Ajay Meher: Global Practice Head, Media and New Media, Tata Elxsi

Ajay Meher, the global practice head at Tata Elxsi, oversees media and communications vertical for the Americas region. He has 24 years of experience in various organisations including, Philips, where he was overseeing information technology (IT) services in the Asia-Pacific region, and Sony Pictures, where he served as the chief information and chief technology officer.

According to him, the telecom sector is witnessing significant progress in enhancing self-service capabilities. Automation, artificial intelligence and machine learning are now integrated into the business and growth strategy of every telecom organisation. Telcos are even exploring how generative AI (GenAI) can enhance business functions such as data augmentation, content generation and voice synthesis. There is also a growing focus on modernising operations support systems (OSS) and business support systems (BSS), and transitioning towards microservices-based architectures. “Of course, 5G service launch and roll-out is a prominent trend”, he adds.

Meher believes that the development of innovative offerings and associated business models is crucial for the success of the telecom industry. “This necessitates creating unique and tailored solutions specifically for our telecom customers. However, with the global telecommunication landscape undergoing significant reorganisation, restructuring and realignment of services, this adds a layer of complexity to our efforts”, he notes.

His most memorable assignment, as Meher recalls, has been his involvement in developing a new solution to build value-added services for global telecom customers. “Although this solution was entirely new to Tata Elxsi, we recognised its potential and built around it, transforming it into one of Tata Elxsi’s key offerings”, he adds.

Meher follows a task-oriented approach of team management and focuses on collaborative achievement of objectives. “My mantra is to take people along on the journey, while keeping a sharp focus on the final objective or goal”. He further says, “I believe in integrating business with technology, simplifying complex technological concepts to align them with the overall business objectives. I occasionally tend to make decisions from my heart. However, I view this trait as an asset, as it helps me engage deeply with stakeholders.”

Meher holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science engineering from Bangalore University and also an MBA degree. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, reading books, listening to podcasts and engaging in physical activities.