Planting Seeds Of Ethical Practices

He

is putting in his best efforts as the first President of the Progressive

Channels Association of Information Technology. His objective: To put into place

ethical and fair business practices for the benefit of all members.

Rishi Kumar Malhotra, or RK Malhotra as he is generally called, believes that

to really progress in life, one should give back to society more than what one

has received. After spending over two decades in the IT industry, there are very

few aspects of the channel business that escape him.

Therefore when the Progressive Channels Association of Information Technology

(PCAIT) was formed in March 2005, there was no doubt in the minds of the

founders, who should spearhead this body. As the first President of a fledgling

association that attempts to help partners move along the growth curve, Rishi

has a lot of ground to cover. But he is undeterred, because he knows that the

cause he has associated himself with is on the right path.

Work, progress and build together



Rishi calls PCAIT an apolitical organization without any domination and

personality cult. "It's a mature, open association, co-creating growth

and harnessing the potential of the IT industry. It will be governed by ethical,

fair, business practices and would set standards for the benefit of all,"

he states. The mission of the body is, 'Work together, build together,

progress together.'

RK Malhotra President, Progressive Channels  Association of Information Technology (PCAIT)  “PCAIT's a mature, open association, co-creating growth and harnessing the potential of the IT industry. It will be governed by ethical and fair business practices for the benefit of all members.”

The new President emphasized that the objective of the association is to

focus on growth and integration of the channel community with the global IT

scenario. Decisions of the Executive Council are by consensus by the members.

All PCAIT activities are channeled through six committees. Each of these

divisions is fully empowered to take decisions to achieve the common objectives.

Rishi coordinates the work undertaken by these six committees. He is

responsible for giving feedback to public and media queries and provides proper

guidance and assistance in decision-making. However, the unanimous decision

would be the ultimate decision.

Man of many facets



A religious-minded person, Rishi abhors hypocrites. His lifestyle reflects

his belief in simple living and high thinking. He rises early in the day, to

have a brisk walk around his Vasant Kunj house and also catch nature at its

unfettered best. Later he joins his wife, Varsha, for some moments of

meditation, act that purges his mind of all negativity and instills the

enthusiasm to achieve his goals.

Rishi enjoys dabbling in shares and keeping tracks on the stock movements of

listed companies. An avid reader, he has read various interpretations of the

Gita and also likes management books. A nature-lover, he is a teetotaler,

non-smoker and vegetarian. His only vice is his addiction to work.

Rishi's career has been a chequered one. After schooling from Delhi's

Higher Secondary school and his engineering from IIT in 1968, he completed a

one-year program on Nuclear Science. He also pursued a job in this specialty for

three years. Declining a job offer in Canada, he joined IIM Ahmedabad in 1972 to

pursue his MBA.

Engineering runs in his family's genes. While his elder daughter, Manika is

married to an engineer in America, Ritika, his younger child will complete four

years of engineering from the Pune University.

Getting into the IT biz



Rishi has worked with blue-chip companies like Larsen and Toubro and Eicher,
between 1974 and 1990. But he foresaw that IT would be the next big wave in the

industry and decided to gain the first mover advantage.

He started with a tie-up with HCL as its franchisee, but suffered a setback

when the company did away with this concept in 1990. However, strong willpower

and his family's support revived his business, and OA Compserve became the

first Wipro franchise in 1993. Since then, there has been no looking back.

Presently, manpower retention while balancing growth is OA Compserve's

biggest challenge. But Rishi believes in creating a transparent and familial

working environment which focuses on annual rewards, financial and emotional

help to employees.

Almost a decade ago, the company started two divisions - Silicon Comnet and

Renovision Comnet. The latter concentrates purely on consumables and grossed

over Rs 10 crore this year. Silicon Comnet, an Rs 20 crore company, focuses only

on technology and networking, with Harsh Marwah at the helm of



affairs.

Making a shift to the solutions business was another foresight that stood

Rishi in good stead. The company has already bagged prestigious clients like the

Indian Army, Essar Cellphone, Bombay Stock Exchange and Delhi Stock Exchange. It

bagged the 'Most Comprehensive Solution Provider' award from DQ Channels for

2004.

But Rishi is unwilling to rest on his laurels. He is confident that he will

help educate his peers to make the progression to the next level of business

through his role in PCAIT. And knowing that he is man of his words, it will not

be long before he elevates the channel to take a quantum leap in solution

providing.