BW PeopleTech Future Summit & Awards 2026 to spotlight AI and talent reinvention

BW People is set to host the PeopleTech Future Summit & Awards 2026 on Friday, 12 June at The Radisson, MG Road, Sultanpur, New Delhi, bringing together some of the most influential voices in human resources, technology and business leadership to explore the evolving dynamics of the workplace. This year’s theme, Creating Human-Centric Workplaces, will anchor the conversations, placing people at the centre of technological transformation.

At a time when organisations are rapidly embracing digital transformation, the summit aims to critically examine the growing role of technology in managing people while also questioning its limits. With conversations centred around artificial intelligence, automation and workforce transformation, the event will seek to address a pressing question facing modern enterprises: are organisations optimising human potential through technology, or over-engineering the workplace?

The one-day summit will feature over 80 leaders as speakers and more than 800 senior HR professionals as participants, with keynote sessions setting the strategic tone on the expanding role of AI in HR, the rise of skills-first organisations, digital leadership and the changing expectations of a multigenerational workforce. These addresses are expected to explore how AI is reshaping talent acquisition, performance management, learning ecosystems and workforce planning, while also examining whether technology adoption is truly aligned with business and people priorities.

Building on these themes, panel discussions will offer deeper, practice-led insights into some of the most pressing workplace challenges. Conversations will delve into the future of jobs, the urgency of large-scale reskilling, employee experience in hybrid environments, and the balance between human judgement and machine-led decision-making in people processes. Leaders will also examine the ethical dimensions of HR technology, including concerns around data privacy, algorithmic bias and governance, as well as the broader implications of technology on organisational culture and inclusion.

A key highlight of the PeopleTech Future Summit & Awards 2026 will be its focus on workforce transformation in the age of intelligent systems, with discussions exploring how organisations can build resilient, future-ready talent ecosystems while maintaining inclusivity, trust and human connection. The summit will also reflect on whether certain aspects of work should remain inherently human, even as digital tools become more deeply embedded across functions.

The 2nd Edition of the BW PeopleTech.Future Awards ceremony in the evening will witness innovators and trailblazers in the HR Tech ecosystem receive these coveted honours. The jury members for these awards are Dr Annurag Batra, Chairman and Editor in Chief, BW Businessworld and Founder, Exchange4media; Patnam Dwarkanath, former Chairman, GSK Consumer Healthcare; Dr GP Rao, Founder and MD, GPR HR Consulting; Dr Sanjay Muthal, CEO, ArgoLynx; Salil Kapoor, Director and Co-founder, IOT Labs and Chief Evangelist Consumer Electronics Appliances, ICEA; Amit Malik, Vice President People & Culture, South Asia, Accor; Noor Fathima Warsia, Group Editorial Director, BW Businessworld; Ved Shukla, Founder and CEO, MyloMart and Advisor, BW Retail World; and Bilquis Naqvee, Business Head, BW People.

The event will also feature an impressive line-up of speakers including Raj Kamal Singhal, Chief Executive Officer, Hitachi Systems India; Prem Singh, President Group HR, JK Organisation; Prateek Dubey, CHRO, Mankind Pharma; Kashish Kapoor, Global CHRO, Newgen Software; Dipankar Ghosh, Group Head HR, Apollo Tyres; Krishna Kabra, India Head, Orange GCC; Shantanu Chakraborty, Director, People eXperience & Technology, Amazon India Stores; Praveen Purohit, Deputy Group CHRO, Vedanta Resources; Vivek Ranjan, CHRO, Zensar Technologies; Sushil Baveja, CHRO, Jindal Stainless; Richa Dubey, CHRO, Nayara Energy; Prasanth Nair, CHRO, Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals; Manisha Kadagathur, CHRO, IKS Health; Pradeep Hatgaonkar, Country Head HR, Hitachi Astemo; Abhay Kapoor, Group CHRO, Uniparts India; Ashissh Kapoor, Director HR, EY; Nitin Khindria, CHRO, Omega Seiki Mobility; Radhika Arora, CHRO, Isgec Heavy Engineering; Priyanka Mohanty, Vice President Global Corporate HR & Global Head Talent Management, Startek; Ankur Sharma, Head HR, Aye Finance; Ruchika Bhatia, CHRO, EverEnviro Resource Management; Preeti Ahuja, Global Chief People Officer, Husk Power; Saurabh Deep Singla, Chief People Officer, Hexalog Technologies; Chetna Gogia, CHRO, GoKwik; Rishu Garg, CHRO, DeHaat; and Ruchi Batra, Head HR, Beetel, among others.

The event is expected to attract a diverse and influential audience, including C-level professionals, founders, CHROs, HR leaders, talent acquisition heads, compensation and benefits specialists, L&D leaders, policymakers, academia, HR tech providers, investors and legal experts. This convergence of stakeholders will enable rich, multidimensional conversations on the future of people management.

Beyond thought leadership, the summit will offer an immersive experience through live demonstrations of cutting-edge HR technology solutions, giving attendees a first-hand look at innovations shaping the industry. Participants will also gain access to exclusive research insights, market trends and practical frameworks being adopted by leading organisations.

The evening will also host the 2nd edition of the BW People HR 50Under50 Awards, recognising and celebrating 50 outstanding HR leaders under the age of 50 who are driving innovation, transformation and impact across organisations. The awards ceremony will honour emerging leaders who are redefining the future of HR through bold ideas and progressive people practices.

Networking will remain a cornerstone of the event, with both structured and informal opportunities designed to foster meaningful connections among industry peers. Attendees will have the chance to engage directly with thought leaders, exchange ideas and build long-term professional relationships within the HR and technology ecosystem.

Positioned as one of the most significant gatherings in the HR and people technology space, the PeopleTech Future Summit & Awards 2026 promises to be a platform where ideas are challenged, perspectives are expanded and the future of work is actively shaped.

Click here for more details: https://bwevents.co.in/bwpeople/people-tech-future-conference-2026/