The robust infrastructure that CIOs built ensured business continuity during the pandemic    

Manoj Chugh, Chairman - Manoj Chugh Advisory LLP

“I would like to go back to the pandemic and understand how it was a big catalyst to digital transformation and how a big realization slowly dawned upon us that even without turning up at office, day-to-day work just continued to happen. That was a big learning for many of us. But I don't know how many of us really step back and ask ourselves a question that how did that magic happen - when all of us were studying from home, entertaining ourselves from home, working from home, buying things online. How many organizations actually prepared themselves in terms of business continuity and disaster recovery drills of having 100% of their employees working from home, and yet the business continued unabated? When I asked CIOs this question, almost everyone answered that neither in their business continuity nor disaster recovery strategies had they ever factored for the reality of everyone working from home. But yet, we all say that people were far more productive during those unfortunate months. If we reflect back and realize that with no drills done to prepare businesses for such an eventuality, yet our businesses continued during such times, then I think that credit really goes to all the CIOs. CIOs, over the many years in a steadfast fashion, built robust, bullet-proof infrastructure within their organizations, which enabled all of us to work productively from home. So, I would like to thank all the CIOs for doing a phenomenal job. I would also want to thank the partner community, because without building an ecosystem, without all of us coming together, working along with the CIOs and working along with the IT organizations, none of this would have been possible.”