The second and final day of People Matters TechHR 2025 at Yashobhoomi Convention Centre, New Delhi, culminated in a crescendo of ideas, insights, and impact—marking a powerful conclusion to Asia’s largest gathering of leaders at the intersection of talent, technology, and transformation.
With Dr Shashi Tharoor, Peepal Baba, and Jason Averbook taking the stage, the event wrapped up not with formality, but with force—a force of vision, conviction, and a resounding belief that the future of work will be built by people, not just platforms.
Here’s a glimpse into the defining conversations that shaped Day 2.
Logistics as Nation-Building: Ramesh Agarwal’s People-First Model
“Leadership in logistics isn’t just about moving goods. It’s about moving people, purpose, and pride,” declared Ramesh Agarwal, Founder of Agarwal Packers and Movers Ltd., in a keynote that reframed an entire industry.
Agarwal’s journey illustrated how treating employees with respect and responsibility transforms operations into a mission. For HR leaders overseeing distributed teams, his model stood as a masterclass in scaling culture with care—where the heartbeat of logistics is not systems, but people.
Bharat’s Future: Real Conversations, Real Change
At the heart of TechHR’25 was a session that didn’t shy away from uncomfortable truths. In a dynamic live Q&A, Pankaj Bansal (Caret Capital, Karmayogi Bharat), Shankar Maruwada (EkStep Foundation), and Kamakshi Pant (Taggd) explored how to fuel Bharat’s transformation—beyond token inclusion.
From rural youth empowerment to DPI-fuelled ecosystems, the dialogue was raw, rooted, and real. The session challenged attendees to listen deeply, question boldly, and co-own India’s inclusive growth story.
Unconference Reloaded: Where Breakthroughs Begin
Nizar Ali Hamid of Taggd kicked off Unconference Reloaded—a vibrant, no-holds-barred space that tore up the rulebook on learning.
The “Circle of Breakthroughs” brought together curious minds to co-create, debate, and dream aloud. With no stage, no slides, and no scripts, this was where leadership became communal, and the future became collective.
Branding Beyond Buzz: The Biryani Philosophy
What does great branding have in common with great biryani?
In a richly flavoured conversation, Kaushik Roy (Co-Founder & CEO, Biryani By Kilo) and Girish Kohli (Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd.) broke down what it takes to build a brand that sticks. From cultural resonance to emotional storytelling, they revealed how to scale soulfully—even in crowded markets.
Their message was clear: marketing today isn’t about reach. It’s about resonance.
Vision 2030: Talent as the Ultimate Differentiator
As the world barrels toward 2030, people—not processes—will determine who stays ahead.
In a future-facing panel, Gurucharan Singh Gandhi (Vodafone Idea), Yuvaraj Srivastava (MakeMyTrip), Manmeet Sandhu (PhonePe), and Vibhash Naik (HDFC Life) laid out a roadmap where talent is the cornerstone of strategy.
From geopolitical volatility to AI-driven shifts, the panel spotlighted adaptability, inclusion, and human-centred innovation as survival skills—not luxuries.
Art Over Algorithm: The Leadership Canvas
In a session that defied categorisation, Raajeev V Bhalla asked participants to drop the corporate script—and pick up a brush.
Guided by music, emotion, and intuition, HR leaders co-created a living canvas—an abstract visual of uncertainty, risk, and emergence. It became a metaphor for leadership itself: unplanned, messy, but ultimately beautiful.
The CHRO Mandate: From Function to Force
In a candid fireside chat, Yuvaraj Srivastava (MakeMyTrip), Mukta Nakra (H&M), and Aarti Srivastava (Capgemini India) tackled the evolving power of the CHRO.
As employee expectations soar and boardroom stakes rise, CHROs must bring strategic foresight, succession readiness, and talent risk intelligence to the fore. “It’s time HR leaders stop asking for a seat at the table,” said one panellist. “We are the table.”
Future of Hiring: Designed, Not Predicted
Nimish Kulshrestha (Naukri.com) took the audience through the rapidly changing world of recruitment—from skills-first strategies to tech-augmented hiring models.
With job markets evolving and candidate expectations rising, the session offered actionable pathways to build resilient, future-proof talent pipelines.
Culture Meets Code: Tech-Enabled Well-Being
In a panel that spanned human emotion and AI analytics, Girish Menon (Swiggy), Sourabh Deorah (AdvantageClub.ai), Anupama Kaul (Cummins India), and Simin Askari (DS Group) decoded how technology is transforming employee recognition and well-being.
From hyper-personalised rewards to real-time sentiment analysis, the session revealed how HR tech can move from transactional to transformational.
Dr Raju Mistry’s Breakthrough Story: Trust is the Strategy
In an inspiring address, Dr Raju Mistry, President & Global CPO at Cipla, reminded leaders that transformation begins with trust.
From inclusion as the norm to agility without losing purpose, her story reflected the emotional and operational intelligence needed to thrive in uncertainty. “Culture,” she said, “isn’t a backdrop. It’s the main act.”
Designing for a Billion Dreams
Pushkaraj Bidwai (CEO, People Matters) hosted a deep-dive with Pankaj Bansal and Shankar Maruwada into India’s digital public infrastructure (DPI) evolution—from Aadhaar to UPI.
More than policy or tech, this was about building systems that are simple, empathetic, and built for Bharat. Their call to action? “Dream for a billion. Design like it matters.”
Closing with Purpose: Dr Shashi Tharoor and Peepal Baba
The finale brought gravitas and groundedness, as Dr Shashi Tharoor and Peepal Baba brought the audience back to what truly matters—leadership with empathy, environmental consciousness, and collective purpose.
Dr Tharoor’s keynote challenged India’s obsession with commanding leaders, advocating instead for those who listen, include, and uplift. “We’re the world’s biggest users of AI,” he said. “But what we need are leaders who understand actual intelligence—the human kind.”
Peepal Baba, the environmentalist and tree-planting crusader, anchored the day in humility. “You don’t need a position to create impact,” he shared. “You just need to plant one seed. And then another.”
One Conference, A Thousand Conversations
As TechHR’25 came to a close, the message was loud and clear: the future of work is a shared project. One that honours tradition, invites innovation, and centres people at every turn.
From logistics to leadership, from tech stacks to trust, every conversation carried the same rhythm: India’s future will not be built by algorithms alone—it will be built by bold, empathetic, future-ready people.