Sterling Infoways: Connecting With People Spells Success

In an era of competition where people jostle for their 15-minutes of fame.
Rajesh Kalra humbly attributes his success and recognition to his customers and
employees. According to him, these people are his core strength and they have
shelled out their best to give shape and success to Sterling Infoways

Rajesh Kalra laid the foundation stone of Sterling Infoways, more than a
decade ago, with the support of just one member. The company has grown from
strength to strength and today enjoys a reputed position even among the
competitors besides vendors and customers. A good bond with his customers and
manpower has paved the way for the success of Kalra's company.

He considers his warm and congenial relation with customers to be the USP of
the company and the degree of retention of his customers and people his biggest
asset.

“My people and customers are my core strength. I cannot imagine my existence
without them. I do not believe in achieving multifold expansion. Instead I aim
for consolidated growth by attaching with people around me be it customers,
vendors or my employees,” exclaimed Kalra.

Kalra has a very strong bonding with his employees and vendors. The fact that many of his employees have been working with him for ten years and his relation with IBM and Lenovo loudly speak for that

He dreams of strengthening his company's market position by expanding its
presence at various locations in the country. His target is to give profound
shape to the company's existing mind­share by launching it on a broader platform
for which he has been making efforts step-by-step.

With the advancements in the IT sector, Kalra is planning to expand his
manpower and technology. According to him, this will create an elevated platform
for the company to unveil its potential. Kalra is today standing on a path that
has passed through various ups and downs and he has missed no chance to take
lessons from them.

Entry by accident

Trying his luck in the IT segment was not a pre-planned decision for Kalra.
He just wanted to do something on his own. He had attended a small seminar on IT
products that stuck to his mind and he decided to take up IT as a serious
business. Though initially he had to face tough time but good wishes of his
family members and support of colleagues helped him through good and bad times.

“I belong to a service background and had no formal knowledge of business.
Setting up foothold in the IT market was a big challenge for me. However, I had
full confidence that sooner or later I will establish a name for the company,”
reminisced Kalra.

Established in 1993, business began with small orders. It was his optimistic
attitude that gave him strength to create a wider space for his company in the
market. In 1998, his tie-up with IBM proved to be a turning point for his
company. The new venture gave him a stable platform for showing his potential
and credibility. Today, Sterling is one of the most acknowledged partners
dealing in IBM and Lenovo products.

Weathering the changes

In the span of 13 years, Kalra has seen many sea changes in the Indian IT
market and expects many more changes in the coming years. “The situation was
much better 10 years ago. There was not much competition in the market and
everyone had space to play in. Today, the market is very competitive. With
upcoming technologies, the scenario has totally changed. Over the years, the
market has increased manifolds and everyday a new opportunity comes with a new
challenge,” said Kalra.

He believes that life is all about experience and the quest to grab more
opportunities gives a new meaning to it. He is highly optimistic towards his
life and has the spirit to take all cha­llenges with fervor. He considers
pitfalls as an opportunity to prove oneself and he does not believe in mourning
over setbacks.

Humble origin

Kalra was born in a small village, Pataudi, located 30 kms from Gurgaon. Though
he does not get time to go to his village but he always wishes to visit his
ancestral home, which is now being looked after by his grandparents. He did his
schooling from St Michael's in Gurgaon and then moved to Gyan Mandir Public
School at Naraina in New Delhi. He completed his graduation from the Delhi
College of Arts and Commerce.

Though Kalra never gets any free time due to his hectic schedule but he is an
avid TV watcher and can watch it without a pause. He loves watching everything
(except for sports) from Cartoon Network to any of the Yash Chopra movies.

“I am not interested in sports because in India, sports start and end with
cricket, which I don't like,” said Kalra.

He considers his parents to be the biggest source of inspiration, as they
have supported him throughout his life. He got immense support from family, who
understands his nature of work and adjusts according to his busy schedule. His
two young kids are his biggest bundle of joy. He loves spending his holidays in
a peaceful city, then whether it is in India or abroad.

Kalra is an easygoing person who touches the heart of people around him by
his warm nature. He is blessed with the quality to make others feel comfortable
due to which he has developed a long lasting relations with his customers and
employees.

According to Kalra his life has just started and he has a lot more to
achieve. He wants to take his company to newer heights. Since he considers
customers and employees his core strengths so he could not see his life without
them.

AMRITA TEJASVI