Article: Puneet Rajput shares blueprint for innovation, inclusion, and growth at Piramal Pharma

Leadership

Puneet Rajput shares blueprint for innovation, inclusion, and growth at Piramal Pharma

In an era where innovation and compliance drive the pharmaceutical industry, aligning HR strategies with business goals is more critical than ever. Ms. Puneet Rajput, CHRO at Piramal Pharma, shares her blueprint for fostering growth, inclusion, and digital transformation in this dynamic sector.
Puneet Rajput shares blueprint for innovation, inclusion, and growth at Piramal Pharma

In the relentless drive for innovation, HR leaders grapple with the intricate task of harmonising talent strategies with swiftly changing business demands, all while nurturing a culture of inclusivity, resilience, and agility. This complexity is magnified in the pharmaceutical sector, where the intersection of compliance, cutting-edge innovation, and advanced technology creates a unique set of challenges and opportunities.

With over two decades of leadership experience across pharma, telecom, life sciences, and consulting,  Ms. Puneet Rajput, Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) at Piramal Pharma Limited, has been at the helm of transformative HR strategies that drive growth, empower talent, and create a culture of belonging. In this exclusive interview, we delve into how she is reshaping HR at Piramal Pharma, aligning it with business goals, tackling the talent crunch, and using digital tools to enhance employee experience in an increasingly complex and competitive landscape.

This conversation is part of our pre-event campaign for People Matters TechHR Pulse Mumbai 2025, where thought leaders and innovators in technology, business, and HR will gather to explore the evolving landscape of work and the future of business transformation. Here are some excerpts from the conversation:

You’ve had an impressive career spanning over two decades, with leadership roles across diverse sectors like pharma, telecom, and life sciences. Looking back, what key lessons have shaped your approach to HR, and how do you adapt these insights to the unique challenges of the pharma sector?

Industries differ in their operational dynamics, but the common thread is people. The success of an HR function depends on how integrated the HR team is with the business, how well they understand the operational rhythm and strategic decisions, and how those translate into people strategy. HR also plays a crucial role in building and sustaining the cultural thread of the organisation. When HR strategy integrates with a business strategy based on the voice of employees and the customers and aspirations of the business, success is guaranteed. In today’s VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) world, where disruptive technologies are reshaping industries, agility, resilience, humility, and empathy are key to creating a culture that adapts to changing needs and takes people along. In the pharma sector, where innovation and compliance intersect, HR must foster a culture of continuous learning, inclusivity, and excellence to meet challenges like stringent regulations and rapid technological advancements.

In today’s fast-paced business world, aligning HR strategy with business goals is more critical than ever. At Piramal Pharma, how do you ensure that HR is driving the overall business strategy, especially in such a dynamic and innovation-driven industry?

At Piramal Pharma, HR is an integral partner in driving business strategy. Our HR strategy is aligned with our mission of ‘Doing Well and Doing Good,’ with cultural priorities such as patient, consumer, and customer centricity; seamless collaboration, and empowered accountability, forming the foundation of how we align HR with business goals. Our approach focuses on talent acquisition, leadership development, and creating a culture of belonging, where employees feel valued and empowered. We also place significant emphasis on succession planning, ensuring readiness for key roles. Through frameworks like Piramal SuccessFactors, we focus on competencies that promote innovation and patient-centric solutions. Employee engagement and well-being are central to our efforts, ensuring we have a motivated workforce capable of adapting to the fast-paced pharma industry.

Diversity and inclusion are essential in building a thriving workplace culture. How have you integrated these values into the fabric of Piramal Pharma’s HR strategy, and what specific initiatives have you seen make a real impact in fostering an inclusive environment?

At Piramal Pharma, creating a culture of diversity, inclusion, belonging, and accessibility (DIBA) is integral to our values. As an equal opportunities employer, our DIBA guidelines help shape our HR strategy, aligning it with business imperatives. A key initiative is the Karuna Fellowship, where we partner with the Piramal Foundation to provide technical training and leadership development to women in the communities surrounding our manufacturing site in Digwal, Telangana. This initiative has already seen success in onboarding Karuna fellows in our shared services setup, and we are confident the fellows trained at Digwal will soon contribute to the core manufacturing sector. Additionally, we sustain efforts to build a culture of belonging through DIBA-compliant policies, sensitisation programs, awareness sessions, and employee resource groups that foster dialogue and support.

As digital transformation accelerates, how has HR at Piramal Pharma evolved to embrace digital tools and platforms? Can you share some examples of how technology has helped enhance employee experience, streamline operations, or improve talent management processes?

Embracing digital transformation has been crucial for us. It has enabled us to enhance employee experiences, streamline operations, and improve talent management processes, all while reinforcing our commitment to data-driven decision-making. We have significantly reduced manual interventions by embracing HR automation, allowing teams to focus on strategic initiatives. For example, API integrations and a fully integrated HRMS ensure seamless data flow across systems like payroll and performance management. Our recruitment and onboarding process has been streamlined with online data capture and 100% online onboarding, enhancing the employee experience from the start. To support decision-making, we have delivered customised BI reports and interactive dashboards, making data accessibility a standard way of working. These reports, highlighting metrics such as headcount, learning, and attrition trends, provide year-over-year insights and detailed comparisons that help our leadership team make informed strategic decisions. Additionally, machine learning methodologies help us analyse attrition trends and employee sentiment to take proactive action. With 25 revamped dashboards and five critical processes automated, HR is becoming more agile, efficient, and aligned with business goals.

Leadership development plays a crucial role in any organisation’s success. Given your experience in nurturing leadership teams, what qualities do you look for in emerging leaders, and how do you ensure they are prepared to lead effectively in an ever-changing business landscape?

At Piramal Pharma, we focus on nurturing leaders who embody seamless collaboration, are patient, consumer and customer-centric, empower teams, and build a culture of accountability. We have established a comprehensive Leadership Academy that offers a structured framework to develop leaders at all levels, with specialised programs for high-potential employees. We use the 70:20:10 philosophy of learning, combining experiential learning, mentoring, and formal training sessions with expert leaders. Each program within the academy focuses on equipping leaders with the skills and perspectives required to be successful in their current roles and also take on larger responsibilities in the future. A key feature of these programs is the inclusion of mentoring by senior leaders and opportunities to engage with Business Impact Projects (BIPs). This allows participants to apply their skills to live, strategic initiatives. This inclusive and targeted approach ensures our leaders are equipped with the agility, resilience, and foresight needed to lead in a rapidly changing business environment.

In addition to leadership, sustainability and CSR are becoming vital components of HR strategy. How do you ensure that Piramal Pharma’s HR practices are aligned with the company’s sustainability goals, and can you share a particular CSR initiative where HR played a pivotal role?

Sustainability and CSR are deeply embedded in our HR strategy, and one of the key initiatives has been the community healthcare program under the Piramal Foundation. Our HR played a pivotal role in facilitating employee-volunteering efforts, allowing our staff to engage in healthcare camps and awareness drives across underserved areas. Initiatives like Project Neev demonstrate how HR collaborates with the Piramal Foundation to create a meaningful impact in aspirational districts across India, fostering social equity alongside business growth. By connecting employees with impactful CSR activities, we not only drive meaningful change but also strengthen our culture of purpose, making sustainability a shared responsibility across the organisation. Another notable initiative is where HR facilitated senior leader immersion exercises to provide firsthand insights into grassroots-level impacts while also bridging organisational understanding in areas like sustainability, operational excellence, and people practices, culminating in over 600 hours invested to identify actionable areas for collaboration, which will be implemented in the next financial year. Our HR also ensures that employees are actively engaged in causes like youth empowerment, health, and environmental conservation.

The pharma sector, like many industries, faces challenges in attracting and retaining top talent. What are some of the unique HR challenges you’ve encountered in this space, and what strategies have you implemented to overcome these hurdles and build a strong talent pipeline?

The pharma sector faces challenges such as fierce competition for specialised talent and the need to balance technical expertise with innovation. At Piramal Pharma, we prioritise building a strong employer brand that emphasises innovation, purpose-driven work, and career development. We attract top talent through partnerships with academic institutions, campus recruitment, and targeted digital platforms. We foster employee engagement through structured employee focus groups and recognition programs, ensuring that employees are motivated and retained. Learning and development programs, mentorship initiatives, and clear career progression paths also help nurture and retain high-performing talent.

Ms. Puneet Rajput’s transformative approach to HR at Piramal Pharma offers a compelling blueprint for navigating the intersection of innovation, compliance, and talent management in the pharmaceutical industry. By aligning HR strategies with business objectives, prioritising diversity and inclusion, embracing digital tools, and fostering a culture of continuous learning, she has cultivated a resilient and agile workforce ready to adapt to the evolving business landscape. Her leadership not only drives growth but also sets a powerful example for HR professionals committed to making a meaningful impact within their organisations.

Ms. Rajput will be at People Matters TechHR Pulse Mumbai, where she will share more of her groundbreaking insights on HR transformation, innovation, and leadership development. This is a unique chance to hear from her and other visionaries who are shaping the future of HR and business. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to gain the knowledge, strategies, and inspiration needed to elevate your HR practices to the next level.

Register now to secure your spot at TechHR Pulse Mumbai 2025 and download the delegate brochure for detailed information on the conference, sessions, and speaker lineup. Join us and take your HR strategy to new heights!

 

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Topics: Leadership, HR Technology, Leadership Development, #TechHRPulseMumbai

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