GURUGRAM — The inaugural edition of The Leaders’ Canvas, a leadership and industry forum co-created by The Collaborative Canvas Podcast and AX Pulse / Asia Research Media, recently took place at The Westin Gurgaon. The event brought together over 85 professionals from marketing, consumer insights, research, technology, and business sectors.
Co-curated by Ankesh Saxena and Claudia Siregar, the forum was designed to move away from traditional presentation-based conference models. Instead, it utilized moderated conversations aimed at fostering diverse opinions, challenging existing paradigms, and addressing strategic questions facing businesses and the insights industry.
The program featured four panel discussions centered on the evolving roles of research, artificial intelligence, and business intelligence in decision-making. The opening session, titled 'What Should Stay. What Must Change?', explored methods for balancing proven business fundamentals with the need for adaptation.
The second panel, 'The Questions Have Changed. Have Our Solutions?', examined whether current research methodologies are keeping pace with complex business demands for speed and agility. This particular session was voted by attendees as the Audience Choice – Best Panel. As part of the award, the panelists earned the opportunity to participate in upcoming international editions of MRMW and QUAL360, organized by the Merlien Institute, in Germany and Singapore later this year.
Artificial intelligence was the focal point of the third panel, 'Stress Testing AI: Where AI Delivers. Where AI Breaks.' Discussions centered on the capabilities and limitations of AI, highlighting the necessity of human judgment, critical thinking, and context when implementing AI-driven tools.
The final discussion, 'What Happens When Intelligence Is Everywhere?', addressed future scenarios where advanced analytics and AI are widely accessible, raising questions about how organizations will differentiate themselves when intelligence ceases to be a unique advantage.
Senior professionals who attended and spoke at the event included Lloyd Mathias, Chandan Mukherji, Tripti Mathur, Shawn Roy, Soumya Mohanty, Smriti Singh Bhatia, Charu Mullick, Sucheta Jha, Achyuta Ghosh, Aparajita Roy, Varun Mehra, and Aditya Sharan.
In addition to the panel sessions, the gathering marked the official launch of Shawn Roy’s book, 'Corporate Drifters'. The publication addresses career navigation amid technological disruptions and changing industry environments, complementing the forum's core themes.
Despite heavy rains, severe waterlogging, and traffic disruptions across Gurugram, attendance remained strong, reflecting high interest in industry networking and dialogue. According to co-creator Ankesh Saxena, the initiative aims to generate meaningful industry progress through collaboration and debate rather than passive attendance.
The organizers intend to transition The Leaders’ Canvas into a recurring platform, with the next edition scheduled to take place in Mumbai. Further details regarding the upcoming event will be announced at a later date.
"Industry forums that prioritize interactive discussions and critical peer-to-peer dialogue over traditional one-way presentations offer genuine value to professionals. As businesses navigate rapid technological shifts, particularly around artificial intelligence and data insights, creating dedicated spaces for cross-sector collaboration helps leaders address operational challenges more effectively. Scaling such platforms to new cities will enable broader engagement across India's business community." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes
