Leaders
Devyani International (DIL) is the largest franchisee of Yum Brands in India and is among the largest operators of chain quick-service restaurants (QSR) in India, on a non-exclusive basis, and operates more than 1,000 stores across more than 200 cities in India, Nigeria and Nepal, as of June 30, 2022. In addition, DIL is a franchisee for the Costa Coffee brand and stores in India. Yum! Brands operates brands such as KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell and has presence globally with more than 53,000 restaurants in over 155 countries. With the audacious growth plan of DIL to double store footprint in the next 4 – 5 years, Aarti Marwaha Upadhyay joined DIL in Feb 2022 as the CHRO; playing a pivotal role in the growth journey of the company. Her role is to the partner with the business in not just taking this to the newer heights but also building a collaborative & a high-performance culture by being the “Employer of Choice”.
While Aarti continues to have a great career trajectory, a lot goes to her academic days, where in her post graduation stint; she has been fortunate to be awarded by Lt. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (Former President of India) for being topped (rank first) in the University Institute of Management, R.D.V.V, Jabalpur. Aarti Marwaha Upadhyay engages in an exclusive interaction with Women Entrepreneur Magazine.
Take us through your early educational journey and prior industry experience. How does your diverse experience help you in your current role?
I hail from Jabalpur city in Madhya Pradesh and did my schooling at a convent school and completed my graduation & post graduation from Rani Durgavati Vishwavidyalaya, Jabalpur. After that, I started working in diverse industries such as QSR, Retail, Manufacturing, NBFC, and telecommunication with proven people leadership and I've been successful in setting up people practices in start-ups, growing, and matured organizations. As I have worked in various different types of industries, I just don’t believe in executing any programs in isolation, rather it's more about knowing what the business needs. My diverse experience has helped me in getting involved in
terms of understanding business operations and leading it from the front. And then, designing the largest framework in terms of what the HR strategy needs to be which marries with the larger purpose of business and the organization as a whole.
Tell us about the different responsibilities you shoulder as the Chief People Officer and what are your primary focus areas.
Currently, I am responsible for 15000 plus employees under the multiple brands of Devyani International. Developing & executing HR programs, change management initiatives, and looking after all aspects of people capability, starting from hiring, engaging, and rewarding to development are my responsibilities. I am also responsible for building up & driving store excellence through a trained and engaged workforce. My primary focus at this point in time, knowing that there is a growth phase for the company, is hiring and retention of skilled workforce for the company.
What are some of the most pressing challenges that you encounter and how do you successfully overcome them?
In today’s VUCA world there is a magnitude of challenges, especially in the HR department. According to me, hiring and retention putting together are one of the most pressing challenges I encounter. As HR professionals, to retain valuable resources, we should ensure that there is a healthy work culture, lucrative compensation programs, standardized HR policies, and align our organizational goals to satisfy and attract the employees for working in the respective organization. The second challenge is balancing employees’ expectations and management’s policies. HR needs to come up with ideas that are very versatile and help provide attractive and flexible policies leading to the expectation of the employees. Embracing structural, as well as technological changes and driving a positive work culture, is another challenge but by driving engagement, training, and development programs, we can encourage them to become more productive.
What has been your most remarkable achievement so far and what is the driving force behind your success?
I've been blessed to have very successful growth and role diversity in terms of what I am today, and how I function as a professional. I started my journey with talent acquisition and subsequently, I use to do partnering, driving talent programs, etc. I have always taken things in a positive manner which helped me in growing professionally and the role diversity helped me in opening my mind and looking after things with a larger perspective. It's important for us to get into the shoes of the business and to know what it is all about and then make meaningful plans, which are needed for the job.
“Keep learning Because what you Got here, you Won't get there”
How do you foresee the Indian Human Resource landscape evolving going forward and what would be your advice to young women who also aspire to become business leaders?
I think there are so many changes in technology and the overall dynamics of the business environment and HR professionals have to keep themselves up to date with such changes. I think 2022 will be the year when upcoming HR trends will add value to the transformation and transition from employee wellbeing to a healthy organization focusing on physical health, mental health, social health, financial fitness, and community services. My advice would be is to establish a set of values and have an attitude that is humble because it helps you to learn, open up, and learn from others. It is also very important to be hungry to learn throughout your journey and most importantly never fear failures. Another thing is to stay digital-friendly in this fast-evolving VUCA world and at last, just have fun.
Aarti Marwaha Upadhyay, Chief People Officer, Devyani International
A proud mother of Aarika Upadhyay with a supportive husband Rohan. Aarti is blessed with a supportive family, parents that continue to inspire her at every stage. Maintaining meaningful relationships with her friends & family, she has learnt the art of perfectly balancing the professional & personal career. She believes that all rounded effort goes a long way in one's overall sense of well being, development & success.
