TechHR Pulse Mumbai: People Matters CEO Pushkar Bidwai on mapping the future of work

TechHR Pulse Mumbai 2025 explored HR tech, AI, and leadership execution—highlighting talent, digital transformation, and the ‘sherpa’ mindset.
The future belongs to those who can reimagine, redesign, and relentlessly execute their vision.
People Matters CEO Pushkar Bidwai set the tone for TechHR Pulse Mumbai 2025 when he took to the stage with a powerful opening address.
As business leaders, HR professionals, and tech innovators gathered, the event served as a platform to explore ideas shaping the workplace of tomorrow.
Anchored in the conference’s overarching message – Accelerate Business: Inspire, Design, Execute – Pushkar painted a vivid picture of today’s HR and tech landscape and urged leaders to embrace change.
Mapping the terrain, mapping the future of work
To execute change effectively, however, leaders need to know what’s ahead of them by mapping their terrain.
“When you are in an uncharted territory, you don’t know the landscape. Today, we have Google Maps for everything. But in those territories, none of the maps work. You don’t know whether there’s going to be an avalanche or there’s going to be clear skies. You don’t know how deep the valleys are. You need a guide. You need a sherpa by your side,” he said.
With that, Pushkar presented the groundbreaking study of the HR industry to help leaders along: People Matters’ SHRPA (sherpa).
“What is it that’s making businesses think twice at night? Of course, there is a lot of stuff happening around the tech aspect of it, with Gen AI and agentic AI coming into play,” Pushkar said.
What’s even more exciting is talent: the talent shifts and labor market shifts happening.
“We’ve conducted one of the largest studies on the HR tech landscape, mapping industry shifts and the real challenges leaders face today,” he said.
This research, he explained, provides invaluable insights into the realities of digital transformation and workforce evolution.
Pushkar introduced a compelling metaphor that resonated deeply with the audience: business, tech and talent leaders as sherpas guiding their organisations through the unpredictable terrain of transformation.
“If you take a moment, I’m sure we all would have had some sherpa to play that role. Go back, think – who has guided you through uncharted territory?” he posed to the audience, prompting introspection.
Transformation through execution
Transformation, however, cannot thrive on inspiration alone. Pushkar highlighted the importance of data, research, and strategic planning in designing the future of work.
After all, the future of HR isn’t just about adopting new technologies – it’s also about making the right choices in talent management, change execution, and digital transformation.
Pushkar’s emphasis on decision-making over mere adoption of solutions drove home the point that successful transformation demands thoughtful, well-researched execution.
While many organisations recognise the need for change, execution remains the greatest challenge. Pushkar did not shy away from addressing the roadblocks that hinder successful transformation. One of them is how leaders value talent in this disruptive and volatile business environment.
If we don’t get talent right, no amount of technology will stand on its feet,” he said.
Talent remains the foundation of success, while execution is the challenge leaders must overcome. This stark reality check reinforced the idea that while technology is an enabler, it is ultimately people who drive transformation.
One of the biggest pitfalls in digital transformation, he noted, is the failure to follow through: the Achilles’ heel of most organisations.
“The Achilles’ heel lies in talent management and talent analytics. This is the area where the most progressive organisations are outperforming,” Pushkar said.
His words served as both a cautionary tale and a call to action urging HR and tech leaders to move beyond planning and into execution.
The road ahead: Leadership in action
Pushkar’s address was not merely a theoretical discussion; it was a rallying cry for HR and tech leaders to embrace the ‘sherpa’ mindset, leverage data-driven strategies, and, most importantly, execute transformation with precision.
The key takeaway? In an era of rapid change, success belongs to those who can bridge the gap between vision and action.
As TechHR Pulse Mumbai proves, the HR and tech landscape continues to shift, leaders must not only inspire and design the future – they must boldly execute it.