A community that is uniquely positioned to identify, nurture and reward a new generation of leaders: A visionary entrepreneur, a cutting-edge thought leader, or a passionate changemaker.
What’s the next wave of innovation that a visionary entrepreneur will need to leverage in order to rewrite the innovation playbook? What is the next stream of ideas and insights that a cutting-edge thought leader will need to reimagine the future?
It is within this paradigm of innovation and practices that a community like ‘NEXT’ comes in. This initiative by Onsurity — a healthtech company providing monthly and comprehensive employee healthcare benefits to SMEs and startups — is built on the foundation of People, Culture, Tech, and Ideas. NEXT is India’s first hybrid community for leaders, entrepreneurs and technophiles.
ET Spotlight“The future of work belongs to those who shape ideas, lead with purpose, and drive change in their communities. They thrive at the intersection of people, technology, and culture, building platforms for the next generation of innovators. With NEXT, we empower community members to seize the spirit of our times and shape the ‘next’ era of work, technology, and workplace values,” said Kulin Shah, Co-founder, Onsurity. The Four Pillars of NEXT
- People NEXT: People NEXT celebrates impactful individuals, both within and beyond their work, recognising their successes and failures.
- Tech NEXT: As a key pillar of the NEXT community, Tech NEXT seeks to not just capture the tectonic shifts in the tech world, but also the workings of the stellar minds behind them.
- Culture NEXT: If tech is the mind of the futuristic era of innovation for organisations, its heart belongs to a rapidly evolving culture-scape with people at its core. Built with tomorrow’s organisations in mind, Culture NEXT could be the next leap of faith in fostering growth, breaking the shackles of workplace orthodoxy and respecting the values of empathy, care and dignity.
- Ideas NEXT: At its core, Ideas NEXT is built to cater to spaces developing new products and services, improving the operations of organisations, or cultivating a culture of creativity and experimentation.
People NEXT: CHROs that are Breaking the Box
What could be better than celebrating the heartbeat of any organisation in the inaugural edition of NEXT?
Individuals drive the flow and momentum of an organisation, shape its ideologies and conversations, and power its energy and ethics. They breathe life into workplaces, elevating and transforming them from being masses of steel and concrete into an ecosystem of passion, perseverance and dreams.
The first edition of People NEXT showcases the journeys of 10 successful leaders, who have not only refused to be boxed into any stereotype but have indeed walked the extra mile to place people at the forefront of ideas, innovation and impact.
Setting a benchmark in steering a people-first culture: Meet the visionary CHROs
Edited excerpts from People NEXT
- Abhishek Mehrotra, Chief Human Resources Officer, Yubi
Abhishek believes that the role of an HR leader is multi-faceted and involves investigating the root cause of ‘people’ problems and offering solutions based on business context and facts. In an exclusive interaction with NEXT, Mehrotra discussed the intricacies of change management, tech-based HR practices, and the importance of employee experience in his organisation.
- Babu Vittal, People Success Leader
Thanks to an increasing number of start-ups around the world, employee expectations are constantly changing, and HR leaders such as Babu embrace the winds of change with grace, resilience, and creativity. In a chat with NEXT, Vittal shares his valuable insights on workforce transformation, work ethic, and the HR verticle’s contribution to employee well-being.
- Kartik Rao, Group Chief People Officer, Good Glamm Group
When it comes to leveraging technology to amplify employee wellness, no one does it better than Kartik, a vibrant Chief Human Resources Officer in every sense of the term. In his experience, over the years, the ability to manage people instead of managing work has been the biggest mental model shift in terms of leadership. At present, he is on this journey of understanding what it means to be a manager and a balanced one at that.
- Ketan Krishna, Chief Human Resources Officer, Rentomojo & People Advisor, YourNest Venture Capital
There’s always room to learn, unlearn, and relearn things, especially in a world that’s changing so rapidly. Apart from being an HR practitioner, Ketan is also a tech aficionado and upholds a philosophy that each generation brings unique insights, experience, and perspective. Today, the role of HR doesn’t just revolve around managing administrative tasks. The current business scenario demands HR professionals to wear multiple hats to deliver value to businesses on both, strategic and operational levels.
- Nirav Jagad, Chief Human Resources Officer, SUGAR Cosmetics
Nirav firmly believes that developing or adopting a cutting-edge HR tech product can be pathbreaking for people success leaders today. The HR team at SUGAR Cosmetics is constantly working on leveraging data to enable communication and add value to it. They use data analytics and predictive analysis to understand the needs of the workforce better and build on strategies that suit their employees’ needs.
- Roma Bindroo, Chief Human Resources Officer, Zepto
Curious and relentless in her pursuits, Roma has been a catalyst across all the roles that she has played — a leader, a mother, and a mentor. According to her, organisations must adapt to the changing expectations of their talent irrespective of the format – full-time employees, extended workforce, or gig workers. Today, talent across the board is looking for learning, growth, and empowerment to attain their goals.
- Saket Dwivedy, HR Head, Arzooo
Efficiency, proactiveness, and observance are some of Saket’s many admirable qualities. Whether it’s about leading people with awareness or driving technology for employee wellness, this HR Head is well prepared for everything the future holds.
- Santana Ramakrishnan, Chief Human Resources Officer, DealShare
Santana firmly believes that in the last decade, technology has become an integral part of how we interact with people, conduct business, and handle data. As an HR professional, it is important to be able to leverage technology to not just drive outcomes but table issues and improve the dialogue.
- Satyadeep Mishra, Chief Human Resources Officer, CleverTap
According to Satyadeep, the most important aspect of creating a people-centric culture is to perform leadership duties while respecting every individual in the organisation. He believes the only way HR managers and leaders can embrace inclusivity and diversity is when they treat their employees with dignity and empathy.
- Sheetal Bhanot, Chief Human Resources Officer, Infra.Market
Technology combined with People analytics will help HR go beyond the conventional approach so that they can deploy high performing teams to achieve their goals. No matter the changing times, HR will always put people first, favour people over policies, and implement technology only to simplify the lives of the workforce. If there’s anyone who believes this to the T, it’s Sheetal Bhanot.
In a world driven by ideas, innovation, and the power of people, NEXT by Onsurity brings you a unique platform that brings together people from diverse backgrounds.
These exceptional leaders are at the forefront of reimagining the future of work, leveraging technology, nurturing culture, and shaping impactful ideas.
To delve deeper into the stories shared by these remarkable CHROs, visit here and join the NEXT community. Discover the pulse of the future and unlock the potential of your organisation.
