Under the “able” leadership of Ben and YL, Shell appears to be setting in the West like the sun. Before Shell finally sets, it is worth taking a hard look at what Shell Bangalore has actually contributed to the company.
Beyond facilitating cross-postings for Indian employees, enabling some to eventually become naturalized Western citizens, and creating opportunities for a number of 35- to 40-year-old Indians to move into JG2 and JG1 positions, what tangible value has Bangalore delivered to Shell’s bottom line?
Supporting projects during the Assess and Select phases is hardly a unique or differentiating contribution. Other P&T hubs, at least, are tied to country-specific assets and operations. Bangalore has no comparable asset base.
There is also a legitimate question about the impact Bangalore has had on international talent mobility. Since its establishment, Western engineers appear to have had far fewer opportunities for cross-postings to Southeast Asia and the Middle East, while Bangalore has increasingly dominated these assignments.
If the primary beneficiaries of this model have been employees in India rather than Shell as a whole, then the fundamental question is straightforward: has the establishment and expansion of Bangalore actually created value for Shell, or has it primarily redistributed opportunities within the organization?
After two decades, Shell should be able to answer that question with hard numbers—not anecdotes, headcount, or internal career progression, but measurable impact on the company’s bottom line.