The Managing Director of $54 billion Mahindra & Mahindra, Pawan Goenka, says these four things will be ‘normal’ in the post- COVID world

• Pawan Goenka, the managing director of $54 billion Mahindra & Mahindra, believes “post-COVID-19 four things are likely to change in the way we work”.
  
• These practices will bring “efficiency, agility and also reduce cost”.
  
• Goenka suggests post-COVID, people will start accepting work from home culture.
  
• There will be an increase in usage of VC (video conferencing) in conducting meetings as well.
  
• There will be a “drastic reduction in business travel”.
  
• Another change that could happen in the post-COVID world is “fewer large events” believes Goenka.
  
  

The entire world has tested waters with work from home model thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, and most CEOs seem to like the results. Pawan Goenka, the Managing Director of $54 billion Mahindra & Mahindra, believes that a lot more will change after the lockdown ends - in the way they work.

He listed four ways in which a new normal will emerge, including work from home. “These practices will bring efficiency, agility and also reduce cost,” he said. Mahindra & Mahindra is an Indian multinational company, which engages in the manufacturing of automotive vehicles.


Here is what he believes will change

Work from Home
Goenka says post-Covid, employees at Mahindra & Mahindra will start accepting work from home culture. Before Goenka, Tata Consultancy Services also said that work from home could be the new normal. Moreover, according to Udemy, employees too would want to work remotely long after the lockdown ends.

Increase in video conferencing for meeting
Goenka added that the company will witness an increase in usage of video conferencing to conduct meetings. With people working from home, video conferencing saw a massive spike. Coronavirus-led Zoom, a video conferencing app, witnessed a 1900% increase in users to 200 million. Even people who couldn’t avoid physical meetings like the Indian Prime Minister too shifted to video conferencing.

Lesser business travel
Goenka predicts Mahindra & Mahindra is likely to see a “drastic reduction in business travel”. Lockdown put a complete halt on business travel. Moreover, some countries are also considering suspending work visas.

Kris Gopalakrishnan, the co-founder of Infosys, also said the IT industry will be witnessing a cut on business travel in the post-COVID world. A tech giant in India has to spend ₹1,000 - ₹4,000 crore on travel. According to Gopalakrishnan, “the positive is that people have figured out how to do business without travelling”.

Fewer large events
Another change that Mahindra & Mahindra is looking for is “fewer large events”. In other words, the automaker is likely to focus on more digital launches.

For a long time, companies would refrain from conducting any events with masses. Since scientists are unsure of how long the effects of Covid-19 will last, social distancing norms will have to be practised and even employees at work will need ‘room’ or ‘space’ apart. All this directs towards long-lasting effects in the way organisations function.


See also: Coursera's India MD sees 'blended campuses' thriving once the pandemic abates