By K.T. Jagannathan

The art of giving doesn’t come easily. Nevertheless, it is a twice-blessed art. It blesses the giver and the receiver. Ask V. Gayathri, chief executive officer, Ideas2IT, a US-headquartered firm with a large presence in Chennai. She will vouch for it. This 14-year-old custom software development company has been innovative in the art of giving. “We believe in sharing the wealth with our employees. And, we also believe in sharing our knowledge with them,” articulates Gayathri.

Hailing from a humble village in Tamil Nadu, she struggled in her early days to get a good education. Help had come her way somehow and this village girl went on to accumulate rich experience across different verticals in the world of IT by serving big corporations such as Infosys, L&T IT and HCL Tech. 

Now, as a CEO, managing over 700 plus employees, she understands the significance of human resources in the building of an organisation. Her belief in sharing the wealth has seen Ideas2IT rewarding long-serving loyal employees with the Maruti brand of cars a few months ago. “We believe in sharing the wealth – not just financial, but also technology insights,” she says. This sharing idea is germane to the core philosophy of her organisation. Why not share it with the community at large?

Well, the occasion has now arisen with the tech giants such as Google, Zoom and the like dishing out out-of-blue pink slips. Ideas2IT has now stepped in to help the techies in need and distress. The unannounced arrival of pink slips “has pushed many tech professionals into an ‘insecure mode’,” Gayathri says. “Should we not extend a helping hand to our fellow professionals in distress?”

Ideas2IT has launched a proprietary upskilling programme to help tech professionals counter the adversity of recession and layoffs! It is an exercise in hand-holding them. And, this does not promise any job guarantee. Pledge2Propel, a career enhancement initiative, is aimed at providing all the support they need to re-group and pursue new opportunities by means of up-skilling or venturing into entrepreneurship, while prioritising their mental health. Along with IdeaRX, a HealthTech start-up, Ideas2IT hopes to help the laid-off professionals cope the psychological and professional challenges.

Different approach

Ideas2IT and IdeaRx share a common origin story of humble beginnings. Founded by Murali Vivekanandan, Ideas2IT began as a small CTO consulting firm. Murali was quick to realise that building innovative products requires a radically different approach. For one, it requires a world-class team with a passion for the craft. Second, it needs excellent architecture skills and a solution-oriented mindset. Ideas2IT pivoted to solve this problem and started with a handpicked team of six engineers.

The company maintains a strong culture of employee empowerment and technology innovation throughout its growth. This is reflected in the long tenure and low attrition rate of its employees who have developed their skills and switched their domains over the years. The company also leverages its expertise in cutting-edge technologies to conduct workshops, seminars and meet ups for tech professionals.