BENGALURU, India — October 5, 2026 — Project Management Institute (PMI), the global authority in project management, successfully concluded the 18th Project Management South Asia Conference (PMSAC) 2026 at earlier this week at Bhartiya City, Bengaluru. Built around the theme ‘MORE, Together: Future-Ready In the Age Of AI’, the flagship event convened over 850 delegates and 20 expert speakers, including industry leaders, policymakers, technology experts, and project professionals from across South Asia.
As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms project delivery, PMSAC26 served as a pivotal forum to examine the changing dynamics of workforce capability, leadership, and organizational structure. High-value discussions throughout the event emphasized that long-term project success in an AI-enabled environment requires pairing cutting-edge technologies with human judgment, strategic vision, adaptability, and robust execution capabilities. Speakers called on organizations to continuously evaluate how projects are planned, managed, and measured to keep pace with modern technical demands.
Opening the dialogue on the strategic mandate facing regional organizations, Amit Goyal, Managing Director, South Asia, PMI, highlighted both the opportunity and the execution gap facing the market:
“PMSAC26 comes at an important moment for South Asia. As AI reshapes jobs, business models, and technology delivery, India’s strong technology ecosystem and ability to adopt and scale new technologies position it well for the next phase of growth. Yet, as McKinsey’s 2025 State of AI report highlights, only 39% of organisations report an enterprise-level EBIT impact from AI, underscoring the challenge of translating adoption into measurable business outcomes. Project success in the AI era will increasingly depend on how effectively organisations combine technology with human judgment, leadership, and execution. PMSAC26 brought together industry experts and project leaders to explore these questions, share practical perspectives, and examine what it will take to turn AI ambition into meaningful outcomes.”
The conference featured a distinguished lineup of executive voices across the technology, consulting, healthcare, edtech, and enterprise sectors. Key figures in attendance included:
- Ajit Chauhan, Chairman, Amity University Online
- Ravi Kumar Dikshit, Global Consult Delivery Lead, Kyndryl
- Geetha Manjunath, Founder, CEO, and CTO, NIRAMAI Health Analytix
- John Dawber, Vice President & Managing Director, Global Business Services, Novo Nordisk
- Usha Srikanth, Managing Partner – FutureNow Centre Leader (India), IBM Consulting
- Sumit Taneja, Senior Vice President & Global Head of AI Consulting & Implementation, EXL
These thought leaders participated in keynotes, panels, and interactive conversations covering large-scale business transformation, organizational readiness for AI, and the responsible choices defining leadership in the modern era. Additionally, bestselling author and motivational speaker Chetan Bhagat delivered a keynote addressing personal adaptability, leadership, and how professionals can navigate shifting workplace expectations.
Across its sessions, the 18th edition of PMSAC underscored PMI’s commitment to advancing the project management profession and building future-ready talent. By emphasizing critical soft skills alongside technical acumen—such as judgment, cross-functional collaboration, and strategic execution—the conference provided delegates with actionable frameworks to convert AI investments into tangible organizational value.
