Q (“Rak”) is the new CEO of QBurst, a global product development and consulting company with over 20 years of experience. Rak brings 25 years of leadership in technology-driven digital transformation and consulting. He has a proven track record of growing businesses in challenging markets, working with clients from startups to F500 enterprises. Passionate about emerging technologies and AI, Rak shares his vision for QBurst, their US growth strategy and AI’s impact on enterprise tech in this interview.

What is your vision for QBurst, and how do you plan to achieve it?

QBurst has had an excellent run as a founder-led company, with impeccable technology-led delivery and deep relationships with a blue-chip client base that have helped establish a solid foundation for future growth. My vision is to build on this foundation and take QBurst into the next orbit of growth and transformation. We want QBurst to be recognized as a leader in delivering delightful digital experiences to our clients and to our clients’ customers by leveraging AI-driven software engineering, powered by cloud, data and analytics.

We will prioritize our focus on a few domains and geographies where we are strong in, including the US, Japan, Middle East and South Africa. We will also level up on our differentiated service offerings like digital & quality engineering, AI, cloud, and integration, to fuel the growth that will get us to three times our current size in the next four years.

Tell us a little bit about your background and what brought you to QBurst?

I bring over 25 years’ leadership experience in technology driven digital transformation and consulting. Across my professional journey, I have built and grown businesses in challenging market conditions, having worked with a wide range of clients from startups to F500 enterprises across industries. I am also passionate about emerging technologies and AI.

Just prior to QBurst, I was at Hexaware Technologies (NSE:HEXT), a Carlyle-owned digital services firm for close to 8 years, where I was the Global Business Unit Head for the fastest growing High Tech and Professional Services Vertical. I was also leading the GenAI unit that is playing a pivotal role in shaping the company’s GenAI vision, offerings and execution across business units, service lines, and client portfolios, and led their Digital Transformation service line in the past. Prior to Hexaware, I have played leadership roles at Capgemini (Leader of Application Services Strategic Sales, and Sogeti NA) and at Infosys (Leader of Life Sciences and Strategic Global Sourcing business units).

I am a Silicon Valley native, having lived in the Bay Area for over 25 years now, and have been quite closely involved with the previous technology waves and in the start-up ecosystem as well. I am an angel investor and sit on advisory boards of a couple of start-ups myself. 

When I got to know details about QBurst, its entrepreneurial culture and success with cutting-edge technology in delivering to demanding clients, I was impressed and intrigued. I am quite excited about the potential that exists at QBurst and where we can take it in the future. 

With the convergence of disruptive changes and shifting environment across technology, industries, and regulations, a focused and differentiated firm like QBurst has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to break away from the pack and create a new technology & engineering services firm and delivery model for the AI-driven future. That potential and possibility is what attracted me to a firm like QBurst.

What are QBurst’s key strengths and weaknesses and how do you plan to address them?

QBurst has some core strengths that even much larger IT services firms I have worked with in the past don’t. Even though, and in some cases because of our smaller size, our comfort and familiarity with emerging technologies like AI and Cloud lets us innovate and experiment to solve thorny business problems for our customers through PoCs, MVPs and production-grade deployments. Due to this we have been able to build deep rooted partnerships with our client base and add a depth of understanding business domains and workflows to create delightful customer experiences!

We have a high technology quotient in our leadership team and that quality edge percolates down to our entire team of engineers and delivery associates. This is backed by a level of responsiveness that ensures highest levels of customer satisfaction. 

Our core expertise lies in using software engineering and AI to deliver digital experiences on our customers revenue generating applications and systems of engagement with their customers. While our Retail practice, that encompasses ECommerce, Mobile, Grocery Chains, Luxury Chains and High Fashion, is one of the strongest domain strengths we possess, our credentials in delivering digital experiences spans across Healthcare, Hospitality, Real Estate, FinTech, Media, Logistics, & Automotive.  This is backed by mature & differentiated service line offerings around Application Development, Platform Engineering, Data & Analytics, UI/UX, Quality Engineering, Cloud, DevOps, and SaaS Integrations. 

Our strongest geographies are in the US and Japan. In fact, the quality of our client logos and revenues in Japan is one of the best in the industry. 

Our plan is to invest further in the US, and in a couple of other priority fast-growing markets for us like South Africa & Middle East, while also expanding our footprint in Japan. We will also be augmenting and amplifying our service line strengths through capability building, AI infusion, and potential acquisitions to build out a more comprehensive suite to service our growing enterprise-grade customer base.

A key area of improvement we are immediately going to focus  on is increasing the investment into sales, account management, practice & solution leadership, and other go to market initiatives like analyst & advisor relations.

How important is the US market to QBurst’s overall strategy? What are your plans for expanding QBurst’s presence in the US?

US is our most important market and core to our overall strategy. It is also where the technology spend from potential customers is the largest and most mature, and so is the competitive intensity. While majority of our revenues are from the US, our penetration into the Enterprise segment across our focus domains is quite low and can be improved substantially. 

We have brought in a very senior leader from the industry to be the Chief Growth Officer for North America. His role is to focus on the existing client portfolio, growth strategies, sales and new logo acquisition efforts. Under his leadership, we are also expanding the US based account & practice leadership team, including a Retail Practice Leader who has joined us two weeks ago, and a QA Overlay Sales leader joining us later this month.

We are on the lookout for additional account managers, hunters, practice and overlay sales leads. We will continue to make the necessary investments commensurate with the size and potential of our portfolio in this extremely critical and competitive market for us. 

What was the strategic rationale behind Multiples Alternate Asset Management’s acquisition of QBurst? 

Multiples is a leading private equity firm based in India with a deep focus on backing high quality businesses. Multiples has been expanding their enterprise technology strategy, particularly in the US-India corridor. I would say that some of the same reasons that attracted me to QBurst have motivated Multiples to make the significant investment. QBurst has strong fundamentals, blue-chip client base, solid talent base, untapped growth potential, and is a well-run values-driven organization. 

The strategic rationale is something that is underpinned by a compelling investment thesis and an attractive business case. QBurst is a profitable, growing and focused technology services firm. It has differentiated itself in a few key areas of software application build, platform engineering, and AI-driven solutions, with a focus on digital experiences for our customers and their customers. The client portfolio and footprint can be expanded with carefully prioritized investments and transformation plans, to generate profitable growth and multiples on invested capital. 

How will the acquisition benefit QBurst’s clients and employees? Are there any plans for future funding or expansion?

In a way, the acquisition has already benefited QBurst employees, many of whom have been with the company for years, and have benefited from the sale. The leadership and also the broader employee base at QBurst is quite excited about the new vision and direction we are now taking. Employees are also open to change and the growth opportunities this throws up for them in terms of career and professional development. 

With the new leadership coming in, there is going to be a healthy mix of ideas, discussions and opinions, that will strengthen the quality of growth and our plans for the future state.  This will also benefit the current and future clients. 

I, along with some of our newer additions, bring a wealth of diverse industry knowledge and best practices. We believe this will deepen and strengthen QBurst’s capabilities and offerings, and help it to deliver better quality services to our clients. 

We will be on the lookout for future expansion, not just organically, but through selective inorganic routes too to complement and augment some of our capability and offerings. 

What are your thoughts on the current and future impact of AI on enterprise tech, and how QBurst is integrating AI into its offerings to benefit its customers?

AI is one of the most transformational technologies that we have seen in our lifetimes, and is going to fundamentally change and disrupt not just enterprise tech, but business models, consumer behavior and human lives. 

AI is fundamentally transforming enterprise technology and operations all around us, our own experience is no different. QBurst integrates GenAI into all its service offerings by providing production-grade solutions. We’ve seen that the majority of our customers get stuck at a proof-of-concept stage and QBurst has been able to help them take their GenAI based initiatives to the next level with our expertise.  We help our customers by:

• Upgrading their solutions to a scalable deployment model
• Optimizing cost through alternate hosting
• Employing cost-effective models
• Implementing guardrails

Also, we believe AI is in a transformation phase and what we see today is not what it is. We are in a continuous adoption mode of new models with larger context windows.

What are the biggest opportunities that you want QBurst to capitalize on?

While there are significant opportunities with AI disrupting how organizations work, QBurst is definitely capitalizing on those. However, we also have a few other niche opportunities that we have carved out and would like to capitalize on them too.

• QBurst’s footprint in Japan – Not everyone gets to build such a strong foundation in a market like this and we have a ground to build on.
• Our Retail Domain Expertise – Over the past decade, QBurst has built scalable e-commerce platforms, omnichannel retail solutions, digital supply chain capabilities, in-store experiences, etc. to support global retailers. This is something we want to expand to a larger client base.
• The GenAI Revolution – Enterprises need proper deployment, scaling and putting in effective guardrails for their GenAI transformation. Data preparedness for effective utilization of GenAI is critical too. This is an opportunity for QBurst’s subject matter experts to assist our customers with their journey. Further, we know that AI/GenAI is going to impact our own service delivery models. We are preparing ourselves for leveraging AI-driven platforms to transform service delivery, and also prepare our engineers, developers and testers to become proficient in using AI tools. 
• Larger Enterprise Clients – QBurst has a proven track record in delivering complex solutions in competitive timelines. A major chunk of our client base is predominantly SMBs. We are now allocating resources towards developing a robust sales strategy aimed at acquiring larger enterprise clients that can drive substantial growth for the company.
• Growth opportunity in the US – Our current footprint allows us to invest in expansion plans for the US in our selected domains and through our differentiated offerings. 

What are the key technology trends that are driving QBurst’s growth?

QBurst has always been a forerunner in the technology space – right from being recognized as one of the earliest adopters of Android way back in 2009 to being R&D partners, running Tech Innovation Labs for global enterprises. The organization fosters a culture of innovation and it reflects in our deliverables too. While we are a tech-first company, Customer Satisfaction is what actually drives our growth. 

Some tech areas that have been contributing to our numbers are:

• Digital Modernization Initiatives – The transition from legacy systems to cloud-based architectures, continues to be a significant growth driver. QBurst assists clients in migrating to platforms like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, enabling scalable, secure, and agile operations. 
• Data Engineering & Advanced Analytics – With the exponential growth of data, businesses seek to derive actionable insights. QBurst’s expertise in building data pipelines, dashboards, and analytics models have empowered our clients to make informed decisions, improve customer experiences, and streamline operations.
• Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning – The demand for AI-driven solutions is on the rise. QBurst develops custom AI models tailored to specific business needs, facilitating intelligent automation, predictive analytics, and enhanced decision-making across various industries.

Can you provide examples of innovative solutions QBurst has developed for its clients?

QBurst has implemented a range of innovative solutions across domains. A few to mention are:

• AI-Powered Quotation System for Insurance Provider – AI-driven system that aggregates data from various sources to analyze and provide customers with the best insurance quotes efficiently.
• UX-Driven Solutions for Industrial Machinery – Developed customized user experiences tailored for industrial-grade machinery, enhancing usability and operational efficiency.
• Predictive Analytics for Enterprise Retail Giants – Implemented predictive models to optimize shift rosters, automated inventory replenishment, and pricing predictions that helped in improving overall retail operations.
• LINE Mini-Apps Development for Region-specific Customer Engagement – Developed multiple mini-apps for the LINE platform, aligning with Japanese user behavior and cultural expectations to enhance user engagement.
• Computer Vision Solutions for Automobile Industry – Engine vibration analysis and tyre thread depth analysis for repair workshops
• Calibration Efforts for Training & Skill Development – Conducted extensive calibration efforts for training programs, ensuring precision and effectiveness in skill development.
• Satellite Imagery Analysis – Developed algorithms for processing satellite imagery, focusing on accurate detection of clouds and shadows to enhance image analysis.
• Real-Time Network Monitoring for Telecommunications Domain – We developed a data analytics platform for one of the largest Telecommunication majors, that aggregates information from multiple locations, providing live updates on network health, enabling detection and addressing issues promptly, reducing downtime and enhancing customer satisfaction.
• Virtual Try-On for Apparel – Engineered virtual try-on solutions for several apparel merchants for their products, offering an immersive customized ordering/shopping experience. We implemented this during the very early stages of virtual reality technology adoption.
• Staffboard – A platform where the store staff themselves model and promote apparel through their e-comm website and official social media channels. This concept is becoming increasingly popular with retail merchants due to its unique selling proposition and the fact that customers find it easier to relate to styling done by everyday people rather than supermodels.
• Computer Vision Solutions for FMCG Clients – We implemented a computer vision system allowing store staff to photograph shelves using a mobile app. The system instantly identifies missing items, streamlining re-stocking processes and improving the shopping experience.
• AI-Powered Route Optimization for Logistics – Our route optimization system for a logistics company tracks delivery vehicles and suggests efficient routes based on real-time traffic and weather data. This reduces fuel consumption, shortens delivery times, and lowers operational costs.
• Remote Patient Health & Transfer Monitoring – We developed a remote monitoring platform that collects patient vitals from wearable devices, alerting healthcare providers to anomalies. Implemented a Real-Time Location System (RTLS) within hospitals to monitor intra-hospital patient transfers, ensuring timely and coordinated care delivery.
• Data Dashboards and Automation for Mining Sector – Created data dashboards and automation systems for mining operations, incorporating early AI implementations to improve efficiency and decision-making.

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