Navin Natraj - Key to Achieving Success in Any Function Is to Think About the Long Term Value/ Lifecycle Rather Than the Immediate Benefit (Director - Sales & Partnerships (APAC) at SWIFT)

 

Financial stability is extremely important as the thumb rule for any partnership is long-term stability & not short term gains, hence sustainability & scalability become critical for which financial stability is extremely important. Lastly depending on the nature of your business, presence (regional/ national/ global) is critical in terms of executing business demands.

1. Tell us about your upbringing, background & journey.

Born & bought up in Mumbai. Decided to pursue engineering in Electronics post junior college, which completely changed my life as it taught me the basics of man-management. Post Engineering, gained 2.5 years of hands-on experience by working for a manufacturing firm as I was clear about gaining experience & then doing my MBA. Did my MBA with a specialization in Marketing post which I continue to seek exciting roles to date.

2. How did you choose this field & what led you to rise to the highest echelons?

Global remittances & digitization are part of a larger ecosystem called Fintech. Fortunately, my previous stint with Citrus & PayU helped me gather deeper insights within the domestic fintech industry. As a next step, it was an obvious choice for me to scale my ambition & learning onto the global framework so as to get a holistic perspective about workflows, strategies & regulatory protocols.  

3. What advice do you have for people who want to rise in a corporate environment?

Be passionate yet empathetic; Always have the habit to unlearn & unwind. The key to achieving success in any function is to think about the long-term value/ lifecycle rather than the immediate benefit/ having a transaction-oriented mindset. Lastly, cultivate a habit of intrapreneurship as that sets the tone for creating entrepreneurs in your team/organization.

4. How has branding changed over the years?

Branding is definitely more personalized than ever before. These are owing to the ever-increasing digital smartness of consumers and also the brand’s objectives. Although still massy, branding in the current era is more targeted in terms of demographics which makes it an instant success/ disaster. 

Also bundling is the key for all marketers given the emphasis on creating an ecosystem within an ecosystem. This makes it worthwhile for brands to create unimaginable partnerships (complete opposite product/ service line) with partners so as to hit the right chord with the consumers & bundle each other’s product/ service.

5. How should one approach a new partnership for success?

3 key principle – Alignment of the objective gives a perspective if the partner is on-board the same idea as yours; Financial stability is extremely important as the thumb rule for any partnership is long term stability & not short term gains, hence sustainability & scalability becomes critical for which financial stability is extremely important. Lastly depending on the nature of your business, presence (regional/ national/ global) is critical in terms of executing business demands.

6. What are your future plans?

Gain hands-on experience on markets outside India; pursue traveling thanks to the intermittent Covid blockage, start my own musical podcast (lifetime passion) and lastly continue my service towards the community on a larger scale as the revival is dependent on each one of us.

7. Which is your favorite book and why?

A book called “Blue Ocean Strategy”. I picked up this book way back in 2010 from a book retailer and my whole perspective about looking at problem statements changed forever. This book explains the knack of seeking opportunities in every problem statement, in the simplest manner. 

An eye for detailing is key and at the same time, it is important to have an open mind in every conversation. Successful business empires have been created, not just because of their ability to execute but because they sensed an opportunity in those areas which nobody could ever think of.

Navin Natraj

Navin Natraj, Director - Sales & Partnerships (APAC) at SWIFT

Interviewed By: Nishad Kinhikar

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