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We have ingrained agility and speed in our work culture: Harish Manwani
MUMBAI: Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) and its parent company Unilever has never shied away from corporate social responsibility (CSR) and has launched umpteen number of programs from a better tomorrow.
The company believes in a better tomorrow and for that it has to be dynamic. HUL chairman Harish Manwani at the 81st annual meeting highlighted up on how change is ‘the new normal’ and the need for companies to constantly reinvent themselves in order to thrive.
In the speech titled ‘Building a future ready organisation’, Manwani spoke about Unilever’s five-pronged approach to remain future ready – first, embracing technology and inclusive innovation that meets the needs of consumers across the socio-economic pyramid; second, committing to sustainable and responsible growth; third, building future ready talent and capabilities; fourth, values-led and purpose-driven leadership; fifth, creating an agile and inclusive work culture.
He underlined that to succeed in this world one has to develop a high capacity for responsiveness. Organisations will have to adapt to rapidly changing situations and priorities, tolerate ambiguity, and develop new ways of working in order to succeed. He said, “While technology and innovation will be the hardware that drives future ready organisations, it is a values-led and purpose-driven leadership that is the software that must drive sustainable and responsible growth. It is this combination of hardware and software that will shape the corporate winners of tomorrow.”
India at the Forefront of Change
In the last couple of decades, developing countries like India have been marked by a momentous change. Speaking about these advances, he said, “Technology and easier access to information and knowledge have opened up employment opportunities resulting in a new wave of people entering the consumption cycle. We are witnessing a significant increase in the earning power of consumers at the bottom-of-the-pyramid as they join the increasing middle class population in India. The traditional socio-economic pyramid is rapidly transforming itself into a diamond with a burgeoning middle class and
He elaborated on how we live in an increasingly interconnected world that is changing faster than ever before. He spoke about the need for companies to be able to seize the opportunities these changes present, and also protect themselves from the challenges of the VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) world.
Building a Future Ready Organisation
Manwani advised that to be future ready, business must have the vision and the capabilities to compete in the world of tomorrow, and have a larger purpose to remain relevant to society.
He went on to underline that at Unilever, the approach of developing innovations with consumer price as the starting point was at the heart of company’s inclusive innovation strategy. “HUL had institutionalised a ‘challenge cost’ mindset where the target price for consumers drives innovation in each segment and category,” he said.
He also spoke about HUL’s focus on addressing the needs and aspirations of consumers as well as social and environmental challenges in its journey to being a future ready organisation. Manwani spoke about how the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan which was launched in November 2010 was the guiding light in this journey.
It is import to nurture the continuous learning environment that builds talent and new organisational capabilities. He reiterated that the most important asset of any organisation is its reputation. “For future ready organisations, leaders need to not only build the organisational capabilities to harness technology and new ways of working, but also instil the values to build sustainable and responsible models of growth,” Manwani said.
He argued that in a world with easy access to information and rapid changes, companies need to move fast to keep up. Manwani said, “At Unilever, we have ingrained agility and speed in our work culture.”
“Equally, diversity and inclusion is an important aspect of our sustainable business growth agenda and a key to building a future ready organisation. In HUL, we refer to this as ‘Winning Balance’,” he added.
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UpGrad to acquire Unacademy in share-swap deal, founders confirm
Proposed share-swap could unite two edtech rivals as sector eyes consolidation
MUMBAI: The Indian edtech sector may be inching toward another wave of consolidation, with online learning platform upGrad signing a term sheet to acquire rival Unacademy in an all stock transaction.
If completed, the deal would bring together two of the country’s most prominent education technology companies at a time when the sector is adjusting to slower demand and a sharper focus on profitability after the pandemic driven boom.
UpGrad founder and chairperson Ronnie Screwvala confirmed the development in a post on X, stating that Unacademy co-founder and chief executive Gaurav Munjal would continue to lead the company following the acquisition.
“We at upGrad have signed a term sheet to acquire Unacademy in an all stock deal, with founder and ceo Gaurav Munjal staying on to build Unacademy and focus on what it does best, creating online education products that learners love,” Screwvala wrote.
He added that the agreement includes a break fee provision if the transaction fails to close. Screwvala also said the combined entity could strengthen upGrad’s integrated learning model spanning K12 education, professional training and lifelong learning.
Unacademy confirmed that the proposed transaction will be executed through a 100 per cent share swap, with the valuation to be disclosed only after the deal closes and regulatory filings are completed.
Announcing the development on X, Munjal described the agreement as the beginning of a new chapter for both companies and the wider edtech ecosystem.
He noted that Unacademy had spent the past year reshaping its operations to focus more sharply on online education products. Among the steps taken were consolidating company operated offline centres with franchise partners and launching a Rs 50 crore employee stock ownership plan buyback, in which around 40 per cent of former employees have already participated.
Munjal also highlighted the traction gained by Airlearn, the company’s language learning product, which he said is expanding in markets including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and Canada.
“Our cash reserves as of today are more than $100 million,” he said.
The proposed deal also marks a turnaround from earlier talks between the two companies that had stalled over disagreements on valuation and structure. Previous discussions had placed Unacademy’s valuation in the range of $300 million to $400 million, according to media reports.
If the transaction goes through, Munjal will continue as co-founder and chief executive of Unacademy, focusing on building online learning products for students in India and global markets.
For upGrad, the acquisition would broaden its footprint across the education spectrum, from school level learning to professional upskilling and lifelong education.
The move comes as India’s edtech sector enters a more sober phase after years of rapid expansion. Companies across the industry have been trimming costs, restructuring operations and seeking scale to build more sustainable businesses.
Against that backdrop, the potential combination of upGrad and Unacademy could signal that the next phase of edtech growth may be driven less by blitzscaling and more by strategic partnerships and consolidation.
