The autocratic and rigid management style once that was the norm, may not cut it with today’s workforce. As a result, new-age leadership is anchored in emotional intelligence, flexibility, and purpose. These leaders are more aligned with the unique needs of the workforce and are unafraid to bring their own distinct ideas and life experiences to inform how they lead.

Emotional intelligence is the primary driver of success

ĚýAn Accenture study shows that 61% of emerging leaders believe it’s no longer enough to do business for the sake of business; they want to also have a positive impact on society. The premium now is on capabilities, new insights, solutions, and talent rather than age, regardless of the industry or sector.

Furthermore, youth might often be equated with an abundance of energy and ideas, but its potential extends far beyond. Therefore, being around young talent can help bring in fresh perspectives and expertise. Digital natives and entrepreneurs of startups are incorrigible risk-takers and are unafraid of failing. While they are comfortable with emerging technology and speak the language that resonates with the workforce, they are equally high on emotional quotient (EQ), have an innovative vision for the organization, and are unafraid to back it with action.

Listen to the on new-age leadership with Kulmeet Bawa:

Leading with empathy is more than “I hear you”

New-age leadership, built on engagement and innovation, can foster exceptional engagement in the workplace. Empathy is one of the key qualities that is fast coming to occupy a pride of place in the management playbook. Being able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes also reflects that the employees are heard, recognized, and appreciated.

Many might also argue that sharing personal stories should not be a part of workplace discussion. In the contrary, connecting with your employees on a human level by sharing valuable life lessons as a mentor and leader can serve as inspiration. In current times when hybrid models is the new working style, being able to forge a bond through personal stories is a great way to build trust.

Collaborative leadership is the road to the future

The world has fundamentally altered, and leaders today are more open and aware of ‘people power’ and this reflects in their approach to leadership as well. This is the reason why there’s no one style that is gospel anymore. New-age leadership is a permutation and combination of several traits along with the drive to innovate, adapt and develop solutions. Much like the army, where different skill sets are required to succeed, in the organization too, we need a good mix of diverse leaders – who are willing to lead with a vision.

Owing to the increasing complexity ‘moonshot thinking’ will gain more importance. That means motivating teams to think big by framing problems as solvable and encouraging them to explore new ways to think about the future will be the approach. This can be applied to any discipline and will also increase the individual’s productivity.

To sum it up, new-age leadership is the capacity to ‘not only know the way but also go the way and show the way.’ ĚýIn other words, we realize the true potential of a leader in ourselves, not only by the work we do but by the work we inspire others to do. Individuals who understand this, strive to be more adaptable, learn continuously, and have an open and innovative bent of mind to create winning organizational cultures, will not just survive but thrive in this era of digital disruptions.

Kulmeet Bawa is president and managing director of the 51ˇçÁ÷Indian Subcontinent.

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For German software maker, SAP, India is a priority market in which small and medium enterprises (SMEs) account for 80% of 51ˇçÁ÷India’s customer base. Last year, 51ˇçÁ÷India invested `500 crore to localize its multi-cloud strategy for specifically helping Indian businesses. Kulmeet Bawa, President and Managing Director, 51ˇçÁ÷Indian Subcontinent, talks about trends in cloud adoption and the company’s strategy for the next year, in an interview with Ayushman Baruah.

Excerpts:

How was the adoption of cloud in 2022 and how do you see it next year?

India’s cloud adoption reached an inflection point in 2022. FromĚý’s perspective, India remains a strategic priority market, both for business and innovation. We observed an accelerated cloud adoption across industries, including engineering, construction, life sciences and pharma, CPG/retail, and IT-ITeS. Major corporations such as Mahindra & Mahindra, Wipro, and HCL Tech moved their digital core to the cloud. We saw an enormous growth across different sizes of organizations, be it the enterprise or midmarket. We also saw numerous SAP-led digital transformations in start-ups and digital natives who now rely upon us as their trusted advisor. In fact, for the past six or seven quarters, we have outperformed our growth every quarter, with a high continuous year-on-year growth. When I consider the headroom and opportunities that are open to our country, I believe that 2023 is our world of opportunity.

What will be the key drivers of digital transformation next year as the macro-economic conditions remain uncertain?

Although organizations have always aimed to enhance their speed, agility, and data-driven decision-making, there is now a heightened feeling of urgency around the adoption of digital. For enterprises to stay relevant in the face of uncertain macroeconomic market conditions, organizations across the spectrum have hastened their digital transformation. Furthermore, low-code and no-code tools, automation, composability, cloud computing, and associated technologies will be the driving forces behind digital transformation. Additionally, rising attention by businesses and the public sector on how digital technology can enable sustainability will be another trend to watch out for.

What’s 51ˇçÁ÷India’s strategy to tap into the growing SMB market in the country?

The small and midsize business (SMB) sector in India today accounts for 29-30% of the country’s GDP, and SMEs account for 80% of 51ˇçÁ÷India’s customer base. We are the market leader in the SMB sector in India, with a large customer base coming from tier-2 and tier-3 cities including Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Jaipur, Ratnagiri, Kanpur, etc. With the goal of advancing cloud adoption and accelerating company transformation for the Indian mid-market, we have launched several outreach initiatives such as the Transformation Express and Global Bharat Movement focused on helping MSMEs in their journey to cloud migration and digitalization. We invested `500 crore in early 2021 to localize our multi-cloud strategy with the goal of helping Indian businesses become more resilient. Through our multi-cloud strategy, we are enabling our customers to enjoy the benefits of our platform on their choice of cloud infrastructure. Our cloud offering has been adopted by hundreds of brands like Cera Sanitaryware, Luminous Power, Virescent Infrastructure, Puravankara, WayCool Foods & Products, to name a few.

What are some of the key technologies 51ˇçÁ÷will be focusing on next year?

As we step into 2023, our goal is to provide our customers with transformational tools that they need to embrace innovation and address the biggest business challenges of their respective industries. Some of these key technologies include: (a) focused on creating an intelligent, inter-connected, and sustainable world and helping companies of all sizes and industries accelerate their sustainability journeys; (b) Platform Engineering which is expected to become more prevalent in 2023 as organizations continue to find and retain highly skilled technology talent. will become the norm that will aid our customers to achieve business agility; and (c) where AI, automation, and machine learning are shaping business landscapes worldwide. By unifying all AI capabilities into a single platform, 51ˇçÁ÷AI services will continue to enable teams to build chatbots and automate processes to gain business efficiencies through AI and machine learning.

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It was rather sobering as it comes at a time of multiple unprecedented climate extremes across every continent.

To put things in perspective, an by the Centre for Science and Environment noted that India has seen a localised climate disaster nearly every day in the first nine months of 2022. It argued that if our country doesn’t put prompt mitigation measures in place, India is likely to face irreversible economic and socio-cultural damage in the next decade.

The good news is that in recent years India has taken some strong policy initiatives to promote the use of renewable energy and electric mobility and step up its fight against climate change.Ěý Similarly, Indian businesses have begun to commit to sustainability action by setting targets to achieve net zero emissions, accelerate decarbonisation, and deploy innovative green technologies. In fact, a recent survey by Oxford Economics revealed that most Indian organisations today acknowledge the business case for sustainability, with 62% of companies having a clear sustainability plan in place.

Businesses need to move beyond a sustainability compliance mindset to create value

While these are encouraging signs, a lot more needs to be done to ensure sustainability ambitions translate into long-term, tangible action. For instance, the Oxford Economics study also revealed that more than half the organisations say regulatory compliance is their primary driver of sustainability, ahead of factors such as carbon reduction, perceived reputational risks, or business innovation.

Unsurprisingly, only 7% of those who have acted on their strategies are seeing any significant business value out of it. This singular focus on compliance can cause companies to miss out on opportunities like creating new revenue streams and bringing in higher efficiencies, social innovation, and impact. To build inclusive, sustainable and resilient enterprises companies must manage their ‘green line’ with the same priority and emphasis as they do their top and bottom-line.

Data can bridge the green gap

Data drives sustainability success: if you can’t measure your environmental impact, how will you manage it?

Access to accurate and insightful data across the business value chain is critical to maximising sustainability outcomes.ĚýBy translating raw data into meaningful metrics, businesses can strengthen their organisation’s sustainability DNA through a three-stage cycle of change: enabling reporting and compliance through transparency; optimising, and using sustainability data in business processes and decisions and driving sustainability across wider business networks.

When value chains become value networks, business becomes sustainable

The health of our planet affects every single person and business. That’s why sustainability is a challenge we must solve together. It truly is a team sport.

For businesses that doesn’t only mean looking after your own emissions – what we call Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions. But it means considering your impact up and down your value chains. These are Scope 3 emissions.

But to understand and manage that impact, it’s critical to move beyond siloed, one-to-one connections among distinct trading partners. Sustainability efforts need to be extended across the value chain to the data-enabled network level, bringing together suppliers, customers, business partners and your own employees.

By transparently measuring and sharing sustainability data across networks, organisations can create actionable insights and best practices in real-time to infuse agility and resiliency in their supply chains and contribute toward achieving zero emissions and zero waste.

Leaders must lead from the front

Today, business stakeholders place much higher expectations on businesses to address global challenges like sustainability.

For example, investors are likely to take ESG risks into account when making investment decisions and job applicants are more likely to choose a company that supports sustainable business practices. And the demand for environmentally or socially conscious products is growing among customers and partners. For sustainability thinking to permeate across the entire organisation, leaders must define and incentivise sustainability success – and then lead by example.

Sustainability matters. But action is needed, right now

Sustainability is a long-term iterative process and it is an encouraging sign that Indian businesses are ready to embrace it.

But, as we look to the future, one thing is abundantly clear: businesses that choose to reset and recommit to sustainable business models will move quickly in the direction of their goals, providing them the chance not only to get more out of their investments, but also to create a clear competitive edge.

Now is the time for climate action.

The article was originally published in the print edition of Mint on 25th November 2022. The author is President & Managing Director, 51ˇçÁ÷Indian Subcontinent

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To date, nearly two-thirds of the Indian population use the Internet regularly ‒ with millions of connections made through the immediate convenience of a mobile device. From watching films and TV shows, ordering from restaurants, and booking cab and flight tickets to buying clothes and groceries and paying bills, a digital transformation is well underway in everyday life of consumers.

Introducing a critical addition to India’s economy

The move toward greater digitalization is driven by a partnership with the public and private sectors to help turbocharge India’s standing as a competitive global economy, an effort that has brought the entire nation together across the digital divide.

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In fact, according to the , lower-income states have outpaced higher-income regions in Internet infrastructure and subscriptions since 2019. The Indian government has also enrolled more than citizens into its biometric digital identity program to provide public services and financial assistance – creating the largest program of its kind in the world to date.

More importantly, India’s midsize companies are beginning to benefit from the immense potential of this digital growth. The adoption of cloud technology is leveling the playing field with larger competitors – growing faster and expanding their consumer reach rapidly.

Brimming with potential in the cloud

In a world of widespread border closures and widening gaps, midsize companies throughout India play a critical role in shaping digital transformation that serves everyone. While it is largely perceived that large enterprises generally adopt technology faster, the evolution of cloud technology and its affordability have accelerated, increasing the global competitiveness of small businesses.

For many growing companies, cloud solutions are the answer for contributing to India’s aspiration to become a $5Ěýtrillion economy. Access to enterprise data management, buyer and supplier networks, contactless systems, intelligence and analytics, and software-led systems is creating new opportunities in how products are designed, engineered, sold, consumed, and serviced.

The solution, for example, enables businesses to take advantage of these capabilities in the cloud in a modular way that best meets their needs. The solution comprises a portfolio that includes a modern cloud ERP – – and services from 51ˇçÁ÷experts and partners.

The impact of such cloud-based innovation is increasingly visible as India emerges as an economic superpower. Companies with a hypergrowth mindset, especially startups, are working collectively with their suppliers, retail partners, business-to-business customers, and consumers with a single-minded obsession for becoming globally competitive with a digital-first mindset.

According to the commissioned by SAP, 68% of Indian midsize businesses are expected to increase their IT spending in 2022. But more striking is the fact that 74% are committed to moving to the cloud. Think of the possibilities of this cloud transformation: upwards of can be created throughout India, contributing $380 billion to India’s GDP by 2026.

Arriving at a platform for accelerated growth

If India expects to become an economic superpower within the next five years, midsize businesses need the right tools, data insights, and engagement channels to compete and grow in the global marketplace. And that success depends on their transformation with technology that can scale fast enough to keep up with the changing expectations of India’s consumers and workforce.

This article was originally published on .

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For all those cynics who believe that equality between men and women is an elusive goal, please look around you. Chances are, you will find women who are quickly—and quietly—reversing the historical trend in every public sphere, be it technology, sports, IT, health, politics or fashion. Women who have turned ‘obstacles’ such as age, domesticity, and class, into enablers. We would all agree that the victories women have achieved have been substantial. The question is, are they enough?

As the value of a highly skilled and diverse workforce continues to grow, there’s also increasing awareness on how we, as a society, need to create more equal opportunities. The notion of the male offspring as the ‘ghar ka chirag’ has no place in an equal world. I am doubly blessed to have two daughters, who stand tall, shoulder to shoulder with their peers and teams – both at home and in school and now as they embark on their professional journey. No challenge is too big for them to handle, and no situation too daunting.

The gender empowerment that I’m witnessing in my personal life, is being mirrored in my professional sphere as well.

I am truly proud of being a part of 51ˇçÁ÷India where 25-30 percent of senior leadership positions are held by women, purely succeeding through their skills, intellect, hard work, and merit. In fact, many of our initiatives have been directed at encouraging an equitable workplace, by enabling equality as a human right. At 51ˇçÁ÷India, we have always believed that the power of knowledge and intellect is a cornerstone for empowerment. Our internship opportunities enable young women and men to gain exposure of the real world and traverse through an excellent learning curve. The ‘Back to Work’ program we were the 1st ones to introduce in India is aimed at women who are planning to re-enter the workforce – to facilitate them with a smooth transition and return – to the corporate world.

While dismantling the barriers lurking in the corridors of power, we are also working towards extending this commitment to the larger ecosystem out there. After all equity is as essential as equality, and for that, efforts need to trickle to the bottom of the barrel.

We have been supporting girl children and women through various touchpoints like education and skilling and making concerted efforts to eliminate gender inequality right at the grassroots. Quality education integrating STEM and digital inclusion are keys to enabling underprivileged girl children counter gender inequality. That is exactly what 51ˇçÁ÷India’s Code Unnati does. The emphasis of this program as the word ‘Unnati’ means is on prosperity, empowerment, and development. It is our flagship initiative, a corporate-to-citizen collaboration which offers literacy in digital and IT skills to foster digital inclusion in India. The beauty of the program is it is an inclusive corporate to corporate initiative in partnership with Larsen & Toubro, ITC, Mahindra & Mahindra expanding it with Project Nanhi Kali. We have also launched a joint skilling program called TechSaksham in partnership with Microsoft for Underserved Young Women, authorizing them to build careers in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, web design, and digital marketing. A mindset change and a coordinated effort at the grassroots goes a long way in fostering gender equality to materialize at home.

The fact of the matter, however, remains, that no one organization or individual can turn the tide alone. Collective action is the key to enduring change. There is a dire need to pool in the collaborative strength of corporate and large players of every industry to ring in change at the national, regional, and local levels. If companies can make grassroots activism as one of their agenda, there is no reason why we can’t achieve equality for the sustainable development of our great country.

As a father of two, I would like my daughters to flourish in an equal land, where disparity and discrimination based on gender lies far behind us as a relic of the past, which is exactly what it is. The future of our proud nation should be built equally on the shoulders of women and men alike. It will only be then, that the nation will march forth to claim the greatness that has always been expected of her.

(The above authored has been penned down by Kulmeet Bawa, President & Managing Director, 51ˇçÁ÷Indian Subcontinent)

Source: http://bwpeople.businessworld.in/article/Gender-Equality-A-Strong-Anchor-For-Our-Nation-s-Progress/22-08-2022-443245/

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Earlier this year, I had the honour of joining NK Singh, chairman of the 15th Finance Commission of India, on a panel discussion during the launch of our Dare2Dream Awards and Mentors of Global Bharat Programme. And his perspective on the importance of digitalisation in relation to India’s economic future resonated with me, especially when it comes to MSMEs growth.

“MSMEs are central to becoming a global player, and there is a big role for technology,” remarked Mr. Singh. “We need to enable the highest level of access to technology, reduce the cost of this access, and consider the degree which enables their linkages to other technologies. These require active support to inoculate the innovation culture in MSMEs.”

In line with Mr. Singh’s thoughts, “” needs to be empowered to help fulfil such national ambitions. While more than 6.3 crore MSMEs contribute aboutĚýĚýto the GDP, 600 large companies add approximately 48%. This means that at least 10,000 small and midsize companies need to become either midsize or large enterprises by 2030 to achieve such globally competitive dynamism – and this rapid scale can only be achieved with technology.

Global Competitiveness Begins with Innovation

SMEs are increasing their awareness of the power of technology as they digitalise their operations to optimise the benefits of government and industry measures. As a result, they are becoming self-reliant, future-ready, and bold in their global ambitions across three crucial aspects of their business.

1. Empower MSMEs to enter new Marketplaces

The pandemic has underscored how deeply interconnected businesses are – and this realisation couldn’t have happened at a better time. According toĚý, 62% of midsize organisations are looking to steadily grow by competing in new markets.

This rising trend is an exceptional opportunity for Indian MSMEs to expand, even during times of demand volatility. They can leverage better options for sourcing supplies, increasing manufacturing capacity, and addressing warehousing and logistics needs on a global scale. Furthermore, active participation in digital business networks allows them to introduce unique products, services, and connections to enterprises worldwide.

Mentorship and recognition programmes also play a key role as the Indian government encourages MSMEs to actively contribute to the global marketplace. Even ourĚýĚýandĚýĚýempower Indian businesses to nurture a self-actualisation model of professional and personal success – at the global stage.

2. Skilling the workforce on digital literacy

The skills of every employee are critical to a company’s success, no matter the industry. From automotive and manufacturing to high tech and customer services, organisations that fared best during this pandemic have addressed gaps in their workforce’s digital literacy as part of their overall business performance strategy.

To compete globally, MSMEs need aĚýĚýin digitally skilled workers by 2025. Such competencies include data analysis, cross-network collaboration, on-demand learning, and real-time response to operational change.

Considering half the population is below the age of 25, government agencies and industries understand the opportunity to nurture in-demand skills. For example, 51ˇçÁ÷India and Microsoft have a joint initiative, theĚýTechSakshamĚýprogramme, to offer training and learning opportunities to young women from underserved communities, so they can build careers in technology.

3. Transforming businesses digitally and moving to the cloud

When Indian society reopens, businesses across all industries will need to quickly pivot from surviving to thriving in an increasingly digital world. And it seems that MSMEs are getting the message:ĚýĚýreported that 82% of businesses with annual revenue less than ₹ 300 crore have digitalised their daily operations, reducing costs and enhancing competitiveness.

Perhaps more interesting is that India is adopting cloud-based ERP solutions at a higher rate than the rest of the Asia-Pacific and Japan. All this activity builds the foundation MSMEs need to help achieve India’s aspiration to become a global leader in terms of GDP contribution and employment generation. AĚýĚýsuggests that SMEs can contribute up to 30% of the cloud market by 2025 and drive 25%–30% higher productivity and 15%–20% lower operational costs to the country’s GDP.

An Ecosystem for Globally Competitive Businesses

India’s economic policy of Atmanirbhar BharatĚýinspires MSMEs to be globally competitive by creating an ecosystem that unites policy makers, industries, and technologies. With the continuous support of a forward-looking government administration, companies can affordably access theĚýĚýnecessary to move forward.

With their contribution to the economy and employment they create, MSMEs are becoming a bedrock for the Indian economy, which is an immense opportunity for empowering our nation as a globally competitive player.

Ready to renew your sense of resilience? Read the IDC paper, “,” sponsored by SAP, for additional insights on the road ahead.

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