That, Mastek is the first company in the world to achieve SW CMM 5 for software processes and PCMM 3 for people processes is in itself major news. To go beyond that, The Financial Express travelled with the Mastek team to Hyderabad for its annual Runtime-a unique HR event that brings together employees and their families in a business and pleasure session.

Says Mastek chairman and managing director Mr Ashank Desai: "We are different. It is not according to a plan. It is the way we take care of people. It is a model which we have evolved ourselves."

At the crux of this lies Mastek's new HR mantra MCAP-Mastek Creativity and Action Programme. HR guru Krishna Gopinath, who has long been associated with Mastek, points out that MCAP is all about sharing knowledge, practices and processes. The Runtime at Hyderabad witnessed a curtain-raiser of sorts in the business session where the employees were initiated to MCAP.

Mr Krishna explains: "A project team that has synergy writes programmes faster." That Mastek has continuously evolved regarding its people processes is borne out by the PCMM 3 cetification.

The fact that Mastek is the first IT company in the world to achieve the People Capability Maturity Model Level 3 certification is a pointer to the fact that selection measures were particularly stringent. It is based on a model developed by the Carnegie-Melon University.

At each level, certain Key Process Areas (KPA) are identified. The KPAs become progressively difficult as the certification level increases. Each KPA is based on goals, ability of people handling KPAs, commitment of companyand activities involved. The auditing was done by a team led by Software Technology Transitions' Mr Ron Radice and Quality Assurance India's Mr Ajay Batra. A cross-section of employees were interviewed and their awareness verified. Career planning objectives of the organisation and match between aspirations of the individual and growth objectives of the company were considered. Group senior vice-president Mr Kishor Bhalerao explains: "We have realigned our HR practices to the company's goals."

The headquarters at Mumbai has a Santi Kaksh for stress-related problems. Mastek has appointed seven to eight counsellors around Mumbai for Mastekeers and their family. Mr Girish Nadkarni, a chartered accountant whose wife is a Mastek employee, feels that the organisation is unique in various ways.

This probably has put its attrition rate much below the industry average.Mastek was the first Indian IT company to introduce ESOPs in India. But as Mr Desai explains:"ESOP is not the be all and end all." This philosophy is reflected in Mastek's performance. A recent Asia Week Magazine study rates Mastek as the first in India and the 11th in Asia on the basis of returns to shareholders in 1999.

Mastek's philosophy extends to its customers also. Runtime had customers from UK as active participants.