ObserveNow Media successfully hosted the 11th Edition of Education Leaders Conclave & Awards (ELCA) 2025 on August 21–22, 2025 in Hyderabad. The two-day conclave witnessed thought-provoking deliberations on how AI, GenAI, and digital learning innovations are transforming India’s higher education and workforce ecosystem.

The conclave opened with a warm welcome address by Ms. Taniya Tikoo, Co-founder & Editor-in-Chief of ObserveNow Media, who set the tone by underlining how AI will reshape the future of universities and workplaces.

She was joined in the inaugural session by distinguished chief guests including Shri Navin Mittal (Principal Secretary, Energy, Govt. of Telangana & Former Commissioner, Collegiate and Technical Education), Prof. V. Balakista Reddy (Chairman, Telangana Council of Higher Education), Mr. Sudhakar Rao (Director, ICFAI Group), and Dr. Archana Mantri (Vice Chancellor, Anurag University, Hyderabad), who emphasized the role of policy, leadership, and collaboration in driving educational transformation.

The day featured four high-impact panel discussions:

• Panel 1: From Chalkboards to Chatbots: AI-Powered EdTech Trends for the 21st Century, where speakers including Mr. Kali Prasad Gadiraju (Chairman, EThames Business School) and Mrs. Tejshree Abhay Meghnathan (Executive Director, Rajalakshmi Institutions) shared how institutions are moving from traditional classrooms to AI-driven smart learning environments.

• Panel 2: Innovative Pedagogies Powered by GenAI: Shaping Tomorrow’s Workforce Today, with leaders like Prof. B. S. Satyanarayana (VC, Dayanand Sagar University) and Prof. S. Sreenivasa Murthy (Director, IPE India) highlighting how GenAI is redefining teaching-learning methodologies.

• Panel 3: Personalized Learning Journeys: Adaptive Technology, Open Education Resources (OERs), and AI in Education, where Dr. S. Geethalakshmi (VC, Dr. MGR Educational & Research Institute) and others explored the potential of adaptive learning to make education more student-centric.

• Panel 4: Bridging the Digital Divide: How AI and Blended Learning Are Driving Equity in Education, which brought together experts from Telangana’s leading institutions to discuss inclusion and accessibility in the AI era.
  

The evening culminated in the Higher Education Leaders Awards 2025, where outstanding leaders and institutions were felicitated.

Leadership Awards

• Dr. VSK Reddy, Vice Chancellor, Malla Reddy University – Visionary Leadership in Higher Education 2025
• Dr. (Mrs.) Thangam Meganathan, Co-founder & Chairperson, Rajalakshmi Institutions, Chennai – Iconic Women Leadership in Higher Education 2025
• Mr. Abhijit Rao Katikaneni, President, Sreenidhi Educational Group – Iconic Leadership & Institution Building 2025
• Dr. Archana Mantri, Vice Chancellor, Anurag University, Hyderabad – Outstanding Leadership in Higher Education 2025
• Mrs. Riya Punj, Vice President, Sai International School – Iconic Leadership Award in Pre-School Education 2025
• Dr. Sanjay Fuloria, Director – Centre for Distance and Online Education, ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education – Outstanding Contribution in Online Education and Pedagogy 2025
• Mr. Vishal Khurma, CEO, Woxsen University – Outstanding Leadership in Higher Education 2025

Higher Education Category Awards

• Sri Sai University, Palampur – Outstanding University in Training & Placements 2025
• Malla Reddy University, Hyderabad – Outstanding University in Digital Innovation, Technology and Best Practices 2025
• Anurag University, Hyderabad – Outstanding University for Most Innovative Teaching and Learning Processes 2025
• ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education – Outstanding University in Digital Innovation, Technology and Best Practices 2025

Corporate Awards

• Adobe – Outstanding Innovation in AI–ML 2025
• YourDost – Leadership in Emotional Wellbeing and Campus Support
• D2L – Leading LMS Provider of the Year 2025
• PeopleLink Unified Communications – Most Promising Hybrid Classroom Solution Provider of the Year 2025
• ARKANCE – Outstanding Tech Solution Provider for Higher Education 2025
• MyClassboard – Leading ERP Solution Provider of the Year 2025
• Elcarreira Technologies – Outstanding Employability Platform of the Year 2025
• PraSoft IT Services – Outstanding Tech Solution Provider for Higher Education 2025
• Synchroni Global IT Solutions – Innovative IT Solutions & AI in EdTech Excellence

Day 2 shifted focus towards the future of work, skills, and HR innovation, beginning with a keynote address from Mr. Shrikant Sinha (CEO, Telangana Academy for Skill and Knowledge – TASK, Govt. of Telangana). Both speakers highlighted how industry-academia collaboration and skill development frameworks are crucial for preparing India’s young workforce.

The day’s panel discussions covered four critical dimensions:

• Panel 1: Shaping Future Careers: GenAI, Credentialing, and Continuous Skill Enhancement, with speakers like Dr. Sameer Khan (Pro VC, SRM University Trichy) focusing on the need for continuous skilling in an AI-led workplace.

• Panel 2: Entrepreneurial Mindsets: Role of AI in Fostering Innovation and Creativity for Institutional Excellence, where academic leaders discussed nurturing innovation-driven cultures in universities.

• Panel 3: The Skills-Based Hiring Revolution: Redefining Talent, Growth, and the Future of Work, which brought HR leaders from JPMorgan, Apollo Health, Evernorth Health Services, ZF Group, and DuPoInt to discuss how hiring is shifting from degrees to skills.

• Panel 4: Next-Gen L&D: Personalised Learning Journeys for High-Impact Young Talent, featuring voices from Pepsico, Electronic Arts, NTT Data, Pegasystems, Cigniti Technologies, and Vertafore, showcasing how personalized learning frameworks are shaping workforce readiness.

Adding to these academic dialogues were industry presentations by Adobe, ARKANCE, D2L, PeopleLink Unified Communications, ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education, YourDost, Codetantra, Elcarreira Technologies, and Yotta, where companies showcased cutting-edge technologies enabling hybrid classrooms, emotional wellbeing, employability platforms, and AI-led campus solutions.

The summit concluded with the HR Leaders Awards 2025, celebrating HR visionaries who are driving organizational transformation:

• Deepti Varma, Vice President of People eXperience and Technology, Amazon – Excellence in HR Leadership & People Strategy
• Sheela Lawrence, Head L&D, NTT Data – Leadership in Learning & Development Excellence
• Devi Prasad, Chief Human Resources Officer, Apollo Life – Outstanding CHRO Leadership Award
• Mario David, Vice President Organizational Development, JPMorgan – Excellence in Organizational Development & Transformation
• Arun Kumar Sahu, Lead Global People Services, Electronic Arts – Excellence in Global People Services & Employee Experience
• Amit Kumar Soni, Global Head – Learning Solutions, Pepsico – Innovation in Learning Solutions & Capability Development

Wrapping up the two-day event, ObserveNow Media highlighted its mission to foster knowledge exchange and strengthen the bridge between academia and industry.

The 11th edition of ELCA 2025 was not just about discussions but about driving actionable ideas for the future of learning and work. The convergence of educators, policymakers, and industry leaders reaffirmed that AI, when used responsibly, can create equitable, skill-driven ecosystems for India’s next generation.

With 200+ industry leaders, 50+ speakers, and 30+ award categories, the conclave reaffirmed its status as one of India’s most influential platforms for shaping the future of education and workforce transformation.