Kimberly-Clark Corporation, the maker of global personal care brands such as Huggies diapers, Kotex sanitary napkins and Kleenex tissue, announced on Thursday that it will start a new Global Digital Technology Center (GDTC) in Bengaluru. The Center represents a key investment in the company’s efforts to digitise its global supply chain, create AI-equipped sales tools, and leverage Robotic Process Automation for its customer service operations.
Located on Infantry Road, the Central Business District area of Bengaluru, the Global Center will house up to 200 experts specialised in AI technology, Automation, Data Management, and User Experience Design. Key global roles such as the Heads of Enterprise Architecture, Supply Chain, Marketing and Data, as well as several key regional technology leadership roles for the Asia-Pacific region will be housed here.
Rich Dobbs, Vice President, Global Technology, at Kimberly-Clark said, “As new technologies shape consumer experiences of the future and enable next generation product innovations, we are looking to accelerate our digital transformation by building Global Center of digital excellence. Our Bengaluru Centre, which is one of two, globally, is a key investment in this capability. We are excited by the pool of high-quality digital talent available in this city and look forward to tapping into that potential.”
The opening of the GDTC marks a further commitment by Kimberly-Clark to expanding its footprint in India. In September 2017, it announced that it will end its erstwhile joint venture with Unilever in India, ‘Kimberly-Clark Lever Ltd.’, and established a wholly-owned subsidiary, ‘Kimberly-Clark India’ to drive greater focus on accelerating growth. Since the demerger, the company has significantly ramped up its own sales and distribution infrastructure, launched category-leading innovations like Huggies Luxe Air and Kotex Overnight Panties, and invested in talent development. The company’s manufacturing facility in Pune, Maharashtra, is currently being expanded to build further capacity.
Achal Agarwal, President of Kimberly-Clark Asia Pacific, added, “India is an important investment market for Kimberly-Clark and the decision to base a global centre further concentrates our energies and interests here. While the Centre will serve enterprise-wide needs, we expect that the India business will benefit from the proximity and will be a test bed for many of the new capabilities we create here.”