President’s Message

FROM THE ANNUAL IMPACT REPORT 2025–26

From consistency to momentum

Dear members, volunteers, partners, corporate leaders, academicians and friends,

FY 2025–26 was a defining year for the PMI Pune-Deccan India Chapter—a year in which we moved from consistency to momentum.

We built upon the dependable foundations that have sustained this community for two decades while broadening the meaning of Chapter value. Monthly Seminars 195 through 206 maintained an uninterrupted rhythm of accessible professional learning. Around this strong foundation, we created differentiated spaces for executive dialogue, women professionals, specialist disciplines, organisational learning, academic engagement and social impact.

The result was not merely a fuller calendar of events. It was a more connected professional ecosystem—one that enabled members to learn, lead, volunteer, collaborate and contribute at different stages of their professional journeys.

Our 20th anniversary gave us an opportunity to reflect on how far we have travelled and to consider the responsibilities ahead. We recognised the vision of our founders, the stewardship of past Boards, the dedication of programme teams and the contribution of generations of volunteers who kept learning and community alive through changing technologies, working models and economic cycles.

At the same time, we looked towards a profession being reshaped by artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, new workforce models, sustainability, healthcare complexity and the growing demand for measurable value. In this environment, our responsibility extends beyond providing knowledge. We must help members interpret change, exercise sound judgement and translate emerging ideas into action—with competence, confidence and integrity.

The 200th Monthly Seminar captured this continuity beautifully. It was simultaneously a learning forum, an anniversary celebration, a partnership platform and a public acknowledgement of community service. Two hundred seminars represent two hundred occasions on which practitioners chose to share their knowledge and members chose to learn together. The milestone also strengthened institutional relationships connecting professional practice, academic knowledge and emerging talent.

DiSHA 2026 gave our ambition its flagship expression. Under the theme “Leading the Future with AI, Innovation and Social Impact,” the conference brought together technology, leadership, project delivery and public purpose. More than 350 delegates participated in a programme combining strategic perspectives, applied learning, professional recognition, partner engagement and meaningful exchange. Its enduring value lies not only in what happened during the conference, but also in the questions, collaborations and actions that continued after it concluded.

Other platforms served equally important and distinct purposes. The CxO Round Table created a smaller, confidential environment for candid dialogue among senior leaders. The Pune Women’s League addressed the realities of career progression, caregiving, resilience and personal agency. Value Management 2025 brought benefits realisation, purpose and decision quality to the centre of the project conversation. Our industry and corporate engagements extended the Chapter into live discussions on mobility, organisational transformation, sustainability and the evolving Project Economy. Together, these platforms demonstrated that one professional community can address diverse needs without compromising a common standard of relevance, quality and professional integrity.

What gives me the greatest confidence, however, is not any single event or milestone. It is the strength of the people behind them. Every successful programme rests on hours of largely unseen work by volunteers, portfolio leaders, speakers, knowledge partners, faculty members, sponsors and Chapter staff. Their willingness to contribute time, expertise and leadership is what makes our Chapter genuinely member-centric, volunteer-powered and future-ready.

The momentum created during FY 2025–26 has continued beyond the reporting period. By May 2026, the Chapter’s published membership had crossed 5,200 paid and active members. The redesigned website access hub brought together onboarding, member resources and support, collaboration opportunities, MentorPRO, CareerConnect, research enablement, sponsorship, the CxO Forum, specialist interest groups and volunteer pathways. Although these are post-year-end developments, they demonstrate how the year’s momentum is being translated into a clearer and more connected member journey.

Our third decade must now be defined by depth as much as reach. Members should find it easier to progress from orientation to learning, from learning to application, from application to mentoring and specialist communities, and from participation to volunteer leadership. Corporate and academic relationships must mature from isolated engagements into sustained capability-building journeys. Our specialist interest groups must develop into governed communities of practice with clear charters, meaningful knowledge outputs and visible pathways for contribution.

Growth also brings responsibility. It must be supported by sound governance, financial stewardship, reliable data, transparent accountability and institutional continuity. We must deepen member value, strengthen volunteer capacity and leadership pathways, extend our regional reach and use digital and AI-enabled capabilities thoughtfully.

The portfolio-wise volunteer structure introduced for 2026–27 is an important part of this transition. By linking each Board portfolio with AVP, General Manager and Manager-level responsibilities, it makes the Chapter’s delivery engine more visible and creates stronger conditions for ownership, collaboration, continuity and succession. Structure by itself does not create impact; its success will ultimately be measured by the quality of outcomes we create and the experience we provide to our members.

On behalf of the Board, I express my sincere gratitude to our members for their trust; to our volunteers for their energy and professionalism; to our speakers and knowledge partners for their generosity; to our sponsors, corporate partners and academic institutions for extending our reach; to our past leaders for the foundations they created; and to my fellow Board members for carrying our shared responsibility across many portfolios.

The achievements recorded in this report belong to all of you.

We enter our third decade with gratitude for the foundations built over twenty years, confidence in the community we have become and a clear sense of purpose about the future we must now create—together.

Our opportunity is not simply to run more events. It is to become Pune’s most useful platform for project leadership—welcoming in spirit, rigorous in practice and ready for what comes next.

Warm regards,
Rinoo Rajesh
President & CEO
PMI Pune-Deccan India Chapter