Rohit Dogra
Marketing
Joined ITC in 2001
"Destiny of ITC is not dictated by anybody but created by the collective of people who work here"
At ITC, we build business leaders who create value, who believe that the future belongs to those who are able to create it. Which is why we value integrity, creativity, passion, a 'will do' attitude and above all else, the will and determination to succeed. We leverage human capital for competitiveness by nurturing knowledge, entrepreneurship and creativity. We believe it is these strengths that will help us successfully compete in a globalised environment and exploit emerging opportunities. We stimulate the drive to be the best and take immense pride in being Indian. We keep our people intellectually stimulated and give them the freedom to take their own decisions and the responsibility to make ITC grow through innovation and experimentation.
Our focus is on relentless value addition to enhance competencies. We believe professional growth is the responsibility of both the individual and the organisation. We provide opportunities for value addition through a number of enterprise capabilities:
Professionally Managed: ITC is not a promoter-led enterprise but a professionally managed organisation. At ITC, you define yourself - you are the product of your own making and not a product of capital.
Distributed Leadership: ITC's strategy of organisation and its emphasis on developing and nurturing distributed leadership has ensured that each of ITC's businesses are managed by a team of competent, passionate and inspiring leaders, capable of building a future-ready organisation through continuous learning, innovation and world class execution capability.
Trusteeship: We believe the organisation has been handed to us by the various stakeholders in "trust" and we as professionals are the "trustees" of these stakeholders. We will actualise stakeholder value and interest on a long term sustainable basis.
Indian Company: A company that puts the nation ahead of itself, ITC is inspired by the opportunity to make a big difference through the enlargement of its contribution to the Indian economy. With its resources and capability to compete, ITC has always focused on the creation and capture of value for the Indian economy.
Triple Bottom Line: ITC comprehensively measures its contribution along three dimensions of the Triple Bottom Line - economic, environment, and social. An exemplary contributor to the Triple Bottom Line, ITC has been 'Carbon Positive' 16 years in a row, Water Positive' for 19 years in a row and 'Solid Waste Recycling Positive' for 14 years in a row.
Commitment Beyond the Market: ITC, as a premier 'Indian' enterprise, consciously exercises the strategic choice of contributing to and securing the competitiveness of the entire value chain of which it is a part. This philosophy has shaped the Company's approach to business into a commitment beyond the market.
ITC believes that diversity and inclusion at the workplace promotes an environment conducive to engagement, fosters and enhances the overall quality of decision making, and problem solving, and therefore enhances the quality of discourse within the Company. 'Respect for People' one of ITC's core values specifically draws attention to this aspect:
ITC is committed to promoting diversity and offering equal opportunity to all employees based on merit and ability and ensuring that there is no discrimination amongst its employees in compensation, training and employee benefits, based on caste, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, race, colour, ancestry, marital status or affiliation with a political, religious or union organization or majority/minority group.
ITC has provided special impetus to programmes directed at enhancing gender diversity in the workforce. As an illustration, several of ITC's Integrated Consumer Goods Manufacturing & Logistics facilities represent benchmark levels of diversity in the industry. Similarly, ITC's Hotels Division is amongst the leading employers in the industry on gender diversity and an employer of People with Disabilities. The Life Science and Technology Centre is another exemplar of gender diversity in addition to various other functions in several of ITC's Businesses.
To support its Diversity goals, the Company has instituted several policies which provide for flexible work arrangements and recognize that enablement promotes representation. These include policies which enable Work from Home including special provisions for expectant mothers and women with young children, Extended Child Care Leave, Child and Caregiver Travel Support, Paternity Leave, special accommodation arrangements for women, Medical benefits for same gender partners and secure transport where required.
Targeted professional development programs, wellness programs, sensitization workshops, inputs to enhance understanding and working with unconscious bias are some of the initiatives ITC has taken to develop and nurture diverse talent and promote inclusive behaviors within work groups. Employee Resource Groups as well as Diversity Councils have been established to foster conversations around workforce diversity and help the Company to continue to take proactive measures in fostering an inclusive climate.
ITC is dedicated to promoting gender diversity and inclusion in the workforce, as well as fostering participation of differently-abled individuals. As part of their commitment, the company takes supportive actions to ensure equity in the workplace. Notably, ITC's recruitment efforts from premier campuses have resulted in diversity ratios that surpass the prevailing norms in those institutions. For instance, the gender diversity ratio for the 2024 batch of Assistants Under Training stands at an impressive 43%, though the diversity ratio of the batch on campus is significantly lower.
To drive the recruitment of a diverse talent pool, ITC has implemented key initiatives.
These are some of the many initiatives undertaken by ITC to build a more inclusive and diverse organization.
An ever changing, highly competitive global landscape necessitates the development of a strong, customer responsive world-class company empowered by its vision, values and vitality. ITC has consistently fostered a culture that rewards continuous learning, collaboration and development across the organisation to be future-ready and to meet the challenges posed by ever- changing market realities.
ITC's Learning & Development vision reinforces this agenda by seeking to build ITC's talent and leadership pipeline and enhance organisational capability to compete, win in the marketplace and create enduring value for our stakeholders and society.
ITC's Learning & Development initiatives include core programmes straddling various dimensions of Leadership, Capability Enhancement and Skill(s) Development along with customised programmes that address diverse capability-building needs at various levels of the organisation. These programmes cover not just functional competencies but behavioural inputs as well, to ensure comprehensive development of our human resources.
Focused programmes aimed at ensuring meaningful induction of talent into the organisation, initiatives to address current and future capability requirements of the organisation, platforms to understand what the future holds for us in terms of technology and process advancement and development inputs to enhance managerial and leadership capability of our resources are the mainstay of our Learning & Development agenda.
ITC operates a caderised Finance function that serves all its businesses. The Finance function in ITC proactively partners the various businesses of ITC. The functional role is a dynamic amalgam of 3 distinct dimensions, namely, that of a Value Strategist, a Risk & Opportunity Manager and Service & Solution Provider. ITC's multi-business context provides opportunities for working in a wide range of business environments, enabling growth through professional development. A career in Finance offers you a range of challenging assignments across operational accounting, business planning and analytics, strategy evaluation, risk management, treasury management and commercial negotiations.
Post induction, candidates could be positioned either in one of the Company's varied businesses or Corporate Headquarters or in the Company's Internal Audit function. The posting could be anywhere in India depending upon the need, as the Company has units and business headquarters in metros, smaller towns and up country locations. During the course of one's career, the individual moves across several such locations.
In the business finance role, employees will be placed and rotated through operational roles both in the field (at manufacturing units/marketing offices) and Head Office. Opportunities for working on specific projects and in cross functional teams are also available so as to provide business exposure and to enable application of conceptual knowledge to business situations and hone leadership capability.
In ITC's Internal Audit, unlike in traditional audits, managers work in a live business environment and contribute to the effectiveness of management systems in a fast changing, dynamic set-up. This period entails considerable travel and gives the individual a first-hand opportunity to gain a comprehensive understanding of the Company's business systems and strategies at work. After this stint the manager is positioned in one of the Company's businesses at any of the operating units spread across the country.
Your career in finance usually commences with being a member of the operational unit team or audit team with specific independent responsibilities. Based on performance and merit, you will in course of time, be entrusted with the leadership responsibility of heading the function in a unit or business area with a team reporting to you.
With over 31,000 employees across the group, scores of manufacturing facilities and operations spread all over the country, the Human Resources function in ITC offers very challenging career opportunities. With a legacy of over a hundred years, management of the human resource relies heavily on the wealth of experience of the past and simultaneously constantly reinvents itself to remain contemporary and contribute to the achievement of our strategic objectives.
ITC's Human Resources policies and strategies seek to ensure that HR Systems and processes focus on building a customer focused organisation that further enhances the organisational capability to compete and win the market. People are ITC's unique source of competitive advantage and HR Systems and processes ensure that the potential of our human resources is leveraged to enhance the wealth generating capability of the enterprise and in building a winning organisation.
ITC provides you an opportunity to experience the diversity present within the Human Resources function ranging from Employee Relations and Employee Engagement - Negotiations, Employee Welfare, Building Alignment, Productivity Enhancement, Process Excellence to Salary and Wage Administration, Statutory Compliance, Corporate Social Development initiatives. The diversity of ITC's businesses also ensures that you experience the varied dynamics of the function that comes into play in different business scenarios.
A typical career in HR entails significant experience in each of the areas mentioned above, which helps you develop as a holistic HR Manager. A career in ITC will lead you from being a part of a unit to heading a unit/region, to heading various functions within HR and finally to heading the function at the divisional or corporate level. You will be encouraged to be a part of various cross functional teams, an experience that will enable you understand how different functions work synergistically to produce business outcomes.
A diversified company with over 40 FMCG product categories, over 10,000 SKUs, largest FMCG sales and distribution network (1 lakh+ markets, 2 million+ outlets), home grown world-class brands, ever expanding product portfolio, all this and more makes ITC the place to be in for a Marketing professional. ITC's aggressive pace of growth can be gauged by the fact that in 2001 ITC had a single FMCG product, less than 100 SKUs, 2 channels of distribution and 6 factories/OCMs as compared to today where there are 40 FMCG product categories, with over 10000 SKUs, 8 channels of distribution, more than 200 factories /OCMs. The phenomenal growth story of ITC throws open a world of challenges and opportunities as well as an opportunity for you to be a part of this evolving story be it sales and distribution, brands, market research, new product development, business to business marketing, rural marketing amongst others.
ITC's Trade Marketing and Distribution (TM&D) vertical is the sales and distribution arm whose strategic objective is to provide sharper focus to ITC's FMCG businesses and evolve Trade Marketing & Distribution into a benchmark ecosystem, thereby delivering on the organisation's vision of becoming the No. 1 FMCG Company in India. ITC's TM&D vertical straddles one of the largest salesforce networks in the country, best in class systems and processes, ever growing distribution reach, cutting edge technology, cost optimisation and most importantly, a highly motivated workforce.
Bingo!, Classmate, Fiama, Wills Lifestyle, Vivel, Sunfeast, Aashirvaad, Aim, Mangaldeep, Fabelle, Yippee!, Engage amongst others are world-class brands developed in-house and are standing testimonials to ITC's superior brand building capabilities. Brand management in ITC offers you a perspective on creation & implementation of marketing strategy, which includes all the elements of the marketing mix. It is a role where you will be given complete ownership of the brand, its financials and control over all the aspects that drive brand growth. The role also encapsulates tremendous exposure in the fields of advertising, "Go to Market" strategies, consumer insights, market research, consumer & business analytics, media management, handling legal and environmental issues as well as continuous interaction with the sales force.
ITC's Paperboards and Specialty Paper Division (PSPD) and the Packaging and Printing Business (PPB) are leaders in creating successful brands in what is otherwise viewed as a commodity by the rest of the industry. These businesses provide you the opportunity to experience the dynamics of Business to Business marketing. A pioneer in the area of sustainability, PSPD is one of the main contributors to our company's positive achievements on Carbon, Water and Solid Waste Management. PSPD's sustainability initiatives, which have been acknowledged extensively, have enabled a very unique value offering to customers in terms of environment friendly products.
Here you will be engaged in customer engagement, relationship building, market research, product development, branding, niche advertising and promotion and will help you appreciate, identify and leverage key drivers of value - for the customer and for the business. You will be an integral part of the team that constantly drives innovation, growth and value.
The objective of supply chain function is to ensure that products are available always fresh, at the right time and in the right place. A career in ITC's Supply Chain function will involve roles in Supply Chain Planning which involves demand and supply planning or in Physical Distribution which involves warehousing and transportation. The complexity of ITC's Supply Chain network can be gauged by the fact that ITC currently has more than 50 warehouses and 70 factories spread across the country and over 1200 trucks transporting ITC's goods on a daily basis!!! Over a period of time you will gain significant exposure to different aspects of the function thereby obtaining an end-to-end view of the supply chain function.
The supply chain function in ITC is responsible for distribution of 18 product categories, 75 sub product categories to over 2 million outlets distributed over 1 lakh markets. The wide product range, uniqueness of each category in terms of requirement, large network operation and early responsibilities make a career in the supply chain function extremely challenging and enriching.
Involvement in planning will enable you work in close coordination with different businesses and functions within these businesses i.e. sales, production, logistics. Category specific and unique "Route to Market" models, coupled with best in class technology such as APO, I2-SCS, SAP, constant and unparalleled investments into technology, infrastructure and most important of all into people development through training sessions, makes a career in ITC's supply chain function an ever learning and exciting journey.
ITC Agri Business Division adds a unique dimension to the supply chain function. The Leaf Tobacco Supply Chain of ITC spans across the globe, shipping over 150 M. Kg of Unmanufactured Tobacco to more than 50 countries. The main objective of Leaf Tobacco supply chain is to deliver on time in full, Indian tobacco to its customers sourced from reliable sources. ITC's leaf supply chain operations are spread across the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu; it operates from over 200 individual nodes, comprising 43 warehouses, managing over 700 SKU's.
The supply chain function of the Division coordinates the leaf from the farmer level until it is manufactured into a cigarette. These operations involve seamless interaction with all the functions of the business. The leaf supply chain has systems in place that provide traceability for every leaf of tobacco to the farm where it was grown. An agri-commodity supply chain demands very high hygiene standards and protocols to protect the quality of the tobacco and this is a key priority for the business.
The environment in which leaf supply chain operates is very dynamic and uncertain (weather, global crop scenarios) which makes it imperative for the function to develop inherent flexibility and build robust processes to cater to customer requirements. Given the scale and scope of tobacco operations and with the motto of exceeding customer expectations, systematic investments have been made to develop customised supply chains for customers, build state-of-the-art warehousing facilities, benchmark Information Technology and developing world class planning systems.
ITC recognises the need to nurture specialism and expertise in areas that give the Company a distinct competitive advantage. In keeping with this need, the Company has put in place a unique strategy to attract retain "specialists", anchored in the following premises:
In keeping with this approach, certain positions have been identified to be "specialist" in nature. These include Research Scientist, Leaf Blender, Agronomist, Legal Resource in Trade Marks, Tobacco and Health, Paper Maker, Forex Dealer, Commodity Trader, Chef, Food and Beverage specialist, etc.
The remuneration of individuals in these specialist positions is de-linked from the remuneration matrix applicable to the rest of the business and is determined by the criticality of skill, individual competence and experience.
The Company strives to encourage individuals in these specialist positions to continue in them, by rewarding and recognising their contribution in that position, rather than have them look to the traditional routes for career progression and enhancement.
More than 200 factories, best in class technology, state of the art facilities, diversity in roles, processes and in businesses, all this and more makes ITC a dream company for professionals pursuing a career in the Technical function. ITC recruits the best engineering minds from both premier engineering campuses across the country and directly from the market for roles in its Technical function. The objective of ITC's Technical function is to service the market with world-class products and huge investments are made continuously to remain at the cutting-edge of technology and most importantly, towards the enrichment and development of our human capital.
ITC visits premier engineering campuses (IITs and select NITs) to induct "techno-managers" into the technical function. In ITC responsibility comes early. These roles can range from operations, maintenance, engineering, project management and logistics. The role can involve heading a small department having 100-150 employees or managing a project involving substantial capital expenditure or managing the supply chain and logistics. The roles also include managing the maintenance activities for the plant or can be in the core engineering area. Therefore each role has a totally different flavour of its own and therefore its own challenges and learning opportunities.
For professionals recruited from the market roles are offered in keeping with the nature and length of their experience. The roles range from entry level roles to the ones which involves management of entire departments such as Production or Engineering.
In the technical function you will be rotated across these roles to provide you with wider exposure and overall business perspective. Based on performance and potential, you will be moved up to head a department having size of more than 500 employees as early as 2-3 years from the date of joining the Company. From there again based on merit, you will be given the opportunity of becoming the head of an entire engineering department of the factory or the production department and going forward the opportunity to head an entire factory.
We do not believe in stereotypes. We believe diversity is essential for building a wholesome work environment. But there are certain basic attributes we look for:
"What defines the ITC experience? How does it feel to be a part of one of India's foremost multi-business conglomerates? We asked this question to managers across ITC's various locations and units to try and capture their thoughts on working with ITC in just one word; here's what they had to say..."
You are recruited into ITC and after your induction you are assigned to a particular Division. ITC is structured such so as to ensure 'separateness' for focus in each business and integration for synergy. New entrants are assigned to a particular Division where the focus is on understanding that particular business: the market, the product, the process etc. The attempt is to provide cross business exposure to managers with demonstrated potential to enable them develop all round business skills and prepare them for business leadership. Those individuals who prefer to grow as functional specialists are encouraged to do so.
Movements from one business to another take place depending on the needs of the business.
ITC believes the responsibility for career development rests both with the individual and the organisation. While the organisation provides opportunities for learning and growth, it is the individual's responsibility to ensure he/she enhances his/hers competencies to shoulder higher responsibilities. Career development therefore is a two-way process. Above all, the key factor determining career growth is meritocracy and performance.
Not in the least. As already stated, career growth is determined by performance and meritocracy.
The cornerstone of the performance management system is the Appraisal System. The individual agrees to performance objectives at the beginning of the year with his/her superiors. These objectives naturally flow from the objectives of the unit/business. At the end of the year the individual's performance is assessed against the objectives set. The appraisal attaches as much importance to ''how'' results were achieved as to the results themselves. The rating is determined by the manager's boss and endorsed by his boss. Therefore, two individuals are involved in assessing a manager's performance
The appraisal process also gives the individual an opportunity to share in a formal manner his/her own career aspirations and what the individual needs from the organisation to enhance his/her own development. Based on an assessment of development needs, a development plan is drawn up for each manager.
Remuneration changes are made once every year based on the performance rating of the individual. The entire process is transparent and objective.
ITC's remuneration strategy is anchored in three basic principles: market-led, performance leveraged and the capacity to pay. Remuneration is benchmarked with identified comparator organisations and reviewed periodically.
Apart from the monetary component which comprises Consolidated Salary and Supplementary Allowance, managers are provided with quality accommodation, medical assistance for self and family, leave travel assistance, etc. At middle and senior levels, managers are provided with company maintained cars and the facility of a club membership for business purposes.
All managers are members of ITC's Retirement Funds, the Pension Scheme being one of the most attractive in the country.
Other benefits include the facility of holiday homes, assistance for further education/self development etc.
The Company believes that as the competitive scenario gets more intense, specialism will increasingly become a source of unique competitive advantage. Certain specialisms are enhanced by extended and in-depth application and 'longevity' in a position. This requires a unique approach to career management of such 'specialists.'
Some of the specialist positions are Company Solicitor, Scientist, Leaf Blender, Product Development Specialist, Process Specialist, Instrumentation Specialist, Agronomist, Commodity Trader, Forex Manager, Corporate Communications Specialist etc.
All managerial positions are transferable. The services of a manager can also be transferred to a subsidiary or associate company.
The working hours, working days, and holidays for the workforce in Offices, Factories, and Hotels of the Company is as per applicable laws.