When we think about how the most visionary leaders like Dillep Singh Tomaar are ruling the global business industry? We find that Dillep is doing it through a combination of traits.
As the President and Business Head for India, Sri Lanka, and the Middle East at ProV International, Dillep deeply understands market trends, emerging technologies, and shifting consumer behaviours. He brings a wealth of experience and strategic vision to his role in developing and establishing business ventures, particularly in large turnkey solutions and services within domestic and international markets.
With a keen focus on various sectors, including Banking and Insurance, Government, Mining, Manufacturing, Services and Oil and Petrochemicals, Dillep has demonstrated his proficiency in overseeing all aspects of business management, sales, business development, operations management, and strategy within the IT industry.
Dillep has been at the forefront of organizations throughout his career, showcasing his ability to navigate rapidly changing environments with finesse. He is recognized for his collaborative approach to business, serving as a reliable and effective partner in driving growth and success. Dillep’s exceptional communication skills have played a pivotal role in spearheading the establishment, development, and stabilization of businesses across different regions globally.
One of Dillep’s standout qualities is his adeptness at leveraging networking and business development acumen to turn around underperforming business accounts and engagements. His strategic insights and hands-on approach have earned him a reputation for building credibility with executive teams and staff. Dillep’s track record speaks volumes about his ability to transform challenges into opportunities and drive tangible results in the competitive landscape of the IT industry.
Foresight and Strategic Thinking
By anticipating future trends and challenges, Dillep doesn’t simply react to change; he actively predicts it and develops strategies to capitalize on opportunities or mitigate risks. He deeply understands the tech industry, team ProV’s capabilities, and the broader macro environment.
As a global technology consulting firm under Dillep’s direction, ProV International drives digital transformation by providing strategic IT consulting services and helping businesses develop, implement, and manage their technology investments effectively.
By setting ambitious yet achievable goals, visionary leaders like Dillep paint a clear picture of the future state and set challenging goals that motivate their teams. These goals are grounded in reality and have a clear roadmap for achievement.
This roadmap reflects Dillep’s journey. Initially, he wanted to join the Defence Forces or the IT world. “Since my elder brother joined Defence, I opted to enter the IT field,” quips Dillep.
For better or worse, there is something very satisfying about creating something new. Dillep believed when he was coding that every day, he was a bit smarter than the day before, and this process of self-improvement was very gratifying. “The challenges in this industry that you face every day somewhat defined and shaped my career.”
Whether in software engineering or business development, you constantly fight challenges and extinguish fires daily. “And that attracted me, and I still live it.” The bigger the challenge, the more interesting it is. Perhaps that is also why Dillep was nicknamed a firefighter who could turn around an underperforming program, account or region in his erstwhile organisations. The continuous process of getting things done is very motivating, says Dillep.
In short, the gratification of overcoming an obstacle has always been Dillep’s greatest motivator, whether it was in studies, games or a job. “For example, math has never been my best subject, but I opted to take that in college, even though it was not required for my major. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it.” The course wasn’t easy, and Dillep spent many nights studying late and passed it with a University Position. The accomplishment of exceeding challenging goals drew him to the dynamic environment of IT.
The other factor was leading, helping and mentoring a team. Dillep says, “To ‘lead by example’ was a guiding principle instilled in me by my father … he always said, “Don’t preach what you can’t do.”
It has always excited Dillep immensely to help and guide others in framing strategies and steer them in a direction which would yield quicker results for them, even if, at times, it resulted in giving him no recognition. “However, seeing the smiles on their faces and the respect in their eyes is my award enough, and I never expected anything more than that,” says Dillep, smiling himself.
Finally, the most important factor that Dillep believe in is interest. He has always been interested in and good at abstract logic since childhood. Working as a part of a team can be a gratifying experience. Many people imagine writing software for IT is a very lonely job, but they can’t be farther away from the truth. “Whether it is in Business Development or software, every department in our dynamic industry demands teamwork.” In reality, software or business development teams thrive through communication. “We talk to each other all the time discussing problems, reviewing each other’s work, suggesting improvements in strategies and learning new things.”
The earlier three aspects and passion for what he does helped Dillep step into this environment. “They shaped me into what I am today,” he states.
Innovation and Experimentation
Dillep has emerged as one of India’s most innovative tech consulting personalities. Sharing the guiding philosophy, he says guiding principles are like lighthouses. “They show us the true path and guide us through our darkest storms. I am no exception, and my guiding principles are fairly straightforward: respect for people, striving for competency, hard work and efficiency, accountability and taking responsibility for whatever you do, and being committed to clients.”
Each of these principles, while being interdependent, is also interconnected and has helped him immensely in fostering professional success.
Dillep adds, “My philosophy is: Be a rational, thinking person and believe in your feelings.”
Whatever situation one is in, think it through before acting. Every problem has a solution. On the work front, analyze business situations before developing strategies. “I begin my day very early, reach the office when it is still dark, and devote the first two hours to thinking about various situations, issues, and problems facing me before acting on the same.”
“Finally, believe in your feelings. Please do not get me wrong. I believe in measuring almost everything, but the results should be considered informational, not quantitative analysis for business decisions made solely by numerical calculation.”
“I believe that even with all the extensive data, it is inferior to the human brain. Making a ‘gut’ decision based on the instinct of one single but vital factor might well be decisive, and a computer might never consider it. We have seen that Big Data and certain programs might produce accurate results 92.5 per cent of the time. For the remaining seven-point-five per cent of the time, the results were still 100 per cent inaccurate.”
“What I am stating is the brain is a better device than a computer or maybe the better computer of the two, and ‘gut-feel’ should not be ignored while making managerial decisions even after considering all the information that can be obtained,” says Dillep, whose leadership style is often recognized as a driving force behind his achievements.
Leading with Vision and Teamwork
Dillep says his approach towards leadership has always been transparency, clear communication and effective delegation. “I encourage an open-door policy and am always available for my team and any discussion. I believe in setting clear expectations, assessing team members’ skills, and empowering them to make decisions and take ownership of their work.”
By doing it, Dillep not only instils confidence in them and prepares them for further growth in their career, but he also subtly shows them the importance of being accountable for their work. “I greatly support fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth. I invest in my development and seek opportunities to improve my skills and knowledge. I encourage my team members to do the same and provide them with the necessary resources and support to enhance their professional growth.”
“As I mentioned, clear communication with all my team members removes half of my headache. I emphasized two-way communication, providing regular opportunities for team members to share their ideas, insights, and perspectives.”
Dillep also believes that effective communication is not just about talking but also about active listening and understanding. He is a patient and good listener. Regarding decision-making, he listens to people, collects all relevant information, and sometimes provides the rationale behind choices. However, in times of exigency and urgency, Dillep makes a decision and always stands by it.
He believes in leading by example, which allows him to showcase what needs to be done, leaving little room for doubt and getting everyone on the same page.
“I find this approach more direct, action-oriented, and organized. Also, it gives me a sense of involvement and lets my team know that the rules for everyone across the team are the same.”
“I believe in treating all team members with fairness, respect, and inclusivity, regardless of their background, identity, or position within the organization.”
Collaboration and Empowerment
Dillep also ensures that opportunities for growth and advancement are based on merit and potential rather than biases or favouritism.
His approach to networking and building professional relationships within the industry relies heavily on several factors. “Though due to the extremely busy schedule I keep, I have not been able to be on top of this over the last two years:”
- “Attending industry events and conferencesrelated to my field of work and networking with professionals within my industry.”
- Using Social Media:LinkedIn is a great platform to connect with professionals.
- “Joining professional organizations related to my field provide opportunities to network with other professionals, attend events and access industry resources.”
- “Reaching out to alumni from my university or college who work in my industry because they may be able to provide valuable advice and introductions to others in the field.”
- “Attending networking events to connect with professionals in my community.”
The Evolutionary Equilibrium
The essence of tech consultancy lies in seamless operations and enhancing the business ecosystem and industrial efficiency. For balancing operational efficiency and client expectations, Dillep says one needs to understand customer needs and expectations, streamline service processes and systems, and learn and be prepared to adapt to changing customer demands.
Balancing customer service culture and operational efficiency has never been easy, but it is essential for service success. “We spend much time finding the optimal mix of quality, speed and cost that suits our customers, employees, and business. Since we as a company emphasise quality deliverables, it becomes essential to constantly monitor, measure, and improve service performance and align it with our service culture and goals. By balancing customer service culture and operational efficiency, we achieve customer satisfaction and business profitability, creating a sustainable service advantage.”
Driving Growth and Building Long-Term Success
Customer service is even more demanding when a business grows by leaps and bounds. ProV International grew tremendously under Dillep’s exemplary leadership. According to him, business grows through client acquisition. And it is an area that demands adept acumen. It is even more tricky in the public sector than in the private sector. However, with his crucial experience in this sphere, Dillep holds key aces under his sleeve when it comes to acquiring and retaining Public Sector clients. He says that to do it, one must have a relationship maintained and built at all levels, as the Top-down approach may not go well with the 2nd and the 3rd level in the organization, and the Bottom-up approach may take too long time to fructify. Customer acquisition techniques change with technological changes. There is always the need to optimize and upgrade the traditional marketing channels available. Exploring new methods makes you remain competitive and have a higher acquisition rate. Acquiring a customer depends on how effectively the organization can build a comprehensive relationship with the client.
*Strategy for Acquiring Public Sector: Acquiring the Public sector means having control and complete know-how over your solution and the domain in which you are selling the solution. For example: “During the start of my career in 1989, the company I joined was planning to form a new Business Unit, and we were the first four boys selected in that business unit. So our job was not only to secure the orders but also to work on the development of bespoke solutions. It was expected that we would be able to ‘walk the talk’ with the client on the mining domain. Since we had expertise in that domain, it allowed us to gain entry and respect in the eyes of the client in no time, as we took very little time to know his pain areas and what the client was looking for. But we also realized that simply knowing what the client is looking for is a job half done.”
Promotional campaigns, quick responses to client queries and providing great referrals create a great impression on the client’s psyche. Commercial viability and the economics of getting the sale are steps not to be missed, and that meant understanding the commercial and legal aspects of framing a proposal/agreement. It is always necessary to divide the elements of a sale when dealing with companies that move slowly or have a multiple-layered approval system.
“So, we as a principle decided to first take a technical go-ahead on the proposal. Once we got the client committed and agreed on the solution, we proposed a POC: Success criteria, scope and time frame were agreed upon with the client. “And while the software people were working with the client, it was imperative for us to maintain constant touch with the client at all levels and manage their expectations.”
One must understand here that expectations are different at different levels. For example, the user will be more concerned about how fast/easily they can now complete their work, while the top management will be concerned about what business returns the organisation will get. Hence, your responses have to be fine-tuned accordingly. On completing the POC, it was just a matter of putting winnable commercials in place to close the deal.
*Strategy for Retaining Public Sector Client: “If I were to put this in a single sentence, I would say service beyond belief, honesty combined with a lot of caring and relationship building will always ensure that client stays with you.” Regardless of your industry, responsiveness and these interwoven traits in the very fibre of company culture will not cause you to lose clients.
The Vital Aspect
Dillep’s vast experience in the tech niche has made him a stalwart amongst his peers. When asked to advise budding entrepreneurs aspiring to venture into the tech consultancy niche, Dillep says, “I actually have two pieces of advice with some key attributes which I would like to outline.”
“My first advice is:” It is not enough to just have a business plan and great concept for guaranteeing success. Business success is 80% psychology, mentality, determination and 20% mechanics. And honestly, most people’s psychology is not meant for building a business. Think about what you want to accomplish and what mindset you need to have to get there. Because the biggest thing that will hold you back is your nature. Few people are natural risk-takers or emotionally ready for the challenges of building a business. You can’t just sign up for a marathon and run it without ever training. You have to increase your capacity and become fit. Being an entrepreneur requires similar emotional and psychological fitness so that you don’t become the chokehold on your business’s success.
“My second advice:” Focus on setting and achieving small incremental goals rather than trying to start a business and instantly build your vision of what the company should be in the years to come. Setting realistic goals and milestones is a major component of building long-term success.
While building a business, there are three key attributes which the entrepreneurs should focus on:
*Adopting growth mindset: A growth mindset enables easier adaptation to new technologies and integration into business processes. Cultivating a growth mindset means being open to change, learning new skills, and staying ahead in the dynamic world of technology and business.
*Collaborate effectively: No one can stay on top of changes alone – it takes a community. “Sharing what we learn multiplies our knowledge growth.” And while competition exists, adapting together is key to progressing any industry. Collaborating effectively will help you access new ideas, insights, and opportunities.
*Learn continuously: One of the best ways to stay adaptable to new technologies is to keep learning and updating your skills. You don’t have to be an expert in every technology, but you should know the trends and opportunities affecting your industry and customers. Continuous learning will help you discover new ways to improve your products, services, processes, and strategies.
A Global Mindset with Human-Tech Smartness
Finally, your planning in the present guides you to scale up the future accordingly. Divulging his plans, Dillep says, “Regarding my vision, I always want to live my life that leaves behind a legacy of kindness, compassion and positive impact.”
“Looking at the world around us today, it makes much sense where you strive to leave a positive legacy for future generations and in some ways, it resonates with ProV’s vision at a global level. Our IT strategy envisions a future where IT infrastructure combines the best of humans and AI to improve flexibility and efficiency. We are an award-winning Global Consulting firm, and our vision is not only to improve the operational efficiency of our clients but also to provide better business solutions and results ethically, qualitatively and in a time-bound manner.”
“Our mission is to address emerging industry challenges by providing solutions that give our partners the cutting-edge. We establish that by innovating, streamlining processes, increasing service quality and keeping workplace productivity high. We will continue to evolve, adapt and provide forward-thinking smart solutions, leaving a legacy of positive thinking and excellence in India’s consultancy landscape.”
“Our impact on India’s consultancy landscape will be marked by contributing to the nation’s economic development and continued progress, solidifying India’s position at the forefront of technological advancement.”
