THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

BHUBANESWAR, SEPTEMBER 13, 2026

Artificial Intelligence will transform the nature of work rather than simply replace jobs, eminent HR leaders said at the annual HR Conclave 2026 — NIRMITI hosted by International Management Institute (IMI), Bhubaneswar, here.

The conclave brought together senior HR professionals and industry leaders from across the country to deliberate on AI, emerging technologies, changing job roles, curriculum redesign and the skills required to prepare management graduates for the future workplace.

In his inaugural address, IMI Bhubaneswar Director Prof Amit Sareen stressed the need to align academic curricula with evolving industry requirements and prepare students for an AI-driven workforce while ensuring that ethics and human values remain essential guardrails.

Dean Academics Prof (Dr) Supriti Mishra underlined the changing expectations of employers and called for greater emphasis on problem-solving, Artificial Intelligence, design thinking and human-centric capabilities to ensure students remain prepared for emerging careers.

The keynote address was delivered by Asutosh Rath, Executive Director (Human Resources), NALCO, who challenged the widespread perception of AI as a threat to employment.

Drawing parallels with the emergence of computers decades ago, Rath said technological advances have historically transformed existing jobs, simplified tasks and created new forms of work.

The first panel discussion, on "Track-based Curricular Revamp — Implications and Opportunities", brought together Ashish Banka, Vice President-Human Resources, Algoworks; Samriti Malhotra, Chief Human Resources Officer, UDS Group; Durga Prasad Nayak, Chief Human Resources Officer, Aster DM Healthcare; Rabi Agrawal, Head of Talent Acquisition, Cashfree Payments; Amritapa Banerjee, India Head-Human Resources, EFS Facilities; and Roy Joseph, Vice President-Human Resources, MRF.

The panel examined the competencies and mindsets required by management graduates to navigate an increasingly dynamic job market. Speakers highlighted the importance of industry-relevant curricula, AI and analytics, emotional intelligence, experiential learning and critical thinking.

They also stressed the need for graduates to prioritise competence and long-term career growth over immediate compensation, while developing entrepreneurial and problem-solving mindsets. Agility, resilience, ownership, trustworthiness and the ability to learn from failures were identified as key attributes of future-ready professionals.

The second panel focused on "Job Disruption Due to AI: Collaboration or Competition?" and featured Rahul Sharma, Associate Director-People and Culture, GT Bharat; Amit Singh, Vice President-People and Culture, Group Bayport; Prakash Panda, Head-HR, McNroe Consumer Products Pvt Ltd; Swapnil Shendage, Senior Talent Acquisition Manager, Trinamix; Surya Mukherjee, Senior Vice President-Human Resources, InCred Finance; and Romsha Sharma, Head of HRBP, Last Mile, Hyperlocal and Dark Stores, Shadowfax.

The discussion explored how rapid technological advances are reshaping recruitment models, task automation and workplace dynamics.

Panelists said AI is increasingly capable of handling routine execution and administrative tasks but remains a collaborator rather than a substitute for human intellect. Moral reasoning, emotional intelligence and complex strategic judgement, they noted, continue to require distinctly human capabilities.

The speakers emphasised that professionals seeking to remain relevant in the evolving job market would need to combine deep domain expertise with practical exposure to AI and emerging technologies.

The third panel, "Digital Transformation in Learning & Development — Emerging Trends and Future Directions", featured Varinder Singh, AVP and Head-HR, Juniper Green Energy; Kamaljeet Kour, Senior Manager-Talent Engagement, Infosys; Moiz S Bardawala, Fulfilment IQ; Kabir Singh, Senior General Manager, AIPL; Ankit Sharma, L&D Head, SMC; and Rishika Verma, Senior Manager-Talent Academy, Niva Bupa.

The panel explored the effectiveness of digital investments in learning and development and stressed that digital transformation should focus on building future-ready capabilities rather than merely maintaining conventional training calendars.

Speakers discussed AI's dual role as an automation engine and a thought partner, cautioning employees against blindly accepting AI-generated outputs. They emphasised the importance of asking the right questions, critically evaluating responses and applying human judgement.

The discussion also highlighted the emergence of modern learning ecosystems that offer accessible, personalised and technology-enabled learning journeys. Speakers said training programmes should be linked to measurable business and employee outcomes rather than being treated as a compliance exercise.

For future professionals, high emotional intelligence — including self-awareness, empathy and social skills — was described as increasingly important alongside the ability to learn, unlearn and relearn.

The conclave concluded with a strong call for closer academia-industry collaboration to address the disruptions caused by AI, redesign management education and equip young professionals with the skills needed to navigate the future of work.