India is helping shape our global product portfolio, engineering decisions, and technology roadmap: Schneider Electric CHRO

India represents one of the largest talent bases for Schneider Electric, with more than 38,000 employees, says Charise Le, chief human resources officer, Schneider Electric. On a recent visit to India, she told ET that the company is increasingly placing global leaders and product owners in India, reinforcing its growing role in driving enterprise-wide outcomes.

Edited excerpts :

Q: How has India's role evolved for Schneider Electric, and how important is the hub here?

CL: India today is much more than a large talent base for Schneider Electric; it is one of the company’s four global hubs and a critical part of its global operating model. Today, India represents one of our largest talent bases, with more than 38,000 employees, nearly a quarter of our global workforce, underscoring its role as a core capability and leadership engine for the group. Over the years, we have intentionally moved decision-making authority, leadership roles, R&D, manufacturing, supply chain and commercial operations closer to key markets, and India has emerged as a major centre for all these functions. The company’s strategy is built around being closer to customers, suppliers and innovation ecosystems, while also leveraging India as a global capability engine. Today, India supports both domestic and international markets, with two-thirds of locally manufactured products being exported globally, supported by more than 6,000 R&D and software engineers in India contributing directly to product design and engineering solutions. This means India is not just producing for India but helping shape our global product portfolio, engineering decisions and technology roadmap. We have also established significant digital, AI, IT and shared-services capabilities in India, supporting global operations across functions such as finance, HR and enterprise technology. We are also increasingly placing global leaders and product owners in India, reinforcing its growing role in driving enterprise-wide outcomes.

Q: Global capability centres in India are evolving rapidly. How does Schneider Electric view the next stage of GCC growth?

CL: We believe the GCC story in India has moved well beyond the traditional cost-arbitrage model. Industry data reflects this shift with India now hosting nearly half of the world’s global capability centres, with mandates increasingly centred on AI, R&D, and enterprise-critical work. While India remains a major source of skilled talent, the real differentiator today is leadership maturity, technical depth and the ability to own business-critical decisions. We have consciously shifted leadership positions into India across domains such as R&D, product engineering, finance, HR and digital operations. These are not support roles but positions that carry responsibility for global products, platforms and strategic decisions. We view this as an important indicator of India's growing influence within multinational organisations, and have invested in developing Indian leaders through international assignments, cross-border mobility and leadership development programmes. As multinational companies look to create more resilient and distributed operating models, India will play a central role not only in execution but also in shaping strategy, innovation and business outcomes globally.

Q: As AI continues to reshape workplaces worldwide, how is the company approaching AI adoption across its workforce?

CL: Our approach is people-led and AI-enabled. Rather than viewing AI as a standalone technology initiative, we see it as an enterprise capability that must be embedded into how we innovate, operate and develop talent. We launched our AI-at-Scale strategy in 2021, well before generative AI became mainstream. We also established a global AI hub supported by a hub-and-spoke model, enabling AI teams to work closely with business functions to identify scalable, relevant and responsible use cases. AI is now being applied across engineering, R&D, supply chain, manufacturing and corporate
functions.

However, every AI deployment must have a clear business case, defined governance frameworks and human accountability. Responsible AI principles including transparency, ethics, inclusion and human oversight, remain central to our deployment strategy. We are equally focused on workforce readiness, and our goal is to move employees beyond AI awareness to AI confidence. At a global level, more than 140,000 employees have already completed foundational AI training, with a growing share progressing to advanced, role-specific application. To this end, we have introduced structured learning pathways through a dedicated data and AI school, mandatory annual AI learning modules, access to platforms such as Coursera, role-specific AI training programmes and practical application exercises through gamified learning initiatives. The objective is to ensure employees can confidently integrate AI into everyday work while maintaining critical human judgment and decision-making.

Q: What is the company doing to build a more inclusive workplace?

CL: We believe diversity fuels innovation, but that inclusion is what ultimately enables diverse teams to perform effectively. As a multi-hub organisation, with India serving as one of our four major global hubs, we see firsthand how different perspectives shape the way we innovate and make decisions. Gender diversity remains a significant focus area in India, and we are working to improve representation across the entire talent pipeline, from hiring and early-career recruitment to middle management and senior leadership positions. We track progress through measurable targets, some of which are linked to our sustainability commitments. For us, this is not just a values agenda.

Programmes such as our return-to-work initiatives in India have already enabled experienced professionals to re-enter the workforce and contribute to critical business roles. Beyond gender, we are paying increasing attention to managing a multigenerational workforce. With employees spanning three or four generations, we are actively engaging with younger talent to understand evolving workplace expectations and design policies that encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing across age groups. In India, a significant proportion of our hiring is early-career talent, and we are deliberate about how they integrate with experienced professionals. This mix plays an important role in strengthening our leadership pipeline and ensuring continuity of knowledge, while bringing in new skills and perspectives. We also see inclusion and well-being as essential to sustaining performance and enabling long-term careers.