More Related Content
Similar to Agile Mumbai 19-20 Sep 2025 | Local Wisdom, Global Impact by Shrawan Gaur
Agile Mumbai 19-20 Sep 2025 | Local Wisdom, Global Impact by Shrawan Gaur
- 1. * The opinions/viewsexpressed in this session are personal. About Me Shrawan Gaur Vice President, JPMorganChase With over 15 years in tech and agility, I’ve helped teams and organizations adapt, transform, and grow in dynamic environments. Agile Mumbai Conference 2025 www.agilemumbai.com
- 2. Agile Mumbai Conference2025 www.agilemumbai.com
- 3. Indian “way” In aworld where agility is increasingly measured by complexity and cost, India offers a different lens—a frugal, value-oriented, deeply contextual approach to leadership and innovation. Let us explores how local Indian wisdom—rooted in resilience, resourcefulness, and relational intelligence— is quietly shaping global impact. Agile Mumbai Conference 2025 www.agilemumbai.com
- 4. Indian Uniqueness India brings“timeless” civilizational wisdom to world. These can be broadly put under below “categories” Frugality “in-built mindset” Leadership “as a service” Contextual Agility “adaptative” Collective Intelligence “community led” Scale “with sustainability” Agile Mumbai Conference 2025 www.agilemumbai.com
- 5. Frugality Frugality ≠ ScarcityThinking Insight: Start lean. Experiment fast. Scale what works. Practice: Recognize grassroots ideas and grow them into enterprise impact. ISRO’s Mangalyaan Success Formula ISRO’s $74M Mars mission—cheaper than NASA, ESA, or China—succeeded through clear goals, a tight 18-month schedule, and strict cost control. Indigenous tech replaced imports, PSLV reuse and modular design cut development costs, lean skilled teams maximized resources, and a Hohmann Transfer Orbit slingshot minimized fuel use. जुगाड़ से जगरनॉट Sutra: Local improvisation can evolve into global transformation — if nurtured with vision. Agile Mumbai Conference 2025 www.agilemumbai.com
- 6. Frugality Modular BankingInfrastructure: Teams based out of JPMC Mumbai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad based tech centers created reusable microservices that handle $10 trillion in daily transactions while operating on optimized cloud infrastructure. Cost-Efficient Scaling: During the Silicon Valley Bank crisis, India-based teams handled unprecedented client onboarding volumes without additional infrastructure costs due to their modern technical stack. जुगाड़ से जगरनॉट Agile Mumbai Conference 2025 www.agilemumbai.com
- 7. Leadership Sutra: True leadersserve the team, not control it. Authority flows from humility. Insight: Embody the servant-leadership mindset. Enable, don’t dictate. Practice: Actively remove blockers, coach with compassion, and elevate others. Amul – From Protest to Prosperity In 1946, Gujarat’s Kaira farmers, exploited by Polson dairy, formed a co-operative under Sardar Patel and Tribhuvandas Patel to own production and profits. In 1949, Dr. Verghese Kurien joined, modernizing operations and turning it into Amul, a national symbol of rural empowerment. His approach blended problem-driven innovation, farmer ownership, breakthrough buffalo milk technology, brand-led self- reliance, and nationwide scaling without losing the principle: the producer must be the owner. Agile Mumbai Conference 2025 सेवा भाव Leadership as Seva (Service) www.agilemumbai.com
- 8. Agile Mumbai Conference2025 Leadership सेवा भाव Cross-Border Mentorship Programs: Senior engineers from India mentor teams across multiple geographies through virtual "Ask Me Anything" sessions and collaborative problem-solving. Team Well Being: Team leads regularly act as “blocker busters,” solving issues for new joiners. Leadership is measured by team health, engagement, and collective problem-solving—not authority. www.agilemumbai.com
- 9. Contextual Agility Insight:Focus on “why” over rigid process adherence. Empower teams to make decisions guided by values, not bureaucracy. Practice: Cultivate clarity of intent and trust the team to adapt responsibly. Indian IT Offshoring Industry The $254B Indian IT offshoring industry leverages cultural fluency, time-zone alignment, and a 5M- strong talent pool to power over 1,000 Fortune 500 firms. From Y2K to AI, it has thrived through crises and tech shifts by continually reinventing, cementing its role as a global digital backbone. Agile Mumbai Conference 2025 दार्शनिक Long-Term Vision Sutra: When the intention is clear and rooted in purpose, even flexible rules can lead to meaningful outcomes. www.agilemumbai.com
- 10. Agile Mumbai Conference2025 Contextual Agility दार्शनिक AI-Powered Risk Analysis: JPMC India Teams developed machine learning models for fraud detection and risk management that adjust to regional patterns and regulatory requirements Flexible Business Logic: JPMC created systems that incorporate local requirements (like UPI integration) while serving global banking platforms. www.agilemumbai.com
- 11. Collective Intelligence Sutra: Inthe current era, strength lies not in individual prowess, but in collective action. Insight: Cross-functional collaboration outpaces siloed expertise Practice: Design systems that reward team outcomes, not individual heroics. India’s Vaccine Diplomacy Amid COVID-19, India swiftly balanced domestic vaccination with global aid, sending doses to 90+ nations through Vaccine Maitri. This agile pivot reinforced humanitarian leadership, strategic partnerships, and its role as the world’s vaccine hub. Agile Mumbai Conference 2025 संघ शक्ति कलियुगे Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam www.agilemumbai.com
- 12. Agile Mumbai Conference2025 Collective Intelligence संघ शक्ति कलियुगे LLM Suite Development: India teams contributed to building JPMorgan's Large Language Model platform used by 200,000+ employees globally. Financial Inclusion Lab: JPMC’s collaborative initiative with IIM Ahmedabad that incubated 50+ fintech companies, collectively serving 30+ million LMI customers and generating $80 million in follow-on funding www.agilemumbai.com
- 13. Scale Sutra: True growthis not in breadth alone, but in the harmony of dharma, balance, and the welfare of generations yet to come. (Lokasangraha) Insight: Reduce over-engineering. Simple, iterative progress often yields better value Practice: Strip away clutter; foster clarity and flow in team collaboration. UPI – Sustainable Scale Launched in 2016, UPI now handles 14B+ monthly transactions, from rural shops to global remittances. Built on low-cost, open APIs, it ensures inclusion, security, and resilience. Its agility— adapting from demonetization to COVID-19—shows सतत विस्तार rooted in accessibility and public good. Agile Mumbai Conference 2025 From Gully to Globe सतत विस्तार www.agilemumbai.com
- 14. Agile Mumbai Conference2025 Scale सतत विस्तार Feature Priority / Discovery: Adopt “flow optimization” retrospectives—stripping away unused features and decluttering for long-term evolution. Tech Development - Sustainability: India teams in Mumbai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad built the Carbon CompassSM methodology - a comprehensive system for measuring clients' carbon intensity and integrating carbon performance into business decision-making. www.agilemumbai.com
- 15. Key Take-aways Frugality= Value Mastery – More with less ️ 🛰️ Service → Trust → Agility – People first 🤝 Collective Wisdom Wins – Panchayat spirit in modern agile teams ️ 🏛️ Contextual Agility – Adapting with purpose 🔄 Local Roots → Global Impact – Indigenous ideas, worldwide reach 🌍 Agile Mumbai Conference 2025 www.agilemumbai.com
- 16. Agile Mumbai Conference2025 www.agilemumbai.com
Editor's Notes
- #5 Here are 5 unique examples of innovation and budget optimization by ISRO in its Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan), proving its “planning on a shoestring”: Lowest-Cost Mars Mission in History Mangalyaan was completed for just $74 million—far less than similar missions by NASA, ESA, or China. ISRO achieved this by clear objectives, tight schedules (mission developed in just 18 months), and relentless cost control. Indigenous Technology Development To avoid expensive imports, ISRO focused on developing key technologies in-house, including flight systems, software, and payloads. Engineers designed and tested components using local resources and minimized reliance on foreign vendors. Use of Existing Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and Modular Designs Instead of creating a new rocket, ISRO leveraged the proven PSLV platform, modifying it for the interplanetary mission. Modular spacecraft design allowed reuse of components from previous missions, further saving costs and reducing risk. Maximum Resource Utilization and Lean Teams ISRO adopted zero-based budgeting and efficient management, with small, highly skilled teams working extended hours without overtime pay. Recycling components and simulation-based testing replaced expensive hardware evaluation, ensuring every rupee was optimized. Hohmann Transfer Orbit/Gravity Assist Rather than an energy-intensive direct launch, ISRO used the Hohmann Transfer Orbit (“minimum energy transfer”)—slingshotting the craft around Earth multiple times before sending it to Mars. This ingenious technique lowered fuel requirements and reduced mission costs dramatically. These points showcase how Indian ingenuity and careful planning allowed ISRO to create a pioneering interplanetary mission with minimal resources, setting global benchmarks in frugal innovation and space technology.
- #6 JPMorgan Chase: India talent helps transform the world’s biggest bank - The Times of India
- #7 The Origin of Amul – From Protest to Prosperity In 1946, farmers in Kaira district, Gujarat were at the mercy of a single private dairy (Polson) that paid them low prices and monopolized milk collection. Under Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s guidance, local leader Tribhuvandas Patel mobilized farmers to form a co-operative—so they could own the production, control pricing, and share profits. Dr. Verghese Kurien, a young engineer posted to the Government Creamery in Anand in 1949 (reluctantly at first), was persuaded by Tribhuvandas Patel to help modernize the co-operative. Kurien’s engineering skills and marketing vision transformed the fledgling Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union into a national symbol of rural empowerment—Amul. Key Origin Insights from Dr. Kurien’s Journey Problem-Driven Innovation – Amul’s birth wasn’t from a business plan; it was a direct response to farmer exploitation. Kurien always insisted solutions must start with a real, lived problem. People Before Profit – By ensuring farmers owned the co-operative, he created in-built trust, which no corporate model could replicate. Technology as an Equalizer – Introduced spray-drying and milk powder technology using buffalo milk—an innovation previously thought impossible—allowing farmers to store surplus and reach wider markets. Brand as a Movement – “Amul” wasn’t just a dairy label; it became a rallying cry for self-reliance (Amulya means precious). The utterly butterly campaign later humanized it further. Scaling Without Losing Soul – Operation Flood expanded the model nationally, but Kurien guarded the core principle: the producer must be the owner.
- #8 Our teams in India are embedded in global squads, driving innovation across domains: Guru Thiagarajan, Deutsche Bank - Express Computer
- #9 The Indian IT offshoring industry has mastered contextual agility by building delivery models attuned to global cultures, time zones, and compliance demands, while harnessing India’s vast talent pool and cost advantage. With over 5 million IT professionals and exports worth $254 billion in FY2024 (NASSCOM), it has become the backbone of global digital operations. Thriving in ambiguity, the sector has navigated Y2K, the dot-com bust, outsourcing backlash, shifting data privacy laws, and waves of technological disruption — from cloud to AI — by continually reinventing service portfolios. This adaptability has kept Indian IT indispensable to over 1,000 Fortune 500 companies, proving its resilience in volatile global markets.
- #10 JP Morgan plans e-banking leap with its India-built AI - The Economic Times Case Study: JP Morgan's $17 Billion Tech Push How Is JP Morgan Supporting Fintechs & Industry Solutions In India's Payment Landscape?
- #11 India’s Vaccine Diplomacy during COVID-19 India leveraged its pharmaceutical strength to launch “Vaccine Maitri” in January 2021, supplying COVID-19 vaccines to over 90 countries through grants, commercial sales, and the COVAX program. By producing affordable vaccines like Covishield and Covaxin, India positioned itself as the “pharmacy of the world.” This diplomacy had three core impacts: Humanitarian – Timely aid to nations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, especially low-income countries. Strategic – Strengthened bilateral ties and India’s global leadership image. Economic – Boosted India’s vaccine manufacturing reputation and export potential.
- #12 JPMorgan Chase Leads AI Revolution In Finance With Launch Of LLM Suite Fintechs and financial health: How these startups empower communities
- #13 UPI – Scale with Sustainability India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is a strong example of scaling with sustainability: Scale: Since its 2016 launch, UPI has grown to handle over 14 billion transactions monthly (2025), covering rural kirana stores to global remittances. Sustainability: Low-cost infrastructure – Designed on an interoperable, open API model by NPCI, keeping transaction costs negligible. Financial inclusion – Works on basic smartphones and supports local languages, empowering millions without heavy tech barriers. Ecosystem resilience – Public-private collaboration ensures constant upgrades without monopolization. Digital trust – Strong authentication and RBI oversight maintain security and user confidence. Indian Contextual Agility Insight: UPI adapted rapidly—from cashless drive post-demonetization to powering QR payments during COVID-19—while keeping the model inclusive, affordable, and future-ready. This reflects सतत विस्तार (sustainable scale) rooted in accessibility and public good.
- #14 JPMorgan Chase Releases Carbon Reduction Targets for Paris-Aligned Financing Commitment – The Leading Solar Magazine In India
- #15 As we stand in this Age of Peculiarity, India’s story reminds us that agility isn’t new—it’s woven into our DNA. We’ve always known that frugality is not about scarcity, it’s about seeing the true value in every resource, every moment. We’ve seen how service builds trust, and trust makes change possible. Our collective wisdom—whether in a village panchayat or a modern agile team—outshines individual brilliance when complexity knocks at the door. From Krishna’s diplomacy to Ashoka’s transformation, our history shows that contextual agility turns uncertainty into opportunity. And most importantly, our local roots, when nourished, can power a global impact—just as Amul transformed rural India, or ISRO reached Mars on a shoestring budget. So, as you return to your organizations, remember: lead with value, serve with intent, adapt with courage, and trust in the collective. That is the Indian frugal way—and it is how we can all flower in this peculiar age."*