RAI HR Tech 2026 Summit Brings Industry Leaders Together to Reimagine Retail Workplaces
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 27: In an era defined by rapid technological change and evolving consumer expectations, the retail sector continues to balance innovation with human connection. On 23 January 2026, the Retailers Association of India (RAI) hosted the 3rd edition of the Retail HR Tech Summit in Mumbai, bringing together Retail HR leaders to reflect, collaborate and lead change. Anchored in the theme “Work. Tech. Transformation – People First, Tech Forward,” the summit served as a focused platform to address industry challenges while exploring how technology can meaningfully enhance the retail workplace.
Speaking about the theme of the Retail HR Tech Summit, Kumar Rajagopalan, CEO, Retailers Association of India, said, “Retail has always been a people-first industry, and technology today is enabling us to be far more intentional about how we build those teams. At a time when scale, service quality, and consistency matter more than ever, the ability to hire the right individuals and nurture them — aligned to both capability and culture — has become a strategic priority. Retail HR tech is no longer just about efficiency; it is about strengthening the human foundations of the industry.”
The highlight of the summit was the Keynote Address by Neelmani Singh, Group Head, Learning and Head, Global Centre for Leadership (Gyanodaya) Aditya Birla Group. During the address, he expressed, “Retail is one of the few sectors where technology and human capability intersect at scale, every day, on the shop floor. HR tech today must move beyond automation to augmentation—building skills faster, enabling better decision-making, and creating consistent employee experiences across formats and geographies. In a people-intensive industry like retail, the real value of AI and digital platforms lies in how effectively they support learning, leadership development, and frontline empowerment. Organisations that get this balance right will be the ones best positioned for sustainable growth.”
The day-long summit had various panel discussions with HR leaders deliberating on some critical discussion such as “Capability First: Crafting the New Retail Workforce”, “Lets Debate: HR Vs Tech: Which better serves the future of retail?”, “From HR To HX – Crafting the Human experience through technology”.
Retail HR leaders speaking at the summit included, Darshan Thakkar, VP – Retail HR Head, Aditya Birla Lifestyle Brands Ltd.; G. R. Venkatesh, CHRO, Reliance Retail Ltd.; Harsh Aparanji, CHRO, Landmark Group; Kapila Rathod, Customer Care Associate & GM – HR, Shoppers Stop Ltd.; Mahesh Kudtarkar, Vice President – HR, Reliance Digital; Nandini Mehta, CHRO, Metro Brands Ltd.; Robin Sharma, VP – HR, Croma (Infiniti Retail Ltd.); Rohith Kumar, CHRO, Arvind Fashions Ltd.; Sandhydeep Purri, People Leader – HR Transformation Leader, Westlife Foodworld (McDonald’s); and Sulabh Kulshreshtha, Head – HRBP, bigbasket. among others.
G R Venkatesh, CHRO, Reliance Retail Ltd, said, “At scale, people decisions stop being intuitive and start becoming systemic. Technology helps HR move from reacting to issues to anticipating them, whether that is frontline readiness, internal mobility, or leadership depth. The real upskilling for HR today is learning how to combine human judgement with data discipline.”
Darshan Thakkar, VP – Retail HR Head, Aditya Birla Lifestyle Brands Ltd, added, “Retail talent is no longer linear. Careers are stitched together across roles, formats, and skills. HR leaders need technology not to automate people, but to design more fluid and responsive career pathways. Upskilling today is about enabling agility without losing the human context.”
Nandini Mehta, CHRO, Metro Brands Ltd, commented, “Strong cultures do not emerge by chance. They are enabled by consistent systems, feedback loops, and leadership behaviour. HR technology helps create that consistency. Upskilling as a people leader means using these tools to reinforce values, not dilute them.”
Harsh Aparanji, CHRO, Landmark Group, said, “Modern people leadership sits at the intersection of analytics, technology, and empathy. While data and digital tools empower HR to design more informed and predictive decision models, their true value emerges only when applied alongside deep human understanding. This shift calls for HR leaders to rapidly upskill, rethink traditional approaches, and lead with both insight and empathy.”
Rohith Kumar, CHRO, Arvind Fashions Ltd, said, “The future of HR lies in precision. It is about understanding which interventions matter, where they matter, and for whom. Technology helps HR leaders separate signal from noise. Upskilling is essential to remain relevant in how we diagnose, design, and deliver people solutions.”
About the Retailers Association of India (RAI)
The Retailers Association of India is the unified voice of Indian retailers, representing a wide spectrum of retail formats across the country. RAI works closely with industry stakeholders and policymakers to create a favourable ecosystem for retail growth, while driving knowledge-sharing, best practices, and leadership development across the sector.
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