9th Edition of ‘Human is NOT a Resource’ by Sadhguru Academy Concludes at Isha Yoga Center, Coimbatore

The 9th edition of Sadhguru Academy’s annual leadership program, ‘Human is NOT a Resource’, successfully concluded at the Isha Yoga Center in Coimbatore. Held from June 13–15, the three-day residential program brought together 80 business leaders, HR professionals, and thinkers to explore a bold new vision for people management in the modern workplace.

The event is inspired by Sadhguru’s core philosophy:

“Human is not a resource. A human being is a tremendous possibility. If we approach human beings as resources, we will never unfold their innate genius.”

The 2025 edition focused on reimagining organizational culture to unleash human potential in business amid economic, ecological, and social uncertainty.

Insights from Business Leaders

Facilitated by Ashutosh Pandey, Chief Business Officer at Mahindra Holidays, the program featured powerful sessions with industry leaders including:

• Rajkamal Vempati, President & Head of HR, Axis Bank

• Manish Vij, Managing Partner, Smile Group

• Augustus Azariah, CHRO, Kyndryl

• Dr. Shalini Lal, Founder, Unqbe

Dr. Shalini Lal emphasized developing “ambiguity tolerance” in leaders to thrive in unpredictable environments. Rajkamal Vempati stressed hiring adaptable talent with high learning agility, while Dr. Augustus Azariah shared how Gen Z is driven by experiences over compensation. Manish Vij introduced the acronym DARE — Dream big, Act relentlessly, build Relationships, and Excel — as a success mantra for future-ready professionals.

Experiential Learning through Theater

The program also included an interactive theater-based workshop led by facilitator Akshara Misra, focusing on sharpening two crucial leadership skills: listening and observation. Through gamified modules, participants gained deep insights into behavioral awareness and people management.

Insights into Isha’s Volunteer Culture

A dedicated panel featuring Swami Ullasa, Moumita Sen Sarma (Director, Sadhguru Academy), Saurabh Jain, and Swami Sukhada answered participant questions on Isha’s internal culture. With over 17 million volunteers across 400+ cities, Isha’s leadership model was presented as a live case study of people-powered transformation.

About the Program

‘Human is NOT a Resource’ is an annual leadership initiative by Sadhguru Academy, designed to shift leadership perspectives from seeing humans as replaceable resources to nurturing them as limitless possibilities. Participants are introduced to case studies, expert panels, and simple yet powerful yogic tools to enhance clarity, inner wellbeing, and people-centric leadership.