Sudakshina Bhattacharya is a Professional in Human Resource, armed with specialities in Stakeholder Management, Leadership hiring, Organization restructuring and rightsizing, HR Partnering, Organization Diagnostics, amongst others.
At HDFC ERGO General Insurance, she looks after the HR Team. Being a seasoned leader, she holds nearly 18 years of experience in financial services, after practicing in different industries including telecom, entertainment and media, and hospitality. She is also a Certified Professional CoActive Coach.
In a recent conversation with Women Entrepreneurs Review Magazine, Sudakshina sheds light on the evolution of HR in the insurance industry. She takes a leaf from HDFC ERGO’s HR playbook and talks about the company’s core values of SEED Sensitivity, Ethics, Excellence, and Dynamism.
Sudakshina shares insights on tech adoption in HR and the importance of building a learning ecosystem for leaders and employees alike. Explaining the nitty-gritties of building workforce in the insurance industry, she mentions about high-touch and high-tech strategies and underlines the company’s Beyond the Desk initiative and more.
Read on to know more about Sudakshina’s insightful take on the future of HR in insurance and beyond.
In your experience managing HR for domestic & international markets, how do you approach cultural inversion, where global or regional cultural values might challenge the organization’s core values?
Our core values at HDFC Ergo are encapsulated in the acronym SEED—Sensitivity, Ethics, Excellence, and Dynamism. These values guide everything we do, both locally and globally. With a joint venture partner from Germany, cross-cultural interaction is integral to our organization.
Sensitivity, one of our core values, ensures we respect and appreciate cultural differences, fostering collaboration across diverse backgrounds. Mobilizing these values within our organization means every employee, at every level, understands and lives by SEED.
Culture is shaped not just by leadership but by people at all levels. It influences behaviour, and in turn, behaviour reinforces culture, creating a shared commitment to these values.
Regarding leadership alignment without imposing cultural conformity, the strength of SEED lies in its universality. Sensitivity, ethics, excellence, and dynamism are fundamental human values, making alignment natural rather than enforced. Employees internalize these values organically, carrying them into every interaction—whether in the domestic market, international collaborations, or exchange programs.
Ultimately, SEED fosters inclusion, as sensitivity is key to creating more inclusive spaces. By embracing these values, we cultivate an environment where diversity is respected, and shared principles drive growth.
Given the rapid shifts in technology and the gig economy, how do you future-proof leadership hiring in the insurance industry?
At HDFC, one of our core principles is that the future is now. Rather than anticipating distant changes, we recognize that advancements in AI, GenAI, and machine learning are already shaping reality. Leadership values this shift, making technological adaptability a key competency.
In the insurance industry, insure-tech innovations are accelerating growth, particularly in tier 4 and tier 5 towns across India, referred to as Bharat. The vision of "insurance for all by 2047" is being realized through technology, enabling companies to manage scale and reach underserved areas.
Balancing high-touch and high-tech strategies is essential for leadership to drive this vision. Continuous learning ensures leaders stay updated and enhance their skills to meet present and future challenges. A culture of experimentation and innovation encourages them to question the status quo, navigate challenges, and emerge stronger.
How do you create a learning ecosystem for leaders in an industry where the traditional path to success often limits unconventional development?
We believe the future is now, and being future-ready is imperative. This aligns with our value of dynamism, which means adapting as the environment evolves. Our organization fosters a continuous learning ecosystem for everyone, including leadership.
For leadership, collaborating with subject matter experts is crucial. We curated a leadership program with a top management institute; selecting business leaders for a year-long program designed to reskill and upskill them for current and future challenges.
A key focus was developing impactful leadership; ensuring leaders acquire the ability to create meaningful influence.
We also run programs to cultivate inspirational leaders through various learning ecosystems tailored to different needs. Learning today is not confined to classrooms—people prefer bite-sized, on-the-go learning. Our "Project Factory" delivers concise, targeted learning programs, focusing on specific skills, products, or processes.
Recognizing that leadership time is limited, we offer video classes, masterclasses, and hyper-customized formats to cater to diverse learning preferences. Our future-ready learning ecosystem ensures accessibility, relevance, and effectiveness, creating a dynamic approach that has worked well for us.
With increasing globalization, expatriate programs often focus on professional development. How do you broaden this focus to incorporate a more holistic view, integrating expatriates’ cultural and psychological well-being into the core of the program?
It's actually the reverse for us. We work with niche skills like actuarial science and underwriting, which require specialized expertise. A significant part of learning comes from global exposure, so we facilitate learning exchange programs where employees spend an extended period in another country, gaining skills and experience.
We've realized that professional well-being is closely tied to how an organization supports growth. When employees live abroad, they don’t just develop professionally but also gain personal growth through new cultural experiences.
To support this, we have well-structured policies covering logistics, financial aid, and reintegration upon return.
Well-being is a core priority at HDFC Ergo, not just for employees traveling abroad but for everyone. We offer employee assistance programs and resources for financial, social, physical, and mental well-being—ranging from yoga and meditation to masterclasses.
Our well-being initiatives extend even to employees in remote locations, ensuring that those in the farthest districts receive the same support as those in headquarters. Well-being is embedded in our overall employee proposition, whether for expats or non-expats.
When undertaking organization diagnostics or restructuring, how do you identify and leverage the invisible layers of influence such as unspoken cultural norms or informal networks?
Informal networks exist in every organization, including ours. The advantage for H2C Oboe is our experienced leadership team, which has navigated different business cycles and grown together. This strengthens our ability to align teams with new goals or KPIs efficiently.
We also support informal networks through initiatives like sharing circles, where like-minded employees connect based on shared hobbies or life stages. For example, we’ve seen success with sharing circles for women returning from maternity leave, providing a safe space for open conversations moderated by senior leaders.
Another initiative, Beyond the Desk, led by a senior HR professional, encourages employees to set aside time regularly to discuss personal aspirations and challenges beyond work. These informal conversations foster a sense of belonging, helping employees feel heard and valued.
Ultimately, informal networks play a crucial role in driving organizational change, whether restructuring, leadership transitions, or industry shifts. They help mobilize teams and strengthen engagement, making them a valuable asset to any organization.
Most HR strategies are built on a present-to-future approach, but what would it look like if you flipped this around and designed HR strategies that are “future-back”?
Back to basics may seem understated, but reflection shows that every step forward connects us to our foundations, guiding our path to the future. Whether we call it future-back, back to the future, or back to basics, the principle remains the same: progress requires looking back, understanding what brought us here, and building from there.
HDFC Ergo recognizes that India has always thrived on strong communities. Community development is at the core of our country, and our initiative reflects this belief. Through the Academy, we focus on employees, business partners, and communities at large.
Creating an impact in these communities strengthens our business for the future. Capturing mindshare is key—someone who is not a customer today may become one tomorrow if we engage with them meaningfully now.
Our programs support the youth, especially in underserved cities, by equipping them with employable skills. The "English for India" initiative enhances language proficiency, improving job opportunities. Similarly, we recognize the power of digital literacy, particularly in smaller towns where exposure is limited.
Partnering with the National Skill Development Corporation, we aim to bridge this gap and empower individuals with essential digital skills.
The goal is to revisit past successes and harness their strengths to drive future growth. Our core values—dynamism, excellence, integrity, and ethics—serve as the foundation for both reflection and progress.
Last Word
There are three key imperatives every leader must demonstrate today, whether leading their own organization or part of a CXO or C-suite team. First, creating an enabling and inclusive workplace that truly works for all. Every individual is unique, making diversity fundamental to who we are and how we show up at work. Second, leaders must shed any sense of entitlement and foster a more equitable ecosystem. Third, balancing high tech with high touch is crucial. While technological advancements are essential, maintaining human connection remains vital.
At HDFC ERGO, we believe in being guided by the human code—ensuring inclusivity, empathy, and a workplace that works for all.
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