SLI Singapore, Brings Steward Leadership to Boardrooms Across Three Indian Cities
Board Stewardship’s Bumper Huddle series brought together directors, senior executives and governance professionals across Mumbai, New Delhi and Bengaluru from October 5 to 9, 2026. Held under the theme Stewardship in Boardrooms, the three-city initiative had the Steward Leadership Institute (SLI), Singapore, as its exclusive Principal Partner across all three editions.
The programme featured the release of ‘Maximum Purpose, Maximum Profit’ by Rajeev Peshawaria, CEO, SLI, Singapore, a Spotlight Session, a book discussion and a panel on mentoring. The Mumbai Huddle was held on October 5 at Godrej Dance Theatre, NCPA, Nariman Point, followed by New Delhi on October 7 at India Habitat Centre and Bengaluru on October 9 at JW Marriott.
Welcoming participants, Vikesh Wallia, Managing Director and Editor, Board Stewardship, said, “The Bumper Huddles provide a platform for board leaders to exchange perspectives on the issues shaping governance. Our association with SLI brings a global perspective to conversations on stewardship, purpose and long-term value creation.”
Opening Addresses and Spotlight Session
Shailesh Haribhakti, Chairman, Advisory Board, Board Stewardship, delivered the inaugural address in Mumbai and New Delhi, while Emmanuel David, former Director, Tata Management & Training Centre(TMTC), Pune, and Advisory Board Member, Board Stewardship, addressed the Bengaluru gathering.
Haribhakti said, “Effective stewardship requires boards to look beyond immediate business results and consider the long-term impact of their decisions. Purpose, accountability and responsible leadership are essential to building lasting value.”
Peshawaria’s Spotlight Session and book release set the context for discussions on connecting business purpose with profitability and long-term value creation.
Purpose and Profit in the Boardroom
The book reading and panel discussion on Maximum Purpose, Maximum Profit featured Peshawaria and Sunil Puri, Senior Vice President, Research & Engagement, SLI, Singapore, across all three cities.
In Mumbai, they were joined by Shailesh Haribhakti, Lakshmi Iyer, Group President-Investments, MD & CEO, Bajaj Alternate Investment Management Ltd., The New Delhi discussion included Gauri Jauhar, Executive Director, Global Energy Transitions & Clean Tech Consulting, S&P Global Commodity Insights, while Saraswathi Ramachandran, Managing Director and Country Head, Lightcast, joined the Bengaluru panel.
The discussions examined how boards can integrate purpose into business decisions while maintaining financial performance and creating long-term value.
Reflecting on the Mumbai gathering, Puri said, “Met some great people, loved the deep, reflective content, and enjoyed the sense of Board community, all in one evening! Can’t get better than that.”
The Power of Mentoring
The panel on ‘The Power of Mentoring’ brought together leaders from different industries and professional backgrounds.
The Mumbai panel featured Shrijeet Mishra, former Chief Innovation Officer, Aditya Birla Group; former COO – Times of India Group, ED – HUL; PR Somasundaram, former CEO, Laxmi Vilas Bank & CEO, World Gold Council, Independent Director and Advisor; Sangeeta Tanwani, CEO, Textiles (Grasim), Aditya Birla Group; Sudarshan Sampathkumar, Independent Director, Bajaj Electricals & Bajaj Projects, former MD, Bain & Co.; and Giridhar Sanjeevi, former CFO, Taj Group Hotels, Independent Director, Board Chair & Audit Committee Chair, Amagi; Independent Director, SBI Funds Management Limited.
In New Delhi, the panellists were Sandeep Bhushan, Board Member, Truecaller AB and Traya Health; Deepti Gupta, EVP, Jubilant FoodWorks; R Rajnarayan, Co-Founder and Lead Mentor, Cross Mentors; and Alok Bansal, Co-Founder and Executive Vice Chairman, PB Fintech.
The Bengaluru panel comprised Krish Shankar, Independent Director, Indira IVF Hospital and former CHRO, Infosys; Divya Kumar, Board Director and author of CFO AI Compass; JV Raman, Operating Advisor, Multiples Alternate Asset Management; and P R Somasundaram, Independent Director and Advisor.
The sessions explored mentoring as a means of sharing experience, developing leadership capabilities and preparing leaders for changing organisational responsibilities.
All three Huddles were well attended across all three cities with Mumbai have nearly 200 participants, Delhi number was over 100 and Bengaluru attracted a participation of over 100, all coming from board community ie Board of Directors, IDs and CXOs.
Recognising the Board Community
Each edition concluded with the felicitation of Board Stewardship members, a vote of thanks and networking over cocktails and dinner. Through the three-city series, Board Stewardship and SLI brought stewardship, purpose-led decision-making and mentoring into a wider boardroom conversation, highlighting the role of responsible leadership in building organisations for the long term.
