VAJRA GLOBAL CONSULTING SERVICES LLP
A pioneer in Digital and MarTech excellence, Vajra Global Consulting is empowering businesses to accomplish new growth and success
Led by its CEO, Ganapathy Sankarabaaham, Vajra Global is a key player in the MarTech industry, where they seamlessly combine their marketing expertise with technological prowess. Being practitioners of both marketing and technology enables them to provide creative and holistic growth strategies for their clients.
Focusing on foundational marketing principles and supercharging them with technology is the bedrock of Vajra Global’s approach. Ganapathy has built a reputation for his profound understanding of emerging trends. He was quick to harness the power of GenAI and combine it with MarTech, setting Vajra Global apart from its peers.
At the core of Vajra Global’s approach is a focus on reinforcing fundamental marketing principles with the latest technological advancements. This blend not only enhances traditional strategies but also allows for the implementation of innovative practices. In this interview, Ganapathy delves into the company’s MarTech operations and strategies. He also highlights the company’s journey with GenAI and what leaders should focus on in the future.
HOW DOES VAJRA GLOBAL DISTINGUISH AND DIFFERENTIATE ITSELF IN THE COMPETITIVE MARKET OF MARTECH SERVICES?
Our unique position as practitioners of both marketing and technology gives us a good understanding of our clients, their needs, and the fundamental principles guiding their businesses. This allows us to develop well-thought-out marketing strategies, placing a strong emphasis on foundational elements like customer behavior, value proposition, positioning, and personalization.
We invest time in comprehending consumer insights from the very beginning when presenting our solutions and services. This personalized approach forms an essential part of our overarching strategy.
Once the groundwork is done, we use technology and tools to enhance efficiency and speed. Routine tasks are automated, and analytics is used to draw insights. GenAI adds a creative dimension and assists in generating innovative ideas. This is how we distinguish ourselves in the market.
GENERATIVE AI MUST SURELY HAVE HAD AN IMPACT ON YOUR INDUSTRY. WHAT WERE YOUR INITIAL REACTIONS, AND HOW DID YOU ADAPT?
GenAI certainly had a big impact on the industry and our company. We understood its significance and far-reaching effects early on. As an organization, we embraced it quickly and started identifying use cases and developing solutions.
We separated the learning into three buckets: process, people, and technology, and then proceeded to ask ourselves some tough questions. How can we reimagine our process in the context of AI? How can it be used across our different services? How do we use it for competitor assessment? How can we get our team to understand and appreciate this new technology? How do we upskill them? Which new tools can we use to automate some of our activities? How do we keep on top of this fast-changing technology? How can we use AI responsibly?
Answering these and other questions across the three buckets helped us develop solutions and systematically introduce changes across the organization.
HOW DID YOU GET YOUR TEAM TO ADOPT GENERATIVE AI?
One of the challenges we faced when integrating AI into our systems was the different levels of enthusiasm that employees had for learning and adopting GenAI. Some were eager, others were hesitant.
To encourage the acceptance of AI, we mobilized early adopters to champion the cause within their respective peer groups. Their advocacy in emphasizing the importance of AI adoption resulted in a positive shift as more individuals embraced the change and actively contributed to its successful implementation. We also encouraged all employees across all departments to upskill themselves by completing certification courses on GenAI.
MARTECH AND GENAI ARE CONSTANTLY EVOLVING. HOW DO YOU, PERSONALLY AND AS A COMPANY, STAY ABREAST OF INDUSTRY TRENDS?
Personally, I stay well-informed by reading industry literature, listening to podcasts, and watching informational videos. But the important thing is to filter what is relevant for my business and convert that into an opportunity or a solution to a problem that my industry might be facing. Secondly, as a company, we actively participate in industry events, facilitating insightful discussions on MarTech and GenAI and broadening our knowledge base.
Thirdly, engaging with various product companies that build MarTech or GenAI solutions allows us to gain valuable perspectives and insights into their products. Lastly, we speak to our customers, who pinpoint their challenges and the solutions they believe would help them. Joint experimentation and solution-finding address the customers’ specific challenges. While all organizations are capable of identifying trends, our differentiation lies in shaping the ideas, building a structure, and helping in the implementation.
HOW CAN COMBINING MARTECH AND GENAI ENHANCE AN ORGANIZATION’S MARKETING DEPARTMENT?
MarTech helps to streamline and consolidate diverse data points onto a unified platform. The data points act as a springboard to create different assets. These assets can be used to execute custom campaigns, amplified through omnichannel engagement tailored to each customer. We know that data is important for accurate decision-making, and while automation can collect data continuously from different sources, GenAI can help comprehend and present the data in an understandable format.
GenAI can be harnessed to analyze data and uncover valuable insights, which can be leveraged for sustained growth. It can identify patterns and offer suggestions, which adds another layer for deeper personalization. This integrated approach to using MarTech and GenAI helps organizations go beyond merely providing products and services and become thought leaders in the industry. MarTech, combined with GenAI, provides immense opportunities for personalization at scale.
AMIDST THE GROWING EMPHASIS ON DATA SECURITY AND PRIVACY, WHAT MEASURES CAN COMPANIES ADOPT TO ALIGN WITH REGULATIONS AND SAFEGUARD CLIENT DATA?
Stringent guardrails must be established. All collected data should undergo encryption and be stored in a secure database accessible only to authorized personnel. In cases where data movement or exportation is necessary, permissions should be granted solely to super-admins. Companies should adhere to GDPR guidelines. Two-factor authentication measures can be implemented. The storage of client data should be contingent upon obtaining explicit consent from the customer. By combining these strategies, companies can not only comply with regulatory requirements but also fortify their commitment to safeguarding sensitive client information.
LOOKING AHEAD, WHAT IS VAJRA GLOBAL’S VISION FOR THE FUTURE? WHAT DO YOU FORESEE, AND HOW DOES THE COMPANY PLAN TO ADAPT TO THE EVOLVING CLIENT NEEDS?
We will look at utilizing our extensive expertise in both marketing and technology to develop solution accelerators tailored for industries and domains where we possess in-depth knowledge. For areas that demand additional insight, we look to work with specialists and advisors who can help us create intricate niche solutions for our clients. These solutions may be collaboratively implemented through our MarTech and GenAI labs, ensuring a comprehensive approach.
We are actively exploring opportunities to engage with innovation centers, collaborate with universities on research initiatives, and form partnerships with product vendors. This approach aligns with our commitment to staying at the forefront of technological advancements and delivering innovative solutions to meet the evolving demands of our clients.
ARE YOU ALSO LOOKING TO EXPAND FROM SERVICES TO PRODUCTS?
We are working on building products. We are identifying niche areas with a deep domain understanding from our end and looking at solutions that will differentiate us.
DOES VAJRA GLOBAL CONSULTING HAVE PLANS FOR GLOBAL EXPANSION?
We have already expanded globally into London. Our company in the UK is called Xite Create, and it focuses solely on generative AI. We are actively involved in the industry and university ecosystems and build solutions for the ESG, edutech, and financial services industries.
