HRKatha Rising Star Leadership Awards Spotlight India’s Emerging HR Visionaries

The HRKatha Rising Star Leadership Awards 2025 concluded its inaugural edition in New Delhi on 31 October 2025, celebrating the next generation of HR leaders poised to shape the future of people strategy across India. Designed to recognise exceptional early- and mid-career professionals, the awards highlight individuals who are driving meaningful organisational impact through innovative HR practices.

HRKatha Rising Star Leadership Awards 2025

The debut edition drew an impressive 129 entries from across India over two months, of which 59 professionals were honoured. Candidates were evaluated based on innovation, strategic impact, and cross-functional collaboration—reflecting a shift in how HR is emerging as a co-architect of business transformation.

A High-Calibre Jury

The jury panel brought together some of India’s most respected HR and business leaders.
Chaired by Sandip Ghose (MD & CEO, Birla Corps) and co-chaired by Ramesh Mitragotri (Group Executive President – HR, Aditya Birla Group), the distinguished panel included senior leaders from organisations such as Reliance Industries, GAIL, Vedanta Aluminium, KPMG, Edelweiss, Bata India, and others.

The panel emphasised creativity and measurable business value over scale. In many cases, scores differed by only 0.2 to 0.5 points—highlighting the depth of competition and the strength of the entries. Jury members praised the participants for demonstrating how HR is evolving from a support function to a strategic partner catalysing innovation, agility, and growth.

Winners Across Categories

Awardees were recognised across numerous categories including Business Catalyst, Culture Bridge Builder, Experience Wizard, HR Technovator, Rewards Guru, HR Trailblazer, Happiness Ambassador, Talent Magnet, Transformation Titan, Shop Floor Diplomat, and Young HR Turk.

Key winners include:

• Anil Kumar Sagiraju, Amara Raja Energy & Mobility – Business Catalyst
• Meenakshi Thakur, Bharat Aluminium Company – Culture Bridge Builder
• Varun Jain, HSBC – HR Technovator
• Lionel Paul David, Watertec India – HR Trailblazer
• Akhilesh Rai, Maruti Suzuki – Shop Floor Diplomat
• Sumit Rastogi, HyFun Foods – Talent Magnet
• Richa Alagh, Axis Max Life Insurance – Transformation Titan

The recognition extended to first and second runners-up as well as finalists from leading companies such as Reliance Retail, Wipro, Novartis, Dr Reddy’s, JSW Cement, UltraTech Cement, Accenture, and Microsoft.

A Boutique Format with Deep Dialogue

Unlike large-scale award shows, the event was intentionally designed as a more intimate gathering, encouraging meaningful conversations on innovation, technology integration, measurable talent outcomes, and the evolving role of HR.
Winners and jury members engaged in thoughtful discussions that explored real-world challenges and practical, high-impact solutions.

Senior industry leaders reflected on the event’s significance. They praised the platform for recognising emerging HR talent, offering rich learning, and nurturing meaningful dialogue between young leaders and industry stalwarts. Participants appreciated the boutique format, which encouraged in-depth exchange and fostered authentic connections.

A Glimpse into the Future

The HRKatha Rising Star Leadership Awards aims to build a new ecosystem of HR innovators who are reshaping the profession. By celebrating excellence across early career stages, the platform underscores a key message:
The future of HR leadership is already taking shape—where talent and performance grow together through strategy, creativity, and tech-enabled transformation.

With strong participation, robust evaluation, and industry-wide appreciation, the inaugural edition sets the stage for the awards to become one of India’s most anticipated HR recognition platforms in the years to come.