Cargill marks 35 years of India operations by opening two new workspaces

Cargill marked the 35th year of its operations in India on Wednesday by announcing the opening of its two new headquarters. The first will be a workspace in Gurugram, while the second will be a new Cargill Business Services (CBS) office in Bengaluru.

The Gurgaon headquarters 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. To be open for employees from August 2, 2022, the new 300-seater Gurugram office is carefully designed to provide plenty of open spaces and alternate work seating to enable greater collaboration among diverse teams. Spread over 35,000 square feet, it wouldn’t have fixed workstations and would boast phone booths for more individual, focused discussions. Technology solutions are also heavily invested in promoting agility and delivering on customer needs. It uses state-of-the-art technology to maximise water and energy conservation. The selection of carpets, energy-saving LED lights, and Vav Units (Variable Air Volume) align with the green building accreditation to reduce carbon footprint.

“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,” Patricia A. Lacina, Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., Embassy of the United States of America in New Delhi, told the media at the launch. “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,” she added.

“Research and Development in the food space are 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,” Arun Singhal, CEO, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), said at the opening of the Food Innovation Center. “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,” he added.

Cargill first started its India operations in 1987 with a small liaison office. Today it has a pan-India presence with businesses spanning refined oils, food ingredients, industrial specialities, grain and oilseeds, cotton, animal nutrition and trade and capital markets. With a total footprint of over 2.35 lakh square feet of new workspaces, Cargill puts its over 5000 employees at the center of its growth plans in India.

Meanwhile, 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’s majority workforce (approximately 83 per cent) comprising millennials, the new 2 lakh square feet Bengaluru is built to foster flexibility and collaboration for its workforce. With the addition of this new office, CBS will have a combined workspace of 3 lakh square feet with 3800 seats in India.

“Both Gurugram and Bengaluru are talent hubs in India, and we have a 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,” he added,” Simon George, President, Cargill India, said at the event. “Our 5000+ employees in India are our greatest asset, and we have conceptualised this new space keeping in mind our experience over the last three decades and fostering 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.

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 prioritise physical fitness and overall well-being.

According to the company, its workspaces aim to be more purposeful when people meet face-to-face, build human connections, and help employees thrive. Coming out of COVID, Cargill will continue to prioritise flexibility in work arrangements while preserving the benefits of in-person collaboration.

As a part of its 35-year celebration, Cargill officially inaugurated the Food Innovation Center in Gurugram, which 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.