The rules of business are being rewritten. AI, automation, and data-driven decision-making are no longer futuristic concepts—they are everyday essentials. Even as organisations race to adopt cutting-edge technology, the crucial question remains: Are their people ready for this shift?
For many companies, digital transformation stops at investing in tools and systems, with little focus on equipping employees to use them effectively. RPG Group, a diversified conglomerate spanning agriculture, manufacturing, and services, identified a flaw in this approach. Instead of relying on a handful of digital specialists, the company recognised that real transformation comes from empowering its workforce.
This led to the launch of E-Luminati, a structured learning programme designed to bridge digital skill gaps, foster innovation, and future-proof employees. More than just a training initiative, E-Luminati is reshaping how RPG approaches digital adoption, ensuring that every employee—from factory floors to corporate offices—can navigate and contribute to the company’s transformation journey.
“To be a truly digital-first organisation, we needed to make digital fluency a company-wide capability, not just a specialised skill,” said Rajat Bhargava, CEO - Speciality Sector & Head - Group Transformation at RPG Group. “E-Luminati was built to integrate learning into the flow of work—so employees don’t just understand technology, they actively use it to solve real business problems.”
As part of The Skill Shift series—a collection of transformative learning stories curated by Skillsoft and People Matters, this case study deep dives into the programme’s scalable, structured, and hands-on approach to digital learning, which is already reaching thousands of RPG employees, how are they making this happen and what can other businesses learn from its success.
The Blueprint for Digital Learning
Most digital training programmes fail because they either overload employees with too much information or fail to align learning with real business needs. RPG tackled this challenge head-on by designing a structured, multi-tiered learning roadmap tailored to employees at different levels of expertise.
The Three Levels of E-Luminati:
Level 1: Digital Awareness
- For employees who are new to digital transformation, this foundational level provides:
- Basic exposure to key technologies like AI, IoT, RPA, and Agile Thinking.
- Bite-sized, self-paced learning (~8-15 hours) to make adoption easier.
- Clear, real-world examples of how these technologies impact business operations.
Level 2: Digital Implementation
- For those ready to take it a step further, this level enables employees to:
- Apply digital tools to their functions, identifying use cases and proposing solutions.
- Participate in interactive workshops and hands-on projects.
- Develop a problem-solving mindset, using AI and automation to drive efficiencies.
Level 3: Digital Leadership
- At the highest level, E-Luminati transforms employees into digital pioneers:
- Engaging with emerging trends and cross-functional digital strategies.
- Developing industry-first innovations that impact not just RPG, but its entire ecosystem.
- Becoming internal experts, guiding peers and shaping RPG’s digital roadmap.
With more than 8,500 employees engaging with the programme so far, E-Luminati is fast becoming a core part of RPG’s talent strategy.
Making Learning Practical, Not Theoretical
A major pitfall of corporate learning is that employees often struggle to see its relevance to their daily work. With the support of Skillsoft’s innovative digital solutions, RPG tackled this by ensuring that E-Luminati was not just an academic exercise, but an interactive, problem-solving journey.
Real-World learning library
RPG relied on Skillsoft’s vast content libraries known as Percipio, where employees learned and practiced digital skills in realistic workplace scenarios.
Personalised skill benchmarks
Through Skillsoft’s Skill Benchmarking, every employee assessed their current skill level, allowing them to focus only on the areas they need to develop, rather than going through generic training.
Leader-Led learning sessions
Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, RPG introduced live sessions led by senior leaders as part of the Skillsoft Leadership Development Programme [SLDP], where employees could:
- Learn directly from real-world business cases.
- Engage in discussions about how digital trends affect the RPG industry.
- Develop problem-solving frameworks that apply to their roles.
- Tool Integration for Continuous Learning
By leveraging learning hubs from Skillsoft and Microsoft, RPG made digital education a seamless part of the workday, rather than a separate, time-consuming task.
The Impact: A Workforce Ready for the Future
E-Luminati isn’t just a training programme—it’s a cultural shift towards digital fluency. The impact has been measurable:
- Stronger Employee Engagement: The programme has driven high participation and completion rates, with employees finding the learning directly relevant to their roles.
- Improved Digital Readiness: Teams report greater confidence in using AI, automation, and data analytics for problem-solving.
- Operational Efficiency Gains: Digital tools have been successfully integrated into key processes, reducing manual effort and improving accuracy.
- A More Innovative Workforce: Employees proactively identify digital opportunities, fostering a mindset of continuous improvement.
“The best part about E-Luminati is that it isn’t just a learning initiative—it’s a mindset shift,” said Bhargava. “We’re seeing employees experiment with AI-driven solutions, propose new ideas, and engage with technology in ways they hadn’t before.”
What’s Next for E-Luminati?
With Phase 1 successfully completed, RPG is now scaling the programme to reach deeper into the organisation:
- Expanding Phase 2 to cover 5% of the workforce, ensuring that more employees actively implement digital tools.
- Developing Phase 3 to build an internal network of digital champions who drive innovation.
- Embedding E-Luminati into RPG’s onboarding so every new hire starts with a strong digital foundation.
- The goal is clear: make digital fluency a standard expectation for every RPG employee, regardless of role, function, or seniority.
Lessons for the Future Leaders
For HR leaders looking to build a digital-first workforce in their organisations, RPG’s E-Luminati journey offers crucial lessons:
- Make learning engaging: If training feels like a chore, employees won’t prioritise it.
- Align digital upskilling with Business Goals: Learning should solve real problems, not just tick compliance boxes.
- Encourage experimentation: Digital transformation happens when employees feel comfortable testing new ideas.
- Invest in continuous learning, not one-time training: Digital education should be embedded into the workplace—not confined to a few workshops.
By following these principles, organisations can ensure that digital transformation isn’t just a corporate strategy—it’s a core competency that empowers every employee.
The Future of Digital Learning at RPG
With E-Luminati, RPG has built a scalable, high-impact digital learning framework designed for real-world application, tailored learning levels, and seamless integration into daily workflows. By prioritising continuous learning and digital capability-building, RPG is not just preparing employees for today’s digital landscape—it’s future-proofing its business for the next wave of technological evolution.
As digital trends continue to evolve, RPG remains committed to enhancing E-Luminati, scaling its impact, and driving transformation across the organisation.
Check out the ‘Skill Shift’ series to learn more about transformative learning strategies helping companies bridge the skills gap and drive business impact.
Learn more about Skillsoft Percipio to bolster your organisation’s future readiness!