Industry Leaders on Trust, Agility, and Long-Term Growth

Trust, Innovation, and Agility Key to Building Future-Ready Institutions: Industry Leaders at CII Eastern Region Meet​

Businesses Urged to Balance Scale with Agility Amid Rapid Change​

Kolkata, March 24: Industry leaders on Tuesday underscored that trust, innovation, and empowered organizational structures are essential for building resilient and future-ready institutions, as businesses navigate rapid technological disruption and shifting consumer expectations.

Speaking at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Eastern region annual meeting and conference themed “Vision with Velocity,” corporate leaders highlighted the need for institutions to balance scale with agility while staying rooted in strong values.

Vision, Values, and Vitality Form Core of Institutional Success​

ITC Chairman Sanjeev Puri said long-term institutional success is anchored in three pillars: vision, values, and vitality.

“Shaping the narrative of a legacy institution comes down to vision, values, and vitality,” Puri said. He emphasized that businesses must move beyond simple diversification and instead build multiple growth drivers aligned with market opportunities and institutional strengths.

He added that large organizations should operate like “multiple startups within a larger institution,” where empowered teams with clear accountability and access to technology and resources can drive innovation and agility.

Trust and Country-First Approach Critical for Continuity​

CII Director-General Chandrajit Banerjee stressed that institutions must remain grounded in trust and adopt a country-first mindset while continuously evolving.

“Trust across stakeholders and governments allows institutions to maintain continuity even as they adapt to change,” Banerjee said.

He also highlighted the need for stronger focus on research and development, along with increased investment in education and healthcare to support long-term economic growth. Banerjee added that future growth opportunities lie beyond metro cities, urging deeper industry engagement in states and districts.

Healthcare Sector Reinforces Role of Trust and Technology​

Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited Executive Vice-Chairperson Shobhana Kamineni said trust remains central in sectors like healthcare, where outcomes directly impact human lives.

“Trust is something we earn every day through every patient interaction and outcome,” she said.

Kamineni noted that technology is helping healthcare providers expand access, standardize processes, and deliver quality care beyond major cities. However, she cautioned that technology should complement, not replace, empathy in healthcare delivery.

Ethical Leadership and Stakeholder Confidence in Focus​

R Mukundan of Tata Chemicals Limited emphasized that ethical leadership and purpose-driven decision-making are critical to sustaining stakeholder confidence.

“Trust cannot be bought. It has to be earned through consistent actions and ethical choices,” he said, adding that organizations must balance legacy strengths with transformation to remain relevant.

RPSG Group Chairman Sanjiv Goenka highlighted that growth is a natural outcome of efficient systems and processes.

“If you build efficient systems and processes, growth naturally follows. At the core of everything is trust – the confidence of all stakeholders,” Goenka said.

Technology and Stakeholder-Centric Strategies Drive Institutional Resilience​

Industry leaders at the conference collectively pointed to the rising importance of technology, innovation, and stakeholder-centric strategies in building institutions capable of enduring and adapting in an increasingly complex global business environment.