MNCs like PepsiCo, Whirlpool ,others increasingly hiring Indians for top leadership roles in China

By Anumeha Chaturvedi & Prachi Verma, ET Bureau | 3 Oct, 2014, 10.07

NEW DELHI: Sangeeta Sabharwal, managing partner of executive search firm Taplow Group in India, is working on a critical mandate to recruit an Indian strategist for a global IT product company in China. Her search has led her to conclude that demand for Indian talent in China is on an upswing. "Earlier, it was Indian companies, but now global MNCs are looking at hiring Indian talent in senior roles there," she says.

The Chinese are known for a tendency to obey, whereas Indians can think out of the box and challenge the status quo, which is important in roles like strategy, she adds. Atul Vohra, CEO of Transearch, has worked on several mandates for China in the infrastructure space and for mining and metals giants.

Companies are looking at setting up large procurement offices there and need senior general management professionals for roles in supply chain and sourcing. "As time progresses, China as a market for Indian talent will only grow in enormity," he says. Language barriers aside, an insular China was never known to have been a bright spot for Indians looking to find jobs there. 

But, befriending the dragon seems to be getting easier now as head hunters report an increase in mandates from the country, and companies, both global and Indian, look at Indian talent to drive their China growth story. Indians working with global companies are often placed in senior roles in China in prepaation for large leadership roles in future.

Though boundary disputes and transgressions dominated recent talks between prime minister Narendra Modi and Chinese president Xi Jinping, head hunters feel there could be a shift in terms of creating greater interest among job seekers for China in the coming years, driven by partnerships between the two governments. Already, Indians are calling the shots in leadership roles in China in companies like Whirlpool, PepsiCo, Colgate Palmolive, and Philips, according to Gauri Padmanabhan, a partner at at Heidrick and Struggles' New Delhi office.

Indians fit into senior roles in MNCs for roles in marketing, innovation, research and development and supply chain, where English is the official language. Pepsico sent Pavan Bhatia, its chief HR officer in India, to Greater China in 2011.

Pepsico also elevated George Covoor as general manager and VP, China Foods in March this year. PepsiCo India has been a training ground for many leaders and over the years, over 70 senior leaders from here have made their way into the company's global system says Samik Basu, who took over from Bhatia in India.

"India is a highly competitive and complex market. It provides a unique leadership experience that is highly valued across emerging and developing markets," he adds. Senior leaders from the India business who have worked with PepsiCo in China include Vinod Rao who was the CFO, Greater China, during 2008-11. Ajay Singh Shekhawat, client partner, EMA Partners International, says his firm sees China attracting an increasing number of Indian talent for senior roles in banking and private equity in the near future.