Supply chains are shaped by two factors. To address the vulnerabilities discovered in the Covid-19 pandemic, the first is the need to improve global supply chain resilience. These weaknesses were further amplified by the Ukraine war. The second factor is digital technology’s impact on global supply chain operations and decision-making. Although they are independent of each other, these two forces are simultaneously changing Supply Chain Management in many industries around the world. Many promising career opportunities for supply chain professionals are opening up as the future of supply chains is shaped. These opportunities require new skills that are essential for managing the global supply chain from India and navigating the digital new normal in global supply chain management in post-pandemic countries.
The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted China-centric thinking in global supply chains. India is now moving towards two goals: claiming its rightful position as a major sourcing destination for the rest of the world and becoming more self-reliant to service its domestic market. These twin ideas are seamlessly incorporated in AtmaNirbhar Bharat. These two developments have resulted in new jobs being created in India. These shifts were recently described by Mr. N Chandrasekaran (Tata Son Chairman), as the “India Plus” opportunity. This will occur in all industries – materials, chemicals, and electronics. India-Plus will create new jobs that require extensive knowledge in supply chain management in order to support India’s vast, growing market and manage a significant portion of the global supply chains that source from India.
Supply chains today and in the future are heavily data-driven. Digital Technologies such as the Internet of Things, Blockchain, and Artificial Intelligence are creating a new standard in supply chain operations and decision-making that is more dependent on Data and Analytics in real-time. Blockchain technology allows components, ingredients, and finished products to be identified and tracked back to their end customers. Each physical space of the supply chain, including factories, warehouses, and trucks/containers, as well as retail shelves, is being instrumented using IoT devices, making them all connected end-to-end. These developments result in massive amounts of data that are constantly growing and can be accessed at any time. Supply chain decision-makers have unprecedented insight thanks to the availability of data, robust computational systems, and advanced analytical techniques such as AI. This results in a shift away from supply chain management that is based on past experience to one that is data-driven. Supply chain professionals need to be skilled in advanced analytics and AI. These skills are essential for employers who want to achieve digital transformation in supply chains.
As India progresses towards Atmanirbhar Bharat, the emerging roles in global supply chain management can not only enrich one’s professional life but also contribute to economic value creation.
New Supply chain jobs roles will be in the areas of Inventory Planning, Transportation and Materials Management, Procurement, and other related fields. These roles cover the entire breadth and depth of modern supply chains. These new roles are becoming increasingly important in traditional industries such as Automobile, Chemicals & Petroleum, Pharma, and others. Also, in the sunrise sectors of India that deal with electric vehicles, defense exports, and electronics manufacturing. Three distinct roles are relevant as organizations transform their supply chain for global resilience and the digital new normal. These roles are responsible for ensuring that supply chain operations within the company are managed effectively. These roles are focused on advanced analytics to complement traditional supply chain knowledge. Digital transformation consulting positions allow you to work with multiple clients and help them plan, execute, and monitor their digital transformation. These roles are available at the entry and mid-management level and offer a great opportunity for supply chain professionals with the right skills and aptitude. These roles in global Supply chain jobs management can enrich your career and help create economic value as India moves towards Atmanirbhar Bharat.
