India’s Thought Leaders Gather to Shape the Future of AI and Talent
NEW DELHI, Feb. 25, 2026 – The Economic Times NexTech Human Capital Summit 2026, hosted at the Leela Ambience in Gurugram on February 18-19, marked a pivotal moment for India’s business and technology landscape. Under the theme ‘Minds & Machines: Shaping Tomorrow’, the summit drew over 2,000 business leaders, policymakers, technologists, and HR innovators, making it one of the country’s most significant gatherings focused on human capital, artificial intelligence (AI), and organizational transformation.
With Workday as the Presenting Partner, the summit featured more than 80 global and Indian speakers and over 100 HR technology partners. The event served as a platform for examining the tangible impact of AI and Generative AI (GenAI) on talent management, leadership, and workforce strategies.
Redefining Human Capital in the Age of AI
The summit’s agenda focused on building future-ready skills at scale, reimagining learning ecosystems, and fostering inclusive, high-performance cultures. Central to the discussions was the evolving role of the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) as a strategic business leader, guiding organizations through a time of rapid change and digital transformation.
Dave Ulrich, Professor and Co-Founder of The RBL Group—widely regarded as a global authority on HR and leadership—delivered a keynote emphasizing AI as an enabler rather than an end goal. “AI is not a goal. AI is a means to accomplish a goal,” Ulrich stated, urging HR leaders to focus on translating people decisions into measurable business outcomes, such as driving customer growth, boosting investor confidence, and strengthening community trust.
Adding a global dimension, Jason Oxman, President and CEO of the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), shared insights on the interplay between technology, policy, and workforce transformation. The summit also featured a closing keynote fireside chat with Prof Raj Reddy from Carnegie Mellon University, who explored the theme “From Data to Judgement: Teaching Leaders How to Think with AI.”
Voices of Inspiration: Saina Nehwal and Usha Uthup
Olympic medallist Saina Nehwal delivered an inspiring address about resilience and the relentless pursuit of excellence. Reflecting on her journey, she said, “Pressure is something that will naturally be there at any stage… The only way is to learn to enjoy it.” Nehwal highlighted how setbacks, such as her loss at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, fueled her determination. “Even if I cry, I have to train. Even if I have a fever or cold, I have to train. Results will come if you keep working hard,” she shared, emphasizing that resilience is built through routine and preparation.
Legendary singer and cultural icon Usha Uthup also took the stage, sharing perspectives on authenticity and sustained high performance. In conversation with Yasmin Taj, Editor of ETHRWorld & ETEducation, Uthup remarked, “I chose to embrace who I truly am… The only way forward was to turn all my limitations into my strengths. Because real success doesn’t come from imitation. It comes from self-acceptance.”
Business and HR Leaders Chart the AI Talent Blueprint
The summit convened an impressive roster of top CHROs and CEOs. Notable participants included Richard Lobo (Tech Mahindra), Geethaa George (HDFC Bank), Manish Patil (ONGC), Deepti Varma (Amazon Stores India & Emerging Markets), Anil Kumar Jadli (NTPC), KA Narayan (Raymond), Shraddhanjali Rao (Google), Chandrashekhar Chavan (UltraTech Cement), and Tarun NP Varma (Tata Consumer Products). CEO-level leadership was represented by Santosh Iyer (Mercedes-Benz India), Surendran Chemmenkotil (Metropolis Healthcare), Alok Aggarwal (Muthoot Homefin), and Vishal Sharma (Godrej Industries).
Sunil Jose, President – India, Workday, highlighted the critical moment for India’s growth: “India is at a defining growth moment, and organisations need faster, more intelligent ways to plan and manage their workforce. At Workday, we see AI moving from simply supporting the boardroom to actively shaping workforce and business decisions.”
Exclusive Platforms and Celebrating Excellence
The summit introduced several exclusive engagement platforms, including the CXO Circle—an invite-only forum for strategic dialogue among senior executives—and the NexTech Leaders League and Learning Leaders League for peer learning and domain-specific exchange. The Mentorship Lab enabled structured mentorship between senior leaders and emerging talent, while the Emerging Leaders League Awards and Economic Times HCA Awards recognized outstanding HR leadership and celebrated rising stars under 40.
Research Insights: The State of Digital HR and AI Adoption
A key highlight was the launch of ETHRWorld’s Global Tech Transformations 2026: Signals, Shifts & Strategies from High-Growth Regions. Key findings from the report include:
- Over 70% of organizations worldwide have digitized core HR operations.
- HRIS adoption surpasses 75% across regions.
- 30–40% of organizations are utilizing AI in HR beyond pilot stages.
- 20% leverage AI for predictive HR decisions.
- 14% of Indian firms use technology for long-term workforce planning.
- 50% of organizations plan to increase AI investment in HR in the coming year.
Partners and Future Outlook
The summit was conducted in association with Coursera, powered by Keka and UKG, and supported by Asanify and LinkedIn. Together, they formed a robust ecosystem of global and technology leaders committed to advancing India’s human capital revolution.
As India stands on the brink of a transformative era, the NexTech Human Capital Summit 2026 underscored the urgency of moving beyond incremental digitization to intelligent, data-driven workforce strategies—heralding a new age of collaboration between minds and machines.
This article is inspired by content from Original Source. It has been rephrased for originality. Images are credited to the original source.
