AI, HR & Alliance: 3 Levers for mid-size companies to grow 10x
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Learnings from the Scaling Beyond Limits Summit by uKnowva HRMS & Trans-venture
In an era of non-linear growth, mid-sized organizations grapple with a pivotal question: How to achieve 10x growth without disrupting existing operations? This was the core focus of the Scaling Beyond Limits Summit, an event uniting global tech founders, CXOs, HR leaders, and strategists. Chief guest Mr. C.P. Gurnani, Vice Chairman & Co-founder of AIonOS, alongside other key speakers, decoded strategies for sustainable scaling.
The summit highlighted three levers: responsible AI adoption, HR as a strategic engine, and smarter collaborations. Rahul Bajaj, Founder & CEO of Virtuosic Ventures, stressed that founders must lead actively—no autopilot in entrepreneurship. Success hinges on early hiring of the right team, laser focus on core strengths, and obsession with customer problems. Pitfalls include losing focus, premature broad expansion, or over-relying on systems instead of leadership.
AI changing the business landscape
Vicky Jain, Founder & CEO of uKnowva HRMS (www.uknowva.com), delivered a keynote on AI and data, transcending basic adoption to explore its transformative stages. Addressing fears of AI displacing humans, he noted, “The reality is 80% of the work will be done by AI, but to make it work, human intelligence will be needed. That’s the core 20% where human expertise will create an impact.”
Vicky outlined AI adoption levels: basic (using bots and prompts), mid-level (co-pilots), and expert (building agents as game-changers). He introduced a technology transformation ladder: invention at the base, building tech in the middle, and ecosystems for implementation at the top. India excels in implementations but has lagged in tech creation. However, firms like uKnowva HRMS are shifting this by developing homegrown solutions, ensuring control, flexibility, superior user experience, and alignment with local needs.
HR as a business partner
A panel discussion shifted the spotlight to one of the most consequential transformations underway: the evolution of HR from an operational function to a strategic growth partner.
The panel brought together key insights including-
- The growing expectation for HR leaders to balance technology, ethics, and human-centric leadership.
- Why AI in HR is less about automation and more about augmentation. How intelligent analytics can help leaders move from reactive people management to predictive workforce strategy.
- How HR data can help build trust and retention of clients in service based industries where workforce performance and stability are directly correlated to results.
As companies expand globally, data-driven HR aligns talent with business strategy while preserving human elements. Thirumalanath JH, Chief Growth & Strategy Officer at Alldigi Tech, warned that 40% of tech projects fail due to poor planning, unclear capabilities, and skill gaps. Siloed functions obscure visibility, hindering decisions. He advocated a unified data layer integrating all business data, including HR, for holistic insights. With rising customer acquisition costs, internal capabilities are key strengths. HR deserves board-level influence to shape outcomes in dynamic markets.
Arati Patwarthan, Group CHRO at Rochem Group, added, “AI's real breakthrough isn't efficiency; it's foresight. Seeing risks and opportunities before the event horizon creates a deeply personalized competitive advantage.”
The Strategic Power of Alliances
Mr. C.P. Gurnani's keynote reframed growth via partnerships over solo expansion. Drawing from his IT services experience, he shared, “After decades in large organizations, I chose agility, speed, and partnership-led innovation. AIonOS stems from the belief that mid-sized tech firms solve problems faster by collaborating with hyperscalers, academia, and specialists. Strategic partnerships grant the right to win through agility and shared purpose.”
On value creation and exits, Krishna Gopal, Founder of PadiHaiwithKG, advised, “Value creation is built over time through governance, culture, and consistency. Early focus on systems, succession, and transparency yields meaningful outcomes.”
MA Khan, Managing Partner at TransVenture, emphasized vision clarity, execution discipline, and partnership trust. Mid-sized firms thrive when founders become institution builders, replacing isolation with alliances, and matching ambition with discipline.
Sushil Kulkarni, Vice President at Yethi Consulting, reinforced, “Strategy sets direction, but execution decides outcomes. Scaling demands discipline in delivery, accountability, and measurement.”
Luis Diaz, Managing Partner – Technology at H&CO LLP, USA, noted on global expansion: “It succeeds with credibility and local understanding, not just ambition. Partnerships shorten learning curves, mitigate risks, and enable confident market entry.”
In closing, SP Jain, CEO of Trans-Venture, shared his vision to create a platform for promoters to share experiences, learn from global scalers, and forge connections across tech, services, capital, and partnerships.
Why Does This Conversation Matters Now?
The Scaling Beyond Limits Summit was not about predictions—it was about practical leadership in an era of uncertainty. From alliance-led growth to AI-powered HR transformation, the discussions reflected a shared understanding among leaders: the future belongs to those who build ecosystems, not empires.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content