Opens two new workspaces fostering collaboration, innovation, flexi work culture
Celebrates 75 years of Indo-US Diplomatic Partnership
by Suman Gupta
Bangalore, INDIA (Aug 2, 2022): Marking the 35th year of its operations in the country, Cargill announced the opening of its new headquarters in Gurugram and a new Cargill Business Services (CBS) office in Bengaluru. With a total footprint of over 2.35 lakh sq.ft. of new workspaces, Cargill puts its 5000+ employees at the center of its growth plans in India.
The new headquarters, located in a LEED gold-certified building in Sector 62, Gurugram, was inaugurated by Patricia A. Lacina, Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., Embassy of the United States of America in New Delhi along with Ross Hamou-Jennings, Cargill’s APAC Chair, and Simon George, Cargill India President and will be open for employees starting August 2nd, 2022.
Cargill first started its India operations in 1987 with a small liaison office. Today it has pan-India presence with businesses spanning refined oils, food ingredients, industrial specialities, grain and oilseeds, cotton, animal nutrition and trade and capital markets.
Spread over 35,000 sq.ft, the new 300 seater Gurugram office is carefully designed to provide plenty of open spaces, alternate work seating, no fixed workstations to enable greater collaboration among diverse teams and phonebooths for more individual, focused discussions. It is also heavily invested in technology solutions to promote agility and deliver on customer needs.
CBS in India has grown to become Cargill’s largest global capability center and has been instrumental in unlocking Cargill’s full potential. With CBS majority workforce (approximately 83%) comprising of millennials, the new 2 lakh sq.ft. office in Cessna Business Park, Outer Ring Road, Bengaluru is built to foster flexibility and collaboration for this young workforce. With the addition of the new office, CBS will have a combined workspace of 3 lakh sq.ft. with 3800 seats in India.
Patricia A. Lacina, Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., Embassy of the United States of America in New Delhi, stated, “As two of the world’s largest agricultural producers, the United States and India are partners in innovation, ensuring food security and facilitating trade. For 35 years, Cargill has exemplified the U.S.-India agricultural and economic partnership, serving as a trusted partner along the entire length of the farm-to-consumer supply chain. With its edible oil refineries and feed mills across India, it is providing distinct benefits as a job creator, and its investments and innovations support countless numbers of farmers in India and throughout the world.”
Simon George, President, Cargill India, said, “Both Gurugram and Bengaluru are talent hubs in India, and we have maximum number of employees in these locations. Hence, they are home to these newly opened workspaces. This is an important milestone to mark 35 years of Cargill in India and 75 years of Indo:US partnership. It is a reaffirmation of our deep experience, growth ambition and commitment to India.”
“Our 5000+ employees in India are our greatest asset, and we have conceptualized this new space keeping in mind our experience over the last three decades and to foster a culture of collaboration and innovation. We continue to be guided by our people focus and to work together as One Cargill to serve our customers better”, he added.
More Collaboration and Human Connect
Cargill’s new offices in India are built to help employees thrive. During the pandemic, Cargill’s values of ‘Putting people first’ guided its every decision. The aim is to be more purposeful when people meet face-to-face and build more human connect. Coming out of COVID, Cargill will continue to prioritize flexibility in work arrangements while preserving the benefits of in-person collaboration.
The workspaces are designed to promote an open office culture and break any monotony as people embrace the new ways of working. These new office spaces are the first among Cargill’s sites in India to offer amenities like smart work cafes, collaboration areas, and other facilities like a wellness room, dedicated mother’s room, and recreation space to make the office experience more comfortable. The Gurugram office building also provides facilities like a swimming pool and gym, so people can prioritize physical fitness and overall well-being.
Sustainable Operations
Cargill’s new offices further propel its commitment toward sustainability. Gurugram office uses state-of-the-art technology to maximize water and energy conservation. The selection of carpets, energy-saving LED lights and Vav Units (Variable Air Volume) are in alignment with the green building accreditation to reduce carbon footprint. The building is Griha 4 star certified which evaluates a building holistically over its entire life cycle, thereby providing a definitive standard for what constitutes a ‘green building’. The office has a biophilic design with lot of natural light and greenery to help reduce stress and elevate productivity levels.
Food Innovation Center
As a part of the 35 year celebration, Cargill officially inaugurated the Food Innovation Center in Gurugram (that was opened earlier this year) to co-create product innovations with customers, in line with the progressive food standards in India. Over the last six months commercial trials of a postbiotic brand, EpiCor® have begun in India. Approved by the FSSAI, EpiCor® aims to improve customers’ gut health. The Innovation Center is also working with its customers on Sugar and Salt (low sodium) reduction in culinary sauces, and low saturated and no-trans-fat formulation in bakery products.
Commenting on the opening of Food Innovation Center, Arun Singhal, CEO, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), said, “Research and Development in the food space is urgently needed to help new product development that can enable access to safe and nutritious food for consumers. We have been working towards this and private sector participants also need to support this mission. The Cargill Innovation Center is a step in the right direction to help bring global best practices as well as technology driven food innovations that cater to the evolving needs of Indian consumers, keeping health and safety at the forefront.”
