Building and Scaling an Analytics Business - Insights, Strategies, and Lessons Learned with Ashwin Mittal

Building and scaling an analytics business requires a foundation of robust data infrastructure, a strategic focus on actionable insights, and an agile approach to evolving technologies. CEOs play a pivotal role in shaping the success of an analytics business through their leadership and strategic decisions.

To give us more insights on this, for this week’s CDO Insights we have with us, Ashwin Mittal, CEO of Course5i. Ashwin has spearheaded its transformation into a leading analytics, AI, and insights powerhouse. With a rich background in corporate strategy consulting in India and the US, Ashwin envisions Course5 as a catalyst for a data-driven corporate culture, blending human and machine intelligence. A recipient of numerous awards for excellence, he is a sought-after speaker at global forums on leveraging analytics for business impact. Beyond the boardroom, Ashwin is a pioneer in India's tech ecosystem, a dedicated advocate for CSR initiatives, and an influential member of organizations like Mumbai Angels, Young Presidents’ Organization, and Entrepreneurs’ Organization. Holding an MBA from UCLA's Anderson School and London Business School, Ashwin combines vision, strategic acumen, and a passion for societal impact.

AIM: Why did you decide to provide analytics services for organizations, including Fortune 500 companies, and how did you set your company apart in a market already populated with similar businesses?

Ashwin Mittal: So we've been in this business for a fairly long time. We are one of the earlier players and at that time, people had not even heard of analytics and AI was just something of science fiction. But for me personally, there are few things that led to the start of my journey. One is that I always felt science-based reasoning and, there was this quote, I think from Edward Demings, if I remember, “In God we trust, everyone else must bring data.”