HBA India Leadership Summit 2026: Commanding the Shift in Hyderabad
A Summit Built Around Bold Leadership
From immersive masterclasses on Day 1 to keynotes, fireside chats, and panel discussions on Day 2, #HBAILS2026 delivered a rich, practical agenda addressing some of the most pressing leadership priorities of our time.
Attendees explored how to lead confidently in an AI-driven world, build influence without formal authority, sharpen business acumen, navigate career reinvention, activate sponsorship, master executive communication, and make the critical shift from functional expert to enterprise leader.
Every session was grounded in a shared conviction: today’s health industry leaders cannot afford to wait for change to be forced upon them. They must command it—with clarity, courage, and community.
Celebrating Our Speakers
#HBAILS2026 brought together an outstanding line-up of leaders and changemakers from across the health industry, who generously shared their experiences, hard-won lessons, and practical frameworks with the audience.
The masterclasses set the tone for Day 1, with Shilpa Sree and Vasantha Nagaraja (AMGEN) unpacking what it means to lead as an AI-ready leader, while Aida Sabo, Roopa Basrur, and Sanjay Vyas (Parexel) explored how to lead confidently in a matrixed world. Rohit Bagadia (Johnson & Johnson) brought sharp perspectives to the Commercial Brain masterclass, while Reshma Parida (Pfizer India) and Ravi Chander Katta (Pfizer) spoke on reinvention and executive presence.
Madhav Patil (BMS) and Jinu Jose (Syneos Health) came together as our networking hosts for the Dinner Gala, The Durbar: The Royal Boardroom, while Suchela Srivatsa (IQVIA; Chair, HBA India Region) led the India Region highlights, the Bangalore, Mumbai, and Hyderabad chapter spotlight, and the awards ceremony.
The summit officially opened with Dr. Deepa Desai (Global Board of Directors, HBA) setting an empowering tone, followed by a powerful keynote from Amitabh Dube (Novartis India) on the leadership advantage. The fireside chat, “Who’s Talking About You When You’re Not in the Room?”, featured Shriya Dutt (BMS) and Pushkar Kulkarni (J&J), moderated by Shalini Madan (Indegene), while Sandhya Kawatra (Amgen) and Swapna Saripalli (Eli Lilly) added rich perspectives on legal and HR leadership throughout the day.
Mary Stutts (HBA) and Aparna Paluri (Accenture Global Network) brought global perspectives to the stage, while Apoorva Aggarwal (ZS) delivered a compelling keynote on the reinvention playbook. The fireside chat on leading under pressure featured Ganpat Anchaliya and Shalini Ramachandran (Novartis), moderated by Saswati Samantara (Novartis), with Priyanka Srivastva (Eli Lilly) and Elizabeth Samuel (Sanofi) lending their voices to the conversation on enterprise leadership.
Rounding out the line-up, Dr. Rachana Acharya (J&J) and Deepika Sinha (ZS) explored oncology leadership and strategic growth, with Deepika also moderating a key panel. Tamika Jean-Baptiste (AMGEN) and Tanusha Dutta (Fortrea) helped close out two unforgettable days of bold, purposeful leadership conversations.
The summit was also proud to welcome members of the HBA APAC Board—Aparna Paluri, Tanusha Dutta, Anoop Santhosh, and Larisa Nagra—whose presence underscored the strength and reach of our regional leadership community.
A heartfelt thank you also goes to our wonderful emcees, Manjali Neharkar, Shilpi Ray, Namrataa Murthy, and Ashwathi Aravindakshan, whose energy and warmth kept the summit flowing seamlessly across both days.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
#HBAILS2026 would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsor partners, whose commitment to advancing women’s leadership in healthcare helped make this landmark summit a reality.
Novartis stood as our Platinum Premier Partner, with ZS joining as our Signature Partner. AMGEN and Indegene came together as our Principal Partners, while Bristol Myers Squibb and Syneos Health co-hosted our networking dinner, The Durbar: The Royal Boardroom.
Johnson & Johnson and Eli Lilly supported the summit as our Gold Partners, while Amgen, Pfizer, Parexel, and HBA powered our Pre-Conference Masterclasses. Rounding out our partnership family, GE HealthCare, Fortrea, and KVALITO Consulting Group joined as our Bronze Partners.
Together, this remarkable community of partners made #HBAILS26 possible.
A Community in Motion
Beyond the sessions, the true energy of #HBAILS2026 was felt in the connections made—new relationships forged, existing networks strengthened, and a shared commitment to advancing women’s leadership across the health industry.
Attendees left with practical tools, renewed perspectives, and a stronger community of peers to lean on.
Congratulations to the winners of the “Reimagine Healthcare 2035” social media contest, who were recognised on stage during the awards ceremony. A special note of appreciation also goes to our dedicated volunteers, who were recognised for their tireless efforts behind the scenes in making #HBAILS26 a resounding success.
Closing the Summit: The Ripple Effect
The summit closed on a powerful note from Mary Stutts, CEO of HBA, who reminded every participant that leadership decisions do not stop with the individual—they ripple outward, shaping teams, organisations, and the patients whose lives depend on the choices health leaders make.
Attendees left #HBAILS26 with a clear, personal commitment: to sponsor others, share what they learned, and return next year having commanded a shift of their own.
HBA India Leadership Summit 2026 was more than a conference—it was a celebration of leadership, collaboration, and possibility, empowering a community of 500+ healthcare leaders to command change and create lasting impact.
Relive the moments from #HBAILS26. Explore the full photo gallery and look back at the connections, conversations, and celebrations that made this year’s India Leadership Summit unforgettable.
