EngageX 2026: Spotlighting customer experience in the era of AI
From predictive intelligence and autonomous agents to trust-led relationships, industry leaders discuss the future of customer engagement.
As artificial intelligence reshapes customer interactions across industries, business leaders are racing to explore how organisations can harness technology without losing the trust that underpins customer relationships.
This concern sat at the heart of Exotel EngageX 2026, presented by Forbes India and CNBC-TV18. Bringing together leaders from banking, insurance, aviation, logistics, retail, technology, and digital-native businesses, the event explored how customer experience is evolving from a support function into a strategic driver of growth, loyalty, and enterprise value.
During the discussion, Shivakumar Ganesan, Co-founder and CEO of Exotel, emphasised, “Technology certainly helps, but ultimately, it must help humans.” Tarun Chugh, MD & CEO of Bajaj Life, described trust as a “ledger” built through every customer interaction, while Dhiraj Relli of HDFC Securities argued that reliability and availability remain the foundations of trust in a digital-first world. Alok Aggarwal of Muthoot Homefin distilled trust-building into a simple formula: commit, deliver, and repeat consistently.
The focus then shifted to the future of intelligent customer experiences in Building CX That Learns, Predicts and Compounds. The panel explored how organisations are moving from reactive customer service to predictive engagement. Vijaybahu Joshi of Reliance Jio argued that enterprises often overlook regional and cultural nuances in customer behaviour, while Marina Datta of Birla Opus stressed the need for hyper-personalisation built on data. Swiggy’s Rohan Chhazed highlighted how customers increasingly expect brands to anticipate their needs before they articulate them.
One of the recurring themes throughout the day was that customer experience itself is becoming a key differentiator. That idea came through strongly during The Experience P&L Panel, where leaders from DTDC, Zepto and Exotel debated how CX should be measured. Retention emerged as the dominant metric. DTDC CEO Abhishek Chakraborty noted that every year begins with a clean slate regardless of past success, while Zepto’s Divesh Sawhney described repeat transactions as the ultimate validation of customer loyalty. Exotel’s Sachin Bhatia pointed to customer effort score as a leading indicator of future retention, reflecting growing consumer impatience and rising expectations.
Perhaps the most talked-about moment of the evening came when Shivakumar Ganesan demonstrated what Exotel described as India’s first autonomous AI call. Unlike conventional AI-assisted interactions that require human orchestration, the demonstration featured an AI agent independently initiating conversations, gathering information, and scheduling follow-ups. The live showcase offered a glimpse into a future where AI agents may increasingly act on behalf of both businesses and customers.
The event also featured a series of fireside conversations that highlighted how customer experience transformation is unfolding across industries.
In a conversation titled When Business Becomes a Best Friend, Rajesh Dogra, Chief Customer Experience Officer at Air India, discussed the airline’s ongoing transformation journey following its return to the Tata Group. He revealed that Air India has worked to reimagine more than 37 customer touchpoints across the travel journey, from booking to baggage collection.
The BFSI sector, where trust remains paramount, featured prominently throughout the evening. Girish Sehgal of ICICI Lombard outlined how AI is helping accelerate claims processing, strengthen fraud detection, and improve underwriting precision. Vijay Rajagopal of AWS argued that India’s digital public infrastructure and vast transaction volumes provide an unparalleled testing ground for AI innovation at scale.
Trust and transformation also formed the backbone of discussions with banking leaders. Rama Mohan Rao Amara, Managing Director – Retail Business & Operations at SBI, spoke about the institution’s enduring commitment to customer centricity while calling for greater agility within regulated environments. Meanwhile, IDFC FIRST Bank’s V. Vaidyanathan offered a compelling reflection on trust during times of crisis, recounting the bank’s swift response to a high-profile fraud incident and emphasising that public confidence is earned through decisive and transparent action.
The evening concluded with the unveiling of the cover of a book titled Architects of CX, a new Exotel initiative celebrating leaders who have driven transformational customer experience journeys within their organisations. On a broader note, the organisers remarked that what began as a book project is now set to become an annual platform recognising excellence in customer experience leadership.
The most striking takeaway from EngageX 2026 was that while AI may redefine how organisations interact with customers, trust remains the foundation upon which every meaningful customer relationship is built. At the end of the day, the tools may change, but the principles endure.
Click here to watch more content: https://ms.forbesindia.com/exotel-engagex/
This concern sat at the heart of Exotel EngageX 2026, presented by Forbes India and CNBC-TV18. Bringing together leaders from banking, insurance, aviation, logistics, retail, technology, and digital-native businesses, the event explored how customer experience is evolving from a support function into a strategic driver of growth, loyalty, and enterprise value.
The evening opened with a discussion aptly titled Trust is Not a Brand Attribute, It’s an Economic Asset. Moderated by CNBC-TV18’s Latha Venkatesh, the conversation brought together leaders from the BFSI sector and Exotel, the architect of a cloud-based communication and customer experience (CX) platform.
During the discussion, Shivakumar Ganesan, Co-founder and CEO of Exotel, emphasised, “Technology certainly helps, but ultimately, it must help humans.” Tarun Chugh, MD & CEO of Bajaj Life, described trust as a “ledger” built through every customer interaction, while Dhiraj Relli of HDFC Securities argued that reliability and availability remain the foundations of trust in a digital-first world. Alok Aggarwal of Muthoot Homefin distilled trust-building into a simple formula: commit, deliver, and repeat consistently.
The focus then shifted to the future of intelligent customer experiences in Building CX That Learns, Predicts and Compounds. The panel explored how organisations are moving from reactive customer service to predictive engagement. Vijaybahu Joshi of Reliance Jio argued that enterprises often overlook regional and cultural nuances in customer behaviour, while Marina Datta of Birla Opus stressed the need for hyper-personalisation built on data. Swiggy’s Rohan Chhazed highlighted how customers increasingly expect brands to anticipate their needs before they articulate them.
One of the recurring themes throughout the day was that customer experience itself is becoming a key differentiator. That idea came through strongly during The Experience P&L Panel, where leaders from DTDC, Zepto and Exotel debated how CX should be measured. Retention emerged as the dominant metric. DTDC CEO Abhishek Chakraborty noted that every year begins with a clean slate regardless of past success, while Zepto’s Divesh Sawhney described repeat transactions as the ultimate validation of customer loyalty. Exotel’s Sachin Bhatia pointed to customer effort score as a leading indicator of future retention, reflecting growing consumer impatience and rising expectations.
Perhaps the most talked-about moment of the evening came when Shivakumar Ganesan demonstrated what Exotel described as India’s first autonomous AI call. Unlike conventional AI-assisted interactions that require human orchestration, the demonstration featured an AI agent independently initiating conversations, gathering information, and scheduling follow-ups. The live showcase offered a glimpse into a future where AI agents may increasingly act on behalf of both businesses and customers.
The event also featured a series of fireside conversations that highlighted how customer experience transformation is unfolding across industries.
In a conversation titled When Business Becomes a Best Friend, Rajesh Dogra, Chief Customer Experience Officer at Air India, discussed the airline’s ongoing transformation journey following its return to the Tata Group. He revealed that Air India has worked to reimagine more than 37 customer touchpoints across the travel journey, from booking to baggage collection.
The BFSI sector, where trust remains paramount, featured prominently throughout the evening. Girish Sehgal of ICICI Lombard outlined how AI is helping accelerate claims processing, strengthen fraud detection, and improve underwriting precision. Vijay Rajagopal of AWS argued that India’s digital public infrastructure and vast transaction volumes provide an unparalleled testing ground for AI innovation at scale.
Trust and transformation also formed the backbone of discussions with banking leaders. Rama Mohan Rao Amara, Managing Director – Retail Business & Operations at SBI, spoke about the institution’s enduring commitment to customer centricity while calling for greater agility within regulated environments. Meanwhile, IDFC FIRST Bank’s V. Vaidyanathan offered a compelling reflection on trust during times of crisis, recounting the bank’s swift response to a high-profile fraud incident and emphasising that public confidence is earned through decisive and transparent action.
The evening concluded with the unveiling of the cover of a book titled Architects of CX, a new Exotel initiative celebrating leaders who have driven transformational customer experience journeys within their organisations. On a broader note, the organisers remarked that what began as a book project is now set to become an annual platform recognising excellence in customer experience leadership.
The most striking takeaway from EngageX 2026 was that while AI may redefine how organisations interact with customers, trust remains the foundation upon which every meaningful customer relationship is built. At the end of the day, the tools may change, but the principles endure.
Click here to watch more content: https://ms.forbesindia.com/exotel-engagex/
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