Aditya Birla’s Pankaj Rai: The man who sees digital transformation as cultural shift

Driving an establishment's digital transformation, a necessity across domains is one thing and requires an impressive set of technical and management skills. However, to identify the transformation as a cultural shift rather than a technological shift, one requires vision too. This vision makes Pankaj Rai stand out among India's corporate honchos.

According to Rai, the Aditya Birla Group's chief data analytics officer, the conglomerate's digital transformation journey is primarily a cultural transformation. He further elaborates the concept saying the cultural shift happens at three key layers.

The three layers revolve around the ways of thinking, the ways of working or refining the operational model, and finally, the ways of doing or executing the projects aligned with strategic objectives.

"By integrating these three layers effectively, we believe we can truly achieve a transformative approach to digitalisation," Rai explained his philosophy in an interview.

Rai also believes that when navigating change, the primary obstacle often lies within the mindset rather than the technology. "The crux of the challenge lies in the mindset of individuals who may struggle to embrace change or think innovatively. Encouraging experimentation and fostering a culture of adaptability becomes paramount in overcoming this hurdle," he said.

At Aditya Birla, Rai is based in Bengaluru and leads the group's strategy on analytics and data science, enabling its varied businesses, ranging from cement, chemicals, metals, fashion retail and financial services.
Rai's understanding of the corporate world comes from his experience of three decades in strategy, consulting, and financial services.

He was formerly a senior vice president at Wells Fargo, head of analytics at Dell and head of PMO at Standard Chartered Bank. He has a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from IIT Delhi and an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad. In his free time, Pankaj enjoys long-distance running, cycling, badminton and meeting people at his favourite cafe in Bangalore's Koramangala.

Rai started as a management consultant with Feedback Ventures in Delhi and then went on to work in the financial services industry with ICICI and GE Capital in a variety of roles covering sales, risk management, six-sigma and operations. Rai will be sharing his experiences and understandings from his diverse roles as a corporate major at the Manorama Online Techspectations 2025.

Techspectations digital summit
The Techspectation Digital Summit, organised by Manorama Online, is set to spark a wave of innovation and ideas by delving into the latest opportunities in the digital world. The event, regarded as Kerala's largest digital summit, will take place in Kochi on February 7.

Now in its sixth edition, the summit this time will focus on the theme Transforming Future: AI for Everyday Life. Jain University Kochi and Google India are the sponsors. For registration, reservations, and additional details, visit the official website.

The event, this time, will feature discussions on the latest opportunities in the rapidly evolving digital world, significant advancements in Artificial Intelligence, the potential of AI in the news industry, the fascinating realm of data analytics, and the startup revolution in India and Kerala, which is paving the way for major brands. Special debates will focus on Kerala's technological potential and the state's progress in the digital segment.

The aim of Techspectations is to create a platform for discussions by embracing the new digital era and paving the way for future advancements. The digital summit, launched in 2016, has been held under various themes in the years 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2023.

Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), Chief Technical Officers (CTOs), and Chief Experience Officers (CXOs) of major companies, along with Vice Presidents, Senior Managers, Directors, Board Members, Managers, IT Engineers, Developers, Entrepreneurs, Business Investors, Digital Marketing Professionals, Professors, Researchers, Students, Government Officials, Business Consultants, and Business Executives, will all be part of Techspectations this time.

The fifth edition of Manorama Online Techspectations, held in Kochi in 2023, concluded on a high note, setting the stage for progress by embracing opportunities and collaboration. The event revolved around the theme "25 Years of Manorama Online: Embracing the new digital order, evolution, and surge."