Succession Plans: Deloitte India Study

New Delhi, Dec 4 (PTI) Over 78 per cent of companies have adopted formal succession plans for future-ready leadership, said a survey by consultancy firm Deloitte.

According to Deloitte India's Talent Readiness Study 2025, this shift reflects how Indian businesses are moving beyond traditional HR processes to build resilient, future-ready leadership pipelines that can navigate uncertainty and sustain competitiveness.

The study, covering 156 organisations across the manufacturing, services and life sciences industries, highlights how businesses are reimagining their talent strategies amid technological disruption and evolving workforce priorities.

"78 per cent of organisations have institutionalised formal succession management frameworks, a sharp rise from 72 per cent in 2024," the study said.

To identify and develop leaders of tomorrow, three in four organisations in India have adopted formal high-potential talent management processes and now define high-potential talent as a person who is 'ambitious' and demonstrates 'next-level capability', it added.

"Organisations today are operating in a world where talent defines transformation. In this era of accelerated change, leadership is no longer confined to the corner office; it is distributed, data-informed and deeply human," Neelesh Gupta, Partner, Deloitte India, said.

The study also said that most next-generation leaders (57 per cent) step into business between the ages of 24 and 27.

Four in five of these leaders progress to board-level roles within the first five years of their joining, it said.