Shalab Garg
Shalab Garg

Associate Vice President
Head of Data Centre Services
Religare

It doesn’t happen daily that you climb three rungs of the corporate ladder within two years. With Shalabh, things were different!

A 1996 Computer Science and Engineering graduate from Shri Ram Murti Smarak College of Engineering and Technology, alumnus Shalabh Garg says that the college provided him with a platform to begin with and finally made him what he is today. “My four year stint at SRMSCET, coupled with strong base developed there, facilitated my move to different roles and profiles in various companies,” he says.

Hard work, dedication and commitment are cornerstones of his success. These qualities, together with a one-year certificate program from IIM Lucknow, helped him move quickly up the corporate ladder and catapult his career at Religare.

Today, as Associate Vice President-Head of Data Centre Services, Religare, a company he has worked with for six years, Shalabh’s responsibilities include overseeing Data Centre operations for the entire Group’s companies. This includes working across multiple domains. The job profile also encompasses applications accessibility for all users across the globe and the management of all corporate portals for the Religare Group. His day therefore is a busy one comprising of meetings, discussions, alignments with business teams and more.

Essentially a small town boy from Bareilly, Shalabh believes that kids who don’t come from the metros have a more focused and concentrated approach to studies. “I believe SRMSCET plays a great role in nurturing the talent of students who join different programs. It was among the best engineering colleges in UP during 1996,” he says explaining that its location is an added advantage.

Concentrating equally on both work and extra-curricular activities during his time at college paid off! Shalabh moved to Primenet after he graduated and then on to Honeywell where he spent almost three years working in the capacity of Project Manager for APAC, before he finally joined Religare. “Moving to Religare was a quick decision as this role provided insights into the financial domain,” he says adding that Religare is a brand name in the NBFC sector and a very dynamic organisation with exponential growth possibilities.

It turned out to be a good decision as Shalabh went from strength to strength – climbing three rungs of the corporate ladder in two years! He credits his promotions to a very competent management team that gave him the opportunity to work on different projects in very short span of time. This he says showcased his capabilities and his potential.

Shalabh’s career journey has seen him traverse from Tier 2 and 3 cities to the metros, so adaptability to various lifestyles and culture are his buzz words. “SRMSCET also played a key role in preparing me for different kinds of environments,” he says. The college’s alumni stand testament to its holistic preparation as well and with many of them in senior positions with reputed organisations like Goldman Sachs, HP, IBM, Intel and so on, Shalabh feels that they should be made an integral part of the institution and play a more active role during the placement process.

In agreement with SRMSCET’s emphasis on long study hours, he says that this philosophy helps students build the patience and diligence of marathon runners. “However, at the same time, I would suggest that students also focus on extra-curricular activities and learn how to interact – because being physically fit together with being able to network can be game changers for any individual!”