Leading with Governance, Driven by Curiosity
Mallika Arora
Senior Vice President - Corporate Affairs
FIL Industries Pvt. Ltd.
Leading with Governance, Driven by Curiosity
Mallika Arora
Senior Vice President - Corporate Affairs
FIL Industries Pvt. Ltd.
Strong governance often works behind the scenes, but it is fundamental to building resilient and sustainable businesses. At FIL Industries Private Limited, Mallika Arora has played a pivotal role in strengthening that foundation. As Senior Vice President – Corporate Affairs, she leads corporate governance, regulatory strategy and organisational frameworks across a diversified business group with interests spanning agrochemicals, food processing, B2B fruit juice concentrates, post-harvest management, infrastructure and hospitality. Her responsibilities cover board governance, regulatory compliance, corporate structuring, organisational development and people management, working closely with senior leadership to build systems that support long-term growth.
What makes her journey remarkable is that it was never driven by a predefined career plan. After studying science in school, she chose English literature because of her love for reading and her interest in philosophy, history, culture and human behaviour. The subject strengthened her ability to think critically and communicate with clarity. These skills still continue to shape her leadership today. Her entry into the company secretary profession came unexpectedly after she discovered her cousin’s course books. Intrigued by the blend of law, governance, business and compliance, she found a profession that aligned naturally with her interests.
When speaking with TradeFlock, Mallika reflects on her journey with a simple but enduring belief: “Careers do not always unfold in straight lines, and that is not necessarily a disadvantage.” Looking back, she believes every unconventional choice became a stepping stone towards the leader she is today.
The fundamentals of corporate governance remain the same across sectors — transparency, accountability, ethical decision-making, compliance, risk awareness and respect for stakeholders. What changes is the context in which these principles are applied.
In a diversified group like FIL Industries, each sector brings its own operating realities. Agrochemicals demand strong regulatory discipline, product responsibility and environmental sensitivity. Food processing requires quality, traceability and consumer trust. Tourism and infrastructure call for safety, service standards, public interface and long-term stakeholder engagement. Therefore, governance cannot be a standard checklist; it has to be adapted to the nature of the business.
Good governance should not slow business down. It should give business the confidence to grow in a manner that is responsible, resilient and trusted. The focus has been on building systems that make clearer processes, better documentation, defined accountability, stronger compliance discipline and closer alignment between legal, operational and strategic teams.
The focus has been on building clear processes around decision-making, delegation of authority, documentation, approvals, risk identification, compliance tracking and Board reporting. These structures help business teams move efficiently while ensuring that responsibilities are defined and decisions are properly examined and recorded.
Equally important is awareness of the larger policy and business environment, not only in India but globally. When organisations pay closer attention to what is changing around the world, they are better placed to anticipate shifts, adapt early and bring in improvements before they become mandatory or industry practice.
To me, governance is most effective when it enables growth with confidence, continuity and responsibility.
Over the last 27 years, regulatory compliance has evolved from being largely country-specific and process-driven to becoming far more dynamic, integrated and global in outlook. Earlier, the focus was often on meeting statutory requirements within defined timelines. Today, compliance is closely linked to governance, reputation, risk management, data protection, ethical conduct and stakeholder trust.
In India, we have seen major legal and regulatory shifts, a complete transformation of the Indian Companies Act, changes in labour law frameworks, greater digitisation, enhanced disclosures and increased Board accountability. But in a globally connected world, awareness cannot stop at domestic law. Businesses are influenced by international regulations, global best practices, data privacy expectations, ESG standards, cross-border contracts and investor expectations.
Adapting to this environment has meant continuous learning and developing the ability to see compliance in a wider business context. The role today is not only to ensure adherence to law but also to help organisations remain prepared, responsible and globally aligned.
Technology should be adopted with both openness and caution. AI can help businesses become sharper, faster and more informed, but it must operate within a framework of transparency, responsibility and human oversight.
AI cannot replace human judgement, values or accountability. This is where corporate governance becomes critical. Governance must define how AI is used, what data it relies on, who is responsible for decisions, and how ethical, legal and confidentiality concerns are addressed.
For a diversified organisation like FIL Industries, AI can support better decision-making, improve efficiency, strengthen data analysis, identify risks earlier and bring greater consistency to processes across functions and sectors. To me, good governance will ensure that AI remains an enabler of better business decisions, not an uncontrolled substitute for them.
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