Vani Sathvik
Founder & CEO
A good communicator who shares the thoughts of employees with humility and empowers them with great intent, Vani gripped on her courage, patience, and determination to succeed the baptism of fire and grow SmartDrive Labs Technologies(SDL)(Est. 2012) by leaps and bounds with world-class innovative IT products and solutions. Finding new avenues to tackle challenges is something that excites her, but also having a mindset to accept setbacks and share the accolades with her team makes her woman of impeccable leadership qualities.
Vani’s eminence traces back to her two decades spanning corporate career including transcontinental experience across some of the globally leading companies in the FMCG, Electronics, Manufacturing, Consulting and cutting-edge technology segments. Having started her career as a HR trainee, it’s the dreamer in her combined with a proactive approach that helped Vani venture into Techno preneurship after two decades. CEO Insights indulges in an exclusive conversation with Vani.
How has your industry expertise helped you to chalk-out efficient business modules for SDL?
In addition to my rich experience across different verticals and leading global companies,I have been supporting many startup organizations in defining business
processes & work culture to create stimulating environments. Most importantly, I have had the opportunity to work with top global leaders like Nandlal Naranayan (Unilever Group),P Bala(FTD Group), and Manav Garg(EKA Solutions), among others, who taught me to scope out the gaps in the industry. They made me a better person to face any challenge and adversity. For every client that SDL makes a module, we analyse their flow, address them, and make it easier for their organization to be a fluid workspace.
"I have been supporting many startup organizations in defining business processes & work culture to create stimulating environments"
As technology is ubiquitous today, what are your strategies to leverage the best out of it and carve out the best solutions?
Clients are our kings and queens. We understand their needs & desire and then convert it into reality by adopting into technologies the project demands, and going that extra mile to exceed the norms and maintain happy clients forever.
Moving ahead, we realize that the future will heavily depend on delivering increasingly insightful & completely automated systems & processes with intelligently crafted analytics. This will give clients a perspective of where they are headed and what are the decisions to make. Our products revolve around blending technology with human world and creating a stimulating in-house environment by optimizing our resources. This approach drives continuous innovation process, augments in our sustainability, and aids in our aggressive growth plan.
How do you encourage creative thinking among your employees? What about encouraging entrepreneurship outside your organization?
The factor that fosters & encourages creative thinking among my team is an open environment, where they are free to talk and heard with humility. It’s important to let employees know that failure is accepted, so that they can even come up with plans that can go awry. Also, when we come across successful ideas,we make it a memorable celebration including rewards.
I love sharing my experiences to the world outside and do not miss any opportunity to attend seminars on technology trends. I visit many colleges as chief guest and try to smooth their transition from student life to professional life, as well as mentoring a lot of HR professionals
"I have been supporting many startup organizations in defining business processes & work culture to create stimulating environments"
As technology is ubiquitous today, what are your strategies to leverage the best out of it and carve out the best solutions?
Clients are our kings and queens. We understand their needs & desire and then convert it into reality by adopting into technologies the project demands, and going that extra mile to exceed the norms and maintain happy clients forever.
Moving ahead, we realize that the future will heavily depend on delivering increasingly insightful & completely automated systems & processes with intelligently crafted analytics. This will give clients a perspective of where they are headed and what are the decisions to make. Our products revolve around blending technology with human world and creating a stimulating in-house environment by optimizing our resources. This approach drives continuous innovation process, augments in our sustainability, and aids in our aggressive growth plan.
How do you encourage creative thinking among your employees? What about encouraging entrepreneurship outside your organization?
The factor that fosters & encourages creative thinking among my team is an open environment, where they are free to talk and heard with humility. It’s important to let employees know that failure is accepted, so that they can even come up with plans that can go awry. Also, when we come across successful ideas,we make it a memorable celebration including rewards.
I love sharing my experiences to the world outside and do not miss any opportunity to attend seminars on technology trends. I visit many colleges as chief guest and try to smooth their transition from student life to professional life, as well as mentoring a lot of HR professionals
as it is my core domain. I am also a part of CWE (Centre for Women Excellence) wherein each woman entrepreneur including me shares our experience and empowers each other.
As a woman entrepreneur,how did you shape your entrepreneurial journey, despite the glass ceilings?
I believe it’s all about passion. When you have the passion to achieve something, nothing can stop you. The times have changed, and now women & men need to co-exist. Today, women are strong willed, independent, and determined. When a woman can create the biggest miracle of life - giving birth, she can do anything. With right support system at home and a safe eco-system at work, she can balance both without any difficulty. I have always had the pleasure of having a supportive work environment and an understanding home environment.
Every growth& change comes after pain. So, we have to stop being afraid of what could go wrong and start being excited of what could go right.
What is your mantra to strike the right balance between the professional and personal life and how are you influencing your daughter?
One of the mantras I always believe in is: ‘you can do anything, but not everything’. While balancing your personal and professional life,there is always going to be a day where you feel that you have let down one or the other, but realizing that you are doing your best helps a lot. Ihave learnt the art of compartmentalizing. When I am at work, my whole body & soul remains there, unless there is a family emergency and vice versa.
I have always been open about the challenges I face at work with my husband and daughter. From the beginning, my daughter has always seen me converting barriers into opportunities. She has witnessed my personal & professional growth, which today has made her an independent and strong woman in every aspect of her life.
Key Management:
Vani Sathvik, CEO& Founder
An Economics as well as Law graduate and an MBA holder, Vani is woman of perseverance & passion.The core of her values comes from her remarkable professional experience of two decades.
Office:Bangalore, London.
Products:•SMART H2R,POWER CRM & SDL ERP SUITE
As a woman entrepreneur,how did you shape your entrepreneurial journey, despite the glass ceilings?
I believe it’s all about passion. When you have the passion to achieve something, nothing can stop you. The times have changed, and now women & men need to co-exist. Today, women are strong willed, independent, and determined. When a woman can create the biggest miracle of life - giving birth, she can do anything. With right support system at home and a safe eco-system at work, she can balance both without any difficulty. I have always had the pleasure of having a supportive work environment and an understanding home environment.
Every growth& change comes after pain. So, we have to stop being afraid of what could go wrong and start being excited of what could go right.
What is your mantra to strike the right balance between the professional and personal life and how are you influencing your daughter?
One of the mantras I always believe in is: ‘you can do anything, but not everything’. While balancing your personal and professional life,there is always going to be a day where you feel that you have let down one or the other, but realizing that you are doing your best helps a lot. Ihave learnt the art of compartmentalizing. When I am at work, my whole body & soul remains there, unless there is a family emergency and vice versa.
I have always been open about the challenges I face at work with my husband and daughter. From the beginning, my daughter has always seen me converting barriers into opportunities. She has witnessed my personal & professional growth, which today has made her an independent and strong woman in every aspect of her life.
Key Management:
Vani Sathvik, CEO& Founder
An Economics as well as Law graduate and an MBA holder, Vani is woman of perseverance & passion.The core of her values comes from her remarkable professional experience of two decades.
Office:Bangalore, London.
Products:•SMART H2R,POWER CRM & SDL ERP SUITE