Hyderabad, TelaGANA: SmartWinnr, a provider of AI-driven sales enablement and learning technology, and HDFC Life, one of India’s leading life insurance companies, have jointly won the Brandon Hall Group Gold Award for excellence in the Best Advance in Unique Learning Technology category. The winners are listed at www.excellenceawards.brandonhall.com/winners. The award recognizes the organizations’ collaborative implementation of an advanced digital learning and performance enablement platform designed for HDFC Life’s field force. The solution enables continuous learning, accelerates skill acquisition, and drives measurable performance improvements through personalized, data-driven coaching.
“This recognition is very special for us because it reflects the real impact our platform is creating on the ground. Working closely with the HDFC Life team, we focused on building learning experiences for their sales teams in everyday customer conversations. Winning a Gold award reinforces our belief that meaningful learning, when backed by the right technology, can drive strong business outcomes,” said Annie Banik, Co-Founder & CEO at SmartWinnr.
The award underscores the growing significance of purpose-built learning technologies that directly align with real business needs across large, distributed sales teams.
“The Excellence in Technology Awards celebrate the most forward-thinking innovations shaping the future of learning, talent, and human capital management. This year’s winners exemplify how technology can unlock new possibilities—improving performance, enabling smarter decision-making, and transforming how organizations support and develop their people,” said Rachel Cooke, Chief Operating Officer at Brandon Hall Group and leader of the Excellence Awards program.
Entries were evaluated by a panel of veteran, independent senior industry experts, Brandon Hall Group analysts, and executives based on criteria including fit the need, program design, functionality, innovation, and measurable benefits.
“We are delighted to receive this global recognition in partnership with SmartWinnr. This award validates our continued focus on strengthening our sales teams through innovative learning technologies that directly enhance productivity and customer engagement,” said Chandrani Chatterjee, Executive Vice President and Head – Learning & Development at HDFC Life Insurance Company Ltd.
The award winners will be honored at the Brandon Hall Group HCM Excellence Conference, taking place February 9–12, 2026, at the Hilton West Palm Beach, Florida. Select winners will also serve as presenters in breakout sessions, sharing best practices during the conference.
“Our Technology Awards are built on a rigorous evaluation framework that measures true innovation, functional excellence, and quantifiable business impact. The solution providers and organizations recognized this year reflect the highest standards in the industry, demonstrating how technology can accelerate capability, efficiency, and results,” said Mike Cooke, Chief Executive Officer at Brandon Hall Group.
The recognition highlights the role of focused innovation in learning technology to build stronger, more agile sales teams in a rapidly evolving market environment.
SmartWinnr provides AI-powered sales enablement solutions that help organizations achieve peak performance through continuous learning reinforcement, gamification, and role-play simulations. The platform ensures consistent messaging across organizational levels while giving leadership real-time visibility into field performance.
For more information, visit www.smartwinnr.com.
Brandon Hall Group™ is home to the HCM Excellence Awards®, the most prestigious awards in Human Capital Management. For over 30 years, the awards have recognized organizations for innovative and effective HCM practices across Learning and Development, Talent Management, Leadership Development, DEI, HR, Sales Performance, and Technology.
Known as the “Academy Awards of Human Capital Management,” the program attracts entries from leading global corporations, mid-market, and smaller firms. Brandon Hall Group™ not only celebrates excellence but provides a platform for sharing best practices that drive the industry forward.
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