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The independent global workplace consultancy is opening its first hub in India as part of a global expansion and in recognition of India’s status as an economic powerhouse.
Partha Sarma, a long-standing Senior Associate at Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA), and Shashidhar Sharma, with 30 years of experience in the workplace industry and strong environmental credentials, will be heading up the India team.
The new hub in Bangalore will be home to AWA’s growing Indian team, with recruitment ongoing for experts in workplace strategy and change management proceeding quickly. The India team is part of AWA’s global community of experts and will have access to consultancy’s worldwide network of associates.
AWA already has a significant presence in India and is currently involved in several significant workplace change projects with leading companies in the technology sector.
Andrew Mawson, Founder and MD of AWA, said: “We see India as an important economic force going forward with high levels of GDP growth and inward investment from Western companies, particularly in the tech and engineering sectors where AWA has a great track record. We aim to help Indian and Western companies apply workplace innovation to their growth strategies.”
As part of its initial offering, the AWA team provides an innovative ‘hybrid working health check’ to help businesses assess their current hybrid work policies against best practices and develop their work and workplaces.
A new branch of the AWA Institute, AWA’s occupier research and leadership development community, was also launched, with the first chapter meeting taking place on 18 August in Bangalore before heading to New Delhi and Hyderabad.
Shashidhar Sharma, Senior Consultant, AWA, said: “Hybrid working strategies are being slowly adopted here. But when it comes to effective workplace strategy, India is behind compared to the West. The AWA team can make a real difference for India-based businesses. The new institute will also help us stay in touch with key stakeholders and keep them engaged as we begin the expansion here.”
Partha Sarma, Senior Consultant, AWA, added: “With over 40 million square feet of grade A office space being created every year, India is a growing country with huge potential. Our aim is to bring AWA’s knowledge to India and help businesses expanding into this space, skipping the learning curve, and going straight to productive, agile working. AWA needs to be here and offer its expertise not only to those who are expanding into India but also to local businesses.”
