Ashoka School AI Leadership Summit 2026 Highlights
On Monday, September 21, 2026, the Ashoka School of Business (ASB) in Hyderabad, Telangana, convened the Industry Leadership Summit 2026 under the theme “Leadership in the Time of Uncertainty.” The summit brought together senior industry leaders, including representatives from IBM, Genpact, Micron Technology and FedEx, to discuss navigating business uncertainty, AI‑led transformation, workforce preparedness and the future of leadership.
Dr. J. A. Chowdary, Founder & Chairman of the International Startup Foundation and former Special Chief Secretary and IT Advisor to the Government of Andhra Pradesh, opened the event with a keynote stating that the traditional “honeymoon period” of obtaining a degree, awaiting campus recruitment and executing instructions is over. He asserted that AI is disrupting this model and that the future belongs to young people who can identify problems, build solutions and create jobs rather than merely look for jobs. He called for universities to move beyond degrees and credits toward nurturing competence, entrepreneurship, mentorship and real‑world problem‑solving, emphasizing that in the AI era what matters is what one can create, solve and deliver.
Arjun Kumar Nomula, Secretary of Ashoka School of Business, thanked the industry leaders and reiterated ASB’s vision to shape students into future leaders, entrepreneurs and job creators through experiential learning, industry exposure and meaningful engagement with corporate leaders. Dr. Arijit Santikary, Director of ASB, highlighted the summit’s role in bridging classroom learning with real‑world leadership, enabling students to develop confidence, curiosity, adaptability and the ability to navigate complexity.
Leading Through the Fog: Decision‑Making Under Uncertainty
The first panel, titled “Leading through the Fog: The Art of Decision Making and the Way Forward,” was moderated by Ms. Pallavi Singh, Vice President of Genpact. Panelists included Ms. Anuradha A, Executive Director of IBM; Dr. Venkatram, MD and CEO of Seedworks; Mr. Vijaya Kadiyala, Executive Director of DBS Tech India; Dr. U Ram Mohan, Principal Director of Truth Labs; and Ms. Siva, Director of EisnerAmper. The discussion focused on strategic agility, risk assessment and the expanding role of AI and data in corporate decision‑making, stressing the need to blend technology‑driven insights with leadership experience, contextual understanding and human judgement when operating without complete visibility.
Leading People When the AI Map Is Still Being Drawn
The second panel, “Zero Visibility and the Way Forward: Leading People When the AI Map Is Still Being Drawn,” was moderated by Ms. Neha Samantaray, Global Head – Enabler at Micron Technology. Participants were Ms. Barnali Bhattacharjee, Head of HR at FedEx GCS India; Ms. Gaurri Butti, Executive Director – HR at Wells Fargo; Lt. Col. Pragathi Kumar, HR Director at AT&T; and Ms. Cireesha Mailavarapu, Associate Vice President – HR at Sodexo. The HR leaders examined how AI is reshaping job roles, skill requirements and workplace expectations, highlighting the growing importance of continuous learning, upskilling and reskilling. They also emphasized transparent employee communication and leadership approaches that combine technological readiness with empathy and people‑centric management.
The summit concluded with interactive sessions among industry leaders, corporate professionals, academicians and delegates, focusing on building agile, responsible, people‑centric and future‑ready organisations in the AI era. Ashoka School of Business reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening industry‑academia engagement and providing platforms where senior professionals can exchange ideas on emerging challenges and opportunities shaping the future of business.