PwC India chief Sanjeev Krishnan frames VUCA economics as opportunity not threat at BT MindRush 2025

Sanjeev Krishnan, Chairperson of PwC India, delivered a compelling address at BT MindRush 2025 on the imperative of “reinventing business for the future” in a world defined by unprecedented volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA). He observed that while disruption is not new, its current pace and intensity demand a fundamentally different strategic approach. Rather than yielding to uncertainty, organisations must view disruption as an opportunity to reimagine business models, challenge established norms, and generate value where others perceive only chaos.

Drawing on illustrative examples — from Airbnb and Uber (born of economic volatility) to 3D printing and autonomous vehicles (responses to uncertainty) and Netflix’s pivot from DVD rental to streaming (navigating ambiguity) — Krishnan distilled his insights into a five‑point framework for sustainable growth:

Adaptability and agility: Success favours those able to respond rapidly to change. Zoom’s meteoric rise during the COVID‑19 pandemic exemplifies how decentralised decision‑making and real‑time data analytics can convert disruption into opportunity.

Experimentation and customer centricity: Leading organisations anticipate evolving needs before they fully manifest. India’s homegrown e‑commerce platforms demonstrate how proactive innovation can create entirely new markets and redefine customer expectations.

Resilience: Beyond mere survival, resilience involves leveraging crises to secure long‑term strategic advantage. Firms that cultivate flexible operating models and robust risk‑management practices emerge stronger from disruption.

Technology as enabler: While technology frequently serves as a catalyst for change, it is equally the solution. Organisations must embrace digital transformation — deploying emerging tools to drive efficiency, scalability, and competitive differentiation.

Collaboration: The next wave of growth will not occur in isolation. India’s success with its digital public infrastructure underscores the power of government‑industry partnerships, regulatory agility, and a vibrant startup ecosystem in accelerating collective progress.

Krishnan concluded that disruption should be regarded not as a threat but as an impetus for reinvention. He underscored the responsibility of business leaders to proactively identify and capitalise on emerging opportunities, emphasising that policy shifts and geopolitical realignments will ultimately favour economies prepared to adapt. “VUCA economics is not about weathering the storm; it is about harnessing its power. The time for reinvention is now.”