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.