ET CIO’s ongoing review of technology and talent in high-octane sectors in India

More than two-thirds of organizations are undergoing digital transformation at various stages, although some are failing. What is the secret of success? It is a combination of technology, processes and people. At the ETCIO 2024 Annual Conclave, industry leaders discussed digital leadership.

McKinsey says the aerospace sector is losing talent to other sectors between 2022 and 2024, and employee retention is also difficult. India is a strategic industry hub for Airbus, “including the development of digital solutions, innovation, training, etc. In India, we benefit from the full ecosystem. During the pandemic, we accelerated our move to India,” says Stefan Nily, Director, Airbus India Digital & Information Management, Airbus. “The innovative approach we have in India is critical to digital success.”

The oil and gas industry is automated. “What has changed in recent years is digital analytics, where we bring value by reducing production costs. We have moved towards renewable energy. The skill sets are specific and not generally available in the market. We need to continue to add knowledge and this is how we get better. We need to retain talent, which is why we conduct team building activities, training, etc. Innovation is our core. We strive to provide employees with space for development,” says Jayant Gupta, Executive Director, Information Systems, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation.

Abhishek Ghoshal, regional sales director for Mulesoft at Salesforce, says, “We have taken on the responsibility of developing the ecosystem. We have partnered with universities and the Ministry of Education to train people on Salesforce. Globally, 9.3 million people will be more adept at doing their jobs because they have Salesforce skills.”

Culture transformation

Culture transformation can make or break digital transformation. “Attracting and retaining top talent also depends on culture,” says Nily. European and Indian colleagues invest in cultural training to operate as one team around the world. This is both the strongest and the weakest factor in digital transformation. We must provide all employees with cultural understanding and technical training, he adds.

At HPCL, safety is at the heart of everything we do because people are at the heart of everything we do. We also place emphasis on innovation. We are developing sustainable solutions for the country, says Gupta.

“Salesforce also promotes the use of secure building blocks for product development, etc. In Salesforce, we have a concierge with many functions – HR, ERP – all integrated into the interface,” concludes Ghoshal.

(With inputs from Vaishnavi J. Desai)