Name: 11th Annual ISM-INDIA Conference & Awards 2026
Start: 2026-09-05T09:30:00+05:30
Location: Radisson Blu Plaza Delhi Airport

CONFERENCE AGENDA

One Day. Powerful Conversations. Future-Ready Ideas.

11th Annual Conference & Awards 2026 • 4 September 2026 (Friday) • NextGen Procurement & Supply Chain

Creating Enterprise Value through Intelligence, Sustainability & Resilience

09:30AM5 min

OPENING

Welcome & Opening Address

NextGen Procurement & Supply Chain

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Session Focus

NextGen Procurement & Supply Chain

SpeakerDr. Sandeep Nemlekar

Professor & Chair, Chetana’s Institute of Management & Research

09:35AM15 min

SETTING THE STAGE

Setting the Stage: The NextGen Imperative

Why must Procurement & Supply Chain transform now?

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Session Focus

Why must Procurement & Supply Chain transform now?

SpeakerMr. Vijay Anand

CEO, Shree Techdata Limited

09:50AM40 min

KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Procurement & Supply Chain 2030 — From Cost Function to Enterprise Value

What must change by 2030 to move from strategic value to enterprise impact?

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Keynote Focus

What must change by 2030 to move from strategic value to enterprise impact?

Keynote SpeakerMr. Krishan K. Batra

President & CEO, ISM India

10:30AM60 min

PLENARY PANEL 1

Resilient Supply Networks

How do we build resilient supply networks?

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Key Topics

Managing geopolitical disruptions
Multi-sourcing
Collaboration beyond Tier-1 suppliers

ModeratorMs. Neha Khanna Guglani

Director, Sourcing, West Asia – JLL

Panelists

Mr. Tarun JaggaEx. Procurement Head, Escorts Kubota Limited

Mr. Animesh GuptaVP-Procurement, Varun Beverages Limited

Mr. Vankatesh NunnaDeputy General Manager, ZF Group

Col. Dhruv Raj SirohiSenior Director of Operations, Indian Army

11:30 AM – 11:45 AM

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Networking BreakConnect • Refresh • Exchange Ideas

11:45AM60 min

PLENARY PANEL 2

How do we make AI intelligent, scalable and responsible?

Human Judgment + AI • Data readiness • Responsible AI

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Key Topics

Intelligent Procurement — Human Judgment + AI
Data readiness & responsible AI practices
Adoption & Business Value

ModeratorMr. Brish Bhan Vaidya

Head – APAC & EMEA Strategic Sourcing & Global Category Leader, Uber

Panelists

Ms. Vrushalli JoshiLead – Marketing Services, Media & CMI Procurement, L'Oréal

Mr. Sagar SharmaChief Product Officer, Proconomy.ai

Mr. Suresh PillaiSr. VP, Authbridge

Capt. RiyaGlobal Head of Solution Design and CoE, Sourcing and Procurement, Infosys BPM

12:45 PM – 01:45 PM

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Networking LunchIndustry Conversations • Peer Networking

01:45PM60 min

PLENARY PANEL 3

How do we move beyond lowest cost to enterprise value?

Best Value • Risk • Sustainability • Public & Private Perspectives

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Key Topics

Best Value Over Lowest Cost
Balancing cost, risk & sustainability
Public & private perspectives

ModeratorMr. Umesh Malik

Vice President – RIL (P&C Academy)

Panelists

Mr. Santosh ShuklaCOO, IFFCO MC Crop Science Pvt. Ltd.

Mr. Suresh ShindeGroup Chief Procurement Officer, Adani Group

Mr. Amit SethiAssociate Director, KPMG India

Mr. Sundaresan M RHead- Procurement & Sustainability, Nissan Digital India LLP

02:45PM110 min

PRACTITIONER CASE SESSIONS

How are organizations putting NextGen ideas into practice?

Six focused industry case sessions

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AI in Procurement is Booming — But the Next Shift is from LLMs to SLMs

Mr. Avinash Srivastava
Founder & AI implementor, Contisoft Technologies

Don’t Ask for the Price, Build It: The New Era of Supplier Intelligence

Ms. Poornima Gangwar - Pricing Lead, ChemAnalyst
Ms. Prachi Goyal - Product Manager, ChemAnalyst

Influence of AI in Procurement
Brainbox Innovation Garage

Mr. Rahul Chatterjee — Pre-Sales Head, Brainbox
Mr. R. Tarun Samuel — AI Solution Architect, Brainbox

From Verification to Vigilance: Reimagining Third-Party Risk with AI

Mr. Suresh Pillai
Sr. VP-Business Solutions, Authbridge

Governed Autonomous Procurement: Preparing for 2030 & Beyond

Mr. Sagar Sharma
Chief Product Officer, Proconomy.ai

Divya Drishti 360: Powering the AI Transformation of Enterprise Operations: From Visual Data to Intelligence, Automation & Action

Mr. Yograj Rundhanker
Director, RYM Grenergy

04:35 PM – 04:50 PM

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Tea BreakRecharge • Network • Connect

04:50PM45 min

LEADERSHIP SESSION

The Procurement Leader of 2030

Who will lead the transformation, and how must the leader evolve?

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Session Focus

The Procurement Leader of 2030 — Who will lead the transformation, and how must the leader evolve?

SpeakerMr. Amit Pandey

CEO, Technico Industries

05:35PM25 min

CLOSING SESSION

What should organizations and leaders take forward?

Key takeaways and the road ahead

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Session Focus

What should organizations and leaders take forward?

SpeakerMr. Krishan K. Batra

President & CEO, ISM India

07:00PM4 hrs

AWARDS CEREMONY

ISM-INDIA Annual Awards 2026

Celebrating excellence, leadership, innovation & contribution to the profession

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Celebrating Excellence

Celebrating excellence, leadership, innovation & contribution to the profession.

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ISM-INDIA Awards 2026

Celebrating Excellence in Procurement & Supply Chain Leadership

Nomination Window Closed ＋ View Award Categories

Celebrating Excellence in Procurement & Supply Chain Leadership. Expand any category to view criteria.

1) Pinnacle Lifetime Award This award honours an individual whose lifelong contribution has significantly shaped the procurement and supply chain profession. It recognises enduring leadership, institution-building, and sustained influence beyond organizational boundaries.

25+ years of professional contribution
Industry / national-level impact
Contribution to professional development and thought leadership

2) Leadership Excellence Award This award recognises a senior leader who has elevated procurement or or supply chain from a transactional function to a strategic business partner. It celebrates leadership that delivers enterprise value, strong governance, and stakeholder confidence.

CPO / CXO / Functional Head
Strategic transformation of procurement
Organization-wide influence

3) Procurement Transformation Award This award celebrates organisations that have successfully transformed procurement through integrated changes in people, process, and technology. Emphasis is on measurable outcomes and sustainable adoption.

End-to-end transformation initiative
Documented baseline and outcomes
Demonstrated adoption

4) Value Creation Award This award recognises procurement or supply chain initiatives that created value beyond cost savings. It highlights contributions to innovation, resilience, sustainability, or revenue enablement aligned to business strategy.

Multi-dimensional value delivery
Strategic business alignment
Cross-functional engagement

5) Category Excellence Award This award honours excellence in category management and strategic sourcing through structured strategies and market intelligence. It recognises individual procurement professionals or teams that manage categories as long-term business portfolios.

Defined category strategy
Use of market and supplier intelligence
Risk-adjusted sourcing decisionsRisk-adjusted sourcing decisions

6) AI in Procurement/ Supply Chain Award This award recognises responsible and impactful use of artificial intelligence in procurement supply chain. It focuses on AI applications that enhance decision-making, insights, and performance—not automation alone.

AI used for analytics, forecasting, or risk
Governance and human oversight
Scalable deployment

7) Data & Insights Excellence Award This award celebrates organisations that have built strong procurement intelligence capabilities. It recognises the effective conversion of high-quality data into actionable insights and better decisions.

Reliable spend & supplier data
Insight-driven decision processes
Repeatable analytics

8) Responsible Procurement or Supply chain Award This award honours organisations embedding responsible, ethical, and sustainable procurement or supply chain practices. It aligns with global principles such as ISO 20400 and ESG commitments.

ESG integration in procurement
Supplier sustainability requirements
Ethical governance practices

9) Resilience & Risk Award This award recognises leadership in building resilient supply chains and managing risk proactively. It highlights preparedness, continuity planning, and effective response to disruptions.

Structured risk management framework
Scenario planning and mitigation
Supplier risk governance

10) Supplier Partnership Award This award celebrates strategic supplier relationships that deliver shared value and innovation. It recognises collaboration beyond transactions toward long-term partnerships.

Formal SRM or partnership program
Joint innovation or improvement initiatives
Long-term collaboration model

11) Procurement Team of the Year This award recognises a procurement team that demonstrates excellence in performance, collaboration, and execution. It highlights teams that consistently deliver results while building capability.

Team-based achievements
Cross-functional integration
Sustained performance

12) Talent Development Award This award honours organisations that invest in developing future-ready procurement and supply chain talent. It recognises structured learning, capability building, and career development initiatives.

Structured learning programs
Focus on future skills
Career pathways

13) Rising Procurement & Supply Chain Star (30Under30) Award This award recognizes rising stars under 30 who demonstrate exceptional leadership, creativity, and commitment to the procurement profession.

Leadership Potential: How has the nominee demonstrated leadership?
Innovation & Problem-Solving: What creative solutions has the nominee applied?
Professional Growth: What steps has the nominee taken to advance?
Impact: What contributions have they made to their organization?

14) Public Procurement Excellence Award This award honours public sector organisations demonstrating excellence in governance, transparency, and value for money. It recognises innovation within established procurement frameworks.

Strong governance & compliance
Transparency and fairness
Value-for-money outcomes

15) Women Leadership in Procurement & Supply Chain Award This award recognises an outstanding woman professional who has demonstrated leadership, impact, and influence in procurement and supply chain management. It celebrates excellence in performance while inspiring greater participation and leadership of women in the profession.

Woman professional working in procurement and/or supply chain
Demonstrated leadership and business impact in current or recent role
Role model through mentoring, inclusion, or capability building
Consistent professional growth and ethical conduct

16) Emerging Procurement & supply chain Leader Award This award recognises emerging professionals in procurement and supply chain who have demonstrated exceptional performance, innovation, and leadership potential in their early to mid-stage careers. It celebrates individuals who are creating meaningful impact, driving improvements, and showing strong promise as future leaders in the profession.

Professional experience and career growth in procurement and/or supply chain
Demonstrated contribution beyond assigned responsibilities
Innovation, initiative, and leadership potential

17) Supply Chain Transformation Award This award recognises organisations that have successfully transformed their supply chain operations through innovation, digitalisation, process optimisation, and strategic initiatives. It celebrates measurable improvements in efficiency, resilience, agility, and overall business performance driven by supply chain transformation.

End-to-end supply chain transformation initiative
Adoption of digital technologies and innovative practices
Demonstrated operational and business improvements

18) Best Procurement Consultancy Project This award recognises consultancy projects that deliver measurable procurement impact, innovation, and strategic value for client organisations.