"Dependence On HR Is Much More Now Than Ever Before": Adani Group's Vikram Tandon

Vikram Tandon, CHRO of Adani Group, (at the time), now serving as the Advisor to the Group Chairman, was honored with the ‘CHRO of the Year’ award at the BW People HR Excellence Awards 2024. 

A Journey Of Growth & Learning

Reflecting on his professional journey, Tandon expresses gratitude for the opportunities and challenges that shaped his career. “I’ve had the privilege of working with some excellent bosses and great teams,” he says. “The people I’ve worked with have taught me a lot, given me challenges, and supported me through failures. Most importantly, they’ve been good people.”

Tandon emphasises the importance of working with leaders and teams who truly care about their people. Throughout his career, he had the honor of working with exceptional business minds—risk-takers who not only valued innovation but also genuinely invested in their employees. “Some great companies really give value and look after their people,” he adds. This, he believes, is key to creating an enriching and fulfilling career. 

Tandon’s leadership philosophy revolves around empathy, continuous learning and supporting those around him. “The journey’s been very fulfilling.”

Talent Management: A Business-Driven Approach

When asked about his views on the future of talent management, Tandon points out that the essence of effective talent management lies in its ability to enable businesses to perform better. “The genesis of talent management lies in its ability to enable a business to do more,” he says. For him, talent management is not just an HR responsibility but a business imperative. He believes that businesses, not just HR, need to take ownership of talent management to succeed.

“HR can at best facilitate talent management, but it is the business that needs to own it.” In his experience, organisations that successfully align talent management with their business goals are able to retain and develop their top talent. 

A crucial aspect of this alignment is identifying the right people—those with high potential and values that align with the organisation’s culture. “It’s important to find out who are your best people with the greatest potential, who align with your values, and then really groom them,” he notes. He stressed the importance of showing these individuals a clear career path and offering them opportunities to grow within the company, thereby minimising the allure of external job offers. “Companies that do this well are able to retain and grow talent from within.”

Advice For Future HR Leaders

“The velocity of change is very, very high,” Tandon remarks. “The need for HR is even greater in a world that is changing so fast.” According to him, HR leaders today must be proactive and adaptive to drive change within their organisations. “HR leaders need to embrace technology and make it their third arm,” he said, underscoring the role of digital transformation in modern HR practices. 

Beyond technology, Tandon emphasises the importance of understanding the business side of the organisation. “HR professionals must understand the business well. They must go ahead and drive the change, take charge, and not just be followers.”

Tandon’s message to HR leaders is clear: seize the opportunity to lead. “There’s a world of opportunity waiting for HR leaders,” he comments. “The dependence on the HR function is much more now than ever before, so there’s a tremendous future ahead for those willing to step up.”

Role Of AI In HR: A Complement, Not A Replacement

One of the key discussions in HR today revolves around the role of artificial intelligence (AI) and whether it poses a threat to human jobs. Tandon, however, is optimistic about the future of AI in the workplace. “AI will not replace humans,” he asserts, “but it can certainly assist humans a lot.”

He likened AI to an extension of human capabilities, describing it as a crucial tool that HR professionals should learn to leverage. “God gave us two arms; AI is our third arm,” Tandon explains. For him, the organisations that can integrate AI effectively into their processes will have a significant competitive advantage. “If we are not able to leverage AI, then those who can will go ahead.”

Tandon also touches upon the changing nature of work and the emergence of new job roles as AI becomes more prevalent. “The nature of work and the way jobs are run is changing really fast,” he says. While AI might alter traditional job functions, Tandon believes that it will also create new opportunities for those who are ready to embrace the technology. “I don’t think AI will take away jobs. A lot of new jobs will come in, but we need to leverage it.”

Bright Future In HR 

His message is one of optimism and empowerment: embrace change, lead with empathy, leverage technology and always remain focused on business goals. In today’s technology-driven world, HR has never been more important—and the future of HR, according to Tandon, holds immense potential for those ready to lead.

As he aptly summarises: “The dependence on HR is much more now than ever before, and those who can drive the change will find a tremendous future ahead.”