My inspirations from life: Goutam Datta, CDIO, Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance

By Goutam Datta, Chief Information & Digital Officer, Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance

Life is full of unexpected lessons, and I believe that the most profound inspirations come from those moments when you least expect them. My journey, both personal and professional, has been shaped by a variety of experiences—many humbling, some challenging, but all transformative.

Whenever any technology outage happens, amid the chaos, we are reminded of just how vulnerable we are without technology. You can’t imagine how dependent our daily lives have become on it until something goes wrong. Whether it’s a banking system going down or a hospital’s operational system freezing, the impact is immense. Many such days are days of reflection for me, showing how crucial technology is in our lives, but also reminding me of the importance of resilience.

From Passionate Coder to CIO

While people now see me as the Chief Information and Digital Officer of Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance, my roots lie in technology—specifically coding. I still consider myself a better coder than a CIO. The joy I found in coding, problem-solving, and architecting complex solutions is something that has stayed with me throughout my career.

To be honest, I never had a clear roadmap to leadership. It wasn’t something I set out to achieve. I was a passionate coder who loved solving complicated problems. In India and Southeast Asia, if you perform well in your field, you’re often promoted to management. That’s how my journey from coding to leadership began. There was no grand plan, no specific ambition to become a CIO. I just focused on excelling at what I did at the moment, whether it was coding or leading a team.

Even today, I would happily return to my days as a solution architect. In fact, I find simple problems boring—it’s the complexity of challenges that excites me. But as I grew in my career, I began dropping the things I loved to embrace leadership roles, not by choice but because it was a natural progression. However, I’ve never stopped loving the intricacies of technology, and that’s where I always draw inspiration.

A Military Childhood: Resilience, Discipline, and Adaptability

My upbringing has played a significant role in shaping who I am. I come from an army background—my father was an army officer—and that environment profoundly influenced both my personal and professional life. Those of us who grew up as “army brats” didn’t have the luxury of attending just one school or making lifelong friends from one neighborhood. We moved every few years, adapting to new environments, new friends, and different ways of living.

One year, we’d have desks and chairs in school, the next, we’d have nothing but a chalkboard. This constant change taught me not to get too attached to material things or situations. Instead, I learned to enjoy wherever I was and whoever I was with. That adaptability has stayed with me and is perhaps why I don’t get rattled easily by challenges. Whether personal or professional, I have learned to face issues head-on without getting overwhelmed.

The army life also instilled in me a sense of discipline—though, in my case, it’s a bit selective. I am disciplined in certain areas but completely carefree in others. This balance of strict discipline and a relaxed attitude has helped me navigate both life’s pressures and its joys.

Learning from mistakes

One of the most pivotal moments in my career happened early on when I was working as a manager. It was my responsibility to back up a SQL database, run some scripts, and then restore the data. I had done this process so many times that it became second nature. I was confident—perhaps too confident. One night, I backed up the data, ran the scripts, and restored it… only to realize I had restored it to the production environment.

The business was running on corrupted data for two hours before anyone noticed. When it hit me, I was shattered. My overconfidence had led to a massive mistake. I expected to be reprimanded, maybe even fired. But when my department head, his boss, and even the head of business came to the data center, not a single word of reproach was uttered. Instead, my boss told me to go home and rest.

That moment transformed me. It wasn’t the mistake itself, but the grace with which it was handled. My boss didn’t berate me—he allowed me the space to reflect on what had gone wrong. That experience taught me the importance of humility and reflection. It changed how I approach mistakes—not just my own, but those made by my team. When someone in my office makes a big mistake today, I rarely get upset. I know from personal experience that these moments of failure are often the most powerful teachers.

Leadership Through Empathy

As I’ve grown in my career, I’ve realized that leadership is about more than just managing people or projects—it’s about empathy. I often reflect on that day in the data center and how my boss handled the situation. He didn’t diminish my value as a professional; instead, he gave me the space to realize my own mistakes. This approach has influenced my leadership style. I believe in giving people the room to learn and grow, even through failure.

In my early days, I worked on some complex projects that I am still proud of. For example, when I was part of a small team, we successfully implemented VMware for our central computing system at a time when it was still a nascent technology. Our efforts were later recognized by the group CIO, which was an unexpected but delightful moment of success. But for every success, there have also been setbacks. I’ve made plenty of mistakes, and each one has taught me something valuable.

One particularly challenging moment was when I was put in charge of compliance. I had to disable all non-compliant IDs in the system, which essentially crippled the organization for 16 hours. I informed my boss about the chaos that would ensue, but I believed it was the only solution. While it didn’t make me popular, it was a necessary step to ensure the integrity of the system.

Personal Setbacks: Lessons in Resilience

Just as in my professional life, my personal journey has been filled with its share of setbacks and learnings. I’ve faced moments of self-doubt and failure, but what’s important is that I’ve learned to grow from them. In the end, we are all human. We make mistakes, but it’s how we respond to those mistakes that defines us.

Whether it’s personal or professional, the setbacks I’ve encountered have taught me resilience. My army upbringing, the mistakes I’ve made, and the successes I’ve achieved have all contributed to who I am today. Life, as I see it, is about constantly evolving, learning, and finding inspiration in even the smallest moments.

The Journey Continues

As I continue my journey, I am inspired by the lessons of my past. Whether it’s the joy of solving complex problems, the discipline instilled by my army upbringing, or the humility learned from making mistakes, each experience has shaped the way I approach life and leadership today.

My advice to others? Embrace the challenges, enjoy the process, and never stop learning. Life’s inspirations come from the most unexpected places, and it’s these moments that truly define who we are.

— During the recent Technology Senate, Goutam Datta, Chief Information and Digital Officer (CDIO) of Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance, sat down with Srikanth RP, Editor of Express Computer, to share the inspirations that have shaped his life and career. Moving away from the usual discussions around technology and digital transformation, this fireside chat explored Goutam’s journey, his personal philosophies, and the life lessons he’s embraced along the way. This article is an edited version of the conversation and captures important perspectives from the conversation. The video conversation can be viewed here