KIIT School of Management (KSOM) hosted it’s 17th National HR Conclave on the theme, “The Equalizing Effect of Generative AI: Bridging the Skills Gap.” It explored AI’s growing role in democratizing access to skills, knowledge, and opportunity and its far-reaching implications for Human Resource Management.

A Special Convocation preceded the HR conclave, where KIIT DU proudly conferred the Doctor of Letter (Honoris Causa) to Sri Sanjeev Agarwal, CEO & Managing Director – Middle East & India, Protiviti, in recognition of his remarkable contributions and distinguished professional journey. Prof. Saranjit Singh, Vice Chancellor, KIIT DU, conferred the degree on Sri Sanjeev Agarwal. Prof. Saranjit Singh spoke on the impact of AI on education and how KIIT is quickly adapting to it.

In his keynote address, Sri Sanjeev Agarwal emphasized that it is about Humans and AI and not Humans vs AI. He said that with organizations becoming increasingly technology-driven, HR is now at another turning point. The advent of Generative AI is not merely transforming technology but is fundamentally changing how organizations perceive people, skills, work, and resources. His view was that, despite technological advancement, the human element would remain central.

The session also featured the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between KIIT DU and Protiviti, marking a significant step in industry- academia collaboration.

The conclave’s two parallel panel discussions delved deeper into the theme – “AI for All or AI for Few? The Reality of Skill Equalization.” The expert panellists of the first panel discussion were Mr. Prabhanjan Prasoon, Senior Director – Talent Acquisition, Birlasoft; Ms. Vaishnavi Shukla, Vice President HR, Tata Communications; and Dr. Krishna Kishore K, Head, L&D, Lucas TVS Group & Head HR, TVS Green. The panellists of the second panel discussion were Ms. Kiran Singh, Head HR, Mother Dairy Fruit and Vegetable Pvt. Ltd.; Mr. Prashant Rai, Chief People Officer, Spandana Sphoorty Pvt. Ltd.; Ms. Shruthi Mallya, Global People Business Partnering Director, Falkor; Sri Venkatesh P., CEO, Perpetuity Solutions Ltd.; Mr. Karan Bakshi, Director, India and Pacific Region, Cummins Inc.; and Mr. Swadesh Behera, EVP and Chief People Officer, Titan Company Ltd. Across both sessions, panelists debated whether AI is genuinely closing opportunity gaps or creating new ones, with conversations centering on digital accessibility, algorithmic bias, and the need to build inclusive learning ecosystems.

The second half featured interactive workshops with senior HR professionals, reinforcing KSOM’s commitment to industry-academia collaboration and preparing future-ready HR leaders for an AI-driven workplace. The workshops were on topics like AI in HR: From Hiring to High Performance; Impact of Gen Z and Digital Natives on Hybrid; AI for reducing workload and stress; and Employee Voice in AI Implementation.

The HR Conclave successfully connected theory with industry practice. It provided a dynamic platform for students, faculty, and professionals to connect.