Introducing India’s Customer Award Winners 2023

At Skillsoft, our customers are what truly inspire us. Their creative solutions help us think more broadly and enable us to deliver technology that changes both careers and businesses.

That said, we’re overjoyed to present the winners of the 2023 Customer Awards, representing the most remarkable transformational changes in their respective fields.

While it’s always a challenge to sort through dozens of nominations, seeing our customers’ amazing work and contributions makes us exceptionally proud to bring you this year’s honorees.

In 2023, we awarded winners in five categories:

Transformative Leadership Development

This category recognizes an organization that has built and implemented a best-in-class leadership development program. The hallmark of such a transformative program is that it makes a significant positive impact on the organization and supports strategic business goals.

Innovation in Developing Tech Talent

This award is given to an organization that tackled the tech skills gap head-on. Our honoree overcame tech shortage challenges by implementing innovative, impactful learning programs for its technology workforce.

Special Learning and Development Initiatives

This award recognizes an organization that has developed and implemented an especially noteworthy learning initiative and/or talent program. This year’s winner and special award mention delivered learning and development initiatives that solved complex organizational problems and demonstrated solid and sustained results over time.

Program of the Year

It’s hard to implement robust learning initiatives in our changing world, and this category recognizes the best of the best. The Program of the Year award goes to an organization that has used Skillsoft’s learning solutions to create a unique, cutting-edge learning program that solves clearly defined problems and makes a meaningful impact on both the organization and its employees.

Champion of the Year

This award honors an exceptional leader, an ambassador for talent development who takes an innovative approach to training. The Champion of the Year is someone who uses Skillsoft’s learning solutions — and a healthy dose of their own ingenuity and creativity — to deliver uniquely transformational learning experiences to their people and organizations.

Impact Award: Transformative Leadership Development

• Winner: Cairn Oil and Gas, Vedanta Ltd
  As the largest private oil and gas exploration and production company in India, Cairn Oil and Gas, Vedanta Ltd accounts for more than a quarter of India’s domestic crude production and has 1,300 employees. Cairn created an agile leadership initiative with emphasis on ethical decision-making, boosting emotional intelligence, and navigating the digital age.
  
  
• Special Award: Welspun Group
  Welspun Group is one of India's fastest growing global conglomerates with 26,000 employees and many subsidiaries. Welspun created two leadership programs that prioritize internal development, reducing its reliance on external hiring, saving on recruitment costs, and ensuring that leadership roles are filled by individuals deeply aligned with the company's values and objectives.

Impact Award: Innovation in Developing Tech Talent

• Winner: HCLTech
  Powered by a global team of 223,400 diverse employees across 60 countries, HCLTech delivers smarter, better ways for its stakeholders to benefit from technology. The company launched the Talent Transformation @ Scale program, focusing on holistic skill development of employees. As a result, HCLTech proactively prepared more than 66,000 employees for changes in technology trends, facilitating both their career growth and non-technology skills.
  
  
• Special Award: Larsen and Toubro Ltd
  More than 80 years old, L&T is the largest engineering and construction company with interests in EPC projects, hi-tech manufacturing, and services. It has 55,000 employees, 23 businesses, and operates in 50 countries. With the launch of its “Academy of Digital Transformation” program, L&T built a role-focused curriculum to develop talent at scale and in a cost-effective way.

Impact Award: Special Learning and Development Initiatives

• Winner: Hero MotoCorp Ltd
  As the largest two-wheeler manufacturer since 2001, Hero MotoCorp employs 4,300 people and has the vision of being “The future of mobility.” The leadership team partnered with the talent development (TD) team to launch the Hero Learning League, which established a culture of learning and reduced skills gaps by delivering over 35,000 courses to 2,200 unique users.

• Special Award: CGI
  Founded in 1976, CGI is among the world’s largest independent IT and business consulting services firms, with 90,250 consultants and professionals across the globe. In response to the challenge of adapting to a hybrid work mode, CGI APAC introduced a series of practical learning programs — including 32 distinct journeys — tailored to specific roles and functions and boosted learning hours by 35%.

• Special Award: Coforge
  As a global digital services and solutions provider, Coforge’s 24,780 employees reside in 21 countries. Stemming from a commitment to foster an inclusive culture, Coforge launched its Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Academy. As a result, the company has been able to attract and retain diverse talent, stay compliant with DEI-related regulations, and increase employee engagement. The academy serves as the linchpin of Corforge’s skill development initiatives, driving growth through dynamic learning.

Program of the Year

• Winner: Adani Enterprises Ltd
  With over 40,000 employees in 200 diverse locations, The Adani Group has created a world class transport and utility infrastructure portfolio. Under its digital learning initiative "eVidyalaya," Adani has increased the engagement and alignment of entry-level employees particularly of management and executive trainees starting work for the first time. The program has also enhanced the digital and analytics dexterity of employees, provided cultural and power skills, and ensured learning retention for over 20,000 users.

• Special Award: Aditya Birla Group
  A global conglomerate, the Aditya Birla Group is anchored by over 187,000 employees belonging to 100 nationalities. Its GVC Future Skills Program was initiated to address closing the skills gap, enhancing learning, developing talent and adapting to industry changes. As a result, 91% of employees reported successfully applying the knowledge gained from online courses directly to their work responsibilities. And a resounding 92% of employees agreed that it contributed to enhancing their job performance and productivity.

• Special Award: Bata Group
  The Bata Corporation is a multinational footwear, apparel and fashion accessories manufacturer, headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland with more than 30,000 employees. To address the challenges of decentralized operations, global talent management, and a one team strategy, the company’s Bata e-University is designed to cover nine learning pillars, catering to employees at all levels. As a result, the Bata Global Talent Management Strategy has brought about a transformative change in talent management practices, driving engagement, and fostering continuous learning.

Champion of the Year

• Winner: Bhawna Choudhary, Cairn Oil and Gas, Vedanta Ltd
  Under Bhawna’s guidance, Cairn Oil & Gas underwent a pivotal shift in its approach to talent development. Recognizing the dynamic nature of the energy sector, Bhawna instigated a holistic revamp of the existing learning modules. By integrating hands-on training with digital resources, she introduced an immersive learning experience. This transition, in turn, led to higher retention rates among employees, streamlined onboarding processes, and fostered a culture where continuous learning became synonymous with professional growth.

• Special Award: Pooja Marwah, Bata Group
  Pooja has been the driving force behind the transformation of talent development for Bata globally. Faced with the challenge of harmonizing talent management practices in a decentralized organizational structure, it was critical to institute a comprehensive global strategy. Pooja and team devised an integrated strategy that empowers employees at all levels to enhance their skills, competencies, and leadership proficiencies in a standardized and cohesive manner.

We couldn’t be prouder of the businesses and individuals recognized above. We hope this year’s winners serve as inspiration to all of those who lead talent development initiatives and are searching for creative approaches to drive business success.