ETHRWorld's 5th CHRO Annual Conclave to Host India's 100+ Top CHROs in Amritsar

2026-09-08 09:31:54 Events / Trade Shows

New Delhi, September 08, 2026: The Economic Times HRWorld is set to host the fifth edition of its CHRO Annual Conclave from September 10–12 in Amritsar. The flagship annual gathering will bring together more than 100 of India's leading CHROs for a two-night residential experience that combines conversations on rethinking leadership in the AI age with the culture, heritage and hospitality of Amritsar.

The conclave comes at a defining moment for people leaders. As technology cycles become shorter than strategy cycles and workforce expectations evolve faster than organisational structures, CHROs are increasingly at the centre of enterprise reinvention.

At the same time, the rapid integration of AI and intelligent systems is raising new questions around leadership capability, governance, workforce models and organisational culture. The challenge is no longer simply to adopt AI, but to ensure that people strategy, business ambition and technology evolve together without compromising the human core of the organisation.

"As AI reshapes work, CHROs have an opportunity to put workforce intelligence at the heart of business strategy—bringing together the intelligence to know, the wisdom to act, and the courage to lead," said Nishchae Suri, MD, Cornerstone OnDemand.

The fifth edition will centre on the theme "Rethink, Realign, Redesign: Building Future-Ready Leadership", bringing senior people leaders together to explore how leadership paradigms and organisational frameworks need to evolve in an AI-accelerated world. The conversations will be anchored around three imperatives: Rethink legacy leadership constructs; Realign people strategy with business and technological transformation; and Redesign the leadership blueprints and capabilities required for future-ready organisations.

The conclave will feature an influential group of India's senior HR leaders, with Rajeev Dubey, Former Group President (HR & Corporate Services) and CEO (After Market), Mahindra & Mahindra; Managing Director, Tata Metaliks; and Member, Governing Body, ILO, Geneva, serving as the Conference Chair.

The distinguished cohort of CHROs includes Salil Lal, CHRO, Maruti Suzuki India; Ashwani Prashara, CHRO, Reliance Industries; Sitaram Kandi, CHRO, TMPV; Dr C Jayakumar, EVP & CHRO, L&T; Shaji Mathew, CHRO, Infosys; and Yashwant Mahadik, President Global HR, Lupin, alongside many more of India's top HR voices.

Across case studies, roundtables, leadership labs, and closed-door conversations, the conclave will explore the complex questions shaping the future of leadership—from the integration of AI and intelligent systems into the workplace to workforce capability, governance, organisational culture and the changing expectations from the CHRO.

Each edition takes the conclave to a new destination, weaving local culture, hospitality and immersive experiences into the leadership dialogue. Following the previous edition in Kochi, this year's gathering will take participants into the heart of Amritsar—a city known for its rich heritage, celebrated cuisine and legendary hospitality—through experiences beyond the formal agenda.

The two-night retreat is designed to take leaders beyond the conventional conference environment—creating space to step away from day-to-day work demands, uncover new perspectives and strategies and build connections that extend beyond the conclave itself.

The conclave will culminate with a closing keynote by Lt General Shokin Chauhan, Former Director-General, Assam Rifles, Independent Director, Leadership Coach, Author, and Chairman of the Ceasefire Monitoring Group, Ministry of Home Affairs. The two-day agenda will then conclude on a cultural note with a Sufi night featuring the Nizami Brothers.