Deepak Kumar Singh: Growing At The Juncture Of People Clients & Challenges
Deepak Kumar Singh
Founder, MD & CEO
The industry maven comes with around 25 years of experience in areas of Consulting, Market Research and Strategy & Business Development. His varied exposure to the global and deep exposure to regional marketslike Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Tokyo and many other APAC countries and also South Asian markets like India, Colombo, and many more, helps him understand the global business market and trends in a very deep way.
Not being a safe corporate player, he took a year break while his career was at its peak just to travel the world and the Himalayas, meditate and live life as he loves. The conversation with this meticulous leader seeds valuable nuggets. The following excerpt is a brief snippet from the interview between Deepak and CEO Insights.
Walk us through your education and professional background before Big Blue Banyan.
My father was an Army Officer, so my schooling happened in Kendriya Vidyalayas across the length and breadth of India. I am a Mechanical Engineer from the National Institute of Technology Silchar and I pursued my Masters in Business Admini stration(MBA)from FMS at Delhi University.
My career started as an Engineer before I delved into market research obtained a Professional Certification in Market Research from MICA to equip myself better.
In the 25 years of my professional
journey, I could work with a huge plethora of fortune brands across industries owing to my association with companies like Nielsen (erstwhile MARG), Ipsos (Singapore & APAC markets including India), Kantar (Japan), and TNS & Kadence International in India & South Asia bulk of my career time was spent at TNS Kantar and Ipsos though.
What prompted the establishment of Big Blue Banyan in the thriving niche of market research?
WhenI was back in India after experiencing global and regional research markets more closely, I realized that market research all across the world still mostly follows the old practices and standard way of doing things (which we call system2 research) which are hugely limited in providing insights, so I was eager to start something different more potent and nextgen deploying cutting edge tech available and in collaboration with other like minded market research souls. Also realized that my understanding of startup ecosystem was very limited, which got better with my successful but short stint at a small company, after which Big Blue Banyan happened.
Big Blue Banyan was founded in the system1 research & consulting space it is backed by Hitech products and platforms and is a perfect blend of research and tech expertise unlike others and sets the bar at a very different level. Joining hands with few other industry experts, Big Blue Banyan came into existence in 2016 and outstandingly it has been through almost five years of challenging but very satisfying & rewarding journey.
Describe the leadership personality that helps you tackle tough tasks.
I’m a hardcore believer in teamwork and ensure that there is a friendly and transparent atmosphere at the workplace. In the service industry, the team is the key. It’s all about
Big Blue Banyan came into existence in 2016 and outstandingly it has been through almost five years of challenging but very satisfying & rewarding journey
What prompted the establishment of Big Blue Banyan in the thriving niche of market research?
WhenI was back in India after experiencing global and regional research markets more closely, I realized that market research all across the world still mostly follows the old practices and standard way of doing things (which we call system2 research) which are hugely limited in providing insights, so I was eager to start something different more potent and nextgen deploying cutting edge tech available and in collaboration with other like minded market research souls. Also realized that my understanding of startup ecosystem was very limited, which got better with my successful but short stint at a small company, after which Big Blue Banyan happened.
Big Blue Banyan was founded in the system1 research & consulting space it is backed by Hitech products and platforms and is a perfect blend of research and tech expertise unlike others and sets the bar at a very different level. Joining hands with few other industry experts, Big Blue Banyan came into existence in 2016 and outstandingly it has been through almost five years of challenging but very satisfying & rewarding journey.
Describe the leadership personality that helps you tackle tough tasks.
I’m a hardcore believer in teamwork and ensure that there is a friendly and transparent atmosphere at the workplace. In the service industry, the team is the key. It’s all about
motivation, teamwork, and collaboration particularly at Big Blue Banyan the whole idea is to re-engineer, restrategize and course correct continuously, while still being in line with the broad strategy and vision.
Highlight the uniqueness of your brainchild in a few sentences.
We at Big Blue Banyan focus on market research based consulting i.e research based on nextgen system1 and traditional solutions which are powered by cutting-edge tech platforms and backed with individual service approach to create client delight. Passion, transparency, trust, respect, teamwork quality, account ability, forward thinking, and open minded learning are some of the values that make our small team unique. These values reflect in how we engage with each other internally as well as with our clients and partners.
We understand our clients' business and their sectors well and we share total ownership of projects and programs from start to end with a deep sense of commitment to our client success. Our offerings while automated and cutting edge are adapted to client specific & industry specific requirements, as required and relevant. Recently, we have acquired stake in a Canadian tech firm named Emozo.
Who do you look up to for inspiration or mentorship? How do you continue to grow and develop as a leader?
Fortunately I have been a blessed soul and therefore have met several people(my exbosses and industry leaders)who have taught me what to do and what not to do. These people have had confidence in me to give challenging and critical tasks which helped me grow both professionally and personally. They have been a source of my learning & motivation. I thank each and every soul that has crossed my path and have helped me grow as a person and as a business leader.
Following global CEOs makes me understand their strategies under varying circum stances and enriches my learning. Of late, I have been intrigued with the booming tech startups to understand new ways of addressing client needs.
Deepak Kumar Singh, Founder, MD & CEO, Big Blue Banyan
Deepak believes in a people driven organization that strives to offer high quality and client delight by going beyond data and leveraging nextgen thinking and cutting edge technologies.
Highlight the uniqueness of your brainchild in a few sentences.
We at Big Blue Banyan focus on market research based consulting i.e research based on nextgen system1 and traditional solutions which are powered by cutting-edge tech platforms and backed with individual service approach to create client delight. Passion, transparency, trust, respect, teamwork quality, account ability, forward thinking, and open minded learning are some of the values that make our small team unique. These values reflect in how we engage with each other internally as well as with our clients and partners.
We understand our clients' business and their sectors well and we share total ownership of projects and programs from start to end with a deep sense of commitment to our client success. Our offerings while automated and cutting edge are adapted to client specific & industry specific requirements, as required and relevant. Recently, we have acquired stake in a Canadian tech firm named Emozo.
Who do you look up to for inspiration or mentorship? How do you continue to grow and develop as a leader?
Fortunately I have been a blessed soul and therefore have met several people(my exbosses and industry leaders)who have taught me what to do and what not to do. These people have had confidence in me to give challenging and critical tasks which helped me grow both professionally and personally. They have been a source of my learning & motivation. I thank each and every soul that has crossed my path and have helped me grow as a person and as a business leader.
Following global CEOs makes me understand their strategies under varying circum stances and enriches my learning. Of late, I have been intrigued with the booming tech startups to understand new ways of addressing client needs.
Deepak Kumar Singh, Founder, MD & CEO, Big Blue Banyan
Deepak believes in a people driven organization that strives to offer high quality and client delight by going beyond data and leveraging nextgen thinking and cutting edge technologies.