In this episode of CEX Talks, host Abhinandan Jain sits down with CP Gurnani, Co-Founder & Vice Chairman of AIonOS and former CEO of Tech Mahindra, to explore how AI, skills, and human potential are reshaping the future of work and customer experience (CX).

From declaring the end of headcount as a measure of IT success to building AI-native enterprises, CP shares insights from four decades of leadership and transformation. The conversation covers the shift from vanity metrics to value creation, the challenges in procurement and buyer behavior, and the importance of his 3Ps framework: Purpose, People, and Performance.

CP also discusses launching AIonOS with InterGlobeEnterprises, closing the global talent gap through skills and reskilling, and why AI will ultimately create more jobs than it replaces. He highlights how technology can drive inclusivity, education, and social good, while pointing out emerging opportunities in agritech, defense tech, tourism, and AI powered storytelling.

This wide-ranging conversation blends leadership lessons, innovation insights, and rapid-fire fun — including CP’s favorite apps and which Sholay character he would play if the movie were remade today.

🔑 What You’ll Learn 

• Why headcount is dead and outcomes matter more
• The 3Ps framework: Purpose, People & Performance
• How to build and scale AI-native enterprises
• Closing the talent gap with skills & reskilling
• Myths vs. realities around AI and jobs
• Big opportunities in agritech, defense, tourism & AIstorytelling
• CP’s leadership journey and advice for future innovators

🎙 Chapters

00:00 Opening: Kitne Aadmi The & AI Headcount Debate

00:57 Welcome & Introduction to CP Gurnani

02:38 Beyond Headcount: Measuring Outcomes & ValueCreation

05:42 Procurement, Buyer Behavior & AI Adoption

09:37 CP Gurnani’s Journey: From Neemuch to Tech Mahindra Turnaround

12:00 Purpose, People & Performance: The 3Ps Framework

14:40 Building AIONOS: Making Enterprises AI-Native

17:23 Closing the Talent Gap: Skills, Reskilling & Universities of the Future

23:01 AI & Jobs: Myths, Realities, and New Opportunities

25:48 AI for All: Education, NGOs & Driving Inclusivity

33:31 Rapid Fire & Final Advice: Refresh, Refresh, Refresh

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