With SAP Labs in India being the second largest Research and Development (R&D) centre outside of SAP’s headquarters in Germany, Sindhu Gangadharan oversees the functioning of more than 10,000 employees spread across Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, and Hyderabad — since taking on the role of Managing Director in 2019.
In a recent interview with YourStory, Sindhu Gangadharan, Senior Vice President and Managing Director at SAP Labs India, talked about the company’s initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic and its outlook in 2021. Initially joining SAP Labs India as a software developer in the late 90s, Gangadharan is now responsible for product development and innovation at the tech giant’s R&D facilities in the country.
Expounding on the company’s operations during the pandemic, Gangadharan stressed that their primary focus is the safety of their employees and at the same time, ensuring business continuity is not impacted in any way. She stated:
“About 77 percent of the world’s transactions touch SAP system, which means the business continuity aspect is something important, and therefore we are completely committed to making sure that the business systems of our customers are always operational.”
As one of the first companies to introduce work-from-home options and rotating schedules for onsite business-critical operations in India, Gangadharan explained that the set-up was not new to the team. Furthermore, with the majority of its staff mandated to work remotely, she said that SAP has equipped them with the necessary tools and has ramped up efforts to keep a positive atmosphere.
“We understand it’s difficult to keep everyone’s spirits high and feel unity when people are working remotely. Hence, we introduced the SAP Come Alive initiative, which offers online fun, wellness, and motivational programs — ranging from Zumba, yoga to virtual music contests,” Gangadharan said.
Leveraging Technology to Combat COVID-19
In the discussion, it has also been said that the Crisis Management Team (CMT) is working around the clock to offer emergency services and arrange essential supplies such as oxygen, ventilators, ICU beds for employees and their families in the wake of the second wave of coronavirus infections in the country. This is on top of pledging to cover the full COVID-19 vaccination cost for their eligible staff and their insured dependents.
Last October 2020, SAP’s COVID-19 relief work in India, particularly in the State of Karnataka, was recognised by the Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India (ASSOCHAM). Gangadharan added:
“Our SAP Labs India colleagues are volunteering for the Karnataka State Government’s COVID War Room while also contributing to create applications to help run the war rooms better.”
Leveraging its technological expertise and innovation to provide solutions to help combat the pandemic, Gangadharan also mentioned other initiatives that have been put in place by SAP Labs in India.
“Our teams are also supporting the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC) and its 4,500 members by leveraging SAP Jam to build a marketplace for the exchange of COVID resources among member companies. SAP is augmenting the health care system by supporting the construction of make-shift hospitals and by creating additional bed capacity at existing hospitals across locations,” she explained.
2021 Outlook for SAP Labs in India
In a similar interview with Financial Express, Gangadharan also talked about her outlook for SAP Labs India in 2021. She said that despite last year’s turmoil, SAP has successfully navigated the challenging environment and has demonstrated agility with its “solid finish” to 2020.
“Specific to 2021, when I took over as MD of SAP Labs India in the second half of 2019, I had set a four-point goal. To make Labs India location the most innovative place in the SAP Universe, focused on customer centricity, where thought leadership flourishes and employees work in a highly diverse and inclusive environment. Since then, we have made significant progress towards our goal,” she stated.
Moreover, SAP Labs India is well-represented in the local start-up landscape through the SAP Startup Studio, as well as through the SAP Co-Innovation Lab. The SAP Innovation Center Network, which is located in Bangalore, specialises in Internet of Things (IoT), 5G, Edge Computing, and artificial intelligence (AI).
“We contribute to SAP’s success through emerging transformative technologies from our Innovation Centre Network and SAP Startup Studio. Set up in 2016, this first in-house startup accelerator programme of SAP offers support to the onboarded startups through guidance, deep dive, and technology mentoring on SAP technologies,” according to Gangadharan.
