As AI rapidly reshapes business models, work and workforce structures, the CHRO mandate is expanding beyond traditional people priorities. HR leaders are increasingly expected to understand technology, anticipate emerging capabilities and work alongside other CXOs to shape enterprise transformation.

In this episode of People Matters Unplugged, Cheshta Dora, Head of Content & Research at People Matters, explores this shift with Yashwant Mahadik, President – Global Human Resources, Lupin. The conversation looks at why organisations need to move from managing transformation to continuously reimagining how they operate, build talent and create value. Mahadik also shares his perspective on AI adoption across HR and the broader enterprise, the emergence of agentic and physical AI, the changing definition of the workforce, and the leadership capabilities organisations will need as technology evolves.

If economic uncertainty is becoming the operating environment rather than a temporary phase, what does it mean for how organisations think about people, work and talent? From workforce confidence and fair compensation to skills, talent mobility, flexible work and the growing role of AI, this conversation explores how HR can respond to disruption while keeping people and business needs in balance.

In this episode of People Matters Unplugged, Cheshta Dora, Head of Content, Research and Community at People Matters, speaks with Tan Toi Chia, Chief of People, Organisation and Communications at StarHub, about building a more agile and adaptable workforce. Toi Chia shares insights on creating a culture of curiosity and learning, enabling talent to move across organisational boundaries, designing work around trust and using AI to reimagine how work gets done.

If conversations around fairness, inclusion, and workplace equity often feel limited to policies and promises, this episode takes the discussion several layers deeper. From unconscious bias and equitable hiring to supporting working mothers, artisan communities, and differently abled employees, this conversation explores what it truly takes to build workplaces where opportunity is genuinely accessible to all.

In this episode of People Matters Unplugged, Cheshta Dora, Head of Content, Research and Community at People Matters, speaks with Swadesh Behera about how organisations can move beyond performative DEI and build fairer talent systems. Swadesh shares insights on tackling bias through leadership, governance, technology, and listening-led HR practices. The episode also explores AI-powered talent marketplaces, inclusive career mobility, and maternity support frameworks that are helping shape more equitable workplaces today.