Amarnath Dovari : Taking India To The Forefront Of Global Electronic Manufacturing
Amarnath Dovari
Managing Director
India, unfortunately, hasn’t created the electronics ecosystem that is globally benchmarked, as evidenced by our share in the global electronics value chain in low single digits. Understanding the imperative for domestic electronics value chain, the Indian government today has come up with various initiatives to propel growth in this all important trade segment.
An alumnus of the prestigious IIT Madras, Amarnath Dovari, Managing Director, Merritronix, pursued B.Tech, post which he started his career in Hyderabad-based telecom accessories manufacturing firm Merritronix, a firm started by his Dad, D Y Das. Amarnath started its EMS(Electronic Manufacturing Services) division in 2002 and hasn’t looked back since.
Apart from consolidating bulk PCB assembly requirements, the firm today is also a key player in the European market, offering world-class turnkey manu- facturing services. Amarnath also envisions venturing deeper into the semiconductor space leveraging the prototype semi-conductor packaging that he already has delivered to most demanding Indian customers.
In an exclusive interview with CEO Insights, Amarnath sheds light on his professional journey, his leadership approach, his future roadmap, and much more.
Share with us a brief background on your professional journey. What are the major milestones and the challenges that have been a part of your professional journey so far?
My professional journey started immediately after my B.tech from IIT Chennai in 1993. In 2002, I was given a chance to start the electronic manufacturing services division and were one of the pioneering firms to set up a facility like that in Hyderabad.
In 2009, with the introduction of turnkey manufacturing, there was a minor drift in the business model. While we have been a profit-making company overall, there still were a few hiccups in between. The parent telecom business division suffered huge losses due to the downslide of BSNL, resulting in a sharp revenue drop in 2012-13.
While there was visible progress in the following years, the business again went through a challenging phase during the pandemic in 2020-21. However, in 2022-23, we experienced a revenue growth of almost three and a half times, riding on top of post pandemic pent-up demand and changing geopolitical preferences. We sustained business growth through 2023-2024, with an overall growth of around 60 percent, and it looks like we have potential to achieve similar growth this year too.
Could you tell us about the most valuable lesson or experience you gained from IIT Madras?
Being a part of a diverse environment at IIT Madras helped us get exposed to different opinions and perspectives. We joined IIT at the tender age of around 16-17. Coming from a cocooned environment to be a part of such a huge environment of talents helped broaden our horizons. Those numerous good spirited heated debates opened us to new ideas.
The faculty members were incredibly friendly and helpful, and used to help students in case needed even post working hours. One of the best things that happened to me during my days at IIT Madras was meeting my friends. I still cherish those memories of midnight rides to Tharamani for tea and endless discussions on anything under the sky as well as last-minute preparations before semesters. We also have a strong alumni network that over time only gets broader and deeper and is always within reach.
Tell us about your leadership approach. What are the guidelines or methodologies you follow as a leader?
If we go back to the 90s, management used to believe in micromanagement and expect employees to follow what they say. However, I evolved into a delegating leader, assigning tasks to the team and giving them
The immense oppor- tunities as well as the vast scope of growth in the Electronics sector is what motivates me to keep going
While there was visible progress in the following years, the business again went through a challenging phase during the pandemic in 2020-21. However, in 2022-23, we experienced a revenue growth of almost three and a half times, riding on top of post pandemic pent-up demand and changing geopolitical preferences. We sustained business growth through 2023-2024, with an overall growth of around 60 percent, and it looks like we have potential to achieve similar growth this year too.
Could you tell us about the most valuable lesson or experience you gained from IIT Madras?
Being a part of a diverse environment at IIT Madras helped us get exposed to different opinions and perspectives. We joined IIT at the tender age of around 16-17. Coming from a cocooned environment to be a part of such a huge environment of talents helped broaden our horizons. Those numerous good spirited heated debates opened us to new ideas.
The faculty members were incredibly friendly and helpful, and used to help students in case needed even post working hours. One of the best things that happened to me during my days at IIT Madras was meeting my friends. I still cherish those memories of midnight rides to Tharamani for tea and endless discussions on anything under the sky as well as last-minute preparations before semesters. We also have a strong alumni network that over time only gets broader and deeper and is always within reach.
Tell us about your leadership approach. What are the guidelines or methodologies you follow as a leader?
If we go back to the 90s, management used to believe in micromanagement and expect employees to follow what they say. However, I evolved into a delegating leader, assigning tasks to the team and giving them
freedom to make decisions based on ground situation. A large part of this mindset comes from my IIT Madras days. I have always believed in an open-door policy, where my colleagues can always reach me whenever needed.
Apart from that, a major aspect of my leadership approach includes taking challenging projects from customers, despite customers themselves warning that the initiative has failed 2-3 times before. Before making decisions, I also believe in taking feedback and suggestions from my team, which has also helped me numerous times.
Where do you picture yourself in the long term of your professional journey, going forward?
In the coming future, I see a vast scope for growth in electronics. At Merritronix, we have been in the domain of rapid prototyping and electronics assemblies. In parallel, we have also been catering to the strategic sectors. Our future roadmap includes strengthening the firm's position further by increasing our top line.
Apart from that, we also envision getting into the semiconductor space riding on existing traction we achieved by executing complex IC packaging space, and wish to explore this semi -conductor opportunity deeper as I feel we have only scratched the surface with leads coming from prototyping for aerospace, medical electronics and industrial electronics. As an organization, we envision growing further with a strong focus on these sectors.
Amarnath Dovari, Managing Director, Merritronix
An accomplished entrepreneur and industry veteran with over three decades of extensive experience in electronics, Amarnath Dovari has been working as the Managing Director at Hyderabad-based leading electronic, network systems, and accessories manufacturing firm, Merritronix. Under his able leadership, the firm has grown into becoming a leading force in the electronic manufacturing industry both nationally and inter nationally. A new-age leader with a strong belief in team empowerment, Amarnath completed his B. Tech from IIT Madras in 1993.
•Hobbies: Listening to music, Long drives, Temple architecture
•Favorite Cuisine: Andhra cuisine
•Favorite Book: The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle, books by Jiddu Krishnamurti
•Favorite Travel Desti- nation: Tawang Valley, Arunachal Pradesh
Apart from that, a major aspect of my leadership approach includes taking challenging projects from customers, despite customers themselves warning that the initiative has failed 2-3 times before. Before making decisions, I also believe in taking feedback and suggestions from my team, which has also helped me numerous times.
Where do you picture yourself in the long term of your professional journey, going forward?
In the coming future, I see a vast scope for growth in electronics. At Merritronix, we have been in the domain of rapid prototyping and electronics assemblies. In parallel, we have also been catering to the strategic sectors. Our future roadmap includes strengthening the firm's position further by increasing our top line.
Apart from that, we also envision getting into the semiconductor space riding on existing traction we achieved by executing complex IC packaging space, and wish to explore this semi -conductor opportunity deeper as I feel we have only scratched the surface with leads coming from prototyping for aerospace, medical electronics and industrial electronics. As an organization, we envision growing further with a strong focus on these sectors.
Amarnath Dovari, Managing Director, Merritronix
An accomplished entrepreneur and industry veteran with over three decades of extensive experience in electronics, Amarnath Dovari has been working as the Managing Director at Hyderabad-based leading electronic, network systems, and accessories manufacturing firm, Merritronix. Under his able leadership, the firm has grown into becoming a leading force in the electronic manufacturing industry both nationally and inter nationally. A new-age leader with a strong belief in team empowerment, Amarnath completed his B. Tech from IIT Madras in 1993.
•Hobbies: Listening to music, Long drives, Temple architecture
•Favorite Cuisine: Andhra cuisine
•Favorite Book: The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle, books by Jiddu Krishnamurti
•Favorite Travel Desti- nation: Tawang Valley, Arunachal Pradesh