Atul Bansal

Committed to Excellence, Strategic Vision, and Relentless Pursuit of Success

Atul Bansal

Group Head IT,

Gateway Distriparks Limited

While many organisations continue to view IT as merely a cost, Atul Bansal, Chief Information Officer at Gateway Distriparks Limited, has demonstrated how IT can serve as a powerful catalyst for growth and innovation. With over 28 years of experience, Atul has continually reshaped IT from a perceived expense into a strategic enabler that drives business success. Throughout his career, Atul has made numerous decisions that have significantly influenced his IT leadership approach. From pioneering ERP implementations and process automation to enhancing cybersecurity and networking, his extensive experience spans a wide range of IT domains. Atul has played a pivotal role in transforming IT departments in several large organisations, often starting from scratch and elevating them to industry benchmarks. At Gateway Distriparks, Atul confronted the challenge of an outdated IT infrastructure in a sector traditionally sceptical of IT’s strategic value. When he joined, the company faced significant inefficiencies, including delayed customer responses and poor operational performance. Recognising the need for a comprehensive overhaul, Atul devised a strategic five-year roadmap. This plan meticulously outlined yearly targets and incremental improvements, ultimately leading to the successful implementation of landmark projects. Among these achievements is Project Megha, a transformative initiative launched during the COVID-19 pandemic to streamline customs processes. By integrating IT solutions to share base information with customs, the project enhanced clearance speeds and operational efficiency. Additionally, Atul’s focus on environmental sustainability led to the implementation of online order processing systems and man-free operations in yards, significantly reducing paper usage and operational costs. Speaking with TradeFlock, Atul discussed his journey and more.

How has your 30 years of experience shaped your strategies, and what key lessons have you learnt?

Over 30 years in IT, I’ve learnt the crucial need for contingency plans. For example, during the GST implementation in 2016, our initial plan failed due to delays from our OEM. This situation required us to implement a backup plan, which kept operations and invoicing on track. This experience underscored the importance of having multiple strategies in place to ensure business continuity and timely delivery, regardless of unexpected challenges.

What’s the next disruption in logistics, and how are you preparing for it?

The next disruption in logistics will be fuelled by advancements in AI, IoT, and ML. We initiated our digital transformation journey just before COVID-19 with projects designed to enhance remote customer interactions and operational efficiency. The pandemic underscored the value of digital automation, leading us to expand these initiatives. We now utilise AI, IoT, and ML to improve operational efficiency and reduce stock movement costs, which has earned us recognition from the Government of India. This transformation allows us to process cargo in 1.5 days compared to competitors’ 7-8 days, positioning us well for future disruptions.

What is the toughest decision you've made as a CIO?

One of the toughest decisions was pursuing an OCR (Optical Character Recognition) project to track containers without manual intervention. Despite initial scepticism, criticism, and technical challenges, I stayed committed and led the project through four years of development. Launched in April, it achieved 99.99% accuracy, overcoming doubts and establishing us as a pioneer in OCR implementation in India. This success has led other companies to seek my advice on similar challenges.

What current projects are you working on?

We are implementing Fastags for vehicle entry into our premises. This will allow trucks to be identified automatically, including cargo details and container numbers, without manual intervention or waiting at the gate. Currently, entry takes about 5 minutes, but with Fastags, it will be reduced to under 30 seconds. We are actively working on this and plan to go live by next year.

What was your most challenging experience, and how did you overcome it?

One of the most challenging periods was when I joined a company with zero IT knowledge among users, despite its strong financial resources. The main obstacle was convincing real estate professionals of IT’s value in enhancing efficiency. I dedicated approximately six months to educating and persuading them, demonstrating how IT could improve operations. This involved extensive training and support, transforming scepticism into proficiency. Successfully integrating IT into their daily operations was a defining achievement and a pivotal moment in my career.

How are you reducing your carbon footprint in the logistics sector?

To reduce our carbon footprint, we began by measuring our emissions and implemented key sustainability initiatives. We transitioned to solar power for nearly all our electricity needs, including our data centre, and upgraded our vehicle fleet to electric and CNG models. Additionally, we integrated solar energy into our yard operations with solarpowered reach stackers. As project manager, I led these efforts and managed carbon footprint data, significantly reducing our environmental impact and establishing us as a green IT leader in logistics.

What strategies are you using to strengthen your company and the industry?

My strategy is centred on three key principles: ensuring that solutions are user-friendly, aligning them with the company’s objectives, and staying ahead of industry trends. By focussing on these aspects, we aim to enhance operational efficiency, drive innovation, and ensure that our technology solutions effectively support our business goals and adapt to future challenges.

What are your future aspirations as a CIO?

In the next five years, I aspire to become a mentor for future CIOs. I’m already guiding over 100 CIOs, helping them understand organisational goals and user needs rather than just focussing on project delivery. My goal is to emphasise the CIO’s priorities and impact on the organisation. Additionally, I recently published a book titled Simplified Management Skills: Lessons from the Ramayana and am working on a second book on strategic skills inspired by the Bhagavad Gita.