Page 23 - SightsIn Plus, Nov 20

By- Romesh Srivastava

Kaustubh Sonalkar is a trailblazer and a disruptive thought designer
with strong people skills, versatility, and leadership, Mr Kaustubh

Sonalkar was appointed as Group President – Human Resource, Essar,
CEO – ECSLLP and CEO - Essar Foundation in January 2018.

In a career spanning over two decades, Kaustubh has held key
positions at Future Group India and PwC as Chief People Officer and
Partner (Executive Director) respectively. Prior to these stints, he was
associated with Essar for about a decade and rose up the ranks to the
position of Senior Vice President and Head Human Resource. He has

also had a short yet significant stint with the United Nations.

Kaustubh has a keen interest in cricket, cinema, music and art.

Recently, he published his own book titled ‘Fetch Your Own Coffee’
through Penguin Random House.

Q. expectations from HR the sector, there is still scope for high Right from transitioning the workforce
How do you see the business
into a more digital-savvy one,
growth and employment opportunities
especially in the Manufacturing in the months ahead. In the new leveraging digital tools for supporting
industry in the next couple of normal, accelerated technological online skill development, e-recruitment
months? solutions and optimisation will be to e- employee engagement, the onus
critical in the manufacturing industry, lies on HR to ensure an upgraded
A. bring people together for a and HR is being called upon to workforce. HR is, undoubtedly, bound
All businesses expect HR to
implement digitised solutions for
to take centre stage in the months to
common objective. However, the enhanced productivity and processes. come.
pandemic has enforced a change in
the way people get together, changing Q. What will be the impact of
the very landscape HR functions on. these business expectations on
The pace of HR’s ever-evolving role The business HR Budget 2020-21?
has fastened at an unprecedented rate world today
due to the pandemic-led disruption. A. HR’s topmost priority is to
Hence HR functions, especially in the has to focus balance people and business
manufacturing sector, ensure a work- continuance for ensuring sustained
environment transition keeping the not just on business services. Hence in the current
optimum balance of employee safety vs circumstances, the HR budget has
Physical/Virtual office space vs business recovery to take into account investments in
continuance & efficiency. Technology infrastructure that ensures workplace
becomes a critical factor in such but also on safety, emergency response, Covid-19
scenarios, and I truly believe that HR’s related care and support to the
role has never been more crucial as it building anti- employees and their family, and WFH
is today in these times. Talking about fragility support. The budget must also include
the pandemic’s economic impact on engagement and training initiatives
the manufacturing sector, in particular, and future that not just help associates to adjust
it is a given that the sector has faced a and adapt to the new technology
massive blow. While the government readiness. and processes put in place but also
has been quite successful in reviving establishes a long term health and

23 November 2020 www.sightsinplus.com