Business Leaders Special - 2024

The development of business leadership in India has gone through several changes from the conventional models and has expanded its horizons to modern and flexible forms. Traditionally, Indian leadership was marked by authoritarian organizational structures and strict control at the company’s top with an emphasis on operational productivity; however, there has been a shift to innovation, employee engagement, and international orientation.

The first is the shifting of the focus on digital and technological literacy as one of the key competencies. In the current world, and particularly with the growth of digital India, leaders are expected to adapt to the contemporary technologies like the artificial intelligence, big data, and the blockchains amongst others to enhance their organizations. This shift is not merely a change in the tools that are used but a change in the culture within organizations in accepting these tools. Indian leaders are now focusing on digital tactics as a way of ensuring that they are able to effectively respond to the changes that come with a new generation of customers.

"Today’s executives are coming to realize the importance of building diverse and inclusive organizations, which in turn fosters creativity and morale"

Also, the role of leadership in India is changing with the focus on the diverse population. Today’s executives are coming to realize the importance of building diverse and inclusive organizations, which in turn fosters creativity and morale. This entails gender diversity, creating a culture that accepts diversity and incorporating diversity in the decision-making processes. The emphasis on diversity is also explained by the fact that more and more companies realize that diverse employees are more effective when it comes to solving multifaceted problems and serving a wider audience.

Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility are also emerging as the key focus areas in leadership for businesses in India. CEOs are aligning their business strategies with ESG factors due to customer demands and compliance with regulations. These changes are in line with the global changes in the business world that are characterized by sustainable business practices and call on leaders to support sustainability efforts.

In this issue of CEO Insights magazine, we bring you the ‘Business Leaders Special - 2024’, with stories of leaders who have leveraged their extensive industry expertise and experience for the growth of respective organisations in which they have served. The following lists have been prepared after being closely scrutinized by a distinguished panel of judges including CXOs, analysts and our editorial board.