Creating support infrastructure essential for hybrid workplace: Nooyi

Nooyi warned that India's GDP will suffer if it does not give sufficient attention to care infrastructure for kids and senior citizens

When it comes to diversity, Covid laid everything bare and showed that organisations/businesses do not support women not only in executive positions but also in areas like essential workers, nursing or caregivers, said Indra Nooyi former chairperson and CEO of PepsiCo.

Nooyi who was in a conversation with Rishad Premji, chairman Wipro at the 30th session of Nasscom Technology and Leadership Forum 2022, said: “We should stop talking about hybrid, flexible workplaces because after all that applies to all offices goers, but 70 per cent of the workers are essentially hourly workers, caregivers, and others and they have no flexibility. We have to think of better childcare options,” said Nooyi.

Nooyi said that before the industry is ready to talk about hybrid workplaces, organisations must talk about the broad infrastructure support that are available. She warned that India’s GDP will suffer if it does not give sufficient attention to care infrastructure for kids and senior citizens.

The India-born Nooyi also said that the country has “phenomenal” systems like that of Anganwadis, but the same are “not a great place right now” and need a revival.

She said talent is the most prized resource for a company and a country, and the race for the same is going to get more competitive, due to taking good care of them by ensuring the right ecosystem exists.

India has strengths like a demographic dividend, English speaking population and technologically oriented people and the “big question” is how does the country keep them engaged at work and at the same ensure that the population is renewed as the young people start families, Nooyi said, speaking at the annual NTLF event.

Meanwhile, Infosys co-founder and chairman Nandan Nilekani, who also spoke at the same event, when asked what is on the unveil when it comes to the digital stack that has been created. Nilekani said the account aggregator framework that has been launched by the RBI and the open network for digital commerce (ONDC) will be as big game changers as the Aadhar project or the UPI.