Events

Rajkamal Vempati is the Group Executive & Head of Human Resources at Axis Bank. Rajkamal is a member of the Management Committee and a passionate advocate of sustaining a human workplace & creating an inclusive culture geared for the future. Her team of HR professionals at Axis Group is focused on nurturing distinctive career experiences that matter to the people and wherein they thrive. Axis Bank has been recognized externally as an employer of choice for its Diversity, Equity & Inclusion efforts and its Giga Opportunities program has been widely lauded. She is also the Co- chairperson of FICCI HR Committee. She graduated in Science from Himachal Pradesh University and holds an MBA from XLRI Jamshedpur. She is a recipient of “Distinguished Alumnus Award” from XLRI, Jamshedpur and she has also been honored with Honoris Causa, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). by Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies.

Prior to Axis Bank, she was heading Human Resources for ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company. Rajkamal was a consultant with Hewitt Associates, part of the HR Leadership Program at GE Capital and has worked with ICICI Prudential Life Insurance across diverse roles.

Personally, having experienced the drop out from career due to long distance marriage and re-entering the workforce subsequently with a young daughter, she is super passionate about mentoring and coaching female executives so that they remain in motion in careers of their choice. Her favourite pastime is planning for holidays and itineraries with her family and friends.

Udayan Dutt is a seasoned HR leader with over 25 years of global experience spanning consumer goods, telecommunications, technology, and consulting sectors, including distinguished tenures at Unilever and Reckitt. He brings a unique blend of strategic HR leadership, boardroom influence, and transformation expertise, with a proven track record in HR Business Partnering, Centers of Excellence, and Shared Services. His accomplishments include steering Remuneration Committees, driving enterprise-wide transformations, and aligning people strategies with long-term business objectives.

As President – Group Human Resources at RPG Enterprises, Udayan champions the organization’s cultural ethos through its core values: Hello Happiness, Unleash Talent, Outperformance, and Touching Lives. He is passionate about building a simple, agile, and best-in-class employee experience ecosystem that fosters engagement and excellence.

Prior to RPG, Udayan served as Vice President – HR for Global Functions at Reckitt, where he led organizational redesigns across Finance, Legal, IT&D, R&D, and Strategy. Earlier, he spent a decade at Unilever, excelling in HR Generalist and Reward CoE leadership roles.

Beyond work, Udayan is deeply committed to fitness and well-being and enjoys exploring collectibles and music. He lives in Mumbai.

Mr. Ayush Gupta is a 1992 batch Electrical Engineer from IIT Roorkee, MBA in Operations Management & P G Diploma in Human Resources Management. He has over 33 years of varied and rich experience in the field of Human Resource Management, Projects, Operations and Maintenance in Oil & Gas Sector and Process Industry. 
 
Mr. Gupta is working with GAIL since last 27 years. He is among the youngest Directors to be on the Board of GAIL India Ltd. He is a strong proponent & practitioner of sustainable business practices and ensuing highest standards of safety in plant & pipeline operations. He has taken several initiatives to promote gender equality & women empowerment. 
 
During his tenure at GAIL, Mr. Ayush Gupta had been instrumental in introducing various initiatives, such as Spandan (Monthly Wellness Hour dedicated towards enhancing employees’ physical, mental and emotional well-being), Ojas (young employees engagement & development platform), Abha (for educating, mentoring and hand-holding of spouses of GAIL employees for their entrepreneurial ventures), Samanvay (Care, Connect & Commit – to establish a periodic two way communication in the organization), Mentoring Journey – Saarthi (a unique approach towards development of young talent), e-Learning Courses, etc. 
 
He is a recipient of the prestigious Chevening Rolls Royce Science, Innovation, Policy & Leadership Fellowship from UK Government in 2013, Winner of the National Corrosion Awareness Award 2004, Emerging HRD Thinkers Award in 2011, HR Leader of the Year Award-2024 by Governance Now and recognized as Top 50 HR Thought Leaders of 2024 by Economic Times HR World. He is author & co-editor of the book titled ‘Natural Gas Markets in India’ published by Springer International and has to his credit several awards for papers published and presented at national and international forums. 
 
He is Chairman of GAIL Mangalore Petrochemicals Ltd and a Director on the Boards of GAIL Gas Ltd, ONGC Tripura Power Company Ltd & China Gas Holdings Ltd. 
 
He is an Executive Committee member of SCOPE (Standing Conference of Public Enterprises), Member on the Board of Governors of Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology & Indian Institute of Petroleum & Energy, Director on the Board of IFTDO (International Federation of Training & Development Organizations), Member, HR Core Committee of All India Management Association (AIMA), Member, CII National Committee on Industrial Relations and Member, IPEF (Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity) Labour Rights Advisory Board
 

Bhawna leads the Human Resource Function at Hero Future Energies (a Hero Group Company). She joined the company at the inception stage and has been part of the growth journey, Company has now presence in India, London, Singapore, Ukraine, Vietnam, and Bangladesh. She has managed the Organization transformation from the start-up to an established and one of the leading IPP in renewable sector today. HFE received its accreditation as ‘Great Place to Work’ by Great Place to Work® Institute amongst Mid-size Companies in Jan 2022. She blends the modern-day HR practices with traditional Indian value system. She is a passionate HR professional driven by results and achievements. She has been providing strategic HR input from people perspective to the Management and collaborating with the Leadership team for strategic alignment, delegation, empowerment, and respect as well as driving initiatives focussed on high performance standards, equal opportunity, diversity and inclusion and resource optimisation.

A Management professional with more than 3 decades of experience in Public Sector, was Director (Human Resource) on the Board of Engineers India Limited (EIL), a Navaratna Public Sector under the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, from October 2012 and Superannuated on 30.06.2016. At EIL, has taken several path breaking initiatives towards strategizing HR for diversifying & overseas scenario through effective Talent Management, Training & Development, Performance Management, Employee Communication, CSR & Brand building, with a view to take EIL to greater heights

Anil Sachdev is the Founder and CEO of Grow Talent Company Limited and the School of Inspired Leadership-SOIL. Grow Talent was created in July 2000 and became the leader in the strategic HR consulting industry by 2006.It enabled large number of Global and local firms to achieve breakthrough performance by realising the potential of their people and creating a talent advantage.

In October 2008, Anil and the other co-founders of Grow Talent entered the field of Education by creating SOIL- the School of Inspired Leadership. This innovative School has been co- created by a consortium of 32 leading firms and has focus on the five pillars of inspired leadership: Compassion, Diversity, Ethics, Mindfulness and Sustainability. In 2019, Soil has launched its second campus in Manesar- the SOIL School of Business Design that is offering the first of its kind two years full time MBA that combines the disciplines of liberal arts, design thinking and management education.

Anil’s experience in India and across the world covers areas such as talent management, strategic change and organizational transformation. Recognised as a thought leader in leadership development and Organizational transformation, Anil has done pioneering work with leading global and local firms. He has spoken at national and global conferences all over the world and has written contributory pieces for leading publications. He has been adjunct Faculty to leading business schools such as Indian School of Business, Kelly School of Business, Indiana University, GMI, Flint Michigan, Antioch University, Seattle, Ohio University and University of New Brunswick, Canada. Anil began his career with Tata Motors in 1975 after completing his MBA from the University of Pune and joined Eicher in 1978 and worked in HR, operations and TQM. He is the Founder of Eicher Consultancy Services and was its CEO till 2001.

He is active in management circles and has held several public offices such a Chairman of National Committees on Leadership Development, Human Resources, Industrial relations of the Confederation Indian Industry. Anil is a member of the Academic Committee of CEDEP, the leading Leadership Institute of Europe, located at Fontainebleau. He is a member of the World Compassion Council, based in Seattle and a Trustee of the Chinmaya Mission. He serves on the Global Board of Shizenkan University in Tokyo.

Prof Avinash Ghalke holds a PhD from SJMSoM, IIT Bombay, an MBA from XLRI Jamshedpur, and is also a Certified Financial Analyst Charterholder. His professional experience of close to 23 years includes stints in investment research, information technology, entrepreneurship, and academic roles at firms such as Goldman Sachs, Nomura, and Wipro. Currently, he is a faculty member of Finance and Accounts at SPJIMR and Deputy Chairperson of the Executive MBA program offered at the Mumbai and Delhi campuses of SPJIMR.

An alumnus of BITS Pilani, Mr. Sanjay Bahl brings over 35 years of leadership experience across EdTech, Skill Development, Telecom, Electronics, Retail, Talent Transformation, Rural & Social Sectors, and Online Education.

With a proven track record of creating new ventures, driving successful turnarounds, and leading large-scale organizational transformations, he has consistently delivered sustainable growth across geographies including India, the Middle East, Africa, and other emerging economies.

He has held multiple leadership roles as President, CEO, and Managing Director, leading cross-functional, multi-location teams and building strong customer and partner relationships to drive business excellence.

A strategic thinker and collaborator, Mr. Bahl has spearheaded joint venture partnerships with industry, government, and institutions, managing B2C, B2B, B2G, and PPP models aimed at profitable and scalable growth. He works closely with government bodies, academic institutions, and industry organizations to align policies and implement initiatives that empower youth and enhance workforce capabilities in both domestic and international markets.

His leadership philosophy is grounded in a deep understanding of strategy frameworks and emerging technologies — including AI, ML, GenAI, IoT, 5G, and Industry 4.0 — and their transformative impact on business models, talent ecosystems, and career pathways.

Recognized for his innovative approach to business transformation, operational efficiency, and ability to navigate competitive markets, Mr. Bahl has contributed significantly to organizations such as NIIT, upGrad, Centum, Airtel, CASIO, and Crompton Greaves.
 

Sonica Aron is a transformative leader and one of India’s most influential voices in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). She is the founder of Marching Sheep - a purpose-driven organisation that’s redefining the DEI landscape. In her past, she held leadership positions across global corporations like Philips, AkzoNobel, Roche, Vodafone, and PepsiCo. 

Under her stewardship, Marching Sheep has partnered with 400+ organisations across 50+ countries, delivering strategic DEI and HR interventions that are bold, inclusive, and deeply human. Sonica’s people-first philosophy and fearless advocacy have earned her recognition from Forbes India, Fortune India, the US Embassy, and the Government of India, with honours including Top 10 Women Entrepreneurs, Most Valued Leader, Gender Impact Award, and Entrepreneur of the Year.

She is a board member of Gender@Work India Trust, a regular speaker at platforms like FICCI, national news channels, and premier institutions including the IIMs. Her insights are frequently featured in leading publications such as Forbes, ET, Times of India, Live Mint, and Business World.

Through Marching Sheep, Sonica has launched pioneering initiatives like SheMarches, She-returns, pwd hiring, Unleash, and some pioneering studies like MarchingSheep Inclusion Index 2025 where the business case of diversity was detailed , 21 Marching study on disability inclusion across 17 countries—each one pushing the boundaries of what inclusive leadership can achieve.

Beyond the corporate sphere, Sonica is a passionate changemaker—working with acid attack survivors, the transgender community, and marginalised groups, driven by her belief that real change must begin both in society and the workplace.

I help organizations answer one critical question: How do we build the leaders and capabilities we need for tomorrow—starting today? Over the past 18+ years, I’ve had the privilege of designing and delivering enterprise learning and talent strategies at Kohler, Mercer, LTI, EY, and leading consulting firms. My work has impacted more than 70,000 professionals across Manufacturing, Technology, Consulting, and Professional Services sectors, spanning India, APAC, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe.

What truly drives me is watching that pivotal moment when a mid-level manager finds their confidence as a leader, or when career paths become clearer and more accessible. I’m passionate about facilitating culture shifts where coaching becomes a daily norm and seeing the tangible business impact when AI-powered learning ecosystems accelerate skill development at scale. My journey has allowed me to support organizations through significant change, championing inclusive leadership, and building robust talent architectures that unlock growth and reduce attrition.

Here’s what I bring to the table:

- Enterprise Learning Strategy: Designed AI-enabled learning ecosystems, leadership academies, and succession programs that create measurable business value

- Leadership Development: Built coaching practices, inclusive leadership frameworks, and executive development programs across all levels

- Talent Architecture: Created career frameworks, skills taxonomies, and internal mobility systems

- Global Execution: Successfully partnered with senior stakeholders in India, APAC, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe

- Change Leadership: Led digital learning transformations, D&I initiatives, and cultural shifts in complex organizations

Credentials include being an ICF-Certified Coach (ACC), Master Instructional Designer (ATD), accredited in Insights Discovery, DiSC, and Social Styles, and certified in OD, D&I, and as a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer.
 

Anurag is a Partner with People Consulting at EY. He has been leading human resources advisory business, P&Ls and client account leadership & engagements for over 25 years, working closely with C-suite management, boards, founders, promoters, investors and human resources decision makers. Anurag also served on the CII Delhi HR Committee for the term 2024-25 exemplifying his commitment to shaping the HR landscape. Anurag is a recognized thought leader, frequently sharing his insights as a speaker at industry events organized by esteemed bodies such as NHRDN, CII, NASSCOM, FICCI, People Matters, and ETHR, on a variety of leadership, organisational, HR, Impact of AI & HR Technology related topics.

His subject matter expertise spans across Organisational Design Effectiveness and Performance, Enhancing Leadership Impact, Learning Strategies and Systems, Employee Experience & Employer Branding, Culture Transformation, Organisational and HR transformation and related areas for organizations in different stages like growth, efficiency and transformation stages. He has experience working with clients across sectors.

Prior to his tenure at EY, Anurag served as the Country Head and Managing Director for Kincentric's India business, a global human resources advisory firm (A Spencer Stuart Company). He was a Service line leader at KPMG, where he was a Partner in the Transformation and People & Change advisory practice. At AON Hewitt, Anurag pioneered and led the Family-Led Enterprises vertical, showcasing his ability to adapt, innovate and be an organization change catalyst. His professional repertoire also includes valuable experiences at Mercer Consulting and Hewitt Associates.

He has been instrumental in thought leadership through leading research work like Performance Pulse of India Inc at Aon and The Best Employers India at Kincentric apart from several published thought papers.

Anurag completed his Masters in Personnel Management and Industrial Relations (PM&IR) from Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai and a Bachelor of Science degree (Mathematical Statistics) from Kirori Mal College (KMC), University of Delhi. He is a Hogan certified coach, Richard Barrett Culture Transformation Expert and has several other professional certifications, including one from Harvard Business School on Managing Professional Services Firm.

Yugesh Mandvikar brings more than 20 years of diverse experience in Human Resources, with deep expertise in Learning and Development, Leadership Development, Talent Management, and Organization Development. Yugesh has successfully led complex interventions at scale, for shaping the right organization design and culture, creating skills-based ecosystems, enabling leadership bench strength, and championing continuous learning and innovation to drive organizational growth. In his current role, Yugesh leads global efforts for Learning and Development, Talent Management, Organization Development, People Experience, and HR Transformation at Zensar Technologies, a global technology consulting and solutions company. He is responsible for setting the strategic direction for talent development and human capital transformation for Zensar’s workforce. Before joining Zensar, Yugesh worked with majors such as LTI Mindtree, ACNielsen, and Airtel. Yugesh holds an MBA and a bachelor’s degree in engineering and has earned certifications in Organization Development, Change Management, Executive Coaching, and behavioral analysis, among others. He is deeply passionate about helping people achieve their true potential and has translated it into a best-selling book. 

Gaurav Bakshi is the Director at Strat-Board Services, a consultative HR marketplace empowering HR leaders and organizations with match-made solutions across the employment lifecycle. With a rich career spanning roles at renowned organizations like Dabur India, PepsiCo, Fitness First, and Religare, Gaurav brings deep expertise in addressing HR challenges across the FMCG, Retail, and Financial Services sectors.

Gaurav’s biggest strength lies in Business HR and he specializes in bringing practical aspects of Human Resource Management as they exist in the real world on the bedrock of core concepts and fundamentals of People Management. Personally, he takes a lot of interest in the emergence and adoption of new age practices and technology across the Employee Life Cycle and has a perspective trusted by leading organizations and HR Leaders in India.

Over the years, Gaurav has developed a profound understanding of the challenges faced by HR professionals and under his leadership, Strat-Board has gained significant recognition for creating high impact HR solutions for the industry. Gaurav’s approach combines strategic insight with practical execution, derived from years of leading large-scale and niche HR initiatives across industries and geographies. He specializes in supporting organizations during critical phases of growth and transformation, leveraging his expertise in Business HR to translate organizational goals into impactful HR strategies.

He is certified in Instructional Design, is a Certified Assessor from SHL, and a Certified Trainer for key Leadership Development programs. Gaurav spends time in Academic and industry pursuits on Human Resources and is helping HR providers create compelling solutions for the HR fraternity. An MBA graduate from the prestigious Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune, Gaurav’s work continues to set benchmarks in HR excellence. Gaurav has earned accolades for his contributions to business excellence and HR innovation on various forums.
 

Dr. Balasubramanian Krishnan is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder at NuVeda Learning Pvt. Ltd. He is the key architect of the CALF™ learning platform that allows the measurement of the impact of learning. Prior to this role, he was the worldwide Six Sigma leader of EMC Corporation, a $10B multinational company with over 25000 employees. At EMC, he was also a key leader of the company’s Total Customer Experience (TCE) efforts and holds a US Patent for his efforts.

Dr. Krishnan had served as Vice president of Quality at GE Access till July 2002. He had been responsible for leading the organization's Six Sigma strategic vision. As a former member of GE’s senior management, his extensive business and Six Sigma expertise increased the overall organisational performance. Dr. Krishnan graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy in Physics from the Florida State University and holds a Master Black Belt certification in Six Sigma from GE. Dr. Krishnan is also a speaker and author of several articles including "The Google of Learning".

Mukhvindar Bains is the Associate Director and Lead for Learning and Transitions at Accenture India. With over 25 years of experience in the Information Technology and professional services industry, he is a passionate advocate for learning and leadership development. In his current role, he leads initiatives that enable capability building and learning experiences for Accenture’s workforce of across India.

Over his 19+ year tenure at Accenture, Mukhvinder has held several HR leadership roles, including Service Delivery Vice President and Operations Lead, contributing significantly to talent development and operational excellence. Prior to joining Accenture in 2006, he worked with organizations such as American Express in HR and business development roles. he’s a strong advocate for causes related to community welfare & social services, and an alumnus of Army Public School.
 

Soonu Wadewala is the Head of Human Resources at Axis Securities Ltd., where she leads the organization’s people strategy with a focus on building a high-performance and employee-centric culture aligned with business growth. With close to two decades of experience across leading organizations including Axis Bank, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Tata Sons, and Indian Hotels Company Limited, she brings deep expertise in talent management, leadership development, and organizational effectiveness.

Soonu is an Organizational Psychologist and holds an MBA in Human Resources from NMIMS. She has also successfully completed the Executive Coaching Certification from INSEAD, enabling her to integrate behavioral science and coaching practices to strengthen leadership capability and organizational effectiveness.

Neelmani Singh (Neel) is the Group Head of Learning for Aditya Birla Group (ABG), and Heads of the Global Center for Leadership of ABG -Gyanodaya. Before this, he was Head of Leadership Development at Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), Head of Talent & Learning for India and South Asia at Standard Chartered Bank, led people and organisation capability at Microsoft Corporation and Group Learning Manager at ICICI Bank.

Neel holds an MBA (MA in Applied Psychology) from the University of Delhi and a Pre-Doctoral (M.Phil.) in Clinical Psychology from NIMHANS, Bangalore. Neel is a Certified Professional Facilitator (CPF) by the International Association of Facilitators (IAF) and Professional Certified Coach (PCC) by International Coaching Federation (ICF).

Neel’s experience and academic background (MBA-OB, OD and MPhil Clinical Psychology) have helped him gain a unique perspective in People Development areas enabling him to see it from a macro-strategic/Organizational context to facilitate the large systemic People and Organization Development agenda and at the same time to partner and fuel at the micro - Individual level growth too.

Samra Rahman is a senior human resources and organisational leadership professional with over 20 years of experience across diverse sectors, including EdTech, workforce development, and talent management. She currently serves as Head of People and Culture at Hero Vired, where she drives strategic HR initiatives focused on talent attraction, retention, learning and development, and organisational agility.

Prior to this, Samra has held leadership roles including Chief Human Resources Officer at Centum Learning and has worked with reputed organisations such as HCL Technologies, IBM, and Tata Teleservices. Her experience spans talent development, organisational transformation, and people-first culture building. Samra holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Human Resource Management from XLRI Jamshedpur and a Master’s degree in English Literature from Jesus & Mary College, University of Delhi.

Ahmad Mehdi is a seasoned learning and performance professional with over 27 years of cross-functional experience spanning Sales, Channel Management, Customer Service, Service Marketing, Organisational Development, Training, and Human Resources. Having worked with leading organisations such as Xerox, Gestetner, HCL, NIS Sparta, Centum Learning, Ricoh, and Hero Mindmine, he brings deep industry insight and a strong foundation in strategic capability building.

He currently serves as Head of Training at SMARTWORKS Co-Working Spaces Pvt. Ltd., where he is responsible for establishing the SMARTEDGE Academy and driving performance enhancement initiatives across centres while building role-based competencies across the organisation. Previously, he was AVP and Director for the Centre of Excellence for Tourism and Hospitality, supported by the Government of Himachal Pradesh and Lemon Tree Hotels.

Ahmad has led critical sales and service learning interventions for prominent brands including Mahindra, Airtel, Caterpillar, Britannia, Adidas, Sony, LG, and Maruti Suzuki. His expertise spans strategic performance consulting, competency-based coaching, customer experience transformation, talent management, and HR systems implementation.

He holds multiple professional certifications, including Malcolm Baldrige Professional, Certified Instructional Designer, Total Quality Management Professional, Certified SPIN and Account Management Trainer, and Assessment Centre Specialist, among others.