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A visionary’s journey

Raj Jain, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, R S Software, dreams of making his company a leading Indian MNC. He shares his success story with Renuka Vembu

Very few people have the innate capacity to visualize their career graph distinctly. And fewer have it in them to attain their goals as planned. Raj Jain’s story began in his mind. His father, the late Jagdish Rai Jain, hailed from Jalandhar, Punjab, and faced his share of struggle to recreate his well-achieved and much-envied success in post-independent India. He was an entrepreneur in his own rights and also worked closely with the Indian Defence Services. Jain was the youngest of two brothers and four sisters. His elder brother is settled in the US and his sisters are married and settled as well. Although Jain was born in Jalandhar, Kolkata remains his hometown since his family hails from this city. Jain went to the well-known boarding school Bishop Cotton in Shimla, and then did his graduation from St Xavier’s College, Calcutta.

Strong foundations

After completing his basic education in India, Jain spent his next 12 years studying and working in the US. During this phase, he secured his second Baccalaureate degree in Bachelor of Science, majoring both in Software Engineering and Marketing discipline. He then did his MBA from California State University, Long Beach, California. Jain initially started his career in Los Angeles where he worked as a software analyst and then as an independent consultant. He said, “In the late eighties, the entrepreneurial bug got the better of me. This coincided with my strong urge to return home to India.” Thus, after a long stay in the US, he chose to come back to India to be close to his parents.

Jain felt that he had the good fortune of closely spending the last few years of his father’s life with him. Supported by his software analytical mind, he visualized opportunities in the information technology arena where India was rapidly developing. This gave birth to R S Software (I) Limited, R S representing Respon-sive Solutions.

Carefully analyzing the trends in and scenarios of the global markets and familiarity with the post World War II history of corporate America, helped Jain have a clear vision of his entrepreneurial venture. It was, “to provide quality software solutions from India to the international markets.”

He has regularly initiated, supported and stimulated his management team to incorporate the best business practices through transformation programmes. This process encourages professionals to undertake changes that benefit an individual and the company as a whole.

He asserted, “This has brought upon a focus and culture of incorporating best globally practiced management values to R S Software, which is one of my major achievements as a professional.”

Management approach

Jain harbors the dream of making his company an icon of best management practices; a company that will become an Indian MNC. His management approach is quite unique to most companies of the size of his enterprise in India. He believes in building business process architecture with complete empowerment that is cascaded down to each professional working in the company.

Tall inspirations

Early in life, Jain was introduced to the spiritual learnings of Jainism which shaped his principals in the latter part of his life. Right from the age of 16, he was into reading books on subjects like philosophy, applied psychology, autobiographies of successful people. He particularly enjoyed the works of Dr Radhakrishnan, who he feels was a great philosopher and one of the greatest Presidents of India.

He was greatly inspired by these readings, and believes that Dr Radhakrishnan was indisputably a man way ahead of his times and Jain continues to derive inspiration from his works.

His wife Sarita is a Masters in English and holds a Diploma in Mass Communications and Home Science. She works closely with Mother Teresa’s organization and the Jain social and religious organization with their branches spread across places like London, Kenya, United States and Toronto. She is also on the Board of Directors of R S Software.

Jain’s son, Raghav, is working in the US and daughter Srishti, has graduated from UCLA and is pursuing her higher studies.

This principled and successful business person plays golf and enjoys swimming. His other hobbies include theatre, patronizing amateur talent and organizing musical evenings. Jain thoroughly “enjoys every gamut of his life with a passion—be it work or play.”

renuka.vembu@expressindia.com