IceWarp Goes East: An Interview with CEO Pramod Sharda
As IceWarp continues to grow, it keeps its eyes open for new markets. And a huge part of the world has truly exploded with interest in past years, stretching from the Arabian Peninsula all the way to Asia. But what challenges does IceWarp and the industry at large face here?
There’s no one better to ask than Pramod Sharda, CEO of IceWarp India and the Middle East. This is his exclusive interview.
Meet Pramod
Stationed in Mumbai, India, Pramod Sharda is nothing short of a wealth of information and hands-on experience in the IT industry. He’s played an active role in this relatively new industry since its very conception, tackling everything from product development and business strategies to cloud computing and disaster recovery.
But it was in 2014 that he first arrived at IceWarp. In his own words, he describes the experience.
“When I first came across IceWarp, I instantly fell in love with the product. I realized there was a huge gap in the Indian market, and IceWarp was the perfect solution to fill it. After years of steady growth, I was eventually given the responsibility of handling other, newer markets, namely the Middle East and the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation). With our own regional IceWarp headquarters located here, we’ve managed to actively cultivate a solid footprint with customers, including exceptional client services provided locally instead of from afar.”
An Ever-Changing Field
Pramod is one of a select few who’s watched and participated in the IT industry since its infancy. This offers him a unique vantage point, especially regarding some of the industry’s biggest changes and trends in years past.
“So much has changed over the past two decades, some small and others transformative. Look at it from the industry’s perspective, for instance, where customer expectations have shifted dramatically from a one-size-fits-all scenario to the world of personalization, rapid response times, and transparency. This forces companies to focus on adaptability, embracing these changes with agility. Teams can no longer simply react to the scene before them but rather deploy detailed foresight to expect customer needs before they become full-scale trends.
Over the years, our organization has grown from a smaller, more centralized structure into a dynamic, scalable enterprise with a global footprint. And then you throw in today’s focus on automation, and you’ve got the recipe for a truly modern company that knows the needs and wants of its client base.”
Unique Solutions for Unique Markets
And that takes us to India and the Middle East, where industry challenges are different than anywhere else in the world. Not to mention, IceWarp is one of the fastest-growing companies in India, putting it in a league of its own when it comes to jumping hurdles.
“One of our primary challenges in India is scalability. We want to scale our operations efficiently while also maintaining quality and customer satisfaction. As demand rises, we’re forced to invest further in infrastructure, talent, and inventory. That requires hiring and onboarding the right people quickly, all while preserving our strong company culture. You don’t want to lose your corporate identity because you’re scaling too quickly or in the wrong direction.
And while overseeing our growth in India, I’ve also got my focus aimed directly at the Middle East, where the situation is a bit different. We’re currently in IceWarp’s earlier stages here, while we take the time to earn customer trust by consistently delivering on our promises of exceptional services. We’re a relatively unknown brand in the Middle East, and thus our business strategy calls for thorough market research, local expertise, strong partnerships, and an adaptive mindset to establish a foothold and drive sustainable growth.”
The Best in the Business
It’s clear now that CEO Pramod Sharda and his local team have seen a lot of progress. But perhaps the most notable indicator of their success is winning the Best Enterprise Email in India for the sixth time!
“Winning this award so many times is a true recognition of just how dedicated we are in consistently delivering exceptional quality, reliability, and value to our customers, which is all backed by our robust client support and engagement.
What sets us apart is our ability to combine technological innovation with practical application. We foster a culture of collaboration, leveraging diverse expertise to stay ahead of industry trends. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved, as the award validates our leadership and dedication to excellence. I’m grateful I got to watch IceWarp start out as a small, unknown company in India and turn into a trusted partner in the industry.”
