Ritu Rakhra outlines Broadridge India’s strategic HR framework at People Matters GCC Talent Summit, 2026

As the global business landscape races ahead with technological advancements and ever-expanding scale, Broadridge India stands as a testament to the enduring power of putting people first. This message resonated deeply with attendees at the People Matters GCC Talent Summit 2026, where Ritu Rakhra, Head of HR at Broadridge India, delivered an inspiring and thought-provoking case study on how the company has woven empathy, innovation, and inclusivity into the fabric of its talent strategy.

Rakhra opened her session with a heartfelt acknowledgement of the event’s energy and the shared commitment to advancing people practices. “We’ve really invested in ensuring that we don’t lose the soul of working together with people,” she said. This sentiment set the tone for a compelling account of Broadridge India’s journey—a journey rooted in purpose, strategic clarity, and a genuine respect for every individual who forms part of the organisation.

With over 30 years in India and nearly 40% of its global workforce based across Hyderabad and Bangalore, Broadridge has established itself as a key player among the nation’s 1700+ Global Capability Centres (GCCs). Yet, as Rakhra pointed out, it is not sheer size but the depth of engagement and vision that distinguishes Broadridge.

Central to this vision is the “four.org” strategy—a comprehensive model that ensures HR objectives are not only aligned with but actively drive business outcomes. “We have a very clear deliverable from India towards that strategy, and a clear deliverable from HR towards that strategy,” Rakhra explained, underscoring a culture where every associate’s personal aspirations are intricately linked to the company’s goals. This alignment, she believes, is the foundation of trust and sustained performance.

Broadridge’s approach to capability building rejects the common industry obsession with numbers. Instead, the company invests in “capability depth before scale”—ensuring associates are not only equipped with skills, but are empowered to use them meaningfully. “It’s the depth of the skills that we’re going to talk about,” Rakhra asserted.

Three years ago, Broadridge embarked on a bold learning transformation, introducing persona-based learning pathways tailored to every stage of an associate’s career—be it aspiring, new, experienced, or executive leader. Rejecting the generic label of ‘employees’, Broadridge refers to its staff as ‘associates’, reflecting a culture of mutual respect and partnership.

The commitment to learning is tangible: each associate receives 80 hours of value-added, skill-based training annually (beyond mandatory or routine business training). The company has already achieved an impressive 42 hours per associate, with more than 80% of the workforce engaged in these learning programmes. This learning agenda is not static. When a critical thinking gap was identified, a bespoke programme was developed and rolled out in just three weeks—demonstrating Broadridge’s agility and responsiveness.

Beyond classroom learning, Broadridge runs a flagship 52-week SME programme, where associates are taken off their regular roles to gain deep exposure to all aspects of the business—from domain expertise and market knowledge to global operations. Graduates of this programme return ready to take on pivotal roles, and the results, Rakhra noted, have been “really great”.

Broadridge’s investment in talent extends to fostering innovation and cross-functional collaboration. The TAP (Talent Acceleration Programme) initiative hand-picks high-potential, non-executive associates and immerses them in cross-geography, cross-functional teams. These teams are tasked with solving genuine business challenges, often yielding innovative solutions that might never have emerged from traditional organisational silos. “Some of the innovation and thought process that has come out of this exercise has really helped us solve real-world business problems in a far better manner than otherwise,” Rakhra shared.

Leadership at Broadridge is not about dependence on a select few, but about cultivating leadership qualities throughout the organisation. Rakhra highlighted the philosophy of “leadership density over leadership dependency”, ensuring that “the leader in each one of us is coming out”.

Gamification is a distinctive feature of the Broadridge leadership journey. Every new hire is introduced to company culture and values through interactive, gamified experiences. This approach is extended to other areas, such as agile learning, where the emphasis is not just on working in agile ways, but on “thinking agile”. Through these methods, associates are encouraged to internalise new behaviours and mindsets in engaging, memorable ways.

A particularly innovative practice is the creation of a ‘shadow cabinet’—a committee of high-potential senior leaders who shadow the main India Leadership Team. They actively participate in deliberations, offer their own perspectives, and receive transparent feedback on how decisions are made. This experience is invaluable preparation for future executive roles and ensures Broadridge’s leadership pipeline remains robust and ready for future challenges.

Perhaps the most moving part of Rakhra’s presentation was her account of Broadridge’s efforts to foster a sense of belonging and social impact. For over 25 years, the company has funded a school in Hyderabad, reaching out to children from local slum communities and supporting more than 20,000 children every year. In the most challenging cases, children are given a place at a special bridge camp, helping them reintegrate into mainstream education.

Crucially, this is not a distant corporate social responsibility project—it is woven into the associate experience. Broadridge associates visit the school, participate in its activities, and form genuine emotional bonds. “When you go to the school, it fills your heart with joy, and we ensure that every associate who comes into the organisation has an opportunity to go there,” Rakhra said. This, she believes, is what creates true “stickiness” and a sense of purpose that goes far beyond the workplace.

Looking to the future, Broadridge is embracing “AI-first skilling and talent analysis”, with a bespoke AI Academy designed to address unique business needs. The company’s approach to learning is increasingly data-informed, blending top-down and bottom-up assessments to identify current and future skill requirements.

Broadridge is also investing in on-campus partnerships, working closely with select academic institutions to co-create industry-relevant curricula. This ensures a pipeline of graduates who are not only theoretically knowledgeable but have hands-on project experience and are ready to contribute from day one. “It’s easy to say we don’t get trained talent, but what are we doing to ensure that we give the students coming out of campus real-world projects with real mentors who have a skin in the game?” Rakhra challenged the audience.

As her session drew to a close, Rakhra returned to a theme that had been woven throughout her address: trust. “If you have a trusting relationship with your associates, you can do what needs to be done,” she said. Broadridge’s unwavering focus on trust, leadership depth, belonging, and sustained performance is more than a strategy—it is a lived commitment.