At the ET Energy Leadership Summit 2026, Ayush Gupta, Director (HR), GAIL (India) Limited, shared his perspectives on “Capability 2.0 – Building the Future-Ready Oil & Gas Professional” during a fireside chat organised by The Economic Times.

He highlighted the importance of balancing the experience and capabilities of existing employees with opportunities to take on new challenges and explore emerging areas, while also bringing in specialised external expertise across domains.

Gupta emphasised that AI adoption is the need of the hour, particularly in training and development, and encouraged organisations to experiment with AI and embrace best practices to continuously engage employees and prepare them for the future.

He also underlined the critical importance of operational safety and controls in the oil & gas sector, where agility in decision-making must go hand in hand with a zero-tolerance approach to safety.

Sharing a message for industry leaders, he emphasised the need to trust new talent, challenge them to bring out their best, and provide the right mentorship and handholding.

He further highlighted GAIL’s unique initiative of engaging employees’ spouses and encouraging them to pursue entrepreneurial ventures, helping fulfil their aspirations while fostering a culture of innovation and empowerment within the organisation.