing phenomenon which is slowly changing in India. How flexible will we be when compared to countries like China,Malaysia who are gearing up for a market share ?
RN:We are clearly the preferred choice as an outsourcing destination today and that trend will continue going forward. We will however face challenges from increased competition but I am confident that our premier position is here to stay.

PS: How do you see the IT industry 5 years from now. How long the IT bubble boom( which has been on consistent for the past 4 years) will remain so...?
RN: I see the IT industry growing over the next 5 years and becoming a formidable force in changing and contributing to the society of this country. The bubble has now become a permanent balloon. We are and will continue to be seen as the best off-shoring destination. Domestic IT industry needs to grow a lot more and that will most likely happen in the next 5 years.

PS: How do you see to what extent Money plays a role of motivating people. Does it hold true as we began to earn more ?
RN: Money does contribute significantly to motivation especially at lower levels. The impact does diminish as one moves up the ladder.

PS: Who have been your role models and for what reasons ?
RN: My parents for their sacrifice, sincerity, simplicity, compassion, and hard work.

PS: Since you have been an entrepreneur, What do you think are the things which the entrepreneur has to be careful of, before launching his own startup..
RN: The answer is simple.,. All that is needed is just an idea, the passion to execute it and the ability to think big.

PS: What are the 3 most important lessons, which you learnt in your first 3 years of Job ?
RN: My learning's have been many, yet the 3 most prominent one's are:

• The first and most important lesson was that learning had just begun with the first job whilst we mostly think that learning ends when we graduate from university.

• That the “Customer is always right “ and therefore Customer comes first as the major stakeholder

• Importance of understanding Customer’s business / need to enhance domain knowledge

PS: What are your favorite quotes and your favorite books till date ? –
RN: Favorite quote is “THINK” by Thomas J Watson, Jr (IBM). and book – the one I had just began writing ..



PS: Thats amazing Sir. I didnt know till now that you are writing a book., Looking forward to your book. And, we have come to the end of the PERFECT Show. I thank you for spending your precious time with us and for answering the questions. On behalf my readers, I wish you and your family a Successful Happy Life.
RN: Thanks Prashant. Wish you All the Best.

“If you trust the winner within you, you will win.

If you can keep your courage, you will go so far.

If you follow your ambitions, your course will guide you toward a ladder that you can climb to your stars.”

I hope you enjoyed this edition of PERFECT Show, and also learnt something. I had taken some excerpts from "http://meetyourbuddy.blogspot.com/", a blog which Anurag and Arpit had initiated.,.

Take Control !