The Middle East is at the cusp of digital transformation and the region is very critical to the growth of Tech Mahindra, an Indian multinational technology company, which aims to bring in its global capabilities across both enterprise and telecom sectors to the region, says CP Gurnani, Managing Director and CEO, Tech Mahindra.

 

In an exclusive interview with TradeArabia's Sree Bhat, Gurnani says the IT giant already has a major presence in the region with over 2,500 employees in the GCC states providing services to more than 80 customers across telecom, banking, government, travel and logistics, healthcare. 

 

 

A business leader deeply involved in sustainability issues, Gurnani says in this age of digital transformation, there has been a clear shift in business priorities from being just ‘profitable’ to driving a ‘positive social impact’. The focus now is on ‘Triple Bottom Line’ (TBL): profit, people, and the planet.  

Speaking on the changes brought about by Covid-19 in the work environment, he says we are entering the era of gig workers, enabling us to work from anywhere in the world.  The “new normal” will see location agnostic workforce with hybrid working models enabled by technologies.

 

Gurnani urges the youth to upgrade themselves with next generation technologies through continual skilling, reskilling and upskilling. "This should be nurtured with the eagerness to learn, unlearn and re-learn," he says.

 

Excerpts from the interview:

Tech Mahindra has a large presence in the Middle East. How important is this region for the company?

This region is very critical to our growth. It has doubled in size over the last three years. Today we have operations in 6 GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries, with over 2,500 employees in UAE, Saudi, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain and we provide services to more than 80 customers across telecom, banking, government, travel and logistics, healthcare. We believe the region is at the cusp of digital transformation and we want to bring in our global capabilities across both enterprise and telecom sectors. 

 

We are focusing heavily on NexGen Managed Services leveraging AI/ML (Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning), Cloud, Process Transformation, 5G, among others. We are also introducing local talent development programs in Saudi and Oman this year towards building digital and technology skills locally.

 

What are the main industries Tech Mahindra is involved in the Middle East?

Tech Mahindra has clients across verticals such as Telecom, Public Services, Banking and Financial Services, Energy and Utilities and conglomerates. Some of the leading organisations in this region are our clients. 

 

With increased focus on Industry 4.0 and IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) in the region, how Tech Mahindra can help the manufacturing sector in the region - the big ones as well as the SMEs ?

Tech Mahindra is working with 150+ manufacturing clients globally across Automotive, Aerospace & Defence, discrete and process manufacturing.  Our deep knowledge in mechanical and electrical engineering, experience in sales and service businesses and hands-on exposure to the factory shop floor have helped us to build digital offerings in this domain. 

Manufacturing in Tech Mahindra is aligned to the 3-4-3 strategy, which is the alignment of 3 mega trends + 4 big bets – addressing 3 objectives.

The 3 mega trends are:

• Growing demand for mass customization

• Human-Robot collaboration on the rise

• Rapid IT-OT  (Information Technology – Operational Technology) convergence

 

Our 4 big bets solution is summarised by the term FIRM

• Factory. We build Factory of Future to digitise lean manufacturing and lessen carbon footprint

• IoT (Internet of Things) - we create IoT-SW (software)-electronics enabled smart product

• Reliability. We improve reliability by integrating field warranty with product design and production quality

• Mobility. We support mobility & sharing economy with a focus on differentiating experience.

Our 3 objectives are: Run Better, change Faster, Grow Greater

 

Energy/Oil and Gas is the major industry in the region. What technologies and services you offer to this industry?

Tech Mahindra’s oil and gas vertical has rich experience of serving the oil and gas industry for more than 15 years and is working with 30+ clients in this vertical globally across upstream, midstream, downstream & oil field services.

We help the industry leaders to optimise their processes, increase production and minimise cost, enabling them to power the world towards a positive change. We optimise assets through system wide sensors on an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) platform. We also leverage our expertise in E&P (Exploration and Production) data management, DQM (Data Quality Management) and analytics practice to deliver end-to-end data solution. In addition to all these, we ensure secure environment through safety in workplace wearables and mobile technologies to track location and vital signs.

 

What are your plans for expansion in the region? Do you plan to increase your local staff strength?

The region is growing, and we do have a defined plan to increase local staff strength. In fact, there is a huge focus on localization across all the countries. 

Our 3-point agenda for the future is focusing on CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) initiatives, increasing local talent hiring and ramping up local investments.

 

As an expert, what are the new skills youngsters need to learn to face the new world?

The question that we should keep in mind is ‘what makes us relevant’. With this in mind, we should upgrade ourselves with next generation technologies through continual skilling, reskilling and upskilling. This should be nurtured with the eagerness to learn, unlearn and re-learn.

 

Youngsters will need to be more agile. While data management, digital skills, AI, blockchain and other technical skills are a pre-requisite for future jobs already, soft skills are equally important. 

 

Soft skills, such as communication skills, emotional quotient, and cognitive control are the differentiators today. These skills can come to fruition if we practice ‘human engineering’ – the art of understanding the aspirations and needs of people around us and connecting with them. This results in technocrats who are also artists.

 

We understand sustainability is an issue dear to your heart. You have advised businesses to look beyond the bottom line in this effort. How can businesses achieve success responsibly?  

In this age of digital transformation, there has been a clear shift in business priorities from being just ‘profitable’ to driving a ‘positive social impact’. The age of social media and heightened public scrutiny has added further steam to this. 

The focus now is on ‘Triple Bottom Line (TBL): profit, people, and the planet. The global SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) goals of 2030 are a collection of 17 interlinked goals to drive a blueprint to achieve a sustainable future, and we at Tech Mahindra believe that technology and innovation would play a pivotal role in unifying and inclusively achieving them.

 

Sustainability is a long-term issue that will require decades of persistence. How Tech Mahindra can help in this journey for businesses?

At Tech Mahindra, we are committed to pursue plans that will have long-term impacts on the communities and will lead to a balance between sustainability and overall business profitability.

As a responsible business entity, Tech Mahindra concentrates on integrating sustainability into all aspects of the business and develops strategies for Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Governance. 

 

The company has undertaken a thoughtful and comprehensive program to reduce its absolute scopes 1 and 2 GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emissions 22% by 2030 and 50% by 2050, from a 2016 base-year.

Tech Mahindra aims to leverage technology-enabled green solutions to tread on the path of responsible growth and is actively engaged in various Smart cities projects to undertake a modernisation drive. 

 

We have taken ambitious emission targets, which have been approved by the SBTi (Science based Targets Initiative). Some of the other sustainability initiatives include reducing water and energy consumption across buildings, waste reduction, using renewable sources of energy for power generation, achieving carbon neutrality, making supply chains sustainable, and employee and customer engagement. 

 

With a structured stakeholder programme, Tech Mahindra has been able to design strategies and initiatives to build solutions, which not just improve its sustainability credentials but reinforce the overall business philosophy too.  

 

With a raging pandemic, technology has greatly helped individuals and businesses to weather the storm to an extent. What are the major changes you see once the pandemic is gone? How normal will be normal?

2020 was a wakeup call for industry, as we saw organizations, which had not adopted digital, were forced to adopt digital. The new normal will see location agnostic workforce with hybrid working models enabled by technologies such as cloud, cybersecurity and the technology right tools. This will make it easier for senior citizens, differently-abled citizens and more number of women to join workforce. We are globally entering the era of gig workers, enabling us to work from anywhere in the world. 

 

The world is looking into a future of digital marketplaces where producer and ultimate consumer will be connected in the most efficient manner, enabled by technologies such as 5G and its next generations, blockchain, and automation, among others. 

-TradeArabia News Service