In today’s hyper-competitive and interconnected business environment, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are a vital growth lever. For Arvind Syntel and AryaOmnitalk, our vision is to create synergies that deliver operational excellence and innovation. However, beyond financials and deal structure lies the human dimension: the melding of cultures and the fortification of employee resilience.
Companies are made up of the people who work there, which is why company culture will always be a factor of success or failure in mergers and acquisitions. As an HR Professional, it’s our job to honour both organisations’ identities and their heritages.
The first step towards this is to understand culture in the due diligence phase, meeting employees, understanding their point of view and mindset, will give the insight which will help us in decision making in the best way possible.
Leadership from both sides should also be aligned to the integrated culture and become behavioural ambassadors. Along with this, building employee resilience is also important, and resilience isn’t just about “grit”—it’s about psychological safety, clarity, support, and adaptability. Amid M&A, uncertainty can unsettle even the most seasoned professionals. As CHRO, I lead our HR teams in orchestrating a resilience-centred employee experience.
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Transparency in M&A also plays an important role as ambiguity breeds anxiety. We commit to regular, clear communication—what’s decided, what’s still under discussion, what’s changing & why the change is important,and what remains stable. This approach preserves trust and enables employees to plan their work and professional journeys with more confidence.
Based on my own experience, I can tell you how communication plays a crucial role in bringing two companies together as one. We took an initiative called “MILAP.” The concept behind Milap is to encourage people to talk to each other, have conversations not just about work but about life, share a cab if they are coming to the office from the same spot, or share a table during lunch. These small steps make people feel like employees are not just workers but part of life. Think about this: a smiling face in the morning when you enter the office, greeting each other with a happy and wonderful morning, takes just a second and two words, but makes a huge difference to the person being greeted. Now imagine doing this every day, and suddenly you will start having conversations. You never know when an unknown face might become a “friend”.
I also believe that role changes, new systems, and new workflows all call for learning. To do so in our company we have started digital learning paths so that if someday an HR professional feels he is more comfortable in marketing or his heart lies in that department he can learn and be part of that department without hesitation of thinking my degree is in HR so I have to stick to it, liberty like this also help company to retain a good employee and help the employee as well in their career growth
I firmly believe that M&A is not just a financial transaction—but a human one. If you align systems, processes, and numbers without accounting for culture and resilience, the deal may under perform or, worse, unravel. But when you integrate heart with strategy—when you intentionally weave cultures, empower people, and nurture adaptability—you win twice: in business value and human capital.
Navigating cultural integration and building employee resilience isn’t a checkbox—it’s a strategic, continuous capability. As we move forward as one entity, we’re committed to anchoring our transformation in empathy, clarity, and shared purpose, so that every colleague feels seen, supported, and inspired by our collective future.
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