Insights & Reflections

I joined the Dräger India Group in March 2024, and the past 15 months have been an exciting journey of transition and transformation. Having spent most of my career in Human Resources within the pharmaceutical industry, stepping into the world of Dräger presented a new and compelling challenge- one shaped by the inspiring vision and passionate leadership. The Indian subsidiary continues to evolve as center of excellence, positioned to integrate innovation, capability and operational excellence.

Dräger group functions at the intersection of engineering innovation and life preservation. It operates in two distinct yet life critical sectors, Medical Devices and Safety Technology. Both divisions are united by a shared mission of delivering cutting edge solutions that protect and save lives. Dräger India seamless integration of service excellence and robust manufacturing capabilities adds to make it truly unique. At first glance, transitioning from pharma to medical devices may seem like a natural progression, but that’s where the similarity ends. It has been a journey of immense learning, transformation, and purpose. Over the past year, I’ve found myself navigating a new universe in which two diverse worlds coexisting with a singular, powerful purpose: Technology for Life.

In countless boardroom discussion, the conversations around job retention, strategies often revolve around building a strong learning ecosystem, offering clear career development paths, fostering belongingness, and ensuring competitive, fair compensation. While all these are critical pillars for engaging workforce, I believe the most enduring and impactful factor lies within. It’s the “the sense of purpose”. Purpose is what keeps people anchored through uncertainty and it is what fuels passion when processes become chaotic. Unlike external rewards that can be matched or even exceeded by competitors, purpose is intrinsic and unwavering. When an individual truly connects with the mission of the organization, when they believe in the product or solution they speak about, and when they see their role as a vocation rather than a job, something remarkable happens. Work becomes meaningful, energy becomes self-sustaining, and the individual evolves from being just an employee to being a passionate ambassador of the brand for lifetime. In Human Resources, enabling this sense of purpose is what I consider the highest form of engagement, akin to the level of self-actualization in the Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, where people don’t just work for survival or success, but for significance. It is here that careers flourish, organizations thrive, and people discover not just jobs, but their calling.

At Dräger, Technology for Life is more than just a brand promise. It is a purpose that breathes meaning into everything we do. Whether it's a medical device that gives a doctor the confidence to deliver critical care at the most crucial moment, or an innovative monitoring solution, or wrap that ensures a newborn takes its first breath safely, never missing the warmth of the mother’s womb. Our work touches lives in the most profound ways and every product are a manifestation of our brand philosophy: Technology for Life.

Our quality and research driven products don’t just save lives in hospitals; they protect lifesavers operating in depths of a coal mine, the searing heat of an oil refinery, or the uncertainty of deep-sea exploration. From the first breath of life to the last line of defence, we’re there. Irrespective of the role I play, I take immense pride in knowing that I contribute, in some way, to saving lives. And that’s what makes me believe, “I matter”. This realization fuels my own engagement and inspires me to kindle that same sense of purpose in every team member I work with, every employee I support, every stakeholder I collaborate with, every talent I engage, every vendor we contract, and, most importantly, my family that walks this journey alongside me. It is this collective purpose that makes me proudly call myself a Drägerman, not just by title, but by heart.

HR at Dräger is not about policies, but about purpose. And what we do is not just a job. It’s a mission!!