The SRIF HR Summit 2026, held on March 28 at the Vijay Patil School of Management in Navi Mumbai, gathered over 200 HR professionals and business leaders to discuss the future of hiring and the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in human resources. The summit, organized by the SRF Staffing and Recruitment Industry Federation (SRIF), featured a keynote address by Harjeet Khanduja, Senior Vice President - HR at Reliance Jio, who highlighted the significant shift in power dynamics between employers and talent. He proposed a framework focusing on reputation, culture, and leadership as key to attracting and retaining talent.

Panel discussions revealed that organizations often fail to recognize capable candidates due to rigid job descriptions and slow hiring processes. Experts advocated for a more flexible approach to talent management, emphasizing the importance of culture and growth opportunities over compensation. The second panel addressed the integration of AI in hiring, stressing the need for governance frameworks to prevent issues like algorithmic bias and loss of human judgment. The summit concluded with a call for HR professionals to rethink their strategies and embrace a people-first mindset in technology integration, leaving participants with critical questions to ponder as the industry evolves.