As India’s workplaces balance speed, scale, and soul, one HR leader believes real transformation begins from within. The HR function in India is at a defining crossroads where legacy wisdom meets digital change and where empathy must now coexist with intelligence powered by machines. Few leaders have witnessed this transition as closely as Salil Lal, Executive Director and CHRO at Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.
- You have seen India’s HR journey evolve from industrial relations to AI-led systems. What has changed the most, and what must never change?
- You often say the next five years will define the future of HR in India. Why is this period so critical?
- You talk about creating future leaders, not just future ready professionals. What makes this distinction important?
- How can organisations remain human while becoming increasingly digital?
- India’s workforce is incredibly diverse. How can a community like NHRDN bring together corporates, MSMEs, startups, and the public sector?
- Finally, what guides you as a CHRO on this leadership journey?
In a conversation with StrongYes Media CEO Vibhor Sharma, Lal reflects on how leadership can evolve from managing people to enabling possibilities. He explains why the next chapter of HR will be built on collaboration, inclusion, and continuous capability building.
You have seen India’s HR journey evolve from industrial relations to AI-led systems. What has changed the most, and what must never change?
Salil Lal: The landscape has transformed completely. Technology, speed, and scale have transformed the way people experience work. Yet the essence of HR remains empathy: the ability to understand people’s realities and aspirations. That must never change.
What must evolve is our mindset. We need to move from control to enablement and from process to purpose. The opportunity now is to use technology not only to automate but to elevate. It should help people grow and help organisations perform. Used thoughtfully, digital systems can drive both people outcomes and business outcomes.
You often say the next five years will define the future of HR in India. Why is this period so critical?
Salil Lal: We are living through an era where change moves faster than preparation. The challenge is no longer only about skills. It is about mindset. We must equip our people to learn, unlearn, and reinvent themselves continuously. Capability building needs to become a national mission. Every enterprise, from MSMEs to large corporates, must invest in developing future ready leaders who can navigate ambiguity and lead with empathy. This is where HR can shape the learning agenda for an entire generation.
You talk about creating future leaders, not just future ready professionals. What makes this distinction important?
Salil Lal: Leadership is no longer defined by hierarchy. It is defined by influence, empathy, and accountability. A shopfloor supervisor who inspires a team and a young engineer who drives collaboration across functions are both leaders in their own right.
When I speak about creating future leaders, I mean building an environment where ownership and purpose thrive at every level. If we succeed, we create a workforce that is confident, inclusive, and ready for any challenge.
How can organisations remain human while becoming increasingly digital?
Salil Lal: Keep intent at the centre of every innovation. Technology can automate processes. It cannot automate trust. At Maruti, we use digital tools to understand engagement, learning, and well-being patterns. We use them not to monitor but to listen better. The goal is to make technology a partner in inclusion, never a replacement for empathy. This human first approach is how organisations build trust and fairness at scale.
India’s workforce is incredibly diverse. How can a community like NHRDN bring together corporates, MSMEs, startups, and the public sector?
Salil Lal: Collaboration is the only way forward. The future of HR will be decided by how well we share knowledge across boundaries. If we create spaces where a startup founder learns from a public sector veteran and where a young HR manager is mentored by an industry leader, we will have a truly connected ecosystem. That is how a community grows together rather than in silos.
NHRDN can play the bridge. It can convene, publish, and mentor at scale. It can also amplify the voice of HR at national policy forums where the people’s agenda shapes India’s growth story.
Finally, what guides you as a CHRO on this leadership journey?
Salil Lal: Stay humble, stay curious, and stay human. Leadership today is not about having all the answers. It is about creating an environment where answers emerge together. That is the promise of NHRDN in my view: a place where every professional feels connected, mentored, and inspired to grow. When we build that kind of community, we raise the bar for HR and for the future of work in India.
As India’s workplaces evolve across digital, demographic, and cultural lines, voices like Salil Lal remind us that progress begins with mindset, not machinery. His vision is one of connection between technology and empathy, between sectors and communities, and between experience and aspiration.
If India’s HR community can unite around that purpose, the next chapter of work will not only be smarter. It will be more human.
