Building the enterprises of tomorrow: Manas Human and Vala Afshar on fluidity, b...
Balancing global innovation with local identity
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Prefer us on GoogleLast Updated: Sep 16, 2025, 13:04 IST3 min
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In a world where disruption is constant, enterprises cannot afford to stand still. The future belongs to organizations that are agile yet empathetic, digital yet deeply human. This is the central theme of a compelling conversation between Manas Human, CEO & Co-founder of Nagarro, and Vala Afshar, Chief Digital Evangelist at Salesforce, on Forbes India presents Business Lodestones.
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Both leaders have spent decades reimagining how businesses can thrive in a knowledge-driven, AI-powered world. Manas champions the idea of the “fluidic enterprise” an organization that flows seamlessly, breaking silos and harnessing collective intelligence. Vala, in his books Boundless and Autonomous, calls for organizations without limits, designed to thrive through human-centric design and digital labor.
From Silos to Flow
Vala warns that the biggest risk to companies today is a “silo mindset.” In a hyperconnected economy, hoarding resources and guarding hierarchies cripples innovation. “Companies like Nagarro and Salesforce are deliberately removing friction to unlock healthy flows of value,” he notes. His vision: organizations that embrace reciprocity, shared success, and AI-powered collaboration.Manas builds on this by emphasizing intelligence as the cornerstone of fluidic enterprises. “It’s about combining human and machine intelligence to create organizations that are infinitely flexible, adaptive, and efficient,” he says. For him, agility is not a buzzword but a structured approach to navigating constant shifts in aspects like technology, geopolitics, and economics.
The AI Inflection Point
Calling AI the “electricity of the 21st century,” Vala urges leaders to be bold and courageous. “Without a fluidic enterprise roadmap, companies will not be able to thrive,” he argues. With digital labor – AI agents capable of reasoning, executing, and learning – businesses can achieve outcomes once thought impossible. “We are not just building self-driving cars. We are building self-driving businesses.”Manas acknowledges that while automation will grow, the role of humans remains irreplaceable in imagination, empathy, and entrepreneurship. “The big bets, the invention, the empathising- these will remain human for a long time,” he says. Yet, with AI as a partner, the scope of ambition – whether in healthcare, space exploration, or other areas– will expand dramatically.
Leading with Trust and Empathy
For Vala, leadership in this new era must be rooted in trust. “Trust is competence plus character,” he says, highlighting the need for authenticity, benevolence, and a clear compass of core values. Repetitive, mundane tasks, he argues, rob humans of joy and should be assigned to machines. The future belongs to leaders who inspire, educate, and ignite positive action.Manas, meanwhile, challenges leaders to unlearn constraints and think boldly. “Too often, digital transformation is imagined outward from today’s realities. Instead, leaders must visualise an ideal, almost cinematic experience for customers, and then work backward to make it real.”
Habits for Staying Ahead
When asked about staying relevant in times of exponential change, both leaders turn to daily habits. Vala stresses reading, writing, and most importantly sharing knowledge to stay teachable. Manas echoes the value of curiosity: “If you hear about a book, just buy it. It’s the best investment you’ll ever make.”A Future Without Limits
As enterprises face the dual challenge of scaling technology while preserving humanity, both visionaries agree this is a historic inflection point. The healthiest organizations will be those that integrate human creativity with digital labor, guided by empathy, intelligence, and shared success.“Technology can be exciting and scary,” Vala reflects. “But with courage, trust, and the right mindset, the future is beautiful.”
First Published: Sep 16, 2025, 12:00
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