Delhi Event report • Events
IFCCI HR Conclave & Awards 2026- AI 360°: The New Architecture of Business & Work
IFCCI successfully organised the 6th edition of its flagship HR event, the HR Conclave and Awards 2026 on February 6, 2026, in New Delhi.
IFCCI HR CONCLAVE AND AWARDS 2026
Theme : AI 360°: The New Architecture of Business & Work
Date: 6th February 2026
Venue: Alliance Française de Delhi, New Delhi
The Indo-French Chamber of Commerce & Industry (IFCCI) successfully organised the 6th Edition of its flagship HR Conclave & Awards on 6 February 2026 at Alliance Française de Delhi, New Delhi. The event convened senior leaders, HR professionals, and experts from the Indo-French business community to examine how artificial intelligence is transforming organisations, leadership, and the future of work.
IFCCI was honoured to welcome H.E. Mr. Thierry Mathou, Ambassador of France to India, as Chief Guest. In his address, he highlighted the forthcoming French Presidential Visit to India and announced the launch of the India–France Year of Innovation (YOI), centred on well-being, sustainability and energy, aerospace, and culture. He also introduced the Indo-French Innovation Platform to support bilateral projects and referenced key initiatives such as the AI & Health Centre at AIIMS, high-level scientific collaborations, the CEO Forum, and participation in the AI Action Summit.
Opening the conclave, Ms. Payal S. Kanwar, Director General, IFCCI, underscored the rapid integration of AI into both personal and professional domains. She noted how organisations are navigating this shift and highlighted AI’s growing deployment across recruitment, talent management, and leadership development.
Welcoming participants to Alliance Française de Delhi, Ms. Patricia Loison, Director, Alliance Française de Delhi, shared updates on AI-led initiatives within the Alliance Française network in India, including the development of an AI tool and a French-language AI chatbot designed to support students coming to India. She also emphasised the broader significance of the India–France Year of Innovation in fostering deeper bilateral collaboration.
The keynote address was delivered by Ms. Aarti Srivastava, Chief Human Resources Officer, Capgemini India, on “From Capability to Character: Defining High-Performing Organisations in the AI Era.” She observed that nearly one-third of large organisations are undergoing transformation at any given time, making agility a sustained leadership priority. She outlined three enablers of successful transformation: empowering individuals, driving cultural change, and measuring impact.
Drawing on Capgemini’s scale of 400,000 employees globally, including 240,000 in India, she shared insights from the company’s nine-month HR transformation journey. Key lessons included balancing global processes with local customisation, leveraging SAP SuccessFactors, ensuring leadership visibility, maintaining continuous communication, and hosting daily “Ask Me Anything” sessions. She concluded by emphasising the importance of addressing fears of irrelevance, celebrating progress, and tracking adoption in real time.
The industry session by Mr. Anthony Gama, AVP – Strategic Workforce Planning, AXA Global Business Services, focused on “Skills as the New Currency in an AI-Driven World.” He traced AXA’s evolution from a traditional BPO to a transformation-focused capability centre and described the changing Global Capability Centre (GCC) landscape. GCCs today, he noted, are emerging as innovation hubs, revenue enablers, and AI-driven solution centres. Emphasising that people remain the true currency of the future, he advocated for a skills-based, technology-enabled framework linking business strategy with execution through structured gap analysis and clear career pathways.
A masterclass on AI and Business Transformation was delivered by Professor Charles Ayoubi, ESSEC Business School. He characterised AI as the defining force of the decade, tracing its development through multiple waves culminating in Generative AI- marked by the fastest adoption curve in history. Comparing AI to a powerful drug, he stressed the importance of understanding its dosage, impact, and side effects. The session examined AI’s implications for HR, highlighted case studies including collaborations with Procter & Gamble, and introduced the “Team + AI” model. He also addressed adoption challenges such as experimentation barriers, identity concerns, and AI-related anxiety, drawing parallels with past technological disruptions.
A CHRO panel followed, featuring Ms. Virginia Aranzazu Bauza Iraola, CHRO Airbus India and South Asia, Head of Bengaluru Site, Airbus; Ms. Ramya Sampath Sharma, CHRO, Saint-Gobain India; and Mr. Rajat Sinha, MD & Head HR India & Philippines GCC, BNP Paribas, moderated by Mr. Ankit Agarwala, Managing Director, Page Group. The discussion explored AI adoption across people functions, focusing on demystifying AI for employees, leadership-led adoption, and responsible AI use supported by governance, ethics, and competency frameworks. Panellists emphasised the need for an end-to-end adoption approach while acknowledging challenges around leadership readiness, trust, and varying levels of AI maturity.
The CEO panel on “AI as a Leadership Agenda – Decision Making” featured Mr. Sandeep Fuller, Chief Executive Officer (Project Services), SYSTRA India, and Dr. Katan Hirachand, Chief Executive and Chief Country Officer, Société Générale India, moderated by Dr. Neelesh Gupta, Partner – Human Capital Advisory Services, Deloitte India. The discussion positioned AI as a strategic leadership priority rather than merely a technological initiative. While AI enhances operational efficiency, pattern recognition, and risk assessment, the panel underscored that it cannot replace human judgment. They also highlighted ROI considerations, board-level mindset shifts, and CEO accountability in steering AI strategies responsibly while balancing innovation with governance and trust.
Ms. Jyotsna Mansukhani, Head – HR & Recruitment, IFCCI, shared a brief overview of departmental activities.
This was followed by the IFCCI HR Awards 2026 ceremony in the presence of H.E. Mr. Thierry Mathou, Ambassador of France to India.
Congratulations to all the winners!
• Culture & Well-being Excellence Award (Large Enterprise): Technip Energies India Limited
• Culture & Well-being Excellence Award: L'Oréal India
• DEIB Excellence Award (Large Enterprise): Capgemini Technology Services India Limited
• DEIB Excellence Award (SME): Trilegal
• Workforce Transformation & Capability Building Award: AXA Global Business Services
• HR Leadership Excellence Award: Ms. Natasha Singh, Director – Human Resources, SBS (India)
• HR Innovation Excellence Award: BNP Paribas India Solutions Private Limited
• Jury Special Award for Exceptional HR Impact: Saint-Gobain India Private Limited
• Jury Special Award for Exceptional HR Impact: Trushape Precision Castings Pvt. Ltd.
The conclave concluded with a Vote of Thanks by Ms. Rishika Roy, Deputy Director, IFCCI, who expressed appreciation to speakers, partners, and participants. The event closed with a networking cocktail.
Thanking our Partners for their support:
• IFCCI HR Committee Knowledge Patrons 2025–26- Air Liquide, SBS, Trilegal
• Institutional Partner- ESSEC Business School
• Event Partners- AXA, Michael Page
• Knowledge Partne- Deloitte
• Venue Partner- Alliance Française de New Delhi
• Experience Partner- Grover Zampa Vineyards
• Gifting Partners- Taroob, Marbelous
