BEYOND DEGREE. BEYOND STREAM. BEYOND CODE.
THE NEW PLAYBOOK OF LEARNING, HIRING, AND EMPLOYABILITY IN THE AGE OF AI
Co-curated by
July 14, 2026 | Radisson Blu, Bengaluru, Outer Ring Road
Register NowAbout Momentum’26
Momentum began as a radical idea. Two years ago, 400+ visionaries from academia and industry convened around a shared conviction, that the long-standing compact between them was ready to be reimagined.
By 2025, the idea had become a reckoning. More voices joined. Global uncertainty was no longer a subject of considered debate. It had become the very atmosphere in which institutions and organizations functioned.
Now in 2026, the reckoning has a shape.
The new era of talent has dawned. Companies are increasingly prioritizing AI-ready talent, and the opportunities for those prepared for this shift have never been bigger.
The programmer who can direct AI is the most sought-after engineer in the room. The analyst who can interpret AI output is the one driving strategy. AI is here to augment human potential, and institutions that prepare students for that reality are the ones that will define the next decade of talent.
A degree still opens the door. But in a world where AI can code, what wins the room is no longer the syntax. It is the purpose with which intelligence is wielded.
Momentum’26 convenes at the center of this transformation, a one-day symposium with a provocation as its compass: Beyond degree. Beyond stream. Beyond code.
This is the inspiration behind Momentum’26, our high-stakes symposium with the country’s most consequential minds.
One day, one room, and one playbook ready to be written: on how India learns, hires, and redefines employability in the age of AI.
The legacy of Momentum: Past edition highlights
changemakers in one room
speakers from across industry and academia
corporates in attendance
academic institutions engaged
hours of industry dialogue and knowledge sharing
marquee panel discussions across the biggest shifts
thought-provoking fireside chats
keynote addresses by distinguished voices
HirePro report launch on college hiring
hackathon registrations (1 nationwide finale)
Revisit the conversations that shaped the discourse
Who should attend Momentum’26
Chief Human Resources Officers
Talent Acquisition Heads
University Relations & HR Professionals
Startup Leaders
Deans of Institutions
College Placement Directors & Officers
University & College Heads of Departments
Momentum’26 is a curated gathering, by invitation, by conviction, for those who hold the future of India's talent ecosystem in their hands.
What awaits you at Momentum’26
Topics for Panel Discussions
Leadership table
A closed-door, invite-only conversation with senior placement directors from India's premier institutions, including the IITs and NITs. These are the academic leaders who shape India’s college talent at its source.
For CHROs and TA heads, this is a different order of access. An exclusive opportunity to engage with the who’s who of Indian academia. And the kind of candid, institutional perspective that does not make it to open forums or conference panels.
Attendance is strictly by invitation. Register your interest at:
jinu.cheeran@hirepro.in
HirePro Report Launch
Momentum’26 marks the release of HirePro's flagship report on the state of college hiring in India, combining sector-wide data, employer intent signals, and insights from the top 1,000 HackVega 1.0 hackathon students. Be among the first to access findings that will shape how companies recruit and how institutions prepare talent for 2027.
HackVega 2.0 Hackathon Finale
HackVega 2.0 is not a coding competition. It is a branch-neutral, AI-integrated problem-solving challenge run across India's top engineering colleges, identifying judgment, adaptability, and real-world capability along the way. Open to the 2026, 2027, 2028, and 2029 batches, the Momentum’26 finale crowns the winners, and activates access to India's most rigorously pre-assessed graduate talent pool.
Featured Speakers
Voices that shape Momentum’26
Ajay Krishnankutty
Head of Talent Acquisition - APJ Region
Siemens Healthineers
Alvin David
Global Head – Talent Strategy
Newgen Software
Ashwini Ramdas
Senior Manager Talent Acquisition
Microsoft
Dr. John Jose
Head, Centre for Career Development & Associate Professor
IIT Guwahati
Mohit Sharma
Global Head – Talent Acquisition
KPMG Delivery Network (KDN)
Mukta Arora
Managing Director
Astellas Pharma GCC
Pankaj Rai
Group Chief Data and Analytics Officer
Aditya Birla Management Corporation Pvt Ltd
Pawan Kumar Chandana
Co-Founder & CEO
Skyroot Aerospace
Rajeev Kapoor
Country Head
Curriculum Associates
Prof. Rajesh Gopakumar
Distinguished Professor and Director
ICTS-TIFR
Dr. Rohini Srivathsa
Board Member, Fellow INAE and INSA
Advisor to Startups on Business & AI Strategy
Rukhsar Julekha
Regional Head of Talent Acquisition- IMEA, Turkey
ABB
Sanjukta Sarkar
Executive Director - HR, Asia Pacific
Collins Aerospace
Seema Padman
Vice President - People, Global Hubs
Flutter Entertainment
Sid Mavinkurve
Regional Leader - People & Culture
Zscaler
Sudeepta Veerapaneni
Chief Innovation Officer
Deloitte South Asia
Prof. Tripti Singh
Professor In Charge - Training & Placement
MNNIT Allahabad
Venkat Kamath
Managing Director and Head
Future Standard India Office
Vineet Dwivedi
SVP - Gilead Capabilities Center
Gilead Sciences
Vishal Bansal
Senior Director and Head of Talent Acquisition
ThoughtFocus
Anshuman Das
CEO and Co-Founder
Careernet Group
Mridul Kumar
Senior Vice President, Products
HirePro
Neelabh Shukla
Chief Business Officer
Careernet
S Pasupathi
Chief Operating Officer
HirePro
Academic leaders joining the leadership table
For a closed-door exchange with industry
Dr. John Jose
Head, Centre for Career Development & Associate Professor
IIT Guwahati
Mr. Kumar Srikanta Nayak
Career Development Officer
IIT Kanpur
Dr. Mayur Vaidya
Faculty In-charge
IIT Hyderabad
Prof. Saumya Singh
Chairperson - CDC
IIT (ISM) Dhanbad
Asst. Prof. Sunita Mishra
Vice Chairperson, Career Development Center
IIT Kharagpur
Prof. Suresh Neelakantan
Professor-In-charge - OCS
IIT Delhi
Asst. Prof. Surya Deo Yadav
Dy Coordinator - Training & Placement Cell
IIT BHU
Prof. Vijayakumar Rajagopalan
Co-Advisor for Placement & Internship
IIT Madras
Prof. Vivek Pancholi
Professor-in-charge, Placement and Internship Cell
IIT Roorkee
Dr. John Jose
Head, Centre for Career Development & Associate Professor
IIT Guwahati
Mr. Kumar Srikanta Nayak
Career Development Officer
IIT Kanpur
Dr. Mayur Vaidya
Faculty In-charge
IIT Hyderabad
Prof. Saumya Singh
Chairperson - CDC
IIT (ISM) Dhanbad
Asst. Prof. Sunita Mishra
Vice Chairperson, Career Development Center
IIT Kharagpur
Prof. Suresh Neelakantan
Professor-In-charge - OCS
IIT Delhi
Asst. Prof. Surya Deo Yadav
Dy Coordinator - Training & Placement Cell
IIT BHU
Prof. Vijayakumar Rajagopalan
Co-Advisor for Placement & Internship
IIT Madras
Prof. Vivek Pancholi
Professor-in-charge, Placement and Internship Cell
IIT Roorkee
Agenda
July 14, 2026 | Radisson Blu, Bengaluru Outer Ring Road
Registration and networking
Arrival, welcome kit collection, and conversations over morning refreshments
Welcome address
CEO and Co-Founder, Careernet Group
Fireside chat
Distinguished Professor and Director ICTS-TIFR
Board Member, Fellow INAE and INSA Advisor to Startups on Business & AI Strategy
Panel discussion
New roles, new frontiers: Inside India's specialization revolution
Managing Director, Astellas Pharma GCC
Country Head, Curriculum Associates
Chief Innovation Officer, Deloitte South Asia
Managing Director and Head, Future Standard India
SVP - Gilead Capabilities Center, Gilead Sciences
Group Chief Data and Analytics Officer
Aditya Birla Management Corporation Pvt Ltd
Panel discussion
Re-imagining talent and skills evaluation for an AI-enabled workforce
Head of Talent Acquisition - APJ Region, Siemens Healthineers
Senior Manager Talent Acquisition, Microsoft
Regional Head of Talent Acquisition- IMEA, Turkey, ABB
Senior Director and Head of Talent Acquisition, ThoughtFocus
Global Head, Talent Strategy, Newgen Software
HirePro presentation
Flagship college hiring report launch
Senior Vice President, Products, HirePro
Spotlight session
Co-Founder & CEO, Skyroot Aerospace
Panel discussion
Purpose-driven careers: When organizational purpose meets individual ambition
Executive Director - HR, Asia Pacific
Collins Aerospace
Vice President - People, Global Hubs
Flutter Entertainment
Regional Leader - People & Culture, Zscaler
Global Head-Talent Acquisition, KPMG Delivery Network (KDN).
Panel discussion
HackVega 2.0 hackathon felicitation
Closing note
Speak at Momentum’26
Momentum's stage is for those with the conviction to challenge convention. If you carry a perspective on what learning, employability, and talent must become in the age of AI, we welcome your voice.
To express interest, reach out to:
jinu.cheeran@hirepro.in
Become a Partner
Momentum’26 brings together the people and organizations shaping how India hires, learns, and builds talent for the age of AI. If your brand belongs in that conversation, let’s talk.
Drop an email to:
abhishek.sarda@hirepro.in
About HirePro
Because the world needs great talent, we make it happen with the unified strength of Careernet, HirePro, Longhouse and MyCareernet.
As an AI-powered recruitment platform, at HirePro, Fearless Hiring is at the heart of everything we do. Our mission is to make the unpredictable world of hiring predictable with our profound expertise, AI technology, and impeccable service.
Established in 2004 and headquartered in Bengaluru, we offer pre-eminent technology platforms and allied services to companies that require expert support to navigate the talent landscape. Serving as the partner of choice for businesses worldwide, we help them fearlessly navigate the intricate phases of the recruitment supply chain.
For more details, visit: https://hirepro.in/