KIIT School of Management organized its 8th National HR Conclave on 19th August, 2017 on the theme “Beyond HR: Transcending Functional Boundaries”. The conclave was inaugurated by Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Hon’ble Founder of KIIT University and Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS). Dr. Samanta shared his experience and insights about HR being more of practical than conceptual knowledge. He said that HR is the pivot which balances the entire organization.
The first track focused on the main theme of the conclave. The panel comprised of Mr. Ajay Kaul, Ex-President & CEO, Jubilant Foodworks; Ms. Lata Menon, Senior VP – HR; Aegis Ltd.; Mr. Ashok Kumar Mohanty, VP – Strategic Transformation, Business Excellence, Tata Housing & Development; Mr. Tojo Jose, CHRO, Muthoot Fincorp Ltd. and Mr. Sandeep Banerjee, VP – HR, Reliance Infrastructure Ltd. The discussions concentrated on the changing roles of HR leaders in a fast emerging digitalized world. Given the importance and the work values of Gen Z in today’s organization, HR professionals need to capitalize on building human quotient. The panel also discussed the importance of mentoring and coaching for employees.
The second track comprised of Mr. Chandrashekhar Pingali, Founder & Managing Director, ICube Consortium Pte. Ltd.; Ms. Meenaa Sharma, CHRO, Reliance Money; Mr. Chandrashekhar Mukherjee, Group Chief People Officer, SREI Infrastructure Ltd.; Mr. Vivekanand Roy, VP & Head FTTX, Reliance Jio Infocomm and Mr. Umesh Kamath, Director – HR, Robosoft. The theme of the second track was “Impact of Technology on Restructuring Traditional Human Resource Practices”. The panel started the discussion by talking about the relationship between Human Capital and Human Resource Management. The panel felt that at a strategic level despite the all-pervasive nature of technology, human touch would always retain its importance. Hence, the biggest challenge today is the unification of human touch and technology.
The second half of the day commenced with the third track on the theme “New Frontiers in HR and Business”. The panelists of the track were Mr. Himanshu Chakrawarti, CEO, HiCare Services; Mr. Prabir Kumar Ray, Advisor – Strategy and Business Development, Prism Cement, Johnson Tiles and RMC India; Mr. Prashant Srivastava, President – Human Capital and People Excellence, Reliance Group.; Mr. Vijay Sinha, Sr. VP – HR, JSW Energy Ltd.; Mr. Ashish Anand, Director and Head of HR, Religare Finvest Ltd. The panel concurred that with the gradual disappearance of vertical boundaries and the greater use of technology, there emerge new challenges and opportunities for the spectrum of HR in aligning with the larger vision of the organization.
The final session of the conclave had ten informative and interactive workshops with thought-provoking discussions on topics such as Role of HR in Building and Engaging a Virtual Workforce; Sweeping Changes in Labor Legislations; Role of HR in Mergers and Acquisitions.The conclave was one of the three National Level events organized by KIIT School of Management in the areas of HR, Marketing and Finance to bring industry closer to the academia. It provided students with an opportunity to interact with business leaders and policy makers for holistic learning.