Manipal, Oct 30: T A Pai Management Institute in Manipal, in association with Great Manager Awards by People Business Consulting and Great Manager Academy, has released the Top 65 finalists for the T A Pai Young HR Leader Awards 2026, which is a part of the Great Manager Awards flagship segment. This initiative seeks to identify and nurture the HR Leaders of the future who are shaping the future of work and demonstrating innovation and leadership in organizations across India.
As part of the 11th edition of the Great Manager Awards 2026, around 300 managers have been shortlisted by the People Business team, and the selection process to identify the Top 100 is currently underway through interviews. The eighth edition of the T A Pai Young HR Leader Awards 2026 received over 1,000 nominations from across India. Following a comprehensive and rigorous evaluation process, 65 promising HR leaders have been shortlisted for the next round, which will involve a jury comprising CEOs and CHROs. The final Top 30 Young HR Leaders will be selected through this round and announced at the Great Manager Awards ceremony scheduled for December 2026.
The orientation for the shortlisted 65 HR leaders began with a welcome by Mr. Rahul Mahajan, Country Head- Great Manager Awards, from People Business, who congratulated all attendees on their achievement. He spoke about how the program is designed to identify and develop the future HR leaders of India, who may become the future CHROs of large organizations, and positively disrupt organizational performance and success.
Dr. Sandeep Krishnan, CEO of People Business, spoke about the intention and journey of this initiative, commenting,
“The TAPMI Young HR Leaders programme rests on two cornerstones: credibility and contribution to the HR fraternity. Our evaluation process is designed to ensure neutrality and fairness, while recognising professionals who demonstrate business impact, innovation, community contribution and leadership. The larger objective is to nurture a generation of HR professionals who can become role models and lead the function forward.”
Dr. Debasis Pradhan, Director of T A Pai Management Institute, highlighted TAPMI’s vision of creating responsible, compassionate and competent leaders.
“At TAPMI, we recognise that preparing future global leaders goes beyond equipping them with technological skills. As AI reshapes the workplace, our responsibility as educators is to nurture critical thinking, resilience, active listening and responsible decision-making. We must encourage students to question AI-generated outputs, assess information critically, and lead with transparency and credibility. The future of management education lies in combining technological competence with human judgement and leadership.”
Ms. Prajakta Kanaglekar, Global CPO, Racket Symphony and first edition winner of 2019, said,
“HR leaders must never underestimate the power of their influence, because decisions on hiring, performance, compensation and promotions can profoundly shape people’s lives. It takes courage to challenge the status quo and speak up when it matters, even when silence feels easier. Ultimately, success is not defined by recognition, but by the stronger, more inclusive and capable organisations we leave behind.”
Dr.C Jayakumar, EVP& CHRO, Larsen and Toubro and the National President, NHRD Network, also contributed depth to the session, saying,
“HR leaders must understand the tectonic shifts reshaping business: geopolitical realignments, artificial intelligence and demographic diversity. The expectations from HR have evolved beyond headcount and metrics to leadership pipelines, productivity, agility and business readiness. Future HR leaders must combine business acumen, digital fluency, analytical ability and the courage to challenge leadership with evidence, while keeping fairness, empathy and accountability at the centre.”
Empowering the Next Generation of HR Leaders
In the weeks ahead, the leaders selected for the final round will undergo assessments and interactions with diverse jury members, culminating in the announcement of the Top 30 Young HR Leaders at the Great Manager Awards Ceremony scheduled in December.
TAPMI and People Business have a tradition of strengthening the leadership ecosystem in India by developing HR professionals who are ready for the future and are capable of creating impact in organizations and society at large.
