As the BFSI (Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance) industry evolves at a breakneck pace, Mahindra Finance is making bold moves to future-proof its workforce. With a sector increasingly influenced by digital disruption, regulatory changes, and shifting customer expectations, the company is betting on a structured, skill-first strategy led by Chief Human Resources Officer Manish Sinha.

At the heart of this transformation is a four-pronged approach: building functional expertise, enhancing managerial capabilities, fostering digital dexterity, and grooming future-ready leaders.

1. Functional Expertise for Today’s Roles

To ensure frontline and mid-level staff are aligned with evolving customer needs and compliance mandates, Mahindra Finance is heavily investing in upskilling. “Programs tailored for sales, collections, and regulatory compliance help our teams remain effective, compliant, and focused on customer centricity,” says Sinha.

2. Managerial Capability for Inclusive Leadership

For emerging managers, the company offers curated learning journeys emphasizing inclusion, empathy, and people-first thinking. These programs aim to prepare professionals to lead diverse teams and navigate complex organizational dynamics.

3. Digital Dexterity Across Hierarchies

Recognizing that digital literacy is no longer optional, Mahindra Finance has implemented a blended learning model. It includes in-person masterclasses and self-paced modules to embed a tech-forward mindset across the organization. “We focus on technologies that are reshaping BFSI—from automation to AI—and help our workforce adapt,” Sinha adds.

4. Building Future Leaders, Not Just Managers

To prepare for succession and sustained leadership, the firm runs a pyramid-structured leadership development program. Targeted at high-potential employees across levels, it features immersive business strategy modules, study missions to non-competing companies, and mentoring by industry veterans.

This ecosystem of continuous learning is designed not only to build internal capability but also to boost retention. According to McKinsey, BFSI firms that invest in capability-building are 2.5 times more likely to outperform their peers in employee satisfaction and innovation readiness.

Mahindra Finance’s forward-looking HR framework echoes a broader trend across India’s BFSI sector, which is expected to create over 1.6 million new jobs by 2030, largely driven by digital banking, fintech collaborations, and expanding financial inclusion initiatives (Assocham-KPMG report, 2023).

As Sinha sums it up: “We’re not just preparing employees for the next job—they’re being prepared for the next decade.”