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Day 1 of the SHRM India Conference 2025 opened on an inspiring note, bringing together over 2,400 attendees on-ground and 2,100 participants virtually, marking a powerful start to the two-day celebration of innovation, leadership, and the evolving world of work.
The conference began with a Welcome Address by Achal Khanna, CEO, SHRM APAC & MENA, on the theme "Celebrating Work," followed by a soulful performance, "A Whole New World," by Esther Lalduhawmi Hnamte and a student choir from Ragaaz Studios. The day's highlight was the Keynote Address by Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., President & CEO, SHRM, who shared "A Global CEO's Perspective" on building purpose-driven, inclusive, and adaptable workplaces. A fireside chat with Partha Neog (Vantage Circle) and Manu N. Wadhwa (Sony Pictures Networks) explored how AI and technology are humanizing recognition and driving engagement. Reflecting on the day's success, Achal Khanna, CEO, SHRM APAC & MENA, said, "The future of work is not about replacing humans with technology but empowering people through it. At SHRM India Conference 2025, we are celebrating how AI, empathy, and purpose can coexist to build better workplaces." Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., President & CEO, SHRM said, "India is at the forefront of shaping the future of work--where technology, talent, and purpose converge. As we celebrate work this year, our focus is on empowering leaders to build more inclusive, agile, and human-centered organizations that don't just adapt to change, but drive it." Multiple reports and panel discussions added momentum through the day. SHRM India, in collaboration with Quantiphi and Google Cloud, unveiled "Driving Enterprise Productivity with Agentic AI", while Achal Khanna and Tapan Acharya launched Keka's "Inside India's HR Pay Pulse" report. The LinkedIn-SHRM Playbook Launch, "Talent Strategy Playbook: The Future Starts Now," and the Indeed Fireside Chat, "The Modern Hiring Stack," offered actionable insights into modern talent strategies. Sudhir Gadh, Chief Strategy Advisor, SHRM India, added,"Day 1 has demonstrated that the evolution of HR is already underway. As organizations embrace agentic AI and people-first leadership, the focus is shifting from transformation to true intelligence--where HR becomes a strategic growth engine." A power panel featuring Richard Rekhy (Grant Thornton Bharat) and Sanjeev Jain (Wipro), moderated by Pranjal Sharma, discussed "Leading the Celebration: CXOs on Culture & The New Code of Work." Meanwhile, sessions by SalarySe and Logitech emphasized the importance of financial wellbeing, empathy, and collaboration in today's distributed workplaces. Adding depth to the day were Masterclasses and Learning Tracks exploring AI, leadership, and skills transformation. Highlights included Shaakun Khanna on "Driving HR Excellence Through Agentic AI", Sandeep Alur (Microsoft) on "AI First HR", and sessions by O.C. Tanner, CFA Institute, and ZingHR on culture, skills, and technology. Other power sessions covered topics like leadership derailers (Hogan Assessments), AI adoption (Zensible), social media in hiring (Avvanz), and talent transformation in public sector enterprises (Unstop). The day concluded with a Networking High Tea and Awards Evening, celebrating organizations and leaders driving excellence in HR and business innovation. The SHRM India Annual Conference & Expo 2025 with the theme as Festival of Work, took place on 13-14 November 2025 at Taj Palace, New Delhi. The event will bring together 4,500+ HR professionals and 150+ global speakers to exchange ideas and shape the future of work. SHRM India empowers people and workplaces by advancing HR practices and maximizing human potential.(ANI)
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