WCRC INSPIRATIONAL LEADERS: KARTIK ANAND, XDBS CORPORATION

India’s Inspirational Leaders 2019-2019: Kartik Anand, XDBS Corporation, leads a highly innovative and well spirited team that is creating high value delivery for its clients globally.

In conversation with Kartik Anand

What is the differentiating factor of your brand?

We’re a technology enabled service provider for B2B demand generation & content distribution services. We’re the largest such marketing firm based out of India serving global markets. Our delivery facilities are also spread across the Philippines, Costa Rica & the United States of America.

Local US-based client management teams. Near-shore delivery facility (Central America).

What is the USP of your brand?

We’re well respected as a brand that innovates & creates new products and associated value-creating services in this segment. Many of our invented strategies are now being used by leading Technology brands for their marketing activities.

USP: We’re largest supplier of demand generation services globally with highest quality & fulfillment standards.

Kartik Anand, Founder & Chairman, XDBS Corporation

What are your future plans for the brand?

The brand right now is primarily serving the North America market. In 2019, we’re ready to take on the global markets with presence already underway in the UK & Singapore. Our 2020-25 strategy includes at least two inorganic buys that will propel us into global markets sooner.

We also plan to launch our retail brand (retail marketing services) in 2019 and for that reason, we’ve already acquired a company in the UK with existing online properties. This move should give us a great head start.

What according to you are the key traits of a successful leader?

I believe a successful leader should be able to lead and steer teams & businesses into the right trajectory. Any business today needs leaders to be honest, approachable, highly committed & humane (very important). Leaders today are looked up to and followed.

What has been your driving force or philosophy in life?

There have been a few:

Build like yours: Driving business & employees to work with you like it was all theirs. Give them maximum accountability, ownership & control. Good employees can do wonders.

Be an example: Your team is always watching you and learning from how and what you do to accomplish a goal. Always be honest & most sensible in your approach.

Be a ‘true’ leader: In reality leadership isn’t about being the most outspoken or them most convincing person in the room. It is about how ‘long term’ you think for your people, how strong you build your brand and how sustainable your people-relationships are.

How do you define success and how do you measure up to your own definition?

Success is difficult to define or measure. I believe success may be in singular term your attainment of a certain goal – business or personal.. sometimes both. A series of such smaller successes may lead to ultimate success, after such point the definition of your goals changes. You look for bigger battles to fight and in most cases feel more powered to take on those.

We’ve taken small but prominent steps into building our brand. In such a short span of 6 years, we are now over 1200 people strong with presence in over 4 countries. We’ve mostly been able to do it by breaking down our 6 year plan into 10-12 tactical goals – for example: revenue, numbers, outreach, profitability & employee initiatives. A sum of these have led us where we are today.

Your perception of an empowered society. How far your industry has/can contribute for the same?

I believe in giving back & finding ways to empower various segments of the society to do things they otherwise haven’t been able to do. Apart from our own ‘employability’ initiatives, we do actively participate in various social responsibility programs.

Our own charitable trust Shri Ravinder Joshi Charitable Foundation does work in the areas of Health & Education. In 2017, we supported 7 such initiatives across Mumbai & Pune. 2018 continues to grow.

As an entrepreneur, I believe that there has to be way to give back to the society – to empower the segments to lead a better life and change their ‘karmas’.

One thing you have to let go off as an entrepreneur/leader?

I probably need to disconnect more often. With various brands & businesses I own, I do feel overinvolved at times that leads me to give more than required time off my family or personal life. I believe I should be able to manage my time better that way!

How do you see the market 5 years down the line?

The markets are looking good. Technology spends & marketing investments have only gone up and I don’t see a reason why they should slow down or stall. The industry is seeing an increase of up to 40% YoY for the last 6 years. There is room for more – we will be investing heavily into our new products & also widening our geographical outreach.

Would you rather be respected or feared and why?

I think the ideal answer would be Respected. I answered that not because it was ideal but that’s what my management style and functioning is. I believe your teams can do a lot more when they respect a leader. They follow and not just complete as task. They feel more involved and answerable.

Give one word that describes you the best

Conscientious

About XDBS Corporation

Founded in 2012, XDBS is backed by more than 1200 professionals who live and breathe B2B marketing – from demand gen and design to data and results.