Manish Garg : Merging Global Expertise With Local Insight For Business Excellence
Manish Garg
Founding Member
From holding key leadership positions in renowned organizations to now leading the global consulting capability at Thoucentric, what significant milestones have shaped your deve - lopment and growth as a leader along the way?
Almost every organization I have been a part of has significantly contributed to my growth as a leader. Early in my career, participating in GE’s Operations Management Leadership Pro - gram provided invaluable international exposure, helping me overcome my natural shyness and develop stronger communication skills. My time at SP Jain further deepened my understanding of organizational strategy, offering insights across various business functions. At JDA, I honed my expertise in supply chain management, as I firmly believe that leading by example requires mastery in at least one key area or function. Infosys expanded my global experience, allowing me to lead multi-million-dollar transformation projects across diverse industries. However, my journey at Thoucentric has been a defining chapter, challenging me to navigate uncharted territories.
The mistakes I made along the way became essential learning experiences, fueling my growth and refining my leadership abilities.
How would you reflect on your experience at the SP Jain Institute of Management and Research?
My time at the SP Jain Institute of Management and Res-earch was one of the most enriching experiences of my career. I focused heavily on applying the knowledge gained in the classroom to real-world scenarios, especially through various business plan competitions. My goal was always to explore how we could practically 'use' what we learned. I had the opportunity to develop business plans for real ventures, such as helping a budding entrepreneur seeking investment to launch a BPO and assisting a diamond manufacturer aiming to commercialize an innovative Indian farming technology. The DoCC (Development of Cor- porate Citizenship) prog - ram was particularly fulfilling, as I leveraged my skills to automate processes for an NGO, enabling them to concentrate on their core, mission-critical activities.
What leadership principles from the institute have shaped your leadership approach, and how did your time there equip you to excel in an ever-evolving world?
At SPJIMR, I learned that high IQ alone doesn’t make a great leader, emotional intelligence plays a far more vital role in leading people effectively. Developing the ability to navigate interpersonal relationships and foster trust within diverse teams is essential. The 'Geeta Shibir' sessions enhanced my self-awareness and reinforced the importance of strong ethics and values for longterm success. I also embraced a feedback mechanism with an outside-in approach, which has been invaluable for my continuous growth. Additionally, I believe a leader must be hands-on and willing to get involved, a mindset that has enabled me to stay agile and resilient in a rapidly changing world.
What new chapter are you excited to pursue as you continue your journey for- ward?
After consulting across various industries worldwide, I now aim to focus on supporting Indian businesses in their digital transformation journey. Many
How would you reflect on your experience at the SP Jain Institute of Management and Research?
My time at the SP Jain Institute of Management and Res-earch was one of the most enriching experiences of my career. I focused heavily on applying the knowledge gained in the classroom to real-world scenarios, especially through various business plan competitions. My goal was always to explore how we could practically 'use' what we learned. I had the opportunity to develop business plans for real ventures, such as helping a budding entrepreneur seeking investment to launch a BPO and assisting a diamond manufacturer aiming to commercialize an innovative Indian farming technology. The DoCC (Development of Cor- porate Citizenship) prog - ram was particularly fulfilling, as I leveraged my skills to automate processes for an NGO, enabling them to concentrate on their core, mission-critical activities.
Establishing core values and ethics & adhering to them in all your actions is vital
What leadership principles from the institute have shaped your leadership approach, and how did your time there equip you to excel in an ever-evolving world?
At SPJIMR, I learned that high IQ alone doesn’t make a great leader, emotional intelligence plays a far more vital role in leading people effectively. Developing the ability to navigate interpersonal relationships and foster trust within diverse teams is essential. The 'Geeta Shibir' sessions enhanced my self-awareness and reinforced the importance of strong ethics and values for longterm success. I also embraced a feedback mechanism with an outside-in approach, which has been invaluable for my continuous growth. Additionally, I believe a leader must be hands-on and willing to get involved, a mindset that has enabled me to stay agile and resilient in a rapidly changing world.
What new chapter are you excited to pursue as you continue your journey for- ward?
After consulting across various industries worldwide, I now aim to focus on supporting Indian businesses in their digital transformation journey. Many
of these companies face significant challenges with technology adoption and lag behind in digitization. The conventional consulting models that suit multinational corpo - rations often fall short in the Indian context, where value for money plays a central role in IT investment decisions. This makes it essential to prioritize both value creation and seamless technology adoption to ensure meaningful and sustainable business transformation.
With all the buzz surrounding Generative AI, how do you believe it can facilitate technology adoption for Indian businesses?
A significant challenge for business users today lies in managing and learning multiple software tools, making long-term adoption difficult. In the future, Generative AI will serve as a bridge between business users and various software systems within organizations. Through natural language processing (NLP) and conversational interfaces, business users will interact with Gen AI platform rather than directly engaging with numerous other software systems. This approach will accelerate the digitization journey, unlocking the full potential of existing techno- logies, and therefore enhancing the return on IT investments, making digital transformation more effective and user-friendly.
What advice would you like to offer aspiring leaders based on your experience?
Empathy is essential in leadership, it’s important to genuinely put yourself in the shoes of others. Communicating your vision clearly helps ensure that team members don’t feel lost, so investing time with your people is crucial. Additionally, establishing core values and ethics, and adhering to them in all your actions is vital. While this might occasionally lead to short-term financial losses, it ultimately pays off in the long run. Lastly, don’t be overly concerned about short term dips or downturns, as long as you are moving in the right direction overall.
Manish Garg, Foun - ding member, Thoucentric
Manish Garg is a founding member of Thoucentric, a Xoriant Company, where he leads capability building across various consulting practices globally, including Supply Chain, Finance, Digital, Sales and Distribution. A graduate of IIT Delhi and SP Jain, he has over 22 years of experience, specializing in large-scale business transformations for Fortune 500 clients.
With all the buzz surrounding Generative AI, how do you believe it can facilitate technology adoption for Indian businesses?
A significant challenge for business users today lies in managing and learning multiple software tools, making long-term adoption difficult. In the future, Generative AI will serve as a bridge between business users and various software systems within organizations. Through natural language processing (NLP) and conversational interfaces, business users will interact with Gen AI platform rather than directly engaging with numerous other software systems. This approach will accelerate the digitization journey, unlocking the full potential of existing techno- logies, and therefore enhancing the return on IT investments, making digital transformation more effective and user-friendly.
What advice would you like to offer aspiring leaders based on your experience?
Empathy is essential in leadership, it’s important to genuinely put yourself in the shoes of others. Communicating your vision clearly helps ensure that team members don’t feel lost, so investing time with your people is crucial. Additionally, establishing core values and ethics, and adhering to them in all your actions is vital. While this might occasionally lead to short-term financial losses, it ultimately pays off in the long run. Lastly, don’t be overly concerned about short term dips or downturns, as long as you are moving in the right direction overall.
Manish Garg, Foun - ding member, Thoucentric
Manish Garg is a founding member of Thoucentric, a Xoriant Company, where he leads capability building across various consulting practices globally, including Supply Chain, Finance, Digital, Sales and Distribution. A graduate of IIT Delhi and SP Jain, he has over 22 years of experience, specializing in large-scale business transformations for Fortune 500 clients.