Modi 3.0: The Big Shift

Monday April 1, 2024

Category: Conclusion Papers

Analysts are in consensus that Narendra Modi will return for a third term in office, potentially with a roaring majority. Such a victory would be historic, marking the first instance after Jawahar Lal Nehru, of an Indian Prime Minister serving three consecutive terms in India.

The New Oil For MSME Growth

Friday March 1, 2024

Category: Conclusion Papers

Independent estimates suggest that the MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) sector’s contribution to India’s GDP will jump in the next 5 years, from 30% to 48%. By 2028, MSMEs are also expected to account for 60% of India’s total exports, or USD 1 trillion. Data and technology will drive this, and the emerging Indiastack 2.0, together with more seamless financing for industry, will democratise the Indian marketplace. Data-tech lending platform U GRO Capital has played a key role in filling the ‘credit gap’ for small businesses.

Utilising Data Analytics to Enhance Business Value

Wednesday January 24, 2024

Category: Conclusion Papers

Global Risk

Wednesday January 3, 2024

Category: Conclusion Papers

With the interlinkages that now exist within the global economic architecture, political and economic events tend to play out across borders. As things stand, several risks are likely to materialise over the medium term. These include commodity price jumps, supply-chain disruptions, rising nationalism, and much more.

The Impact of Sustainability on Financial Reporting

Thursday September 21, 2023

Category: Conclusion Papers

In recent years, the issue of sustainability has gained vastly in prominence – and with it, so has the need to incorporate it in financial reporting. Traditionally, the two have been kept separate, but today, SEBI’s BRSR, the IFRS S1 and S2 standards and Ind-AS all have provisions for including sustainability-related issues in financial statements.

Tech Adoption in Manufacturing

Thursday September 21, 2023

Category: Conclusion Papers

The productivity gains realised by the manufacturing sector in the last decade have been a critical component of its growth. Much of these gains were made possible by the adoption of technology and digitisation along the entire manufacturing value-chain. A process that began over two decades ago with the invention of computer-aided design and production has leapt forward with the growing adoption of AI.

Charting A Path To Green Growth: ESG Practices For Success

Wednesday July 19, 2023

Category: Conclusion Papers

Companies are embracing more environmentally conscious business strategies. Aside from being good for the planet, this Remakes good business sense. Not only does it help shape a positive image of the company among younger generations of workers, who seek to work with sustainable corporations, but increasingly, it is an important factor for investors.

Cracking The Code: Managing Post-Acquisition Integration Effectively

Wednesday July 5, 2023

Category: Conclusion Papers

Evolving India 2030

Monday May 29, 2023

Category: Conclusion Papers

Change is the only constant in a world marked by shifting alliances and evolving material conditions. The India of today is likely to be completely unrecognisable by 2030. What developments should business leaders keep in mind when formulating an organisational strategy looking ahead?

Achieving Sustainable Growth

Sunday May 21, 2023

Category: Conclusion Papers

Since the pandemic, ESG investing has scaled new heights and regulators have also sharpened their focus on the issue. In India, ESG has also become the subject of regulatory requirements by SEBI and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. However, more and more stakeholders are questioning the entire ESG movement.

Business Confidence And Outlook: Q1FY24

Tuesday May 9, 2023

Category: Conclusion Papers

IMA’s latest quarterly Business Confidence and Performance Index (BCPI) survey reveals a mild downtrend in business expectations, with the headline indicator falling from 62.1 to 60.2.

Sustaining a Winning Culture: The leadership Prerogatives

Tuesday December 6, 2022

Category: Conclusion Papers

With widespread remote working, rampant churn in talent pools and increasingly-transactional employee-employer relationships, companies risk losing elements of their culture, and with it, their competitive advantage. What does it take to build and sustain a winning culture in the current environment and what is the role of the leadership, including CHROs?

CHRO Priorities: Resetting The Organisational Culture

Saturday November 19, 2022

Category: Conclusion Papers

With hybrid and WFH now a permanent reality, building and sustaining an organisational culture has turned into a different challenge, one that most organisations are struggling with. High levels of attrition are not helping, as companies find their workforce churning over every few months. What approaches to resetting the culture can be tried and what role must the CHRO play in this process? Sometimes, useful learnings can be obtained from studying the experiences of other organisations.

Embedding ESG into Business Models

Tuesday September 27, 2022

Category: Conclusion Papers

More than just a profit-generating engine, the modern corporation is expected to be a sustainable organisation. The reasons for adopting sustainability go beyond regulatory compliance or simply ‘looking good.’ While developing an ESG strategy is hard because of the sheer number of factors to be considered, operationalising it is even harder.

Strategic HR: Stepping Up the Game

Monday August 22, 2022

Category: Conclusion Papers

A strategically-oriented HR function can play a big role in enhancing a company’ ability to generate business results. This requires HR leaders to go beyond tried-and-tested talent practices and to overcome mindset issues. What are these challenges and how can companies overcome them?

Design Thinking for HR

Thursday July 28, 2022

Category: Conclusion Papers, CHRO Forum, Industry and Business, Human Resources,

Progressive organisations have for long been using design thinking (DT) to develop innovative, user-centred products and services. But the principles of DT can equally be applied to the HR function because at its core, design thinking is a human-centric approach to solving problems. If applied properly, it can help improve everything from hiring, onboarding, training and engaging employees to building a stronger organisational culture and work ethic.

5 Years of GST: Rising Litigation and Complications for CFOs

Tuesday July 26, 2022

Category: Executive Briefings, Conclusion Papers, CFO Forum, Indian economy & Politics, Industry and Business, Policy & Governance,

While India’s GST regime has many long term benefits, there are serious challenges around implementation and compliance. In the last five years, there have been some 830 modifications to the GST rules and over 200 circulars have been issued. This makes it extremely challenging to keep track of changes and, inevitably, the burden of litigation is growing. At a recent session of the India CFO Forum, Sandeep Chilana, Managing Partner at Chilana and Chilana Law Offices, reviewed the current state of GST implementation and the main areas of confusion and potential litigation.

Managing Expectations: The CEO-CHRO Partnership

Tuesday July 26, 2022

Category: Conclusion Papers, CHRO Forum, IMA Content, Econimics, Policy & Governance, Industry and Business, Business Performance, Human Resources,

The post-pandemic period has added fuel to raging HR challenges in India. Strong business leadership and a creative approach to talent management are now more important than ever. Bharat FIH, a Foxconn Technology Group company, has put in place a number of innovative practices in its staffing, operations and leadership paradigm. Josh Foulger, its Country Head and Managing Director, comes with decades of experience in getting the best out of people. At a recent India CHRO Forum session in Bangalore, he shared his learnings, using Bharat FIH as a case study.

India Macroeconomic Update: Growth and Policy Outlook

Tuesday July 26, 2022

Category: Indian economy & Politics, Policy & Governance, IMA Content, CEO Forum, World economy, Geo-politics & National security, Industry and Business, Business Performance, Economy & Politics, Conclusion Papers,

A host of negative developments in the global environment has driven down growth projections and India is no exception. There are, additionally, local factors weighing on the economy, including inflation, rising interest rates, supply-side issues and continued challenges in the financial sector. The government has made efforts to boost domestic manufacturing and employment but the results may not be immediately visible.

M&A: Understanding the Tax and Regulatory Implications

Wednesday May 25, 2022

Category: Conclusion Papers

With growth opportunities abounding, companies are boldly looking at transformational deals to increase scale and build new capabilities. M&As in India are near an all-time high, with first-time buyers accounting for more than 80% of the deals closed in the last two years. Uncertainty around tax and regulatory positions is one of the key concerns in any M&A deal, especially for a buyer, and it is key to optimise M&A strategies keeping such factors in mind.

The Unicorn Way: Redefining Excellence

Monday April 4, 2022

Category: Conclusion Papers

Set up in 2008, policybazaar.com, with over Rs 20 billion in revenue today, has emerged as one of India’s handful of ‘unicorns’ (start-ups valued at USD 1 billion or more). This is a major accomplishment in itself, but even more impressively, the business rests of strong fundamentals. Rapidly graduating from mere lead-generation to direct policy sales, it earns solid profits on a standalone basis, and utilises only a small share of the investor money it has received.

The Future CHRO: From Problem-solver to Business-driver

Monday April 4, 2022

Category: CHRO Forum, Conclusion Papers,

Rapid and simultaneous changes in the business and regulatory environment, macroeconomics, and various social and geopolitical dimensions have placed immense pressure on corporate leaders. Companies realise the importance of human and leadership capital as a source of competitive advantage. Consequently, the role of CHRO has been pushed to a level where it is central to the success of the organisation. Boards and CEOs look up to HR leaders to enable growth, lead organisational transformation, and build future leaders.

The Return of the Taliban: Implications for Asia and India

Wednesday September 29, 2021

Category: Conclusion Papers, World economy, Geo-politics & National security,

The withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan has changed the geopolitical balance in the region. The rise of the Taliban has been shockingly swift amid practically non-existent resistance from Afghan forces.

Redrawing Succession Plans in a Disrupted World

Monday September 6, 2021

Category: Conclusion Papers, Functional, Leadership,

Succession planning has long been on the strategic agenda of organisations. Without it, achieving long term goals is difficult if not impossible. There are difficult choices involved in operating a succession process.

Asia Macroeconomic Update: Growth and Policy Outlook

Tuesday August 31, 2021

Category: Conclusion Papers, World economy,

Globally and in Asia, economic growth is reviving and stock markets are surging. 55% of S&P 500 shares have a net ‘buy’ recommendation. In Europe, the gap between ‘buy’ and ‘sell’ calls is at a 12-year high. Yet there are major challenges ahead, most obviously Covid-19, which has triggered a third global wave, but also economic nationalism, heightened geopolitical risks and supply-chain disruptions.

The Global and Indian Tax Landscape: Assessing the Business Impact

Tuesday August 31, 2021

Category: Conclusion Papers

Globally, taxation is transforming, with governments becoming more protectionist. Businesses are seeing rising challenges around transfer pricing (TP) on account of treaty-related and operational issues. Domestically, the government’s intent to reduce tax rates is coming up against the need to raise tax revenues.

Business Confidence and Outlook: Q2, FY22

Wednesday August 18, 2021

Category: Conclusion Papers, Industry and Business, Business Performance,

Corporate India is recovering well from the devastating second wave of Covid. Going by IMA India’s Q2 FY22 (Jul-Sep) Business Confidence and Performance Index (BCPI) survey, sentiment is up sharply, as are expectations of business performance this quarter. Across the board, companies are seeing a recovery in revenue and capacity utilisation, as also in new hiring and discretionary spending

The Post-Pandemic World Order: Opportunities and Challenges for India

Thursday August 12, 2021

Category: Conclusion Papers, Economy & Politics, Markets, Industry and Business, Business Performance,

To a degree, the past 18-odd, pandemic-dominated months have been geopolitically static as far as the on-ground situation goes. However, there have been developments in the policy realm that have put India at the cornerstone of a new world order – one centred around the Indo-Pacific.

Start-up Success: iD Fresh

Tuesday August 3, 2021

Category: Conclusion Papers, Industry and Business, Sector updates,

The success of Bengaluru-based ready-to-cook start-up iD Fresh Foods bely its humble beginnings. Founded in 2005, when India’s packaged-fresh-food market was in its nascency, the bootstrapped company started out with an investment of Rs 50,000, a small 50 sq ft kitchen and a second-hand scooter for making deliveries.

Redesigning Workplace for Competitive Advantage: The Role of a CHRO

Tuesday August 3, 2021

Category: Conclusion Papers, Functional, Human Resources,

The pandemic has accelerated the future of a re-imagined workplace. It has brought an unexpected shift to the traditional office – from fancy desks in glass-scrapers to wooden desks at home. The realisation that ‘Work is not somewhere you go but something you do’ has dawned upon leaders. In the new normal, companies are now seeking to restore stability - but this calls for a transformation in workplace design.

M&A in the Indian Pharma Sector: Trends and Outlook

Monday August 2, 2021

Category: Conclusion Papers, Industry and Business, Sector updates, Business Performance,

2020 was a Black Swan year for the world economy but for the pharmaceuticals sector, it brought stellar growth and intense deal-making. Globally, pharma mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and private equity (PE) investments accelerated in the second half of 2020, with the 5 biggest ‘mega deals’ adding up to a whopping USD 97 billion.

Leveraging Behavioural Analytics to Improve Decision Making

Wednesday July 14, 2021

Category: Conclusion Papers, Functional, Leadership, Human Resources,

We are conditioned to believe that decision-making is and should be a ‘rational’ process: analytical and conscious. Business leaders believe that they can count on cognitively- sound decisions that are backed by numbers and patterns. .

Redrawing Succession Plans in a Disrupted World

Wednesday July 14, 2021

Category: Conclusion Papers, Functional, Human Resources, Leadership,

Succession planning has long been on the strategic agenda of organisations. As companies struggle to maintain business continuity amidst a raging pandemic, there is a renewed focus on the subject. Few risks are bigger than those that threaten an organisation’s continuity and the lack of a good succession management system is one of them. .

India's Fight Against Covid-19: A Dose of Truth

Thursday July 8, 2021

Category: Conclusion Papers, Functional, Leadership, Human Resources, Economy & Politics, Indian economy & Politics,

Amidst the uncertainty of a third wave, and receding second wave, business leaders are making plans and assessments for the next few months. Dr Randeep Guleria, Director of AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi) is one of the leading authorities in the country and he discussed what to expect in the next phase of the pandemic.

Business Lessons from a Successful Start-up: The Udaan Story

Monday May 10, 2021

Category: Conclusion Papers, Functional, Leadership, Industry and Business, Business Performance,

India’s retail market is one of the world’s fastest growing and valued at ~USD 600 billion but a huge chunk of it remains unorganised. Evidently, there are immense opportunities in B2B e-Commerce but many start-ups have tried, failed and shut shop.

The CHRO’s Role in the New Paradigm

Monday April 5, 2021

Category: Conclusion Papers, Functional, Human Resources,

Until a year ago, in discussions on the emerging role of CHROs, words such as ‘strategic partner’, ‘architect of industrial revolution 4.0’ and ‘learning evangelists’ were bandied around casually.

From Surviving to Thriving: Business Opportunities in a Post Covid World

Tuesday March 30, 2021

Category: Conclusion Papers, Functional, Leadership, Marketing,

The Black Swan of 2020 wreaked havoc on businesses but it also spurred innovation, radical upstarts and a new world order. Over their lifetime, many organisations will face an existential crisis.

Leadership In The New World Order: Getting the Best out of your People

Monday March 1, 2021

Category: Conclusion Papers, Functional, Leadership,

Not only has Covid-19 created uncertainty on a scale previously unseen, it also has enabled a significant shift in behaviours and ways of working. As we return to ‘normalcy’, several challenges lie ahead for business leaders. How should they balance these new behaviours with organisational agendas?

Of Grit, Resolve, Compassion and Nerves of Steel

Tuesday October 6, 2020

Category: Conclusion Papers, Functional, Leadership,

At a recent joint discussion of IMA India’s CXO Forums, Ms Aga spoke of the lessons learnt, the values that define her and the strength she found by turning inwards.

The Changing Face of Digital Marketing

Saturday September 26, 2020

Category: Conclusion Papers, Functional, Marketing,

Digital Marketing (DM) is evolving in decisive ways, drawing impetus from breakthroughs in technology. IMA’s extensive benchmarking analysis in this area, conducted in 2020 and earlier in 2015, reveals that DM has matured and become more sophisticated in the last five years.

Alpha Women and Societal Changes of Our Time

Tuesday September 15, 2020

Category: Conclusion Papers, Functional, Leadership,

In recent decades, male-female relationships have shifted dramatically, both in the workplace and at home. But a number of other societal changes have taken place too.

Inspiring Change: Going Beyond the Call of Duty

Thursday September 10, 2020

Category: Conclusion Papers, Functional, Leadership,

The virus-induced lockdown led to immense hardships. In one instance, the mother of an autistic child made a desperate plea to PM Modi on Twitter, requesting for camel milk for her child with severe food allergies.

Indian Economy

Monday August 31, 2020

Category: Conclusion Papers, Economy & Politics, Indian economy & Politics,

At a recent all-India webinar for the India CEO Forum, Adit provided IMA’s perspective on the near-term outlook and challenges for the economy, a comment on the rising border tensions with China and a view on the changing paradigms for business.

Thinking Beyond The Crisis: The CXO Imperatives

Thursday June 25, 2020

Category: Conclusion Papers, Functional, Leadership, Human Resources,

At a recent all-India session of The India CEO and CHRO Forums, Mark Oliver, Founder of MarkTwo Consulting, drew interesting comparisons between the battlefield and the situation that businesses face today.

The Economy: India After the Lockdown

Thursday June 25, 2020

Category: Conclusion Papers, Economy & Politics, Indian economy & Politics,

At a recent webinar of IMA’s CFO and CHRO Forums, Adit provided IMA’s perspective on the near-term outlook and challenges for the economy, and their implications for the changing paradigms for business.

Policy Dilemmas

Wednesday June 10, 2020

Category: Conclusion Papers, Economy & Politics, Policy & Governance,

To understand how the BJP, as a party, views the crisis and possible response options, we invited Rajat Sethi, a key contributor to the party’s economic thinking, to interact with the India CEO Forum.

Coping with Covid-19- March 2020

Tuesday May 5, 2020

Category: Conclusion Papers, Indian economy & Politics, Industry and Business, Business Performance, Functional, Leadership,

At a recent joint session of the India CEO and India CHRO Forums in Hyderabad, the first such meeting to be held as a webinar, our members shared insights on what they are doing to cope with COVID-19, and how it will impact their businesses.

Post Budget Review

Wednesday March 18, 2020

Category: Conclusion Papers, Indian economy & Politics, Policy & Governance,

In India, writing a Budget that satisfies everyone is a nigh impossible task. Demographics vary so much country that it is difficult to achieve outcomes that are both rapid and inclusive. Expectations were rife that the 2020-21 Budget would deliver both a demand-side stimulus and big-bang reforms. At a recent Forum session in Pune, Daksha Baxi, who heads the International Tax Practice at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, a law firm, highlighted the key takeaways.

Harnessing The Potential Of Exponential Technology - Mumbai

Monday December 30, 2019

Category: Conclusion Papers, Finance,

In this age of AI, robotics and blockchain, the potential of technology and the CFO’s responsibility around it have grown. There are many benefits of becoming a ‘cognitive enterprise'.

Energy and Organisational Culture

Tuesday March 5, 2019

Category: Conclusion Papers, Human Resources,

The interaction between the intensity and quality of energy within an organisation is what drives performance. Companies that are high on both attributes tend to be the most productive ones

The Business Confidence and Performance Survey: Q3 - 2014-15

Monday December 1, 2014

Category: Conclusion Papers, Indian economy & Politics, Business Performance, Economy & Politics,

A summary of the results from IMA's October 2014 quarterly Business Confidence and Performance Index BCPI survey