The Digital Dividend

Executive Summary

At the height of the COVID-19 crisis, SAP Labs India, under the leadership of Sindhu Gangadharan, leveraged its technological prowess to deliver impact-driven innovation, both internally and across the broader Indian ecosystem. With over 14,000 employees in India, SAP ensured workforce safety while simultaneously contributing critical technological solutions to national challenges, including the oxygen supply crisis during India’s second wave. Ms Gangadharan shared how the pandemic not only reinforced SAP’s purpose of “helping the world run better” but accelerated digital transformation across industries. She emphasized SAP’s strategic investments in cloud, AI, and business process technologies, a robust commitment to inclusive hiring, and trailblazing efforts in female empowerment and digital literacy. The session underscored India’s role as a global tech talent powerhouse, SAP’s continued focus on business process knowledge, and the transformative potential of collaboration in scaling responsible digitization.

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Building Digital Resilience Through Crisis

Ms Gangadharan described how SAP Labs India rapidly scaled both employee care and societal support during the COVID-19 pandemic. When India’s second wave strained the country’s oxygen infrastructure, SAP deployed a digital solution that integrated with the Indian government’s oxygen supply system (ODTS), optimizing distribution and transparency. With 80% of India’s major oxygen manufacturers running SAP systems, the integration was swift and highly effective. Internally, SAP used AI-powered tools to ensure COVID protocol compliance as it gradually reopened campuses, showcasing how technology served both business continuity and community resilience.