Procurement’s Future Is Now — My Front-Row Seat at PILF 2025

On June 12th, I had the opportunity to attend the 7th Procurement India Leadership Forum & Awards 2025 (PILF) in Mumbai, and I walked away with one big thought: the future of procurement is no longer a distant vision—it’s unfolding right now. As someone representing Zycus at the event, I had a front-row seat to how the function is transforming and what leaders are doing to stay ahead.

Morning Buzz & Booth Conversations

From the moment I arrived at The Westin Mumbai Garden City at 8:30 AM, the atmosphere was electric. There’s something about seeing hundreds of procurement professionals under one roof, exchanging ideas over coffee, that makes you realize just how dynamic this function has become.

At the Zycus booth, the energy was non-stop. What started as simple curiosity often turned into deep dives—attendees wanted to understand how Zycus’s Agentic AI and Intake Management are helping enterprises modernize. The most common refrain I heard?

“We’re trying to shift from reactive firefighting to proactive decision-making. Can your tools help us orchestrate that?”

My answer was always: “Yes—and we can show you how.”

Memorable Conversations with Leaders

One of the highlights for me was speaking with a senior procurement leader from CEAT. He shared,

“The gap between strategy and execution is shrinking. What we need now is intelligence that works behind the scenes—quietly, but powerfully.”

We discussed how tools like guided intake and risk-aware triage are becoming the glue that holds compliance and speed together.

Later, I spoke with a procurement head from Dream11, who had an interesting take:“Our teams aren’t resisting change—they’re overwhelmed by clunky processes. I’m looking for technology that guides, not governs.”
She was intrigued by how Zycus enables low-friction adoption by embedding procurement directly into workflows employees already use—like MS Teams.

Another conversation that stood out was with a leader from the Aditya Birla Group, who’s seen multiple waves of procurement evolution. He smiled and said,

“I’ve seen procurement evolve from ledger books to cloud dashboards. But today, we’re talking about agents that think for us. That’s a whole new frontier.”
It reminded me that innovation is powerful—but only if it’s grounded in operational reality.

Our Time on Stage

Zycus had the privilege of delivering a Partner Talk, and it was one of my favorite moments. We spoke about how Agentic AI is transforming procurement operations—from smart triaging and policy compliance to risk-based supplier suggestions. The session was short but impactful, and the questions afterward showed that we struck a chord.

One participant told me later:

“That’s the first time I heard someone explain AI in procurement without the buzzwords.”
Mission accomplished.

Insights from the Main Agenda

I made it a point to attend most of the day’s panels, and there was a lot to take in:

• The opening session on procurement in a VUCA world brought home the point that agility and transparency aren’t just best practices—they’re survival skills.
• The panel on sustainable procurement had some hard-hitting truths: ESG isn’t a checklist; it’s a mindset shift.
• The discussion on Digital Twins in procurement was fascinating—real-time simulations for supply risk are no longer hypothetical.
• And the session on marketplaces and supplier networks underlined the need for platforms that allow collaboration, not just transaction.

Zycus Booth: A Conversation Hub

Throughout the day, our booth turned into more than a demo spot. It became a hub for real, nuanced conversations. From questions like “How fast can you implement this?” to “How do I convince my CFO it’s worth it?”, the depth of curiosity was refreshing.

We showcased how Merlin Agentic AI is not just a shiny new feature—it’s helping real procurement teams prioritize better, close loops faster, and act with more context.

Wrapping Up: Awards, Applause, and What’s Next

The evening closed with a felicitation ceremony that honored leaders pushing the envelope on transformation, sustainability, and innovation. It was a proud moment to see the profession celebrated—not just for savings and compliance, but for strategy, empathy, and vision.

As I stood in the group photo at the end, one thought echoed in my mind:

Procurement isn’t waiting for the future. We’re shaping it—one smart intake, one AI-powered decision, one bold leader at a time.

And at Zycus, we’re honored to be part of that journey.

Curious how Agentic AI can work for your procurement team?
Request a Demo and see it in action.

Related Reads:

1. Australia, Agentic AI & the Procurement Revolution: My ProcureCon 2025 Recap
2. CPS 230 Is Here: What It Means for Procurement Professionals in Australia
3. 30 Procurement Leaders of Southeast Asia: CPONext 2025Top 10 Winning Skills for Procurement Professionals
4. Watch Testimonial: Anita Pelacchi Discusses Procurement Innovation at V-Line in Victoria
5. Watch Testimonial: Crown Resorts Melbourne: Procurement Transformation with Zycus
6. The Agentic AI Advantage: Unlocking Deep Value in APAC’s AI-Driven Future