20th CEO Survey: Inside the minds of CEOs in India

Perspectives on key topics concerning CEOs

How are CEOs in India getting fit for growth?

Against the backdrop of uncertain economic growth, emerging protectionist trends and rapid technological changes, CEOs in India continue to be confident about their company’s growth prospects in the next 12 months. Our findings this year also reveal that India’s CEOs continue to be concerned about issues such as uncertain economic growth, over-regulation, and speed of technological change. Like in previous years, inadequate infrastructure and paucity of skills remain top concerns. 

I would like to thank the 106 CEOs from India who have shared their insights. I hope you enjoy reading our analysis.

Shyamal Mukherjee, Chairman, PwC India

Shyamal Mukherjee, Chariman, PwC India

We’ve asked CEOs for their views on:

CEOs in India confident about growth

Nearly three quarters of India’s CEOs are very confident of their company’s prospects for revenue growth over the next 12 months as opposed to 64% in the previous year. In terms of optimism, CEOs in India surpass their global counterparts (38%) and their counterparts in China (35%) and Brazil (57%).

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CEOs looking to cut costs to grow stronger

Over two-thirds of Indian CEOs in India expect to ‘cut costs to grow stronger’ and reinvest savings into fuelling growth. They might need to adopt a transformative approach to cost management which connects choices about cost management, capability development, and organisational and cultural evolution.

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Crafting a strategy that fits in an increasingly digital world

Four out of every five CEOs we surveyed said that digital skills are imperative. Further, 47% CEOs believed that in the next five years, disruptive technological innovations will have a significant impact on competition in their industry. 61% of CEOs expect the supply chain to get disrupted (compared to 49% globally) and 77% are concerned about the speed of technological change.

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Bringing together man and machine

Over half of the CEOs surveyed in India indicated that they are exploring the benefits of getting humans and machines to work together. Unlike their global counterparts, 67% of them expect to increase their company headcount over the next 12 months. (nevertheless, to some extent, a potential reduction in headcount is likely on account of automation and other technologies).

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Top CEO concerns

Top CEO concerns

The skills CEOs consider as important

The skills CEOs consider as important

Digital and the CEO in India

Digital and the CEO in India

Top three global markets, besides India, as key contributors to growth

Top three global markets, besides India, as key contributors to growth

What CEOs say about today's issues

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PwC's 20th CEO Survey: Vijay Shekhar Sharma of Paytm

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