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Interview
Ranganath I V S
Vice President & Head HR, Tropilite Foods Pvt Ltd
Strategic HR Visionary | Culture & Change Catalyst | Transformaon Leader A contemporary HR thought leader with over 25 years of cross-sectoral HR leadership, a forwardthinking HR strategist renowned for building future-ready organizaons and architecng cultures of high performance. His career spans Manufacturing, Telecom, Engineering, FMCG, IT/ITeS, and Agri-Tech—where he has consistently enabled business growth through people-centric transformaon. Currently serving as Vice President & Head HR at Tropilite Foods Pvt Ltd, partners with Boards and CXOs to align people strategy with innovaon, agility, and sustainability. His experse includes digital HR transformaon (SAP SuccessFactors, Leena AI), strategic workforce planning, organizaonal design, leadership pipeline development, and union negoations. He has successfully led large-scale transformations including end-to-end HR digitization (Hire to Retire ERP rollouts), built resilient HR governance frameworks, and championed D&I and ESG agendas in complex organizational ecosystems.
Q:With over 27 years of experience in Human Capital, what advice would you give to young professionals just starting their careers in HR or leadership roles?
A:From my diverse experience across Manufacturing, FMCG, IT, Telecom, Engineering, and Agriculture as a Passionate HR leader, I would say this to anyone starting a career in HR: take time to truly understand the business, listen more than you speak, and keep learning every day.
I also believe in a simple
#3C approach in HR —
#Connect with people genuinely,
#Collaborate with the business, and stay
#Consistent in doing the basics right.
Do the basics well, stay grounded, and trust will naturally follow—that’s how
I also believe in a simple
#3C approach in HR —
#Connect with people genuinely,
#Collaborate with the business, and stay
#Consistent in doing the basics right.
Do the basics well, stay grounded, and trust will naturally follow—that’s how
Q:What are the most common challenges leaders face when trying to build “happy teams,” and how can young professionals support them?
A:Leaders often struggle to balance results and people's needs. Young professionals can help by communicating openly, taking ownership, and supporting teammates.
Sometimes a simple “How can I help?” makes a team happier than any policy.
Sometimes a simple “How can I help?” makes a team happier than any policy.
Q:How can young professionals drive change and innovation in HR, even in traditional corporate structures?
A:For any organisation, change starts small. Young professionals can drive innovation in HR by improving everyday processes, asking the right questions, and using simple data to show impact.
Simple example: If onboarding is manual and slow, HR professionals can suggest a simple checklist or digital tracker. Small improvements like these build credibility and gradually open doors for bigger change. Like you can also create a "dynamic hiring tracker" towards change and innovation.
Simple example: If onboarding is manual and slow, HR professionals can suggest a simple checklist or digital tracker. Small improvements like these build credibility and gradually open doors for bigger change. Like you can also create a "dynamic hiring tracker" towards change and innovation.
Q:How important is mentoring for young professionals, and what should students look for in a mentor?
A:Mentoring is very important because it helps you learn faster and avoid common mistakes. A good mentor is someone who listens, gives honest feedback, and shares real-life experiences.
For example, a mentor might guide you on how to handle your first interview, choose the right role, or manage a tough situation in a college project. Remember, things you won’t always learn from books.
For example, a mentor might guide you on how to handle your first interview, choose the right role, or manage a tough situation in a college project. Remember, things you won’t always learn from books.
Q:How can students develop skills like organisational development and change management even before entering the workforce?
A:Students can start learning OD and change skills in everyday college life. For example, improving how a college event is organized, leading a club or group project, or introducing a new way of working and getting everyone on board.
These small experiences teach you how change really works, listening to people, handling resistance, and getting results together.
Start small, reflect often, and connect people's actions to outcomes-that’s how one should learn.
These small experiences teach you how change really works, listening to people, handling resistance, and getting results together.
Start small, reflect often, and connect people's actions to outcomes-that’s how one should learn.
Q:In your experience, how can senior leaders genuinely co-own learning outcomes instead of viewing L&D as an HR responsibility, and what practical approaches have you seen HR use to hold leaders accountable for building capabilities within their teams?
A:In my experience, learning works best when senior leaders see people development as part of their job, not HR’s job.
Here is a simple example:
A delivery manager is responsible for reducing project delays. HR supports with a short upskilling program on cloud and agile practices. The delivery manager coaches the team on live projects, assigns real tasks, and reviews progress in weekly sprint meetings. Project delivery improves.
In simple terms, learning succeeds when leaders own the outcome and HR acts as an enabler and governance partner, not the sole owner of L&D.
Here is a simple example:
A delivery manager is responsible for reducing project delays. HR supports with a short upskilling program on cloud and agile practices. The delivery manager coaches the team on live projects, assigns real tasks, and reviews progress in weekly sprint meetings. Project delivery improves.
In simple terms, learning succeeds when leaders own the outcome and HR acts as an enabler and governance partner, not the sole owner of L&D.
Q:In fast-changing organisations, where do leaders most often confuse activity with engagement — and what’s the first signal that tells you the difference?
A:In fast-changing organisations, leaders often mistake being busy for being engaged. People may attend meetings, respond to emails, and work long hours, but that doesn’t always mean they are truly engaged.
A simple example:
An employee joins every meeting and completes assigned tasks on time, but never shares ideas, asks questions, or takes initiative - This is activity.
Engagement shows up when the same employee speaks up, suggests improvements, and feels responsible for outcomes.
The first clear signal:
When people are busy but silent, it's activity. When they are involved and proactive, it’s engagement.
A simple example:
An employee joins every meeting and completes assigned tasks on time, but never shares ideas, asks questions, or takes initiative - This is activity.
Engagement shows up when the same employee speaks up, suggests improvements, and feels responsible for outcomes.
The first clear signal:
When people are busy but silent, it's activity. When they are involved and proactive, it’s engagement.