Skip to content 
On July 23rd, I had the privilege of attending the 14th Edition of the Procurement Excellence Summit & Awards 2025 in New Delhi, where Zycus participated as the official Agentic AI Innovation Partner Sponsor. The day was packed with insightful discussions, powerful customer stories, and an inspiring close with double award wins for Zycus and our customer, Tata Play.
Here’s a quick recap of my key moments and reflections from the event.
The Procurement Landscape in India Is Evolving—Fast
With the theme “Reimagining Procurement for a Resilient & Responsible Future,” the summit couldn’t have come at a better time. Across keynote sessions, expert panels, and networking conversations, one thing was clear—procurement is no longer just about savings.
Topics ranged from:
- Building agile and ESG-aligned supply chains
- Leveraging GenAI and predictive analytics
- Strategic sourcing and supplier-led innovation
- Managing risks and compliance in a volatile world
These themes strongly echoed the shift we’re already seeing with our customers like Tata Play—from tactical execution to strategic foresight powered by AI.
A Customer Story That Stole the Show: Tata Play’s S2P Transformation Journey
One of the standout sessions for me was “Tataplay’s S2P Transformation Journey with Zycus’ Merlin Agentic Platform – by Jaswider Saini, Vice President SCM, Operations, Logistics & Digital Transformation at Tata Play” As a long-standing Zycus customer, Tata Play shared their remarkable journey of digital procurement transformation—and it genuinely struck a chord with the audience.
It was incredibly rewarding to see our work helping Tata Play achieve measurable impact—and to see others in the room eager to learn how to bring similar innovations into their organizations. Jaswinder Saini began by saying,
“Zycus has been our partner for 7 years—we are using all Zycus modules. It has been a fantastic journey so far. We’ve crossed many, many hurdles together.”
What made the session truly engaging was Tata Play’s real-world application of AI.
“Recently, we implemented Agentic AI for negotiations. It is doing negotiations as we speak,” he shared. “I will walk through how we have done it at Tata Play. We are now working on an AI-plus-human negotiation model.”
What struck me most was the volume of questions from the audience—clearly, autonomous negotiations and GenAI adoption are top-of-mind for many procurement leaders.
When asked what gave Tata Play the confidence to go ahead with Agentic AI, as its one of the first companies in India to do so, Jaswinder replied “We have partners like Zycus!”
The transparency and depth of this use case made it a crowd favorite. But it was the closing thought that really resonated with many of us in the room. Jaswinder’s advice about agentic AI to peers was simple yet powerful:
“It is bringing a lot of benefit to the organization—start earlier, the better.”
Tata Play’s journey is proof that agentic AI isn’t just futuristic—it’s actionable, operational, and delivering value today. Their story was an inspiring reminder of how innovation, when done right, becomes a true business enabler.
Catch the full session here: View Tata Play’s Session at UBS Forum’s Delhi 2025
From Savings to Strategy: Joining the Conversation on Procurement’s Evolving Role
Zycus’ Shiv Aggarwal, Director Product Management, spoke at the event’s most anticipated Panel Discussion: “From Savings to Strategy – Defining Procurement’s True Business Impact,” alongside leaders from Tata AutoComp, Max Healthcare, and more.
Shiv discussed how procurement teams can:
- Align with enterprise strategy and drive innovation
- Go beyond cost metrics to show ROI and business value
- Use intelligent systems to free up time for strategic initiatives
Shiv shared how Zycus’ Agentic AI Platform is enabling teams to automate low-value work and focus on delivering outcomes that matter—like supplier-led innovation, speed to value, and stakeholder satisfaction.
Shiv Aggarwal, captured it best when he said:
“Agentic AI is not just about automation—it’s about amplifying procurement’s strategic voice across the enterprise. When routine work is intelligently handled, procurement can truly lead innovation, not just enable it.”
Final Thoughts
Being part of this summit reminded me how quickly procurement is changing—and how much opportunity lies ahead. I left the event energized by the conversations, inspired by our customers, and proud of how Zycus is helping shape the future.
If you’re exploring how Agentic AI can elevate your procurement function, I’d love to connect and share more.
Learn more about our Merlin Agentic Platform here
Related Reads:
- The Agentic AI Advantage: Unlocking Deep Value in APAC’s AI-Driven Future
- eBook: CPONext: 40 Procurement Leaders to Watch Out For – APAC 2nd Edition
- Procure to Pay Analytics: How APAC Businesses Can Optimize Procurement and Payments
- Unlocking Efficiency: The Advantages of E-Procurement Solutions in the APAC Region
- Success Story: 4 Asia-Pacific Case Studies of Successful Procurement Transformation- Zycus
