Interviewtimes 
Over the years, Odisha has made remarkable progress in the sector of IT firms and positioned itself to become one of the finest corporate structures in India. Presenting you the OG of stellar corporate and IT services, Mr Santosh Kumar Sahoo, CEO & Managing Director, Computer LAB.
An achiever from Cuttack, after completing his post graduation in Economics at Utkal University paved his own way to become one of the most successful entrepreneurs. With dedication to achieve great, he traveled to Chennai to acquire skills in Computer. Soon he moved back to Odisha and joined the Computer LAB as an employee. Seeing his dedication and passion for his work, the ex-promoters of the company awarded him ten percent shares in the company and this is how the fascinating journey of Mr. Santosh Kumar Sahoo from an employee to the CEO of the Computer LAB ventured.
Thirty-two years back, in 1990, Computer LAB was incorporated as a registered SSI entity providing comprehensive IT solutions and services locally in the state. Since its inception, the organizer’s unremitting efforts have achieved the goal of proving it a successful and preferred IT service provider in the state for various governmental and private organizations. The firm was established on April 1, 1990 in the Silver City of Odisha, Cuttack, and ceaselessly initiated its Head office at Info City, Bhubaneswar and Project offices at different parts of the country such as Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Bangalore, Patna, Gauhati and Bhopal.
32 years of expertise and experience in this field, qualified workforce that meets industry needs, ample infrastructure and resources at different project locations in 5 different states and competent business partners and secure financial resources are the salient features that sets Computer LAB apart from other players in the field.
The Computer LAB actively participates in all state and national e-government/IT project initiatives to provide citizen-centric services and create significant employment opportunities for skilled rural professionals. Till date, the firm has employed over 1,500 people from the underprivileged rural pockets of the state.
The Computer LAB is one of the pioneers of e-government projects in India. The firm has been a part of Aadhaar Enrollment Project. It is also the sixth largest Aadhaar Enrollment Agency in the country and the first in Eastern India. More than 3 crores Aadhaar registrations have been conducted by Computer LAB not only in Odisha, but also in other states such as Bihar and Assam. Moreover, the company plays a pivotal role in helping India strengthening its digital evolution. The Computer Lab has been opportunely providing quality IT Services to its client comprising of NISG, OCAC, NSDL, ALIMCO, BYJUs BEL, ECIL, Govt of Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Assam.
As the world battled the pandemic, so did the IT arena. To ensure business continuity during COVID, Computer LAB employees were assigned WFH and all projects that used to run in virtual mode were monitored through a web-based application and regular virtual meetings.
Over more than 3 decades, operating under Mr. Sahoo’s impeccable leadership, the Computer LAB has achieved tremendous milestones. From receiving the National Award-2010 for Outstanding Entrepreneurship (Services) from Ministry of MSME to receiving India SME 100 Awards from Union Minister Shri Giriraj Singh and Dr. Arun Kumar Panda, Principal Secretary- MSME to the National Business Excellence Award-2021, the Computer LAB has come a long way. Other than these esteemed awards, Mr Sahoo has also received many iconic awards namely, the International Goldstar Millennium Award, the Skoch order of Merit Award and Skoch Achiever Award, the Odisha Business Awards-2017 (Excellence in IT), the Brand Icon International Excellence Awards, 2018 (Excellence in IT in Eastern india), the Skoch order of Merit Award and Skoch Achiever Award 2018 among others.
INTERVIEWED BY- AISHWARIYA DHAL
