The idea of creating something different, crafting afresh and building our world of success is indeed an encouraging endeavour. With such an idea worth its weight in gold, Sowmya Moni entered the field of business and currently leads marketing and alliances for Incture – a digital systems company.
She says, “My journey was fuelled by a passion for making a tangible difference in the world. The idea of creating something from scratch that could change the market or even how we live was exhilarating to me.”
Making her dream into reality, she is now rising as a leader with kindness, a growth mindset, an innovative approach, and visionary leadership. In an exclusive interview with CIOWorld India, Sowmya shared some insights on her wonderful journey. Here are some snippets:
As a trailblazer in your field, could you take us back to the beginning of your journey? What motivated you to step into your field?
I was particularly captivated by the power of marketing. It’s not just about selling a product or service; it’s about storytelling, connecting with each customer, and building communities around shared values and visions. I was eager to learn every aspect of it—to understand consumer behaviour, master the art of communication and leverage the power of digital platforms to reach a global audience. Every step forward has been a learning experience, a chance to refine my ideas and methods and create value for myself, customers, and society.
Your company has emerged as one of the world’s best enterprises in digital technologies. Could you share the guiding philosophy that has propelled your organization’s unstoppable success?
Incture’s unstoppable success can be attributed to a guiding philosophy deeply rooted in its commitment to enhancing people’s lives with digital technology. The company aims to deliver digital solutions that address complex business challenges and opportunities quickly and at scale. Additionally, we focus on empowering individuals within the organization to innovate and drive change. This philosophy extends to customer interactions, where we strive to provide personalized and connected experiences. Incture tailors its digital solutions to meet the specific needs of its focus industries, such as manufacturing, oil and gas, healthcare, and retail. Moreover, the organization is committed to growth and transformation by expanding its team and forging strategic alliances.
How do you ensure your company remains adaptable and ahead of industry trends, providing innovative solutions to your clients?
Incture harnesses the power of AI and Data to deliver optimum business outcomes. We foster Innovation through AI by investing in artificial intelligence to automate processes, enhance decision-making and create more intelligent and intuitive digital applications. Our company also offers predictive analytics, natural language processing and machine learning capabilities. With Data-driven Insights, we prioritize data collection, analysis, and strategic use to inform our customers’ business decisions. By leveraging big data analytics, we can uncover trends, forecast industry shifts, and provide our customers with actionable insights.
Additionally, the Agile Methodology for project management and software development allows us to iteratively develop our digital solutions in response to the evolving needs of our clients and the market. Moreover, catering to the needs of our customers, we continuously engage with them to understand their challenges and aspirations, shaping our solutions to be technologically advanced but also relevant and impactful. Supporting Talent Development, we focus on continuous learning and development programs that equip our team with the latest AI and data analytics knowledge. Working with top tech providers and industry groups keeps us updated on emerging technologies for integration into our offerings. Our Scalable Solutions support customers in expanding their use of our digital applications alongside business growth and new technological prospects.
Your powerful leadership style is often recognized as an inspirational force behind your company’s achievements. Could you shed light on your approach to leadership and team building within the organisation?
My leadership and team-building approach is rooted in several core principles that foster a positive and productive work environment. We strive to create an inclusive culture where every team member feels valued and respected and has a voice in decision-making, regardless of background or position. A kind work environment leads to happier employees and increases productivity and job satisfaction, fostering a supportive atmosphere where people are more willing to take risks and innovate.
Moreover, members must understand how their work contributes to the company’s goals. This shared purpose unites the team and drives collective action towards common objectives. I advocate for viewing challenges as opportunities to grow rather than insurmountable obstacles, and this growth mindset helps me support my team in their professional development at every turn. Additionally, my leadership style is participative, involving team members in decision-making to harness the group’s collective wisdom. This approach leads to better decisions and empowers individuals.
Open Communication is very important, and I ensure that information flows freely within the organization, which helps build trust and ensure everyone is on the same page. I am a firm believer in the power of mentoring. I take time to mentor employees, fostering a culture where mentoring is both a responsibility and a privilege.
Most importantly, striking a balance between advancing trends and user demands, we actively promote gender diversity in all aspects of our business. We ensure that women are represented at every level. Also, we encourage the culture of critical thinking that pushes us to break barriers and come up with ground-breaking ideas that set new standards.
The lateral thinking approach also often leads to more creative solutions that resonate with our users and anticipate their needs. We encourage experimentation and fearlessly invest in untested ideas if they show promise, which can lead to significant advancements and set us apart from competitors.
How does your company integrate Sustainability and environmental responsibility principles into its operations and contribute to a sustainable future?
Inchara– Incture’s CSR initiative’s mission is to create a positive and lasting impact on rural communities through various meaningful programs. Integrating sustainability and environmental responsibility into its operations, Inchara focuses on multiple initiatives and programs.
Inchara Green Hands: This program includes hands-on activities that promote sustainable practices and green extra-curricular projects. The Sustainable Green School Model is a part of this initiative, showcasing eco-friendly initiatives such as backyard orchards, agroforestry, vegetable gardens, and herbal gardens.
Sustainable Innovation: Combining sustainability and digital technology, Inchara enhances the lives of rural youth in India. Its sustainable programs address skill development, diversity & inclusivity, environment, and sports development in rural communities.
Social Impact Reporting: Inchara maintains transparency in its sustainability efforts by publishing social impact reports that outline the trust’s objectives and achievements in creating impactful sustainability initiatives focused on the development of rural communities in India.
In the realm of entrepreneurship, technology plays a pivotal role in enhancing efficiency. How does your company leverage technology to optimize its services and stay ahead in a digital age?
Incture’s several key strategies are:
Digital Transformation: Incture integrates digital technology into all business areas, changing how the company operates and delivering value to customers. With this, they can improve efficiency and adapt to changing business landscapes.
Innovative Software Solutions and Data Analytics & AI: Incture develops Cherrywork® Digital Applications and digital products designed to streamline business processes, improve user experiences and enhance productivity. These applications are tailored to address specific business challenges and are continuously updated to incorporate technological advancements for smarter business decisions.
Mobility Solutions: Incture offers mobile solutions that allow clients and their customers to access services anytime, anywhere, enhancing convenience and improving engagement.
Agile Development Practices: With the agile methodologies, Incture supports continuous iteration of development and testing throughout the software development lifecycle, resulting in faster delivery of high-quality software.
Customer-centric Approach: Technologies are used to solve real-world problems for the clients. They focus on understanding customer needs and leveraging technology to meet them effectively.
Continuous Learning and Innovation: Incture invests in continuous learning for its team members, ensuring they stay updated with the latest technological skills and trends.
As a leader in the corporate sector, what challenges did you face during your journey, and how did you tackle them?
Incture’s resilience and ingenuity could triumph over the pandemic using its core values as a compass during turbulent times. Agility, innovation, and customer-centricity helped the company deal with the crisis by providing a framework for decision-making and action. The leadership team stepped up, strategised a way forward and communicated transparently with employees and stakeholders. We quickly assessed the situation, gathered insights and pivoted the company’s strategy to address the new market reality. Moreover, for employees’ security and support,
Incture focused on its people-first culture that involved flexible work arrangements, mental health support, or even upskilling opportunities to prepare for post-crisis recovery. Empowered by the company’s culture, employees brought innovative solutions. Moreover, focusing on customer needs and understanding their unique challenges during the crisis, Incture tailored its services to help customers adapt and thrive, even in difficult circumstances. We also focused on agile practices and CSR activities through Inchara.
Looking to the future, what is your vision for your company? How do you aspire to continue significantly impacting the entrepreneurial leadership landscape of the globe’s women?
My vision for Incture is to support women’s intrapreneurial leadership, fostering an environment where it’s encouraged and celebrated as a driving force for innovation. This entails cultivating female leaders through programs emphasizing skills, decision-making and addressing corporate challenges. Additionally, creating platforms for women leaders to connect, share experiences, and implement gender-inclusive policies such as flexible working hours and parental leave to support work-life balance and career progression.
Ensuring that as Incture grows, it does so sustainably and is committed to diversity and equality. This means making strategic decisions that align with long-term goals for gender parity in leadership. Through these initiatives, Incture aspires to be at the forefront of shaping a global landscape that benefits from the unique perspectives of women leaders and actively contributes to their success.
