Unlocking Virtusa’s Transformation: Engineering Excellence and Future Innovations in Tech

In an exclusive interview, Ram Meenakshisundaram, Chief Technology Officer of Virtusa Corporation, provides valuable insights into the key milestones and challenges encountered during Virtusa’s transformative journey. He delves into the company’s innovative strategies, emphasizing the crucial role of an engineering-first approach in shaping client interactions and service offerings. Additionally, Meenakshisundaram sheds light on Virtusa’s future plans, including the integration of emerging technologies and sustainable practices. The interview also highlights Virtusa’s proactive adaptation to the evolving landscape of remote work and digital transformation, along with the company’s commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion, driving its success in the technology sector.

Can you share some insights into the key milestones and challenges encountered during Virtusa’s brand transformation journey? How has this transformation shaped the company’s growth trajectory? 

During Virtusa’s brand transformation journey, we have achieved significant milestones and overcame various challenges that typically surface during such large transformations.

One of the key milestones was Virtusa’s HR transformation, which aimed to create a future-ready workforce. It involved implementing an organisational model that supports distinct competency groups,  supported by a unified tech platform, and prioritising initiatives such as employee advocacy, candidate experience, learning and growth, and leadership development. These efforts were instrumental in addressing challenges like talent shortage and ensuring the company had the right people with the right skills to drive innovation and deliver exceptional solutions.

Throughout this journey, Virtusa also invested in redefining its branding strategy. This included transforming the entire Human Resources life cycle, from recruiting and onboarding employees to nurturing them with tech-backed and automated HR functions. By aligning its branding efforts with its vision for the future, Virtusa was able to establish itself as an innovative and forward-thinking organisation.

Importantly, Virtusa’s brand transformation has had a significant impact on its growth trajectory. It has positioned the company as a trusted partner for digital transformation, combining business expertise with engineering mastery. It has not only enabled Virtusa to attract top talent but has also allowed the company to deliver customer-centric solutions and improve its long-term financial performance.

Virtusa is known for its engineering-first approach. How has this approach influenced the way Virtusa interacts with clients and develops its service offerings? 

Virtusa’s engineering-first approach has significantly influenced the way the company interacts with clients and develops its service offerings. By prioritising engineering expertise and digital technologies, Virtusa aims to provide top-tier customer experiences, addressing both the current and future requirements of its customers. This approach enables Virtusa to creatively tackle pressing business challenges through the adoption of new technology paradigms. It positions the company as an industry leader, helping clients remain competitive and achieve their objectives. The core emphasis lies in developing solutions internally, ensuring a seamless client experience.

Furthermore, Virtusa’s engineering-first approach extends to its services, with a focus on digital transformation, enhancing customer and employee experiences, improving customer service, and modernising marketing and contact center operations.

Looking ahead, what are Virtusa’s future plans and strategies to solidify its position as a leading provider of digital solutions? Are there any emerging technologies or trends that Virtusa plans to embrace to stay ahead in the industry?

In the forthcoming months, Virtusa has several future plans and strategies to bolster its position as a leading provider of digital solutions. A crucial component of our strategy revolves around embracing emerging technologies and industry trends. We aim to maintain our competitive advantage and provide innovative solutions to our clients by remaining at the forefront of technological advancements.

Virtusa has identified various nascent technology trends that it plans to incorporate, such as:

Generative AI: Generative AI is a transformative trend that can greatly benefit Virtusa’s customers, offering opportunities to automate content creation, enhance customer support, and derive insights from data and content. By leveraging Generative AI, Virtusa can provide innovative and personalised solutions to clients, fostering its position as a technology consulting leader.

Future of work: Virtusa acknowledges the significance of enhancing the employee experience in shaping the future of work. This trend emphasizes empowering employees and leveraging technology and digital tools to elevate their work experience.

Low-code development: Virtusa comprehends that low-code development offers a swifter approach to constructing and deploying applications. This methodology expedites development cycles, enhances productivity, and enables rapid prototyping and iteration.

ESG and sustainability: Virtusa views environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors as pivotal to business success. The company aims to address sustainability challenges by harnessing technology and integrating sustainable practices into its operations and solutions.

The adoption of these emerging technologies and trends underscores Virtusa’s unwavering commitment to continuous innovation and its dedication to delivering state-of-the-art digital solutions to its clients.

With the evolving landscape of remote work and digital transformation, how has Virtusa adapted its services and solutions to meet the changing needs of clients and industries? 

Virtusa, a leading global provider of digital business strategy, IT consulting, and technology outsourcing services, has adapted its services and solutions to keep up with the evolving landscape of remote work and digital transformation. Post-pandemic, the company has identified the essential need for remote work, digitalization, and automation to help clients maintain business continuity and achieve optimal operations. Virtusa has leveraged its expertise in IT consulting, automation, and digital technologies to help clients transition to remote work environments effectively.

Virtusa’s robust portfolio of services and solutions has positioned us to meet the changing demands of clients and industries, ensuring they remain competitive and agile in the rapidly evolving digital landscape. Virtusa launched a series of newer offerings around cloud, data, and enterprise digital platforms that help customers through their digital transformation journey. Virtusa has also leveraged the power of machine learning and artificial intelligence to drive a number of engagements that either optimize the cost or improve customer experience.

Diversity and inclusion are essential aspects of modern organisations. How does Virtusa promote diversity and inclusion in its workforce, and how does this contribute to the company’s success in the technology sector?

Virtusa places a strong emphasis on diversity and inclusion within its workforce, aiming to create an equitable work environment. We are committed to providing equal growth and development opportunities for all employees, regardless of their background or attributes.

These efforts yield several advantages for Virtusa in the technology sector. Firstly, a diverse workforce brings together individuals with varied perspectives and experiences, fostering innovation and creativity. This diversity of ideas empowers Virtusa to develop cutting-edge solutions and maintain its position at the forefront of technology.

Secondly, prioritising diversity and inclusion helps Virtusa attract and retain top talent in a competitive job market. Professionals increasingly seek employers who value diversity and provide an inclusive work culture. Virtusa’s commitment to these values enhances its talent pool and solidifies its reputation as a preferred employer in the tech industry.

Moreover, diversity and inclusion enable Virtusa to adopt a more customer-centric approach to business. With a workforce reflecting the diversity of its customers, Virtusa gains deeper insights into their needs and preferences. This insight enables the design and delivery of more tailored, effective, and inclusive solutions for a wide range of industries and users.