The Future of #InternalComms: could India hold the key?

24 November 2025 Reading Time: 4 minutes

By Aniisu K Verghese, PhD:

“What emerges in India will not be a copy of US, European or Asian frameworks. It will be shaped by India’s cultural DNA, economic energy, and organisational ingenuity.”

“If anything, the rest of the world may find itself learning from India sooner than expected.”

Following Mike Klein’s first update from his India Study Tour, I am impressed by his passion for discovering and surfacing trends, challenges and opportunities from India that can help global markets appreciate the new world order better.

His first update was a fascinating set of observations and an important inquiry into what is unfolding on the ground.

Reading his reflections, what stood out for me is how much of this shift sits at the intersection of culture, leadership identity, local context, history, and the maturity of internal communication as a discipline in India. I responded to his invitation to share my thoughts on the evolving conversation.

Global debates about the future of work often focus on technology, talent shortages, or automation. What is less discussed is where the solutions to these challenges will emerge.

Increasingly, the answer may be India, not because it mirrors global trends but because it amplifies them.

Conversations with leaders, practitioners, and teams across Indian organisations reveal a powerful set of contradictions shaping the workplace.

These tensions are not barriers.

They are signposts for where the next evolution of internal communication and organisational culture could begin.

Having worked in the Indian ecosystem for a couple of decades and later experiencing workplace cultures in Europe and now Australia, what strikes me most is how these contradictions look and feel entirely different depending on where you stand.

Overseas, there is deep respect for the domain of internal communication and a very clear sense that communication is owned by everyone. Leadership is comfortable with the idea that less is more. There is discipline in planning and restraint in message volume.

By contrast, in India the instinct is often to communicate more rather than communicate better. The competitive spirit pushes teams to deliver more and be seen more, even when it does not always add value.

Both models have strengths. Both models influence how change unfolds. And both matter deeply as India prepares for an AI driven workplace.

Below are three dimensions that are often overlooked when analysing India’s readiness for transformation.

Culture Shapes Behaviour More Than Strategy Ever Will

Classic cultural frameworks still ring true in India. Power distance remains high. Collectivism sets the tone for teamwork. People are comfortable navigating ambiguity and relationships continue to shape how decisions move through the system.

These patterns explain why two very different behaviours can coexist inside the same organisation.

• Escalation: When hierarchy is respected, asking a senior to decide feels responsible, not inefficient.
• Ingenuity: When systems slow down, people rely on creativity and resourcefulness to keep work moving.

These behaviours sit inside the same cultural ecosystem. They will directly influence how roles evolve, how AI gets adopted, and how decision-making shifts to the edges.

The real question is not whether India will flatten or modernise in a Western way. It is whether internal communication can reduce fear, create clarity, and give people enough confidence to act while staying true to what makes Indian workplaces resilient.

Leadership Mindsets Are Being Pulled Apart

Recent public debates by leaders on work-life balance, work ethics, performance and productivity have sparked intense reactions. Behind the noise is a deeper truth.

Many senior leaders grew up in a system where:

• Authority was central
• Speed meant personal involvement
• Commitment was measured through hours
• Managers controlled information and access

These beliefs were shaped by the country’s economic history and a time when opportunity was scarce and work provided security and identity.

The new reality looks different:

• Gen Z seeks flexibility, autonomy, and purpose
• AI shifts value from output to judgement
• Talent flows are changing as visa restrictions rise
• Traditional control slows decision making and frustrates teams

Leaders today are not just being asked to manage change. They are being asked to rethink what leadership means.

Internal communication will be the glue in this shift. Not through more messaging but through new leadership habits.

Transparency.

Consistency.

Shared decision making.

Sensemaking in moments of uncertainty.

The Internal Communication is Maturing and that Is an Advantage

In many global markets, internal communication has decades of frameworks, training pathways, and professional standards. India is different. The profession grew through adjacent fields. Practitioners came from PR, journalism, events, employer branding, and digital. Many learned by doing, often without formal support or access to best practice.

This creates two realities.

The challenge

• Uneven strategic capability
• Limited access to decision making
• Heavy execution workloads
• Low recognition of value

The opportunity

Because the discipline is young, it is not weighed down by legacy thinking.

India can leapfrog. Instead of evolving slowly from message delivery to strategic influence, it can move directly into a role that creates clarity, builds capability, and enables leadership behaviour. These are exactly the spaces that will matter as AI handles more routine work.

India could be the first market where internal communication becomes a decision support function rather than a message production function.

So, What Does This Mean for Organizations Looking to India?

India’s contradictions are not weaknesses. They are design principles for the future.

Organizations will need to:

• Create communication approaches that respect cultural norms while encouraging autonomy
• Equip leaders to shift from control to clarity
• Develop capability in internal communication as a strategic function
• Plan for a workforce where value comes from judgement, not hours
• Acknowledge the emotional and social meaning of hierarchy

What emerges here will not be a copy of US, European or Asian frameworks. It will be shaped by India’s cultural DNA, economic energy, and organisational ingenuity.

If anything, the rest of the world may find itself learning from India sooner than expected.

 

Written by: Editor