Dr. Vineet Bansal, Group CIO of Surya Roshni Limited, on digital transformation, leadership alignment, and the role of technology in driving growth.
Jatinder Singh
With over 24 years of experience in manufacturing, retail, and pharmaceuticals, Dr. Vineet Bansal is leading a pivotal SAP implementation at Surya to modernize the enterprise. In a recent conversation with Jatinder Singh, Executive Editor of CIO&Leader, Dr. Bansal outlines the challenges of large-scale digital transformation, the critical importance of leadership alignment, and his strategic focus on automation, cybersecurity, and AI.
Dr. Bansal’s approach to digital transformation is both practical and forward-thinking. From managing organizational change and data complexity to prioritizing AI and cybersecurity, he provides a clear framework for CIOs to navigate fast-growing enterprises. As he aptly puts it: ‘Without business objectives, technology has no purpose.’
Excerpts from the interview.
Quotes
1. Change management must be driven from the top, with leadership, particularly department heads, taking charge.
2. Our top priorities are industrial automation, SAP automation, and securing our systems and data.
3. Technology should never be adopted in isolation; it must always serve a clear business purpose. That is the key to long-term success for any IT leader.
CIO&Leader: Can you share insights into the SAP implementation project at Surya Roshni and how it drives business transformation and impacts the organization?
Dr. Vineet Bansal: Surya Roshni is growing very fast, and to scale with that growth, we needed a robust and scalable system. This journey began to enhance operational efficiency, centralize our data, and enable real-time analytics. As a result, our teams can now access timely and accurate information, significantly improving the speed and quality of decision-making.
CIO&Leader: Every major transformation brings its challenges. What were the key ones you faced during this project?
Dr. Bansal: Like many organizations, our primary challenges revolved around change management, data migration, and user training. Migrating historical data from legacy systems is never straightforward—data is often fragmented, inconsistent, and not in the correct format for SAP. This meant that substantial effort was needed for data cleansing, mapping, and alignment to ensure it met the new system’s standards. Furthermore, many employees were familiar with older systems, and moving to a modern platform presented a cultural shift. This necessitated technical training and continuous user support to help teams adapt to the new processes. We had to focus on building trust and ensuring that users understood the new system’s value, emphasizing how it would enhance their work efficiency and decision-making capabilities.
CIO&Leader: You mentioned change management. How critical is leadership alignment in such initiatives, and what best practices helped you manage the transition effectively?
Dr. Bansal: Change management must be driven from the top, with leadership, particularly department heads, taking charge. Their alignment with transformation objectives sets the tone for the entire organization. Once leadership embraces the change, gaining buy-in from their teams becomes easier. In our case, many employees were comfortable with the legacy systems and initially hesitant about adopting the new platform. To address this, we collaborated closely with Heads of Departments (HODs) to communicate the new system’s benefits and how it would drive business value. We organized training sessions and provided ongoing support to ensure users understood the positive impact on their work. This top-down alignment was critical in ensuring a seamless transition and successful implementation.
CIO&Leader: How is Surya Roshni leveraging data and analytics to improve customer experience and business performance?
Dr. Bansal: Data analytics is essential. The real benefits of a new system like SAP emerge when it’s used for analytics. Whether analyzing sales data or understanding market sentiment, data-driven insights are invaluable. But everything hinges on the quality of backend data. If your data is accurate, the insights you derive are far more reliable and actionable.
CIO&Leader: The shift from Oracle’s in-house ERP to SAP HANA must have had its complexities. What specific issues did you face during this transition?
Dr. Bansal: Once again, the biggest challenge was data migration. The data in our older system wasn’t structured to fit SAP’s framework. We had to clean, reformat, and sometimes recreate missing data points. That was a critical phase—without high-quality data, any ERP implementation is bound to face serious roadblocks.
CIO&Leader: Are there plans to integrate AI, chatbots, or automation into your digital roadmap, particularly in customer-facing areas?
Dr. Bansal: Yes, especially in our lighting division, where customer support is critical. AI and chatbots are definitely on the roadmap. Our primary focus is to complete and stabilize the SAP implementation. Once that is achieved, we will evaluate AI-powered tools and explore how they can enhance customer engagement and improve operational efficiency.
CIO&Leader: What are your top three priorities as a CIO in 2025 and beyond?
Dr. Bansal: Our top priority is industrial automation, particularly because some plants still operate on legacy systems. Our second priority is SAP automation—we aim to integrate shop floor operational data with SAP to ensure seamless data flow across the enterprise. Third, and equally important, is cybersecurity. Securing our systems and data becomes increasingly critical as we adopt more digital technologies.
CIO&Leader: Cybersecurity is becoming a growing concern across industries. How are you addressing this at Surya Roshni?
Dr. Bansal: Cybersecurity isn’t just a challenge—it’s a necessity. As we introduce more digital systems and connected devices, protecting our data and infrastructure becomes vital. Everything is moving to digital now, and we must ensure our information remains secure and protected from misuse. For us, cybersecurity is a foundational part of our digital transformation strategy—it’s non-negotiable.
CIO&Leader: What advice would you give aspiring CIOs and future technology leaders?
Dr. Bansal: Everything starts with customer satisfaction. When business priorities align with technology initiatives—and when those initiatives enhance the customer experience—you’re on the right path. Technology should never be adopted in isolation; it must always serve a clear business purpose. That’s the key to long-term success for any IT leader.
CIO&Leader: Finally, what key technology trends do you believe will shape the enterprise landscape in the years ahead?
Dr. Bansal: Two trends stand out prominently. First is industry automation—organizations can no longer afford to rely on outdated legacy systems that negatively impact agility and scalability. The shift toward digital transformation is accelerating, and modernizing core operations has become a business imperative. Automation enhances efficiency, reduces human error, and lays the foundation for advanced technologies like AI and data analytics to function effectively.
Second, AI and chatbots in customer service are witnessing widespread adoption. These technologies are not just enhancing responsiveness—they are redefining customer engagement. AI-enabled chatbots can handle a growing volume of customer queries in real time, offer personalized recommendations, and operate 24/7, thereby improving both customer satisfaction and operational efficiency. As expectations for instant support and seamless digital experiences rise, integrating AI into customer service will soon shift from a competitive advantage to a fundamental requirement.