The Covid-19 pandemic did not come with a warning and none of us could have prepared for the stress and risk factors like sudden changes in routine, social isolation and financial insecurity. KIIT School of Biotechnology brought together Mr. Dev Tripathy, VP & Head HR – R&D, Glenmark Pharma; Mr. Saumen Chatterjee, Director HR, Sai Life Sciences; Mr. Srinivasan Pagadala, Director HR, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories; and Mr. Itha Lakshmipathi, Senior Director HR, GVK Biosciences on its ‘Kweet Talk’ platform to deliberate on the topic ‘Rebooting HR in the Era of the New Normal’. The stalwarts put forward their views on adapting to the new normal, in relation to the biotechnology industry.
The field of Biotechnology, both academia and industry, was forced to slash down man-hours and work-from-home became the new mode of working. Human resources play a key role in designing the working framework of any industry. Organizations must rethink, re-imagine and reconsider how they foster talent, deliver services and strengthen their organizations through a forward thinking HR strategy to deliver the most compelling work experience, the speakers opined.
They emphasized on maintaining constant production, supply chain and planning for rescaling as well as employee productivity, balancing the infrastructure of industries to ensure social distancing and employee safety. The forward looking HR strategy must also focus on the physical and mental health of the employees, they added.
Earlier, Ms. Sonam Mohapatra, Manager – Corporate Relations welcomed the speakers, followed by introduction of the School by Dr. Srinivas Patnaik, Dean. The session was moderated by Dr. Bhawna Gupta and Dr. Gopal Chowdhary, Assistant Professor, School of Biotechnology. Ms. Srinita Das was the rapporteur. The event was attended by all faculty members and students of KIIT School of Biotechnology, members of KIIT-TBI, start-ups and corporates.