Mr. Subramanian Kumar of Zepto, Mr. Sateesh KV of Acko, and Mrs. Sudha Sankaran of Alstom Global Finance

Mr. Subramanian Kumar is the Senior Director and Head of People Operations and People Partnering at Zepto. He started his career at KPMG in 2012, worked there for 10 years, then moved into fintech People Operations where he handled acquisitions, funding rounds, and system building. He currently leads People Operations at Zepto.

• 10-minute delivery model for quick commerce
• Operates via dark stores (small local warehouses for rapid fulfilment)
• Dark stores are supplied by mother hubs (larger regional warehouses)
• Focus areas: speed, precision, and customer satisfaction
• Backend operations are AI-driven for demand prediction, inventory management, and product placement

Mr. Subramanian Kumar’s central principles:

• Leadership is not a title; it is a trait and a behaviour
• Leadership comes from trust, respect, and communication
• A leader must adapt communication based on the audience
• Communication style when talking to executives is not the same as when talking to ground staff

“You are not a gatekeeper, you are an enabler.”

Mr. Kumar’s reframing of the human resources function:

• Traditional HR sees itself as the gatekeeper of policy, the approver of requests, and the enforcer of compliance
• This framing creates friction and hostility between HR and the rest of the organisation
• The alternative is to see HR as the function that removes obstacles for employees to do their best work
• That’s when he highlighted how Parul University’s specialization course in MBA in HR will help the students in gaining exposure and real time learnings. Admissions are live, book your seat right away!

• Overcommitment breaks trust and so one should think before committing.
• Saying yes to everything leads to broken promises
• Leaders who know when to say no are leaders who can be relied on when they say yes
• This is the opposite of the always-positive culture that professional environments sometimes reward superficially

Here are the heartfelt experiences by Parul Students –

1. Prashwet Khobragade’s LinkedIn Post on Zepto
2. Vikash Mishra’s LinkedIn Post on Zepto

Mr. Sateesh KV is the Chief People Officer of Acko, a digital-first insurance company. He has over 20 years of experience in HR and leadership, worked with Flipkart during its growth phase, and co-founded the recruitment platform Spottable.

Mr. Sateesh KV told the students that he believes a person’s values and personality are largely shaped by the age of 15. He came from a lower middle-class family and faced financial constraints in his youth (electricity came only during graduation, as he described it). The result of the early challenges was the development of resilience, adaptability, and a strong value system.

So one should start early, instead of waiting and spending time on things that matters no more. If you’re a working professional and looking to amp your career story, do it with Parul University’s MBA Program. With this you can become a brand manager, HR lead, Market Analyst, Digital Marketing Lead, Product Marketing Manager and the possibilities are endless.

Ms. Aisha Nagina’s LinkedIn Post on Alstom

• First principles thinking: solving problems from basics rather than relying on past systems
• Boundaryless thinking: not limiting yourself to your job description
• As HR leader, Mr. Sateesh KV has been involved in office design, business decisions, and cross-functional projects
• Focus on solving problems, not playing roles. This you can do by enrolling in BBA in Human Resource Management from Parul University.

Mr. Sateesh KV is the Chief People Officer of Acko, a digital-first insurance company. He has over 20 years of experience in HR and leadership, worked with Flipkart during its growth phase, and co-founded the recruitment platform Spottable.

• Insurance is not a daily-use product
• People remember it only in crises
• Trust must be built through consistency, transparency, and a customer-first approach

• Left brain (logical): profit, data, efficiency
• Right brain (emotional): customer experience, brand love, innovation
• Successful companies balance both sides

Mrs. Sudha Sankaran is the Managing Director of Alstom Global Finance Centres. Alstom is a global leader in sustainable mobility, designing and manufacturing metro systems, rail solutions, high-speed trains, and digital signalling systems that connect cities worldwide. Mrs. Sudha Sankaran leads diverse teams across India, the Philippines, and Romania.

• Global leader in smart and sustainable mobility
• Designs and manufactures world-class transport systems
• Products include high-speed trains, metros, and digital signalling solutions
• Contributes to a greener and more connected global future
• Strong focus on sustainability and innovation in green mobility
• Operations span India, Philippines, Romania, and other geographies

“Always follow the 5 Ps: Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance.”

The principle is simple and memorable: poor performance is almost always a downstream symptom of inadequate upstream planning. The 5 Ps mnemonic is a reminder to build planning discipline into every project. If you’re equally passionate about how all these levels work together, enrol into MBA in Finance by Parul University to master it better.

Ms. Kripa Patel’s LinkedIn Post on Alstom

“In today’s fast-changing world, the key to growth is to learn, unlearn, and relearn.”

Mrs. Sankaran’s argument on continuous adaptation:

• Continuous learning alone is not enough
• The world changes fast enough that methods, tools, and frameworks learned at the start of a career become obsolete mid-career
• Professionals must be willing to unlearn what no longer applies
• Relearning is emotionally difficult because the old way feels familiar
• Leaders who succeed in transformational environments can let go of prior expertise without feeling threatened

• Follow through with a plan, be fair and thoughtful while making decisions at all the levels
• Be specific about what you want and what you do not want – let that sink in as it creates awareness
• The pace of change is high; adaptability and continuous learning are essential
• Start small and invest wisely. Ensure transparency, consistency, and authenticity are core to impactful leadership
• Building the right team is crucial, supported by the right process, tools, structure, and plan
• All these above listed principles can be mastered with MBA in Project Management – designed for the leaders, strategizers and business consultants.

• Alstom’s core business of rail transport is inherently more sustainable than road transport
• Artificial intelligence is integrated into rail systems to improve reliability and passenger experience
• Environmental, social, and governance principles are integrated into decisions
• Sustainability is positioned as a long-term competitive advantage, not a compliance burden
• Master AI & Business strategy with MBA in AI & Technology Management as this course is a perfect mix of Technology + Business insights, allows you to see through different perspectives.

A principle Mr. Prashwet Khobragade (PU Student) highlighted from the session in his LinkedIn post:

• Collective intelligence is more valuable than individual brilliance
• When multiple perspectives come together, decisions become sharper and errors reduce
• Leadership starts with being human: welcoming, humble, inclusive, and a good listener
• Culture and climate define everything; people and processes matter, but without the right culture, an organisation cannot thrive

Ms. Bhoomika Dharmesh Masrani’s LinkedIn Post on Alstom

These three sessions are directly relevant to Parul University programmes:

• BBA and MBA with Human Resources specialisation: Zepto People Operations and Acko Chief People Officer roles directly connect to the content students study
• BBA and MBA with Operations Management specialisation: Zepto dark store workflows and Alstom rail operations provide concrete examples
• MBA with Business Analytics and International Business specialisations: Acko’s data-driven customer experience and Alstom’s multi-country operations apply directly

Mr. Vikash Mishra’s LinkedIn Post on Alstom