POWERGRID HR Tech Conference spotlights humane leadership and a future-ready workforce

The POWERGRID HR Tech Conference 2025, held in partnership with SHRM, kicked off with a clear theme: organisations need leadership that values people as much as it values technology. Senior executives and HR thinkers emphasised that AI-driven workplaces must still keep empathy, fairness and opportunity at the core.

Delivering the keynote, Dr. Yatindra Dwivedi, Director (Personnel), POWERGRID, urged companies to move past the idea that humans and machines function at odds. He pointed to POWERGRID’s work with MCP-based systems and said innovation is already pushing conversations from AI to quantum intelligence. According to him, the gathering was meant to bring together ideas that help leaders build resilient and inclusive work environments.

SHRM highlights industry-wide collaboration

SHRM leaders outlined why public and private sector partnerships matter right now. Achal Khanna, CEO – SHRM APAC & MENA, shared that the tie-up with POWERGRID is creating fresh learning pathways for public-sector enterprises. She noted that the partnership brings new insights to HR teams navigating modern workplace challenges.

Sharing a broader digital view, Sudhir Gadh, Chief Growth Officer and Strategic Advisor – SHRM APAC & MENA, said digital systems act as a backbone for organisational progress. He stressed the need for unified talent efforts as India builds its next generation of infrastructure and services.

Sector insights and leadership lessons

Former Softbank India executive Manoj Kohli offered a deep dive into global trends shaping energy and infrastructure. He said India’s power sector has shown remarkable endurance and must now focus on competition, updated workforce skills, advanced technologies such as HVDC and BESS, and agile work culture. His message was simple: the future of energy depends on people working smartly with technology.

In his inaugural address, Dr. R. K. Tyagi, Chairman and Managing Director, POWERGRID, said the country’s power sector remains central to economic advancement. He highlighted the need for urgent HR renewal to address talent gaps, reinforce diversity, and prepare employees for global benchmarks.

Inclusion, succession and the future of talent

A fireside chat with Rashmi Govil, Director HR, IOCL, unpacked the everyday challenges of building fair workplaces. She stressed the importance of recognition, equal access and leadership behaviour that encourages belonging. Govil also warned that organisations must be mindful of subtle biases in work allocation and talent visibility.

A panel featuring Varun Kejriwal, Krishna Kumar Singh, Uttam Lal and Dr. V. K. Singh focused on succession planning. The group called for sharper talent identification, steady skill development and policy-level planning. They also cautioned that while analytics supports decision-making, leadership growth still depends on thoughtful human judgment.

India’s shift to a data-forward economy

In a CEO-focused conversation, Hitesh Oberoi, MD and CEO of Info Edge India, spoke about India’s move from digital-first systems to data-led platforms. He noted that AI skilling, PSU-led capability programs and stronger compute resources are essential for India to build competitive AI products.