The Future of HR: Insights from Ashok Leyland’s Former CHRO on Digital Transformation and Workforce Development
We are delighted to bring to you this blog featuring the visionary perspectives of Balachandar (Bala) NV, Former CHRO and President – Brand, Communications, and ESG at Ashok Leyland. With a wealth of experience in steering people strategies during transformative times in the automotive industry, Bala’s insights offer a practical outlook into how HR can shape the future by aligning talent, culture, and technology to meet evolving business needs.
The automotive industry is undergoing a profound transformation, fueled by advancements in technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and the growing adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), especially in the commercial vehicle sector. Companies like Ashok Leyland are no longer just automotive manufacturers but are evolving into technology-driven enterprises. This shift is not only reshaping product innovation but also revolutionizing how talent is recruited, developed, and engaged, reflecting the industry’s dynamic and tech-forward future.
Ashok Leyland, the flagship company of the Hinduja Group, stands as a global leader in commercial vehicle manufacturing. Renowned for driving innovation, the company has pioneered advancements in electric mobility, alternative fuels, and smart vehicle technologies.
In an exclusive interview with Manas Mainrai, SVP, APAC/India at Emeritus Enterprise, Mr. Balachandar (Bala) NV shared his visionary insights on how these advancements are redefining the role of human resources. As he put it, “The world is moving into a skill crunch, not a people crunch.”
Balachandar NV brings over 30 years of diverse industrial experience, having worked with esteemed organizations like Taj Hotels, India Today, Aditya Birla Group, and Max India, among others. At Ashok Leyland, he spearheaded the transformation of the human-technology relationship while leading the brand and communication function of the company. Additionally, he established the ESG framework and drove the CSR initiatives of the Group.
Redefining the Role of the Modern CHRO
The CHRO is no longer a back-office functionary. Today, the CHRO is a strategic business leader playing a critical role in shaping organizational strategy, integrating ESG (environmental, social, and governance) priorities, and driving cultural transformation. The three top areas of priority for a modern CHRO are as below:
1. Bridging the Business and Technology Gap
The modern CHRO must possess a deep understanding of the business and the technology that powers it. They must navigate the integration of artificial intelligence, big data, and digital transformation into workforce strategies.
For instance, a company like Freshworks heavily relies on its CHRO to align workforce capabilities with technological innovations, ensuring that talent acquisition and upskilling strategies are relevant.
As Bala points out, “The CHRO today has to first understand the business, the technology that the business deploys and more importantly, the rapid change that this technology is going to bring. So they need to have a greater and deeper understanding of the business than before. It will be extremely domain specific.”
2. Managing Multi-Generational Workforce
The workforce now is more diverse than ever, not only in terms of gender and geography but also in generational differences. Managing a multi-generational workforce is one of the most significant challenges for CHROs. On the one hand, senior employees bring years of experience and expertise and on the other hand, younger employees contribute innovative ideas, especially in emerging fields like AI and data science. The HR leader must foster an environment where these diverse groups collaborate effectively, ensuring mutual respect and harnessing their collective potential.
Bala’s advice for future HR leaders is, “The generation today is far different from the generation of yesterday. You know the dramatic shift that has happened in the last five to six years in terms of orientation, exposure, and outlook. So, your ability to manage a multi-generational workforce is probably one of the key differentiators for you.”
3. Making Cultural-Diversity Work
The CHRO also plays a crucial role in fostering a culturally-diverse workforce. What does that mean?
The CHRO needs to not only hire for diversity but also create an inclusive environment where all employees regardless of their age, gender, location, orientation, and other backgrounds feel valued.
Not only that, the CHRO also prepares leadership to embrace diversity and empowers employees to share their diverse perspectives. True inclusivity goes beyond recruitment, ensuring equal opportunities for career growth are offered, and diverse voices are heard, especially in leadership roles.
Bala also has to offer a tip for future CHROs, “I feel the CHRO of today should wear multiple hats. And to get a space at the table, their understanding of technology and financial frameworks is crucial. Take the case of a startup; even the CHRO is called and questioned by the venture capitalist or angel investors.”
There’s another interesting angle that he adds, “The CHRO has to be networked in the industry to understand what’s happening because they are going to get people from multiple industries. Therefore, they should have the ability to grapple with what are the issues in other industries. How much can one understand the nuances of other industries to be able to recruit, manage, and facilitate this transition?”
That encapsulates the three core responsibilities of a modern CHRO, as Bala aptly highlights.
Technology Versus Humans: It’s Not Competition, It Is Adaptation
A question that has been on everyone’s mind ever since AI began playing a significant role in the workplace is: “Will AI and technology take over human roles?”
On the one hand, in today’s fast-evolving technological landscape, adopting the right technology to stay competitive is non-negotiable. On the other hand, companies like Ashok Leyland exemplify how organizations can seamlessly integrate artificial AI and advanced technologies into their processes to empower employees rather than displace them.
Rather than seeing AI as a threat, the company has introduced it as a “facilitative tool” to assist engineering, sales, and frontline teams in performing their jobs better.
On workforce development in the context of upskilling for the latest technology, he mentions, “We allowed learning to be democratized. With online learning catching up, we allowed people to upscale at their own pace and desire.” He continues, “Organizations do not have to define the future skill sets. We are recruiting smart engineers and they know what’s the future for them and the organization. So democratization of learning, growth, and technology adoption has helped us stay ahead of the curve when it comes to how culturally we move the organization towards technology.”
The Freedom to Learn and Grow
True growth stems from the freedom to explore one’s potential, minus the limitations brought about by traditional learning methods. By reimagining how individuals navigate their careers and organizations empower them, organizations can create an ecosystem where both people and businesses thrive.
As Bala puts it, “You need an outcome. How are you going to manage that outcome? How are you going to facilitate that outcome? And in that, you need to have certain guardrails. So the organization has to shift this whole performance from ‘to do’ to ‘to achieve’.”
And can one do that?
1. Allow People to Define Their Career
Growth is most meaningful when individuals have the autonomy to shape their career journeys. Empower employees to set goals, choose the skills they want to develop, and seek opportunities aligned with their passions. This personalized approach fosters greater satisfaction, engagement, and loyalty, allowing unique talents to shine.
2. Trust Them with the Roles
Granting people ownership of their roles builds confidence and accountability. Trust employees to make decisions and contribute in impactful ways. When organizations delegate responsibilities and allow individuals to lead within their capacity, it inspires innovation and creates a culture of mutual respect and empowerment.
3. Recruit for Skills
“There’s a shift from education-led recruitment to skill-led recruitment. In the future, you’re going to consciously recruit skills rather than recruit engineers and graduates,” Bala explains.
So, what are the sources of skill-led recruitment? Bala answers, “These are going to be thematically different from the earlier source; not necessarily the engineering colleges or your formal education system. You will see a lot more shift happening in terms of where you’re going to get the solutions, which means as an organization and as business leaders and as an industry association, you also need to start investing in developing your resources.”
He sums it up by saying, “There will soon be a skill crunch, not a people crunch.” And organizations need to be prepared for it.
