Delhi-NCR, Feb 24: XLRI Delhi-NCR, a premier management institution recognised for academic excellence, industry engagement, and policy-focused research successfully concluded VerteX 2026, its flagship CXO Conclave, at the campus. Organised by the Student’s Team of Xplore: CXO Club, the summit centred around the theme ‘The Five-Year Mosaic (2020–2025)’ and brought together senior industry leaders to reflect on systemic leadership, defining decisions, technological transitions, and structural market shifts that have reshaped organisations over the past five years. Designed to bridge academic theory with organisational realities, the conclave created a platform for examining real-world decision-making in high-stakes environments.
The two-day conclave was structured around a grand inauguration, flagship panel discussions, a fireside conversation, CXO podcast sessions, and student interaction forums. The inaugural address by Dr. Munish Thakur, Dean (Academics), XLRI Delhi-NCR, set the thematic tone by underscoring that crises do not merely create challenges but reveal the calibre of leadership. The address emphasised the responsibility of leaders to create coherence amid uncertainty, safeguard human values in an increasingly AI-led landscape, and navigate shifting power dynamics toward society, consumers, and regulators.
Speaking on the successful conclusion of VerteX 2026, Dr. Munish Thakur, Dean (Academics), XLRI Delhi-NCR, said, “The last five years have reminded us that leadership is not tested in stability, but in disruption. Crises strip away titles and reveal character. In an AI-driven and rapidly shifting regulatory landscape, responsible leadership must be anchored in inner conviction, ethical clarity, and human presence. Technology may accelerate decisions, but it cannot replace presence based leadership that inspires trust, resilience, and collective progress.”
A key highlight of VerteX 2026 was the participation of distinguished leaders from diverse industries, representing organisations such as PwC, Bikanervala Foods Pvt. Ltd., Accenture Strategy, Tata Play, GMR Group, Metro Telworks Group, Jio BP, Nxtra Data Ltd., Everest Group, and Cambridge University Press & Assessment. The sessions explored the operational and strategic trade-offs emerging from the global crises of 2020–21, highlighting the need for organisations to demonstrate agility and resilience in an uncertain world. Speakers reflected on how accelerated digital and AI adoption have reshaped corporate priorities, bringing renewed focus to financial discipline, operational adaptability, and human-centred leadership.
The conclave featured four flagship discussions: “When the Music Changed,” moderated by Prof. Sanchayan Nath; a fireside chat titled “Conducting in Real Time”; “When the Decision Couldn’t Be Replayed,” moderated by Prof. Malvika Chhatwani; and “Who Sets the Tempo Now?” moderated by Prof. Narsimhan Rajkumar. Leaders including Lalit Mohan (Partner, PwC), Suresh Goel (CEO, Bikanervala Foods Pvt. Ltd.), Param Puneet Singh (Partner & MD, Accenture Strategy), Sambasivan G (CFO, Tata Play), Subir Hazra (Chief Commercial and Strategy Officer, GMR Group), Bhavik Shah (Group CFO, Metro Telworks), Satyaki Mukherjee (Chief Digital Officer, Jio BP), Deepesh Sirohia (CFO, Nxtra Data Ltd.), Yugal Joshi (Partner, Everest Group), and Priya Sharma (CFO, Cambridge University Press & Assessment) shared insights on navigating irreversible decisions, managing extreme uncertainty, and building psychologically safe environments that foster innovation.
Leaders discussed navigating irreversible decisions amid incomplete information, stressing the importance of emotional composure, psychological safety, and judgment rooted in experience. Conversations further examined the intersections of healthcare, supply chains, consulting, and AI-enabled systems, while analysing shifting power dynamics among consumers, platforms, and regulators. The exchange also contrasted the agility of startups with the structured governance of legacy institutions. The conclave was live-streamed on the official Xplore YouTube channel, extending its reach beyond the campus and engaging a wider audience.