By Sajal Bose. Executive Editor, Business India

India is home to some of the finest talents in the IT industry. Indians are spread across the world and employed in large software companies, with many turning entrepreneurs by establishing their own software firms. Some of these Indian-owned IT companies have developed valuable brand equity in the global market. Meet Zeeshan Basu, who chose to be a niche player in digital and analytics. In 2019, he founded Wiz Digital Services (WDS) in Ireland along with his Irish wife Hollie Moran.

WDS serves as a one-stop platform for a wide range of technology skills and software development services for businesses of all kinds. It provides technology delivery, software development, and customisation services that leverage emerging technologies like AI. This allows businesses to easily use these solutions through a cost-effective approach. 

The company caters to various sectors, including e-commerce, automobile, industrial gases, consumer packaged goods, financial services, logistics, and retail, among others. “The driver of our success has been the establishment of global customer trust through offering to speed, quality, and consistency,” explains Basu, the 39-year-old founder and CEO.

While Ireland serves as the company’s headquarters, managing legal, compliance, and major decision-making processes for the UK and European markets, India plays an important role as the research, development, and delivery centre of WDS. “Our technology skills factory is based in Kolkata, focusing on crafting tailored solutions for both large and small customers, from e-commerce to manufacturing,” explains Hollie, the 29-year-old co-founder.

Born into an upper middle-class family in Calcutta, Basu's father was a professor at Calcutta University and also a visiting faculty member at Oxford University. Basu holds a Digital Marketing Certification from IIMB and a PGDM from ICFAI Business School. He has worked with many large organisations like HSBC Technology, during which time he was exposed to global IT trends. During his time at HSBC, he recognised the emerging trends and needs of the IT industry. He left HSBC and co-founded Wizard Consultancy Services in 2015 with other partners.

Significant player

Afterward, he divested his stake in the company and relocated to Ireland, which was also home to his wife Hollie, an expert in CRM technology. Together, they decided to establish their own IT business. After exploring various segments, they discovered a substantial opportunity in software delivery services, realising that many companies couldn't afford to outsource technology services from large IT giants like TCS and Deloitte.

With this in mind, they started their entrepreneurial journey, leveraging their business acumen to carve a niche for themselves. As a result, they have emerged as a significant player in this space. While Basu looks after business process management and consulting, Hollie manages the development of the company’s software platform.

The company has achieved a revenue of Rs35 crore with a CAGR of over 18 per cent for the last three years. E-commerce, IT services, and Fintech are the major revenue generators, constituting almost 85 per cent of the company’s total revenue. There are no plans to raise funds as the company operates without any debt. Basu states: “We are a zero-debt company, and our goal is to double our turnover within the next two years.”