In this interview, Rajesh Kumar, Senior Correspondent, sits down with Prantap Kalra, General Counsel and Compliance Officer - India, SAR and Africa (East and South), JCB India. With a career spanning leadership roles at Nissan, JCB, and complex jurisdictions across India, Africa, the Middle East, and SAR, he brings a rare blend of cross cultural insight, operational depth and strategic foresight. In this conversation, he reflects on his evolving leadership philosophy, the expanding definition of a “strategic GC,” the art of guiding business transformation, and the shift from rule-based compliance to values-driven behaviour.
You’ve led legal functions across global giants like Nissan and now JCB, covering India, Africa, Middel East, and SAR. How has your leadership philosophy evolved through these diverse industry transitions?
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]My leadership philosophy has been shaped by five distinct forces: culture, scale, risk diversity, technology, and people. Each stage of my career added something new.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]At Nissan, I operated in one of the most deeply global, matrixed environments — an ecosystem spread across Japan, Europe, the U.S., Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. It taught me the importance of structured thinking, process discipline, and stakeholder alignment across cultures and regulatory systems. Japan specifically sharpened my sensitivity to detail, quality, preparation, and consensus-building.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]In Africa and the Middle East, I learned the importance of adaptability, pragmatism, and situational judgment. Regulation, market dynamics, and enforcement vary dramatically across these regions. You need to understand the socio-political context as much as the law. You learn to operate with agility and be comfortable making decisions with imperfect information.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]At JCB, I stepped into a heavy-equipment manufacturing environment deeply rooted in engineering excellence and operational intensity. Here, leadership needs to be much closer to frontline operations — plants, supplier ecosystems, dealer networks, and government interactions. It requires visible leadership, trust-building at the ground level, and a strong pulse of people and culture.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Across all these transitions, my leadership philosophy has evolved from:
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Directive to collaborative
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Legal-centric to business-integrated
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Technical to strategic
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Transactional to transformational
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Individual contribution to team empowerment
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]I believe leadership is about creating clarity in complexity, calm in adversity, and confidence in decision-making, while giving people the space to grow and shine.
How do you define the “strategic GC” in today’s business landscape?
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]The role of a General Counsel today is undergoing the most significant transformation. The “strategic GC” is no longer a guardian of legal correctness — he or she is a business strategist, risk futurist, governance architect, and cultural pillar.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]A strategic GC must play five critical roles:
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]1. Architect of enterprise risk and governance systems
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Legal risk today extends into cybersecurity, ESG, AI, labour relations, competition law, data governance, product liability, supply chain, ethics, and geopolitical shifts.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]The GC must design the frameworks that predict, prevent, and respond to these risks.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]2. Business enabler and partner
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]The strategic GC sits at the business table, shaping decisions before they are made.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]They enable market entry, cost transformation, digital initiatives, product launches, M&A, and restructuring — all with agility and foresight.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]3. Culture shaper and ethical anchor
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]The strategic GC plays a critical role in building the organisation’s ethical fabric — how people behave when no one is watching. Today, culture, ethics, and compliance are inseparable.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]4. Technology-aware advisor
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Digital transformation is rewriting legal boundaries — data flows, cybersecurity, AI ethics, cloud governance, cross-border digital contracting. A strategic GC must understand technology — not just laws.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]5. Global regulator interpreter and relationship navigator
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Businesses now operate under overlapping regimes: GDPR, PIPL, DPDP, APPI, POPIA, FCPA, UK Bribery Act, ESG directives, competition law frameworks. A strategic GC must know how to harmonise conflicting regulations and maintain regulatory credibility across regions.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]In short, the strategic GC is a leader who protects enterprise integrity while enabling business velocity.
You’ve handled large-scale restructurings at Nissan and are now alco managing compliance along with legal and secretarial functions for JCB’s India, SAR, and African operations. How do you approach legal strategy during business transformations?
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Legal strategy during transformation needs to be broad in thinking, precise in execution, and deeply empathetic with people and stakeholders.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]My approach has three layers: Strategic, Structural, and Human.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]A. Strategic Layer: Understanding Value and Risk
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Every major transformation — whether it’s restructuring, market re-entry, digital modernisation, or operational consolidation — is guided by one question:
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]“What long-term value are we trying to create or protect?”
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]At Nissan, the global restructuring including the India aspects of about USD 600M+ involved:
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]multi-country entity alignment
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]JV recalibration
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]workforce impact
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]manufacturing and supply chain contracts
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]regulatory interfaces
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]government relations
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]global technology integration
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]At JCB, transformation across India, SAR, and East Africa involves:
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]cross-border contracts
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]competition law aspects
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]IP modernization
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Litigation management
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]anti-dumping strategy
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]entity simplification
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]compliance architecture redesign
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Understanding value vs. risk is the foundation.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]B. Structural Layer: Building the Governance Backbone
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Legal leads the design of:
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]timelines
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]approval pathways
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]contract structures
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]regulatory mapping
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]data flows
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]compliance guardrails
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]stakeholder management
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Board visibility
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]audit trails
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]This structure de-risks the transformation.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]C. Human Layer: Leading with Empathy and Clarity
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Every transformation impacts people — directly or indirectly.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]GCs must:
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]communicate with transparency
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]maintain empathy
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]manage employee and industrial relations sensitively
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]support leaders and employees through uncertainty
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]ensure fairness in decisions
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]This is where leadership matters more than law.
Compliance can often feel like a checkbox exercise for some organisations. How do you instill a culture of “compliance as a value” rather than “compliance as an obligation”?
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Achieving a values-based compliance culture requires behavioural architecture, not just policies.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]1. Make compliance personal
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Compliance becomes meaningful when people understand how it protects:
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]their safety
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]their dignity
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]their customers
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]the company’s future
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]the brand’s reputation
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]I emphasise the “human story” behind compliance.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]2. Simplify compliance frameworks
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]If compliance is complicated, people will avoid it.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]I have preferred to design systems that are:
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]simple
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]intuitive
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]lightweight
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]tailored to manufacturing environments
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]People adopt what they understand easily.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]3. Build distributed ownership
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Compliance cannot be a legal function’s responsibility alone. We must aim to embed:
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]compliance champions
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]governance custodians
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]departmental ambassadors
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]This creates ownership across layers.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]4. Recognise and reward behaviour
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Positive compliance culture grows when good behaviour is visible and celebrated. Recognition creates repeatability.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]5. Lead with values, not fear
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Value-based compliance is sustainable. Fear-based compliance fails over time. People don’t comply because they have to; They comply because they believe it is the right thing to do.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]5. Labour and employment law play a critical role in the auto sector. You achieved an industry-first arbitration-led wage settlement. Could you walk us through how that innovation changed the dynamic between management and workforce?
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]This arbitration-led wage settlement fundamentally redefined the relationship between the management and workforce. It was a creative and strategic move adopted to conclude the long pending wage settlement.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]1. It injected objectivity into a historically subjective process
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Traditional wage negotiations carry emotional intensity and positional bargaining. Arbitration replaced posturing with data, parity analysis, equity benchmarks, and sustainability models.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]2. It reduced conflict and increased trust
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Both sides felt heard and respected. Disagreements were resolved through a neutral, structured, and principled mechanism.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]3. It created long-term stability
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]A six-year settlement — rather than the usual three — gave:
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]employees: security and predictability
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]management: operational continuity and planning clarity
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]This stability helped workforce morale and productivity.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]4. It shifted IR culture from adversarial to collaborative
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]People realised that fairness and transparency can coexist with business realities.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]It created a lasting cultural shift.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]5. It set a precedent for modern IR practices
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Many organisations saw the merits of bringing structured dispute resolution into industrial relations. It showed that innovation in IR is possible — and beneficial.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]This experience reinforced my belief that legal innovation is as important as legal interpretation.
How do you maintain that equilibrium in high-pressure decision-making moments?
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Equilibrium under pressure is a combination of mindset, method, and discipline.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]1. I slow down the moment, not the decision
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]When everything gets intense — regulatory inquiries, major litigations, site issues, etc. — the instinct is to rush. But I consciously slow down my mind to:
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]identify the core issue
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]separate the noise
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]reframe to identify the actual problem
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]identify the possible solutions
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]have transparent discussions on right actions
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Clarity emerges from calm.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]2. I differentiate between urgency and importance
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Many crises appear urgent, but not all are important. I classify decisions into:
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Immediate action
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Strategic decision
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Advisory
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Escalation
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]No action
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]This creates structure in a high-intensity scenario.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]3. I anchor myself in values
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]When decisions have ethical, regulatory, or human consequences, I rely on three anchors:
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]fairness
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]transparency
- [color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]long-term integrity
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Values provide clarity amid complexity.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]4. I draw from cross-cultural lessons
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]India taught me resilience.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Japan taught me patience and precision.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Africa taught me adaptability.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]US taught me agility
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Europe taught me structure.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Global roles taught me perspective.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]I carry all these learnings into high-pressure situations.
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]5. I trust my team and empower them
[color=hsl(240,75%,60%)]Any leader, including a GC is only as strong as the people they empower. Delegation and trust reduce pressure and distribute judgment across capable minds. It helps build confidence and character in team members while enhancing the credibility of each member and the department. |
