Prachi is an HR leader with 15 years of experience across industries, specializing in talent strategy, engagement, and retention. A strong advocate for HR as a business enabler, she also leads ESG and sustainability initiatives, aligning business goals with social and environmental responsibility for lasting impact.
In an insightful interaction with Women Entrepreneurs Review Magazine, Prachi shares her insights on the role of Indian-origin professionals in shaping talent ecosystems across agriculture and other industries. She explores key challenges, cultural adaptability, and HR strategies for integrating tech-savvy talent seamlessly and inclusively.
How are Indian-origin professionals contributing to the evolution of talent ecosystems in agriculture and other industries? What challenges do you anticipate in managing this diverse talent pool?
Agriculture as a sector is not new to us in India and hence Indian-origin professionals are poised to play a pivotal role in the evolution of talent ecosystems in agriculture and other industries, leveraging their skills, global exposure, and cultural adaptability. Their contributions will be instrumental in driving innovation, particularly in sectors like agri-tech, sustainable farming practices, and supply chain management, where they can bring fresh perspectives, especially modernizing the traditional practices.
However, managing such a diverse talent pool comes with its own set of challenges. People coming to agriculture as a sector are from different folds, general management, corporate professionals, agri professionals, agri students, vocational trained workforce and very basic level agriculture labors. Hence, there is the need for organizations to create inclusive environments that value cultural differences and encourage cross-cultural collaboration. While diverse teams bring a wealth of ideas, the integration of these ideas into cohesive strategies requires effective communication and leadership.
The challenge as well as the path to success lies in harmonizing the diverse skills, work ethics, and expectations to foster a collaborative and innovative environment that drives growth across industries.
One such challenge that I’d like to pick is Cultural and generational gap- with emergence of Ag-tech we now see a lot of younger talent who are tech savvy, forward looking and know that the path to growth & scale up is through technology; but we still believe and rightfully so know that the wealth of knowledge about the sector, the products, the processes and ability to solve for challenges lies with legacy- and hence signing off either isn't an option. The uphill task for HR in agriculture today lies with acknowledging this and then working towards balancing out this talent problem - a mantra to the success of the organization. The problem not only lies in the thought process, but ways of communication, approach to problem solving, and purpose with which they work (or motivation).
In general, the full potential of a diverse workforce in agriculture/ ag-tech, HR teams need to focus on creating a culture of inclusivity that values both local traditions and global technological advancements. This includes bridging these gaps between generations, ensuring equal opportunities not just to work but to succeed, to fail, to speak, to listen and to lead.
How can businesses balance between embracing universal talent strategies while adapting to local cultural nuances, especially in sectors like agriculture that are deeply tied to regional contexts?
First, leadership should be trained in cultural sensitivity to ensure that policies and communication styles respect regional values, traditions, and work ethics. This can help integrate global best practices while being mindful of local practices.
Second, HR today needs to acknowledge this diversification and tailor training programs that can be designed, offering universal skill sets such as technology adoption but more importantly sustainability practices, while also addressing region-specific farming methods, languages, and challenges.
Empowering local teams in decision-making allows businesses to adapt strategies to regional realities while ensuring alignment with the overall organizational goals. Additionally, since INI is a global company and our customers are across 4 continents and 30+ countries, the understanding of global practices, specifications and standards are very important; and hence the amalgamation of traditional practices and global expectations is most important, hence we need to be open to prioritize both global talent with international experience and local hires who understand regional agricultural landscapes.
How can HR leaders leverage talent-centric approaches to integrate local values with global workforce expectations? What role does culture play in making such integrations successful?
Agriculture is not just about production; it’s closely tied to family, land, and tradition in many parts of the world, and HR leaders must account for these aspects to build sustainable and effective talent strategies. Engaging the agricultural workforce, particularly field staff, presents its own set of challenges due to the nature of the industry. Field staff often work in remote locations, have irregular schedules, and have limited access to technology and communication tools.
It is important to note that effective leadership in agriculture often comes from within the community and involves a deep understanding of the land, weather patterns, and local farming practices. As such, HR leaders need to develop programs that build leadership capabilities from within, focusing on both technical agricultural skills and cultural sensitivity.
Sustainability is a key issue in agriculture, both locally and globally. When global expectations focus on sustainability and eco-conscious practices, HR leaders can align these with the local values of conservation and land stewardship. For example, initiatives such as sustainable farming practices or global food safety certifications could resonate with the community’s values around preserving the land for future generations. HR should work to align global sustainability goals with the pride and responsibility local workers feel toward the environment.
Agriculture workers may have a more personal and familial approach to their workplace relationships, with a high value placed on face-to-face interactions, trust, and long-term commitments. We as a team have leveraged this by creating engagement strategies that prioritize personal relationships and community-building events, one such example, at INI, had been when we reached out to families, esp. mothers and spouse of employees, explaining that why an essential services enlisted company like ours had to keep open; why their family members need to work in special circumstances; and how we as a team, as an organization are going to take care of each of our people. Reaching out to families worked very effectively for us.
With agriculture being a traditionally under-innovated sector, how can HR strategically drive innovation within talent acquisition, development, and retention to transform the industry?
Agriculture has traditionally been viewed as a stable but conservative industry, but as global pressures around sustainability, efficiency, and labor shortages intensify, there’s a significant opportunity for HR to lead transformational change in how talent is managed.
Engage Young Talent: Historically, agriculture has not been the top choice for young professionals. We have been reaching out to universities, and agricultural colleges to build career pathways that make agriculture more attractive. Creating internship opportunities has helped raise awareness and spark interest in ag-related careers.
Employer Branding Through Digital Platforms: Building a strong employer brand is critical. Showcasing the impact of the INI on the agricultural sector on the environment, local communities, and the global food supply chain via social media, virtual tours, and videos can position the company as a progressive and desirable employer, especially to younger, environmentally-conscious candidates.
Continuous Learning: Establishing a culture of continuous learning is essential, especially as agricultural practices evolve. Over the last 2 years at INI we have implemented 70-20-10 principle-based learning framework called, “Learn-share-grow” its focusses on hybrid learning, especially on the job as well as using micro-learning platforms and virtual training modules that enable employees to learn on-the-go, often in the context of their real-world farming tasks.
Can you share an example of a disruptive HR initiative you've implemented that has brought about significant change?
An example where HR innovation has been very well received at INI is “Skill Jenga”. On World Youth Skill Day” every year for the last 3 years we have been running a digital Jenga. These are micro learning pod sessions, ones which are very relevant for our employees. One after the other we have 7-9 sessions, which are 15 min each. They say learning is a process- but I strongly believe that you can get someone's complete focus for only 10-12 min, after that either a phone will ring or a WhatsApp messages will pop up or a random thought will cross the participants’ mind. So these 15 min sessions are tailored and are a booster dose of knowledge. Employees can hop in and hop out of sessions which span over 3 hours every 15th of July. This Skill Jenga has been a huge success for us and appreciated in multiple HR forums, across industries.
Which HR strategies should be implemented to support the influx of tech-savvy talent into the sector, and how can organizations ensure that these transitions remain seamless and inclusive?
You're absolutely right! Agriculture is undergoing a significant digital transformation and embracing technology at an accelerated pace. This shift has the potential to revolutionize everything from how crops are grown to how talent is managed and developed within the industry. For HR leaders in agriculture, the digitalization of the sector presents both challenges and unique opportunities to reshape talent acquisition, development, and retention strategies to meet the demands of a more technologically advanced industry.
Leveraging Technology for flow of regular information:
• Use of WhatsApp or internal messages-based systems or apps that work offline and are accessible to share updates, spot recognitions, meeting reminders etc.
• Having multilingual communication messages made to accommodate diverse teams.
Adopting Hybrid Training Models
• Combine in-person training sessions with digital content (e.g., videos, voice messages)
• Engage local leaders or coordinators to act as on-the-ground user champions/ people champions and communicators.
Using Simple tools
• Use user-friendly tools for attendance, task reporting, and payroll management. Keep interfaces intuitive to reduce resistance to adoption.
• Provide hands-on demonstrations of new tools.
Data-Driven Engagement
• Use analytics from surveys or feedback tools to understand field staff needs and tailor programs accordingly.
• Monitor engagement levels and adjust strategies as required.
As the concept of talent-centricity continues to evolve, how should HR redefine leadership development programs? Should agriculture-focused leadership development focus more on empowering local leaders or grooming global leaders with diverse agricultural knowledge?
With agriculture evolving due to the rise of new technologies, sustainability goals, and shifting workforce dynamics, HR needs to design LDPs that cultivate leaders who can navigate these complexities while staying connected to the industry’s roots in community, sustainability, and tradition. At the same time there is a prevalent fact in the industry, that the legacy leaders in agriculture have grown as the industry has grown, they have evolved as the industry has evolved- but this comes with a caveat that agriculture as an industry is today, where, say Banking and Finance as an industry were 15 years ago; so logically now here on the evolution of leaders in agriculture has to be faster and not just at the speed the industry is evolving, so as to match up to leaders esp. in tech firms and global & corporate leadership in general.
Hence, given the rapid pace of development expected, the technological and environmental changes, LDPs should emphasize agile leadership. Agile leaders are flexible, open to experimentation, and can quickly pivot when new challenges arise (e.g., crop failures, market fluctuations, new tech tools). This is crucial in agriculture, where conditions can change unexpectedly. Teaching leaders how to lead cross-functional, collaborative teams and use data-driven tools will equip them to manage fluctuating environments and drive innovation within their teams.
Apart from this, agriculture is undergoing rapid transformation, and future leaders must be able to lead innovative initiatives—whether it's adopting new farming technologies, reaching out & developing newer clusters for existing FnV, experimenting with new crops, or exploring alternative supply chains. LDPs should encourage entrepreneurial thinking—teaching leaders how to identify opportunities for innovation, take calculated risks, and lead teams through change. This is especially important in agriculture, where the need for adaptation to global challenges (e.g., climate change, supply chain disruptions) is ever-growing.
HR needs to focus on balancing between building global leaders and local leadership on ground. This balance ensures that the workforce remains both connected to local communities and adaptable to the global demands of the industry, such as sustainability, innovation, and regulatory compliance.
Global leaders would be expected to understand the big picture—the geopolitical, environmental, and economic forces shaping the agricultural landscape. As a HR leader my aim is to develop programs that equip leaders with the ability to think strategically on a global scale, understanding how local decisions will impact broader trends like global supply chains, climate change, and food security.
Local leaders are key to implementing global strategies in a way that resonates with the unique needs and traditions of our industry and eventually to our organization’s goals. As a team we focus on building local expertise—training leaders to understand local agricultural challenges, cultural norms, labor dynamics, and community expectations.
It is most important for Management and HR together to ensure alignment between global and local leaders, we at INI ensure that both groups understand the company’s overall vision, values, strategic as well as goals. Regular communication and feedback forums are established to ensure that local leadership can adapt the global strategy in ways that fit their areas, products handled and people.
At INI we have regular and robust structure of multi-layer connects and review mechanism that helps global and local leaders to discuss strategy, share insights, and align on key initiatives that can be helpful for fostering alignment of our annual goals to the execution strategies at each level - corporate to ground.
