Agile learning in focus at BW People L&D Festival and Awards 2026

BW People will host the Learning and Development Festival and Awards 2026 in Mumbai this February, bringing together India’s senior HR and L and D leaders for a day-long exchange on building resilient, future-ready learning ecosystems.

As organisations respond to rapid shifts driven by artificial intelligence, automation, hybrid work models, evolving workforce expectations and faster skill obsolescence, learning and development has moved to the centre of strategic decision making. The modern HR agenda increasingly demands continuous reskilling, personalised learning journeys and data-backed measurement of learning impact on business outcomes.

The Learning and Development Festival 2026 will convene more than fifty CXOs, CHROs, people leaders and learning practitioners to examine how agile, intelligence-led L and D frameworks can support long-term organisational adaptability and performance. The conference will conclude with the second edition of the BW People Learning and Development Excellence Awards, recognising organisations and leaders driving meaningful transformation in India’s learning landscape.

The festival will feature high-impact keynote sessions, leadership conversations and focused industry dialogues, offering practical insights into how learning can evolve from a support function into a core business enabler.

Speakers at the Learning and Development Festival 2026 include:

• Dr Annurag Batra, Chairman and Editor in Chief, BW Businessworld and Founder, exchange4media
• Krishnan Nilkanthan, Chief Learning Officer, UST
• Sonia Kutty, Senior Vice President - People & Culture, Quest Global
• Dr Rajorshi Ganguli, President and Global HR Head, Alkem Laboratories
• Ruhie Pande, Group CHRO and CMO, Serentica Renewables, Resonia and Sterlite Electric
• Nitu Bhushan, CHRO, Pernod Ricard India
• Dr D Prasanth, CHRO, Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals
• Sanjeeb Lahiri, CHRO, GRP Ltd
• Aditya Sareen, Head of Corporate and Business HR, Tata Power
• Jagmohan Singh Rishi, Global Head of HR, Wockhardt
• Preeti Ahuja, Global CHRO, Husk Power
• Deepak Bharara, Director, People A2Z

The awards will be evaluated by an eminent jury panel comprising experienced HR leaders, coaches and industry veterans:

• Dr D Prasanth, CHRO, Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals
• Rachna Mukherjee, Former CHRO, Schneider Electric India and South Asia and CXO Coach and Mentor
• Maggie Webber, Founder and Managing Director, In the Zone Australia Pty Ltd
• Aadesh Goyal, Former Global CHRO and Head of Sustainability, Tata Communications and Leadership Coach
• Ruhie Pande, Group CHRO and CMO, Serentica Renewables, Resonia and Sterlite Electric
• Ruchira Bharadwaj, CHRO, Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance
• Dr Paneesh Rao, CEO, Paneesh Rao People Advisory and HR Leader and ESG Champion
• Deepak Bharara, Director, People A2Z
• Krishna Raghavan, Chief People Officer, The Nudge Institute
• Dr S Y Siddiqui, Former Executive Advisor, Maruti Suzuki India Limited and SY Siddiqui Consulting
• Jagmohan Singh Rishi, Global Head of HR and L and D, Wockhardt
• Preeti Ahuja, Global CHRO, Husk Power
• Amit Malik, President, Wadzpay Worldwide
• Bhavya Mishra, CHRO, Godrej CapitalDr Sanjay Muthal, CEO, ArgoLynx
• Noor Fathima Warsia, Group Editorial Director, BW Businessworld
• Ved Shukla, Founder and CEO, Mylomart and Advisor, BW Retail World
• Bilquis Naqvee, Business Head, BW People

The Learning and Development Festival and Awards 2026 aims to equip HR and L and D leaders with perspectives to move from reactive training models to proactive, insight-driven capability building. By focusing on agility, analytics and alignment with business priorities, the forum seeks to reinforce learning as a critical lever for organisational resilience, talent excellence and sustainable growth.