Pune: New age people and finance leaders could show the way into the future

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The young workforce of the city, armed with future-ready skills, could show a new direction to enterprises that have put the city on the global map. India’s high-growth industrial centres, like Pune, need these new age skills to lead growth for the post-information era

People Factor Critical for Creating Value for Tomorrow’s Stakeholders

People leaders in Pune, India’s bustling industrial hub, ideated on how companies could create value for the enterprises to thrive in the future

TE@timesofindia.com

How should enterprises look to create value for the stakeholders of tomorrow? The best and the brightest people across industries will have to be identified who could acquire leadership positions during the current times of turbulence. A variety of disruptive factors drive hypercompetition in the economy, technology is emerging as a glue for tomorrow’s businesses to be stitched together. Leaders will have to find a way to cleave through the period of uncertainty.

The best and brightest talent from across the world could be attracted to drive companies in industrial regions of the country. In the AI-led economy, the value creation could happen at a clip much faster than seen earlier. Several of the changes happening for reskilling and upskilling with could be a result of individual efforts, with not all necessarily driven by the enterprises.

With the city’s diversified mix of industries – education, automobile manufacturing, technology hub, green energy – Pune was the perfect location to ideate on the role of tomorrow’s people leaders. As the roomful of industry leaders gathered for a conversation around ‘Future Ready CHROs’, organised with The Economic Times and AU Small Finance Bank and Visa in partnership, the unique needs of the industries came to the fore.

MANUFACTURING THE VALUE CHAIN

After the pandemic, companies started to look at opportunities in Vietnam, Philippines and other nations to expand their manufacturing operations. India had to be part of the strategy for companies as they wanted to scale up to match their China operations. India has managed to corner part of the volume exports of high tech products, which was often sourced from China earlier. With the right expertise, India is now looking at high quality technology precision volume exports could change the way India’s manufacturing is looked at.

The product development teams are having to ramp up with their offering to make it wider, in keeping with the demand of various segments in the market. The market could be getting divided for more than one product in any unique segment. However, the sales teams may not be ready for it and their jobs could do with some reskilling. To enable them to address the shift in the marketplace, the HR leaders need to design a training programme. As various functions in the enterprise go through this shift, HR leaders need to imagine the enterprise strategy accordingly.

As AI disrupts the manufacturing landscape, the risks may be visible to many, but the opportunities are visible to fewer people. Handling the uncertainty could be one skill that could be invaluable for everyone. It could appear that today’s employees may not be in control, the same could be true of some leaders too, as they navigate the uncertainty.

RESKILLING FOR IT SERVICES

Given the way the market has sold off stocks in India’s IT services sector during 2026, the industry is going through an upheaval. Reskilling for millions of engineers in the IT services and global capability centres could be required if their skills must stay relevant in the era where AI is automating workflows and driving efficiencies. The revenues for India’s IT services industry in FY25 was a little under $300 billion while it spent less than one percent of its revenues on R&D.

For the business and people leaders, that could well be the opportunity. While client co innovation is happening, product centric programmes can help build intellectual property platform, ensuring AI model adaptation and more could make a difference. There are several examples, particularly in the financial services sector, where domain solutions have been productised. Given the scale of the industry, more professionals who could solve for the industry with products and productised services could help scale up.

Building the right leadership at IT services companies could be the big challenge for people leaders. Given the opportunities opening with AI computational capabilities multiplying dramatically, it could change the face of India’s industry. It could well begin with getting the technology geeks leading the companies.

AI is making enterprises and their people leaders get to the drawing board on how tomorrow’s businesses need to rethink. It is this reimagination that could showcase the champions of tomorrow.

As the workforce evolves, the future worker may look for flexibility and safety at the workplace. Manufacturing, IT, technology services and other industries are adjusting to the new reality driven by the march of technology, leaders would want the culture of the company to continue.

With Every Unexpected Crises, CFOs Stand Tall, Make Businesses Leaner

Balancing an ever-growing list of priorities, the finance leader must keep one eye on the future while addressing the short-term challenges

TE@timesofindia.com

Driven by the entrepreneurial finance leader, enterprises are trying to reimagine the way they could evolve. Beyond thinking global, scale is the mantra. Companies need to navigate through the global turmoil, as they sidestep the challenges in the near term. Of critical importance is the continuous review of numbers and assessment of business scenarios to enable near real‑time course correction. The finance leader and his role is even more critical than ever before as the future is being built now.

The uncertainty has not made the job of the finance leader any easier. If the war in the middle east has disrupted operations and supply chains in the recent weeks, a few years ago it was the pandemic that stifled demand, lack of availability of semiconductors extended the challenges, and other issues forced companies to innovate across the value chain. Every time a disruption takes centrestage, the CFO looks at each element of the business operation with a lens before it can be turned into the new normal.

As industries seek to address their challenges, creating solutions that help solve the business worries for the customer has become the top priority. Companies are expected to run a tight ship and do more from the resources available, for which all teams need to contribute. Give the changes being seen in the business model for industries, finance teams also need to evaluate whether tweaking their business operations could deliver better results.

Across industries, finance leaders in Pune spoke of the need for innovation so that businesses could thrive for the future. Professionals – some of whom could be the CFOs in future – listened to the conversation around ‘Finance Leaders of Tomorrow’, organised in partnership with The Economic Times and AU Small Finance Bank and Visa.

CONSTANT, UNEXPECTED CHANGE

Several IT services companies have traditionally focused on providing skilled professionals who could drive the change for their clients. That could be changing to a fixed fee model, with a built in success fee, ensuring they have more skin in the game. As AI evolves, the expectation is that its impact will be felt across businesses process of companies of all sizes, including their employees. Embracing the opportunities for companies and individuals could be the first step to moving into the future.

Narrowing down on the opportunities in the market could be the first steps so that the context is clear for enterprises. Taking a domain view could help understand the landscape and take a wider view so that opportunities. The entire value chain can be evaluated before taking firm steps to address the business need. It could well help the finance teams understand where to drive efficiencies.

For financial services, as an individual or businesses seek a loan, the processes are being reworked with AI at the heart of the change. In the healthcare sector, since it involves personal data of people, there are regulatory guardrails that must be adhered to. Even as finance leaders seek such solutions to make their operations more efficient, technology is enabling more for businesses.

EYEING INDIA OPPORTUNITY

Global companies are, increasingly, looking at their India centre to be positioned at the heart of the unfolding change. Several of them have outsources their R&D and engineering support to their India arms, hoping to make good with the technology talent and the understanding of the digitalisation processes across industries. For companies in the automotive industry, for example, cleaving through the emerging disruption is the norm, while it must work on enhancing technology for electric vehicles, digitalisation of the processes while keeping an eye on the market dynamics.

The enhancement to the processes need to be a continuous process for companies for the finance leader to add to his efficiency metrics. Since MNCs have bet big on their India operations, they want the best minds to work on expanding during the tough times. Big bulge investors often say, ‘Never let a crisis go waste’. For the finance leader, focused on efficiencies, this could also be an opportunity to scoop assets which may help create value for tomorrow.

The long-term planning, one’s that finance leaders have typically been known for, is evolving. Surviving in the short term could help evolve in the long-term. Welcome to the future being built for the finance leader.

Disclaimer: An initiative of AU Small Finance Bank Limited. BCCL does not endorse and is not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of the information contained herein. Readers should seek appropriate professional advice before taking any decision