IndiaRetailing brings you a series on India’s key retail tech icons. Featuring Amit Arora, CIO at SHR Lifestyles Pvt. Ltd. this week
Today’s CIO must know how to leverage technology to create value for the business. No longer are CIOs department heads of a support function, they are in the driver’s seat and need to be more than just subject-matter experts. According to International Data Group (IDG)’s “State of the CIO Study 2022,” 58 percent of workers outside of IT describe their company’s CIO as a “strategic advisor who proactively identifies business opportunities and makes recommendations.”
In this special feature, India Retailing showcases the torchbearers of retail technology. This week, the spotlight is on….
Amit Arora
An innovative and forward-thinking creative professional with more than two decades of experience, particularly in leadership roles, has been instrumental in propelling brands onto a path of success, Shree being the latest. Constantly focused on creating strategies that drive organic and steady growth through simplifying operations, aligning IT with organisational goals and eventually leading to customer satisfaction. An entrepreneurial mindset with global expertise & in-depth knowledge in Retail Tech, Enterprise-Level Automation and Digital Transformation.
Amit and has worked with international and cross-cultural environments and have helped companies to multifold its turnover. He also started up profitable e-commerce portals in India. He co-founded an IT company in 2005 and achieved million-dollar mark within its first few years.
Roles & Responsibilities
Automation and Digital Transformation in India & UAE.
Expertise in:
– ERP Implementation
– Security Policies/Procedures
– Retail Tech
– Web/E-com
– Omni-channel
– IT policies and controls
Career History & Experience
– SHR Lifestyles Pvt Ltd
CIO
Nov 2014 – Present
– Indiaemporium.com (AR Emporium Pvt. Ltd.)
Director & CEO
Apr 2015 – Mar 2019
– Virka Infotech Pvt. Ltd.Virka Infotech Pvt. Ltd.
Founder Director
May 2011 – Mar 2015
– Co-founder and Vice President
Aug 2006 – May 2011
– Netcradle
Lead Business Developer and Product Manager
Oct 2000 – Jul 2006
Education
– Indian Institute of Management, Indore
Business Analytics
– Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies
MBA – Marketing
Strengths and Weakness
Strengths:
– Exploring technologies and phygital innovations
– Strong sense of leadership
– Good at delegating tasks
– Multi-tasking
– Decisive when needed
Weakness:
– Being overly connected and micromanaging
Aspirations to Fulfil
Self-awareness, empathy, courage to take risks, and focus on positively influencing the capacity of people to flourish in their professional and personal life.
Game changing retail technologies
– Mobile/Voice Commerce
– Artificial Intelligence
– Augmented Reality
Skills
– Strategic thinking
– Employee management
– Industry experience
– Data analytics
– Change management
– Agility to adapt the change
Lessons and Learnings over the years
– Attentiveness, active listening is the key
– To be empathetic
– Calculative risk ability
– Strong presentation skills
Future of industry
The future is very bright, and the global spending will increase the usage of technologies such as Internet of Things, advancement in Artificial Intelligence, ML and digital commerce.
Role Model in the Industry
Shiv Nadar, Jeff Bezos & Ratan Tata
Tech mantra for life
Be in the know
This article first appeared in November 2022 edition of Images Retail.
