Key Takeaways from the event

1. The Big Moment: Report Launch 

A key highlight of the event was the launch of our first collaborative report with SHRM India: 

“Tectonic Shifts to Transformational Growth: Evolving Role of L&D in the GenAI Era.” 

Built on insights from conversations with 50+ organiszations, the report captures how Indian enterprises are rethinking learning strategies to stay future-ready in a rapidly evolving AI landscape. 

The report was unveiled by Vivek Ranjan (CHRO, Zensar), Krishnan Unni (Chief Business Officer, Tekstac), and Jasdev Ahuja (Senior Director & Lead Membership & PMQ at SHRM East), setting the tone for deeper discussions around the evolving role of L&D. 

One idea stood out strongly through the launch and beyond:
The shift from talking about AI to proving business value. 

2. What Leaders Spoke 

Across panels, conversations, and our own interactions, a few themes consistently came up: 

• Organisations are moving towards skills-first frameworks, but struggle to keep them updated as new roles emerge rapidly 

• There is increasing pressure on L&D to demonstrate tangible business outcomes 

• Employees themselves are questioning how to stay relevant in a world where skills evolve faster than ever 

One of the most thought-provoking reflections from the event captured this well:
What happens when the skills you learn today risk becoming obsolete within months? 

3. Perspectives from the Floor 

In a compelling exchange between Andy Biladeau and Pranjal Sharma, the focus was on how organisations need to rethink transformation itself. 

As highlighted by Krishna Kumar, Head of Marketing at Tekstac: “Transformation cannot be siloed.” 

Another strong takeaway: 

• In the GenAI era, cross-functional knowledge is becoming essential, not optional 

What stood out equally was SHRM’s own approach—being self-critical and actively evolving, rather than just advocating change. 

4. Conversations That Went Deeper: The Roundtable 

Beyond the mainstage, we hosted an exclusive roundtable with 15+ senior L&D and HR leaders on: 

“Tectonic Shifts to Transformational Growth: Evolving Role of L&D in the GenAI Era.” 

This wasn’t a panel or a presentation—it was a candid exchange on what’s actually changing inside organisations. 

Leaders spoke openly about: 

• The pressure to move faster than traditional learning systems allow 

• The gap between learning investments and business outcomes 

• The need for more agile, outcome-driven L&D models 

As one attendee, Amit Haldar (Director of L&D, Wipro) shared, the discussion brought forward “ideas, insights, and perspectives that clear the AI blur.” 

5. Booth 38: Where Conversations Came Alive 

Across both days, our presence at Booth 38 brought together a steady stream of HR and L&D professionals. 

From live demos to hands-on conversations, we explored how organisations can: 

• Define and validate skills at scale 

• Build connected systems where learning data flows seamlessly 

• Measure capability, not just course completion 

It also became a space for more informal interactions, exchanging ideas, sharing challenges, and continuing conversations sparked on stage.