The 12th edition of India’s premier workplace technology event, SHRM Tech26, officially commenced at the world-class Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai. Organized by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the flagship two-day conference and expo has brought together a powerful ecosystem of global workplace innovators. The event features more than 2,500 HR and business leaders, including over 500 CXOs and 150+ international speakers, all gathering in India's financial capital to map out the next generation of corporate talent strategies.
Under the overarching theme of "Connected Intelligence," SHRM Tech26 Day 1 turned the spotlight on how modern enterprises can seamlessly merge human capability with advanced artificial intelligence (AI) systems. The goal is clear: transforming corporate decision-making, optimizing workforce strategy, and driving exponential enterprise performance in an increasingly digital economy.
The Strategic Shift: Moving from AI Experimentation to Scalable Execution
The narrative across the Indian and global corporate landscape has fundamentally shifted. Discussions on Day 1 highlighted that organizations are moving past the initial phases of isolated AI experimentation. Instead, today's focus rests heavily on scalable, responsible, and practical AI adoption that aligns boardroom strategy directly with frontline execution.
In her opening address, Achal Khanna, CEO of SHRM APAC & MENA, emphasized that future economic and organizational leadership belongs to companies capable of uniting data, technology, and human talent.
"Connected Intelligence is about creating workplaces where human capability and artificial intelligence amplify one another. The organizations that will lead tomorrow are those that use technology not just to automate tasks, but to enhance decision-making, strengthen culture, and unlock the full potential of their people," Khanna stated.
Following the opening remarks, the morning keynote titled "From Connection to Cognition" was delivered by Vinay Tonse, Managing Director & CEO of YES BANK. Tonse provided actionable insights into how modern business leaders can construct intelligent corporate ecosystems. He focused on the critical operational shift of converting raw information into deep enterprise insight, and subsequently translating those insights into immediate, strategic action.
Redefining Employee Experience, Well-being, and ROI
A core track of SHRM Tech26 focused heavily on how data-driven HR technologies are fundamentally redesigning the modern employee experience (EX). Leaders addressed how contemporary organizations utilize cloud-based platforms and data analytics to design personalized, high-impact workplace environments.
Key operational takeaways from the dedicated HR strategy sessions included:
The 2026 Blueprint for an Engaged Workforce: Showcased the rising importance of establishing skills-based organizations over traditional role-bound structures to maximize agile talent deployment.
Global HR Playbook That Drives ROI: Addressed the critical need for measurable HR outcomes, demonstrating how localized and international talent strategies must tie directly back to business profitability.
Holistic Wellbeing Stacks: Sessions like From Benefits to Behaviour and The New Wellbeing Stack underscored that financial, mental, and physical wellbeing are no longer peripheral perks but core strategic drivers of employee engagement, talent retention, and baseline productivity.
Modern Recognition and Rewards (R&R): Expert panels outlined The Core R&R Playbook, detailing how companies can use tech-enabled systems to deliver meaningful, real-time recognition that reinforces a positive corporate culture.
Connected Intelligence and Agentic AI in Action
The afternoon sessions placed a direct spotlight on the tangible impacts of artificial intelligence on enterprise agility and business performance. A standout, marquee session of Day 1 was "Connected Intelligence in Action: Agentic AI Redefining Enterprise Performance," hosted in partnership with Workday.
The high-level panel examined the corporate transition from legacy, isolated HR systems toward highly connected intelligence layers. These advanced systems are capable of initiating complex decisions, orchestrating enterprise-wide actions, and drastically improving organizational agility.
The panel featured prominent Indian business figures, including:
Richard Rekhy, Vice Chair of Grant Thornton Bharat & Former CEO of KPMG in India
Sunil Jose, President of Workday India
Harjeet Khanduja, Senior Vice President - HR at Reliance Jio
Kavita Kurup, Chief People Officer at Cyient
Additionally, Krishnakumar Natarajan (Former CEO of Mindtree and Managing Partner at Mela Ventures) delivered an impactful address outlining how leadership must guide AI-driven workforce transformations safely. Manish Gupta, Group CIO of Aditya Birla Group, further argued that sustainable competitive advantage in the modern economy no longer rests on isolated talent or technology alone, but rather on an enterprise's capability to scale intelligence across its entire organizational structure.
Looking to the Future: Workforce 2030
The opening day culminated in the highly anticipated Future-Tech Track: "Workforce 2030: Skills, Systems, and Shifts." This forward-looking session brought together senior leaders from massive global brands operating in India, including PepsiCo India & South Asia and Google India. The executives shared critical operational blueprints on how to build resilient, future-ready organizations equipped to navigate the macroeconomic and technological shifts projected for the next decade.
Commenting on the event's local and regional impact, Gaurav Bansal, Director of Marketing & Communications – SHRM India, APAC & MENA, noted:
"SHRM Tech26 reflects the conversations that matter most to business leaders today. SHRM Tech26 is where the future of work becomes tangible. Day 1 made it clear that organizations are focused on scaling AI responsibly while keeping people at the center. The ideas and insights shared here provide a practical roadmap for leaders looking to drive transformation with confidence."
Surajit Bit, Senior Director – Operations & People Engagement at SHRM India, APAC & MENA, added to this vision:
"At SHRM, our focus is on helping organizations build future-ready and people-centric workplaces. Through SHRM Tech26, we are bringing together HR and business leaders to discuss how technology and human intelligence can drive stronger employee engagement, workplace transformation, and business growth."
As Day 1 drew to a close, the central consensus among Mumbai's gathering of global leaders was clear: the future of work belongs to connected intelligence, where AI augments human potential and HR drives corporate success. The SHRM Tech26 conference continues into Day 2 with further deep-dives into workforce innovation, emerging HR technologies, and leadership strategies.
About SHRM & SHRM Tech
SHRM Tech: The flagship annual conference focused entirely on the intersection of human resources and workplace technology, uniting innovators to explore the trends shaping tomorrow's work ecosystems.
About SHRM: As the world’s largest HR professional society, SHRM represents millions of workers and workplaces globally. With over 340,000 members across 180 countries, the organization equips professionals and enterprises with essential research, public policy advocacy, and insights to build better, highly effective workplaces.
