Raise Children as Help Givers, Not Help Seekers: Prof. Alaka Sarma at RGU’s Leadership Conclave 2025
Industry and academia leaders from the country deliberate at RGU on Ethics and the Evolving Workplace
GUWAHATI, September 11, 2025: Leaders from academia, industry, and startups across India converged at The Assam Royal Global University (RGU) here
today for the two-day Leadership Conclave 2025, beginning today under the theme “Ethics and the Evolving Workplace.” The
conclave brought together eminent leaders to deliberate on some of the most urgent questions shaping the future of work.
Speaking at the inaugural panel discussion on “Minimal Input, Maximum Outcome: Has the Hustle Culture Rebranded
Laziness?” Prof. Alaka Sarma, Academician and Co-Founder of the Akshar Foundation, emphasized the need to nurture
children as contributors rather than dependents. “When we engage with a child from a marginalized background, our role
is to provide an environment where the child learns to help others. By helping others, one automatically becomes a giver
of help, not a seeker of it,” she said. Prof. Sarma further highlighted that children deprived of adequate parental
attention often experience alienation, which technology tends to worsen—manifesting as laziness, destructiveness, or
even suicidal tendencies. She noted the importance of conclaves like these in rethinking strategies to minimize such
negative influences while embracing technology as an inevitable tool of progress.
The session also featured insights from Sailaja M, HR Head, Sephora, Mumbai; Abbhay Kapoor, SVP, UIL Group, Delhi; and
Sanjay Aditya Singh, Group MD & CEO, Jettwings Airways, Guwahati. It was moderated by Bristy Srivastava, Head of the
Royal Centre for Corporate Relations, RGU.
The third discussion, “Beyond the Algorithm: Reclaiming the Human in Human Resources,” included speakers Sujeet Sinha, Executive Vice President, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Mumbai; Nitin Jagdale, Head of Talent Acquisition, NTT DATA India, Pune; Govindprasad Gaonkar, Head of Human Resources, Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company, Mumbai; and Sasmita Birabar, Deputy General Manager, IFFCO, Guwahati.
The fourth panel on “Funding Over Fundamentals: Has Startup Culture Outgrown Accountability?” featured Rajdeep Ghosh, Tech Talent Acquisition Leader, Amazon, Bengaluru; David Pratim Gogoi, Co-Founder & Director, Zerund Bricks, Guwahati; and Nitin Bajpai, Circle CEO, Jio.
Throughout the conclave, participants engaged in critical discussions on rethinking hustle culture, holding startups accountable, advancing women’s representation in CXO roles, redefining HR in the age of algorithms, and preparing Gen Z for the ethical complexities of professional life.
