We Are Sandhata - Meet Varun

Based in the UK, Varun Arora is a Project Manager at Sandhata. We caught up with Varun to find out more about his role, his journey so far, and his hopes for the future.

Tell us about your role at Sandhata

I joined Sandhata in 2021 as Project Manager, working initially for one of our telecoms clients. I am really enjoying my role as it opens the gates for both technical and managerial exposure with stakeholder management. The Sandhata teams have lots of technical experience and in API management, integration and DevOps and I am excited about getting exposure and learning in these areas to grow my career.

Did you study technology at university?

I did a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Amity University Noida. Those 4 years were full of learning experiences, enjoyment and exploring new things. That was when I first lived alone, cooked food, managed my life and finances day to day, and started to see how I can find happiness in each and every small thing. I finished my degree as a more mature person, confident enough to chase and achieve my dreams.

How did you get started working in IT?

I have been working in IT for 10 years now, starting as a software tester with Accenture (in Pune, India) in 2011. My first client role was on a BT Openreach project, where I performed various roles including manual tester and test design assurance. I quickly learnt to adopt to different roles in a short duration of time. I then moved into a business analyst role, working with architects to design workflows and trace requirements.

I learnt a lot in my consultancy role over 5 years, then moved in 2016 to Vodafone India as Project manager with VOIS.

My journey at VOIS was life changing as it took my learning to the next level. I worked in various areas including digital transformation, DevOps, service virtualization and cloud migration, working with new products such as TIBCO and Chordiant. I was working closely with one of the Sandhata teams, and was highly impressed with the technology and transformation that Sandhata was bringing to Vodafone.

Which projects are you currently working on?

The project I am currently focusing on will deliver Service Virtualization across a range of systems including integration and CRM applications. Considering the 3rd party dependencies and high impact of frequent unavailability, this project will deliver immense benefits to our client.

Why did you choose to join Sandhata?

My first experience of Sandhata was working closely with them at Vodafone India, where Sandhata was introducing automation, DevOps and full digital transformation. Trust me, the switch from traditional styles of delivery to DevOps was not an easy ride and I was really impressed with how Sandhata helped to transform the ways of working in the team, reducing manual efforts for deployment and creating a robust framework for the future.

“I wanted to learn from the Sandhata teams to broaden my skills, and be a part of delivering digital transformation for other clients in the future, so I chose to join Sandhata.”

What was your experience joining Sandhata during COVID?

During COVID, the major problem most people face when joining a new organization is difficulty in onboarding and asset allocation. With Sandhata, my experience was outstanding as Sandhata management (Kumar, Babji and Gopi) worked closely with HR (Suresh and Bharathi), keeping in continuous touch with me, to provide all documentation and guidance needed and ensure a smooth transition.

What’s next for you?

Joining Sandhata is the start a new phase of my career, and I look forward to delivering some great capabilities for our clients as part of the Sandhata team. I am very excited about the opportunities I have to experience new things, and develop skills which will mutually benefit me and Sandhata.