House of Experts Ep 27: Vibha Kagzi in conversation with Devita Saraf, Chairman & CEO, Vu Group
House of Experts is a show that ReachIvy kick-started to help those who are unclear about their career choices. We hope through these sessions with some very successful people, we can shed light on a new career path every week. House of Experts plans to make a collection of interactive and informative sessions with experts from various domains.
Vibha Kagzi, the host, is the Founder and CEO of ReachIvy.com, a premium study abroad and career consultancy organization. Vibha, a Harvard alumna, is a successful entrepreneur and believes in helping others chalk out their future careers.
In Episode 27 of House of Experts, we were fortunate to host Devita Saraf is the Chairman & CEO of The Vu Group.
The Vu Group is a new age technology conglomerate. Vu Televisions, is the leader in premium televisions in India and her new venture, Meeting by Vu, is redefining workstyle. Devita studied management at Harvard Business School and is one of Fortune’s Top 50 Most Powerful Women in India. She is a member of MENSA (The High IQ society) and has been called ‘India’s ‘Model’ CEO’ by Forbes magazine.
Some excerpts from the interview:
1. Can you tell us a little bit about your early years.
I was exposed to the world of technology at a very young age. I have been attending press conferences and webinars since the age of four. I started working at the age of 17 and post that shifted to the states to study business management. Once I was back I joined my father’s business when I was 21 and soon after I realised I wanted to be an entrepreneur and have the sole control of my company and that’s when I started out!
As a child, I had a very gender neutral environment. My family always pushed me to dream bigger and I have been a part of the tech world since the day I was born.
2. How much technology do you use in your everyday life?
Technology is like my companion. I am very accessible on my phone as my work, social, travel life they are all in some ways or the other dependant on technology. Learning a new language, watching a documentary, working out they are all very much possible due to the presence of technology in our lives.
You just need to be extremely aware of how you use it to its best and make the most out of it.
3. The movie Social dilemma has been in the talks recently. What is your view on the control social media and these apps have on our lives?
Quoting a line from the movie, one of them said that the only two industries who call their customers users are the drug and tech industry. Being a part of this industry I don’t agree to the fact that tech is an addiction or is bad for you. Even though I do believe that it has to be a lot more regulated than it is today.
Over the years the one thing that I have been propagating is that till the time humans are the master and tech is the servant we are all safe. This swap shouldn’t happen and we should never be controlled by it.
I think the problem is that we end up creating this digital profile and get stuck in maintaining that image. We need to get out of it and try to keep it as fresh as possible. Keep reinventing yourself and start new!
4. What are the various career opportunities in the IT/technology sector?
Firstly, I feel It’s very important for you to first understand what are the functional skills that you bring to the table. Then you need to have a general understanding of the entire tech industry and the company that you wish to apply for. Lastly bridge the gap between your specialization and the company requirements and understand why you would be a perfect candidate for a particular role in the industry.
We’re really grateful to Devita Saraf for sharing his journey and valuable learnings with us.
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Missed out on the previous house of expert episodes? You can watch them here
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