The two-day summit brought together hundreds of healthcare and life sciences leaders to explore AI-enabled leadership, GCCs, commercial acumen, influence and India’s leadership future.
Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], September 14: What does it take to lead when the rules of the industry are changing? How does a functional expert become an enterprise leader? And as India increasingly becomes a centre from which global healthcare businesses are built and led, are its professionals equipped not just to participate in that growth, but to shape it? These questions formed the backdrop to the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) India’s third India Leadership Summit (ILS) 2026, held in Hyderabad on September 11–12. Bringing together hundreds of senior and emerging professionals from healthcare, life sciences, pharmaceuticals, CROs and Global Capability Centres (GCCs), the summit was anchored in the theme “Command the Shift: Influential Leadership in the Age of AI & Global Capability.”
These questions are particularly relevant as India moves from being a talent and execution hub to a strategic base for global healthcare, with GCCs taking on larger mandates and technology reshaping roles across the sector. In this environment, technical expertise alone is not enough; leaders need the influence, commercial thinking and confidence to navigate complexity and shape what comes next. This is where HBA’s work becomes increasingly relevant. Beyond individual career advancement, HBA is strengthening the healthcare industry’s leadership pipeline through mentorship, leadership development, peer networks and access to experienced practitioners—equipping professionals to shape the future of healthcare and life sciences.
At the heart of India Leadership Summit 2026 was the idea of learning by doing. The first day featured four masterclasses at Amgen India focused on practical leadership capabilities—from influencing across matrixed organisations and building commercial acumen to career reinvention and leading what AI cannot replace. The sessions encouraged participants to look beyond functional expertise and develop the confidence and influence needed to navigate complex organisations and create impact. Attendees gained actionable skills that they can apply immediately, relationships that will support their growth for years to come, and the confidence to lead through disruption rather than react to it
The second day brought these ideas to life through conversations with leaders who have navigated these challenges firsthand. Amitabh Dube, Country President and Managing Director, Novartis India, opened the programme with a keynote on turning change and uncertainty into leadership opportunity. Leaders from Bristol Myers Squibb, Johnson & Johnson, ZS Associates, Novartis and other leading organisations shared perspectives on leading under pressure, reinvention and the transition from functional expert to enterprise leader. Together, the sessions reinforced the central message of “Command the Shift”: leadership is not simply about holding a position, but about building the influence, conviction and capability to shape decisions, teams and organisations to drive business outcomes.
Mary Stutts, CEO, Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association, said: “India has become an increasingly important part of HBA’s global growth story as well as that of our corporate partners. It was inspiring to see that momentum come alive at this year’s India Leadership Summit. I was delighted to meet both seasoned healthcare leaders and the emerging talent shaping India’s next chapter. What stands out is not just the scale of the community, but its ambition to lead, influence and contribute globally. India Leadership Summit plays an important role in that journey—connecting experience with emerging talent and turning leadership development into real impact. As India’s role in global healthcare and life sciences continues to grow, HBA is proud to support and amplify the leaders who will shape what comes next.”
Dr. Deepa Desai, Global Board Director, HBA and Founder & CEO, D Cube Consultancy, said, “Over the last few years, HBA India has grown from a small community into one of HBA’s most dynamic leadership ecosystems. With that growth comes a greater responsibility, not just to develop better leaders, but to empower them to create change. We have moved from becoming effective leaders, to claiming a seat at the table, and now to commanding the shift. As AI, GCCs and India’s growing global capabilities reshape healthcare and life sciences, our leaders have a unique opportunity to lead global agendas from India. HBA’s role is to give them the community, capability and confidence to step into that opportunity and make an impact.”
This continuum—from students and emerging professionals to experienced executives and global leaders—is central to HBA’s larger mission. The organisation operates across more than 80 locations globally, with members and corporate partners representing a workforce of nearly six million professionals across the healthcare ecosystem. Its work spans leadership development, talent pipeline creation, industry recognition, mentoring and global networking, with the larger objective of maximizing business acumen and leadership capabilities that the health ecosystem needs to evolve.
For HBA India, the mission carries particular significance as India as the country is no longer only supplying talent to the global healthcare industry, it is increasingly becoming a place from which global healthcare businesses, functions and decisions are being shaped. As the country’s healthcare and life sciences sector takes on a larger global role, HBA is focused on ensuring that leadership capability grows alongside that footprint, building professionals who can influence across boundaries, embrace reinvention, lead with purpose and ultimately shape the future of the industry.
In just five years, HBA India has grown to a community of thousands of members today, making it HBA’s fastest-growing community globally. This growth reflects the increase of companies in hiring moments like Amgen has gone from zero to 4000 employees in just two years while another partner MSD Pharmaceuticals is planning to hire around 9000 employees in the coming months. This signals the pivotal role India is beginning to play in the global healthcare and life sciences ecosystem. With a large and increasingly skilled talent pool, strong emphasis on education, growing global exposure and a demonstrated ability to innovate and maximise resources, India has emerged as a natural hub for global health and life sciences capabilities. The transformational challenge now is to ensure that this talent is equipped not only to deliver for global organisations, but to lead, influence and shape them.
With operational chapters in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad and an expanding presence across Chennai, Pune and New Delhi, this remarkable growth reflects the strong demand among India’s healthcare and life sciences professionals for leadership development, mentorship, peer networks and opportunities to engage with a global community.
The summit closed with a focus on “The Ripple Effect”—the idea that one leadership decision can create impact far beyond the individual who makes it. It is a philosophy that captures HBA India’s larger ambition: to develop leaders whose influence travels from the room to their teams, organisations, communities and, ultimately, the healthcare ecosystem itself.
About the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA):
The Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) is a global leadership accelerator, talent pipeline and business growth partner for the healthcare industry. With a presence spanning 80 locations, the HBA supports more than 150 corporate partners and impacts a workforce of nearly six million employees. The HBA empowers healthcare leaders at every stage of their careers through global forums, programmes that prepare the future healthcare workforce, and recognition initiatives celebrating outstanding individuals and organisations.
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