The Leadership Federation successfully concluded the 5th Edition of the GCC Leadership Conclave on 21–22 January 2026 at the Hyatt Pune, marking the largest edition of the conclave to date with over 1,000 participants, including 120+ CXOs and senior global leaders from across industries.
Event Partners & Governance
The conclave was delivered through the support of key strategic partners, highlighting strong commitment to the Global Capability Centre (GCC) ecosystem:
- Title Partner: Regalia Business Parks
- Platinum Partner: IDFC First Bank
- CXO Dinner Partner: ACKO for Business
- Additional partners included Bits Pilani, Business Core Solutions, Orcapod (GCC Recruitment Partner), XOXO Day, TRC Consulting, Incentivate Solution, and Light House Learning & Guidance Tamil Nadu.
The Leadership Federation Advisory Board offered strategic guidance in shaping the agenda. Members included senior GCC leaders such as Dr. Rajesh Puneyani (VP & GCC Site Leader, Kenvue Solutions India), Srinivas Sampath (VP R&D Site Leader, Upland India), Monica Pirgal (CEO, Bhartiya Converge), Kaushik Das (Seasoned GCC Leader), Robin Joffe (CEO & Founder, NXT Horizon) and Vaishali Wagle (Founder & CEO, Zenesse).
Opening Sessions & Key Addresses
- Chief Guest: Mr. Vikram Kulkarni, Head — HSBC Technology India, spoke on how Global Capability Centres are driving digital transformation and strengthening global operating models.
- Keynote Address: Mr. Sandeep Poddar, Chief Architect, Kimberly-Clark, highlighted emerging technology shifts, innovation priorities, and the importance of architectural leadership for enterprise-wide transformation.
Over the two days, the conclave featured CXO panels, leadership talks, and fireside conversations with industry stalwarts including Manish Gupta (Regalia by Hiranandani), Deepak Malkani, Rajesh Menon, Sunil Modi, Amita Karadkhedkar, Dr. Anuradha Bhatia, Ajay Wadhwa, Vishal Bhasin, and many others. These sessions explored real-world leadership challenges and lessons from running GCCs at a global scale.
Focus Themes & Discussions
The 2026 conclave’s agenda centered around several strategic themes critical to the future of Global Capability Centres:
- GCCs evolving as global innovation & excellence hubs
- AI acceleration, automation, and technology modernization
- Future-of-work leadership and talent transformation
- Digital public infrastructure and policy competitiveness
- Risk governance, resilience, and transformation readiness
These topics were explored through roundtables, master sessions, policy dialogues, and interactive discussions designed to foster collaboration and strategic insight.
Leadership Excellence Awards 2026
A highlight of the conclave was the Leadership Excellence Awards, recognizing outstanding contributions in various domains within the GCC ecosystem. Winners included leaders and organizations across technology, operations, transformation, innovation, and talent. Some notable awards included:
- Strategic Value Leader of the Year: Deepak Malkani
- Global Services Leadership Excellence: Sandeep Kulkarni
- Innovation & Transformation Leader: Manish Jain
- Talent Acquisition Leader of the Year: Kapil Kella
- AI Innovator of the Year: Velodynamics
- Visionary Woman Leader: Supriya Shete
- Most Promising EdTech Startup of the Year: Profluent Labs
- Best Digital Transformation in Banking: IDFC First Bank Ltd
Looking Ahead
Building on the momentum of this milestone edition, the 6th Edition of the GCC Leadership Conclave is scheduled to take place in Bengaluru in April 2026, continuing the mission to advance GCC leadership, innovation, and global excellence
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