Financial Awareness Is Part Of Employee Wellbeing, Says FICCI FLO Indore Chairperson Vandana Gujrati

What makes a true leader? For Vandana Gujrati, Chairperson of FICCI FLO Indore, the answer lies in what leaders help others become. Speaking at Outlook Money’s The Money Questions: Where Should You Invest Now, she said leadership should build confidence, capability and financial awareness among the people an organisation serves.

Gujrati began with the example of employees at Mumbai’s Taj Mahal Palace hotel during the terrorist attacks of November 26, 2008. Staff members put guests’ safety ahead of their own, and some lost their lives. She pointed to the hotel’s culture of service as an example of values shaping people’s decisions during a crisis.

Helping People Grow

For Gujrati, building such a culture starts with empathy. Leaders, she said, should look beyond job titles and performance targets to understand what employees hope to achieve and what support they need.

She also asked employers to think more broadly about wellbeing. Alongside health and work-life balance, employees need mentors, useful networks, opportunities to learn and exposure to new technology. “Sometimes the most valuable thing an organisation can give an employee is not another benefit. It is the opportunity to become more capable,” she said.

Gujrati connected this approach to FLO Indore’s work under its L.E.A.D.S. framework: leadership, entrepreneurship, advocacy, diplomacy and sustainability. She said the organisation creates opportunities for women to grow, lead and become financially independent. Its Gram Shakti initiative, she added, aims to strengthen the capabilities of women sarpanches through financial and legal literacy, digital skills and livelihood opportunities.

Preparing For Life After Work

Financial sustainability also belongs in the conversation about employee wellbeing, Gujrati said. Someone may earn well today but still be uncertain about retirement or unaware of the benefits and choices available to them.

Employers have a role in closing that knowledge gap, she said, without directing employees towards a particular choice. “Because a salary takes care of today. Financial awareness helps prepare for tomorrow.”

That is why discussions about the National Pension System (NPS) and retirement planning matter, she said: they can help people approach their later years with greater confidence and independence.

Gujrati closed by asking leaders to consider what they are building in the people they lead. “Leadership is not about creating followers. It is about creating people who are capable of leading their own future.”

FAQs

1. What does Vandana Gujrati consider true leadership?
She says leaders should help people build the confidence and skills to shape their own futures.

2. How can employers support employees beyond pay and benefits?
They can offer mentoring, learning opportunities, and access to useful networks, while taking time to understand employees’ goals.

3. Why does financial awareness matter at work?
It helps employees understand retirement options, including NPS, and plan for life after their salary stops.